Deep and Lasting Bonds

Earlier this month, we had the great fortune of having Truly Blessed and some of her family (Katie and Ella and Toby) visit us for a couple of days during their trip to NC. Our families share a special bond…and it’s a long story….back from our China days and, for our girls,  a story that goes back even further to their orphanage days as Katie, Sammi, and Nicki were all side-by-side crib-mates in Yangdong SWI. (Whew, now is that a “big” sentence or what……). Our families….very amazingly so….bumped into each other just two days before we were all to depart China. And guess how we bumped in to each other….? At breakfast at the White Swan,  Little Katie was clamoring and squiggling and squirming out of her Aunt’s arms in her quest to make her way over to her little “best friend” Sammi. Katie’s Mom introduced herself and we all figured out pretty quickly that all three girls came from the same SWI and were, in fact, “best friends” according to our paperwork and notes from the caretakers. Kelly said she had been planning to go back to the States and do ‘whatever’ it takes to find the family who adopted the twins that were little Katie’s best friends throughout her orphanage but as fate as it…..no seeking was required as we literally bumped into each other!! Wow, as any family knows that goes through the China and the White Swan craziness, the chances of two families connecting up like that is simply….not to be believed.

Sammi, Toby, Ed, Cindy, Nicki, Katie, Kelly, Ella ….Yippee…what a GREAT group shot…..

 

Here are the Bubble Princesses (thanks to K for bringing the bubble toys…big hit!!) (Sammi, Ella in background, Katie, Nicki)

We had another China family join us that weekend as well. Jie Jie (Big Sister) on left and Mei Mei (Little Sister) next to her in the pink  ballerina outfit……

 

Below is our “couch” picture….kinda blue tint (had wrong setting on my camera…sigh….) but still so cute…Look at tall and beautiful Jie-Jie in the middle. Jie-Jie and Mei-Mei are just simply delightful girls and we are so pleased to have met their family.

There’s Katie-Bug being simply….Katie-Bug….! :)

Below is Sammi and her beloved blanket flanked by Ella in yellow and Nicki on the couch. “Dear Universe, please don’t let us ever-ever-ever lose that blue blanket.” I just can’t even fathom that happening. I take the girls’ “loveys” very seriously and…in fact….I think i know where their special blankets are pretty-much all the time. (pretty-much…..gulp….)

The next two pictures are all the girls gathered in Sammi and Nicki’s room for their sleepover slumber party. I was expecting to hear giggles all through the evening but in fact they all fell fast asleep quite quickly. We pulled out the girls’ crib mattresses for beds for Ella and Katie. It worked out just perfectly!

The four little ones were all into the “hip-hip-hooray-girl-power-chants-and-cheers” or something like that. Whatever it was, it was very cute and happy….

Notice the lovely earrings….

 

Time….please be still….Can’t the girls just stay little a bit longer (like, um, for a few more years at least….)…..ah…it goes so.fast…..Just look at their adorable, cute, happy, beautiful, thriving little faces….Oh my…we are lucky, aren’t we, Kelly.

Of Teas and Tete-a-Tetes….

   

And…final picture for now of me and Kelly and the girls…(yes, that is a barrette in my hair…). Thanks, Kelly, for the awesome visit. We love you guys so very much!!

Hugs,

Cin