18 Months

I didn't realize it until I had to write the date on a check this morning, but as of today we have been LID for 18 months. LID means "Log In Date" - in other words, our dossier was received and officially "logged in" in China 18 months ago today: April 23, 2007. It's hard to believe that when we adopted Hannah we only had to wait 6 months and a week from LID to referral (when they "matched" us with Hannah). And now we have already waited three times that long for Hannah's little sister. Time will tell if we are actually able to complete this second adoption, but we are still in line. Some people estimate we will have to wait six years or more, and if that's the case, Hannah will be our only child. Which is not such a bad thing...she has been a blessing in so many ways.

The other day we were out somewhere and a lady asked us if she was adopted, and from where. We told her she was adopted and she was from China. The lady said, "Thank you for giving her a chance in life." I felt like telling her, "Well, you're welcome, I guess. But we didn't do it for you." I realize she was probably just trying to be nice, but I hate when people say things like that to us. Besides promoting the false idea that Hannah is some kind of charity case, it's so inaccurate. Hannah is the one who has given so much to us - the chance to be parents, for one thing! We adopted Hannah because we wanted to be parents, not to save some "poor unfortunate soul" from China.

Lindsey and I were talking to Hannah the other about the wonderful day when we fell in love with her picture at the CCAI office. Here is another look at her referral picture, the first time we saw her: