I'm in Holland.

Have you ever read the amazing essay about Holland? If not, you need to. Go read HERE. Have you done it? Okay good, let's move on. So for the last ten years of my motherhood journey I have wanted a little girl. I LOVE my boys with all my heart. But, I still dreamed in purple and bows. So we decided to adopt, that was a flop. We decided to do foster care. We got a boy. Then a girl, she left six months later. Then a boy. Then a girl. Then the same boy. So I have my girl. Odds are looking good that she will stay. So my dreams of purple and bows are coming true. But, it's not Italy. We were welcomed at the gate, to Holland.

Ladybug is full of windmills and tulips. She's a beauty of a child. Blonde hair and dark brown eyes and long dark eyelashes that make mascara commercials jealous. She's a sweet and loving as the day is long. She's also labeled. She has "sensory processing disorder", "low muscle tone", "developmental delays", "cognitive delays", "severe oral fixation", "severe acid reflux", "recurrent ear infections", " low body awareness", "hyposensitive to surroundings", "possible non-verbal" and I'm waiting on the "autism spectrum". So my sweet little girl needs help. She's seeing a therapist six times a month. We start swim classes next week. She's getting all her medical needs attended to. It's so not the streets of Italy that I imagined. But, we are getting used to Holland. It takes a little longer to get around here, no Vespa to zoom through the streets. We're becoming used to strolling and enjoying the view.

We're seeing bits of improvement, a few small words here and there, playing with a toy for more than five seconds, and better balance. I hope with her intense schedule we will get to visit Italy now and then. Even if we set up our home in Holland, my sweet girl will make it a wonderful place to live.

Now, for something a bit more random. My friend Heather, at Laundry Room Quilts had a quilting challenge. Her quilt was called "Welcome to Holland" I could not write this piece without including the photo of her quilt. It's amazing. (and for sale)