From Childless to toddler in 18 days

Our walk down memory lane this month brings us to today May 19th. It was a year ago today that we received a second gift from our agency and from China. It came in the form of an "update". We were luck to receive an update about Sophia, her physical, medical and developmental state. We also received 7 beautiful pictures that we cherish still today. In a matter of 18 days we went from being a childless couple to being the parents of this little girl whom we only saw as a 6 month old baby until may 19th. These seven pictures fast forwarded things for us in a big way. We now were the parents of a toddler with quite a personality. We learned that she could stand and from studding the pictures gathered that she could walk (the dirty shoes. They are the shoes she was wearing on Family Day). We also got a glimpse of Sophia's foster mother and we learned that Sophia was inquisitive based on the fact that she was trying to see what was going on around the corner. We were able to see where it was she was living and a bit of the surroundings. We both studied these pictures for any kind of information that would help us to better know this child who would become our daughter in a few short days. We learned that she could drive a motorcycle and thought how perfect (we live in Daytona Beach, FL the home of Bike week and Biketober Fest). Most of all we were able to see that Sophia had the most amazing eyes and the sweetest smile. These updates are so valuable to anyone who is waiting to travel to meet their child. It is just a bit of added information that you can share with your child later in life.

A very Happy Mother's Day

Me and my Daughter
it is so wonderful to say that.

For so many years Mother's Day was one of the hardest days of the year for me. For so long I dreamed of being a mother. Long before we decided to adopt I wanted to be a mother but it never happened for whatever reason. I always wondered why I had not been blessed with a child to love and to call my own. It was not until we decided to adopt that all began to change. Each year that we waited for Sophia we celebrated because in my heart we were already parents and I already a mother. This year was my first Mother's Day that there was no sadness or emptiness just pure love, joy and more happiness then I ever dreamed possible..


I hope that all of my family and friends had a very happy Mother's Day I thought of you all many times through out the day.

We also took time as we will every year to honor Sophia's first mothers both her birth mother and her foster mother. We feel if it were not for these two women we would not be so blessed today.

What a difference a year can make

One year ago today (May 2, 2oo8). Our lives changed in the most remarkable way. We went from dreaming of our daughter. Wondering what she looked like, where she was and how old she was to knowing her and some of the details of her life. We have been reminiscing about that day for a week or so now and it has been amazing to look back on such a wonderful time in our lives. It is unbelievable to us how much our lives have changed for the better in the last year. Sophia added so much joy and excitement to our home and to our lives that day and every day since then. I was looking through documents on my computer yesterday and came across an e-mail from Uncle Zhou. Zhou is a true angel to us and all the EAC families that he has helped join together. One year ago today I opened my computer at lunch time and saw this and life from that moment on changed forever.....

"CONGRATULATIONS

Jan.10 LID group and all, Hi!Congratulations to your referrals. Kim in the Office is busy copying the referrals right now, she will call you pretty soon. Just let you know they are in the office. We got twins too. How exciting. Babies are young, about 10 months old, from Jiangxi Province. Again congratulations. Remember today is a great day for all of us.By the way, I am right now in Beijing with a family. We are going to Inner Mogolia to adopt a baby girl.

Zhou in Beijing"

These pictures were the first glimpses of our daughter. They were in this order and the most beautiful pictures we had ever seen. They still are very precious to us for so many reasons. Sophia was 6 months old in these pictures.

The Mug Shot

The High Chair

The laughing baby

Jiangxichildren : Jiangxi Province Children

I belong to several yahoo groups all for different reasons. Shortly after receiving Sophia's referral I joined a yahoo group that is for the Jiangxi Province. Jiangxi is where Sophia is from, Wanzai city to be exact. The Jiangxi yahoo group much like other province groups are very helpful to information starved families that are waiting to travel to get their children. They help to educate families about what to expect when they travel. They connect families to others that have adopted from the same area. Once home they help to keep you connected to what is going on in that province and with the children that have come home from there.

Below I have included the link to the group

Jiangxichildren : Jiangxi Province Children

Today I clicked on the group to see if there was anything new going on. Much to my delighted surprise up popped Sophia's pretty little face. A few weeks back the moderator of the group asked all of us to send a referral photo along with a current photo of our children so that they could be shared on the home page of the group. I was so excited and proud to see her on the home page. Here is the photo they used..

I am so proud of her and I swear she just keeps getting prettier everyday

Sophia at 6 months old and Sophia at 22 months old

10 months and 1 day

Today is 10 months and 1 day since we first held Sophia in our arms. I am sure you are wondering why I am writing today, instead of a few weeks from now when we celebrate the One year mark of our referral for Sophia or two months from now when we will be celebrating our 1 year mark as a "Forever Family". Well not to worry I will write then too, but I wanted to write today because today is the day that Sophia has Officially been with Riz and I longer then she was with her foster mother in China. I get emotional just thinking about it.I can't imagine caring for a Child for 10 months and then having to give that child away never knowing what happened to her or if she was OK. I have so much admiration for those who are able to foster children. I think about how much our lives have changed and been blessed because of Sophia. Her life is so different now then it would have been if she were still with her foster mother in China. I am not saying better just different then it was. I think of Sophia's Foster Mother every single day with a sense of overwhelming gratitude for this women I will never know. I have written about her before many times. I will never stop talking about her because she is the person that held my baby at night when she cried and feed her when she was hungry dried her tears witnessed her joy and nurtured her into the happy,smart,funny,intuitive,strong, beautiful girl she is today. We look at her pictures with Sophia frequently and she has learned to say "Cha N" (China). I want her to know about this women and the little bit of information we know about her. She is part of Sophia's story her beginning. So while I feel really happy about how far we have come in 10 months and 1 day I also feel a bit of sadness for this women. I wonder if she thinks about Sophia. I wonder if she knows that she was adopted internationally. I wonder has she seen our pictures. I wonder if she realizes how much we love this child. I wonder if she knows we will forever be grateful to her ............

You Know You're An Adoptive Parent When...
1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.
4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.
5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's 'real' parents.
7. You have ever been 'pregnant' with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth.(2 years!)
8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.
9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.
10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.
11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.
12. You know what the word 'Dossier' means, and you can actually pronounce it!
13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.
14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.

-Author unknown

Happy Spring

We just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Spring. We have had beautiful weather here in Florida. This picture is from a photo shoot we did with Sophia on Saturday. I will post more of them in the next few days over on her blog Simply Sophia. We also have vacation pictures to post along with pictures from Easter. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Holiday. Ours was wonderful because we finally had Sophia with us. I will post more later about her first Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Baskets (yes that is plural... LOL). I have also not done Meal Plan Monday since we have been back from Vacation but I will get back to that next week. In the mean time I hope to catch up on all my blogging.

So much to post about

I have so much to post about..

Sophia turned 2 on March 31at and we hada birthday bash for her (pictures to come)
Riz turned 41 (no pictures of that LOL)

The three of us have been on Vacation in Savannah Visiting Wendy and the girls.Then we drove to Atlanta to see our friends and China travel mates the Loves. We took in the Terracotta warrior exhibit at the high Museum and the Atlanta Zoo while we were there. (Pictures to come) and now we are in Amelia Island because we got stuck in 3 hours of GA traffic on the way home. (Pictures to come)

Tomorrow our good friends are coming for a visit with their 2 beautiful kids. (I am sure there will be pictures of that too)

I had Starbucks at 5 so I am still awake at 1am and just entered a blog giveaway over on Maisie Eats Bentos. This is one of my new favorite blogs and is becoming an obsession of mine. Wish me luck... Check out Maisie Eats Bentos here......

Life is to short

I saw this on two of the blogs I follow and had to spread the message......get a tissue

Meal Plan Monday

Check out "I'm an Organizing Junkie" for her and many other meal plans for this week. I get a lot of good ideas from her readers, I'm sure you will too...

This weeks meal plan will actually be for two weeks because we are leaving for vacation on Sunday the 29th for a week. I am going to be super busy this week preparing for our trip. I hate to come home to a dirty house so I have to do that among other things. So the meal plan this week is full of not so healthy food but I will be working on that in the near future. I decide rather then try and do a meal plan while we are away I would just post the two weeks today..So here it is..

Meal plan for week of March 23rd- April 5th

Monday - Cheeseburger Hamburger helper

Tuesday - Chicken Tacos and all the fixings

Wednesday - Ziti, meat balls, salad and garlic bread

Thursday - Left overs (which usually means grilled cheese or some sort of take out in our house) We rarely have left overs and if we do have them and they are enough for an other whole meal we freeze it for a future nights meal...

Friday- Hot dogs and Macaroni and cheese

Saturday- Sophia's second Birthday Party so party food :)

Vacation begins

Sunday - We leave for vacation and will be at Wendy's we always go to our favorite Mexican restaurant our first night in Savannah, Ga. Jalapenos is a great place for Mexican food if you are ever in the Savannah area.

Monday- Will be a toss up not sure yet where we will eat but it will be out I am sure.

Tuesday - Sophia's actual Birthday so we will celebrate at our favorite Japanese Restaurant Heiwa's and then have cupcakes from Bake in the day Bakery. Riz, Wendy's and Kate's Birthday's are also this week so we will be celebrating their birthday's as well.

Wednesday - We will be leaving Savannah and head towards Atlanta, Ga were we plan to take in the sights of Atlanta and see our friends and travel mates from Love Times Two. We are looking forward to seeing them. We will eat out this night but not sure were yet.

Thursday - Riz's birthday so his choice I'm guessing The Varsity for a Chili Dog and a frosted Orange...He has simple taster really LOL. We will be spending the day at the High Museum taking in the Terracotta Warrior Exhibit from China.

Friday - I think we will be having dinner with our travel mates

Saturday - We head for home so food on the highway...

Sunday- We have friends coming in from Ohio who used to live around the corner from us. We plan to have dinner with them so it will either be our favorite Chinese restaurant that I am sure they have been missing or Mexican (we have great Mexican restaurant's in our town.)