As we prepare for Easter, we are amazed that we’ve been home with Zeke for six months. Our intention was to provide updates through January, and Zeke’s third birthday, but time got away from us and here we are, months later, but ready to finish our “posted” Journey to Ezekiel. We know, though, that our Journey to Ezekiel, and now our Journey with Ezekiel, will last a lifetime. What a blessing that is.
Ezekiel turned three on January 2nd and we had quite a birthday celebration. We limited the celebration to our immediate family, but it was fun and Zeke thoroughly enjoyed himself, eating his ice cream pie, opening presents and playing with his new toys. January 2nd marked the day that we now had two three year olds in the house. Hana is also three and five months older than Zeke. Ed (14), Joe (12) and Emily (9) love their little sister and brother and have expressed, on many occasions, that they’d like to go back to China for one more adoption. It’s great watching them all together. We’ll see what the future brings.
The last few months have actually been relatively quiet. We celebrated Chinese New Years. We have been to the Zoo and Aquarium now that the weather is finally warming up after our very cold and snowy winter. And Zeke is now official in the eyes of New Mexico. We have completed his re-adoption and had just a great experience with Judge Marie Baca, and Zeke now has his New Mexico-issued birth certificate. These are the details that take time, are a little hard to get motivated to do, but are so important. The only thing we’re lacking now is his passport. Everyone else in the family has a passport and we’re ready to apply for one for Zeke. Hopefully, we’ll be able to check that off as finished soon.
It’s time to close this chapter of Zeke’s journey. Zeke is clearly a vital member of our family and has settled into family life. He is happy and content, rarely experiences the tantrums of those early days and months, and is just a caring, considerate, little boy. When he crawls up into your lap, or runs to meet you at the door with hugs and kisses, we know he’s doing great. He needs us and we need him. What an incredible boy.
It’s hard to imagine that not that many months ago a young boy, Qin Yi Guang, was living at the Xin Xiang City Social Welfare Institute in the Henan Province of China. We saw his photo, read a short paragraph of information about him, and knew he was to be our son, and our children’s brother. Today, Ezekiel Yiguang Allen, is part of a family, living in Edgewood, New Mexico, and has a world of opportunities open to him. It’s hard to fathom, that in an instant, lives can be changed forever. We believe that God has had our family planned since before time began. Our role is to seek that plan and follow where God leads us. We pray that others will read Zeke’s story, as well so many other stories of adoption, and trust that, if God is leading them in the direction of adoption, they will follow that leading.
Thank you for your prayers for Zeke and our family, and blessings to all of you from the Allen family: Steve, Heather, Ed, Joe, Emily, Hana and Zeke.
