Thankful Thursday

Wow, there really is SO much I have to be thankful for, that it's hard to know which to talk about today. But to state the obvious, I will start with our referral. We couldn't be happier about being chosen as Khloe's family. Some days it is just so surreal to think about. To realize that we will soon be a family of FIVE! (I love saying that!! :o)

As all adoptive parents know, the hardest part is the wait when you just long to hold your child in your arms. But the photos and updates do certainly help with that process; and I realize that we have more photos than most families ever get...so I dare not complain!! Many have asked where we get all of our Khloe photos from? (...thinking that they come from her foster home or her caretakers) ...but that is simply not the case. We are not currently allowed to have direct contact with any of them due to immigration rules, which I completely want to respect, so all updates go through our SW for now. But as we 'patiently' (and I use that word lightly... lol!) waited, we were unexpectedly blessed with some priceless connections...and one in particular has been a very special blessing! So where DO all those precious photos of our daughter come from then, you ask?? Well, with the exception of the beloved "tutu" photo (which came from one of her sweet sponsors, who sent her that adorable gift!) ...every other photo on this blog was 'borrowed' from the FB album of a very special intern who spent some time the past two summers as a volunteer at ND, mostly teaching English to some of the older children...but also enjoying some very special time with the younger ones. This young lady also happens to have two younger sisters who were adopted from China, so she already has a deep love for the culture and especially for the orphans. She is now a senior in high school, and quite the amazing young lady, to say the least! During her first summer at the foster home in 2008, she took care of our sweet girl in the mornings. This was before she had her surgery and could even roll over or sit up, and long before we knew she would one day be our daughter. So when this wonderful teenager returned to volunteer again this summer, she was delighted to see that Khloe was now walking and able to interact and play with the other children. It brought tears to her eyes. She was also happy to learn that Khloe had been matched and would soon have her forever family. She eventually contacted me to extend her congratulations. We have since formed a special friendship, which is so nice, as I know that she is part of Khloe's life story. I love that she cares about these children so much. I mean, how many young people do you know that would give up their summers to care for orphan's in another country, and find it hard to return when it is time to go home?! It takes a servant's heart and a special love! I have also come to 'know' a few of the other young interns who served at ND, and it just blesses my heart to see their love for these children ...and that they've allowed themselves to be a vessel that God could work through to reach those in need... in this case, it happens to be a very deserving group of precious SN kiddos!! I know that their lives will be forever touched by their experience, and I'm sure they have done their parents very proud. I know that I have been a bit 'spoiled' to have met them and blessed by the photos they have of my daughter on their FB albums... a priceless gift that I will ALWAYS treasure and be grateful for!! <><

Thanks ladies... and especially, thank you Lindsay! Have a blessed senior year in high school!!