China Bound...

Back in 2006, when we first adopted Mia, we decided that we would definitely go back to visit one day when she got older. From what I have read, 10 is a great age because they are old enough to remember the visit, yet they are not in that puberty phase quite yet where it all might be that much more difficult to take in. I have a friend here in Germany who is originally from Kasakhstan - she described it perfectly, and the way she described it  made me that much more eager to bring Mia to visit (and of course Bailey and Camden too). She said, "Even though we (meaning she and I) live in a foreign country, when we close our eyes, we can easily envision where we came from. While Mia has seen pictures, she doesn't know the sights, smells, people, or the culture of where she came from." Mia has always been very proud that she is from China, but with the exception of our few friends from China and a short language class we took, she really knows nothing about it. The way my friend explained it, really struck something within me. She went on to say though, "home" is wherever your bed is and where you feel at peace". For Mia, "home" is definitely here with us in Germany, but I am so excited to give her the opportunity to close her eyes and to envision the region in China in which she was born and where she lived her first year of life. When you adopt a young child, it is such a happy experience for you and I think it is easy to forget that along with that unbelievable love and happinees, there is still a huge loss that will forever be a part of the lives of the child adopted. When we say our prayers each night, Mia and I always pray for "our family" in China (because her birth family is definitely part of our family). I never want her to feel alone in this journey. I hope this trip brings us all a little more awareness and knowledge as to a piece of "our" family history ;-).