Monday, November 17, 2008

It's here...

OK...I promise I won't get all emotional...I won't get all nostalgic...I won't gush...I won't...I promise...oh, who am I kidding?!

A year ago tomorrow (actually, in Ch*na time it was just a few hours from now) our lives changed forever. We became the parents to two gorgeous, smart, opinionated, challening, joyous, dramatic, lovable, ticklish, perfect daughters. Our labor room was a chilly, wooden-clad room on an upper floor of the Civil Affairs Office in Nanchang, Ch*na. Our doctors were a petite agency guide and the director and assistant director of the girls' SWI. Our videographer and photographer was two wonderful women we met while on this adventure, who would later meet their daughter and niece in that same room.

There were tears, there was a camera rolling, there was rapid-fire Mandrin being spoken where all we could understand was Mama and Baba. Mama and Baba. Our new names. Forever Mama and Baba. The girls did not know it yet, but they were so loved, so prayed for, so wanted. All they knew was when they woke up that morning, it was business as usual...then their world turned upside down.

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We have been enjoying this time of celebration with the girls. Since it is our first anniversary as a family, we wanted it to be special. This weekend, we had both sets of grandparents over and we ate Chinese food and watched our Ch*na videos. It was the first time either set of grandparents had ever seen them. Abby sat riveted to the screen. Laney, chose to play. When I asked her if she remembered Ch*na, she said yes. When I asked her what she remembered, she said, "I don't want to remember." It's ok baby. You don't have to.

Everyone had fun though. We all celebrated and loved on these two little ones till we thought our hearts would burst. Thank our Lord Almighty we had such a good reason to celebrate. We have been so blessed!

Tomorrow just Mama and Baba have some special things planned for the girls. I'm not promising every year will be this elaborate, but we wanted a first anniversary to remember.

Stay tuned because we will be doing a final update to the website we used when we traveled. We will be sure to link it for you as long as you promise to sign the guestbook there. It will be posted in the next week or so.

Ok, I promised not to get too emotional. So I better go. :)

Happy one year family anniversary baby girls! It is a day forever etched in our minds. Thank you God for giving us these girls.


(If you want to read what we posted on this day a year ago, click here.)

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10 comments:

IzzyBeth said...

Happy Family Birthday! :-) It's amazing how time flies. And it doesn't matter that you didn't get "all emotional" - I cried anyway.

Mom Of Many said...

Yippee Jesus! What a wonderful day to celebrate - it just doesn't get any better than that! I am thrilled for you all...xoxo

Anonymous said...

What a happy day it is!!
Our first year with Abby and Laney has been the greatest year ever!
We love love you Abby and Laney soo much, Mimi and Papa love every minute we spend with you and can't wait until the next time we get to be with you.
Thank you God for giving us these two beautiful little girls and giving them to a very special couple.

Anonymous said...

Happy 1 year FAMILY Anniversary!!! I remember the day well when you got the phone call... then all of the rapid phone calls you had to make in the privacy of the auditorium. I kept the secret, I was thrilled that you shared it with me.

They are going up to wonderful little ladies.

Lynnette

Anonymous said...

TO SWEET LIL ABBY AND LANEY, GRAN AND PAPAW ARE SO VERY HAPPY THAT BOTH OF YOU ARE IN OUR LIVES AND IN OUR HEARTS. WE TRULY BELIEVE WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TWO OF GODS LITTLEST ANGELS AND OUR LIVE ARE CERTAINLY BETTER WITH YOU IN IT. LOVE YOU TWO FOREVER AND ALWAYS. GRAN AND PAPAW SADLER. P.S.HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSY TO THE FOURever family AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL ALWAYS.

Rob and Allyson said...

Happy anniversary!! What a fantastic year it has been watching you two grow and develop. You have blossomed so much since the first time we met you! You are blessed to have such loving parents as Mama and Baba. We love you guys!

Robby and Ally

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on a wonderful year! And best wishes for many more happy years together!

Anonymous said...

Hey Rett, Tony, Laney and Abby....HAPPY FAMILY DAY!!
It just boggles my mind to think that it has already been a year since the big trip to China. It was a trip I will always hold near and dear to my heart. It was just simply amazing to watch the two of you and Andrea receive your beautiful girls. It touched my heart. I went to Chuck E Cheese with Andrea and Alana this evening. It is unreal the difference one year has made. And, I have really enjoyed logging onto your blogspot page to see and read the updates. All my love to all of you!! Chele aka "Lois Lane"

jkcm said...

Yeah!!!! I love hearing about your celebration! What a blessing these girls are as your daughters and you as their awesome parents. Seeing you all this summer together was amazing and wonderful. Embrace the emotion, it's such a "God thing" what happened in your lives!!! Our family is forever blessed by praying for yours all those months!!!

P.S. Do you guys have the "Little People" CD that is like the kiddos version of party music with "We are Family", Celebrate Good times, come on......". Our kids dance their little heads off to it. Maryn will talk about how Chase is her brother and that she is his sister (although we do the sissy, bubby thing that I swore we would NEVER do). It must be pre-wired in there somewhere. Same thing with "Barney", I gave up fighting it. Sorry for the tangent, but those two songs and my little ones jamming out to it tonight made me think about that and how they are such fitting songs for your rockin 1-year family celebration. Congrats!

Chris and Sarah said...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! I can't believe it has been a whole year. You are 2 very precious girls and I can't wait until one of you marry my dear Jaxson some day.