We were SO excited to hear that our friends we met in China would be travelling through Oregon this weekend. They stopped and visited for just a few hours Saturday night. They adopted little Elyssa the exact same day we got Jack. We were actually together when we were both handed our children for the very first time. There are few emotional moments in life that can bond strangers so quickly!! We will forever have a special place in our heart for Elyssa!! Now home almost a year, she is a bundle of energy with an incredible vocabulary!! She knows all her colors, the letters in her name, her numbers and shapes! ....and she's not even 3 yet!! (Having a preschool teacher for a mom does have its advantages, huh?) Dad is in the military so they are relocating to Texas in January. Keeping in touch with them to continue to watch Elyssa grow might just be enough motivation for us to schedule a vacation in San Antonio next year!!
Though neither Jack nor Elyssa seemed to recognize or remember one another, they bonded instantly and all five of the kids in our house were rolling around, wrestling and rough-housing like they'd been together their whole lives!!
I love this picture of Elyssa with our two girls. During their visit, she told her dad that she wants a sister!! (We would love to see them go back to China for another girl!!) Elyssa is making incredible progress after surgery to repair a cleft lip and palate. Her speech is amazingly understandable and her smile lights up a room.
It continues to bless us to watch the Lord's plans unfold for these small ones who were born across the planet and saved for our hearts!
