One year since our amazing China trip. One year since we met our travel buddies and formed lifetime friendships with them. One year since our amazing-better than anticipated adventure.
What a difference a year makes. Adalynn has blended in PERFECTLY with our family. All of us absolutely adore her, and can't imagine our family without her. It feels good to be together, to have everyone in one country, one home, one family. It was a strange feeling before she came home. Knowing that our daughter was born, that she was somewhere in the world being cared for by someone, but not us. When we adopted Eli the process was quick..not without bumps..but it was fast. From the time we sent in our paperwork until we traveled home with Eli was only 7 months. With Adalynn we originally entered back into the Ethiopia program, eventually switching to China, and then waiting. The process of finding our daughter was really 24 months. Two years, of our family in limbo waiting for the 4th piece to the puzzle. Now we feel pretty complete.
Daddy or ("Nana" as she calls him) is still her favorite. But, I am a close second, and I enjoy every minute of being with her. Alydia thinks that Adalynn is the best sister she could have hoped for, Landon adores her, and Eli is very tender with Addie. We love everything about this girl. Her personality, her spunkiness, her laugh, the funny things she says, the way she dances, the way she cuddles. We even love that she is absolutely a "Daddy's Girl."
If I think too long about the 19 months of her life we missed it really makes me sad. I think back to the moment she was abandoned, just hours old, I think about who wrapped her in the blanket. Did they kiss her on the forehead? Who choose the perfect place? The safest place, in front of a hospital, to leave her to be FOUND. Yes, our Adalynn was abandoned, but I BELIEVE with my whole heart she was never forgotten. Not forgotten by her birth parents, not forgotten by her foster parents, not forgotten by the ONE who created her. Weeks after she she was found, the orphanage placed an ad in the newspaper with her picture. While she was unclaimed, she was never unwanted. She was wanted, prayed for and chosen by us. How grateful I am to the cleft lip and palate that made it possible for her to be our daughter. How blessed we are to have the privilege to raise her.
If you have missed out on our blog or adoption story, feel free to read back through our China posts, and the "Worth It" post about the rocky start Adalynn had with me. It's been amazing and absolutely positively worth every moment!
