Ok, a mother's love is fierce. We can all agree on that. I have one baby I long to retrieve from an orphanage on the other side of the world. I am desperate to make up for lost time and show her what a mommy's love feels like. I truly hope she has some sense of it, now. I focus on sending her my love, joy and soothing frequently throughout the day. I also have a teenager in the Georgia mountains where I hear it is raining and 40 degrees. Talk about opportunity for personal growth! On the bright side, they are getting a shower of sorts. They may be without soap and shampoo, but it might just knock some of the dirt (or it just may turn it all into mud). I did get an update. They are all safe and fine. Corbin has shown much more perseverance than I could. I would have bribed a guide to get me off the mountain and to a spa with a hot tub. I need to give him more credit. He is more of the man that I knew he could be. I am quite proud of him. Collin was put into a removable splint. It is still broken, but they want him moving his elbow more, so they made this device for him. Now, I get to hover over him for a while. (yep, I AM a helicopter parent and proud of it). He has been such a trouper! Thanks to his good nature his broken arm is healing fabulously.

I want to take my hats of to so many of my fellow prospective adoptive parents and many adoptive parents. I went into this adoption sure that with 3 boys the wait wouldn't be an issue for me. I had waited this long, no problem, I could wait however long God took. What I learned is that I began to attach to her years ago and with each action I took to bring her home, that bond grew stronger. And now, I feel like a momma bear. I would jump on a plane today and visit every orphanage and hug every little girl every day just to make sure my daughter felt my love. Hats off to those parents who can just widen back and let go and enjoy the ride. I really have met parents who are so calm and laid back about the whole thing. They truly impress me. But, that is not how God designed me. He designed me with intensity like a momma bear.

God Bless my children. May each of them feel my deep and abiding love every moment of every day, whether we are near or far apart.