China Family Reunion

For the first time since we all left China together four years ago - our China Family, the 9 families that traveled to China together to adopt our children - reunited!  Our group numbered 37 in all!  We were so blessed that WE got to be there!  We thought we would already be overseas....but we were still here!

Since we brought home the original 9; our families have added 2 more children from China, 1 from Korea, and 1 from Kahgastan. One family will be headed back to China to adopt a 9 year old girl this fall...and still another family is waiting for a referral to adopt again.

People tell us all the time how "lucky" our kids are to be adopted by families here in America.  But I would have to say that WE are the ones that are BLESSED to have these incredible children in our families.  Our families would be incomplete without them.  Oh how we love all of our children...whether biological or by adoption!

Today is my 20th Gotcha Day!

Define Gotcha Day:  The day that adoptive families celebrate the exact day they received their child into their family....the day they were "born" into their family...

I had been staying with different families that lived on my block.  Here a few nights, there a few nights... because I didn't want to go "home" to the house where I was living.  I didn't want to go back to that life. (You need to read the post right before this one to see what just happened in my life!)  I had just spent the last year of my life (14 years old) consuming more alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs than any 14 year old should ever even see.

That's when I did something VERY brave.  (It had only been about a week since God RADICALLY touched my life...see the previous post for those details!)  I asked the pastors if I could stay the night with them.  I didn't want to go home that night.

Then I stayed another night....and another night...and another night...  Then 2 weeks later they sat me down and said, "Glenda, we love you.  We want you to be our daughter.  We want to adopt you.  We have never been able to have children and we believe God has brought you into our lives."

I should have been shouting from the rooftops.  But instead I was sad.  "Yeah, you think you want me, but you'll get tired of me soon just like everyone else has" was my response.  I really did not believe I was lovable.

Yet through their LOVE for me, and God's WORK in me, I was changed.  I eventually was won over by their love and God wove us together like an incredible tapestry...you can't really distinguish where one thread ends and another begins.  We became one.  We became a family.

And today, 20 years later, I SAVOR the memories.  I celebrate my adoption.

My mom and dad, Rusty and Dorinda Blann, are THE most incredible people I have ever known.  They were able to conceive after they had me - and I now have a 17 year old brother, a 14 year old sister, and another 11 year old sister.

So 3 siblings, one husband, 2 of my own kids  - and 20 years later - we still CELEBRATE TODAY!  Happy Gotcha Day  Me!  And thanks again God!