Happy 3rd Gotcha Day, Lilly! 

Happy 40th Birthday, David

Today has been a wonderful day although a very busy one!  We are having one last fundraiser tomorrow for Hudson's adoption - a yard sale and bake sale.  In between baking, we celebrated Lilly's 3rd Gotcha Day and David's 40th birthday.  Lilly received a panda bear this year which she loves.  This girl adores stuffed animals yet it was listed as one of her fears when she lived in the orphanage.  She may have once been afraid of them but not anymore.  Later, Lilly enjoyed licking the beaters from one of our many baked goods - chocolate cookies by Shelby, banana bread, brownies and David's requested birthday cake  - lemon pound cake.  After a photo shoot where my subject was quite uncooperative because she wanted to be in control of the camera, we left for Fulton's baseball game.  Not an especially exciting schedule of events, but we enjoyed our time remembering where we were 3 years ago. . .

3 years ago tonight, we were in a hotel in Changsha, Hunan getting to know the little girl who would truly change our lives in the most unbelievable and amazing ways.  Little did we know that night of the difficulties we would face with Lilly's serious illness in China and open-heart surgery which would be only 6 weeks later.  However, on this night 3 years ago, we were also completely unaware of the tremendous blessing that we were being given and the absolute joy that this little girl would bring into our lives.  Also, on May 14, 2007, I never would have dreamed that I would be back in China to adopt again 16 months later nor did I know that 3 years later, I would be anxiously awaiting our TA for our son in Inner Monglia.  I must say adoption has absolutely changed my life and our family.  Although I thought back in 2006 when our adoption journey began that God was just calling us to adopt one precious baby girl, He actually placed orphans on my heart and on the hearts of each person in my family.  We have witnessed first hand what love can do, what the security of a family can do, and what access to quality medical care can do.  We saw the hand of God transform a malnourished, frail, sickly child into our bundle of joy!  From then on, our adoption journey has not been about 1 child who is no longer an orphan but about the 147 million orphans who long this very moment for a family to call their own.

Thank you Father for calling us to adopt but more importantly calling us to care for the orphans of this world.  Thank you for the gift of this precious child who has brought so much joy and love into our lives.  Thank you, Oh God, for blessing us so richly when we are so undeserving.  May others hear your call and have the courage to walk in faith to the orphan and care for "the least of these." Amen