Gotcha!

Today is the one year anniversary of when met Grace! It was just after 9pm or so, as I recall, it had been a really long day, and it didn't quite happen like we expected. Nothing did on that trip. And nothing has quite happened like we expected it to since! In fact, it's been far better than we could have hoped. God is certainly good!

In adoption circles, especially the ones we know of, this day is known as "Gotcha Day". Apparently there's some controversy over the term and the celebration (see that link if you really are interested), but we note it as a day of happiness and thankfulness. Just tonight I was telling Grace about it, how glad we are that we "got" her and that she "got" us! It's kind of like a birthday, I suppose, but as this was the day she was brought into our family, the family can celebrate twice as much--woo hoo! (we're her forever family, if you want another adoption colloquialism--but don't try to wikipedia that one). So in our family we have Chinese New Year, Sam's Birthday, Gotcha Day, Grace's Birthday, Anniversary, Kathy's Birthday, and Jon's Birthday all in about 2 1/2 months! Whew! Maybe you can begin to see why it's important to us, but we don't go all out.

In the past few weeks, as Kathy and I have retold the story to those that have asked, memories from our trip to China have become clearer once again. When we first returned from the trip I was so thankful to be home and really didn't want to return--ever--except to say so if I was being polite. But, like climbing a Colorado 14-er, after time passes, I find myself wanting to return someday. We've become more "aware" of China, more interested in her past, present, and future, and more concerned for her beautiful people that God also loves just as much as us--even though the East is so odd to the West.

Grace has been growing and developing wonderfully. She is typically a very happy kid, and is learning SO quickly! She loves music, books, and babies--dolls or real ones. Her best friend is doggie, and doggie's best friend is Grace now that she knows where the dog treats are and sneaks them to him whenever she can.

Here's G today sporting her new sunglasses Kathy bought for their upcoming trip.

One final note, I just realized that our last post (the Dead Blog post) alluded to a trip Brooks and I were taking to Europe. That trip did happen, and it was amazing. I only wish that Kathy, Sam and Grace could have come. Here is a link to a (I hope brief) blog about that trip. Not having reviewed it recently, I hope it doesn't leave you hanging in the end. :)

Well, since someone asked why we haven't kept the blog up to date, I thought I'd at least write this to let y'all know that this story has a happy beginning!