Perfect Elli

As you know by now, Elli loves to sing:)  One of her favorite songs is "My God Is So Great."  She sings it all the time:  My God is so great, so strong and so mighty.  There's nothing my God cannot do!"  Often she'll just say one phrase:  "my God is so great" or "my God is so good!"  Recently Parker started playing a game with Elli.  He will say, "Elli is soooooo..." and then Elli finishes the phrase.  At first she would use the same words from the song.  "Elli is sooo"..."good!"  "Elli is sooo"..."great!"  But then she started using other words that she hears people say about her.  "Elli is sooo"..."smart!"  "Elli is sooo"..."beautiful!"  My personal favorite is "Elli is sooo"..."perfect!"  And she is.  I don't understand God's plan for Elli.  I don't know why it was His plan for her to live this life in this body, but I do know this:  Elli is fulfilling her potential.  She is doing everything she can.  And by that measure she is indeed perfect.  I fall far short of my potential.  I make mistakes every single day.  But Elli doesn't.  Elli is sooo...PERFECT.

As I am typing this, I am looking out the window at Elli playing on the trampoline.  The best word I can use to describe her is FREEDOM.  She is jumping, spinning and finding joy.  Her hair flies up and down.  Her arms go out to her side.  Her smile is infectious.  She finds freedom as she jumps. And my spirit soars with hers as I watch her.  Elli is sooo...perfect.

Jer

Our Little Butterfly

I woke up this morning to the sounds of Sophi's non-stop talking.  It occurred to me how much she is like some cartoon character.  She seriously never stops talking.  70% of the time it's delightful and sweet.  30% of the time it's whiney or angry and is like nails on a chalkboard.  But as I was listening this morning (she was in delightful and sweet mode), it came to me what a blessing it is for her to be in this environment.  To be in a place where she is listened to and loved.  And sometimes corrected.  I was hit with how different her life would be if she was still in an orphanage.  She is undoubtedly the princess.  Loved by parents and siblings, grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, friends and teachers.  How grateful I am to be a part of her life...a part of her miracle.  I love you Soph!

P.S.  Her "Little Butterfly" nickname came from the short film "The Butterfly Circus."  A beautiful testament to our innate value.

Jeremy