Visiting!

Well it's been a big week for Miss Amelia. She and I are in the great state of Texas (her 15th state!) right now visiting my sister and her cute family. We've been having such a wonderful time hanging out and watching the girls play together. I came out because my sister and her husband just bought their first home and so I'm hoping to help them get set up in their new place. Plus I'll get to watch my niece while they go to work- which we're thinking will be a good transition to the new day care after I leave. We'll be here another 11 days and then we'll fly back home to Daddy. Mia has sure been missing her other-biggest-fan and gives him affirmation of such each evening when we face time. It's adorable to watch her reaction to seeing him as she giggles and smiles, arches her back and reaches for him. Extremely adorable :)

But before I started watching my niece and all that good stuff, Mia and I traveled to see Meri. We were also able to see her parents and some of her extended family, most of which we have met before. It was a good visit, mainly filled with watching Mia play and enjoying her every move :) She is at an incredibly curious stage right now and is a ton of fun to watch and interact with. They got to see her attempts at crawling and join in with 'showing her how' hahaha oh priceless memories! Meri looked lovely as always and it made me happy to be there amongst everyone who have so much love for little Mia. My heart is full of gratitude for Meri and her family who really have done an incredible job at taking a situation that, agreeably, was not ideal, and turning it into something that can be cherished. Where the good can shine out and bring light to a place that at times seemed dark. They have my full respect in so many ways. It makes my eyes well up to think of how warmly we have been received at each interaction. Sometimes when I am telling someone about our plans or our visits they sit back and say yeah well isn't that kind of....odd? Uncomfortable? Are you doing this right? Ha, well, let me tell you, just as there isn't a manuel on Life, there sure isn't one for how to 'properly live' an open adoption. All I can say is, Brad and I are sincerely trying our hardest to keep our promises and always follow through. And want to know the coolest part? So are Meri and her family. They don't 'owe' us a thing. And yet here they are being sweet and supportive and showing Christ-like love. I've learned a lot through these life events surrounding adoption...and I know I'm not done yet.