Last Night in China!!

Well, here we are at the end of this amazing journey and what a ride it has been. When we first started researching the idea of adoption seven years ago, I could have never imagined we would actually make it to this point. We had our consulate swearing-in ceremony today. We were in a big room with lots of other families and we swore that all the information we had provided was true to the best of our knowledge. As I looked around that room, it was a little emotional to think that all those precious children were going to experience a life that they never would have known if not for those families who were willing to provide a safe loving home. I saw my new friend Ohilda and her adorable Anna Grace and our sweet friends the Ogles and their precious Paul William and all the other beautiful children and their new families. And then I looked at our very own Lily Mei and I couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t ours. She is the missing piece of our family and she was definitely meant to be ours. As I think back to the sad little girl we saw just six days ago, my heart hurts. Those sad little eyes and pouty little lips are forever instilled in my heart. And then I look at the little girl who is sitting on the bed playing with her daddy and I can’t believe how very far she has come. She smiles constantly, she laughs when you tickle her, she dances when you sing to her. Her little face just lights up when she sees her brothers and they can hardly keep their hands off of her. She says dada and plays pat-a-cake and loves Cheerios and French fries. She’s very independent and strong-willed and we’re definitely going to have our hands full. She is sweet and smart and the most beautiful thing we have every seen. How can you possibly love someone so much that you’ve only known for six days?

Thank you all for sharing in our jouney. Thank you for the words of encouragement during those first dark days. Thank you for sharing in our joy over her first smile. Thank you for the emails that made us feel a little closer to home. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your love and support. We felt the prayers and appreciate them more than we can say. We can’t wait for you all to see our sweet girl. She is truly our miracle from God.

We love you all!
Steve, Monica, David, Landon and Lily Mei