Sunday, February 12, 2012

What an amazing year...



























We have sent the following letter to our friends and True Children's Home. We thought you all would also enjoy an update on our little Mimi.


Our daughter Marin (Xi Xin) has been home with us now for one year. We celebrated her gotcha day on January 18. Every morning, when we go into her room to greet her and take her out of her crib we pass by a little pink boot, which is the doorstop for her door. Marin was wearing this boot on Gotcha Day and it has become a symbol of the care, love and generosity bestowed on her by the nannies, volunteers and support staff of True Children’s Home. Our little girl was not handed to us barefoot, cold, and hopeless, but warm, (beautifully) clothed and diligently cared for.

We had been through the Chinese adoption process before and our experience was so positive, our daughter Helena so truly amazing, that we felt the need to return to China. We prayed for guidance on whether we were equipped to handle the challenges of a child with special needs. And after much soul-searching, the counting of our many blessings and the support of our loving family, we jumped in with both feet…knowing this time we would rely much heavier on our faith.

In January of 2011, our second adoption trip, we had no prior knowledge of True Children’s Home. So when Jenny and Michael handed us our little bundle and then proceeded to tell us about their organization, we saw this surprise as nothing short of a miracle. Marin had been financially and physically supported through a well-performed surgery as well as her post-surgical care. What a blessing for Marin and for us to be given this truly amazing gift. All the care given by True Children’s home, from the surgical repair to the one-on-one bonding, made her transition to her life as Marin relatively simple and much less traumatic than we could have imagined.

With her big bright beautiful eyes, Marin is thriving. We just celebrated her 2nd birthday. She is a happy, confident little soul who loves and is loved by all who know her. Marin is very affectionate and spontaneously offers warm hugs to her family members. Her grandparents (she is fortunate to have both sets) adore her and she gets very excited at the arrival of her Nana, Grandma, Granddad and YeYe. She likes playing by herself, but also enjoys the company of her sister, cousins and friends. She loves playing with her dolls, her pretend kitchen, as well as browsing her library. We recently started taking her to a group music class and she beams with joy as she sings and dances along with the other adults and children.

Her speech is coming along very well and with a rapidly growing vocabulary, has little trouble communicating her wants and needs. Her repaired lip and cleft were examined several months after we came home. Our surgical team here in Salt Lake was very impressed with the repair and other than ear tubes placed last summer, no follow-up should be required until she’s five or six years old.

The little pink boot will remain a fixture in Marin’s room. As she matures and becomes more aware of her world, we will share with her the story of this little boot and how it is part of her story, her beginning. A beginning that first stumbled but then was lovingly lifted up by the generosity of strangers. Marin’s story is an incredible example of the blessing of charity, love, generosity, and the impact these virtues can have on a new life.