What an exciting (and exhausting) year it has been!

When I think back over the year I often have to remind myself that 2007 didn't start with Kylie in our house! January seems like such a long time ago as I reflect on the LONG wait for our travel approval. Yet February 1st finally came and despite the first snowfall in our area in two years, we made our flight to Chicago in order to begin the trip of a lifetime.

On February 5th I surprised myself by sobbing when Kylie was placed in my arms. Several of my close friends had asked me if I cried when I first saw her picture. I almost felt guilty ~ like an unfit mother ~ that I hadn't. At that point I simply had an amazing peace; a knowledge that the child's picture I saw inside the FedEx package was indeed my own ~ despite the fact that we were on opposite sides of the world. I guess I had expected that same calmness to prevail when I first met her... But in that moment the absolute raw emotion was too much to hold in! I was in completely and totally in love and perhaps the most amazing part is that each day I find myself loving her a little more.

I can't believe how quickly time has flown since we arrived home on February 16th. We've introduced Kylie to most of our relatives and life-time friends (traveling from NC as far west as Ohio, and as far north as Maryland), visited with six of her Lianjiang "sisters," spent a week at CCC staff training, a week at the beach, and have now celebrated her first birthday, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas at home. Christmas itself was somewhat of a blur ~ we moved into our new sanctuary at church (it is amazingly beautiful!), celebrated traditions with family, and have spent the past 6 days in the greater DC area with Ian's dad. I have much to catch up on (more for my memories than anything else) but for tonight I must put my computer aside and simply bask in the happiness of my first end of year as a mom.

"Wow, if we squeeze this much excitement into every year..."
My girl sacked out in the car today on the way home!

For all of you still waiting, chin up! We pray for you often and look forward to reading your first year end post as parents ~ it will come some day...

To all ~ Happy 2008! No matter what is going on in your life as the new year begins, we pray that the knowledge that God loves YOU will bring you great joy!