1st Anniversary of Gotcha Day!

Today is our first anniversary of Allison's Gotcha Day. I can't believe a year has passed. It honestly feels like just yesterday we were anxiously waiting for our referral and then travel approval; and yet, it seems as if Allie has always been a part of our family. She is such a fun-loving child and she just loves life. Her favorite things are swimming, sand, Barney (she looooves the songs), music, dancing, fruit (especially apples), cuddling, outdoors, swings, riding on the back of my bike and trying everything her big brother does. We have truly been blessed to have this little girl as a part of our family. Today is a day to stop and remember how lucky we are. This past year has been awesome, tiring (stressful at times - saving the details for an upcoming post), busy, and fun.

My husband, while in China, purchased gifts & we stored them away in a closet. She received the first one while in China & each Gotcha Day we will be giving her a little gift from her birth country until she's 18. Most of the gifts are tiny trinkets (book marks, pens, fans, dolls, etc.). We read about this idea in an adoption magazine & loved it. So today will be the first time we get to give her one of the little trinkets. Fun.

We have a reunion/Gotcha party this Saturday with our travel families (we refer to each other as our China family). Who knew when we started our adoption journey we would also be gaining wonderful new friends? What a bonus! I can't wait to see everyone and celebrate this milestone together.

I'm ending this post with a little quote from one of the main characters in Anne Tyler's new book, Digging to America, as she reflects on her daughters first Gotcha Day (Loved the book BTW).

"When Bitsy looked back on Jin-Ho's arrival, it didn't seem like a first meeting. It seemed Jin-Ho had been traveling toward them all along and Bitsy's barrenness had been part of the plan, foreordained so that they could have their true daughter. Oh, it's you! Welcome Home! Bitsy had thought when she first saw that robust little face, and she had held out her arms."