Touched In My Heart

I just have to share our experiences with Katie Aunna tonight. It was one of those amazing firsts for her. Papa and I took the older children (Karissa, Christian, Casey, and Katie Aunna) to the movie to see "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" this evening. Duane took the first chair, I sat in the next, followed by Katie Aunna, then Karissa, Christian, and Casey. I looked at our sweet little kids sitting there in a row waiting for the show to start. Katie leaned over to me and said "Oh Mommy....TV is really big here and what will we see?" I told her we were here as a special treat to watch big TV about dogs. She laughed out loud over the idea of watching a movie all about dogs and their adventures.

Duane and our big boy Casey went to get our goodies. He came back with four kiddie packs which contained chocolate candy, popcorn, and a coke. When Katie got her kiddie pack her eyes lite up and she looked at me with a delightful smile which conveyed....can this be for me!?!?! She looked up at me with this huge smile on her face and said "Mommy, I love you soooo much and love my home in America". This is really fun". She was so excited and it just beamed from her eyes with delight.

When the movie screen came on she was so delighted and excited. She expressed her joy so openly with her bright smiles and sparkling eyes. As the movie progressed, she munched away on her special treats and I could see she was truly in ecstasy. Katie Aunna ate every bite of her treats. She literally gobbled her treats down. I looked down the line of kids with their treats and Christian, Karissa, and Casey just picked at their kiddie pack as though it was no big deal.

Then I focused once more on Katie and she was savoring every bite and smiling with that first time experience joy. The tears welled up in my eyes as I realized that this little girl, once an orphaned child, really really really appreciated her new life and savored everything given to her. After having spent her entire 6 years of her life in an orphanage, things she is given in her new life, are exceptional pleasures to her. Our other children (adopted as babies and very young toddlers) do not share the same type of gratitude that our older adopted child does.

Katie knew what was minimal living in Russia, whereas the others who were brought home as young toddlers, did not have her grateful attitude. I pray that I can assume an attitude of appreciation with our wonderful God, like Katie has with us, for all the things He does for us and be truly grateful to Him by reflecting the true joy and appreciation that I observed in my Russian Arctic Princess....Katie Aunna.

Katie, on the other hand, appreciates perks that she was not accustomed to getting in her previous life. Every time she looked into my eyes with such great sparkling joy and happiness it just touched my heart so deeply as she glowed. This little girl, once an orphan, felt like the luckiest person in the world to have a family and have the things we take for granted every day. I had to turn my head away and cry in the dark theater. It was precious and I fell even more deeply in love with her as she appreciated her wonderful treat in a way our other spoiled all American kids did not.

I had also bought Katie and Karissa a pair of new shoes earlier in the day. I noticed Karissa just ignored her shoes and accepted them as common. Katie would turn her foot from side to side and admire the sparkle of her new shoes. She noticed me watching her admire her shoes and she leaned over and said "They are so beautiful....thank you pretty Mommy...I love you!!!" Now how sweet was that??? We take so much for granted and the things we get as common place. Katie Aunna has again touched my heart and brought about change in me. I want to have that type of gratitude and appreciation for all things, great and small, in my life.

Now another amazing thing for Katie Aunna tonight happened in the theater bathroom!!! Katie had to go potty and so I took her to the girl's room. The toilet was dirty and she said "Yuck, Mommy, it's dirty" and so I did the gross thing.....put her on the sink to tinkle;-). I had not noticed that the faucet was an automatic turn on with motion. So, just as she began to go to the bathroom, the water turned on. She screamed as this took her so much by surprise. She and I just cracked up laughing together and so I splashed her bottom clean and lifted her down to dry her bottom.

When I turned around to get some toilet tissue she stepped back and her head grazed the sensor for the hand dryer and it began to blow. Of course, this brought forth another round of screaming laughter. All she could do was laugh and talk about the auto sink and auto dryer being accidentally set off by her potty break. I laughed until the tears rolled down my face. I picked her up and drew her close to me and whispered "Thank you, Dear God, for my Katie Aunna!!!"

On to more serious matters.....Katie Aunna is having her tonsils and adenoids removed Friday morning. We will be going over to Lubbock tomorrow evening. I dread this so much as the one thing she has bad feelings about is the surgery done on her arm in Russia. She has discussed with me many times that NO ONE stayed with her in the hospital and she was so scared and in a lot of pain. No visitors came to see her, no family to comfort her, and she was truly all alone. She has asked me many times if we will leave her there or if she will be able to go home. Please pray for Katie's health, recovery, and confidence in us that we will not leave her side.

Thanks for laughing and maybe crying with me tonight. I greatly appreciate your prayers for her as well. I'll let you know how she does Friday evening when we return home. Many blessings to you all!!!!!