Happy Fall

Well even though we are still in the 107 temperature range.... We had a wonderful glimps of Fall visiting Grandma in Northern California. We try to get there every 4 months and my mom visits here in between that time, so Lexi is seeing Grandma every couple of months. She loves her Grandma so much! It makes my heart so happy to see these 2 together. Lexi has an old soul and she loves to take in all of the beauty of nature. She loves animals and birds, planes that fly by, bugs on the ground that she calls daddy to come get. Grandma goes right along with her slow paced style and they compliment eachother perfectly. She does not like change, had a complete melt down when she had to ride in Aunty Kim's adorable little red car. Blue... she cried, Blue...... She has named our Suburban Blue (yes it is blue in color, how'd you guess?) Every time we got in the red car she would completely melt down and sob BLUE!!! She has seen a great deal of change in her little life. She lived with her China Mama from birth til she was 4 months old.  At 4 months she was left at the gates of the HengYang City Social Welfare Institute. She was brought in to care in that orphanage the day she was found and resided there for the next 3 months. When she was 7 months old she was put in a foster home. She had a foster mama and baba for about 4 weeks and then she was put back in to the orphanage. At 9 months she was taken to a different Province and a whole new orphanage. We are told it was for better observation of her heart. She was there for a few weeks and when all her tests were done she was sent back (A THIRD TIME!!) to the HengYang SWI. She remained there for about another 6 weeks and then she was presented with a Mommy and Daddy who would never ever ever ever leave her or rock her world again! We know why change is hard for her, even though she is very young, she has lost everything she's ever known so many times that her little mind knows to be on gaurd, and she IS on gaurd. She is so smart, so observant, so in tune with things. She has every right to wonder what's going to happen next, every right to question our every move. I pray I am doing a good job of earning her trust. 10 months in to this new relationship, this new life and I know while she may still question what we are up to, I know for sure she loves her mama like no other. I know she thinks her dada is her Prince Charming and she has him so wrapped around her little finger (but in a very healthy way) that there is no move she makes that doesn't bring him absolute joy. When your husband says things like "How could life be any better", and "How could we have almost missed out on this", and "There is no cuter, no smarter, more fun child on the planet"... you know he is in love with his baby girl. Bryan loves his kids with every cell in his body and he is so proud of each and every one of them, Lexi is so lucky to have him for a daddy and he is so lucky to have this little peanut for a daughter. Our family has grown by one but it feels like it has grown by more.  I see my mom and Sister and the rest of the family way more often now. I appreciate them so much and miss them terribly. While our oldest, Quincie, no longer lives at home, she is home very often and it is for much more than the free food, it is to make sure she has a close relationship with her baby sister, and that SHE DOES! Lexi adores her. Kince she calls out when she sees her with the "I" being held for at least 3 seconds as if to say it's about time you got here, I've been waiting for you. I love seeing my oldest and youngest playing together and loving eachother.

   I am rambling on and on, I really just planned on posting some pictures and going to bed! My friend Bonnie and I skyped today, she is leaving for China a week after we did and getting her baby 3 days before we did so talking to her today and knowing that her baby is where Lexi was 10 months ago has left me really emotional tonight. We call our babies China Cousins. Jane came in to care as soon as Lexi left, really the timing is amazing! We think they may have had the same nanny. Bonnie is going to take a little book to China for us and give it to the director of the orphanage. It has pictures of Lexi from China until now and we have had a letter translated in to Chinese for them as well. Our daughter is healthy,  and regardless of how "different our care is from the care she recieved there, she survived during her time in China and for that we are forever grateful!


Cousins





Too Big




Just Right



More!!