Just thinking of Sarah

Yesterday Sarah wanted to look at pictures of her in China. She sat on my lap as we looked at all of the photos of us on our trip to get her. We came across this picture of her on Gotcha Day. She wanted to wear her bracelets from China. They were on her wrists when we got her. One of them said, "Smart and Wise." The other said, "May you have a long life." I went to get them and they weren't where I had left them! I was so sad...more for her than myself. I knew I had put them up for safe keeping and I just couldn't figure out where I put them! I finally found them in a tub of photos that have not found their place to any album..whew! I have spent a lot of time yesterday and today thinking about how different today is from that day in May of last year.

Before we got her we were given a sheet of paper with her eating habit, toilet using habits, likes and dislikes. We pretty much were told that she'll eat most anything, was potty trained, liked new toys and liked to sleep with hairy things.

The photos show my girl at two different times. The lower one is on Gotcha Day. She picked at her dress the rest of the day...or would nervously play with her fingers. I'm not in the mood to revisit her grief from that week, but it was intense at times. If some of you recall, it was a quiet grief that broke my heart! There were tears, but no cries...an occasional calling out for her "ah-moo"...the name she had for her foster mother. There was a bit of a blank slate in my mind as I looked at her then. What was does she like to do? What does she like to eat? What is meant by "hairy things?" Will she like me? What is her personality like? There were many questions that day.

Today I can look at her and I no longer see a blank slate in my mind! She likes to read books and play dress up! She likes to swing and ride her bike. She likes to eat just about anything, but soup is her favorite. She does like hairy things, but our culture calls them "stuffed animals." She absolutely loves me! I know her quite well now! She's vert smart. She's funny. She's spirited and determined! She's sometimes very stubborn. She loves her brothers and will now say, "I am Lily's best friend." She is amazing!

I love to watch Sarah and Lily together. I can't imagine them not having each other. Two girls born from two different women. Brought together to be sisters in a land far away from where they were born. Brought to a family that loves them so very much! And I get to call them "my daughters." I am very blessed!