One year ago today: 2 + 3 = 5...
husband and wife became papi and mami...
three Colombian siblings became
los hijos of Karl and Julie...
los hijos of Karl and Julie...
on our third day in Colombia...
we would finally meet the children
we had worked so hard to adopt...
we ate breakfast and lunch...
spent time in our room preparing our hearts...
talked and prayed...
dressed up & got ready to leave to meet our niños for the first time...
hopped in a little car & drove through wild Colombian traffic...
showed up at Bienestar
with our cake and pop and gifts...
with our cake and pop and gifts...
waited in the hallway with pounding hearts....
a family ahead of us met their daughter
for the first time...
for the first time...
then it was our turn to enter the office...
bombarded with unknown Spanish phrases and a bunch of paperwork...
the kind ICBF workers dotted over us
and treated us so special...
and treated us so special...
but we couldn't understand much
of what anyone was saying...
of what anyone was saying...
and in a frenzy, we were ushered
into an adjoining room...
into an adjoining room...
where we laid our eyes on & wrapped our arms around our children for the first time...
they looked so different from our
one and only picture...
one and only picture...
one dimensional became three dimensional...
two tiny little girls, happy but nervous...
one little boy screaming at the top of his lungs...
we could hardly believe that this was all real...
blazing, oppressive heat...
two brand-new and overwhelmed parents...
sent "home" in a rush together with three new little ones to care for...
they only spoke Spanish & we only spoke English...
that evening we played and ate dinner together...
read a bedtime story...
took them potty and changed diapers...
brushed teeth and put on pajamas...
slept in the same room together
for the first night of six weeks...
for the first night of six weeks...
hijas and hijo and mami and papi...
we would all get to know each other...
and learn how to love and
what it means to be a family...
what it means to be a family...
it has been an amazing year
and we have all grown so much...
and we have all grown so much...
we have had ups and downs and all-arounds...
we cannot imagine a day without you...
God has meshed us all together so perfectly...
for La familia Armstrong
it is a very, very happy anniversary!
it is a very, very happy anniversary!
~ See LFA Day One photos posted below! ~
6 comments:
Powerful. What memories your writing brings back to me. The experience is all so familiar, unique, and special to our hearts also.
Thank you, so much for sharing.
and HAPPY JOYOUS 1 YEAR!!!
Happy One year Anniversary!! They've grown so much!!
Happy Anniversary to all of you!! What wonderful memories... only the beginning of so many more. :)
Happy Anniversary! Thanks for your faithful blogs that have allowed us to walk a bit of the journey with you. Much love from the Hodges
What a beautiful year it has been and filled with such blessing! God has brought together a wonderful family! Happy Anniversary!
Congratulations Julie, Karl and kids! It's amazing to see how you've grown together over the past year. God is Awesome!
Delyn
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