We went to China...
And, as a Family of Four, we went to the Great Wall...
And Tianamen Square...
(BTW: if you wear a leopard coat and killer sunglasses to Tianamen Square you will be photographed approximately 900 times. And you will end up in the scrapbook of many a pre-teen Japanese boy.)
BUT
Then it was Eva Day. The day when our daughter joined our family... which was 2 years ago today... in the overly heated government offices of Adoption Affairs in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China, we were meeting EvaJun.
(BTW: if you wear a leopard coat and killer sunglasses to Tianamen Square you will be photographed approximately 900 times. And you will end up in the scrapbook of many a pre-teen Japanese boy.)
BUT
Then it was Eva Day. The day when our daughter joined our family... which was 2 years ago today... in the overly heated government offices of Adoption Affairs in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China, we were meeting EvaJun.
Do you see Eva? She is the little darling in blue to your left...
(& can we talk about the blue? The kid next to her has a friggin' Carmen Miranda hair bobble going on and my child is decked out in a blue and tan sweatsuit... but it was clean and new and I saved it in a special archival bag, along with the 3 layers she had on under it... and sometimes I go and look at the special archival bag and I think about her foster mother getting her dressed that morning and putting her in something soft and warm and it breaks my heart... every damn time...)
She is holding her ID Badge... She was the only one to be holding it... "Here I am... this is me."
I broke approximately eleventy billion rules that afternoon. I did not wait for our paperwork to be checked. I did not wait for the Director to hand me my child. I walked over to the nanny and said, "Wan Jun" and put out my arms and took my daughter.
Family of 5
How about those socks?
How about those socks?
A few days later... the smile that has come to mean just about everything... I still have that sweater... it was just a cheapy from Target, but I love it so much because of this photo...
The kids... 2 years ago...
The kids... 2 weeks ago...
Welcome to our family my sweet, sweet girl... we weren't complete without you.
***
Our travel group... Eva and I are down front (she has on the bright green hat) and Jake is next to me... Jack is a coupe of kids over in the red vest... my mom is on the (your) far right in the tan sweater and Hugh is in the way back next to the woman (Michelle) in the pink tank...
Happy Eva-Sammy-Ava-Olivia-Mya-Hope-Gianna-Xia Xia-Mei-Emeili-Clio-Allison Day to all of you!
66 comments:
Wow. I am wiping the tears away.
Eva is so beautiful. Congratulations on 2 years with your daughter.
Kristin....Oh I love this post. Especially since the girls and I just watched the Grinch. Congradulations on your two year anniversary of being a family of five. But you know, in my book she was always yours, you just might not have known it when she was born. Your baby girl just waiting for you guys to come and bring her home.
They all look so teeny. Two years changes a lot....not just in Eva's life but the boys were so little.
Oh and girl, I love that jacket. ;)
I can't wait for that day for myself. Congratulations to all of you. Your family is so beautiful!
Michelle
Happy 2 years of Eva!
Congrats times a million.
As an aside here, your sons' eyes are BEAUTIFUL. I just now noticed that.
And ewww, creeeepy on the whole adolescent boy scrapbook thing... heh.
Awwwww, happy anniversary.
How nice to hear about your meeting Eva. I didn't know the boys got to travel with you -- what a wonderful experience for them. Happy family day!
Sigh...
I just love stories with a happy ending! :-)
Happy anniversary!
Awww....you got me snorkely!
Fantastic pics...they grown too damn fast!
LOL...I'm no longer thinking about a leopard number in China.
Aw. Happy 2 years!!
I must be hormonal because I'm just bawling over here.
(Yes, in spite of the leopard coat.)
Heartwarming...Each time I see your beautiful little whisper of light it gives me hope. Thank you.
Gorgeous story! Gorgeous kids! I totally love those glasses. I mean Eva's! Not that yours aren't lovely. :)
This is beautiful. Warmed my heart this morning. Thank you.
Lisa (womenhavingitall) Blogger is not letting me sign in....
That's Beautiful! how wonderful of you to share those memories and photos, the two years must have blown by. You have a gorgeous family of five
What a beautiful family of 5 you are!
awww that was a sweet post. congrats on having her for 2 years. thats so awesome
Wow. I can't believe her changes in just 2 short years. This post was great! Very touching.
It's so great to see the pictures, esp. the day before we leave for China!
Thanks for sharing your special day.
P.S. We are with Holt.
Oh, Kristin.
I can feel the love radiating from this page.
*sniff, sniff*
Wow, these shots just warmed my heart, Kristin! And Eva looks the same as she did as a baby, now she's just a big girl! Your group looks so happy in that picture- like everyone just wants to scream from the beauty of it all. That's how I would feel anyway!
PS- love the jacket on you, too. I totally cannot pull off any kind of animal print, but on you it looks right like it should.
Oh, and WTF was up with so many rules?!?!?! Like any mom is really going to stick to them. Pffft.
I am totally crying. So beautiful. So perfect.
Yay for Eva!
Oh, the layers . . . so many layers. I'm glad you saved them!! What a wonderful way to mark the day you became five!! Loved every bit of it! What a little peanut she was, and charming girl she's become, with two awesome big brothers!
Carrie
I really loved this post! It's perfect and little Eva is such a darling. She really really is! It's hard to imagine her not being with your family, and I don't even know you in real life! :)
BTW, have you ever read "Wild Swans"? It is one of my favorite books of all time and it really changed my perspective about women and how lucky we are to live in the USA after I read it. It's SOOO good. It's a true story about 3 generations of women in China. It's a really really good book and I highly recommend it, if you haven't read it already.
awww Kristin thats fantastic! and i love all the photos of the kids ..they are gorgeous and you all look like the happiest family for thousands of miles!
it might have been because youre so happy and beautiful and blonde that made you the focus of many of those shots, not the leopard coat :)
She's a darling girl-congratulations on a beautiful family and such wonderful memories.
Kristen,
This is such a sweet post and the photos make it all the more precious. Are you still in contact with the families you travelled with? I am fairly new to your blog, but I love it.
You are so gorgeous in these photos and you look so fashionable, I can understand why so many people took your photo because you look like a movie star!
Best to you and your beautiful family.
I'm in tears here. So beautiful. So moving.
So sweet. It is amazing how two years can just pass us by. We were hoping to bring Leah to China with us, but due to some recent medical problems I don't know if we will be able to anymore. I guess we just have to wait and see. - Stephanie (formally Forks & Chopsticks) www.mesocrafty.wordpress.com
Must show the hubby how georgous she is. ANd how happy you all look. If I keep showing him your posts and pics (and our old house sells and our retaining wall is fixed) it won't be long before we're making that kind of journey.
You can tell how loved she is in those photos. ANd you can tell how happy she is too. Truely beautiful.
You're making me all misty.
Cute.Cute.Cute. Happy Adoption Day to all of you!
I love this post!!! I can relate so much. Loved seeing the pictures of the kids and of you! I don't think I have ever seen a picture of you. I can see now why you are loving Tahlia's leopard shirt ;-)
Kristen, your family is simply beautiful. All of you. Happy Anniversary!
HappyHappyHappy Anniversary. So happy. Such a rascally bunch of kiddos in your family.
They definitely belong together. Happy4U!! XO
I NEVER cry. And yet...
Happy anniversary to you and your family and that little blessing of a daughter. We should all be so lucky. ;)
Happy Eva Day! I think you may have the most gorgeous little girl to ever walk the planet. Congratulations on your two years together as a family!
*sniff*
Wow, what a beautiful story. She is one lucky girl to have so much love from you all. And wow, she is just breathtaking. Truly.
PS:
Please don't think I am shallow, but I love that leopard coat!
Aww, now I have major warm and fuzzies to last me all day. Congratulations again, she's a sweetie pie!
Oh that was such a beautiful post. Happy anniversary, she's the cutest little girl I've ever seen :)
I'm all choked up!
This is truly beautiful, as is your family.
What a beautiful post.
Happy Coming Home Day EvaJun!
So sweet. What a beautiful family. You are very blessed.
These are fantastic pictures, Kristin! Thank you so much for sharing!
so beautiful! the post and your daughter!
What a great post Kristin. Happy Eva Day-versary!
Like everyone else says, a great post! I'm so proud of you for sharing great posts like this!! It brought a big smile to my face.
So sweet!
I think about adoption, but my husband doesn't want to when we (I) can still have biological children. He thinks adoption is just for singles or women who can't get pregnant. I like to show him blogs like yours that show a family of both kids that are your own and adopted, but he now says that he doesn't think he could love an adopted child as much as a child of his own.
It would be great if you and others like you could do a blog post on this topic because I really want to change his mind
You are a beautiful family, Kristin, and I think you should post photos of yourself more often! Maybe then my husband would be more willing to read it.
Simply beautiful.
You all are the best of Internets... no one has nicer Internets than I... and did I mention you are all good looking with pretty hair?
And Anonymous, you may have just sparked a blog post.
Happy Weekend!
I am late,but Happy,Happy Family day!! Eva looks so cute the way she was bundled up!! Congrats!!
Lisa
Oh, god, THE TEARS. Just when I thought that I was cried out.
She's beautiful. Happy Bringing-Her-Home Day to you all.
Not a fair thing to do to a hormonal pregnant woman. This is beautiful, every word, every photo.
Echoing the sentiments of everyone- beautiful beautiful beautiful.
I love all the pictures. The one of her with the name badge, seriously.
And your family is beautiful.
Beautiful! Love, love, love that line "we weren't complete without you." And I finally know what it really means too.
Oh, and that leopard coat? Well damn, girl, I bow down before your stylin' self. Hot!
wow. as someone who's only been hanging around in your yard a few weeks, I hadn't really grasped all that you had gone through. It's an amazing story. Will now have to delve back into your older posts.
Happy 2 years, lovely Kristin...I've got tears just like everyone else. Beautiful girl, beautiful children, beautiful family. It really couldn't be any other way could it?
Congratulations! I just love you so much and you deserve the best! Your family is awesome.
Your boys are going to be so handsome, too, by the way...how are you going to keep the ladies away in a few years?
This is the first time I have read your blog, and I found myself crying. You have a beautiful, beautiful family!!!! May God bless each and every one of you!!
(And P.S., I love the "It's My Brother's Fault" shirt. My daughter wears that a lot!!)
So...
I have come here about a dozen times...
and tried to leave a message...
But my words seem so mute...
What a wonderful story of Eva...
and your wonderful family...
Such a wonderful family....
It Is A Wonderful Life!!!
Thank you for letting me into your life...
I have loved reading your blog... Sttrange in the course of a few months... I feel as though you are a friend out there in cyberspace,,,
Happy Christmas to you Kristin and your wonderful family...
Looking forward to 2007 and all the stories they will bring to all of our hearts!
Hope it is happy healthy and full of precious moments to be embraced and shared !
Love,
Pendullum
Late to the party, as usual. What a beautiful post about your daughter's arrival! You made me cry, dammit. Thank you.
Happy Eva Day. What a sweet story. And that picture of her in the Target sweater is precious. Daughters are wonderful things!
Awwww! What a wonderful retrospective.
The archival bag...*sob*
The beautiful pictures!
Your touching memories...
As an adoptee, these kinds of stories always get me right there *points to heart*
i loved this post :)
what a beautiful family you guys make.
m
So precious! Thanks for sharing
I know I'm a slacker, but Happy Eva Day! I have visited and meant to comment, and keep coming back because I can't get enough of those butterfly glasses! What a beautiful child she is ...all three of them are! You're one lucky Mama.
Shell
Her smile just keeps getting bigger.
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