Marta turns 2!

Today Marta turned 2 years old! What an amazing little girl we are celebrating today!

I can't type that without being teary eyed! Marta has endured so much in her short 2 years of life, and I still am in awe of all that she has overcome in the last 6 months...

She continues to be such a delight to our whole family, even through her intense moments of tantrums and stubborness, she has the ability to capture your heart with her goofy personality, her short stocky little build, and her curious nature...

...in the last 6 months, she has gone from just starting to crawl to walking all over the house-pretty much owning it...she has gone from rejecting all solid foods, throwing herself into huge tantrum moments, to...well, let's just say food is still an issue, but, she is no longer rejecting it...she went from having some very long rough nights, probably "night terrors" to being one of our best sleepers in the house...for the longest time she was showing 0 signs of attachment, to beginning to recognize us as her daddy and mommy...and what we are most excited about is that she has gone from being totally locked within herself, saying nothing, to beginning to form sounds...Marta has definitely begun to come out of herself...We praise God for these things!!

She still has delays and struggles...that's just part of her story and who she is. Marta is one stubborn, strong-willed baby girl ! When she wants something she will take all measures to get it...below you will see her before a huge tantrum about not getting any more to eat...

Neglect is a very real thing, and honestly, it is probably the worst thing a child (for their brain and ability to attach) can endure....I believe that is what is triggering her need for food all the time, and still her ability to attach complety.

I share this because I know many are pondering adopting a child, and this can be a difficult issue that arises. But, thankfully, we have a God that is all-powerful, loving, and sovereign...and He is ABLE to redeem what the evil one so badly wants to destroy!

We've already seen His restoration begin, and that is a beautiful process to be a part of...the kids adore Marta, even when she pushing them out of her way, squeeling in frustration at them, getting into their things...it doesn't matter...they all love her...she is the "baby" of the family...and we are so blessed to have her in our lives! Happy 2nd Birthday, Marta!!

Many have been wondering how we are doing. I love you dear friends! I haven't been blogging in a while. But, YES, we are doing very good! I did not set any expectations on this adoption, none...how could I?! Every adoption is so different, every child is different...if you are reading along and are even adopting an infant, not one adoption journey will look the same, it's not supposed to.

With that being said, I can't wait to share all that God has been doing in the last 6 months within our family, the good stuff, the challenges, all of it...but, it has been one very crazy spring...we need to wrap up the school year and get through the Parade of Homes for our business. John and I are not going to fill our calendars so full with friends this summer, but, are planning to have a lot more family time than we were able to have this spring...we need to contiue to develop healthy attachment among each other...and our time together as 6 is critical for that to happen!