One Year Ago - Wow!

(Warning, lots of sappiness to follow! Read with caution.)

One year ago on June 8th

Day 2 with Carolina (June 9th)

The first week

First day home to meet her big brother

First day home, first experience with bubbles

First beautiful dress made by Mrs. Ussery, Carolina is full of confidence

First gingerbread house

First time meeting her great great aunts (who happen to adore her)

First time at the beach

First trip to Disney, last week

I can honestly say the last year of my life has been one of the my joy-filled and most difficult ever. In my 33rd year on this earth, we finally got our little girl, our two year-old son (at the time) had heart surgery for the second time in his young life, and we found out I am pregnant (I'll exclude the details of 16 weeks of nausea).

Adopting Carolina was definitely a God-ordained event. She fits into our family in ways I could never have imagined or even planned for myself had I been privy to do so. My son adores the ground she walks on, my husband melts when he is with her, her grandparents and extended family stand in awe of how beautiful and smart she is, our church has embraced her, our friends fallen in love, and I, myself, know the Lord closer because I have known my precious girl.

Carolina,

You are one of the best things that has ever happened to our family. Five and a half years ago we prayed for you and we prayed for your biological mother. We prayed that God would bless her with the decision to keep you alive in her belly, we prayed for her to love you enough to give you up and we prayed for your salvation (as we still do). There were so many people who were instrumental in bringing you into our lives, including your advocate and ours, Nancy, all of the government officials, and the doctors who found you at the back door of their clinic.

You were loved by your biological mother, who wrapped you carefully in a blanket, and dressed you warmly with a hat and a onsie. She placed you in a well-traveled area where she knew you would be found quickly. I have only gratefulness in my heart for how well she cared for you on the day that you were born, the same day she anonymously gave you up.

You are loved, through thick and thin (lots of thick this year, I know, but we're working on that). I love how you laugh at your daddy when he kisses your belly, or how you can teach Sam your dance moves and Wolfpack hand signals...I love that you ask for me when you are frightened of the thunder or notice that I'm not around for more than five minutes.

You are my baby, my daughter, my answer to prayer. You are my first child, though you are the youngest, as I have always known you would be in our lives even before I ever knew I could give birth to children myself.

I love you, Carolina. Thank you for putting up with me. May God bless the next year of our life more abundantly than ever before, with you, your brother and your newest sibling. May you find Jesus Christ as your Savior early in your life. I pray that I can be the best mother possible, even on the worst days, and, of course, as always, I pray that you will sleep through the night for the rest of your life. That goes without saying. :)

Your Mommy

"Once there were two women who never knew each other. One you do not know, the other you call Mother. Two different lives shaped to make you one..." Motherbridge of Love

High Country Press

Sam's story was published in our local newspaper, High Country Press. Check it out here!

Sam's Wish

We just got back from Sam's Make A Wish trip to Florida late on Monday evening. It was an amazing trip that I cannot even begin to sum up in one post. So, for now, I'll let you sift through the pictures and enjoy the story they tell on their own.

Sam's wish: To take a train to see Peter Pan.

What actually happened: We took a limo to the Charlotte train station, a train (business class) to Raleigh, then an overnight train (with two roomettes) to Kissimmee, Florida (where we saw Peter Pan at Disney World).

The start of the trip.

I will tell the story of how Peter Pan came out to meet Sam though.

We went on the Peter Pan ride (no waiting, of course, because Sam was with Make A Wish) and they let him go around twice! We didn't even have to get off between rides. Afterwards, I asked an employee if Peter Pan was going to come out for a meet and greet at any time that day, and I shared with her that Peter Pan was truly my son's wish. She left for about ten minutes and when she came back she said Peter Pan was going to come out to meet Sam.

She escorted us to a special area where people immediately started lining up behind us to meet Peter Pan (and Wendy). They came out and were both amazed that his wish was to see Peter Pan...they fawned all over him, asked him about his trip on the train, loved on him, took lots of pictures and then when Sam was all done, they left! Apparently they had come out solely to see Sam!

I cried, as any pregnant mother would, and Sam kept talking about how wonderful it was to meet them both, but especially Peter Pan. It was so special.

Mickey and Minnie came out to the Give Kids the World Village just to see the

Wish children staying there.

Sea World provided us with enough fish to feed the dolphins until they were full (practically).

The Village had an ice cream parlor that was open from 7:30 in the morning until 9:30 at night. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time there.

This was Sam's first choice of ice cream: orange sherbet.

Our villa was amazing - Sam's room had a huge bathroom with a whirlpool tub and

train pictures bordering his ceiling.

Mayor Clayton, the mayor of the Village, came to tuck in the kids one night. As he was leaving, Sam looked up from his tiny bed and said, "he was SO BIG!" At over six feet tall, Sam wasn't exaggerating!