Another Teen In Our Home

Elizabeth with her companion/therapy dog Mia!

It is very hard to believe but Elizabeth turned 13 years old recently!  I really can not believe how quickly children grow up!

We have seen many, many, miracles over the years of adopting children with special needs but Elizabeth's story is one of the most amazing to behold.  She was born so very fragile, requiring serious surgeries to save her life and mechanical support to keep her alive.  We had many scares for her life over the years.  God is so gracious and has given her victory and strength in so many areas.

Her personality has always been tenacious and bold.  She has been the hardest child for Tim and I to raise in training, raising and physically. She is the most medically fragile and has the hardest behaviors to work with. 

Her behavior at times has been over the top.  We have had very hard, long, days, that stretched on for what seemed like forever.  Even though she is still a hard child to raise, she has matured and is continuing to progress in all areas.  We have spells where she tries very hard to do what is right and expected and other spells where she is very difficult to live with.

She has grown from a very fragile little baby girl to a tall and beautiful young lady.  Even though we don't like how she behaves and things she does, we love her so much.

I often forget how fragile she is, till a health issue arises and then I remember... as we are sent the rounds to all of her specialists to find out what is going on.  As far as her current symptoms she is having...  we have ruled out her heart and have an appointment with her airway specialist, on May 5th, to see if she has outgrown her airway.  If we get the all clear from the air way Dr., we can proceed with her rodding/spinal surgery that is scheduled for late June, after her ballet recital.  The thinking, by all the doctors right now is, that maybe the rapid collapse of her spine is putting pressure on her enlarged heart and lungs causing her distress.   We are praying for a safe surgery in June and that it will resolve her daily symptoms she is experiencing.

She has decided she likes to garden this year and is very good at it.  She has been invaluable help for me in getting the garden beds ready this year and working in our yard.  She is excited about being my number one helper in outdoor garden work this year.  She can not do a lot of strenuous work, so sitting, weeding and tender work, is something she can really do and see the fruits of her labors.  She is also a top notch kitchen worker.  Our older children rotate house hold duties starting at the age of about 8, depending on mental capacity.  She is so good at kitchen duty, she can keep the kitchen just as clean and organized as I can.  Which is very nice.  And she has chosen not to rotate out of that duty the last several years because she likes it so much.  The other children are relived as they do not like working in the kitchen.  :)  She has also started feeding the baby one meal a day in the high chair and looks forward to it.

She loves to dance and has been taking ballet many years.  Since she refuses to do her physical therapy, it has been a very good thing for her Low Tone Cerebral palsy to take ballet as she tries very hard at it.  She is much stronger and more co-ordinated when she is taking ballet.  She recently has given up her childhood coloring and doodle work and has started  to sit and color in detailed coloring books.  She really likes it and it seems to calm her.

My sister made a beautiful cake with a ballerina on it for Elizabeth.  She loved it.  Thank you Aunt "S" for always  making such wonderful cakes for the children and making their birthdays special.

Happy 13th birthday my beautiful daughter.  May God lead and guide your heart and actions all the days of your life!

Psalm 144:12  That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:

Love Always, Dad, mom, Stephen, Antonio, William, Carolyn, Zeke, Billy, Timothy, Kinsley and baby "A"