It was just a little bit cool this morning as we were getting ready for church and so I was finally able to let Hope wear this cute little (cheap) dress I found on sale at Belk’s back in the summer. She loves green and just had to take the backpack she loves and the two greens are just 
Hope still loves school. This mamma is so very happy about that. She is learning so very much. I am learning too…I am learning that our daughter is amazing. She has an ability to adapt to new situations when she is prepared for them ahead of time. She still struggles with the unexpected, so do I. Ronnie recently said that he believes that some things about her life in the orphanage surface and cause her to accept things that she is unable to change. Believe me though she is a thinker and will consider all options before she accepts. I love that about her. For instance if it is time for bed she wants to be assured about her morning. Is it a school day? What will she wear? I am so thankful for her. How I wish I could have been her mom when she was a young baby, but I realize that all the situations of her life and people in her life have help to make her who she is. I am blessed to be a part of that. 
Becky
We are so very proud of Hope. Not only did she start school without any problem…she was also named “Student of the Week” for her class. Yeah!!
She is really doing great. Each night she has “homework” and we can see such progress already. She is reading little books and has learned so many other new things. The school system is great and the elementary program just cannot be beat. Can you nominate a school for some type of award? I’ll have to Google that!
Congratulations Hopie !!!!!!!!!!!!
This has been emotionally exhausting for me. Hope is doing great. I on the other hand am doing just ok. I have prayed for her to be content, happy, independent, a good student and a good citizen. Well my prayers have been answered and our sweet Hope is all that and more. I suppose the hard part for me has been that two years and eight months is not the usual time a mom has with her babies before they go off to Kindergarten. It seems like just yesterday we boarded that flight to China and brought home this precious gift from God. Our family has been so very wonderful over the past couple of years and Hope has really packed five years of growing up an American Girl successfully into that time frame. I was emotional when our older girls started school too. So one thing I know is, she will continue to be just fine and my emotions will soon fade to a wonderful enjoyment of this new phase of growing up.
I am so very thankful to be Hope’s mom. I want the best for her and know that she is in a wonderful classroom environment with a couple of great teachers and she is so very smart. I know that the stimulation of her mind by trained professionals will produce awesome results.
But….still….I miss my baby!
By the way has anyone noticed the white arm band? Want to know what is it and what it is for?
Hope loves to snuggle with me in the rocking chair and smell the freshness of my T-shirts. That arm band is made from one of my softest shirts and smells just like mom…she also carries a kiss on her hands that she can rub on her cheek at anytime she needs to be near me…may sound silly to some but it works for our Hope.
January 14, 2008 in a very cold town called Hefei in Anhui province in China an orphanage nanny walk a scared three year old Huai, Dong Tan over to us and as soon as I felt it was safe to touch her without scaring her I kissed her tiny little hand…she loved it then and still does today. Then I whispered into her ear the words I had planned to say to her for over two years. “Jesus loves you and He sent me halfway around the world to be your Mommy forever”…I think this is the first time I have shared this but I think it is time…
A word to anyone who is reading this and is considering adoption.
“If you know that God has touched your heart with a desire to adopt…just do it…He will walk with you every step of the way.”
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