Tell Lawmakers to Continue The Adoption Tax Refund

First off, a desperate plea for assistance... please visit the link above and sign this petition to continue the Adoption Tax Refund in the future. This refund makes adoption financially possible for many families... which means it makes families possible for many orphaned children! I could wax irritated for hours about how we go out of our way to use tax law to "incentivize" businesses, so why can't we provide an incentive to families who take children with little hope or a future and turn them into functional members of society. I won't, but I could and I sincerely hope you will sign this and then pass it on. 

So, on to the good stuff! After the craziness of Friday night, the weekend went well and peaked with a great day at church today. She actually spoke in church. I've never been so happy to have my kid talking and carrying on during the sermon! This is, literally, the first time she has made a sound in church. The best response was Joe, who heard her utter "gagaga" and was literally speechless with joy. I thought he was going to cry. I thought I was going to cry! It was beautiful, because it showed how comfortable she is finally starting to feel.

She also reached out, several times, and touched the hands of other people without trying to leave my arms. She would touch or hold their hand for a second, then take her hand back and cuddle against me again. It was great! It was a sign of a growing connection between us, an understanding of who we are to her. It felt great!

In addition, she has fallen asleep in my arms the last two nights. *Heaven*

It feels like we're getting somewhere, slowly but surely. My heart is filled with praise to the Lord, because He has rescued my daughter and is making her whole. God's purpose is restoration - not just stopping the disintegration but making things new and giving back what was taken by the world. I am seeing this in my daughter, day by day.