Friday, October 23, 2009

First of all…I am sorry for letting two months pass without posting an update. To be honest, it feels as if July was last month! Yes, time is flying and we hardly have a chance to catch our breaths!

It is so crazy to think that one year has already passed since this milestone event of receiving an email from Linda at Lifelink, to tell us that our application to adopt Jiang Yu Ying (aka Caiya) was approved! That day was filled with such joy and tears that the hurdles and months turned to years of waiting for our daughter had finally come! We were relieved that we were approved…this adoption was really going to happen for this beautiful little girl we hold photos of!

One year ago today
we had an answer to a prayer
when we finally received a call
to say that *you* were there.

‘Though holding only a photo,
ours hearts were lost that day
to a tiny girl in China
half a world away.

The baby face and tiny ears,
the lovely almond eyes,
the chubby oh-so-kissable cheeks
held power to mesmerize.

The distance seemed to melt away
‘though still a world a apart.
Gazing at your picture,
we met you heart-to-heart.

At long last knowing you were real
a child to call our own,
the daughter we were soon to meet
to finally bring you home.

And now I hold you in my arms
and count my blessings from above
because just one year ago today
we were given *you* to love.
~Jill Work

The Holke house has been busy as ever with starting school, soccer, swimming, and dance lessons, Cursillo, weddings, and then some! Raising two children, even 4 years apart requires a whole new set of skills that I didn’t realize we’d need! But as hectic and challenging it all is, it is the most rewarding thing in life…being the Mamacita of Ethan and Caiya!

Ethan is in first grade. He is excited that his cousin Nate is in his class this year. Over the summer, his love for soccer grew with attending two soccer camps. He was out in the backyard practicing his dribbles, passes and shots, and trying to scrimmage Jeremy and me nearly every night. He just finished fall season league where his team, the Crew, which has three star Holke boys: E, Nate, and Hunter, was undefeated 6-0 for the 3rds straight season…of course this all-star team was led by the two Big Holke boys, Jeremy and Nick. It’s been so much fun watching become stronger and more skilled in this game. He is becoming such a little man right before our eyes.

Caiya has been with us for 8 ½ months now. We continue to experience ‘firsts’ with Caiya…first day of preschool, first high school football game, trying to explain what Halloween is and then going shopping for costumes, picking pumpkins from the patch at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and her first sleep over at Nana and Papa’s house are just a few. She loves to shop for clothes…funky, bright-colored tights and shoes are her favorite! She likes to play Go Fish, Uno, and Candyland. She counts to 10 in English and Chinese knows her basic colors and is learning how to spell her name. Right now, she spells it C…Y…A…she’s close J She continues to be a sponge, mimicking everything everybody says!

I know I’ve said it before, but it is impossible to think that she has not been a part of our family since her birth. I think we are finally seeing the REAL Caiya these days. You can tell in her interactions with close family, extended family, and friends that she is more comfortable. She doesn’t need Jeremy or me there within hand’s reach. You can also tell in pictures; her expressions are less tense, rather, more relaxed and natural. She is such a bright, friendly, witty, sassy, and beautiful little girl. Her deep brown eyes sparkle with life.

Lately, when I look into them, I can’t help but to think of her birth mommy and daddy. Does she have her birth mom’s rounded-almond shaped eyes? Does she share her birth Dad’s humor? Where did her mighty sassiness come from? Maybe it’s because October is Respect Life month that they have been on my mind so much? Or, maybe it’s just nature for adoptive mama’s to think of these things? Whatever the reason, I’ve been praying for Caiya’s birth parents. I know in my heart that they Love her so much. They knew she had a life-threatening medical condition and had no means to care for her. At four-months-old, they loved her so much that they placed her to be found so she would get the medical treatment needed to save her life…that she would be well-loved ….and she would be well-cared for by her forever family. That was their plan for Caiya. God’s plan for Caiya was us. He could not have made a better match!

We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life. But those who make their journey home across time & miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands. ~Kristi Larson