Referral-versary

Today I am giddy. One year ago this afternoon, we finally got a face, a name and a story that would become our own. One year ago today, I laid eyes on my sweet, sweet daughter and the pain of the wait exploded into pure joy. I so vividly remember getting the call, hearing her name, beginning to grasp her story. The moment her picture appeared on my computer screen, it truly was love at first sight. I remember thinking, as I stared at the picture, how much I wanted to see a smile in her sad little eyes, and a little chub on her cheeks. I loved her with a fierce, mama bear kind of love from the get go, and over the last year that love has grown deeper than I could have ever imagined.

So how is my sweet sunshine...one year into the journey? She is wonderful. She is happy, healthy, well adjusted, hilarious, queen bee, songbird, giggle monster, and the worlds best snuggler. My mornings start with "MAMMMAHHHHH" and a huge grin and a hug and a kiss. Each morning it's almost like she can't quite believe we are still here for her. She chases her brothers and picks the cats up by the tummy. She loves to put on a dress and be "pretty, pretty, pretty" and have her toe-nails painted like moms. She LOVES her dad and her brothers and knows her way around a sandbox full of boys. She has a sneaky side, but likes getting caught almost as much as creating mischief and the dimples she sports on each cheek can make a grown man cry. She loves to dance and to sing and she has a tenacity that amazes me.

Many nights during the wait, I imagined this child and how she would fit into our family. I dreamed grand dreams and created rosy visions. I can honestly say it is so much better than I ever even dreamed it could be. This child, who traveled so far and endured so much, has completed me. Completed my family, completed my heart. I thank God for her and the joy she brings. She truly is my sunshine!