Maggie is in year two of OAH (Oldest Available Hess) and she’s doing amazing. I came home from an appointment one day to find her baking cookies with her younger siblings. What joy to see her taking responsibility and bringing fun and creativity into the lives of her younger siblings.
(Concert for her bday!)
She and Hans are still nearly inseparable. She is devoted to him, though sometimes to her detriment. For example, she had taken him down to the stream our kids enjoy which is a bit of a walk. Especially coming home as it’s up a steep hill. He had cried and refused to walk and threw a huge fit the whole way home. She told him she wasn’t going to take him the next time she went. We made sure she followed through with that necessary and suitable discipline. But she felt so bad about it that I don’t think she enjoyed herself as much. We found a decent compromise to this situation was to allow him to walk down with them but I would drive and pick them up when they were done.
Maggie truly is a good little mother.
She also is an excellent artist. I love her art style and the way she can create feeling through her work. She’s in her second year of a homeschool art class that I’ve been so thankful to provide her with. She has really enjoyed the different mediums she’s been exposed to, though I think she still is most comfortable with marker and graphite.
Maggie is also a very good writer. I always enjoy reading her work, from poetry to short stories, she is gifted with words.
I am so grateful to God for giving us Magdalena Faith 14 years ago. As the years go by it can be easy to forget her birth history and the uncertainty about her life that was presented to us.
Best of all, this year Maggie chose to be baptized. It was a beautiful and meaningful way to welcome her into the family of God.
We love you so much, Maggie! I’m so thankful to have you at home this year. I know it’ll be a huge adjustment for us all next year to send you to high school. But rather than get the sads about it now, I’ll treasure our days!