Gotcha Day/Adoption Day/Forever Family Day - March 13th

It's hard to believe that it's been two years already since Katerina came home. And yet, it's also hard to imagine our life before her. What an amazing journey it's been, or as Jerry Garcia would say "What a long strange trip it's been". Either way, you get the drift. This journey is not one I expected to have and if I had never had it, I wouldn't have known what I was missing. I am so thankful that we snuck in under the wire and did not miss out; it's pure magic.

Two years ago today they placed Katerina into Constantin's arms and the poor thing couldn't have been more miserable. She was being taken away from everything and everyone that was familiar to her. And I was at home anxiously awaiting all tidbits of news and dying to see pictures. Constantin was not technologically equipped nor emotionally equipped to handle sending pictures.

And here was my meeting with her at the airport on March 22nd. She looked at me with such trepidation, and I probably looked at her with the same. OK kid, this is forever!

Yes, it's one of my biggest disappointments that I did not go to China and I wasn't there for the first few days. I have to live with that, but I don't think I could have handled it any differently and kept my sanity.

And look how she has grown. Same dress - two years apart.