Our Little Artist and Prayer Warrior

We have an artist in our house who creates soooo much artwork I don't know where to put it! Saying that Annabelle LOVES to color is an understatement. Watching her color and learn to write is such a cool way to see how she views the world and how she has developed with her motor skills. What's been especially fun has been watching her stick figures develop and take on more attributes. Stick figures, rainbows, flowers, houses, trees and "designs" are her favorite things to draw. Below is an example of her recent work - drawings of her family, our family. At right is a picture Annabelle drew (without ANY prompting) of she, T-J and Oliver on the evening we celebrated T-J's 1st birthday.  She draws these everyday at home at our kitchen table. She comes home from preschool with these drawings in her backpack. Its neat to see our little family is on her mind. And though our daughter has never met her youngest brother, she LOVES him. She talks about him, like she is talking about the weather in front of her, he is at the forefront of her mind and heart everyday, all day. Its been this way actually since the first time we saw his photos pop up on our computer on referral day back in March. She was praying for her baby sibling even before that. At bedtime tonight, she prayed for T-J that "he has a good day and eats his food." God has placed her brother on her heart. As she lay in bed, she talked about how "crazy" he will be "running away from us" and how we would have to run after him and catch him. Kinda funny to picture, since this is often what we must do with her 2 year old brother, Oliver. We chase him as he giggles hysterically running away, hoping we are in hot pursuit of him. Annabelle's capacity to love so fully and joyfully, to long for a brother she has never met, to pray for him morning, noon and night is awesome really. Its special, sweet, and childlike, so hopeful and beautiful, and an encouragement to my weary soul which tires from missing him terribly, to know one day she will laugh with him, and chase him as he will run away from us, just as every silly toddler does....and she once did too.

Don't you just love how we are always holding hands?