Gotcha Lakey: Two Years

It felt like forever between filling out the first adoption application and the day we met Lakey face to face.  The whole process took one year and two weeks, but the two years since then have absolutely flown by.  Time with kids has a funny way of doing that. 

Gotcha Day is more significant to me than Lakey's birthday.  I feel the same way on this day as I do on Miles and Knox's birthdays.  On their birthdays, I remember all the events leading up to the moment I saw each of them for the very first time.  I tell them about those moments and they laugh so much because they love hearing stories about themselves.  I don't have any of those moments to share on Lakey's birthday.  I don't even know exactly when she was born.  But I do have the memories of the day leading up to the moment when I first saw the stone faced little girl wearing a puffy red coat. 

So, I told Lakey about Gotcha Day today, and we looked through the photo book the orphanage had made for her.  I showed her pictures of where she lived, and we talked about how China Popo took care of her until mommy, daddy, and Miles could come for her.  Miles talked about what he remembered about Gotcha Day - the most prominent memory being that Lakey would eat three or four boiled eggs every morning (I think it was really only one or two) and how he would go back to the breakfast buffet over and over for more bacon (this is accurate).  It's really fun to relive our time in China from his perspective.  His memory is remarkable, and I love realizing what things made the biggest impression on a then four year old.

So in commemoration of Gotcha Day, we ate boiled eggs and bacon for dinner.  And later, Lakey thanked God for,

"...Lakey, Mommy, Daddy, Lakey, Knoxxy, Miles, and for food."

Amen.