Here's Miss Hannah looking up at me after I caught her trying to get into the clothes I sort and pass along to people who can use them.
She still has the blonde hair and blue eyes, but those will most likely change as she grows. Caleb has dark blonde hair now and I suspect Hannah's will be darker when she is his age. I expect his to get darker over the next several years too.
Hannah so enjoys her sippy cup and I've been letting her slobber on a sucker now and then while I am holding her. I never trust the sucker to stay on the stick! She loves chewing on crackers and there is evidence of a just eaten cracker in her tray in the picture. She had been reaching for the thick plastic bag for a while before she finally managed to get it.
Emily, Hannah, Amanda then Bethany is how our girls run in temperment from fiesty to meek right now. I am not quite sure where to put Hannah yet, but she's definitely somewhere between Emily and Bethany. Emily is just a pistol! You can say "Let's climb a mountain!" and she'll answer back "Sure! I'll race you to the top!" Bethany will probably shyly say "Hmm, I don't know if I can, but I can try." Emily will try to boss Bethany around, but she knows Amanda won't put up with it.
I often look back at how we got here with all of these wonderful little souls in our care. We hadn't heard of the Duggars or the Jeubs and didn't know any other large families. We both came from two child families. I had miscarried a baby when Amanda was about six months old. Losing a child was a very hard thing to accept. I can not speak for other mothers, as everyone feel differently, but for me, there is still a deep longing for the children I have lost.
We had to ask ourselves just exactly what we believed. Is God in control of life and death? In our searching, reading and understanding of Scripture, He most definitely is. If He is in control, then shouldn't we submit to Him in that area also just as we had/have been taught in areas of finance, health, marriage, relationships, stewardship, etc?
While Clint felt convicted by other areas, the clencher for me was this one thing: God calls children blessings, rewards and heritages in His Word. No matter what the world influenced church thinks, **He** speaks of them as if they are something to be desired. I didn't and still don't want to miss out on any blessing God has in store for me. His gifts are always good, no matter how the recipent views them. Sadly, too many in this world think children are a curse, a burden or something to be avoided.
I am so very humbled and grateful to God's leading. I can not imagine life without any of my children. I could not have imagined this kind of love or joy in my wildest dreams.
When God sends something difficult your way, look at it closely and learn all you can from it. It could be Him opening your heart so He can bless you beyond your wildest dreams!
