A Wonderful Week

This week is set to be an interesting, fun-filled week!  I'm so very much looking forward to it.  This week, my daughter, little Miss Anna turns seven.  I can't believe she has been in my life for nearly six years.  I have been so caught up in the adoption lately, that I really don't give enough "blog attention" to my other two - who are already here, enriching my life!  So, today will be about Anna.  (and then a quick little update about the adoption at the end)

Anna has literally changed my life.  She has made me grow as a parent and presented some of the most challenging moments of my parenting life.  She is wonderful.  She is my little "Nanner".  My little "Nanner pants", or sometimes, she would even answer to just "pants".  She is stubborn as a donkey and sharp as a tack.  She makes me smile!  She makes me cry!  And she has such control over my emotions because I love her so much. 

Today was one of my challenging parenting moments with Anna.  I disciplined her and I corrected her.  But, it didn't seem like she was getting it.  She just wanted the punishment to be over.  That bothered me.  So, she and I discussed the issue again.  She spent some time in her room and has some privleges taken away.  She was very upset.  More about the punishment though, than what she had done. 

As she was spending some time in her room, I started thinking.  It bothered me that I was so hard on her and I started to think about why.  I don't like being hard on her.  In fact, I wish I didn't have to be hard on her at all.  I realized though WHY it's so important for me to be "hard" on her - it's because I care about her so much.  I care about her being successful and being trustworthy.  I want to see her SOAR!  She has the ability. She SO has the ability.  If she ever reads this, I want her to know why I'm hard on her - it's not because I like to be hard on her... it's because I LOVE her!

This little girl, who was placed into my arms almost 6 years ago in the city of Guangzhou, China, is my baby!  She is about to turn 7 and I can't wait to celebrate her birthday with her.  She is having a party for all of her classmates.  I'm very much looking forward to it.  She is VERY excited about it. 

I'm very thankful that God gave me this little girl to parent and to love.  I haven't always done it right, but I've always been thankful for being given the opportunity to do it.  I'm thankful for being able to love this little girl, and with all of my mistakes, she continues to love me... over and over again.  My strong-willed child - so much like her mama!

Adoption update - Two weeks and I will be in the birthcountry of my baby girl!  Two weeks from tomorrow I will have her in my arms!  Here we come Sara Joy!  Get ready for the change of your life!

In Christ,
Charity