Thanks for staying with me! It has been a while. I had NO idea how much adding one toddler to my family would change my life... for the better... but it definitely changed! Today is Bella's 3 month home anniversary. It is so hard to believe she has only been in our family for 3 months. There are times I forget I did not give birth to her. Well... actually I feel as though I had one heck of a "labor and delivery"! Anyway, she has changed so much in these last months. I will post some recent pics tomorrow night.
Tonight I would like to share with you the meaning of the title of this blog. Part of the reason I have not posted in a while is because I could not think of a name. I thought and thought and prayed and prayed and could not find one that fit. Many of you know that my husband and I tried to have another baby after our son was born. We did lots of fertility treatments and testing for 6 years. No one could tell us why we were not successful. I know why....
All of my life I feel as though I spent so much time saying "when I ". You know, "when I graduate, when I go to college, when I get married, when I have a baby" and the one I spent SO much time saying was "when I have another baby." I spent so much time waiting for that to happen... trying to MAKE that happen, that I lost SO MANY days. I spent so much time being depressed and sad about it, that I lost precious time with my family and friends. The adoption of my daughter, taught me to live EVERY day for what it brings.
Bella joining our family and becoming our daughter has taught me a lot and brought me a lot. I have changed alot. The process to get her here was hard and, at times, unbearable. But I learned alot about myself. I am tougher than I thought and the hard times I have endured in my life helped bring me through the adoption. God carried me and loved me, despite myself. That was a GREAT revelation to me! Since we have been home with her, I have come to realize one major difference in me... I no longer say "when I..." I am truly living in the now and it is a GREAT place to be!
People tell us all the time: "She is so lucky that you were willing to do this for her." They, nor she, will ever know how lucky we are. She has completed our family, has brought so much joy and love to all of us daily and has made one incredible little boy the happiest brother on planet earth! He told me the other day, "Momma, just look at her... she is PERFECT! There is never a time that she is not beautiful... even when she cries, her little face is just beautiful." I cannot tell you how that made me feel.
This blog will not just be about my daugher. It will be about our life as a family of 4. I will refer to my son as Sport and my daughter as Love Bug. I know, it may sound crazy, but I do not want to go private, but will be cautious. My son loves sports with all that is within him and my daughter, well she has just become our little Love Bug.
I have missed blogging and am glad to be back. I will be catching up on everyone else's and try to get connected again. So stay tuned for pictures tomorrow night. I have LOTS to post!
Family Picture for our post-placement report. I finally got fed up with the long hair and cut it all off. I can't decide if I will keep it short or try to grow it out again.
Me and my sweet girl!
"Doesn't this picture show how much my big brother adores me?" 
I just LOVE this face!
Sport showing off his muscles!
Love Bug and Uncle Damon
"But, Mommy, why can't I play in the road? Quit following me, please."
For a few days, this was the "smile" she gave us when we got out the camera.
Love Bug in her playhouse.
Future Tiger!!!!!!!!
