How very far she has come in five and a half years!
Energetic, spunky, happy, funny, a whole lot of awesomeness in a tiny package, always keeping us on our toes…this girl is delightful in every way imaginable. She brings us so much joy.
I just cannot imagine my life without this little darling in it. Hailee is just so much fun!
God sure has done a miracle in her life. They said she was too weak to survive. They said she would never walk or learn to do anything independently. Drugged with an adult tranquilizing drug to make her sleep her first five years away, she languished. Abandoned in the “laying room” in the back of the orphanage, Hailee has absolutely astounded us in how far she has come.
She never stops running. She takes the initiative to show us what she wants. Is still completely non-verbal. She knows her routine. She interacts with us and laughs until she cannot laugh anymore. She’s sweet, sassy, spunky, loves to make a mess, loves (loves!) food, is super fast (walking is not in her vocabulary!), raids the fridge at any given opportunity, unpacks any closet she can get into, adores her siblings, is a total Daddy’s girl, and is joy indescribable.
For years we have been working with Hailee on self-feeding–going at her pace and knowing that some day she would get it. Last week I walked into the kitchen to find this…
Sitting on a stool. With her brother’s leftover yogurt and his spoon.
Eating it all on her own! No assistance!
Oh my goodness! A tearful moment. It may have taken her five and a half years…but she totally did it. Another huge milestone reached for our lovie.
In our home we rejoice in the small victories that we see on a regular basis and in the big miracles that happen when we least expect it–they remind us of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness to our sweet children. People tell us all the time how blessed our children are to have a family. Yes, every child deserves the love of a family. But the greatest blessing? Well, that’s for us, really. Because we simply cannot even imagine life without each one of them in it. This girl? She has come so far. But the blessing of having a front row seat and the gift of being able to witness the big miracles and the small milestones…I would not change it for anything in the world!
How exceedingly blessed I am by the life He chose for me.
