Growing and Changing

Mena is doing so many new things. It seems like she is growing an learning by the second. She's learned how to go up and down the stairs. She's now walking her push toy all over the house. She distinctly calls me MaMaMaMaMa. Eating new table foods is very exciting for her now. Yesterday morning she told Brian "NoNoNo!" when he was trying to wipe off her face. She even has a few new dance moves.
It is such a joy to see her learning and growing. To be honest, at first this felt a little like babysitting. But seeing her changing so much while she is with us makes it so much more.
When Cassandra first came to live with us, she was barely reading at all - having to sound out words like "at" or "it". Now she can read through an entire early reader book, only having to sound out the difficult words. It's amazing.
While this is challenging, it also brings so much joy. It is difficult to constantly block out the worlds mantra - "Look at all you're missing out on." "You're so young, you should be out having fun!" "What are you getting yourself into?" But once I get past these things, knowing that I am being guided by the hands of my creator, there is just so much joy.

Just Thoughts.

Things I'm thinking about today:

1. I had to yell at myself "LOOSEN UP!" because I was being a lame mom. No one needs a lame mom. After I did this, we screamed David Crowder songs all the way to school. It was much better that way.

2. Our cat Brit really likes to snuggle me by laying on my neck. Unfortunately, when he stops
snuggling me, my neck smells like cat, and Brian won't kiss me. But I really like snuggling
Brit.... It's a toss up.

3. Honey Nut Spins for breakfast may just be the best breakfast ever.

4. I love spending time with God. I wish it was slightly less interrupted than it is these days. But then I remember, this is what God has for me, he understands the interruptions.

5. I took Cassandra to the dentist this morning to get two cavities out, and she's incredible. I'm a much bigger wuss than she is.

6. Mena is incredibly adorable when she shakes her booty to the music. She has rhythm.

As Big as The Moon

Cassandra often wonders how big things are. Like God, or how fun our day will be, or how long something will be...you get the idea. She'll ask something like, "Is it big like a tree? Or is it big like the house? Or is it big like the sky?" Until she's satisfied that you have defined exactly how big the current something is. Last night, as we were putting her to bed she whispered to me,

"Maggie, guess what?"
"What?"
She got very close and whispered in my ear, "I love you as big as the planet!"
I answered, "Well I love you as big as the universe!"
"Well I love you as big as all the planets squished into one BIG planet!" was her reply.

She's so sweet. I love her as big as the universe.


We recently found out that the girls will most likely be leaving us sometime in early January, just after the holidays. Please pray for the time that we have left with them. That we can love them like Jesus, and that they don't forget what they have learned about Him in their time here. Also, if you could begin praying for their transition now, and that they continue to learn about Christ after they go.


Here are some sweet pictures of the girls playing in the leaves on Halloween...

So Sweet.

Life is, that is.
There isn't a whole lot that is more fun than partying it up with a seven year old. Having a giggle fest over something that probably wouldn't be funny if your counter part weren't 1/3 your age is just great. My very favorite thing is probably our Latino dance parties when we get to shake our booties and try our best to keep a beat (she's seven and I have no rhythm.). Becoming a parent overnight causes all kinds of changes ... but it's also just so sweet. What a blessing.

Another favorite is getting to see them learn and grow and change is so many ways. Recently I had a pretty great conversation with Cassandra:

Cassandra:
Maggie, does God live in a cloud?

Me:
Well, yes, God is in the clouds.
...Cassandra, what do you think it would be like to live in a cloud?

Cassandra:
White.

Me:
Yeah, I guess it might be pretty white, huh?

Cassandra:
Did there must be a lot of love in those clouds, huh? (She's still working on being able to ask questions without the spanish influence.)

Me:
A lot of love? (thrown off from the comment about it being white)

Cassandra:
Yeah, if God lives there in those clouds, there must be a lot of love there, yeah?

Me:
Yeah, they must be pretty full of love. (Tearing up over her understanding of God's love)

Cassandra:
Maggie, does God have a mustache?

Me:
Well, I'm just not sure Cassandra ... I love you.



I think God is thrilled with her.

Poop

I have noticed that once you're a parent, poop seems to come up in so many conversations. I had this conversation with our friends Amber and Rivers recently. Then I realized that my last three phone calls with my mom have started by talking about Mena's bowel movements (she's had a bit of a rough stretch), and that Brian and I seem to talk about it at least once a day - what was it like? How many times? Color? Consistency?
Much more than I ever wanted to know about poop prior to having children. And now here I am writing a blog post about it.

Who would have ever thought.

Starting from the Middle.

Starting from the middle is strange. I think that when you have a baby there are expected feelings, emotions, attachments, and things that people expect from you as well. When you start in the middle there are not expectations. There are no books on how to start raising a child at nine months, or at seven years. There are lots of adoption books, but this is not adoption.

I'm not even sure how to write about the feelings. And everyone seems to have all of the answers, (Not that I'm not very thankful for advice...goodness knows that I need it!!!) but they are not answers for this. They are answers for starting at the beginning. It is difficult that no one we know has this experience, so that we can get answers - or at least dialogue - from people who know this starting in the middle kind of challenge.

Anyway, what I do know is that I am so thankful to our creator that He is always there. That He understands and knows each situation, each person, each heart. It helps with the lonely nature of trekking on different ground. He knows my heart, and my feelings even when I cannot put them into words. Thank you Lord, for that companionship.
What I also know is that when Mena sees me coming to get her up from her nap and squeals with a toothy grin on her face, or when she is upset and I am the only one that can console her, and when Cassandra comes to our bed in the morning to snuggle, that He puts in my heart a love for these girls. These girls that may be with us for a very short while, or for a very long time. Only He knows.

Pictures

Here's our photo website....


http://thepoppfamily.shutterfly.com/