Eight

Eight months ago tonight we checked Grace in at Children’s Hospital.  It was the day after we arrived home from China.  Her sweet little body had taken more then she could handle and she was saying, “tong” over and over (Chinese for pain).  We soon found out that she was dehydrated and it was just her physical body reacting to everything she’d been through over the past weeks and months (just reminiscing a little). 

BUT…this sweet little girl has done nothing but SOAR since that day!!  Most of the time she carries around the biggest smile and has the biggest, sweetest heart of any little girl I know. 

WOW!!  Eight months and Grace is now in school, running a mile every Wednesday in P.E. (well, she calls it running :) she's really walking as fast as she can) and bringing home mostly A's and B's in all her school work!  What a story this little girl is writing on our hearts.  Children's choir started back up at church a few weeks ago and she LOVES it as much as she loves anything!  But, one of her most favorite things is snuggling with Baba (what she's doing right now as I write).

Well, she's been home eight months and she turned eight years old this year.  You know how much I love to look at the biblical meaning of numbers.  I already know this one from several years back but here's a refresher...

Eight in scripture may signify "new beginnings."  Eight people survived the Flood (Genesis 7:13, 23). Circumcision took place on the eighth day (Genesis 17:12).  In John 20:26 it says, "Eight days later, His disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them.  Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'"

Those are just a few of the references to the number eight in scripture.  But isn't it interesting how that meaning applies to Grace?  This new life is surely a New Beginning for her.  There's another post I wrote back at the end of 2008 where the Lord encouraged my heart through this same thought.  I love how He works!

I can't close this post without sharing a picture!  We made a quick trip to Illinois a couple of weeks ago and Grace got to meet a lot of my family she had never met.  Here's a shot of her with my sister, Dawn...it was love at first site (actually long before that for my sister!).

We had such a good time seeing everyone.  We miss you already, Aunt Dawn!  Until next time...