Happy Gotcha Day and Forever Family Day Mari-Grace !!!

WOW ... that is all I can say. This time a year ago, I was blogging in the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, China.

Amazing to think that it has been a year already. I still remember that very feeble, unsteady little baby that was sleeping in the Civil Affairs office when I saw her the very first time. Now look at her. She has gone from baby to little girl in 1 short year.

June 21 marked our first Gotcha Day. The day that I actually got to see, hold, and kiss my baby for the first time. June 22 was Forever Family Day ... the day we finalized all of the paperwork in China, and Dang Yun Mian officially became Mari-Grace YunMian Krisell.

We celebrated Gotcha Day with a trip to Pei Wei Asain restaurant with Aunt Kelley and Hannah. I wanted dinner to be the 4 of us ... since that is how it was in China on that first night. We had a blast. Let me just say ... Mari-Grace LOVES Chinese food. We ordered bowls of wonton soup. MG at all of the wontons out of my bowl ... about 8-10 of them, and then finished off the majority out of her Aunt Kelley's bowl. MG proceeded to drink the broth out of a cup.
After the wonton soup was gone, she downed the chicken out of her Chicken Lo Mein.
When the waiter started clearing the table ... he picked up her bowl of noodles ... or Noon-nuls as she calls them. MG promptly told him "No No NO!!!" She wasn't done eating !!! She attacked the noodles with both hands.

After dinner ... we met the rest of the family at my house. We had home-made vanilla ice cream with hot fudge sauce. MG played with Uncle Greg and Caleb.

Kelley decided we needed to start tradition of taking a picture of the 4 of us (MaMa, Kelley, Hannah, and MG) every year on Gotcha Day. Well ... I can't say the pictures turned out great ... but we did snap a few.

It is hard to believe that the little frail, scared, unsteady little girl that I saw sleeping on the couch in the Civil Affairs office is the same little one that smiles at me every day. She has come such a long way in the last year. I am so blessed that our attachment has gone well ... her surgeries have been a success ... her speech is beginning to develop. She is happy and healthy.

I decided to send her 3 year old portraits to the orphanage in China where she was cared for the first 2 years of her life. I may never get a response ... but at least they can see that she is happy and healthy.

This MaMa ... is loving every minute with this little angel. It is funny ... when I have the opportunity to go out for the evening ... I'd rather spend it with MG. Ten minutes with her completely erases a bad day at work.

Our red thread definately connected the 2 hearts that were supposed to be together.
The wait was worth every minute ... and more.
God created this child for me.... and HIS hand was what guided the forces that be to bring us together.

THANK YOU GOD FOR THIS GIFT !!!! I pray that I raise her to bring glory to you. I am thankful that she has the best family in the world ... and that she is in the greatest country, where her birth defect doesn't limit her possibilities.