Old Friends Laughing

The fun part about this series of photos taken at the end of our recent reunion trip was that they happened naturally. Marlee and Mia sat up on the bench together and just started laughing together. They were so happy to be together. No need to say cheese or eggplant to elicit a smile. Just natural beauty shinning from two old friends!

Wow! Wonderful!

Now this has been a great weekend! We got the families in our travel group together. You could tell that the girls remembered each other at some level. We had a really nice time filled with so many great memories. We will start you off with a few pictures. I am in the process of putting together a one year reunion video. But, that will take me a bit of time. So, here you go!

We Landed One Year Ago Today!

It was 1 year ago today that, following our grueling flight from Guangzhou, China we landed back here in the United States. Marlee and all the lucky girls in our travel group immediately became citizens. It was a wonderful day that concluded a wonderful adventure. Immediately, a new adventure began and we haven't slowed down. I have to tell you folks that this past year has been absolutely amazing! If any of you are wondering whether to adopt internationally we can do nothing but encourage you to do so.

To celebrate, we are getting Marlee and her friends together for a one year reunion! We can't wait to see everybody! What a fantastic group of people we had the good fortune to share this with. We will be posting updates very soon. In the mean time, here are some pictures of Marlee and Sky (one of the children from the travel group) at the recent FTIA picnic in Indianapolis, IN. Enjoy!

More Fun with Grandma and Grandpa!

It's fun to watch Dora anyway. But when Grandma and Grandpa join in it's even better!

There sure is alot of smiling going on around here!

I am always hearing that "they grow up fast!". Here is Marlee grown up:

Summer in high gear!

Our friends Kate and Doug are here visiting us from Hong Kong. Marlee is really enjoying the company. Its a good ole american summer day with hotdogs, swimming, sprinklers and other backyard fun! Here Marlee (2 1/2) plays with Evan (4 1/2), and Nathan (2). They sure do love those hotdogs!

She Measures Up!

Marlee is an absolute joy! Here she is posing at the Newport Aquarium just south of Cincinatti, OH.

One year ago yesterday....

we saw these images for the first time

:

And here's the light of our lives today. She's been with us for 10 months. We love this beautiful, brilliant, strong, funny, talented, amazing child more than words can describe. The wait may have been excruciating, but she was worth every minute and more. Hang in there, waiting parents!