One blessed girl...one blessed family

We were recently able to help a precious girl celebrate her 5th birthday.

It was Ava Laurence's 5th birthday...but her 1st one home with her forever family.

We first met her parents, Vicki and Billy, right before we adopted Daniel in June 2007.
It was God's providence and perfect timing. He knew that I needed this precious Vicki in my life...and that we were about to bring home a little boy who would need Speech Therapy (guess what Vicki does?!?!).

Vicki and Billy were about 1.5 years into the China adoption process at that point - and everyone was beginning to realize what a very bad turn the Non-Special Needs waiting time was taking.
And while it took longer than we all initially expected, the Lord - in His perfect timing - led Vicki and Billy to precious Ava Laurence on their adoption agency's Waiting Child list last June.

We were blessed to be able to "wait" with them, and then anticipate AL's arrival with them:

At the shower, waiting not-so-patiently for AL's arrival


And then we were blessed to meet them at the airport as they stepped back into their new life in November 2009.





And so what a blessing turned around and brought to completion when we were finally able to celebrate this blessed girl with her blessed family, on her first birthday at home.



This precious girl, whose hearing loss went undiagnosed for who knows how long in China, and was once thought to be autistic...has, of course, flourished under the doting care of her two loving parents.

And this precious girl, who knew no signs 6 months ago, now knows about 200 signs and has begun to link them together into sentences. Even her very gait is different that it was 6 months ago.

This precious girl is seldom seen without a necklace on...usually three or four...or five of them, actually.And she loves balloons. It is a joy to watch her delight in balloons the way she does.

It has been a blessing to watch all these transformations...but are they a surprise?

No, not really. A mother and a father who would die for you...isn't that what every child deserves? This is how God planned it. That is how children grow and thrive best.

AL was recently fitted with hearing aids, and will be having surgery for cochlear implants this summer. The doctors can prognosticate all they wish...but they don't know what a little girl with an adoring mama and daddy who love the Lord can accomplish. As my friend Vicki says, "They don't know what my God can do!"

We are blessed to have this girl and this family in our lives...and to have front-row seats to see what God does do in their lives.

We love you, Vicki, Billy, and Ava Laurence!