"Home" at Last!

Those who have adopted, especially older children, know that the road to attachment is not an easy or quick one. I will never forget, as long as I live, the anguished screaming that Sierra did on the day that we received her, exactly 5 months ago. Although that was the only time she did that I knew that she had great attachment to the place that had been her home for 3 years. Even though she seemed happy with us I had no doubt that if given a choice, in those early weeks and even months, that she would choose to go back to what was familiar to her and the people who were the only family she had ever known. We had to teach her how to hug. We watched as she slowly came to us when she was hurt. We stayed in her room when she went to sleep so she knew we were still there. I took a leave from work so that we could build the foundation she never had. And we told her over and over again how much we loved her and how glad we were that she was with us.
So the other night I put her in her crib. I told her "Sierra, Mama loves you ... FOREVER!" And she looked up at me and said something I also never will forget. "Mama, Sierra stay here. No go China. No bus (we traveled around China in a bus)" And then she said" Dada... Mama... Davin(that's how she says David).... and Sierra" Nothing else, but I knew what she meant. She was naming her family. The people who have now become the most important in her life. The people who live with her in her house. And the people, along with her older brothers, Tim and Paul, who have taken this precious little girl into their hearts and will indeed love her forever!!!

Jump roping in the kitchen!

Watering her tomato plants

Participating in the fairy parade at a friends fairy birthday party.