Easter 2014

Happy Easter! (Updating my blog is a lot easier with a blogger app!) 

We had a great day and I am happy to announce that I did not have to take Timmy to church in his underwear this year. He wasn't happy with the outfit, but he put it on! Big improvement from last year. My kids had fun eating tons of candy and going on an egg hunt. This was Hannah's first Easter home with us.

One year later...

We made it. The first year of an adoption is always the hardest, and this one was certainly not any different. When I look back over the last year, it is hard to believe that it has been that long, but at the same time, I feel like we have aged and been through so much. 

 

I remember that little girl we met in China. We were thrilled with how healthy she appeared, especially since we knew she had been to hell and back for the better part of her 3.5 years of life. 5 major operations, 2 life threatening infections, several close calls in the hospital where her ayis were told she would not make it....even that skinny and sad child I met in 2012 on a mission trip were not even close to the child that was placed in my arms in April 2013. She was chubby and happy, thanks to the staff at Shepherd's Field. This child that had feared strangers and people for her 3 years in the foster village, came to us with open arms and completely accepted us from the moment she met us. This little girl was so excited to show us her house and her bed, but once she said good-bye that night, she did not want to go back. She knew.

I remember our first night together. She cried. I knew not to take her clothes off or force any new change on her. She fought sleep so bad that night. I had to put goldfish crackers in the middle of the bed, between Rick and I, so she would climb up and sit in between us. She sat up for hours, refusing to sleep, keeping her guard up. I would doze in and out of sleep (after all, I had been awake for over 24 hours at this point!) and notice that she was falling asleep sitting up. She finally, at some point in the night took her shoes off and laid down. She finally gave in.

I remember the fears I had on the flight over. A 24 hour journey across the world, little sleep on a plane, and I was going to get in a car and drive straight to her foster village. Her ayis were going to teach me how to care for her. I worried that I would be too tired and out of it to understand. I worried about the first night, if I would know what to do. I worried about all the medicine we were told to give her, wondering what is was for. I worried about how we were going to travel around China for 2 weeks with Hannah in her current condition. Of course, it was all fine. We survived the first night and our 2 week trip in China.

This year had many ups and downs. Some months I wanted to crawl into a hole and cry, other months I just stood back and watched her in awe as she blossomed and flourished. Most of the hard moments were to due to medical tests that didn't turn out how we wanted, or recoveries that proved to be a bit more challenging than expected. But, at the end of the day, we survived. She loves us and we love her, completely and forever.

We are so thankful and blessed to have this little girl in our life. She has taught us so much. Here is a little girl that has every right to be fearful, angry, and sad. Yet, she is joyful. She loves so big. God certainly protected her spirit and guarded her heart. She loves everything that a little girl should love. She adores princesses, the colors pink and purple, dresses, sparkles, shoes, purses, playing pretend, arts and crafts, taking care of her babies. She doesn't just walk, she prances around the house, spinning and twirling. I am amazed at how her little personality has flourished this year.

Happy gotcha day to our special princess!

April 11, 2013
This is the day we met. I was shocked at how much weight she had gained in 9 months, the last time I saw her.

April 10, 2014
This is my big girl now. Healthy and thriving.

She was laughing at her brothers.

The grass was tickling her feet and she didn't like it!

Wacky Tacky

My little people were excited to have wacky tacky day at school! Daddy was in charge of the outfits. This was a perfect job for him because everything he picks out is normally tacky and does not match! The kids looked forward to this for days. Timmy was just excited to wear his pj pants to school and Emma wanted to be as silly as possible. Hannah did great, but she needed a tutu so her outfit met her princess status.