We're Home
Home at Last!
| October 7,
2007
| October 11,
2007
| November
13, 2007 |
January 3, 2008
|
January 8, 2008 |
January 9, 2008 |
January 10, 2008 #1 |
January 10, 2008 #2 & #3 |
January 11, 2008 |
January 12, 2008 |
January 13, 2008 |
January 15, 2008 |
January 24, 2008 |
April 2, 2008
November 13, 2007
Exactly two months ago today we touched down in the United
States (at SFO) with our youngest daughter after our journey to
bring her home from Nanchang, China. What a difference two
months can make!!! As our family has once again found its’
footing as we have all adjusted and recovered and bonded over
the last few months, we have been profoundly aware of all that
has transpired.
Sarah is doing so very well. It took her longer than we
anticipated to recover from the ordeal of her cardiac cath lab
experience. Her wound reopened and she contracted some sort of
virus just a few days after being in the hospital. It was a very
long and difficult couple of weeks and my heart just ached for
Sarah. What progress she had made emotionally seemed to have
vanished right in front of my eyes and she became withdrawn and
sad. It was hard to tell what was emotion and what was just
feeling plain “yucky” from being sick. And then, just as
astonishing, when the healing was complete and the virus gone,
this bright, silly and engaged little girl emerged. She was
suddenly more active than she had EVER been and smiling….big
goofy grin smiles….at all of us. She was content with everyone
in the house. She snuggled…..really snuggled…into my arms when I
held her. It was almost as if she released some last hold on her
emotions. We have been basking in it ever since. She has taken
some steps on her own and can go from a sit to a stand in the
middle of the floor. She has put on a little over two pounds
which, on her tiny frame, is glorious news for sure. We are
celebrating the emergence of ‘chub’ on her little behind and
thighs. Her external symptoms of malnutrition have all but
disappeared. Her hair is shiny, her nails are growing and she
has fat on her. So very happy! And, turning out to be the
greatest news of all, is that we, in consultation with her
doctor, have determined to wait until spring for her surgery.
She is in a good place right now and seems to be handling the
increase in activity just fine. This will give her much needed
time for physical growth and more time to attach and grow
emotionally as well. I was so anxious to hurry home and ‘fix her
up’ (my nature is to plan, and then DO) and this is simply not
the plan Heavenly Father had for her. It is clear to her dad and
I that she needs this time to just BE…..be loved, be cared for,
be stronger, be bigger, be HAPPY! And then we will face the
first surgery together….as a family.
Also, in the last few months, we have finished Eric and Jon’s
football seasons, started Eric and Sam’s basketball seasons,
celebrated Family Gotcha Day with Mandi, dressed up for
Halloween, cheered on our Broncos (AND Trojans AND Cougars) and
generally had a happy time as a family. Brian and I are so proud
of all of the kids and the great decisions they are making. They
are a true joy to us.
As we prepare to host our family Thanksgiving this year we wish
to share the things we are thankful for:
We are thankful for Eric, Jacob, Jonathan, Samuel, Amanda and
Sarah, each a precious treasure from God. We are thankful for
extended family who opened their hearts and hands wide to love
these two precious girls as they were added to an already loved
set of boys. We are thankful for our faith in our Savior. We are
thankful for a loving Father who has blessed our lives so
richly. We are thankful for the kindness and compassion we have
been shown by friends and strangers alike as we have traveled
this journey. We are thankful for the abundance of material
blessings in our life and pray that we always remember to be
generous to those less fortunate than ourselves. We are thankful
for the treasure, not of this earth, we have been entrusted with
and pray that we live in such a way as to always be worthy of
it. We are THANKFUL. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Until
next month………
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Our beautiful girls in their beautiful outfits
Mandi goofing around at
Eric's football game with Uncle Tom
Some of the crew at the Pumpkin Patch.
Peek A Boo, I see you!
Cousin Grace, Uncle Ron and Mandi on Halloween night |
Waving HI!
Playing with our sweet cousin Jessica
(who let us decorate her hair!!)
Having fun
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