Happy Birthday Gracie!!

Our sweet Gracie is really seven years old!!! We have been so blessed to be her parents. What a wonderful celebration we had. Grace chose to have a "Diva" party at the dance studio where she dances. She was able to not only have fun but she was able to show off her skills. And what skills she has! Ms. Courtney, her teacher, and I were AMAZED at the leaps Grace was able to perform. Grace has so lived up to her name! As we opened each gift Grace was so thankful and excited. Of course the bathing suit from my sister is the EXACT bathing suit I chose for Grace....except in a different color! As different as sisters can be, Margie and I certainly have similar tastes in lots of things! Grace just loved the suit, especially the flip-flops that matched perfectly! Dave and I are so emotional about Grace's birthday. We realize that if Grace had stayed in the orphanage she would not have lived to see this birthday. Yes, she was classified as healthy but her asthma has proven to be something we must monitor on a daily basis. Would they have done that for her in China? Most likely not. And the world would have missed out on the most wonderful little girl! We just count our blessings each and every day for being chosen as her parents! God certainly blessed us when he sent us Gracie Fiezhen!!!
Grace has grown so much in the past five years! Even though we missed the first two years of her life, she has ALWAYS been with us, she has ALWAYS been our daughter and she has ALWAYS been in our hearts. We have watched her transform from the frightened, angry toddler that we met in Hangzhou, China to the sweet, even tempered, sweetheart that is our little girl.
All of those prayers I prayed WERE listened to. Grace is my daughter.