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September 2007 Update
On September 10, 2006, Chet and I set out on a journey that would change our lives forever. We left Atlanta, GA, and boarded a plane to Chicago, where we then boarded a plane bound for Beijing, China. On September 13, our precious daughter, Mary Joyce, was placed in our arms for the very first time. What a special, amazing, miraculous event! God brought us together with our little girl who was born on the other side of the world. Wow! The whole concept still gives me chills.
On that day in the Civil Affairs office in Nanchang, all of the parents in our travel group were anxiously waiting as the SWI workers arrived with our daughters. Mary Joyce was sleeping. (She still values her sleep…) She woke up as she was handed to us. She looked a bit uncertain about what was going on, but there were no tears. Before we got back to the hotel, she was smiling and laughing for us. We were already seeing our little girl’s huge personality. It is hard to believe that all of this happened a whole year ago.
Life has changed so much for us in the past year. We went from a family of 2 to a family of 4 in less than a year, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Mary Joyce is continuing to grow and to charm everyone she meets. That big personality of hers continues to get bigger and bigger. She is still extremely active—lately, she has become quite the climber, which keeps us on our toes, for sure. When we go to church, she runs in, usually headed straight for the nursery, which she has learned to really enjoy. Everyone in the area knows when Mary Joyce has arrived. At 22 months, she still has a limited spoken vocabulary, but she can definitely make her wishes known using the words she has, signs, and gestures. Communicating is not a problem at all. She is becoming more and more of a helper with Katherine. She tries to help feed her and burp her. She can bring us the pacifier, and she can put used bottles and pacifiers in the kitchen sink. Life with Mary Joyce is so much fun—you never know what to expect. Very often, we find ourselves watching with amusement and asking, “Who needs TV when you have kids to watch?”
As we conclude this journal, we do need to offer some special words of thanks for those who supported us and helped us through this process. Thanks to our parents and sisters for the huge amount of support you offered to us. Thank you to Tina and Barbara, our agency’s China reps, for the work that you did, and to Marla, our SW, for a smooth and easy home study process. Thanks to Li Ping, Bruce, Miranda, Sim, and Li, who helped our China travel experience go so very smoothly. Thanks to Caryn, Forest, Heidi, Rich, and others who were willing to share your experiences with us, so that we would be as prepared as we possibly could be. Thanks to Jen, Kim W., and your families for the prayers and moral support during our long wait. (Jen and Mike, your time is coming soon…) To our 117b travel mates, we couldn’t imagine sharing this experience with anyone else, and we can’t wait to see you all again.
We cannot conclude this without saying thank you to Mary Joyce’s birthmother, even though we have no way of knowing who she is. She made such a huge sacrifice and gave us such a precious, precious gift. We think of her daily. We also owe a huge thank you to Mary Joyce’s foster mother. We only have one picture of her with Mary Joyce, not even a name. We can tell that she took amazing care of our daughter for the first 9 months of her life. For that we are tremendously grateful.
Most of all, thanks to our Heavenly Father who has made all of this possible. His grace is truly amazing.
Sept. 13, 2006
Sept. 13, 2007
Happy Gotcha Day, 117b!
In Mama's Lap Like Baby Sister
She still loves her stacking cups!
Rise and Shine
Happy Girl!
Yummy Fortune Cookie
Mary Joyce and Mama on Gotcha Day 2007
Fun in a Box
Sharing Sisterly Secrets
Mr. Potato Head
Wheeee!
I like the rocking whale.
Sweetness
Cool Girl!
Sliding with Erica
A Visit from Aunt Lynda and Erica
Do I fit in here?
This is a good place for a snack.
Our Two Precious Girls
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