First time i saw your face....

i want to never forget what it felt like to see MYSELF in my daughter's eyes...holding her on the balcony of Ninh Thuan's orphanage.
I remember the warm breeze briskly sweeping over our heads as i held her close to me...she seems so tiny her, tentative, scared and rightfully guarded of what was going on & the future that lied ahead of her...

We could NOT have had a better family to travel with...we are honored and blessed beyond words to go through Labor & Delivery of our babies with the Willis family!!!! Look at Rooco squeezin' his Mama's cheek and arm around Daddy!!! This was after many tears shed, snuggling and reassuring Rocco he was in GOOD HANDS!!! Well, Rocco was ALWAYS in GOOD HANDS because GOD was carrying Rocco in the palm of His hands!!! We love Jason, Heather & Rocco, a bond and shared memories that will reign in our hearts forever.


Look at our baby girl's litle face...oh wow!!!! We had prayed, waited and stared at her referral pictures 100's times a day for over 5 months...then to HOLD her IN PERSON and see her face IN PERSON was surreal. Thuy Trang was NOT as prepared as we were to receive her but she let us take her in, care for her, love her and start the journey of reassuring her she was NOW with her FOREVER FAMILY... March 14, 2007. Wow, God...thank you!!!

Oh my heart ached to leave her that 1st day...Look at Maile staring at us, "So, you are going to leave me, like everyone else who has come and gone???" - is what I imagine her saying!!!! Rocco is sitting on floor behind her and VN caregivers off in the background. It was sooooo difficult to somehow communicate NON verbally, we would be back the next day to get her FOREVER!!!! My heart still aches and cries bittersweet tears to want to tell Maile's birthmother, she is in good hands...we love her...we choose her....we will take care of her heart and life. It's NOT by accident her birthmother's MOST courageous act of LOVE ended up to be our answered prayer on this side of the ocean. We have 2 amazing, brave and strong BIG brothers who love and adore their littl' sister too. Wow, again God... I say THANK YOU!!!!