http://mcginnispartyoffive.blogspot.com/2014/04/gotcha-day-monday-april-14-2014.html
On Wednesday, April 9, 2014, we left our home before 7am to drive to the airport with our car full of luggage and McGinnis Party of Four. I was clearly anxious and had slept VERY little even though I laid in the bed for 4 hours. I attempted to eat a waffle which ended up in the garbage can after I gagged at the thought of swallowing it. We loaded everything and everyone into the car, made one last scan of the house (which looked like a bomb went off) and walked out to the car. I will NEVER forget my neighbor (and dear friend) raising her kitchen window (she must have been stalking us that morning) and shouting out "Go get our baby girl!" I practically burst into tears. We were leaving for China, meeting our baby girl and bringing her home! What an amazing experience began that day.
Well - it didn't begin that day - it began in our hearts so many months - years before - 3.5 years before. What began that day was the once-in-a-lifetime trip around the world to meet our daughter - the daughter God planned from the beginning of time would be OUR daughter.
The next few days were a whirlwind of travel, time differences, long airplane rides, visiting some of the most amazing places on Earth and waiting patiently to finally meet Emma.
April 14th will always be a much celebrated day at our home - it's the day we finally met Emma and she made us a family of five. Today is Emma's Gotcha Day Anniversary - it's the day she was "born" into our family. It's really as significant to us as the days the boys were born. As I read back through last year's Gotcha Day blog, I am reminded that our year together has been amazing much like our first day together - she willing accepted us and our love for her - I'm not sure we could convince her today that she's hasn't always been with us.
She's a McGinnis for sure - she's a FANTASTIC sleeper, loves her brothers, adores her Daddy, needs her Mommy for EVERY.SINGLE.THING, she's a constant chatterbox, she will try any foods (but loves her Daddy to share his chocolate) and completes our family perfectly. She can count to 10 in English and Chinese, identify her colors, sing most of the ABC song, loves to match things (mostly her hair bows to her outfits) and loves to sing Happy Birthday to herself with her "pizza cake" birthday cake puzzle and pretend to blow out her candles.
She's so affectionate with us - she genuinely loves us. We hear these phrases many times every day.
"Mommy, hold you."
"Hug and kiss and nose." She wants to hug you, kiss you and then give you a nose kiss.
"Snuggle Daddy." She might be stalling to stay up a few extra minutes, but Daddy can NEVER say no to our little princess.
"Emma a princess." If you're lucky, you've been serenaded by Emma and her version of Let It Go.
"Emma has weapon." A girl has some brothers - and they LOVE to play light sabers and blasters together.
A year together has passed by so quickly! I'm not sure where the time has gone - life just keeps moving. We've all adjusted to life as a family of five - our house is full and so is our van. If we haven't seen you much, we did in fact return from China! We've spent lots of time this year staying close to home and maintaining a routine with Emma.
We are lucky that we have friends and family who live right in the middle - not on the fringes of our lives. We are thankful for the love we've been shown during this year. Emma (and our family) is loved beyond measure, and we've seen that lived out this year.
Yesterday she was an orphan - but somehow today she belongs to us.
Today you became Emma Reid McGinnis.
Daughter to Brian & Shannon McGinnis.
Sister to Ian Joseph McGinnis and Aidan Ashe McGinnis.
Granddaughter to Joe & Cathy Lawing and Don & Barbara McGinnis.
Niece to Chris & Becky Duncan.
Cousin to Victoria, Tyler & Caleb Duncan.
Friend and family to so many who love her.
Emma, you are beautiful, chosen, wanted. You are precious, desired and loved - loved with a never ending, forever love.
I am in awe of your capacity to love and to be loved, your ability to laugh and make us laugh, and your beauty inside and out.
As we celebrate our first Gotcha Day anniversary, we will have Papa John's pizza, breadsticks and ice cream just like our first dinner together in China. Sweet memories - our baby girl loved pizza that first night and loves it still!
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