Happy Birthday, Liza-Hill

My plan this year was to write each of the kids' birth stories on their birthdays, but so far this year two have passed me by without me doing it!! So I'll start with my most unique "birth" story! Most of you who know me "in person" know that nine years ago today, we had no idea that Liza-Hill was even out there!! We had been struggling with infertility and had decided that adoption was something that we wanted to pursue. So although today is the day she was born on this earth, my sweet Liza-Hill was actually "born" to us eight days later! For years I didn't offer Liza-Hill's birth story. We were told when we adopted her that we shouldn't really proclaim that fact. It was for her to decide when she got old enough. The fact that she was a white American baby (and who happens to look just like us and totally fit in our family!) made that very easy. But in the last couple of years, she not only accepts the fact that she's adopted, she completely embraces it and tells everyone she knows!! :) She makes being adopted look so special and fun that my six year old laments the fact that she wasn't adopted!! Liza-Hill is the eternal optimist and sees every glass half full!

On March 15th the adoption agency called our house and left a message to call them back (back in the days when people didn't regularly call cell phones or even have your cell number!) I didn't get the message til after 5 pm so I was going to call on Monday. They called me Monday morning at exactly 9 am to tell me that we had a baby girl, and by that time she was five days old!! We had no idea that anyone was even looking at our profile because her birth mom wanted it that way. We still had to have one last thing done for our home study so the case worker here in FL graciously finished that up on Tuesday. We left for GA on Wednesday. And we had our baby girl in our arms on Thursday!! It was a whirlwind of excitement. 14 months of waiting to adopt was over! Five years of waiting for another baby in our home was over!! As I looked at her, I knew she was the child born in my heart. I had loved her and prayed for her for so long--even before she was conceived.

Here we were nine years ago. A new family of four!! Trand was so excited to finally have the little sister he had been praying for!! And Jon's beard cracks me up every time I look at these pictures!! :)

My sweet Liza-Hill, you have brought so much joy to our lives and so many smiles to our faces!! I cannot imagine life without you!! I love how you have embraced your adoption. I love that you think it's the most wonderful thing in the world!! I love how you proudly announce that you have been adopted twice--by your parents and by God! You are a wonderful example of God's faithfulness and love for his children. You light up a room with your smile, and my heart sings with your giggles!! I love you, my precious promise!!