Can you believe it's been five weeks since we have been home with our beautiful daughters? I can't! In some ways it seems like just yesterday we were waiting....and waiting...and waiting. And in other ways it seems as if it has been years. I would be lying if I said its been easy and full of nothing but smiles and laughter. The first couple of weeks were really tough on everyone but looking back now on five SHORT weeks, I am amazed at how far the girls have come.....how far all our children have come....in fact, how far we all have come as a family. There have been so many "firsts" in these past five weeks. We often think, "wow! The girls first Christmas or their first birthday party" etcetera. Don't get me wrong this is all very fun and exciting, but it quickly becomes very obvious what is really important to our children. It is the smallest things and I am often caught off guard by the emotions that will hit me. After three weeks of watching her brothers get on the bus for school and return home in the afternoon to hear the same old dialogue "hi! How was school today?", it was finally time for Ming to get on the bus and head off to school. When she got off the bus in the afternoon she literally BOUNCED through the door with a "HI!". At first I thought that she must have had a great day at school (which she did) but it suddenly struck me that what she was really excited about was coming home, HOME, HER HOME, to HER family, so that HER mom can ask how the day went. No child should have to wait 14 years to have her mother ask "how was school today?". Or how about cracking an egg? Simple little joy in life.....I never thought that my eyes would fill with tears watching my 14 year old daughter cracking her first egg into a bowl to help make breakfast. And then there is Willow XiaoSi.....she is a silly, whimsical, animal loving, baby doll kissing, little pixie. Hearing her squeal with delight as she carries flakes of hay to the horses, or getting her first "kiss" from the doggie...or dogchie as she would say. Or simply letting it be okay to cry when she falls and hurts herself and allowing mommy to kiss it better instead of jumping up as quickly as she could and saying "ok...it's ok" or trying to laugh at herself. Or how about getting out of the tub, being wrapped in a big towel and snuggled to your hearts content? Ahhh, life's simple pleasures!
I have to say that things are going better than we could have hoped! Sure, it's difficult to just add two children to your family, but day by day, week by week, they are with no uncertainty our daughters and we couldn't ask for more. Thanks to all of you for the help....the prayers.....the calls to check in....and for receiving our girls with open arms!
I will try to be a enter blogger but for now, I will just post some pics of some of our "firsts"!
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| Ming's 14th Birthday |
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| SCORE!!! An IPOD |
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| Trying it out! These two are always together. |
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| First outing to Chopstix |
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| No caption necessary. |
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| My best friends daughter, Tori, and Ming at the Nutcracker. This is the part where my girls where awake. |
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| We found our tree. |
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| Let the cutting begin. |
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| Jesse has the honor this year as Ming and Michael watch. |
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| Willow decides to keep her distance....that saw looks a little scary. |
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| Daddy's Girl |
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| Doggie Lovin' |
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| Christmas caroling with Katelyn and the GS troop! |
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