Six months post adoption

Six months ago our family changed into an adoptive family, a biracial family, and a family of six.  That’s right, we met Li Lin in China six months ago.  Has she changed our lives?  You bet.

It is amazing what six months does in the life of a young child.  Li Lin came to us as a beautiful, angry, devastated, skinny, Mandarin speaking child.    Her skin had little scars all over from dry skin and bug bites.  Her locks were dry and felt like straw.  Six months later she is still beautiful, rarely angry, happy, no longer skinny, fluently bilingual girl.  Her skin is smooth most of the time, and her hair has the classic Asian glossy black sheen. (Love it!)  Her sense of humour, her love of life, and her mischievous personality have all really blossomed.  She used to hit the other kids frequently, take regular fits, and strongly resist being told, “No.”  Li Lin, along with our other three kiddos, is still far from perfect, but her behaviour has really changed for the better.  Her hitting has greatly reduced.  She still tries the odd fit now and again, but they are few and far between now.  As far as the word, “no” goes, Li Lin fully understands its meaning in English and Chinese and usually complies.

Other than a one week hiatus she took from discussing them, she still talks about her foster family nearly every day.  She is not asking to see them as much anymore as telling me about her life there.  Li Lin knows we would like to take her back to China for a visit when she is 10.  Her loneliness, though still present at times, seems to be abating.   She regularly tells Steph and I how much she loves us and how happy and excited she is about whatever we are doing.

 Here are a few pics I uploaded from my phone.  Not sure how I don't have any pics of Li Lin and Logan.  I will remedy that soon, hopefully.  Logan and Li Lin play together often but I guess they are often playing together while I am making supper...hence the lack of pics.

She insists on doing her "homework" after school when the other kids are doing theirs.

  Li Lin is an amazing and wonderful addition to our family.  We love her dearly, as we do all of our four children.  The kids all love her too, and she loves them in return.  We have been blessed by love multiplying in our home!  We know that we owe thanks to God for his mercies and grace to us.