We have a lot to celebrate this week as Tuesday was Evelyn’s third birthday and Wednesday was the day we met her one year ago! Evelyn has grown significantly in so many ways. To give praise for one year together, these are some of the things we’ve seen:
Evelyn has grown in so many ways and where last summer she was constantly falling from lack of strength (nothing to practice climbing on at the orphanage), this year we are noticing applications of her strength and sturdiness. She can run, swing, climb, and bike with all the strength equal to others her age. Her strength of body is equal to her strength in spirit and determination, and she is not easily dissuaded from anything she wishes to do. Band aids are regular stock in the diaper bag. Last week she fell on her glider bike and as I picked her up and attempted to bring her in the house for washing scrapes and applying band aids, she pushed my arms away and said “I try again! I try again!” We eventually applied the band aids but only after a few more runs at the bike. She is equally determined and fearless in the water. A couple weeks ago Dave took the girls to a pool and suddenly Evelyn did a front flip/somersault into the pool. She continued to try it multiple times, so we know she didn’t just fall. Evelyn likes jumping in and putting her head under the water, coming up with the biggest smile on her face. Our social worker commented as we recounted these experiences, “But she hasn’t had any stitches or broken a bone yet?” We replied that “yet” is the operative word in that question.
Evelyn’s language came slowly but then developed and burst out in song. She is almost always humming or singing. I catch videos of Evelyn singing to send to my parents and sisters so they can name that tune. She’s on a regular rotation of hymns after getting rocked to sleep twice a day for a year (our practice per expert opinion post-adoption), and her favorites are How Firm a Foundation, Jesus Paid it All, ‘Tis so Sweet, There is a Fountain, How Great Thou Art, Nothing but the Blood, Rock of Ages, and the Doxology (which she thinks ends with whispering “crib time”). I’m often torn because at bedtime I want her to stop singing and go to sleep, but when she’s singing It Is Well it’s hard to tell her to be quiet. She hardly ever stops talking, singing, or humming now.
Relationally we have all grown familiar with each other and can hardly imagine our family without Evelyn. Last week a delighted Kira yelled, “Having a little sister is so fun! I knew it would be!” And this week after spending the day at my parents’ house with family and lake time and sister/cousin playtime galore, Evelyn squealed, “I SO HAPPY! I SO HAPPY!” She seems just as content to be a part of our family as we are overjoyed to have her. Evelyn is still a daddy’s girl, but now she freely gives and receives snuggles and kisses from me. Although David and I are daily exhausted by Evelyn’s determination and complete inability to sit still, she is such a happy child and she absolutely delights our hearts.
We can’t wait to see what arises in Evelyn’s personality another year from now. But this week we remember, as the Bible so often reminds us to do, everything the Lord has done in us and in her and we give him praise!
