If you ask my little girl what her nickname is, she will sweetly tell you with a gleam in her eye, “Ladybug, because I am a little bit lady and a little bit bug.”

And it has been that way since she was born. At first glance she looks like a perfect little lady. When she was a baby people always said she looked like a porcelain doll. But don’t be deceived. She also loves to play with dirt and snails, and she is as tough and stubborn as anybody. She is fiercely independent and a force of nature.

So I made this cute little ladybug wall hanging for her room when she was a baby. It also has a special meaning for me. I love the song “I am a Child of God” and used to sing it to my little girl when I would put her to bed as a baby. I would always get choked up at the line “And he has sent me here.”

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It is a reminder that even though our family was not formed the “traditional” way, that Heavenly Father went through a lot of trouble to make sure she got to where she belongs.

I love the first verse:
I am a child of God,
And he has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home
With parents kind and dear.

As I child I always took this for granted. It seemed like a given. But having been through the struggle of infertility and the roller coaster of adoption, I have come to appreciate what a tremendous blessing it is.

My baby girl is here with us and it is a miracle beyond all other miracles I have ever seen. Adoption is a road less traveled, which means that it is often bumpier and the way has not been worn smooth by many travelers. But it also means I get to see views that many miss. Watching the hand of God as he assembled our family has built my testimony and given my understanding of motherhood new depth. I am grateful for the miracles I have seen and these two little spirits who have blessed our family.

I hope that when my ladybug looks at her wall that she will be reminded that God has sent her here and given her very loving parents. It is no accident that she is here.