Home

We're home.

The suitcases are unpacked.

The clothes are washed.

Life is returning to business as usual.

The trip that we've anticipated for so long has come and gone.

And we'll never be the same.

I printed almost 200 pictures of our daughter on Monday. Ridiculous. But each one holds a moment. A memory. A laugh. A smile.

Our week with our daughter went very well. There were a few bumps in the road, but they didn't slow us down much. I'm trying hard not to over analyze every moment, or to read too much into any one thing.  Did we see some orphanage type behaviors? Yes, we saw a few. Especially upon meeting us. But we also saw a very well cared for, happy, chubby, and love able little girl. We saw a little girl that has established some pretty close bonds with a couple of her caregivers., and I know it's going to be confusing to her when the time comes to leave.

Upon first meeting us she didn't cry, but she did seem cautious, a bit nervous, and shy. Having said that, she warmed up pretty quickly.  I felt like her behavior was extremely normal given her age and situation.  I was more than relieved to see how physically healthy she is, and I was thrilled to see that she has formed some attachments.

Now we wait. We are at the Bulgarian MOJ which means that at this point it is out of our hands. We are now waiting for our file to reviewed and signed, and then we'll be given a court date. It sounds simple, but the process takes time. It is unusual for a family to be at this stage immediately following trip 1, but we got a jump start on our paperwork before we left. Hopefully, that will save us at least a few weeks.

So in the meantime we pray. We pray for peace, patience, protection for our girl, a speedy process in Bulgaria, and good bonding and attachment when we return home. Thank you for all your prayers throughout trip 1. We felt them, and we know God's hand is in this every step of the way!