Within a span of less than two weeks, this precious girl celebrates two big days.  Her seventh birthday and her six year forever family anniversary.  I know I say this all the time, but I simply don’t know where the time goes.  How has it been six years since my beautiful one-year-old daughter was placed in my arms in a Chinese hotel lobby?  How has so much time passed?  Man this crazy, beautiful life just flies by.

In the words of the very wise Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast.  If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”  I had no idea how true those words were when I heard them as a child.

Today, I want to stop and look around.  I want to revel in the glory of this girl.  My girl.

We don’t always get along or understand each other, but I love her fiercely.  She is one of the bravest, smartest, funniest, most-warrior-like, incredibly remarkable people I have ever known.  She loves like there’s no tomorrow and she fights like it’s the last battle.  She gives everything her all, all the time.  I have no doubt that God will use her in mighty ways and she will do big things in this world.  I don’t know what her future holds, but I do know that it’s an honor to get to walk beside her in the journey.  Watching her grow and blossom is one of the most treasured gifts God has given me.

I am constantly amazed by her creativity and her artistic ability.  She leaves sweet love notes around the house for everyone and is always drawing something new in one of her notebooks.  In fact, she goes through those notebooks so quickly, it’s hard to keep her stocked.  What a treasure they will be to look back on when she’s older!  She has learned to play the piano this past year with the guidance of a special teacher, and wow she has come so far!  She regularly sits at the piano, playing songs for us and teaching her little brother how to do it too.  I should have known from the beginning and through the years how artistic and musically inclined she’d grow to be!

She continues to read and is becoming more independent in all ways.  Her handwriting has improved dramatically and she is pushing forward in math, despite it not being her favorite.  She loves all things girly, with glitter and sequins making everything extra fun.  She loves to help in the kitchen and is happy to get herself breakfast if I ask.  She truly is a joy.  And I am blessed to be her mama.  God knew I needed her.  And He was right.  She’s taught me so much about life, more than I knew I needed to learn.

I interviewed her when she was five with these questions, so I thought it would be fun to do the same today:

Favorite food: bananas, yogurt, banana bread, donuts
Favorite drink: apple juice, lemonade
Favorite dessert: chocolate cake, snickerdoodle cake, chocolate ice cream
Favorite color: purple
Favorite TV show: Home Netflix series
Favorite movie: Frozen
Favorite song: How Great Is Our God
Favorite person: Mommy
Favorite friend: Alle, Mya
Favorite thing to do: draw, play my Kindle
Favorite thing to do outside: play tag, play hide-n-go-seek tag
Favorite book: I Wished For You
Favorite animal: leopard
Favorite toy: my new laser guns
Favorite thing to sleep with: my doggie and blankie
Favorite game: Minecraft
Favorite holiday: Christmas
What do you want to be when you grow up? an artist