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Sunday, November 15, 2009
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!

One year ago today, a 4 year old little girl walked into her new home for the first time. She looked around timidly and began to explore, looking for reassurance from the odd-looking strangers she had just met ten days before. They spoke strange words she couldn’t understand, they ate weird foods she’d never seen before, and they kept trying to hug her but she didn’t like that very much so she kept pushing them away, hoping they’d take the hint and just leave her alone. They kept calling her by someone else’s name, and worst of all they had a little ugly animal that snorted a lot and insisted on following her around all the time, causing her to be very afraid that her toes would be eaten.

Little by little, she began to realize that these were people she could trust to take care of her. They really did seem to want what was best for her, they made sure she was always safe and happy and that she never ever ran out of food. She began to understand some of the strange words they were saying and they weren’t so scary anymore. They kept giving her hugs and kisses and she began to enjoy it. They taught her how to speak their language, how to treat others, and how to use good manners. They taught her how to laugh, how to love, and most of all how to be part of a family.

One year later, that frightened little girl has blossomed into a giggly kindergartener who loves to give hugs and kisses and write I love you notes to Mommy and Daddy. She teases her brother, chases the dog, and possesses such an insatiable joy for life that those around her can’t help but smile with her. She is our Maili Claire, our miracle and one of the greatest blessings we have ever received.

As difficult as it is to imagine our lives without her, it is even more difficult to imagine what her life might be like right now had we not made the decision to expand our family through adoption. Would she still be silent and sad, barely walking and talking and feeding herself instead of laughing and running and reading and writing as she does now? Would she still be hoarding food, unsure of whether there would be enough for her next meal? Would she still be indiscriminate with her affection for random strangers, not having formed an attachment to a family who would be there for her forever? We may never know the answers to those questions. What we do know is that we are the lucky ones. We have been blessed beyond measure by the incredible joy and happiness she adds to our family.

For the thousands of other children who fill the orphanages in China, I pray that their forever families will find them soon, particularly those who are older like Maili with so-called special needs. Her only special need was that she needed a family to call her own, and we are indeed fortunate to have been chosen to be that family.

I am closing this month’s update with a look back at just how much Maili has changed over the past year. I have not yet decided whether to continue updating the site every month or just do updates once a year from now on. I’m not even certain whether anyone outside our immediate family reads them, but it does allow us to look back and see just how far she’s come, and that will be important to her one day as well. Also, it is my hope that if anyone out there is considering adopting an older waiting child that they can read about our experiences and see that although there are challenges along the way, the joys far outweigh the challenges. I can honestly say that we wouldn’t change a thing!

One year later

Playing dress up

Future rock star

Maili and Lola's first Halloween together

Then	Now
Then	Now
Gotcha Day November 3, 2008	Gotcha Day Anniversary November 3, 2009

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