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2.20.2012

we grew by a smile

February 20, 2010.  The day our family grew by a smile.


It didn't seem that we'd ever see a smile at first.


Her initial reaction was to bury her face from us.  Then I spent the next 40 minutes doing my best to hold onto a child doing her best to do everything in her power to get away from me.


But finally we found middle ground over a toy cell phone.  Me holding that blue plastic princess phone up to my ear brought forth the most precious smile.  I'm quite certain the room glowed in the sweetness of that moment.

And our family has been enjoying that smile and all the variations of it ever since...

Today we took pause to celebrate our Darcy Q joining the family.  I fixed scrambled eggs for her breakfast.  That brought a smile.


We met Ian at the Asian market (her choice of course) for lunch.  BBQ pork buns were the main item on the menu.  Another smile.


Dinner at home was low key.  Nothing out of the ordinary for our table.  But dessert?  A surprise for her, but one we knew would elicit that winning smile.  And her reaction to rainbow sherbet did not disappoint.


Oh the laughter, joy and silliness added to the M family with this precious addition.  Our girl certainly has plenty to share!


Tonight, as I have with each Forever Family Day anniversary for each child, I took a walk down memory lane by reading through the archives here, reliving the initial days with a new child in the family.  As I got lost in our time in Hangzhou with DQ, I came across the following that I had written about 12 hours before we were going to meet her.

So that may make some wonder why in the world I'd leave my blog out there in the open public.  

It's because I want for people to know that it is okay to have doubts when adopting.  Even us "seasoned adopters" do.  There will likely be some rough days ahead.  But in the end, when the dust settles on my new family, I know that I'll wonder how I ever lived without Darcy playing tag with Caleb or playing My Little Ponies with Ky.  So bear with me as I "keep it real" here at Fireworks and Fireflies during the transition.  What I pray ~ and fully believe ~ is that after some time, you will see our family and wonder to yourself if there ever was a time that Darcy wasn't with us. 
 

And today, just two years later, I find myself thinking that we've arrived at that time.

12 comments:

Andrea said...

Oh so true Kristi! Happy Gotcha Day to DQ! That pork bun looks delicious!

Amy Murphy said...

Beautiful! I remember when you were in China getting her. I can't believe it's been 2 years!!!! I was soooo "home" sick for China while you were there. (Someday, we'll get back there.) She has simply blossomed in your family! How lucky you are to have her. :)

Stefanie said...

Love this! So very sweet :) And it was so cool to read what you wrote two years ago, and to see how God had made it come to pass... He is so GOOD!!

Laine said...

AMEN AND AMEN Kristi!!!!!! Your family AND OURS grew lots of smiles that trip...yours and all of our sweet travel group!
We love you DQ!!!!! You are one special little girl to us!!!!!

Julie said...

I love that you have always kept it real on here. And happy forever day to DQ!

Jordan Carl said...

Love this post. I know I'm not even there every day, but it seems hard even from a distance to remember a time when Darcy wasn't with you and your family. And I'm okay with that! Happy forever family day Darcy! I love you!

Traci said...

DQ I couldn't imagine the M family without your precious little giggles and sweet sweet little personality! Aunt CiCi loves you!

Nancy said...

Wow, 2 years?! YAY DQ!!!!

Glenda said...

We love you Miss Darcy! Happy Gotcha Day!

Kathy said...

You are so special to me, Darcy. Your smile just lights up the whole room. I love you very much.
Grandma M

Lee and Sarah VanGrunsven said...

Happy Gotcha day! Could her smile be ANY CUTER?!:)

Our Journey to China said...

Oh, the smiles indeed! What an unbelievable thing, to think that it was only two years ago we held our girls for the first time and them we met. I know our family has been changed forever by the smiles in the M family and all that goes with them. WE love you, sweet DQ!!!