Welcome 2008!

There's no question that 2007 was an overwhelming year for us. It was completely consumed by the adoption process and was pretty exhausting at times.

From the 5 hour wait to have our fingerprints done at the Homeland Security office, to the day we laid eyes on Xiang Xuan's picture for the first time, to the day we walked into the Civil Affairs office in Hangzhou, China to sign on the dotted line and recite our promise to love and care for that little boy as long as we live... it was quite a year.

I have to say we are glad to have 2007 behind us, but it is filled with memories we wouldn't trade for anything. Now, we're excited to see what the coming year has in store.

For those who, like us, made a life changing journey in 2007, congratulations! For those still waiting, may 2008 bring equal miracles to you and your families. May your child make the long trip home or for those in the long line, may your heart's compass change direction and pull you toward a Waiting Child.

Best wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy 2008!


Below are a few of my favorite pictures from China that never made the blog:

We couldn't resist this teacher's shirt in Guangzhou. Can You Please Me?

Ian was a babe magnet in Hangzhou. This group of girls came flying out of a restaurant to see him when we walked by.

Shawn and Ian checking out the koi in the White Swan lobby

One of my Beijing favorites. This shot only slightly shows the grade to the wall segment we scaled.

It was about 30 degrees and extremely windy up there. I was freezing and sweating at the same time.

Me at The Summer Palace. Like most moms, I knew once we had Ian, I would be behind the camera and no longer in front of it.

Ian loved the stroller in Guangzhou, but it was like a sleeping pill. He slept like this for over an hour.

Ian with 3 local women in Hangzhou. They were mom and her two daughters.

Ian drew a huge crowd at this park. The men in the back pushed through the crowd to get a picture with us and then shook Shawn's hand and thanked him, asking if Ian would please return to China someday. This was a common sentiment.

Ian's monk blessing at Six Banyan Temple in Guangzhou