OUR FOREVER FAMILY DAY!!!

How do you put into words the emotions that Forever Family Day brings? Incredible, emotional, joyous, amazing, blessed, perfect. Those are a few of the words that come to mind first. I can't believe it's been a year since we boarded that plane in Cleveland on a chilly January Ohio morning and headed for the warm, beautiful country of Guatemala...to become a FAMILY. I am getting teared up just thinking about it now....remembering the total beauty of it all. Unless you have experienced something so totally and completely amazing, it's hard to even explain. The emotions that go along with something like this are gripping and life-altering, that's for sure. The tears started to come for me when they announced our final decent into Guatemala City on the plane with a beautiful Spanish accent. I looked out my window and there it was....Guatemala...our daughter was there, being prepared to be reunited with her mom and dad and to meet her big brother for the first time. We walked off the plane and descended the steps onto the tarmac with the warm sun beating down on us, smiling at us, the day had only just begun! We walked inside the airport and I took a picture, I wanted to remember that moment, that feeling for the rest of my life.

The wait at the hotel for Mikayla to arrive felt endless. Our attorney was late and we were a mess, a total mess, with ten thousand thoughts and questions running through us. Alec kept asking us over and over again, "when are they bringing me my sister!?" Then, in a split second, the moment came. In she came, in an adorable strawberry romper, with her full head of beautiful hair and her light eyes looking around at her surroundings. I jumped off that Marriot couch, ran to her before Kris even knew she was there. No one told me...I KNEW....that baby, that little girl, she was my daughter and I wanted, no, I NEEDED to hold her...it had been too long. I needed her. I took her in my arms and my heart felt so full. I held her as tight as I could while the tears quietly fell down my cheeks. I brought her over to Kris then, held her out to him on the couch and said, through choking tears, "Alec, this is your baby sister Mikayla Faith." It is a moment that is embedded happily in my memory and will remain there the rest of my life. It was a moment like no other and one that I will never experience again in my life. That was it...we were a forever family...January 27th, 2007. My heart was full, my family was complete, and I was finally at peace.

So that was a year ago. And this is today! Our first Forever Family Day! And it was a wonderful one. We celebrated the day with my in-laws and their children, my mom and dad, and Joe, Gina, and Christian. We talked, remembered, watched our children play, had a yummy meal and cake, and simply relished in the joy that "FAMILY" brings. It was a totally wonderful way to celebrate the day that Mikayla came into our family forever, the day that Alec became a brother, and the day that Kris and I became parents to a beautiful Guatemalan baby girl, Mikayla Faith.

January 27th, 2007....WELCOME TO GUATEMALA!
Our very first family photo..not the best but 100% priceless to me!
Alec laying eyes on Mikayla for the first time!

Now here we are TODAY!!!
Grandma Cheryl and her granddaughter
Oooooh...grandma and papa brought me a balloon!
It makes me smile:-)
Do you want to play with it mom?

OK good because I wasn't going to give it up anyway!
Don't even THINK about taking my balloon anyone
Pretty baby face...growing up too quickly
Please give it to me grandma
Big Brother Alec...not wanting a picture as usual

Having some fun before everyone else got to the house
These are the special milk free cakes that I made for Mikayla...she ate TWO of them:-)
The cake
MOM....give me CAKE!
She LOVED it. This poor child's diet is SO limited due to her milk allergies and this is only the 2nd time in her life she has had cake.

Cutie Christian
Victoria and Mikayla
Chasing each other through the house
My husband...I love you Kris..I could NOT have gotten through this adoption without you by my side holding me up when I fell
We got the kids some new clothes:-)

Mesmerized by Elmo
BOTH mesmerized by Elmo
Elmo...you are the best
This is a CLASSIC Mikayla face!
Mommy and her girl who refuses to look at the camera

Family picture a year later take ONE
TAKE TWO
I'll smile now that I got the balloon!
Joe, Christian, and Gina...I am so glad you guys came today...I love you three!
I think this picture is so cute...the way Gina is looking down at him:-)

Friends Forever....
My mom and me
Kris and his BIG family!
Diane, Alec, and Mike
One last family picture:-)