Gotcha Day 2009

As this day marks the 4th anniversary of the first day I held her in my arms I am overwhelmed with thoughts of our precious baby girl. I have spent the day remembering again how God perfectly brought all the details together so she would make it to the home He intended for her from the start. Having lost 3 babies in a row left my heart shredded, I longed so for another baby, but, I knew I could not try again. God did a work in Greg's heart and gave him the desire to adopt...overjoyed I shared the news with our ministry team to pray with us about. As soon as the words were out of my mouth Pastor Keith said, "I know exactly where you should start!" We knew Kymi was ours at 2 days old, just 5 weeks after our first contact with The Home of God's Love in Taiwan. And exactly four years ago today, when she was 7.5 months old, we finally got to be together as a family!! I remember when we FINALLY got there and picked her up that it took her a second to recognize us, but then she KNEW...she knew we were hers!! I remember that David was the first to make her laugh and feed her rice cereal, that Papa hardly ever put her down for the entire 8 days we were there and how he cried the first time he heard her make a noise (and that was over the phone before we ever got there!) It makes me laugh to think at one time he wasn't sure about adoption because he didn't know if he could love a child that wasn't "his own"...ha!!! Kymi could not be anymore "his own" if she grew from his right arm! She has captured his heart in ways he never imagined...just like she has with all of us!! She is feisty and STRONG willed, she LOVES to sing and does so always, she notices everything and points it all out to anyone who will listen, her heart is in love with Jesus and she knows and trusts Him, her personality and energy light up every room she's in, she loves to swing HIGHER and make soup in the sandbox, she never wants to go to bed without Bitty (her little blue blanket), but if Bitty is "hiding" she will settle for Pink because Pink is a good "extra". She ADORES her brother and everything that is his favorite is also her favorite. Recently she asked about "the other mommy "... I told her again how the other mommy was so brave! How she took good care of herself so Kymi would be born a healthy baby. How she wanted the very best home for Kymi with love, a mama & papa & brother & doggy, and Jesus! I told her that the other mommy heard all about Jesus at the CPC and that when I pray for her I always thank God for her and hope that she has accepted Jesus as her own, that she knows how much He loves her and she is happy. Kymi said that she was proud of the other mommy for doing the right thing and that she would pray for her to know Jesus too. My sweet girl!!! Oh how I love her and rejoice that God has given her to me to raise. She is my great delight! "Experts" have told me that she "may" one day feel have abandonment issues... It is my goal to remind her her whole life long that she has never been left alone!! She has always been loved and wanted and in exactly the right place! She was born to a 15 year old girl in a culture that has no problem with termination...at the custody trail her other grandpa held and cuddled her for the entire hour and a half in the courtroom, for 2 weeks after she was born she stayed with a loving Christian family who sent letters and gifts of love that she will one day see and have, and then until all the paperwork was ready she was held for every bottle, told all about and sung to about how much she was loved by Jesus at The Home of God's Love...and He was with her from the very start of her and He hasn't ever left. Abandoned? No! Loved from the start, taken care of, hoped for, wanted? YES!!! "Lord, may she always KNOW. I thank you for this precious gift of my baby girl!"