Painfully Happy Valentine's Day

Two life-altering experiences happened on this day in our history.

8 years ago today, my love, my soul mate, my best friend proposed to me on bended knee with a ring hidden inside a specially imported chocolate KinderEgg from Germany.

The "pain" comes from the memory that it was 2 years ago today we decided to start on this journey of adoption. It was 2 years ago today that I saw this picture and fell in love. Moise was 6 years old at the time and we knew instantly that he was our son. It was not, however, until May that Rodelin (or Phoenix as we have renamed him) would also be joining our family fun train.

It has been two grueling, emotional, roller coaster years of processing and waiting, moving one step forward and two steps back. We are close, relatively (nothing in Haiti is for sure and nothing follows a logical time table) and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But it is days like today, when the moment of realization hits, that bring tears to my eyes. It 's moments liek this afternoon, when my Cai comes out of my bedroom holding a picture of Phoenix saying "Mommy, can I share my Happy Valentine's Day chocolates with my best brother Phoenix?" that I can't contain the well of emotion any longer and choke on my own longing. So often it feels as though they will never come home. And so often, I have to look around at our current circumstances and what we have gone through and KNOW that God's timing and plan are perfect and sufficient.

So here is to the happy day our lives were forever changed, first as a couple, then as a family! Happy Valentine's Day!