Merry Christmas!

Lindy's Home!

We are so thankful to have our girl home! She is doing really well, and each day seems just a little bit better than the day before. We left the hospital yesterday, and Lindy took her legendary ride in the red wagon out to the car . . . such a silly girl!

Joy was more than happy to accompany her sister and show her the ropes. She was also thrilled to be a visitor this time instead of the patient!

Lindy has been able to get up and walk short distances, but mostly she is just resting and trying to stay still - doctor's orders. Every movement is still pretty painful, but once she finds a comfortable position she is good to go! We are so proud of our sweet girl, and we pray for the Lord to breathe strength and healing into her body. She is so much happier at home, and we are so thankful to be on the road to recovery!

Surgery Success!

Praise the Lord! We made it through yet another surgery! Lindy is doing great, and everything went extremely well. We felt the prayers of God's saints today, and we are so thankful for His protection over our girl. Our surgeon was able to repair the lasting traces of spina bifida, and Lindy's back is now flat. He teamed up with a plastic surgeon who helped to rotate and pull her back muscles over the area to provide the needed padding for her spinal cord. Since the muscle was thick enough to protect the cord, no rib bone was needed which is very good news. Lindy does have a longer incision along her spine, but it looks so much better than it did before. She will be pretty sore for the next few weeks and will need to lay low. But, we are so thankful to have the surgery behind us! She handled everything like a trooper, and her pain seems to be managed. We are prayerful that she will get to go home tomorrow. Here is a before and after picture of our sweet girl . . . so happy before, and even cracking a small smile after. :)

We were in such good hands all day! We got to give hugs to some of our nurse friends who helped us with Joy's surgeries. Each time we visit the hospital, God gives us opportunities to tell our adoption story which points to His wonderful love and goodness in our lives. Our nurse for Lindy in the pre-op has adopted a little girl herself, and we were able to be an encouragement to each other. Another nurse who we had met with Joy told us today that he was inspired to adopt because of our family. Wow! God is so amazing!

Lindy is resting well, and we pray that she will recover quickly. Christmas is coming, and it will be her first one home! She is so precious, and our hearts just swelled with compassion for her today. In the recovery room I was deeply struck with the reality that she went through three surgeries in China without us. I saw the fear in her eyes when she was waking up and then the relief and trust as she realized that Mommy and Daddy were right there by her side. I whispered in her ear, "Mommy's here; Daddy's here." She knew that we were, and she was comforted. Yet, as she was being wheeled away to surgery I whispered in her ear, "Jesus is with you." I know that He was even when we were not. And now He has set her in our family, and joined us together through the love in our hearts. We are so thankful for this precious daughter! 

Surgery . . . Again!

We are less than a week away from facing surgery . . . again. This is much sooner than we expected. And it is not Joy, but Lindy. Our precious girl needs protection, and we will do everything we can to give it to her. She received surgery in China to remove a meningocele (which is a form of spina bifida) located in the middle of her back. We are so grateful that this was done, yet a recent MRI showed that the job was not complete. Her spinal cord lies directly underneath her skin and is not protected. If she were to injure the area, it could leave her paralyzed. So, our wonderful neuro surgeon is going to build a "bridge" of protection by using either one of Lindy's own ribs or her muscles in her back to pad the cord. He said he won't know for sure until he gets in there, but the goal is to protect the area from injury as best as possible.

The surgery should last a few hours, and then we will need to spend a couple of days in the hospital . . . sounds familiar! The good news is that she won't wake up in a body cast! However, we really do not know what to expect as far as her recovery. We pray that she will heal quickly and be up and about by Christmas.

Lindy really is a walking miracle girl. Our doctor is amazed. Hers is a story to write down in the medical records. Spina bifiida usually results in difficulty walking and moving. Lindy is fully functional and even runs and jumps. The Lord has given her this gift. He is the One who has ordained it. We trust Him completely . . . Lindy's life is in His hands. We are praying for safety and protection over our sweet girl, and we believe that our loving heavenly Father will use her life for His glory!

Happiest Place on Earth!

We took the little girls to Disneyland for the first time! The big kids were just as excited! It was so fun to watch the little ones experience the wonder of this special place. It really seems to be true . . . this magical kingdom just makes you feel happy!

Mickey Mouse was definitely a favorite!

And of course, there was Dumbo!

And the merry-go-round!

Our little cuties!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We are looking forward to making many more memories here at the "happiest place on earth"!

Sisterly Love!

Sisters! It is amazing that two little girls from completely different places could so quickly become the definition of this word. They love. They laugh. They play. They want the same things. They whisper. They giggle. They share. They sometimes fight. They are both from the same homeland, yet one is from the north and one is from the south. They have the same dark almond eyes and the same beautiful black hair. One is talkative, energetic, extroverted, and a bit "spicy". One is quiet, gentle, introverted, and easy going. Both are extremely sweet! They complement each other in their differences, and they have just enough in common to make them the best of friends. They share a special bond deep within them both. I pray that they will always rest in the love of our family and in the love of the One who placed them here. I pray that they will encourage each other and be each other's biggest fan. I pray also that when the pain of a difficult beginning surfaces, they will be able to empathize like no one else. They are sisters!

Happy "Gotcha Day", Joy!

Here is our little cutie 1 year ago . . . 

And here she is now!

We had a very special day of celebration as a family. We ate lunch at a local Chinese restaurant so that Joy could eat her favorite noodles. It is always fun to experience a little "taste" of China . . . comfort food!

 Then we journeyed to the Pumpkin Patch for some celebrating fun! Joy had no idea what a "punkin patch" was, but she sure was excited to go! She loved every minute of it!

Joy's first request was to ride the ponies, and Lindy was all in! Once Joy got closer to the pony, she decided that she needed mama by her side, so I accompanied my little cowgirls on their journey.

Riding on the boats and loving it!

We returned home, and Joy opened up her Gotcha Day present!

She was thrilled with her new scooter! It will also be a great activity to build strength in her legs and help with her balance.

We finished off the afternoon with pink cupcakes and pink icey cream!

What a wonderful day of celebration! I love this girl so much . . . it continues to amaze me! She is my daughter in every sense of the word, and the bond that we share runs deep. Joy is a beautiful child, so full of life! She is so much fun to be with and brings smiles and laughter to our family. What would we do without her? God divinely planned for this precious girl to come into the world to make it a brighter place. And we can hardly believe that He chose us to be the ones to love her and cherish her all the days of her life. She has endured so much over the course of this past year, and her resiliency and joyful spirit are evidence of the fact that God has His hand on her life. She is coming to know and love our Savior, and that is the greatest gift of all! She is learning that He loves her, and she belongs to Him. He has always been with her even when we were not. Thank you, Lord, for Joy! Thank you for leading our hearts to her! We are forever changed because of her! Draw her to Yourself, dear Lord, and please use her life for your glory!

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with JOY!" Psalm 126:3