Little Tomato Turns 11!!

I can't believe it. Our Little Tomato is 11 years old. When she came to stay with us, I never dreamed that she would spend a third birthday on Planet Vernal. She is such a miracle and brings me unending joy.

LT is so sweet and so so FUNNY! Oh my gosh, this kid can make me LAUGH! And she's GROWN so much since she's been here. She's almost as tall as me and wears the same size shoe. It's been so much fun to watch her change from a little girl into an almost young woman. She LOVES clothes and the color purple. She loves to dance, she loves to read and she's so SMART! Math is her favorite subject.

LT LOVES animals. She loves Animal Planet. She LOVES her cats and she has great empathy and compassion for anything hurt or wounded. I am worried that she will be some crazy cat lady when she grows up because she won't turn anything away.

The most important people in LT's life right now are her older sisters. She absolutely idolizes them and she tries to imitate EVERYTHING they do and say. Her sister Sydney, in Australia is an almost mythic figure in her life. All she has to do is hear Sydney's voice on the phone and she just radiates happiness. Anything Sydney says, does, likes, dislikes, loves instantly becomes gospel to LT.

And LT LOVES her daddy. He is her super hero. The righter of all her wrongs. She is constantly seeking his approval and almost always gets it. If daddy is happy, she is happy.

Our little tomato will be leaving us in February to go back to New Zealand and spend time with her mother. I know her mother must miss her very much but I still find myself praying that God will find SOME WAY for her to stay even though I know it's for purely selfish reasons. But my heart is breaking. I've been in denial that this moment would ever come and now it's getting closer and closer and I am almost desperate at the thought. I don't know if I can bear to part with her. I don't know how I can ever let her go.

LT, you are my sunshine. You are my slice of heaven here on earth. I have grown to love you more than I ever thought possible. I NEED you to know this. I NEED you to remember that here in this place, in our home, YOU ARE SO VERY LOVED. And we need your sunshine in our life every moment. We can't live without you. And my hope is that our time apart will be very short and that sometime in the near future we can figure out a way for you to be with us and still be able to spend all the time you want with your mum. Everyone wants you, everyone wants to be around you, everyone wants to stand in your light.

My fear is that you will forget me. That I will dim in the glow of your mommy's love. That you will doubt my love for you. PLEASE DON'T FORGET!!! It is OK to love me and your mommy too. There is nothing wrong with that. Don't ever feel like you have to choose. You are the daughter of your mommy and daddy by God and you are my daughter by heart. And I am SO PROUD of you. You are a wonderful person and such a good girl and I am so blessed to know you and help raise you and I can't wait to see who you turn out to be. February will be here too soon. Please don't forget me. I will still be here whenever you need me and I will always always love you.