A strange day

Well, I wasn't sure I was even going to post anything about today.  It is a strange day, but this is the last time October 18th will feel like a strange day.  You see, today is the day we will celebrate Lyla's birthday!  There is no way to know if this is her actual date of birth, but when you choose to adopt from China it just comes with the territory, it's typically one of the many unknowns.

It's a bittersweet day for sure.  Our Lyla isn't here yet, and the Chinese culture doesn't really put much emphasis on birthdays, so most likely today was just another day for her.

When we decided to adopt Lyla announcing her birthday was not an important piece of information, so it was weeks before I mentioned it to my family.  Come to find out, it is my late aunt's birthday (my mom's sister) and I am named after her.  That's is a crazy coincidence if I have ever heard one!

Thinking about today, and the significance it will hold from this point forward I wondered just what we were doing on this date in years past, not realizing that this would be the day we would celebrate our oldest child.  Here is what I found:

*I couldn't find a picture from 2005, but I'm not going to stop looking.  Our old pictures are not dated, but I think I have found most of the digital ones, so there is a chance that I will find one that is close.*

October 16, 2006

It isn't a picture, and it isn't exactly October 18, but on October 16, 2006 we made our "big announcement" that we had started the adoption process.

October 18, 2007 was a Thursday, which means in my former life (or my previous career) I was on the sidelines of a sub-varsity football game.  This picture was from the 19th.

On October 18, 2008 we brought Macey to her first football game.  Texas A&M - Commerce was playing at the Cotton Bowl.

On October 17, 2009 (don't have a pic from the 18th) Macey and I were in California visiting our family.  I found this picture of Macey with most of her cousins.

On October 17, 2010 (again, no pic on the 18th) Macey and Xander and I were just chillin' at home.  For some reason I took a few pictures of them in their PJs that day.

And today, October 18, 2011, Lyla's little brother and sister were happily playing with their stuffed animals after they finished their dinner.

But...

Next October 18th we will celebrate our big girl's birthday with balloons, cupcakes, gifts, singing, family and a whole lot of hugs and kisses!!!

Care package #2

Here are the items that big sister will get in her second care package from us.  It will be in the mail tomorrow.

 There are two outfits of cotton long sleeved shirts and leggings, a red fancy dress, some hair clips and candy.  Our intention is for Lyla to wear these clothes, but we did not specifically ask for them back.  Children share clothes in the orphanage and we hope the other little girls get to enjoy them as well.  We asked that she share the hair clips with her friends and the candy with the nannies and teachers.

The sparkly red dress deserved a picture of it's own.  The dress is covered in sequins and the little jacket is velvet.  In each set of pictures we have received of Lyla is appears as if she is put in a special dress, of sorts, specifically for the picture.  Since the last set of pictures we received involved her looking at a photo album we sent, we believe that the people at the orphanage are very intentional in their photos.  SO, we are REALLY hoping they put her in this dress and take her picture and send it to us in our next update.  Again, we are not asking for this dress back, they may give it back anyway, but I would just as happy if the other little girls in the orphanage got to dress up in it as well!

We are hoping to get our LOA in the next couple weeks (again, could be MUCH longer, but we are still hopeful) and at that time our agency will ask for another update.