Our Adventurous Girl

My how our sweet Jillian has grown.  This year on vacation, she was anxious to try the zipline and scream swing on the quad.  I knew she would love them if we could get her on, and, indeed, she did!

It is so fun to watch her grow up more and more each year as we experience this place during our summer vacation.  There is something so special here at Gull Lake Ministries, and my girls absolutely love it.  The memories that we build as they literally grow up here are so precious.  Grateful this morning for this place that has become such an important part of our family and who we are as we have been vacationing here for 11 years now.  I certainly never dreamed 11 years ago when we came with our one 8 year old daughter that life would bring us here...five more children, but it is so good!

Watching This Girl Conquer the World

If I told you that seven years ago this girl was waiting to die, would you even be able to picture it?  She couldn't trust, couldn't leave the house, didn't feel safe, and couldn't handle any sensory input at all.  She literally spent her days alone in a corner banging her head waiting for her life to end.  It has been a hard fought road to recover this girl's heart, but watching her today..makes each of those moments all the more sweet! 

 We went to a family fest yesterday as a family.  The fact that this girl could even be here is a miracle, but she spotted this inflatable, and she insisted we play on it.  Then, she waited, mostly patiently, in line for nearly 30 minutes for her turn signing excited, excited, excited throughout our entire wait.

When it was turn, she hopped right up on the giant inflatable, strapped herself to the bungy cord and belt, and went to play.  Oh, she laughed!  She smiled, tugged, and pulled herself with all her might as the object of the game is to reach the balls in the middle.

She never gave up, and enjoyed so much playing this game!

Her entire adoring family cheered her on from the side including her sisters.

AND....she did it! 

She finally got one purple ball, and JOY erupted on her face!  These are the moments that I give absolute praise to God as I have seen a miracle happen in this girl's heart in the last seven years.  What an absolute privilege to be her family!

First Beach Day

We have had temperatures in the 100's already!

Perfect for our first beach day of the season!

Miss Molly is so much stronger than last year!

Last year, her life-jacket would carry her away, but this year she swam for a whole hour before getting tired!

Ellie loved being carried in the water, playing under her shade, and enjoying the textures of the sand.

This girl, this girl..how she LOVES the beach!

She was super thrilled to be here, and watching the JOY on her face was worth sitting in the heat all morning.

I can't wait to spend many, more days here this summer.

Seven Years

Seven years ago something in my life changed absolutely everything.  It is still so hard for me to put into words, and, to this day, I can't speak of it without bawling my eyes out.  Seven years ago yesterday, I met this amazing, incredible girl that I would have the privilege of raising as my daughter.  Before her, this idea of orphan care and adoption..babies without mommas and daddies was so abstract..so easy to ignore.  After seeing this precious girl for myself...15 pounds at just over two years old with horrific signs of abuse and neglect..I could no longer turn my head and look the other way because instantly I loved her with a momma love that made me physically hurt for those left behind.  After this day seven years ago, I would never, never be the same.  Before her, my heart could get through a day without the overflowing JOY that comes with watching healing redemption first hand because, honestly, I have never experienced God the way I have as I have raised up this baby girl.  I have needed Him, like never before, for survival many times in the last seven years.  I have had Him carry me through some deep, dark valleys, and I have seen Him turn ordinary moments into mountain top accomplishments again and again.  I have felt Him so close, and praised Him exuberantly for not giving up on inviting me to do this work for Him.  For years, I turned a blind eye to these least as I clung to my one child policy.  My plan was to have a controlled, safe Christian life, with one bio child, and it was working out quite nicely until..Jillian.  I often look at this girl of mine, and wonder if she will ever grasp the incredible impact God has allowed her to have on me, and, quite frankly, many others.  She is a miracle that some would look at, and think of as inferior or a burden to us as we care for her as she is nonverbal, has serious difficulty processing sensory input, and has autism but the truth is..this girl of ours has something so much more precious than anything this world can see.  Many times I watch her JOY in the mud or swinging, and I wish for just one moment I could have her unique perspective because she is the one who has given me so much as I walk alongside her.  So on this day, it with great JOY that we celebrate the moment she was placed in our arms seven ago. 

We eat her favorite dinner, hot dogs with macaroni and cheese, outside in our backyard which is her favorite place in the whole world.  We swing, play on the monkey bars, dig in the mud, build a fire, roast marshmallows, and enjoy just being with her because without her my heart would be much less full, and my JOY incomplete.  Today, I give great thanks that the God of the universe had this beautiful plan for my life, and that He saw fit to bless me with this amazing girl to call my daughter.  What an indescribable, enormous JOY she has brought us!  Happy seven years home my dear baby girl!  We love you more than words can say because it was Christ who first loved us!

Nine

Nine.  How did we get here?  I can hardly believe that we are going to celebrate seven years home in a few days.  CRAZY!  We were thrilled to celebrate her with a cooking party!

We decorated aprons and chef hats!

We also had a make your own pasta dish activity.  Each girl got to create their own recipe with unique sauce, cheese, pasta, and vegetables. 

Jillian LOVED it!  Cooking is one of her favorite things to do!  I can hardly believe it honestly!  She still doesn't chew so pasta that could be easily pureed was a perfect choice!

She loved opening gifts which is another miracle as stuff just doesn't interest her too much.  She does love wands AKA "sticks" to her.  She was happy to get these sticks!

We also decorated our own cupcakes with fruit, candy, filling, and icing. 

Jillian loved the icing!

She wanted a yellow and blue cake with a yellow and blue party.  I was happy to oblige.  We had a great time!  How thankful I am that we could celebrate this very special little girl on her ninth birthday!  We love her so!

To Jillian on Her Ninth Birthday...

Sweet, dear girl,
When I was waiting for you to come home to me, I dreamed of the day you would be next to me cooking in the kitchen.  Then you were home, and so broken that I never believed the day that you would love to cook next to me would come, but it has.  I marvel each and every day at how far God has brought you.  Your heart is healed beyond what I could have ever let myself hope in that first year that I had you home as mine.  Because you love cooking so much, we had a cooking party to celebrate you on your ninth birthday with blue and yellow because that is what you insisted on.  We kept our guest list small this year as the only person you requested be there was your Miss Debbie.  How I love the way that you love her.   That you can love so deeply is another miracle that could only come from the Lord as I am reminded of the prognosis given to me by many those first few months home..you would never trust, never love, never know I was your mother...how wrong they were as you are so connected and loving considering your start.  I have watched your ability to communicate grow so much this last year!  You know hundreds of signs, and are getting much more fluent than I am.  What a dream come true that you can communicate all your are thinking as this helps alleviate your anxiety so much.  You continue to amaze me with all you can spell on your talker, and you have grown very attached to your "sticks" this year drumming many rhythms everywhere we go.  You also continue to love books, or their characters, very much.  This year, you have become attached to Mooseltoe and Cat in the Hat, but also still hold tight to your old favorites, Splat the Cat and Pete the Cat.  You are comfortable just about everywhere.  We can go on out to eat, to the mall, on field trips, to church..and you are able to function.  This is HUGE for you.  No longer are we on high alert looking for any sensory triggers that might set you off.  You have such an understanding of how to regulate yourself, and it has opened up so many more worlds for you!  You have been particularly happy this year to have a giant mud pit in the backyard (somethings never change), to get a "high" (bunk) bed, to have new paint on your walls in dark blue as you requested, and to spend hours in the water swimming or bathing!  You have taken on chores around the house and are really so helpful.  When we go downtown to serve a meal to the homeless, you are quite good at setting out the salt and peppers before dinner, and collecting them after.  You make me so proud each and every day.  I can't imagine life without you nor can I imagine that I could love you any more.  Yet, each year I do! Happy 9th birthday, my amazing girl!  I am ever so happy that God called me to you nearly seven years ago as having you as mine is one of my life's greatest blessings!
All my love,
Momma

Christmas in the Barn

We headed to the country last weekend for an autism event called Christmas in the Barn.

It was held at Miracles in Motion where many children have therapeutic riding sessions.

We enjoyed crafts, homemade cookies, the horses dressed in their holiday best, and a visit with..

Santa Claus. 

You can't avoid this guy this time of year,

and, while my girls know the truth about this guy,

sometimes it is fun just to play along.

Making Salt Dough Ornaments..

I have seen salt dough ornaments everywhere..

and I love making ornaments with the girls each year.

Because we hadn't attempted a salt dough hand print mitten in the past,

we went for it, and making them was so much fun!

This girl has loved all my crafts, but she really liked this one.  The shapes she cut out were completely unconventional and totally unique just like she is.

You can see the trail of destruction in the background and our little tornado sitting on the floor in the middle of it all!  What a blessed morning this was to have my girls with me!

Cinnamon Rolls with Jilly

Yesterday, Daddy thought it would be a good idea to reinvent the left over dinner roll dough in the fridge into cinnamon rolls.

Jilly agreed and was eager to help.  It still amazes me when she is next to me in the kitchen as she is able to execute every step.

Following directions and enjoying cooking is something I could only dream of when she was first home.

Now she is my big, big girl always eager to help her Momma with every cooking task.  I love having her help me too.

Special Olympics Bowling

Because our baby girl is in third grade this year, she gets to participate in special olympics.  She has gotten to try her hand at bowling already, and it was such a joy to watch her.  I watch her..all grown up..and I can hardly believe this is the same girl that I was handed nearly seven years ago.

She is so confident, so happy, and so so big!

There were hundreds of bowlers.  It was packed, loud, and she did it!

She participated and bowled two games.  When it was done, we got her out of there as she was pretty spent, but she didn't mind having the afternoon off of school so it was a win for her!  I am so proud of her.  What a precious girl she is growing up to be!

Wickiup Hill

There is an amazing new, natural playground at Wickiup. 

We grabbed our babies last Saturday and went to explore.

Water pumped into a log that leads to a creek is a giant hit with my babes!

Bamboo building center was so unique and provided such fun!

We couldn't even begin to photograph it all as it is amazing what this playground has to offer!

The music station was fun for everyone.

Ellie loved this huge metal drum that provided her vibration and sound.

Precious, Happy babes were everywhere!

We did some trail hiking and Molly led the way!  That girl can sure run!

They have an authentic wickiup that you can rent to camp in. 

Wood, rocks, sand, water..everywhere to play in, on, and around!

Spring..when will you come?  We can't wait to play here again, but it looks like winter is on the way in our parts so we may not visit again for awhile. :(