Dedication service


"I like this present thing!"

"I love my dad!!!"

A Big Weekend

Okay, so only 5 days to get to my computer since all the excitement. Wow, impressive huh?

On Saturday night we were privileged to participate, with Ailah, in a Child Dedication ceremony at our church. We've done this with all our girls and it is always a very special time for us. It is a time where we, as a family, along with the congregation of our church, commit to raising Ailah in a Christ-centered home and church so that she may come to know and understand God's love for her and to, hopefully, choose for herself to live a life following Jesus Christ. Katelynn and Nikki came home in time to attend the service and Grandma and Grandpa Kemis joined us as well. It was good to see many of our small group members standing to join with us in this commitment.

Then on Sunday, Katelynn and Grandma threw a Welcome Home party for Ailah. We had a great time with all our friends and family who were able to join us to celebrate her long-awaited homecoming. Many had met her before, but some were getting to see her for the first time. Ailah was a champ, being friendly to everyone, though she wouldn't let people hold her. She did give lots of people kisses and escorted each guest to the door with a wave and a "bye-bye" as they were leaving. (Was this a "thanks for coming" or a "don't let the door hit you on the way out?") Mara was also a great hostess and helper throughout the party though I know she was struggling to watch Ailah be the center of attention. We were very proud of her efforts. It hasn't been an easy few months for a kid who spent three years as the center of attention in our immediate family.

It has been two months today since we first met Ailah. It seems like much longer. It is hard to believe the Ailah we know today was that scared, quiet baby we met on January 14. She has changed so much and our trip to China seems a very long time ago. It is difficult for me to remember what it was like without her here. She is now eating by herself, a very messy process but a far cry from being fed every bite. She is talking up a storm (okay, okay, so some of the words are only intelligible in context and by us but still. . .) She still refuses to actually walk, but sometimes she accidentally takes a few steps when she isn't thinking about it and doesn't realize we are watching. When we are watching and encouraging her to take steps she plops down on her behind and smiles. She loves to push my buttons with the touching, grabbing, dismantling of every item that attracts her interest no matter how many times she's been told no. Her favorite forbidden targets are the CD player in her room, the trash in the bathroom and the items on the vanity in our bedroom. Imagine that, we have a stubborn Chinese baby! Hmmmm. . . .

She has made some very good emotional progress as well. When we arrived home, Dad was chopped liver, she didn't care for me to set her down and she lost touch when I would leave the room without her. Now each day when Jeff walks in the door from work, she crawls at warp speed from wherever she is in the house yelling "dad, dad, dad. . ." and throws her arms up to him when she arrives at his feet. While she still enjoys being held by me, she usually just climbs into my lap to check in with a smile and then clambers down to play some more, (or cause more trouble.) And as for being in a different room from me, right now she is playing in the basement with Mara while I sit at the computer upstairs.

Things have settled down to a new normal and we are so happy to be on this side of the adoption. It feels like the family is now complete and we are having so much fun getting to know this beautiful blessing from God.