One Beautiful Life

May 8th... 2003

Today we celebrate the day we brought Abby home and she became a U.S. citizen. Wow... I can't believe it was four years ago. This is one of my favorite pictures. She would say "Bawwll" for ball. We were so amazed. By day five, she would say "ball, book, and purple". It was crazy... she was just this little sponge.

My mom printed and gave me the emails we sent from Kazakhstan. As we celebrate our four years with Abby, here is our email from the day we met Abby.

April 22, 2003-

"Hello everyone, WOW... it's been the most profound day of my life. All morning I had butterflies in my stomach and just couldn't believe I was about to meet my precious baby. Sweet Don stood looking out the window for the driver, it was so cute. After getting the official stuff out of the way, it was time. We went to the music room where Don and I and two other couples waited for our children to be brought in to us.

I heard the door open and one of the workers say, "Milana" and so I knew she was first. Around the corner this precious, precious, most beautiful angel straight from God... walked into my life. I got down on my knees and opened my arms for her... praying she'd come to me. With very little hesitation, she walked across the floor and into my arms. I was filled that instant with a love I never knew existed."