Lucky 7

July 27, 2015July 28, 2015 | leftylex

Do you remember being 7 years old? Good times, right? I turned 7 in January of 1991. I had a New Kids On The Block backpack, some sweet MC Hammer-esque pants, and I could do a math “speed drill” faster than anyone in my class! I lived with my parents and (then) two younger sisters. We took family walks to the park down the street, ate donuts every Sunday morning before church, and watched Rescue 911 every Tuesday. Life was good.

That’s little 7 year old me! That was my class photo at my small private, Christian school with good ole Mrs. Davis. I spent loads of time outside, just being a kid with my little sisters. I did the regular all-American things little girls do like piano lessons and Girl Scouts (with Troop 3326 and our fun troop leader, Mrs. French). And, like every kid, I spent times in and out of school with my friends; that’s me and Michelle, fun fact… she’s adopting from China right now too!!!

These are the kind of memories that every 7 year old deserves to have, but unfortunately, that is not the case. My own sweet waiting son, Lok, turns 7 years old this week. He will not share the same type of fun memories that I have as a 7 year old. Right now he knows that a family in America is working hard to make their way to him, but he’s anxious and rightly so. He’s about to encounter an entirely new and different world… and get one crazy mom! It may be scary for him right now but, I know that ages 8+ will be full of fun, family, and love for Lok. While Lok is now loved and spoken for, that is not the case for many, many other sweet 7 year olds.

I’d like to introduce you to seven of those sweet 7 year olds who are currently waiting for families to step forward and bring them home! Meet Creed, Henry, Olin, Tucker, Wade, Brooks, and Colt! These are all sweet boys that have been designated to Lifeline Children’s Services to be advocated for for the next couple of months. Lifeline is the agency we have used/are using to bring our boys home. They are amazing and I’m beyond grateful for them.

Now, before you continue reading this post, I need you to do something for me! Stop, close your eyes your eyes for a second and remember that these kids are nothing more than 7 year old boys who have never known the love of a forever family. Do some of them have medical special needs that you might not be familiar with? Yes, but you can educate yourself on those needs and connect with other families who live with them. Do some of them have special needs that may scare you? Yes, but our God is bigger than scary. Do they come with “baggage” from 7 years of being institutionalized? Yes, but every single person on this planet has baggage. Are they to blame for any of this? No! Do they still deserve the love of a family and the happy memories that every 7 year old should be entitled to? YES! Don’t write these boys off simply because they are older and have special needs. They are made in the image and likeness of our Creator, just the same as you and me!

Meet Creed, an adorable little one who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP). But CP does not define him! Check out this article which gives some insight into Creed’s daily life: http://chinaspecialtreasures.blogspot.com/search/label/Zeb. There are also videos of Creed (showing his mobility!) available for viewing here. This little guy does not let anything stop him!

Henry!!! Henry is described as a lovable and helpful little boy. He is very active and loves to play with balls, go outside, and run. Henry also gets along with other children and tends to do little things for the smaller children he lives with. He is diagnosed with Trisomy 21 Syndrome, which might explain his cuteness a little better. Doesn’t he look like he’d be the best cuddler?!

Next up is little Olin. Unlike most orphans in China, Olin, was not placed into care until he was 3 years old. His special need is congenital deafness, which as many experienced families would tell you, is hardly a special need at all. What this boy needs most is a family to step forward and say: MINE!

You don’t truly know what cuteness is if you’ve never laid eyes on Tucker! Be still my heart, this kid is so precious! I guarantee that you can’t wait this video and not tear up. This sweet boy is diagnosed with CHD, Megacolon, and Anal Atresia; click on each to learn more about Tucker’s particular (manageable!) special needs. We know that he is definitely not lacking in the cuteness department!

Say hello to Wade! Aside from the special need of a family, this boy’s only diagnosable need is a repaired cleft lip and palate. Cleft lip and palate is a very common special need and there are many, many support groups for families with this need. Wade is described as a little boy who likes to teach other children the things that he is learning in school and frequently chats with his caregivers.

Okay, it’s bad to have favorites, but I have to admit that little Brooks is my personal favorite among these seven. Just look at that face! Those eyes, those lips, good Lord! Brooks is diagnosed with CHD and a right hernia. A quick video of him can be seen here. Please consider him, I don’t want those little lips going any longer without a mama to kiss them!

And last, but not least, we have Colt! This dimpled cutie is a gorgeous boy who lives in a wonderful foster home (just like my Lok!). He special needs list may seem long, but this child is thriving. His medical file reads “vision correction; heart murmurs needing check, suggest UCG test; postoperative congenital imperforate anus; advise to strengthen the HBV vaccine” but, as with all of these boys, his greatest need is for a forever family! Doesn’t he look like so much fun?!

The little 7 year old me wanted to be a missionary and in a way, that’s exactly what the 31 year old me has become through adoption. From the moment Lok entered my life, I have prayed for him daily. Once Lok comes home, we’ll begin praying with him, we’ll read the Scriptures with him every night before bedtime, we’ll sit with him in the pews hearing the gospel preached together as a family every Sunday. If this is not missionary work, then I don’t know what is. My 7 year old self envisioned being a missionary, living in a hut somewhere in Africa, but the 31 year old me knows that my mission field is actually serving my family; being the best wife I can be to my husband, raising our boys in the faith, and advocating as hard as I can for those precious littles who still wait for their families. Now imagine what could become of these little 7 year olds if they were just given the love of a forever family.

Will Miss Foster Family

July 10, 2015July 12, 2015 | leftylex

I start every morning with prayer. Once I come to the supplication portion of my prayer I pray for my family in this order: husband, Kai, Lok. I pray for my husband in areas X, Y, and Z. Then I pray for Kai in areas X, Y, and Z (which have changed greatly in the last 6 months). Then I pray for Lok and my prayer always begins with please prepare his heart. I’ve already stopped to have two little cry sessions while typing up this paragraph because I know the journey that his little heart is about to go on.

But I can truly only understand it from an outsiders point of view. He is not even 7 years old yet, but has already experienced more loss than most of us likely ever will. He’s experienced the loss of his biological family, loss of care takers, and loss of foster siblings. And in a few short months, he’ll lose his country, language, culture, foods, and everything familiar to him. Yet his biggest loss will be the loss of his foster parents whom have been his only constant for the past 4+ years. We just received an update on Lok and one of the questions we asked was,

Q: Does he have any fears about living in America?

A: Will miss foster family

The answer broke me. It was not what I expected from that question. My heart absolutely breaks knowing that he is going to have to experience that type of loss! Everything in my being wants to hop on a plane to China yesterday and bring him home to be with us. We already love him so much and Kai is so excited to have a big brother. He is going to be gaining so much, but he will be losing an equal amount. I know that the transition for Lok is going to be difficult, it has to be. How could it not?

I’m already preparing myself for the grieving episodes. I’m prepared to firmly hug and hold a grieving child as he fails wildly in my arms, while pinching, biting, hitting, and punching me. I’m prepared to have bruises on my nose a time or two from being head butted because I’ll refuse to let him go when I know that what he needs most is for me to hang on to him. I’m prepared for him to yell a few choice words in Mandarin at me out of frustration. Then, as his English improves, I’m prepared to hear “I don’t love you, Mama. I want to go home!”. I’m prepared for days that will leave my husband and me emotionally dead with no where else to turn to but the cross. I’m prepared for these days because I have already experienced them with Kai. These are not fun days. I’m prepared for them, but I don’t anxiously anticipate them. But I’m a realist, I know that they’ll come and I won’t shy away from them.

I want Lok to know that it is perfectly acceptable to miss his foster family. I want to cry with him when homesickness strikes him. I want to hold him when everything about his new homeland scares him. But I also want to rejoice with him when he swims across the pool for the first time. I want to cheer for him when he writes his name for the first time. I want to cry happy mama tears when I see him and Kai play in their room for the first time. I want him to always know that it is okay to share every emotion that he feels with me. I don’t want him to worry about seeming silly or hurting my (our) feelings. There will be loss and it needs to be dealt with. I want to experience all of his life with him as his forever mama. I’ve already lost 7 years!

Sweet boy, the road ahead of you will be hard. I know that you’ll have great days and sad days. I know that you’ll miss the only home you’ve known. I know that you’ll miss your foster mama’s cooking. I know that you’ll miss your Chinese cartoons. I know that you’ll miss your dog, Huang. But I know that you will be a loved son. I know that you will be an adored big brother. I know that you’ll be a spoiled grandson, nephew, and cousin. I know that you’ll be taught the love of Christ and the goodness of the gospel. And I pray that one day you’ll feel that, through all the loss, you gained so much. And I pray that the current early morning prayers of your anxious mama are already working on your heart.

Call to Boymom

July 4, 2015July 4, 2015 | leftylex

I remember being in a store with my husband (then fiancé) when we passed a mom with 3 small boys. I made a terrified face at Ryan and said, “THAT is my worst nightmare!”. Boys, that many boys, scared me to bits. That would not be me. I would be a girlmom, a girlmom in all my glitter and ruffle glory. My experience of motherhood would be full of craft binges with my little girls, day trips to the American Girl store, and long marathons of Disney princess movie watching. We’d have tea parties, read every Laura Ingalls Wilder book ever written, and dolls would flood our house. I wanted to relive everything about my childhood that was precious; I would be a girlmom.

I should preface this by saying that I am the eldest of six kids. We are five girls, then one brave boy. My brother and I are 13 years apart. I remember my parents being so excited when an ultrasound revealed that they were finally going to have a son (nearly 17 years into their marriage!). I was less thrilled. I remember the exact thought that popped into my 13 year old head: what the heck are we going to do with a boy?! And while I loved my little brother terribly from the moment he made his entrance into the world, it was still a strange adjustment. Life was easier with one gender; I would be a girlmom.

Throughout undergrad I worked at an elementary school and, oh my, did those boys scare me! They were basically hyperactive, dirty, sweaty, sticky, smelly balls of energy that somehow found their way into a human body. Compared to girls, they were so much work! I could leave two little girls alone in a corner with a book and they’d read quietly. That same book would instantly become a weapon of mass destruction if left with two little boys. I preferred quiet cuteness over noise and band-aids; I would be a girlmom.

Seven years into our marriage, Ryan and I decided that we would build our family through international adoption. China, specifically. I was over the moon! I envisioned my daughter, a chubby little bundle of pink with rosy cheeks and a mop of black hair. We settled on her name, Jia Evangeline, it was girly perfection. China requires that adopting parents be at least 30 years old and I was only 29 at the time so we had nearly a year to do research on what the China adoption experience would be like. I happily navigated my way through blogs and books; I was on my way to being a girlmom!

During an early morning research session, I came across an article that spoke about the great need for families for boys! Boys?! Prior to that article, we assumed that only girls were available to adopt from China. But here we were faced with stats which debunked that myth. We learned that the wait to be matched with a boy is usually considerably shorter as Westerners largely desire to adopt daughters from China. I wasn’t the only one with visions of ribbons and sparkles; there were many feeling the draw to girlmom.

This new bit of information, however, changed Ryan’s attitude dramatically! He didn’t even think that adopting a son was a possibility, but now that it was… my, my how he began taking a greater interest in completing that paperwork! I called him a sexist. He was only excited about adopting a son. But, wait! Wasn’t I doing the same thing in reverse? Did I want a child to love and care for or did I want a little girl to be my play thing? Ouch! After a few days of prayer and some true self-analyzing, I released my lifelong dream of girlmom.

Several months later, while searching a waiting children’s list, I found him. I found the little boy that made me stop dead in my tracks and say “MINE!”. At that moment no amount of American Girl dolls or pink glitter could have derailed me. I was sold. God chose that little boy to make me a mama. Nearly 16 months later, on a rainy day in Guangzhou, that little boy was placed in my arms. I was a boymom.

Being a boymom is just about as terrifying as I thought it would be. My son is as sticky as a glue stick every second of the day, his energy never runs out, and he instantly turns any object into a weapon. But, dear Lord, does that boy love and melt his mama! He tries to “out kiss” his daddy every day; landing the longest, juiciest kisses I’ve ever been the recipient of. He is my little gentleman in every way possible and says “I love you, Mama” dozens of times a day. This? Is this what you were afraid of, boymom?

In my six short months as a mom, I’ve learned who all the Ninja Turtles are. I’ve played with swords, light sabers, guns, and slingshots. I’ve been to Marvel Universe Live and can tell you all of the Avengers’ super powers. I have come to absolutely love cheesy, dubbed kung fu movies. I’m now the owner of several Star Wars and comic related shirts. My laundry duties have doubled. And my love for boys, not just my own son, has tripled. I want there to be more boymoms.

After being home from China for a few months, we got the itch again. Our family wasn’t complete, there was still an empty chair at our table. Our son, Kai, deserved a sibling. And just a few short weeks later we found him, our next son. He is a precious boy who has been waiting nearly 7 long years for a family to swoop in and say “MINE!”. I’m looking at his photo right now and wondering how on earth he has gone unclaimed for so long. He is absolutely precious in every way. I cannot wait until he is here running around the house with Kai. I can’t wait until they figure out how much fun sliding down the stairs in a sleeping bag is. I can’t wait until I hear play kung fun sounds coming from their room. I can’t wait until he feels the love that can only come from a forever family! I can’t wait to be a boymom times two!

If this lifelong girlmom daydreamer could trade in her dreams of pink, sparkle unicorns for sticky, smelly hugs, then maybe you could too. There is still a vast need for all orphans to find families of their own (boys and girls alike), but there is a special place in my heart to advocate for those boys who wait simply for being boys. I would have never dreamed of adopting a 4 year old boy followed by a 7 year old boy, but the Lord’s plans for me are so much greater than my little dreams could have ever imagined. Just maybe you too will take the challenge to boymom.

Thoughts from an Adoptive Dad

May 26, 2015 | leftylex

I know that so many women have the hurdle of “convincing” hubby that adopting is the right move for their family. And even if the husband agrees, I know that many of those wives also wonder, deep down, if their husband is truly going to love their adoptive child as their own. Let’s face it, 99% of the adoptive paperwork, fundraising efforts, travel arrangements, etc. are usually completed by the adoptive mom. That’s just the way it goes. It’s not that the adoptive fathers don’t care, it’s just that the adoptive moms usually take on the majority of the weight during the paper pregnancy. For this reason, many of the mamas seem to have a closer emotional pull towards their adoptive child than the dad does. When Kai was still in China, I never questioned my husband’s love for him, but (if truth be told) I always felt that my love for Kai was stronger. Now that Kai is home with us, I no longer feel that way. I know without a doubt that my husband loves Kai just as much as I do.

This past week our family was visited by our social worker to simultaneously update our homestudy for son #2 (Lok) and conduct our 6 month post-placement visit for son #1 (Kai). One part of our homestudy update required my husband and I to both write 1 page updates sharing how our lives have changed since the adoption of our first son. I just now opened my Mac Book to find my husband’s update pop up on my screen. I didn’t ask him, but I have to share this. I love it.

In January of 2015, my wife Alexcis and I traveled to Guangzhou, China to finally meet our son, and to bring him home. Our time had finally come, and life as we knew it would be different forever. The time in China was a mix of wonder and awe, mixed with a lot of challenges. Kai is a very fun and sweet boy. He has the funnest little personality, and is an extremely affectionate child. His personality, however was marred by the fact that his life prior to our arrival in China was not permanent, and he would be taken from all he knew and cherished.

Kai has experienced a lot of grieving after coming into our family. It was tough for all of us to deal with, but we were well prepared for what was in store. There was a language barrier that didn’t help the situation out in any sense, instead made things worse. Communicating basic needs was tough for him, and expressing emotions was a far greater challenge. Getting our point across to him also proved quite difficult. There were night terrors, screaming tantrums, and even physical attacks against us. We were trained adequately on all of these things, but there is nothing like experiencing these things first hand. As time would pass, however, the communication became more clear, and the grieving episodes slowly decreased. There was much hardship at times, but also many moments of joy. Our lives have been altered in more ways than one.

We know that Kai has been placed in our home and into our care for a reason. We work hard to provide him with everything he will ever need. He means the world to us, and we have been so blessed to have him in our lives. There is more work than before, but it is not work done in vain. I know that it is a tough job, but I feel so much satisfaction in the work that we put into him, because we know that it is all done out of love. I truly enjoy being Kai’s father. I love taking him to places, playing with him, sharing wisdom with him, and soaking in all the love he showers us with. There has indeed been much work, but we have been compensated ten times over with all the joys he has brought us. My life since Kai has transformed me in ways I had never imagined.

Isn’t that beautiful?! Ladies out there who are wondering if your husband’s love towards your adoptive child will be real, it will be. Ladies who have husbands who aren’t yet ready to move forward with adoption, pray and wait patiently. It took time before my husband was sure that we should grow our family through adoption too! The beauty of adoption and the way that it transforms lives is so massively impactful. I thank God every day for giving my husband and me the blessing of parenting our amazing little boy and loving him just as if he had been born to us.

Day 15: Waiting for the Call

May 16, 2015May 16, 2015 | leftylex

Oh, this one’s gonna be controversial! In relation to adoption, I often hear Christians say, things along the lines of: oh, we’d love to adopt, but we’re just waiting for the call! Now they don’t mean “the call” as in they’re waiting for a social worker to call them and tell them that they’ve been matched. They’re referring to receiving a call from God to adopt. Here’s my controversial statement… you don’t need to wait for the call!

There are plenty of verses in holy Scripture that refer to caring for orphans and the fatherless. The most well known among these verses is probably James 1:27, which reads, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” That is all the call you need! But it is also not a verse that those in the adoption community can shove down other Christians’ throats in an effort to make them adopt.

If you feel you’re interested in adopting, have a heart for orphans, and wish to grow your family through adoption, then adopt! You do not need to wait for the heavens to part and a booming voice from heaven to shout: Here is your call, it is now time to adopt. God speaks to his people through the Scripture and often uses others to minister to us and encourage us along. You’d be surprised at the amount of adoptive families who started their journeys after reading some crazy adoptive mama’s advocating on social media… or after reading an awesome blog post! (Wink, wink.)

Again, I am not saying that all Christians are mandated to adopt or should be guilt-tripped into adoption, because that is truly not my belief. It takes a whole lot of desire and determination to complete an adoption! But if you believe that you have the desire and determination to adopt, then move forward in faith.

As with any major life decision a Christian makes, you should consider adoption with prayer and godly counsel. But as long as you don’t encounter glaring roadblocks, you’re in the clear. Adopting is not violating God’s word. True, it’s a major life decision, but I bet that there are plenty of things that you didn’t wait to receive the call for. Buying a house? Taking a new job? Having biological kids? These are excellent things to pray about and seek godly counsel on, but chances are, most people don’t say that they’re waiting for the call on any of these things. They consider the options, pray, and move forward in Christian liberty.

Day 14: Adoption Movie Night

May 15, 2015May 15, 2015 | leftylex

As I mentioned in an earlier post in this series, there was one primary reason why we chose international adoption, Stuck. Stuck is a documentary that follows 3 families adopting from 3 different countries: Haiti, Vietnam, and Ethiopia. I stumbled upon this documentary by sheer accident (aka God’s providence) and it has impacted our lives more than any film ever has. It was what moved us from our pursuit of domestic infant private adoption to the crazy rough and tumble journey of international adoption. We knew that our child was somewhere out there just waiting for us!

Back in 2013 the Both Ends Burning organization took Stuck on a bus tour to several cities across the country. They came to San Diego and I served as a volunteer encouraging people to attend the showing (and I think I worked the merchandise booth for a bit too). My husband and I made our families to come along so they could understand a bit more about the journey that we were about to embark on. It was an emotional eye opener for everyone!

I could go on and on about this film, but I’d rather you see it for yourself! Here’s my plan, let’s have Stuck movie night! This Saturday, May 16th, is National Step Forward for Orphans Day, so let’s set aside Saturday night to watch Stuck together! There are a few ways that you can watch:

Netflix! Yes, it’s on Netflix, just type in Stuck (I think it’s the second choice that pops up);
Click here http://buy.stuckdocumentary.com and download the film, it costs $9.99 and it is soooo worth every penny! (This is actually how I watched it the first time around) or
Pop in your DVD and watch it again for the millionth time (like I’ll be doing).

Plan a date night-in with your husband and cuddle on the couch with some tissues. Invite a girlfriend over to watch it with you. Drive to your parents house and watch it with them. Just WATCH IT! I guarantee that you’ll like it. So, once you’ve decided to join in on this little movie night (because you know you need to!), let me know in a comment below or on social media. I truly hope you watch the film, it is so powerful and highlights its tagline so well, every child deserves a family.

Here’s the teaser again in case you missed it earlier. Now, go run and pen in Stuck on your calendar for this Saturday night! #StepForward2015

Day 13: Where Orphans Live

May 14, 2015May 14, 2015 | leftylex

Two days after being united with our son we had the opportunity to visit the social welfare institute (orphanage) where he spent the first 22 months of his life. He was over 4 years old by the time we adopted him and had spent 2+ years living with a foster family; which we were very grateful for. So while we knew that he likely didn’t have many memories of living in the orphanage, visiting the orphanage was strongly encouraged by our agency and by my China mentor moms.

I have to be honest, I knew that it would be beneficial for Kai to have photos of his orphanage for later on in life, but I was deeply dreading the visit. I had seen YouTube clips and documentaries showing what life in the orphanage was like and I didn’t even want to imagine Kai there. But, my feelings aside, we signed up for the visit and went. It was about as emotion packed as I assumed it would be. I filmed a lot and have been debating whether or not to share it with the world. I am crying during most of the filming, I couldn’t pull myself together despite the myriad of nannies who must have thought that I was crazy.

The visit left me unbelievably heart broken and emotionally drained. When we got back to the hotel room later that night, I wrote and posted this to Instagram: “I will never forget today. Visiting the place where Kai spent his first 22 months of life was hard. Let me start by saying that there is no doubt in my mind that the nannies here care for these children. Every single nanny that we saw knew Kai’s (full Chinese) name, and there were dozens. The ladies in that lower photo were only a small amount of them; these were the ones who assisted in Kai’s classroom. I was so overcome with emotion when I saw them in action with the other kids and Kai that I burst into tears and walked around the room seeking out each one to thank and hold by the hands. These women looked after my Kai when I was thousands of mile away worrying and praying for him; I owe them everything. We gave Kai a giant bag of candies and he passed them out to every child we saw (until it ran out). They ALL called him by name when thanking him. Out popular boy! But guys, there were so many that it broke my heart over and over again. 5 tiny babies sunbathing in one crib, 10 little boys with Down Syndrome holding a rope led by a teacher. Countless baby babies playing in the nursery, a dozen toddlers wadding on the pavement. Is there something you can do? Can you give up a bit of comfort to do something miraculous? If I was a soapboxes before, this upped the ante X100. These babies NEED and DESERVE families. Is your baby here? #wehavekai but what about you?! It takes work, and stamina, and yes MONEY, but these are real live children, not statistics. We are blue collar workers, we own a 2 bedroom townhome, not a mansion. God used us, you can be used too.” (@leftylex)

I still stand by those words and that call to action. Friends, I’ve never attempted to sugarcoat adoption. It’s hard. Somedays you’ll wonder if you’re strong enough for the challenge, before, during, and after your child is placed with you. I know that I have! But, it is absolutely more than worth it. Holding my son in my arms after all of the mountains of paperwork and money it took to get him here only makes it sweeter. Looking back at these photos I’m reminded of the goodness of the Lord and his incredible faithfulness. Perhaps these photos and this mama’s recollection of her son’s first home is tugging at your heartstrings. And I pray that it does. Perhaps that subtle tugging will turn into something larger and you just might find yourself, someday, visiting the place where your orphan first lived.

Day 12: Gotcha Day

May 13, 2015 | leftylex

Today marks exactly 4 months since my son’s Gotcha Day. What’s a Gotcha Day? It’s the day we got Kai, the day we became a forever family!

This was the moment. The exact moment. Words can’t describe it, so I’ll let the photos do the talking.

And then we were a family. All that we had worked so hard for had finally come to fruition. He was real. He was in our arms. He was ours. It was magic. And that, dear friends, is what Gotcha Day is.

Day 11: Being a Conspicuous Family

May 12, 2015May 12, 2015 | leftylex

In our little family of three, we don’t look alike. My husband is Spanish and Caucasian, I’m (mostly) Mexican, and our son is Chinese. We’re all tan and have dark hair and eyes, but our features are very different. Obviously. However, we also have many similarities; Kai and I have beauty marks on the same spot on our necks. And Kai and Ryan have matching marks on their… I’ll leave that one to the imagination! Kai likes when I point out the fact that he has brown skin like Mama and short, dark hair like Baba.

For Kai’s sake, I’m glad that we do have these similarities, but I also love our differences! I love Kai’s monolid, Asian eyes. I could stare at them for hours… and I have! They are so different from my very large, round eyes. But they are beautiful. Our noses are different too. I have a very prominent nose ridge, and Kai’s is more subtle. But, it is the the best nose in the world to munch and kiss on. And we do share another common trait, giant lips! Oh, how they are perfect for yummy kisses. His face, as a whole, is entirely different from ours and 100% perfection! I adore the differences so much more than I ever thought I would.

When we initially settled on international adoption, being a conspicuous family was something that I was a bit worried about. I remember thinking that everyone will know that we are an adoptive family all of the time. And now I think everyone knows that we are an adoptive family all of the time… YES!!! I love spreading the message of adoption and I love talking about international adoption whenever I’m able to. And, in all honesty, there have been only a small handful of times when people looked inquisitively when I said that Kai was my son. It could be the fact that we live in San Diego, which is extraordinarily culturally diverse, but I like to think that most people simply do not care. A family is a family, and a family with a common ethnic heritage is no “better” than our family, just different. I love differences. I love that love, not DNA makes a family. I love being a conspicuous family.