Mavery turns FOUR!

On November 1 Mavery turned 4 years old. She had watched her 3 older siblings celebrate birthdays this year, so she was MORE than ready to have her birthday. We opted to do a small family party just for her this time. It is hard to believe that just barely over a year ago we had arrived home with Ms Mavery and then celebrated her 3rd birthday. Here we are, a year later. She has come SO FAR this year. And while we are still working through some things, I want to share with you all the amazing things about Mavery and the changes we have seen.

• She is very artistic! When we first came home NOTHING could hold her attention. Now, she LOVES to sit and color, draw, play-do, paint. We do have to remind her PAPER, not walls or skin or TEETH!? I think she is going to follow in Makenna's footsteps and enjoy arts and crafts.


• She sits for TV now! ;-) Not alot, but she does enjoy Dora or Diego or Ni Hao Kailyn.


• She loves to sing. Taylor Swift is her favorite, and I have heard Love Story more times than I care to. but she likes it.


• She just recently learned to spell her name and she is very proud of that!


• She is doing well in school. She is eager to report when SHE listens but a certain Chinese sister does not.


• She LOVES to give hugs & kisses. She is probably the most cuddly out of all my children. Still happiest if she is in a lap. And when she is in a lap, she is a LITTLE calmer, not quite so wiggly.
• She adores Sage, she worships Sage, I am pretty sure she wants to BE Sage. We are working on this. (not her becoming Sage of course, working on not repeating or copying EVERYTHING Sage does) I am thankful for the bond they share. No they are not biological twins, though everyone thinks so. BUT they are sisters and I am not sure they could be closer if they were grown together.
  
• When she sees a picture of our family, the 7 of us, she says "It is all my friends, I love all my friends together!". i am not sure to read this as a good or bad thing.
  
• Would rather dress up than be in clothes. AND if she is in dress up, you may ONLY call her Belle. She will not answer to Mavery, don't even try.
  
• is a good eater. We have had some food issues over this year, but they have improved dramatically. One thing that was suggested to us was to put a small cup of whatever in her room. So we put a bowl in there of just a cracker broke up, a couple of m & m's, whatever is on hand. She no longer wakes up screaming for food. She gets up, eats whatever is in the bowl and then is happy till we get breakfast or dinner. she is still VERY interested in food, and if you take her out to eat, you better hold on to her or she will be walking up to strangers tables asking for a bite! But we know this comes from her past and so we are just working through it. Amazed really at what that little bowl in her room has done for all of us.
  
• She is funny! She likes to tease.
• She loves panda bears and hello kitty.
• She is a good sleeper. Goes right to sleep (if the bowl has her snack!) and sleeps all night. She is sharing a room with Malaine right now. Also still naps for me, 2 hours every day. That is a good thing!
  
• LOVES to pray. Always chimes in with "I think it is my turn to "pway".
  
• Enjoys meeting new people, but will ask them over and over, "what's you name?" and I do mean Over and over. I think this has to do w/ her silliness!
• Her hair! Still not as long as she would like, she wants to have braids really bad. But boy, is it gorgeous! THICK with this wave to it. Who knew asian hair could curl! It is beautiful.
  

This year has not always been easy. But as we look back over it we are amazed at the changes. God is teaching ALL of us things. Growing us. Leading us. Loving us. Most important, showing us what love really is. Not always easy, not always natural. Sometimes it is a choice.

So as we celebrate a year of Mavery & her 4th birthday I am thankful for choice. That God chose ME to be her mommy. That God chose her as mine. That He allowed us to choose His will over our own.

We love you Mavery. We really really do. Happy Birthday!