Family Day with NaNa (aka Annslee)

I wrote this on our first family day anniversary but it still sums up how I feel~

We walked into a room with ten other families and our lives were changed forever. I remember waiting for Jia Na to be called out and then we stepped forward and the orphanage director handed us a precious gift..our daughter. I held her and at that moment I thanked God for every moment in my life that had led to this. I had dreamed of being a mommy and it was finally a reality. There really are no words to adequately describe holding your child for the first time while ten other families are doing the same thing. It was a crazy, loud, chaotic and wonderful delivery room experience. Our lives are forever tied to the other families we shared this with.

You could ask me years from now about the room and I think I could describe every inch of it. I could recall the rain outside and the nervous excitement in the air. I would be able to see the words "Thank you for all of your love pouring on the children" written in English and Mandarin on the wall behind us. I would remember she was holding tightly to a green veggie stick and wearing Spider Man shoes. I would still see the sweet smile she flashed at Mr. Chen (the orphanage director) right before he handed her to me and then the look of confusion as she turned to us. I would still be able to feel the weight of her in my arms for the first time and the ultimate unconditional love we felt for her at that moment.

Here we are on that first day together in 2005. Annslee will look at this picture and ask "why am I crying??" It doesn't seem possible that this was four years ago!



2006



2007



2008



2009~ with one important addition (he was asleep about 2 min later )