Our Gracie Jane- is loving life fully now

Someone asked for a Gracie update... so here it is. She is one happy and joyful little girl. She loves to swim and often we will be swimming all day long and she is right there with the rest of them... whatever her brothers and sisters are doing she wants to be along side of them too. She lost her first tooth a few months ago. Her eye appointment in Baltimore was great ( except for the travel sickness -throw up :) Most of the time she travels just fine but this drive was a 2 hr drive.... She will repeat words and we have heard some self generated talking or words... like when I handed her some trash and asked her to throw it away... she was telling it... "bye bye" as she put it in the can :) She knows all of us when asked where someone is she points correctly. She is very bright and affectionate. This affectionate side of her we did not see when we visited her in July a yr ago for our first visit... Now look at her in Cate's arms during our Bible devotions... She is a real sweetheart and loves to give and be hugged. She will laugh at some of the funniest things and loves to pretend...She is a watcher and not so much able to play with the kids in "real" play as a huge contributor... but the kids include her and she loves it and so do they .

With Mary Kate ( who is due with her baby any day now) she comes up and will pat her belly and show MK how the baby is sleeping. She does get some sensory overload if we have her out to long ... she will start to cry and want to go...but we can usually reassure her . She cooperates with what she is asked and loves to be right in with all the kids. She will sit at the island while we are fixing the meals and loves to taste whatever we are working with. She is very curious about everything...

To see her walk around the perimeter of the room we were in when we visited her in Bulgaria and not really enjoy physical touch and to watch her have complete joy in being in our arms and right in the thick of whatever we do is precious. She has come along way . We were talking about things that "light" our fire or we want to do like skydiving - not me but my sons- I honestly can say my highest highs come from watching my children overcome and discover trust, love and themselves and eventual the love of the Lord. Gracie encourages all of us to laugh and have joy... she easily loves laughter and it is very infectious to be around her.