I can't believe that our little girl is 5 today! I remember clearly the first time I saw Faithie ... I actually saw her in the hotel lobby before they brought her to us! I only took a quick look as I didn't know if it was her and I didn't feel quite ready yet! Faith was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO small when we first got her, so I wasn't sure if it was her or not when I saw her! She of course didn't look that much like her pictures either - she sure was and is beautiful! They had told us they would bring her to us a few hours after we arrived, versus the 45 minutes which they gave us!
Matteus was taller and heavier than Faithie was, and Matteus was 12 months old and Faithie was 33 months old - and Matteus was always in the 50%th percentile for weight and height for his age! Faithie's size was such a clear reflection of the care she had received in China, in the VERY poor and rural orphanage
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I also clearly remember the moment God said, "how about the little girl with the sad eyes ... how about her ... go look at her picture again ... she is meant to be yours." I was laying down trying to escape the heaviness on my heart that we were meant to have a 3rd child and that she was to come from China! Matteus was only 6 months old at this point and I had spent my whole life up until this point dreaming about the life I would have being the mommy to ONLY TWO children! I had it all figured out I thought as I had told SOOO many people, "I am not having more than 2 kids!" I have as long as I can remember always felt a CALLING to work with at-risk and hurting kids and having more than 2 kids did not make sense to me, I felt I could not be an AWESOME mommy and keep on working with more than 2 kids! God obviously had a different plan, WOW I am SO THANKFUL that I did not listen to what my mind was telling me back then and that I instead choose to trust and OBEY the direction God was taking our family on! If truth be told I was not being obedient with a joyful spirit and I really had to FORCE myself to take each step that was required to bring Faith home!
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And yes although Faith has challenged me in ways I never imagined and has stretched me in ways I didn't realize I needed strethcing (cleansing and purifying) ... some parts of the last 2 years have been SOOOOO hard ... I wouldn't trade any of it and I would do it ALL again!
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I love being Faith's mom and am so proud that she is my daughter! I cannot imagine my life without her! Her spunk and determination inspire beyond words! Her courage and bravery leave me feeling humbled as I can't even begin to compete with it (not that I want to)! She truly is an amazing little girl, SOO full of life and SOO loving! She has grown in leaps and bounds since coming home, Faithie waddling when she came home (like babies do when they are first learning to walk), and Faith having minimal language! Faithie has had to learn what it means to be a sister and what it means to be a daughter! She has learned how to give and receive affection and had to learn that we are ALL here to help her and love her, versus the survival of the fittest attitude which we believe permeated the orphanage because of the lack of adults, food , and any objects/toys and etc. Faithie truly is amazing ..
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our amazing, sweet, fun, smart, funny, sheep loving, swimming loving, riding her bike loving, beautiful daughter!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!
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