A beautiful game of 'Where's Waldo'

Were you able to find Julia's picture from back when she was known as 'Melissa' and known to so many as a statistic among thousands of children waiting for homes. 

Now she is home, as are 195 others just like her thanks to Reece's Rainbow!  All this in just one year!  Thanks to so many people involved in adoption both directly and indirectly.

A Very New Year

I'll admit, I barely remember how we rang in 2011.  I think we went to a friend's house for a bit and then probably came home not too long afterwards.  I am almost certain I made some resolutions that were quickly forgotten and likely not acted towards achieving.  

I probably vowed once again to lose some weight or get more organized.  

The biggest change in myself last year didn't come from my list made on January 1st.  

It came from her--

We decided that 2011 would be the year we would add another little one to our family.  

We had no idea it would be this little girl from 6,000 miles away.

Our journey started with Foster Care training courses, took a detour through a women's prison ministry and 10 months later, found us on our first international flight to a country we knew very little about to adopt a little girl we knew even less about.  It was a year of anxiety, faith, anticipation and finding strength in unknown and unforeseen places.


Her year was filled with the same room, very few articles of clothing and some as small as 12 month, frequently changing caregivers paying very little attention beyond basic needs, and interactions filled with rules.  For the most part, it was a year exactly like the 5 years prior to it.


Then came this day--

And after that came this--

A family.  Friends.  Love.  Care.  A future. 

All so remarkably new to a child who's been on this earth for 6 1/2 years already.  

And also a new outlook on those exact same things for all of us.

It's amazing to look back on what the past year has held for our family and I can hardly wait to see what is in store for us in 2012. 

Happy New Year from our family to yours.