Today is a SPECIAL day in our house!!
On this day, THREE YEARS AGO this was us…
Walking around the streets of Kunming, China, waiting patiently to meet our daughter. Can you say ALL THE EMOTIONS?!! We were experiencing them all! Nervous, excited, scared, full of faith, and I could go on and on.
We met the other family we were traveling with as well as our guide early that morning to get out of the hotel and try to stay busy. I remember thinking HOW are we going to stay busy?! I mean. REALLY!? Knowing there’s a countdown of six hours ticking down SO SLOWLY as we wait to meet our baby girl! I was a big ball of nerves who was SO ready to see her! I approached this whole adoption with a very glass half-full mind set knowing that God had this planned way before we even started to think about adoption so of course, He would take care of all the little details. {Now was I always seeping full of faith? No, of course not, but overall this was my approach.} I wasn’t nervous in a what-are-we-doing-way but more like a I-can’t-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-her-way.
We walked around the park near our hotel checking out the sights, feeding the fish, and meeting the locals.
We made our way through the meat market and Bowen’s face summed up my thoughts.
We all piled into the van and were taken to the office where the orphanage was bringing us Britt. We paced awkwardly around the room, watched a new family meet their baby girl {and now we’re Facebook friends so we keep up with each other-how cool is that?}, and we waited. We had our eyes glued to the window seeing a van pull up and in that moment Nixon shouted, “There’s Britt!”. A worker from the orphanage was carrying her into the room. I asked to hold her, snuggled her close, and she was petrified.
You can’t tell from the picture but she was terrified and I can’t blame her. Everything she knew was being taken away and now she had five people all in her face, speaking a language she’d never heard, and looking very different than the people who’d taken care of her for the last eighteen months.
We went back to our hotel after signing some paperwork, grabbed dinner, and all showered to get ready for bed. This sweet girl was so brave. She started warming up just a bit, played with the kids, and even cracked a few smiles on her first night.
Over time this tiny thing who was so closed off-
experienced the love of a FAMILY.
But God knew. He had big plans for this sweet, sassy, and silly girl.
I cried reading this- thank you for sharing again- such a beautiful story XO
Erika – this was beautiful!!! She's just wonderful!
Precious!
Happy Gotcha Day Britt! In August we will also be celebrating the three year anniversary of bringing home our Kunming cutie! God’s plans are so much greater than our own! Adoption is amazing!
This should come as no shock to you, but I cried. Beautiful post, beautiful girl, beautiful story!!!!!!
This was a beautiful walk down memory lane. Happy Gotcha Day Britt!!! Thank you for sharing your family's beautiful story with us.
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing!
Tears!!!! What a beautiful story and family!
I'm with the others…tears. What a blessing on both sides. My aunt and uncle adopted a daughter from Russia 20 years ago, and when we think about how different her life turned out from what it could have been, it's just incredible. The same goes for your darling Britt. I love how she has absolutely bloomed with her forever family!!! XO
Ohhhhhhh all the happy tears while I read this!!! Beautiful girl and beautiful family! We love y'all!! xoxo That Inspired Chick
Oh sweet Britty! I feel like she's been with you guys for such a long time. I don't even remember life without her! Happy Gotcha Day!!!!
Definitely happy tears by the end of that sweet reminder of when you all brought Britt home. It’s crazy how much she’s changed!
Such a beautiful and uplifting story. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Hi, it's my first time stopping by and linking up! 🙂 What a beautiful story! So happy for you and your sweet baby girl!
It's like she's always been yours!! 🙂
Love!!! You are a wonderful mama and I just love your blog posts. 🙂 I love the new(ish) Friday Favorites graphic, too! Why isn't Narci linking up, too? Have a wonderful last week before summer!
Brooke-Thank you! She just decided to go a different direction.