One year ago we met our sweet little Raina Liuji Marie for the first time! We had already fallen head over heels in love with her. It happened the instant we saw the first picture of her. I believe it is a "God thing"...how else could you love someone so deeply without having met?!?
My heart broke that day...watching Raina's foster Mom grieve...watching innocent Raina take it all in...hearing her cry "mama" all night long...and knowing that somewhere, a woman chose life...a choice that most likely caused her heart to shatter. I pray that somehow our almighty and powerful God will let this woman know that the little baby she gave life to is loved, happy and doing well.
Raina then...
And now...she loves her baby and every time we leave the house she says "Mama?" to which I reply "Yes Raina". She then asks "baby?". And I always reply "Yes, your baby is at home sleeping". She asks this at least 3 times each time we leave home. Her baby cries when the soother is removed and like any good mother it send Raina into a furry of activity trying to calm her baby.
My favorite photo...thanks to Sandy Lockhart Photography! (Sandy's work is amazing and to top it off she is the most loving, generous woman ever!)
Raina is perfect for our family! She is mischievous, determined and loves to laugh ( I am once again convinced that God literally took DNA from Martin and I, and had it specially placed in Raina). Raina is reserved around strangers and people she does not see on a regular basis. She can be very serious and mellow. But,she always knows how to add that special dose of sweetness when everything/everyone else is ornery.
There are days where I feel blessed beyond measure...days I wonder why I have found such great favor in God's eyes. To be blessed with our kids is something I will never take for granted! I want to shout it from the tallest building and mountain top! Shout that our society is messed up when it comes to the value of children! (Seriously, since when is having 4 children such a huge deal?!...I always think "it's only 4! And we manage just fine!) I want to shout that if everyone really knew how blessed we are, they would trip over each other in their eagerness to adopt!
I thank God for making my life so much more than I ever dreamt it could be! :)
2 comments:
I feel the same way about the amount of children we have… what is the big deal???
One year goes so quickly! And she has grown so much! I think her story of how she was matched with your family is amazing. God always knows what he is doing!
Happy one year anniversary to Raina and all of your family!
Love the photo's of her sleeping...so angelic, and the one of her intently looking after that little baby!
Yes, DNA or no DNA somehow they become part of us and we become part of them. God's work is truly amazing!
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