He's an Overcomer!

10 years ago today, we received an unexpected phone call about a little boy on the other side of the world who needed a family.

More than a year would pass before we would meet him face to face. Wyatt came home in June and started school in August. Thus began a most difficult journey.

The night before he started kindergarten, he spoke with someone from our adoption agency.  Because Wyatt knew no English, this was the only way we could prepare him for the day ahead.

At the end of his kindergarten year, Wyatt was just beginning to understand English. Our district refused to let him repeat the year, and we spent the next few years exasperated as we tried to build on a shaky (at best) foundation while building the foundation. Wyatt persevered but never allowed himself to even dream that he could be a successful student. Even so, I was convinced that God was writing an amazing story with Wyatt.

We really hit a wall in seventh grade and enlisted the help of a math tutor. 

Thanks to all of the teachers who went the extra mile and an especially big thanks to Mr. H who not only taught Wyatt math but encouraged him to believe in himself, Wyatt spent his entire 8th grade year on the honor roll.  He even finished the year with straight "A"s for the last quarter.

Wyatt and Mrs. J - she's taught all three of the Page kids who have completed 8th grade, and she's an excellent math teacher.

During Wyatt's crossover ceremony, Wyatt's teachers recognized him with the Caleb award for perseverance and diligence to an assigned task.

We celebrated with sushi.

Today happens to be Ira's fifth birthday.  We celebrated on Sunday.  His only gift request was a drum set.

We happened to run into the birthday boy when we went out to celebrate with sushi.

I am so very proud of Wyatt!

posted with Wyatt's permission