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Lily's journey to now

I decided to write this summary of the events of Lily's short 5 years of life to bring a little more context to those who are trying to piece together the recent events and what brought her to our hospital trip earlier this week. (I am writing this having had very little sleep over the last 3-4 days so please give some grace in regards to grammar, spelling, etc. as you read on!) I wasn't sure how much I should share or wanted to share since this is Lily's journey. I know my girl and I really believe that she would share all of it with anyone who wanted to know her story. She is the most loving, sweet and joyful child I have ever met even despite all the trauma she has suffered. I have had many conversations with Lily about why she is in the hospital now and that we are communicating with all of our family, friends, church family, school friends, neighbors, etc. about all that is happening and how everyone is thinking about her and praying for her. She is very aware of all o...
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It's Spring and Flowers are Blooming!

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7 months and 21 days. That is how long Liliana has been with us, but I truly can not remember a time without her. And so much has happened in the last 7 months that she is almost unrecognizable as the child that we first met in the hotel lobby in Nanjing, China. Lily has just blossomed into an entirely different child over the last several months.  I really don't even think that is a powerful enough statement for what we have witnessed!   When I think back to that first afternoon with her back in our hotel suite I want to cry sometimes. It was impossibly scary (for all of us), completely overwhelming and just so full of emotions I am not even sure have a name. I think we were all racked with grief and mourning all of the loss that came with such a beautiful gift as adoption. Especially in the case of children adopted from a country like China who won't have the opportunity to ever meet their birth parents or even know the answer to any questions of "why" that they wil...
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Half Chinese: 5 months home

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Five months...that is how long we have been home with Lily, TODAY!  It is hard to believe it has already been five months but it is also impossible to remember life without her.  Our family has gone through so many adjustments since coming home.  It certainly hasn't only been difficult on Lily although I dare say I can't truly imagine what this transition has been and continues to be for her. I do want to be super real in the entry while protecting Lily and our family, of course, but I feel so much responsibility to be a voice that other adoptive parents can hear when they are feeling alone or different from what they thought their situation would look like.  I know when we started our journey I poured through adoption blogs, you tube videos of "gotcha days", books, etc. Everything I saw and most everything I read talked about how amazing the entire process was and how the moment they laid eyes on their child it was instant love and bliss (I could almost see them run...
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Don't Hide Your Light - Our Children are Counting on You!

So if you follow this blog you may remember that about a month and a half ago I drug out the "ole soapbox", climbed up on it and preached (wrote) to all who would listen (read:)!  It is not something I do often - I think it may be the only the second time in the history of this blog I have ever addressed anything other than my own family's journey - but I decided that maybe it is something I (and many other Christians?) aren't doing enough. I think I am too quiet about my faith and my God and what I know to be truth because the Bible says it is. It is the truth as far as I can understand it and I really want to shout it out from this platform.  The "world" has no issue giving us all it's opinion. I think largely because if you do not read, know and believe in the word of God then your own opinion and that of others is really the only thing you have to go on. I have heard and seen so many people perpetuating statements and beliefs via social media, blogs ...
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All "Patched Up"

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**Warning this is a picture heavy post!** These pictures were taken about 5 months apart - you can barely even tell they are of the same girl!  The pic on the right was one that our agency sent to us while we were waiting to go get Lily. It was sent to us by her orphanage the month we left for China (August 2014). The one of the left was taken by me this month (Dec. 2014). It's been a little over a month since my last post and longer than that since my last update and SO much has happened. We have celebrated 2 holidays, traveled out of state twice and even had a heart surgery!  The changes in Lily's physical self has been pretty major. Her surgery was on December 3rd and though it was a very successful procedure overall it took her several days of recovery to even be able to keep down any food. Once she was able to begin eating and drinking her strength came back...... and then some.  Since then her physical abilities have been growing by leaps and bounds. It has truly be...
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