Finally Home!!!

Ok, so we are home now but we couldn't resist putting this picture up. It is gruesome yet we couldn't help but be fascinated by it. It is the skeleton of a monkey. You can see the fur still on his paws and next to him is a tigers paw. It is orange with black stripes, just like the books I read when I was a child. Why would someone buy these things? Are they good luck charms to the lost? And how do they get them? I probably don't want to know the answer to that. Unfortunately this was not the only street vendor (if you can call a blanket on the side of the road a vendor) they were scattered throughout the market.

This is a picture of Amy's first steps on American soil. Home sweet home. Oh, how I love America!!! Amy became an American citizen with these steps. Isn't that amazing? I am not sure that she really understood what it meant but she will someday. I wonder if someday she won't want to return to China. Hopefully by then she will be prepared for the kindness and hopelessness of so many of the Chinese people. It was such a contrast as I had never imagined. Truly they were some of the nicest people I have ever met yet they are caught in a system that it is near impossible to break out of, one which doesn't allow people opportunity. Truly, we fell in love with so much of China. It really made me appreciate being an American. God Bless America!!

When we finally arrived home after a very slow start from DIA we were met with banners and streamers decorating our house to welcome Amy. What a surprise! She seemed to recognize her name and got a big smile. We have been so blessed by our friends here in Greeley. Some of our neighbors came running over in the dark to meet her (literally running!). Amy who had been a bit shy with strangers up to this point offered them all hugs! And not only had they decorated the outside but also the inside and lavished us with some of the most delicious treats!!! (And after I had vowed to start eating healthy!). Mimi and Papa were here waiting too. She totally knew who they were - Grandmahther and Grandfahther. She was smiling and hugging them too! They also gave her a photo album that had a picture of her on the cover and she said "thats me". What a blessing she is. This is so not what we had prepared for. Praise God!

There was even a gift for her from one of our sweet neighbor girls. Oh, was Amy excited by the gift - "for Bahbie!!!" They were Barbie clothes. Gosh, after that she wasn't even really interested in our house!!! She needed to get Bahbie out and change her clothes. I kid you not, this girl loves Barbie. She named her new Barbie "little Amy". Very cute.

Tonight she got to meet her Aunt Kim and Uncle Chris. She really lights up at meeting family. I am thinking that she has really missed that in her life. Okay, so they brought Amy a gift. Guess what it was? Singing Barbie!!! And guess what she is named? You probably guessed it, Little Amy! However this is a bit confusing so read carefully - They are both named Little Amy except when she is playing with both of them. When both are in use the first bahbie is Little Amy and the second bahbie is Little Cassie!!!! She also has designated one of the older Barbies, that we dug out, as Little Nikki. Poor Meg. She is not home tonight so she has lost out. Perhaps her next bahbie can be Little Meg. Or perhaps Megan should stop going out with friends so that she won't miss out on these great opportunities!