Abby's English is good.  Really good.  At four months home, she can easily carry on a conversation, make her needs known, tattle on an offending party, and tell stories about life in China.

I actually could not wait until she would be able to tell me about her first eight years.  What she decides to share is all I will ever have.  I thought I wanted to know everything.

What I learned is that there is truth in being careful what you wish for, because alot of what she is sharing is heartbreaking.  Most of what she remembers I won't share here as those memories belong to her.

What I will share is a conversation we had last night.  Sitting on the couch with her, I wondered aloud why it took eight years for her to come home to America.  She turned to look at me, her face full of pain and her eyes spilling over with tears.  She said, "Mommy not hurry, Mommy not quick, my friends go to America, I thought no one would ever come for me."

This sweet girl, this little girl who has stolen everyone's heart, this child that brings so much blessing to our family....She thought no one was coming.  She thought she was going to be alone her entire life.  This breaks my heart in pieces.

And it breaks my heart that her friends are still in China right now, probably feeling much the same way.   And the reality is that for some of these sweet children, no one will ever come.  I just don't understand.  

A few weeks ago, I posted about Manuel.  He is on the left in the picture below, wearing the orange shirt.  He is one of Abby's friends from China.  He is nine years old and is perfectly healthy.  

Manuel is watching his friends leave for America.  The boy on the right is now living in Texas with his new family.  The boy in the middle will be adopted in the next few months.  I am sure Manuel wonders if anyone is coming for him.  

If you are reading this, I hope that you might prayerfully consider whether Manuel belongs in your family.  No child should have to worry about spending their life alone.  No child should ever have to wonder if someone will come for them. 

Manuel is currently listed with Holt International

Update: Manuel now has a family working on his adoption!.

Abby and Zeke

The boys and I spent today with some new friends.  

Abby spent today with a friend she has known for years.  

Let me tell you what an incredible blessing this was for her.  You see, in the last few months, Abby has given up alot.  

She has said goodbye to all of her friends, to everyone she has ever known.  Everyone.

She has left behind a country and a heritage, one that is steeped in traditions and culture that will always be foreign to her new family.  

She has said goodbye to a language that she has spoken for the last eight years, a language that is so very different than the one she is learning now.

You see, Abby has given up EVERYTHNG for a family. And while I would always insist that a family is exactly what she needed, I cannot forget the loss that goes hand in hand with that decision.

So today, reconnecting with an old friend was such a special gift for her.  It gives her one link to her past, however small.  It gives her one connection to someone who shares her history, one connection to someone who has walked the same path as she has, one connection to her past.  It is a gift that I am praising God for, because you see, God always knew these two children from a little town in northern China would one day become friends again on American soil.

Meet Abby's Friends

Meet Manuel (in orange), Francesco (in stripes), and Noe (in blue).  All of these handsome boys are from the same orphanage as Abby.  

It is great news that Francesco and Noe have families working on their adoptions.  They will soon leave China and come home to the United States.  Sadly, when they do, Manuel will have to say goodbye to his best friends.  He will be left to wonder when it will be his turn for a family.  Although Manuel has been available for adoption for quite some time now, he still has no family committed to bringing him home.

Manuel is described as smart, hardworking, and friendly.  He is nine years old and does very well at school.  He easily excels at Chinese, English, math, and handwriting.  His teachers have reported that he is respectful, able to follow instructions, plays well with others, and is a great helper in the classroom.

Why is Manuel still waiting?  He was born with a cleft lip and palate, but both have been repaired.  He is now able to pronounce words clearly and has normal hearing.   In other words, he is healthy!  

So why is he still waiting?  More than likely, he is waiting because he is a boy.  According to Adoptive Families magazine, only 20% of prospective parents will choose a boy.

20%??? Do the other 80% not know how wonderfully fun little boys can be?  

Manuel is a boy and so is waits.  He waits day after day for his family to come.  He waits for a mama who will tuck him in at night and who will kiss his boo-boos.  He waits for a dad to play catch with him and help him grow up strong and confident.  He waits for someone to love him and cherish him for the person that God made him to be.

When we were waiting to bring Abby home, I worried that maybe she would not like us.  I really worried that she would be disappointed that I was a single mom, that she would be upset that she was not going to have a father in her new family.  If you are thinking your family is not "enough" for this child, let me assure you that you are!  Manuel does not care if you are young or old.  He does not care if you have no children or lots of children.  He does not care if you are married or single.  He does not care if you are rich or struggling to make ends meet.  He doesn't care that you don't speak Mandarin or that you do not look like him.  He just wants someone to love him, someone to fight for him, someone to claim him.  He just wants a family.  And for that, he waits.

Manuel is currently listed with Holt International.  More information can be found at

 http://www.lwbcommunity.org/excel-with-manuel

First Visit to Shriners

Yesterday, Abby and I headed to Tampa for her first visit to Shriners.  First of all, let me say that Tampa is a LONG drive!  You know you're in trouble when you turn onto I-75 and the GPS announces that the next turn will be in 237 miles!

Despite the long drive, we made it to Tampa around 12:15, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and then headed to Shriners.  Our appointment was at 1:15 with Dr. Mason, who is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. 

While we waited for our turn to see the doctor, Abby was entertained by a group of graduate students from the University of South Florida.  They were spending the afternoon volunteering and had brought stickers, coloring books, and lots of other fun activities.  Also in the waiting room were televisions and video game systems and lots of other fun toys to keep everyone entertained.  

When they called our name, we went to our room where I reviewed Abby's medical history with the nurse practitioner.  This took all of two minutes since her known medical history began six weeks ago! The nurse left to put an order in for X-rays, but before she went, she brought Abby this really cool art set.  

The nurse returned to get us and we all went to the x-ray department.  They took four x-rays:  two of her spine and two of her hips.  By the time we finished and got back to the room, the doctor was coming in to talk with us.  He examined Abby and reviewed the x-rays.  He explained that her right hip was indeed out of the socket....well, actually in sometimes and out other times.  However, he did not recommend surgery since he felt her weak hip muscles would not hold the hip in the socket, even after surgery.  Since we would not be trying to correct the hip, he said that we need to watch her closely for scoliosis.  Currently, her x-ray showed no curvature, but it could develop.  She also has a leg length difference, which will need to be monitored as well.  He recommended an AFO (ankle foot orthotic) for her right foot and physical therapy to attempt to loosen some of the tendons in her foot.  He then requested a second set of X-rays, this time to be sure that her tibia and fibula looked good.  Once he was sure she was ok in those areas, he sent us to be fitted for the AFO.  

They took lots of measurements...

...and then made a cast of her foot.

Abby got to select the pattern for the AFO and also the color of the straps.  I am not sure she really understood what she was choosing, but she was determined to have purple straps.  She ended up choosing a purple and pink star pattern and dark purple straps.  

Once this was finished, we were finally done for the day.  When the AFO is ready, we will need to head back to Tampa to have the final fitting done.  Our next appointment will be November 21st.  

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch!

Halloween would not be complete without a visit to the pumpkin patch!

Happy Halloween from our family to yours!

One Month!

A month ago today, we were on our way home from China!  Hard to believe, but true!  

So, how is Abby doing? Well....in a nutshell, she is doing GREAT!

One of the most common questions I am asked is how fast she is learning English.  I can honestly say that her English is MUCH better than my Chinese!  But, seriously, Abby now has about thirty English words.  Given that I only learned four Mandarin words during my two weeks in China, I am pretty impressed!  Among her thirty words are:

"Hot"....South Georgia will make you learn this one quickly!

"Stop"....living with Will and Josh will teach you this one fast!

"Sorry...That's OK."....yes, she usually says it together...no time for anyone to hold a grudge.

"Hugs"...I love this one!

"Stinky"....again, I will blame this one on the boys!

"No do that"....this one is always directed at the dog.

"Sleepy"....usually pronounced "sweepy" and quickly followed by "No!"

She can also say thank you, your welcome, eat, more, mama, Will, Josh, Abby, take a bath, cold, church, apple, shoes, look, mouth, eyes, nose, ears, fingers, orange, and drink.  She can count to 60 in English and write about ten letters of the alphabet from memory.  

Other accomplishments include....

She has taught herself to ride a scooter and is determined to learn to pedal a bike. 

She loves the iPad, mostly to watch Dora in Mandarin or sing Chinese children's songs.  She has the sweetest little voice!

She loves her brothers so much!  She loves all of Josh's silliness, which is a bit trying at times for the rest of us!  And Will is doing a great job of being the big brother....he has even been spotted playing a few "girl" games with her!

She still enjoys school and loves to do her homework.  

She hangs ALL of her papers on our refrigerator...she is so proud!  

This brings tears to my eyes every afternoon....why did she have to wait EIGHT YEARS for the chance to do this???  

Regardless of the reason, we are so blessed to have her here now.  This little girl is truly AMAZING and we all love her so much!

Week Three

Our third week home has been another busy one.  Abby continues to LOVE school, which is an incredible blessing!  She even seems to enjoy doing her homework in the afternoon....I know, the Strickland household has never experienced such happiness over homework, but I guess times are changing!

Week three also brings the return of cross country for Will.  And with that comes the heat, which Abby is most definitely not a fan of.  I find it somewhat telling that one of her first English words is "hot"...usually said as she pushes her hair back and waves her hand in front of her face.  Even hot, though, she is more than happy to cheer Will on as he runs!

Also fun this week was Abby's first visit to Chehaw.  Josh had a birthday party at the playground so we all tagged along.  Abby had a great time exploring the slides and swings!

And this was her favorite...we all loved watching her bounce.  She definitely thought this was GREAT fun!