Memorial Day 2014

This is how my kiddos spent Memorial Day...

swimming lessons (3) from Annie Hamlin on Vimeo.

working so hard to teach their newest sisters to swim!

swimming lessons (1) from Annie Hamlin on Vimeo.

Oh my gosh I love my kids!

Maggie and Lucy aren't quite there yet but I would not be surprised if this determined bunch didn't have it down by the end of the summer!

We also spent Sunday celebrating someone's 8th birthday...

just a tad bit early - more on that later!

When Push Turns to Love

So sweet Miss Maggie has been working so hard on so many things. Poor baby gets reminded over and over again about these things that are hard for her and take much concentration but...

she is making progress!

It is slow and can be frustrating sometimes but she - is - making - progress!

The other day, at soccer, I told Maggie that if she could walk back to our seats in a straight line (not like Billy from Family Circus - hehe), upright with her back straight and with her arms at her sides, she could earn back a privilege she had lost.

Well that girl walked so straight, with no detours and arms under control and as I started to take her picture, she looked back and saw that I was watching and taking pics and...  well you can see her smile.

She was so proud of herself and could not wait to see the pics and was able to better understand why we push her. 

There are so many things that, I believe, she was told she could not do or was just not ever encouraged to do that this has been an adjustment for her but she is starting to get it.  It does take constant reminders but even that is slowly getting better.

It has been so hard to know how far to push our precious girls but they are beginning to question why they don't have friends like Em and Lizzie have friends and I am beginning to understand just how much they are learning and just how much more they have to learn and this helps my heart when they struggle and when I have to push.

It is a delicate balance and one that changes daily but when I see Maggie walking with so much control and Lucy finally able to get in and out of the car by herself...

when she could hardly walk 5 steps in China without falling down...

I know we are getting there and I know that many of the "I can't-s" will continue to change to "I'll try"...

a conversation that happens a lot around here.

This is not easy but it is what we know the Lord called us to, cause...

there is just no way we could do this on our own.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

We are so right with whatever the Lord has in store for Maggie or Lucy but we will continue to encourage and love and support and even push so that they will have the best chance possible to be a  teacher (Maggie)...

 

or a soccer coach/mommie (Lucy), if that is His path for them.

 

So we get up each day and pray for wisdom and pray for patience and pray for a loving, Christ like heart and we trust that He will equip us and by the end of the day...

I find that the peace and the patience and the humor and the love were always there just when I needed them...

daily equipping, daily dependance, daily grace

Adopted Once More

I will not ever forget this Mother's Day

Lucy and Maggie could not wait to give me the cards that they had made for me

I imagine it was the first time they had ever made a Mother's Day card and they were so excited as they are beginning to understand a little bit of the love they were adopted into.

Lucy tells me all the time now, "Mommie, I just love this family!"

We talk about China and we talk about adoption and we talk about how they are here forever and that we love them just because we do, because they are our daughters...

and yesterday, on Mother's Day...

the girls agreed to be adopted once again...

as the Lord's own.

It was powerful y'all and as I watched them both and the joy that was completely evident on their faces, the struggles of the past 9 months faded away as the joy of their journey took its place.

We asked Christian and Charlie to be their Godparents and they were ready and willing to take on this important role in their sisters' lives...

and last night, Christian posted just a bit from his heart about the day...

"Today Charlie and I were blessed to become godparents to our two newest sisters. Lucy and Maggie. We adopted them 8 months ago from China and it has been an amazing experience to see them develop and thrive in America."

 

What an amazing Mother's Day!

and in Lucy's own words...

 

Jesus loves me Mommie and I love Him!

Amen!

Mother's Day

So tomorrow is Mother's Day and I have five special mothers on my heart tonight.

My sweet Mom is always on my mind and close to my heart.

She loves tremendously and has taught me so much about gentleness and compassion.

After Hubby, she is the very next phone call I make, regardless of if I need a shoulder to cry on or a loving grandmother heart to brag to.

My wonderful Mom-in-law is another sweet influence in our lives.

She has such a sentimental heart and loves to make memories for our children...

and while we don't get to see her as often, the kiddos talk about her as if we see her everyday!

These two beautiful women have made such an impact and been such an influence on our hearts.

Thank you

The other three Moms who are very much on my heart tonight are Lizzie, Maggie and Lucy's birth Moms.

We pray for them every night and while I do not know if their hearts ache for the daughters that they gave up....

I do know that these brave women chose to give my daughters life and for that I will be eternally grateful.  

I cannot imagine the world without my three beautiful, determined, compassionate, loving daughters.

So we pray for peace for these women and we pray that they might somehow come to know the love that Lizzie knows and that Maggie and Lucy are beginning to know, and tomorrow...

 that love will come to live within Maggie Lucy as they are baptized.

Cannot think of a better Mother's Day gift!