December 27: Day 10

We had a busy day today! We started out with church this morning, came home to eat lunch, and then headed out to Rick's parent's house. It is about one hour from here. We told Long where we were going and how long it would take us to get there. I never know if the app translates things appropriately. I guess it is better than nothing. I would hate to be in a car and have no idea where I was going or how long I would be in there.

Long was really sweet with our extended family. Long is more of a quiet, laid back kid, so I'm sure he was somewhat overwhelmed with the craziness. I really think he likes things calm and quiet... which is hilarious because our house is never those 2 things! We opened our presents, ate dinner (chicken, again!) and played some games. Like always, he was so well-behaved, sweet, and obedient. Here are a few pictures from our day.

One team this family agrees on... BENGALS

He was excited to play pool

Some of our cousins

Hanging with Rick

Long with Rick's parents

He crashed on the way home, but it was close to 9:00. He told Rick that he goes to bed at 9:00 in China, and wakes at 7:00. Alright, buddy, let's get on that routine here!  

One thing about adoption that has always haunted me, is learning more about my daughter's past lives. We were fortunate to get countless pictures, and we have very good records (and friends in China) that can tell us a lot about our girls. We have tons of information and stories from 9 months on with both of our girls. But those first 9 months... even those first few hours. What were they like? I know we will never have answers to those questions, so I stopped asking a long time ago. But now I find myself doing that with Long. Gosh, 11 years. What has his life been like? Clearly he is happy. Clearly he is well taken care of. But his daily life... those past 11 years. What have they been like for him? Does he feel loved? Does he realize how smart he is? I find myself wanting to ask him so many questions, but it really isn't my place to do that. Our job right now is just to love and advocate for him. I am hoping one day soon he will have a mom and a dad that he can not only share his past stories with, but also his goals for the future. 

It seems as though many people are touched by Long's story. It has been awesome to see so many people advocating for him. I told ya, once you learn their names, hear their stories, and see their faces, you just have to do something. We are so thankful for the outpouring of support we have seen. One day he will learn about this, and that there were thousands of people sharing his story and praying for him. Just think if we continued to do this for the other ones left behind. We could all make such a difference if we worked together for these little ones.