5K for the Orphan

As a family, we were able to participate in the 5K for the orphan this morning sponsored by Eastview Christian Church in Bloomington.  It was a lot cooler than yesterday though still a balmy 80 degrees at 8:30 this morning, but it was awesome to be with so many other believers who were running (and walking) on behalf of the fatherless.  This year's proceeds are going to GOYA ministries in Kenya.

Our Daddy was running..

 while we girls opted for the mile walk with the littlest peanut in her wagon.

 They had a splash park there (but it didn't turn on until 10:00)

and our little lady found the remains of last nights rains

pooled in the low spots.  You know she loves water and couldn't help

splashing and eventually plopping right down in the puddles.

 It was hot so it provided her some relief. 

I wish the water was on..

it would have thrilled her.

 She found some climbing..

 and even got on this contraption for a minute with momma.

We had one blessed day as a Family.

Big sissy was a huge help while Daddy was running.

My word, she loves her little sister!

There were other Chinese princesses everywhere this momma looked.

I can't wait until there are two in my wagon.

JOY

For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. Psalms 92:4

What a marvelous work of the Lord is this precious treasure with her face scrunched in the sun.

A beautiful work of the Lord is this little one walking hand and hand with her daddy

and resting safely in his arms.

A miraculous work is this family created by God. It is so good it makes me glad.

How wonderful to see this little work of God playing so carefreely..

Climbing..

Sliding...

Taking on the GIANT slide!

Resting in knowing that she is a marvelous work of the Lord indeed!

I will sing His praises all my days that He made her to be my daughter.

Nothing makes this momma happier than a beautiful morning at the park with her family.

Can you tell?

Truly Blessed.

From Snow to 70..In two days?

This was Sunday evening..

Snowing like December in March..

The big sis had a negative attitude about this photo shoot. Looks like she's enjoying herself though. She loves her sister..truly she does love her sister.

Where did this stuff come from?

This is Tuesday....
Sunny, windy, and warm.
Near 70 degrees.
Notice the spring jacket.
Jillian transitioned easily to a different coat today!
YEAH!!

She is noticing so much more. She is even motioning toward things like the geese and the water.

She would love to dive right in.

Look at her going down the slide by herself! By herself?

I never dreamed that after five months of coaxing..she would be doing it by herself.

She even sits at the top without any help and gets ready for me to watch her.

She looks so grown in her 3T coat. She wore only 12 mos just 10 months ago when we brought her home. AMAZING how she has grown. She loves the fresh air and the wind so much!

70 degrees was a wonderful surprise and a good reason to visit the park indeed! There is nothing better in this world than a morning at the park with my baby girl!

Together

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the long break without school everyday. I love having my big girl home with us. We took our little peanut swimming the last day of break and man did she love having her sissy in the pool with her..

This is probably the longest she was still the entire 90 minutes. :)

Jillian loves her some water.

She runs the perimeter of that pool the entire time we are there.

Taking her swimming is the best $3 I spend all week.


So much joy for one little life I tell ya.
One blessed momma.

The Toughest Task Yet

Yesterday, I faced the toughest task of this adoption journey yet. That was getting my almost teenager to agree to wear elf pajamas that match her two year old sister for Christmas pictures. BUT OH BE STILL MY HEART..these two are so darn adorable together in their matching pjs.

Secretly sissy loved having pics with Jill in these pjs. Though she is protesting it this very moment and doesn't want this picture posted..Growing up is hard to do.

Isn't this the chubbiest elf you've ever seen?

Hard to believe she was significantly underweight just seven months ago.
A precious gift is our girl.

Who can stand that smile?

Such a sweet, sweet face.

We love this baby so very much!

I wonder what it is like for her to constantly have three white people following her around, taking pictures of her, and making a big fuss over her. Does she wonder what in the world is so special? She is so special and we are so blessed this holiday season to have her home and in our arms.

Saying Goodbye

We lost Sean's dad on Friday to cancer. This is a very hard post to write, but I want Jill to be able to read it one day and know how much she was loved by her grandpa. I want her to know that while she only had four short months with him-she meant the world to him. I also want to celebrate the incredible grandpa he was to Emily for the twelve years that he walked beside her..

For Emily..

The moment that Floyd found out that I was pregnant, he wanted a black haired granddaughter with green eyes, but when you came out with blonde fuzz and blue eyes he was captivated by you. Truly as a toddler, your grandpa was everything to you. No one could make you laugh like he could. He played with you on the floor for hours on end, took us on beach vacations, took you fishing, shared pizza with you, built tents, baked biscuits, and endured a frightening tornado with you all before you were four years old. As you grew, he continued to spoil you like crazy giving you anything that you wanted, sleeping on the couch when you visited so you could sleep in his bed, making you cheesy eggs and chocolate gravy, and always having chips and cheese on hand for you to eat. My dear big girl you have been blessed to know the love of your grandpa and to be able to truly experience it is something that you should not take for granted. I am so grateful to God that you have all of these memories to carry in your heart. I only wish we could have had him longer.


For Jillian..

Grandpa anticipated your arrival just as much as he did Emily's. He loved you from the moment we were blessed with you. On Thanksgiving, though you weren't home with us yet, I remember him talking about you as we sat around the table. He wondered where "our" girl was and what she was doing on this day. When arriving home from China, we were met with news that Grandpa wasn't well and your very first visit with him was in the ICU. Then her rallied and we were given a few more months and some precious memories that momma will always carry in her heart of the two of you together. You were so unsure at first if you could play with this curly haired guy. He didn't give up though and as soon as you allowed him, he was on the floor next to you. He read to you and you let him hold you. You would have thought that the world was brighter than it ever had been in that moment because he was able to hold you. We were able to make a trip to see him again in his apartment near the hospital in St. Louis and, though he was not well, he held you on the balcony in the rain for nearly forty minutes as you splashed in the puddles. The last time he saw you, he decided that you might like a ride in the laundry basket and so he hooked a belt on and pulled you around the living room. Oh how you laughed. Seeing you experience being loved by a grandpa was beautiful though it ended much too soon. Know that he loved you with all of his heart.

Both of my girl's lives are richer and beyond blessed because they got to call this man grandpa. So thankful for that. So thankful for how he loved my girls. Praying for God's comfort and peace for my dear husband as he buries his father tomorrow.

OT Meltdown

Rough Occupational Therapy session this morning. Jill just wanted nothing to do with it. She wasn't feeling like interacting this morning. Then when K pulled out the ball. It was over..Over fast. Jill is terrified of balls-hates the things. Doesn't even want to be in the same room with them. She had a meltdown. It was a big one BUT a big one that is no where near where it was three months ago. She calmed down after an hour or so and her cry well it wasn't near as intense as it was three months ago either. The best part..she won't let me put her down. She wants me to hold her while she melts down. Now that is progress. Progress that this momma loves.

The said meltdown did prevent me from participating in Darling Kiddo's send off to vball camp, but DH was there and got her off. Darling Kiddo will be gone all week. This is the first time that she has been away from home without family-ever. I know she is almost 12 and will be fine BUT she is my first baby.

Jill will really miss her as she is enjoying forcing herself on her. She insists on Em's attention throughout the day and loves when she gets it. Jill will just have to be happy with momma and daddy this week.

Big Sis Update

So my kiddo is super competitive and loves sports. Because of this, her annual Warrior Olympics at school at the end of each year is her fave two day event!! She won the fastest kid in school again, the relay race, the basketball tournament, and got second in the long jump. She just loves sports and even more she loves to win-must have gotten that from her daddy. :) Momma's favorite thing about Warrior Olympics is that it means the year is almost over and I love havin' my girl home for the summer. So..momma is rejoicing along with darling kiddo!!
(Does anyone know how to turn this? So frustrating..) Little sissy loves being held by her big sis. She is constantly asking Em to pick her up. Got to love their matching hot pink shirt and jeans ensembles. Did I mention how much I love having my girls home? I love summer!!


Jill loves having some big sis time in the bean bag chair playing some Wipe Out on the DS. She is just about ready for one of her own. Don't you think? Beyond precious to see these two together. Shopping with Em the other day in the junior's section and lamenting over how grown she has become..To which she replies, Jill still shops in the baby section. So true dear friends..So true. A teenager and a baby..Who would have thought? Certainly not my plan, but truly the Lord's and I am loving ever single minute. Love these girls.

Level Ground Needed

My heart is hurting so this morning. Hurting because this little babe of my heart, that is finally home with me, continues to hurt so. I am desperate to soothe her and so desperatly long to be her momma. There are so many times-many more than three weeks ago-that she is letting me BUT there are so many other times that she just can't trust me enough yet. I can only imagine the deep and traumatic circumstances that she has experienced in these first 26 months of her life. I can only guess about what she has felt, how she has been treated, and the wounds that this has left on her little heart. One thing I can know for sure is that our God is in control of her little life and He has planned it all out since the beginning of time. He has also appointed me to be her momma-whether she knows it yet or not. I was on my knees this morning begging the Lord for this little one's healing and asking for encouragment in this day to be the momma she needs. Then there it was-His voice- hanging on an index card on my cabinet..

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good spirit lead me to level ground. Psalm 143:8-10

Some things about that verse just jumped out at me today. Trust. He will show me. He will teach me. He will give me all I need to be her momma. And little by little she will open up her heart to me. I am sure of that this morning as His mercies are new each day. Also finding joy in the journey as she sits in my lap on the floor and lets me hold her in front of the hall mirror. She let me hold her so long that my arms ached, but my heart was overflowing with joy.

Level Ground. When I wrote this in the wee hours of the morning this morning..I was begging for level ground. Well, my little sweet pea stayed awake late enough this morning to ride along when I took big sis to school. She sat in her car seat in the back making the strangest faces and I think she might have even enjoyed it. It felt so normal to have both of my girls in the car. Normal and Level. I even drove through Starbucks with her and got a hot tea. :) Praise God for answering my plea for a little level ground today. He is so good in the mist of our trials.

Gains

My oldest daughter came barreling down the stairs this morning and tripped over the gate at the bottom. She doesn't walk anywhere-always running or bouncing in her size 10 shoes. One of the shoes got caught on the gate as she tried to "gracefully" jump over it. She popped right back up and said I'm fine-like she always does. The whole scene just made me smile.

Grinning ear to ear driving her to school today thinking about how grown she is. Looking at those size ten shoes next to Jill's infant size 4 makes me remember just how quickly these last eleven years have gone with her. How I wish I could just freeze this precious time with my girls.

Em has been so beyond beautiful during the last three weeks. She has learned so much about serving others and putting yourself last. I am so happy that she got to experience this with us. I was so thrilled last night to hear her say the words..sissy did it. Sissy. I think about the meaning behind that and all that this adoption has given Em-a sister. Someone to walk alongside her in this life as she deals with her two crazy parents. Another soul to roll her eyes with when her momma is crying her eyes out because of some silly little thing like how much she has grown. Someone to call daddy weirdo with when he is dancing and being a goof. Someone to love and help along in this life. Someone to call when she is hurting. Someone to be her bridesmaid.

Oh I can hardly stand all the gains that we have in our life because of this precious girl being ours. I think all the time that we simply could have missed it. We could have told God no to adoption. We could have said we were too old, we didn't have the money, we couldn't do it, we weren't able, it would just be too hard, or a host of other excuses. We could have missed out on it all. I could have missed being this baby's momma. Oh the thought is just far too horrible to consider. So amazed at the depth of my love for these precious girls that God has given me to raise up and so looking forward to watching them grow as friends.