Happy birthday 4th Linzhi Rose Xiao Li!!

Somewhere in Nanjing, China on or sometime around this date of January 31st, 2005, Our daughter was born and we didn't even know it yet...But our Lord did. My sweet Linzhi was carried inside a womb of a women that chose to give her life or a chance at having a life with a family that would love her and take care of her. This is Linzhi's second birthday with us and just like last year my heart aches for her birth mother and the loss she has to feel this time of year. I just pray one day through the grace of God we will get the chance to thank her for giving us such a beautiful, sweet hearted, determined little angel. I know Linzhi carries traits of her and her biological father and it warms my heart and yet saddens me a bit when I look at her cute feet, wide smile, gorgeous cheek bones and wonder, does she get this from her bio mom or dad? I long to know Linzhi's history before she was placed in our arms. I wonder, what time of the day was she born? What did she weigh? Was she colicky? Was she loved on? Did someone name her? I write this through tears because I know one day our Linzhi will want to know too. I can't even express how much this little girl has changed my life, all of my kids have but Linzhi was not carried in my womb and when I met her, she wasn't all to thrilled to have me as her mother. It took months of tears (mine and her), prayers, laughter, meltdowns, more tears, more prayers for the two us to surrender into each others arms as mama and baby. I can't imagine my life without my Lu Lu Belle.

So yes, there are many unanswered questions which we will live with but nonetheless, Linzhi will know the sacrifice her birth mother made for her and how grateful we are to her for giving us our daughter.

Happy 4th birthday to our Linzhi!

Linzhi at 6 months (isn't she lovely)
Linzhi now... Beautiful!