dipping our toes in

When you have big brothers….

Big brothers, who think photobombing is the best thing ever….

Especially photobombing that involves ‘gross things’…

You learn a few tricks and your photobombing game is pretty strong.

Checking out her pics….

This girl.  She keeps me on my toes. Always talking. One-liners all the time. Goofy. Serious. Sweet and spicey.

When we chose to build our family through adoption, we knew it would not mean a one-time moment kinda thing. It would be a life-long thing…a life-long full of questions, often unanswered. A life-long of unique joys, challenges, celebrations and heartbreaks.

A sweet new baby joined our family. My nephew. Her cousin. So much celebration. So much joy. So many questions….

There is a group of people that I often clamor to hear their voices – those who have similar stories to my daughter, adopted internationally into a trans-racial family. I listen to their perspectives, joys, hurts, and advice. I know my daughter’s story will be unique to her, but I also treasure the insight they give me.

Adoption is beautiful, but it can be so complicated. It is not easy to explain to your daughter why she was not in your tummy like her cousin was in her aunt’s. It is not easy to talk about families you are born into and families that you choose. Talks about skin, hair, eyes…these are the hardest talks I’ve ever had, but ones I would never in a million years wish away. She is only four. I know we are only getting our feet wet, barely dipping our toes in the sea of questions.

I’ll keep dipping my toes in each time she is ready. When she wants to jump or dive, I’ll do that too. She gets to lead, I get to hold her for as long as she’ll let me.

I didn’t get the gift of carrying her in my womb, but I get the honor of holding her in my arms.