China Dolls!

Well, it's official . . . we have two live China dolls living in our house! Every now and then we just marvel, attempting to take it all in. What an amazing gift God has given us! These two are sweet, beautiful daughters of the King, and they are precious to us and "precious in His sight"!

So far the girls seem to love each other and are getting along very well which is a complete blessing. They are laughing and playing together, and it is such a joy to witness. With Joy's immobility, it can be frustrating for her to not be able to quite keep up. She also has definitely realized that there is now another princess in our home who is receiving a lot of attention. She is feeling the pains of change. Joy absolutely loves Linda and wants to show her everything. She wants to touch her long hair and give her lots of hugs. Recently she said, "Linda doesn't talk to me." I had to remind her that Linda doesn't speak English yet! So, of course, Joy will teach her!

Linda (Lindy as we are starting to call her) is exploring and attempting to figure out where she can go and what she can do. She has warmed up quickly and seems to be pretty comfortable in our home. Her favorite thing to do is to play with the babies and push them around in the stroller. She also loves our kitty cats and follows them around everywhere. Lindy loves music, and she especially likes to sing "Jesus Loves Me". She has a gentle nature and is very happy and loving. I feel that her attachment to me is going well, and she wants me for comfort. She is giving everyone hugs at bedtime and is doing really well with routine. She doesn't like to be told "no", and we are gently guiding her in her reactions.

Both girls have taken a few trips to "Tantrum Town" in the past few days, which isn't a very fun place! Emotions can run pretty high at times, yet God is giving us the patience, love, and endurance we need as we all navigate these first days as a new family. Each day that goes by, we are meshing more and more together, and our love for all of our children continues to expand. The older ones are doing such a good job of staying joyful, helpful, and perseverant. "The joy of the Lord is our strength!"

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord." Psalm 127:3