Anniversaries...how quickly they come

On Thanksgiving 2010, we first saw this sweet picture of a little girl in China who was destined to be our daughter.  Five months later, she was placed in our arms in a smoky hotel conference room three hours from her "home" town.  She was so brave that day.  I remember how big her eyes were as she took in all that was happening around her, and listened to the nannies (not her personal nanny, but the ones whose job it is to bring the babies to their new adoptive parents) as they reminded her to "be good,"  "this is Mama and Baba and ge-ge." She was almost two years old.

First glimpse.  11 months old

17 months old---waiting on us.

First day. First bottle. First family.

12 days after we officially became family.

Her 2nd birthday.  A Boger for 2 months. See how her eyes have changed.

First Beach Trip.

6 months home.

And the personality shines.  Like crazy.

She is a swimmer. 3 years old.

She is an outdoor gal.

She is now an artist.

And a chocolate cake chef.

And a soccer player.

And an academician.

She is a scientist, curious to know, "WHY?"

She is a model who LOVES to be photographed.

Again and again.

She is a sister. And a princess.  And a boss.  And a Boger.

Most importantly, she IS loved.  She is precious.  She can conquer whatever challenges come her way, because she has her FAMILY to back her up.

We just passed her 1 1/2 years of being HOME.  She adds a sparkle to our lives.  She is so stinking cute, she is a major whiner  learning not to whine and to use a big girl voice, she is Trouble with a capital T sometimes, but she is ours and we are hers.  We are all improving everyday.  She has almost been with us as long as she was without us. She asks those hard questions, like "I stay with my nanny till you came BACK to get me in China?" prompting me to keep open the past for her.  The harder questions are yet to come, but family sticks together.  We will walk that walk together.  

Love begins at home and it is not how much we

 do, but how much love we put into that action.

We think sometimes that poverty is only being 

hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of 

being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the 

greatest poverty. We must start in our own 

homes to remedy this kind of poverty.

---Mother Teresa