above: Easter Sundaybelow: Josie's third birthday
Today is the anniversary of our Josie officially becoming our daughter in Nanjing, PRC!!! It's been a year already! What a year too! Josie has come so far and so have we. She is singing her ABCs (with a few misses, but hey!), she's hugging her brother, chasing her dog, singing when she wakes up in the morning, smiling, trusting us.... She's also gone through Botox injections to her shoulder, an MRI, a tendon transfer, 6 weeks in a nasty brace, and glasses! The glasses was the biggest surprise; it seems she has a pretty nasty astigmatism. But now that she has them and can tell where the floor is, she isn't falling! She's very excited to have them (puts them on first thing in the morning) and is soooo cute in them! (I know, I know...I'll get a picture on as soon as I can.)
We have enjoyed watching her personality bubble up. She is very, very ornery and just grins the biggest grins when she's pulled something on one of us. She loves to giggle, to eat, and to run. She comes up with the family's funniest "walks" which we imitate on our way to bed after praying together at night. She has a "little old lady" walk which she brought with her from China. She showed Grams today but smartly answered it was not Grams. She is loud and bold and opinionated. She tells people she's three whether they ask or not (or if they ask HOW she is doing). She likes to wrestle with Michael and dress dolls with Chloe. Today she built a Lincoln Log house exactly like Michael was building. She imitates him no matter what he is doing. Usually it's good, but there are times.... She is three, you know!
But at the first anniversary mark, we'd all say we are so thankful to have Josie in our lives and cannot imagine life without her. She is a treasure and one we get to enjoy. To think we could have missed it. I'm so sad for all the families who have not risked, who stayed comfortable and spent their money on things they won't remember five years from now. Adoption is so worth it. She is so worth it. We are so happy you are home, Josie; we love you!
