February-2012

There was much to celebrate in February.  I graduated from Dispatch Academy.  I was finished and it was a relief.  My dad had a successful surgery.  The tumor was removed and it was not cancer.  He was back to his old self in no time and we were so relieved.  On the 22nd it was time celebrate one of the happiest days of our life, Sophie's Gotcha Day!  She had been home now for 3 years and we decided to take her to Shogun Japanese Steak House.  She was a little apprehensive about the flames and the smoke at first but once she tasted the food and the Chef teased her a few times, she loved it and asked us the next day if we could go back.

We also were full blown into getting ready for our eldest to graduate and decide about college.  Madison and Camden were filling out scholarship applications weekly and we were looking forward to this exciting time in Madison's life.

To celebrate or not celebrate....that is the question

On Tuesday our family celebrated Sophie's Gotcha Day at P.F. Chang's.  Their food is yummy even if it's not really like what we had in China.  The morning of "Gotcha Day", I began to ponder if we should even make a big deal out of this.  Being the mother of an adopted child, you are faced with different issues than with biological children. You have different worries.  That morning my worries went something like this,  "is this just one more thing that will make Sophie feel different from everyone else.  Is this just one more thing to single her out that she is adopted?  We don't have a day like this for Madison or anyone else in the family.  Maybe we shouldn't make a big deal out of it."   Then as I began to ponder this question I realized that this day is not just about Sophie.  This day is so much more than that.  This day represented a time in our lives that God showed us how big he is.  God was more real to me in China than any other time in my life.  Gotcha Day is a reminder that God is faithful even when it is in his time and not ours. Gotcha Day is a reminder of what happens when you let go of what you want and allow God to work his will for your life.   Gotcha Day is a reminder that families are God's design, not ours, and that he does make beauty from ashes just like he promises in Isaiah 61.  Our family came home from China changed by the grace of God.   None of us are the same and that deserved to be remembered and celebrated.  So as the years progress we will celebrate Gotcha Day and I will use this as a time to teach my daughter not that it's just about her but use it to teach her how big, how wonderful, and how faithful God is.

Heaven Is The Face....Happy 2nd Gotcha Day Sophie

 Heaven is the face of a little girl
With dark brown eyes 
That disappear when she smiles.

Heaven is the place

Where she calls my name says, "daddy please come play with me for awhile."  

God, I know, it's all of this and so much more

But God, you know that this is what I'm aching for God, You know I just can't see beyond the door

So right now

Heaven is the sound of her breathing deep

Lying on my chest, falling fast asleep while I sing

And Heaven is the weight of her in my arms

Being there to keep her safe from harm while she dreams

And God, I know it's all of this and so much more

But God, you know that this is what I'm longing for

And God, you know I just can't see beyond the door

But in my minds eye I can see a place
where Your glory fills every empty space
All the cancer is gone
Every mouth is filled
And there's no one left in the orphans' bed

Every lonely heart finds the one true love

And there's no more goodbye

And no more "not enough"

And there's no more enemy (no more)

Heaven is a sweet, maple syrup kiss

And a thousand other little things I miss with her gone

Heaven is the place where she takes my hand And leads me to you 

And we both run into Your arms.

Oh God, I know, it's so much more than I can dream
It's far beyond anything I can conceive
So God, You know I'll trust in You until I see
Heaven in the face of my little girl.

Heaven Is The Face
Steven Curtis Chapman
Heaven Is The Face video

Happy 2nd Gotcha Day Baby Girl!