One Year

 Today marks ONE YEAR since we met our girl and she joined our family FOREVER.

Last photo as a family of three.

Over these past weeks, it's been emotional for me with memories traveling a year ago and adding our girl to our family. I have never endured stress like that of leading up to traveling during the pandemic. I'd prefer to not sit on an airplane again for 15+ hours with a face mask plus face shield making it extremely difficult to breathe. I have never been forced to stay in a hotel for 15-days to quarantine. Oddly enough, those 15-days were some of our best memories of the trip. And although we had adopted before from Thailand, our girl responded to her grief very differently than our son. One year ago today, I believe without a doubt was the hardest day of our daughter's life.  

By her side.

The process of her joining us was supposed to be 'eased' into, with meeting for a few days, us visiting her foster home, and then her staying with us on day three. The pandemic cut all of those healthy steps off. We met her for the first time with her foster family on zoom, then the next day she lost everything she knew and walked through the hotel lobby doors to meet us.

As us three stood with smiles and anticipation, our son holding her brand new stuffed animal...our response quickly fell to holding back tears and crouching on the ground to her level. Her face was broken behind a face mask as tears welled up in her eyes, she forced a smile and bowed. She was devastated, and it hurt so bad to see that in her.

Same carrier I carried D around Bangkok with.

Those days were not easy for any of us. However, there was no place I'd rather be. To be by her side day in and day out, to let her cry in my lap, to listen to wonderful memories of Thailand once she learned English, and then to make new memories here in America. 

As we have now been with her a year, we have learned her, have seen her grow and flourish in so many ways, and see how perfectly God makes families - even if it's pulling family members from all over the world!

So it's emotional for me looking back. And I know I need to remember the faithfulness of the Lord and all He did! Thankfully though, for our kids, they've looked at this season as all of our daughter's firsts with us...and the joy that is here on the other side. They look in front of them and then what's ahead...and that is so good for us as well. 

So beginning today, each holiday now has memories with her in it. Each day on the calendar holds memories with all of us together. And she has JOY...immense joy - God has healed much of her hurt, and she radiates the joy that's on the other side of hard, and for that...to God be the Glory!  

At the US Embassy in Bangkok.