Six Years Ago...

This tiny...

but mighty....

beautiful child....

was placed in my arms.

Little did we know the journey the Lord had laid before us in this one precious, enormous moment.

Our hearts were opened to the Lord and broken for the orphan and we knew that this was not the end... 

but the beginning and our Lizzie's journey, her struggles, her heartbreak, her courage and her determination has helped to keep our hearts focused and steady.

Lizzie came to us ready, knowing and with a heart aching for love.

I can still feel her tiny arms wrapped so tightly around my neck the day we went back to visit her orphanage.

I can still hear her cries as one by one the nannies asked to hold her.

I can still see that smile, that incredible, beautiful, relieved smile as we got back on the bus to leave the only place she had ever known and I told her to wave bye bye...

The Lord had prepared her and she knew...

and I knew that we were going to be ok.

It was on the plane ride home that I began to understand - as Lizzie began to cry. It was a deep, tired, frustrated, I just don't know what to think right now kind of cry and nothing I was doing was soothing her, nothing that had worked previously was working now...

so I began to sing, as I had done so, so many times with our other children in those precious moments of closeness and comfort...

I held her in my arms and began to sing and as I did, this precious 2 year old angel, looked up at me with such surprise and curiosity that it stopped her crying and as I realized that this was probably the very first time in her entire 2 years of life that anyone had ever held her and sung to her...

my heart was forever broken and the enormity of what my precious child had missed, of what all these precious children miss, came crashing down on me and I began to cry...

The Lord was preparing me and I was beginning to know and as I have watched and loved our sweet little Lizzie May these past 6 years, the Lord continues to fill my heart with love and awe for this incredible child!

Lizzie is strong

and courageous (except when there is a lizard within 10 feet – hehe)!

She is determined

and loving

and has a laugh that will make your heart smile...

and she loves us, oh how she loves us

 My beautiful Lizzie May....

We went to the beach to celebrate you yesterday...

it was so appropriate as it reminded me of the immenseness of your beautiful journey and of the depth of our love for you.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Faith, Hope and Love perfectly describe this journey with you my love. 

As every year, posting your One Year Home video.

Looking forward to the rest of your beautiful life my precious Lizzie!