Happy Gotcha Day, Gracie!!!

Gracie getting ready for gymnastics!
Gracie's referral photo--how she stole our hearts!

Gracie's finding place; the foot of the Songtai Mountain

Grace was found on the walkway when she was (estimated) 11 months old

Five years ago, a frightened little girl walked into a room at the Lakeside Hotel, in Hangzhou, China. She was dressed in a yellow dress, held a stuffed bear, a lollipop and her shoes squeeked when she walked. She had the most terrified look on her face. Little Wen Fei Zhen's life was about to change. She finally had a forever family to love and protect her!

That moment has been etched in my mind forever. I will never forget the door opening, seeing my baby and as calmly as I could kneeling down and picking her up. I kissed her and told her that I loved her! I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I held her, stroked her and hugged her. That moment was just as wonderful as when I was handed Sarah for the first time, just minutes after her birth!

Five years later, our sweet Grace Feizhen has blossomed into a beauty with wonderful self-confidence. She is one of the nicest little girls, a fabulous sister, a generous friend and a natural athlete. She has no memory of her life in China; only what she has been told. She asks questions about her chinese mother but doesn't dwell on the answers.

Today she celebrated her "Gotcha Day" at school with her name and the occasion being announced over the intercom, cookies for her class and the opportunity to share with her classmates what a "gotcha day" is. To her, this day is when her family came to China to "get her" and bring her home!

So once again, as I've done each September 15th, I've told Gracie the story of one of the happiest days of my life. The day she walked in that hotel room and stole my heart. I love you Gracie, happy Gotcha Day Baby!