Bows!

I watched Bubby and Car-Car the other night while Sagie and Aunt K went to baseball practice. They had lots of fun...

Our Church's Easter Party!

Saturday Isabella Faye and I attended our amazing church's Easter Egg Hunt. IF had a blast and has talked about it ever sense!

IF about to get her hand painted. We paint hands because if its on her face and she can't see it...she gets ticked!

Watching intently as our sweet small-group leader and her adorable daughter painted her hand.

The finished product: a fuzzy chick!

Holding Hoppy the rabbit.

She was so careful!

She even baby-talked to her...so sweet!

Bounce House!!

Cheese Mom!

I not cry! I not scared!

Last year IF screamed and refused a picture...this year, she was in love!

Making a necklace at the craft station.

Dinner with Nanny

That Face!

FFF You Pick!

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This week's Favorite Foto Friday theme is You Pick! I so love this picture. The back-story is that this dramatic speech was about her love of cheese dip at our wonderful local Mexican restaurant!


This week's Favorite Foto Friday theme is You Pick! I so love this picture. The back-story is that this dramatic speech was about her love of cheese dip at our wonderful local Mexican restaurant!

Will

I've known since Isabella Faye has been home that she is strong-willed. About six months after she was home, I decided that I would break it. I determined that strong-willed equals bad, wrong, needing over-the-top discipline. I assumed she had developed this due to lenient parenting because we were just so thankful she was home and going overboard to help her attach and feel secure. Then I blamed her caregivers, thinking they weren't hard enough on her. Then I blamed her diet, the weather, teething and on and on until finally, a few nights ago, I decided it was all my fault. I must be the worst parent ever. I screamed and cried and begged God to show me what I was doing wrong.
The next day, I began to seek advice from trusted parents, and read and read. Then I began to pray.
What God is showing me is that Isabella Faye's will wasn't made, it was born. No one is at fault, because nothing is wrong. God created Isabella Faye with that strong will and he knew when he created her that she was to be our child. Obviously, he thought we were up to the challenge.
That's another thing, Isabella Faye's strong-will is not a problem to be solved, its a challenge to be won! Hubby and I, as her parents, are not charged to Isabella Faye's will, but to it, shape it. We are to foster an environment where she can learn to control and use her strong will for good. I am realizing that there are so many good things about being strong-willed. Imagine what a force for our Heavenly Father my little girl can grow up to be - strong willed, undeterred from spreading the message of His salvation and unconditional love; strong-willed, passionately seeking to be the wife, mother, employee, friend that God has called her to be; strong willed to face the tragedies of life with determination to survive and become better, stronger, wiser through them.
Oh how wrong I've been but oh how His grace is sufficient! Isabella Faye will not be forever scarred by my misunderstanding of who she is. God will see to that.
Now I start anew. This is not to say that I won't correct and punish her when she needs it. I will have to be firm, steadfast, diligent, creative. But I will punish her with understanding when I do...praising my great God, our perfect Heavenly Father. God sees the future and He knows what lies ahead for Isabella Faye. He knows that this little girl needs this strong, independent, determined will and I thank Him, praise Him for equipping her now.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This morning when I was searching for a recent picture of IF wearing green I giggled at this one because, even though she is only wearing a little green in her bib, she's scarfing a plate of salad! Odd the things that make a sleep-deprived momma laugh!

What I Need You All To Know...

Hubby and I were talking the other night about how sometimes people act like having an adopted child is some sort of consolation prize. Like, since we couldn't have biological children we got one of these. Or, like, its nice we've done this, but aren't we gonna have...oh, my four most hated words, gulp, one of our own.
What I wish people understood is that Isabella Faye isn't our second choice. Adoption wasn't our Plan B. Both Hubby and myself have known since we were children that we would adopt. One of the things that drew us together was our passionate desire to adopt our children-all of our children.

I have, since I was young, taken Matthew 25:40 as a command (for me) to adopt. I love this translation of the verse from The Message Bible:

Then the King (Jesus) will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me.' Matthew 25:40 ~The Message.

Now God may not have called everyone to adopt, as he did Hubby and myself, but call us he did-to a life of joy unspeakable...to another land, to an incredible people, to a grieving but resolute birth mother, who didn't want her daughter, our daughter, to be overlooked or ignored.

I am thrilled for those families whom God has called to give birth to children. When my friend Tonya was pregnant with her adorable red-haired baby boy, I asked gazillions of questions. I was utterly fascinated and listened with rapped attention to every symptom and story. I was overwhelmed as I watched her tummy grow, knowing that there was a human life inside her. It reminded me yet again, of how amazing God is. God called her to give birth and she has, to two handsome sons, either one of which would make an awesome husband for my sweet girl someday! :-) So, those of you with biological children, please don't think I am being critical of you! What you have done is a beautiful, incredible miracle of God.

But what I need you all to know is that for us, adoption was our first and only choice. Isabella Faye is not our consolation prize. She is not Plan B. She is our loved, adored and chosen gift from God.

Adopted for life and death

Okay, so I know I gave you a reading assignment yesterday but seriously, you've got to read this amazing story.

Its one of the most profound things I have ever read...

Seriously.

I don't want IF to be happy...

Before think I've lost my mind, click here to read an amazing post I wish I'd had the wisdom to write!

You never know...

where you might find Isabella Faye!

Mommy Isabella Faye

Picking my battles...

Yes, this is the baby in my panties...

Yes, she is sitting in the refrigerator...

Yes, I am crazy...but sometimes, here in the midst of the terrible two's, I pick my battles...and sometimes, when I don't pick one...things get pretty silly!

Kiss, Kiss!

Resist this, I dare you to try!

That sweet face!

My dream come true has a dimple on each side, the most perfect little white teeth and chubby cheeks that are impossible not to kiss...a bunch of times a day!

So I do!

If I had a penny for each time I'd kissed those cheeks, or that forehead or that sweet little button nose...well, I'd be a stay-at-home mom living in a castle! :-)

The other day hubby was kissing her cheek and saying he was getting all my kisses. I pretended to be horrified at which time she smiled sweetly, pointed to her other cheek and said here Momma, other one!