One Year Gotcha Day Anniversary

Gotcha Day (or Family Day) is the day adoptive families call the day a child was placed in their family. 

Today is our 1 year Gotcha Day Anniversary!!! 

It is amazing what 1 year plus a whole lot of love can do for a child!!

THEN:

One year ago Faith:

- was called Li Ren Lan

-had about a 3 word vocabulary

-spent her days in an orphanage crib

-weighed 18 pounds 

- was 32" tall

-wore infant size 9 month clothing

-could not walk

-drank from a bottle

-was diagnosed with "failure to thrive"

Now:

Now Faith: 

-has a new name

-speaks English fluently

-spends her days surrounded by siblings, a mommy and a daddy

-weighs 29 pounds (gained 11 pounds!)

-is 36" tall (gained 4")

-wears size 3t

-spent 4 months in casts, had 1 surgery and now walks!

-has bedtime songs, stories and kisses

-has heard how much Jesus loves her

-has a BIG extended family to love and spoil her

-is loved by a huge church family 

-has had her birthday celebrated for the first time ever

-has a light from within that shines through her eyes

-KNOWS THAT SHE IS WANTED, CHERISHED AND LOVED FOREVER!!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR + LOVE CAN MAKE!!!

Now look who is TEN!!

Ten years ago Byron and I went to the hospital as a young married couple and left as a family! Gabe is the one who made us parents and I can't believe that we have had the names "Mom" and "Dad' for a full decade!! 

Gabe LOVES to read and devours books like they are candy. I am so thankful that we own a library card, because there is no way I could afford all of the books that he reads. 

He also loves God and God's Word and has hidden more verses in his heart than anyone I know! 

Gabe has always been such a friendly kid and will talk your ear off if you let him. 

Gabe has had an exciting year. He has gained a little sister and a dog. He has learned how to be big brother to a little one with special needs and I have seen that same compassion shown to other kids in the community with special needs. He touches our heart in so many ways. We are so proud of the little man he is becoming. 

Look who is 4!!

I cannot believe that the little peanut we brought home from China almost a year ago is now FOUR!! 

Last year on Faith's birthday we landed in Beijing, tired from the long flight (not to mention the screaming child sitting behind us), excited at the journey before us, but a little disappointed that we missed celebrating her 3rd birthday by just a few days. 

This year she is in our arms and we are so excited to be celebrating the little person she is!

Faith is still tiny for her age. She weighs 29 pounds and is 36" tall. But within that tiny girl lies a little warrior. In her 4 short years she has been through so much, yet faces the world with a smile and her own unique spunk. 

And as a special treat here is a slide show of her journey from 3 years old to 4 years old. It is really something to watch her progression (but it is 16 minutes long - so grab some coffee or tea and get comfy). 

Faith is a blessing and an inspiration. We are so happy that she is ours!!

More October fun!

 The weekend before Halloween we carved our pumpkin.

And when I say we, I mean Byron. We just tell him what to carve. :)

This year we chose a happy skeleton. It turned out very cool!

The triplets came up to spend Halloween with us!! We played Halloween games, had a spooky dinner and then went Trick-or-Treating as a big group! 

This year Gabe was Captain Jack Sparrow, Faith was Elmo, Selah was a beautiful princess, Mig was the Red Power Ranger, Charli Kate was Anna, Tali was Elsa, and Adrik was Olaf. 

They all ended up with tons of candy and even a toy! It was a fun October!!

First Pumpkin Patch!

A couple of weeks before Halloween we went to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch!

This was Faith's first trip to the patch and she LOVED it!!

For the past 5 years, a visit to the Pumpkin Patch has been one of our families favorite traditions!

Gabe was Captain Jack Sparrow for Halloween this year.

Selah is a BIG Monster's Inc fan!

Ni Hao Kai Lan!!

The big kids love the hay maze!

The barrel train was one of Faith's favorite!

This big chair was new this year.

We ended our trip with a hayride.

Such a fun fall activity!!