I can't believe that we have been home from China for a month now. What has been going on with our new Family of 5??? Well, Carson and Hailey have started school, so we have enjoyed dropping them off at school and picking them up. The smiles on their faces to see Ruthie every afternoon has been such a blessing! She has really warmed up to them both. I love the afternoon's of coming home, eating a snack, completing homework, then taking a bike ride or a walk!! Oh, how I have enjoyed being a stay at home momma!!
We have had several doctors visits, one with pediatrician, one with international pediatrician and a day of appointments with the surgeon that will perform Ruthie's cleft lip and palate surgery. Ruthie has endured shots, blood work, poke's and pulls and so on….To only be in the U.S. for a few weeks, she surely has kept a beautiful smile on her face through it all. So that was the not so fun part…….the fun part has been watching her getting to know her room, her puppy and siblings. She has done so much in the past few weeks. These are a few of the things that we all take for granted and she had never done until now. Ruthie is only 19 months old.
Touching grass with her toes. Holding a pine cone. Eating a grilled cheese or ham sandwich. Brushing her teeth with a toothbrush. Eating pizza. Blowing bubbles. Walking down a hill. Walking over a crack in the driveway. Holding a dog. Eating oreo cookies. Sitting in a high chair while I feed her. Laying in a soft bed. Wearing clothes that fit and shoes that are not too small. Riding in a car. Playing with the hose pipe while the water is running. Having more than just one cookie. Drinking sweet tea. Watching ducks in a pond. Going out to dinner. Having double dessert with Momma! Being loved unconditionally with lots of hugs every single day!
The list goes on and on. She has brought more blessings to me than she will ever know. The "important" things that really don't matter seem to be a little less important to me now. She has brought so much joy and love to our family that those things just don't matter. I thank God daily for the many blessings that he has given to us. We have had the best time with everything that we have done. Now, don't get me wrong, there are days that I wish I could just crawl back in the bed and start over. Getting up, throwing on clothes, pulling hair back in a pony tail, fixing breakfast, throwing diaper bag together, making sure 3 kids are dressed and ready, load the car and head to school hoping and praying that something was not forgotten. Yes, I can officially say that I am "That Mom". I am that mom that you see that has no makeup, tshirt and blue jeans, ponytail and a baby on her hip at Open House. I am the one that has slobber or crumbs on her black pants. I am also that Mom that changes her babies diaper in her daughter's 3rd grade class and also in a complete hurry because I am afraid that I will run everyone out with the smell. Yes, I am "that Mom" that used to get 8 hours of sleep every night and now lucky to get half. So, if you ever see "that Mom" out anywhere, don't think that she just crawled out of bed and doesn't want to look her best…….because she probably only got 3 hours of sleep due to a sweet baby that is having night terrors or she forgot to make her son's lunch or her oldest daughter just can't sleep. Just for the record, I love being "that Mom"!!! :) I thank God everyday for our three children and to be able to be there for our children. I continue to pray that what I am teaching them is for His glory and not mine. It is not about me, it is about teaching them the word of God and showing them how to love and be loved.
We have an official date of Ruthie's 1st surgery. It will be on Monday, October 29th. This will be an overnight stay with the surgery lasting around 4 hours. Please please keep us in your prayers, especially Ruthie. She is such a blessing to us! I can't imagine our life without her sweet face. I am going to miss her big smile and liquid sugar after her surgery!
My heart is so huge for orphans around the world. As I was staring at Ruthie tonight as she was falling asleep, I thought about what exactly she would be doing right now if she were still in China. I just pray to God every day to continue to burden my heart for them and to guide me to what he wants me to do next………
God bless and thank you again for all your prayers!!
Love,
Julie
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