One year ago today....

My life was changed forever.

We opened an email and saw this angel baby staring back at us.

Here is what I wrote one year ago, when I was able to share our news.

We just heard from our agency that this little miracle is going to be our daughter! She is 13 months old and is from the Province of Henan. She was on my agency's designated waiting child list. We first saw her precious face on August 13th, and I've been breathless ever since. We sent in our letter of intent last Friday, and this morning we received our pre-approval. I've thought so much about what I would say when we got our baby girl, and now that we have, the words are not there. It is such an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness and love. As I close my eyes and begin to pray, tears of joy stream down my face.


A few weeks later, we received this precious picture of our baby girl with her foster mother in China. It took my breath away.

She still takes my breath away. As I am composing this post, she is snuggled in my lap, her arms wrapped around my neck, her head resting on my shoulder. She is sleeping, having decided, as she often does, that this is her preferred place to nap. I can hear her softly breathing. I can feel her heart beating.

As fall approaches, my heart is so full of our experiences of last year. Last fall, God answered so many prayers. Last fall, we found and brought our daughter home. Those days and months will be forever etched in my memory as some of the most special, emotional and treasured times of my life.

On August 13, 2009, we fell in love with our Lily Fan.

Today.....

Today....she is our everything. 

My always and forever. My love and my life.