China
Guatemala
Russia
Vietnam
Brazil
IndiaNew Year's Greetings
The snow is falling outside, my baby sleeps soundly, and I feel at peace tonight. The holiday hustle and bustle is over. Time to relax and try once again to put into words my thoughts and feelings about the past year. My long wait now seems like it happened so suddenly. I waited and waited and then the next thing I knew I was in Russia with this child in my lap, on an airplane in the middle of a snowstorm.
So much of this past year has been about mothers and daughters. Being a daughter, becoming a mother to a daughter and being with my mother on this incredible journey. I could not have made it without her. She was so comforting and reassuring, showing me everyday what it really takes to be a mom. How fortunate I am to have her in my life.
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And then there was Lily, my new daughter. We both grow and learn about each other, one day at a time, forming a bond that will last forever. How amazing! She's becoming a daughter, and I'm becoming a mother; together we have become a family. My mother and I arrived home with Lily on December first.
There is more to this story however than mothers and daughters. There is the kind and gentle wisdom of my father, Lily takes his hand and learns about the world through his love. This holiday Lily also got to know the rest of the family filled with lots of love.
I have been showered with so many kind wishes and gifts from so many people, I believe it is true that what we receive is equal to that which we give. It has been a long journey filled with so many twists and turns; tears of joy, reams of paper work, and many long days of waiting, doubting, and worrying. My life has been touched by an little dark-eyed resilient spirit and I will never be the same.
May the new year bring blessings,
With Love and Gratitude, Carol & Lily
