How thankful we are to have our girl home for Thanksgiving this year! As we look back and remember our prayers from 2 years ago we were praying for our daughter who was awaiting us in China. At that time we had only just begun the adoption process and had no idea how long it would be until she was in our arms forever. But still we prayed. We prayed for her to know the love of a family. For her to know she was wanted, valued, loved. We prayed for her birth parents. We prayed for her future.
Little did we know as we prayed for her that she had only come into care one month prior. We did not know that she was a beautiful 20 month old little girl with precious chubby cheeks and a smile that could light up a room. But still we prayed.
Another year passed and we continued to pray. Last year our prayers echoed those of the year before. We cried out asking God to bring her home soon and to help us endure the wait. We still did not know the child we were praying for. But still we prayed.
This year our prayers are a little different. They are filled with Thanksgiving for our precious Annalise. The beautiful 3 1/2 year old whose belly laugh and smile now fill our home. The charming, mischievous little girl who loves to close doors and turn off lights. Who squeals as she steals things from her big sister and runs away with them. We are thankful! So very thankful!
Unfortunately, our Little A did not get to truly experience her first Thanksgiving home thanks to illness. There is no family picture to document our first holiday with her but there was plenty of cuddles, motrin, pedialite and temperature taking and that is just fine. We are thankful she is home and knows the love of her forever family, thankful that we could offer comfort when she was ill, thankful for the sweet smile on her lips as her fever broke, thankful that we have many more days to celebrate with her.
We are thankful that we were chosen to be her family! Thankful for the gift that has been given to us through another. Thankful for birth parents who chose life for their daughter and because of them we can celebrate with thanksgiving.
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