God's Masterpieces...

I can't even begin to explain to you how blessed I felt these past few days. I am in awe of the Mighty God we serve and how He had this all in His plans from the very beginning. I knew Kennedi was loved very much by Shannon and Valerie, her foster moms in China, but I was shown this weekend just how much they love and adore her. It was so clear, from the moment they saw each other, that that love had still remained. Shannon and Valerie arrived with gifts for everyone which was so thoughtful. The girls couldn't get enough of them and had to sit with them as much as they could. We enjoyed a barbeque dinner together and Shannon and Valerie shared some stories of the girls and the times they had together. Shannon said them getting the girls was definitely a gift from God. They were not suppose to have them. Shannon had requested to have Kennedi because she was a teacher at her school, then they got Caroline. She said they would pray often for homes for the girls and at one point thought a home wasn't coming for Carrie and they'd have to take her back to Bao'An (their orphanage). God is good though and He already had two families for the girls. Shannon and Valerie made the transition for the girls so much easier, more than we could have ever hoped or prayed for. Many of the issues that are common with orphans and adoption (bed wetting, hording, etc.), Shannon and Valerie had to deal with and spent many sleepless nights with the girls. Thank God for them both and their willingness to take in two girls who had no muscle tone and didn't know how to even play, give them patience and love, and prepare them for life with a family. I cannot express to them enough how much I appreciate them. After dinner Valerie had to head out and start the drive back home to Ohio. It was so hard to see her go. Lots of tears were shed but we knew we'd see each other again. We then watched the fireworks and enjoyed the night. On Sunday we took Shannon and her friend Jim (he drove her down from San Francisco) to church and then out to lunch to Red Robin. After lunch they had to hit the road back to San Francisco. More tears shed as they loaded their car. So thankful for the time we had with them even though it was short. When you adopt, you wonder where your child is as you wait and if they are well taken care of. It's such a great feeling knowing that your child was loved so much by many people. After Shannon and Jim left we went to the movies with Caroline and her mom Jackie and saw Toy Story 3, then back to mom's for dinner. Caroline and Jackie headed home early this morning. It was such a wonderful time seeing them again and getting to know them even better. The girls will forever be friends and we all will forever be FAMILY...