730 Days

Of having their own clothes (ok so maybe a few too many but who is counting?!)

 

Of being told each night as they are tucked into bed just how much they are loved.

 

Of eating three meals a day plus snacks (except Carrington who is on feeds)

 

Of playing

 

Of learning

 

Of growing 

 

Of being safe

 

Of living at their first home

 

Of being allowed access to every place without any restrictions

 

Of laughing

 

Of exploring

 

Of sleeping in their own comfy bed

 

Of adventures

 

Of dancing to music in the living room

 

Of going for walks and trips to the zoo and park

 

Of learning new skills

 

 

 

 

 

Of being nieces

 

Of being great granddaughters

 

Of being sisters

 

Of being daughters!

 

 

 

I will never forget the day of March 17, 2011 when our plane finally touched down at DFW and it was with intense fear that Brian drove us to the hospital when our sweet Carrington would spend the next 5 weeks trying to survive the years of abuse she received and the day when Reagan would meet her siblings and sleep in her own bed but without her mommy there to tuck her in and tell her everything was okay.  So many things happened during this adoption that could have, should have turned Brian and I away from international adoption forever but God did not allow that to happen.  Despite all of the difficult experiences we had with the team who was supposed to take care of us during out time in country, we met friends who would help us both emotionally and mentally to keep going for the sake of our daughters.  Had it not been for people like Stephanie who tried to arrange help for us while being thousands of miles away, or for Fred and Amanda who kept us going strong with prayers and lots of laughs, or for our officer at USCIS who worked quite hard to give us our approval swiftly, or for Aunt Dana who knew to just check our luggage in so we did not have to do that after my long wait in customs in order for us to make our flight home to Dallas (had she not done that we would have lost our Carrington because she was that bad off)....If not for all of these people and many others I would not be writing to you about my two precious daughters so it is with the deepest of  hearts we say thank you!!!

 

 

FROM...

A very sick and scared little girl the day of our travels back home.

A young girl so unsure of what is happening and what she is doing...


TO...

A happy Princess who has touched the lives of so many people around the world
and who herself has been loved by just as many.

A happy and smiling girl with so much sparkle in her eyes it is
hard to imagine her life just two short years ago.