I really am blown away ...

A kiss right on my lips ...
A sincere and genuine hug ...
And a "I just loooooooove mom and dad," is what my beautiful new daughter told me tonight as I held her as we said bye to omma and grandpa! The meaning of her words was not that she only loved us, but that she LOVED US!!!!!!!

Tonight was not the first time she told me she loved me, nor was it the first time that she showed such genunine and loving affection! On Sunday morning you would have found her right in our bed, giving us kisses and telling us stories!

There was something though about the way that she told me she loved me that just really touched my heart ... it hit me that she really meant it! I don't say that lightly as I'm FULLY aware of how kids often say it without meaning, either because of a lack of sincere intention, or because of a lack of understanding of what it really means! Ella understands what she is saying at her little 4 year old level, and she really means it! Ella is doing AMAZING! OH MY HEART, I feel sooooooo COMPLETELY blessed and HONORED that I get to be her forever mom!

AND I'm feeling much more capable and not sooooooo overwhelmed with having FIVE children! Today I ventured out and did my first solo LONG bike ride with five kids :) It went SO well ... and I didn't think I would be able to do it with five kids :)

Our sweet Faith who has taken years to get to the same place in her attachment process in which our Ella has only taken weeks told me the other day that we should adopt ALL of Ella's friends from the orphanage! There has been a lot of talk about one particular child at our house lately who Ella was really close with and sings songs about at night time! When I told Faith we did not have room for ALL of Ella's friends as there were about 35 kids in total, she didn't even skip a beat and proceeded to point out all of the different spots they could sleep (couches, and so forth) ... VERY SWEET and quite the little advocate for adoption!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU Jesus for the many daily sweet tender moments with our new daughter! THANK YOU Jesus for the love and attachment you are ALREADY developing in my heart and hers!! THANK YOU Jesus for the gift and honor of being Ella's forever mom!