Hi to all of you! I've gotten reminders from many of you asking for more pictures... I can't believe it's been OVER a month since I last posted. I guess that's the time of year, crazy around here already! Anyhow, these shots are from Lexie's Gotcha Day celebration. As many of you know, we all came down with the stomach flu, pretty badly - all except Lexie, thank you God. So, that is the reason that she is still in her jammies for dinner, her hair is messy (and probably dirty), and nobody else is pictured. We, one by one, got sick, and it was all we could do to sit down to dinner and act excited for Lexie for one hour. She didn't seem to notice how ill we all felt, so mission accomplished.
For her presents (which is a tradition that many families that adopt Chinese children do) Lexie received: a bracelet with jingle bells, a blanket made by the older women who lived at the orphanage where Lexie was for 2 weeks, and a little piano (made in China but purchased here at Target). The jingle bell bracelet is traditionally given in China to babies as they start to roam so that their mommy always know where they are. Lexie wouldn't keep hers on, but at least she has it. When we were in China, I purchased 16 plus gifts so that I can give her one every year, on Gotcha day, until she is 18.
The crying picture is sad, I know, but it is a reminder as to how Lexie "really" looked on Gotcha Day. I know my mom will give me grief for posting that one, but that is the face that I first saw one year ago. I am happy to say that the sad face rarely comes around as Lexie is filled with joy, excitement, and love beyond our wildest dreams. Needless to say, she was a dream come true for all four of us, and not a day goes by that we don't thank God for the precious gift she has been. We could have never dreamed life would have been transformed in this way - each day is better than the next.
Lexie's talking up a storm - full sentences, non stop, and at times halarious. She keeps me on my toes. She's very strong, still, but I know this will serve her well in life as long as we remind her (often) that we're in charge, not her. More importantly, she loves like you can't imagine. Yesterday she put her arms around my neck, very tightly, and she said, Mommy, best friend! It took me a minute to understand what she said, and when I did, I almost cried. It was one of those moments never to be forgotten. Then I said, How'd you get so cute? Her answer? Tori. Tori thought that was priceless.
So, the past year has been nothing shy of wonderful. Despite the house, the moves, the cancer, the surgery, the every day stress of every day life... life as we know it is very, very good. My cup runneth over, truly.
