Happy Birthday - Again!

So, this journey, this adoption journey, is not always easy.

 There are unknowns and there are unanswered questions and there are pieces of the puzzle that will simply never fall into place.

For our girls, this is particularly true in that there are memories locked away that may never be revealed...

there are memories locked away that the Lord made certain would not be revisited...

there are parts to their childhood and of their very beginnings that may not ever be made known.

Imagine not knowing why you can not control your movements or speak clearly.

Imagine not knowing why your "legs don't work so good."

Imagine not knowing why you have this huge whole in your soul that just never seems to get filled up.

Imagine never knowing where you were born or who gave birth to you or the actual day that you were born...

your birthday...

or...

 even your age.

That has been one of our struggles with Maggie and Lucy...

their age.

We have good reason to suspect that Maggie is not 10 going on 11 and Lucy did not turn 9 in April.

It is hard...

trying to determine your child's age... 

and with Maggie and Lucy, there are other factors, like they both have cerebral palsy and they both, never went to school and they are both terribly behind socially and emotionally and developmentally... 

but is that due to the CP or to the circumstances in which they lived or because they are younger than their files tell us they are??

hard to know...

so...

when people ask the girls how old they are, in their wonderfully innocent, trusting and "no biggie" kind of way...

they will reply, "I don't know...  maybe 7 or 8 or 9!"

Have I told you how much I love these girls!

We have been honest with them and they both understand that we are trying to figure all that out but that in the end, it really does not matter cause they are home and they are loved and that will not change no matter what - no matter what age they are.

Now, according to Maggie's file, the birthday given to her by the orphanage was in December...

 so we celebrated in December...

 and then we started thinking that if we are going to change her age eventually anyway, why don't we change the month as well...

cause let's face it, with 7 kids, we are crazy busy during this wonderful month!

I don't need a birthday added in to the mix and then we started thinking that as long as we were going to eventually change her birthday month...

 we might as well give her my sweet Daddy's birthday!

I think he would approve and Maggie...

well, all it took was telling her that she could have a pool party in July and she was all in...

cause that is just how sweet Maggie rolls y'all!

So off we went to JuJu's house pool and we had ourselves a pool party...

and Maggie got to swim...

and Maggie got ice cream cake...

and Maggie got a swimming Ariel doll...

and Maggie was tickled pink and once again I find myself in awe of my children...

in awe of their ability to heal...

in awe of their trust...

in awe of their happiness...

and in awe of their capacity to love.

Happy Birthday again my sweet Maggie!

 We will love you and celebrate you every chance we get!

Surgery Eve

So, somehow, we find ourselves here...

the night before Lizzie's surgery.

Time!

We have had this discussion before!

It goes too fast!

When Lizzie came home with a clubfoot due to amniotic banding, we opted to try Ponseti casting instead of surgery...

 

18 clubfoot casts later and she was done! 

Yikes!

I don't regret our decision because we were doing what we felt gave her the better chance at a healthier foot for the long haul.

However, Lizzie's foot, much like Lizzie herself, was a toughy and was stubborn and apparently has a mind of its own as over the past year or so, it has started to regress and turn back and stiffen up on her, so much so that she now walks on her toes.

Although you would never know it!

Lizzie also had a few hand surgeries when she first got home to separate some of her fingers that had fused together, again from ABS (amniotic banding syndrome).

When the doctor at Shriners took a look at her hands, he thought we could go in again and separate them even more and we could do at least one hand at the same time that we did her foot.

That call we left totally up to Lizzie...

and after much thought and prayer, she said yes...

that is my brave girl!

So tomorrow is the big day.

We said goodbye to Charlie, Caleb, Em and Maggie and left them in JuJu and Christian's excellent care while Lucy came along for the ride.

These two...

They are so much alike in so many ways.

They love with all their hearts but hold much sadness there too.

Some days they are best buds and some days...

they are so not...

cause...

they are so much alike!

Granted Lucy is a little more Eeyore-ish and Lizzie is a little more Yosemite Sam-ish but trust me, they are more alike than Lizzie likes to admit!

Ha!

So tonight, we gave Lizzie a big meal...

we gave her a good bath...

and after Veggie's Tales...

she will snuggle in for the night with Momma and get ready for the next few months...

which includes a non weight bearing cast for 6 weeks, which means this will be Lizzie's ride for a while...

a full arm cast which means she will need some drivers for a while...

um yeah...

and more than likely no soccer this fall...

a tough one for our little soccer star.

I know, however, that the Lord will use this time to teach Lizzie and to allow her to enjoy more of our attention which she so desperately craves...

and when it is all said and done...

watch out soccer world...

ya thought she was fast before...

grin

Love you sweet girl!

As I reassured Lizzie that I would be with her tomorrow, she reminded me that “so will God.”

Oh my Mighty Mouse, I know your courageous spirit will continue to be an inspiration to all those whose path's you cross.

 Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

It is Done

God provides...

and we say good-bye...

and we say thank you...

thank you Lord for the precious time we had here...

and the beautiful memories He created for us here...

and the blessing through which this particular provision, His provision, flowed.

 

 

 He is ever faithful and we are learning to be forever grateful through every lack and every weakness and ultimately, every single provision.

 

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation!  Psalm 68:19

Go Diego Go

OK, so apparently things aren't crazy enough around here!  

 

 

 The girls and I had a little "Diego" action today as we rescued some baby animals that were hanging around their mom who had died (in our backyard) and had a buzzard buzzing around it.  

 

That is actually how we found them.  

 

Hubby noticed the buzzard and I sent him out to investigate...

 

then sent him back to get the dead momma with babies still clinging to her, in a box...

 

*love that man*

 

then into the back of my car so the girlies and I could take them to a local vet who works with a wildlife rescue.  

 

Picture all four girls and myself in my car with the windows rolled down trying not to take a deep breath...

 

it was stinky!!!  

 

We finally made it...

and 7 of the 10 babies are going to make it!

Can you guess what they are?

Oh and afterwards, my rescue buds got a trip to the grocery store to pick out their fav frozen ice cream treats!

Oh boy, do I see trouble ahead!

*grin*

"Just a Game"

I know it is "just a game"

and I know some parents place way too much importance on the "game", or should I say on "winning or loosing" the game!

However, for us, it has been so much more than "just a game"

For us, it has never been about winning or loosing...

but all about committing to "something", making friends, having fun, learning to lead and trying your best.

It has been about bonding as a family and supporting one another and in this season, like so many before it...

those life lessons are in full evidence.

The season started with Caleb who had decided, last year, to take a break from soccer.  When he made the decision to come back this year, it was like he had never left those fields.  He, like his siblings, seems to have a true feel for the game and just loves to play.

He ended up on a team that was young, one that had not had much guidance in their time together.

At the start of the season, it was much like watching the "Bad News Bears" but Caleb, along with his teammates and their amazing (Scottish) coach, never gave up.

Even after only winning one game the entire season, this tenacious team was determined to go out looking like champs...

and that is exactly what they did!

The team that showed up for the end of the season tournament was not the same team that had started the season.

They did not win...

but they should have!

If there had been a trophy for "Most Improved" or "Most Determined" or "Best Attitude"...

This team would have won it...

and even though my sweet Caleb had to watch as his little sister's team (the one she was asked to "guest play" on), went on to win the top spot in their division...

he was so happy for her and still so proud of the game that his team had brought to the table that day!

Lizzie and Em have not had a winning season this year (on their regular team) but again, they have worked hard as a team and individually and have never given up.

Em has wanted to play goalie ever since she has known what a goalie is and this year...

she finally got her wish and she is rocking it!

Her brothers have been so encouraging and have taken to training their little sister in the art of taking dives and saving goals!

They are bonding and Em is learning that big brothers do actually serve a purpose!

*snicker*

Lizzie is always such an inspiration out there.

I honestly have 3 or 4 people at every single game from our team and/or the opposing team that will come up to us after the game to tell Lizzie what an awesome player she is and how much fun it is to watch her!

When I tell them the whole story, the 18 clubfoot casts, the brace and the hand surgeries...

they are in awe!

She is one tough cookie but...

as tough as she is on the outside, she is still emotionally needy and sometimes fragile and soccer has helped to boost her self confidence and helps her to push beyond her hands and feet.

She is my "Mighty Mouse" and this was the face I saw as she spotted me on the sidelines taking pics...

She ran to me with her huge Lizzie smile...

and jumped into my arms!

In that moment, I felt like a champ!

Lizzie has come such a long way and in that precious moment...

I knew just how far we had come!

Now Charlie also decided to take a break from soccer last year but was back at it this season with his school's rec team.

Charlie learned a bit about humility this season along with grace and patience and leadership.

It was a good way for Charlie to step back in and feel like he had never left.

He was leading and teaching and motivating and that was awesome!

Christian has only taken one season off in 11 years...

and it shows.

Yup, that is him in the air!

He was in 10th grade this year and playing varsity...

he started each game...

and played all game....

every game!

It has been awesome watching my kiddos bond over this game.

If they are not on the field playing, they are in the front yard practicing...

with each other!

Now Maggie and Lucy are not playing soccer...

yet

but they have learned a lot about supporting their siblings and cheering them on!

They love being out there and playing their own version of the game!

Lucy has also decided that she would now like to be a coach when she grows up and that girl has enough bossy in her that it just might work!

Maggie just wants to be a princess.

*grin*

  That was the first time either one of them has ever expressed what they would like to be when they are grown.  It was a question they did not even know how to answer a few months ago.

 While it is hectic and keeps our family on the go, soccer has been a great source of fun and growth and bonding for our family!

It is familiar, just like this wonderful old soccer ball...

This was Caleb's soccer ball and up until recently, never left his side...

unless one of his siblings managed to wrangle it away as it seemed to be the soccer ball of choice around here!

It has now been retired and lives up in Caleb's room but it will serve as a reminder of this time in our lives, this time that will eventually pass as the kids get older and interested in other things...

this time that this soccer mom will hold in her heart forever...

forgetting the cold, the hot, the buggy, the early Saturday mornings and the weekend tournaments away...

and cherishing the time we had together...

supporting, encouraging and loving each other!