Twelve Years as a Mom

Twelve years ago I became a mom. I was 23 years old and had no idea what I was doing. I sat in a hospital bed with a precious new baby girl. I just stared at her in wonder. She was perfect. She was an unbelievably easy baby. She was an easy going toddler and pre-schooler. In elementary school, we asked her to make a very difficult change. We asked her to leave everything familiar...family, friends, a great school, church and a culture and language she knew...and moved her half way around the around the world to a new country with a new language and unfamiliar people and customs.  This was not an easy time for her, but she never complained. She fought hard in school and to speak Polish and to make friends.

Ella is one of the strongest people I know. She pushes herself in so many ways. She isn't afraid to try new adventures whether riding a bike on a 9 mile trek through the forest, making new friends, standing up in front of hundreds of people and singing a solo, or moving to a new country and settling in with grace. She has had to adjust to more changes in her short life than most people do in a lifetime. And she has done so well.

Ella is growing up so fast. She is so fun to hang around with. She sees life in such a different way than I do and helps me adjust my vision. She is so creative in so many ways. She is teaching herself to sew and spends hours cutting fabric and making clothes for her American Girl dolls. She loves to read...although it comes in waves. When the wave hits, she will read voraciously. She is rocking homeschool. She is learning to do Kung Fu. And of course singing all the live long day. She has so much knowledge about the Bible and how God loves her. I pray daily that she loves God more and more with her heart. I pray that she makes her relationship with God personal and learns to trust him and listen to His voice for guidance.

I love this girl so much and pray that we will always be close.

Happy 12th Birthday, Ella Christine!!!