A Six Year Reunion

Watching with excitement

Having just met-  here they are six years later

Yes, there were even pillow fights

They wore themselves out.  We turned the light on in the basement to take this picture and they never even moved.

Before breakfast this morning and before saying goodbye turned their little smiles into frowns

Where to even begin with this post?  Six years ago, God blessed us with the most amazing little girl.  His blessing would take us all the way to China.  We would become parents halfway around the world and share a connection with a family we had yet to meet. 
As many of you may remember, we met Scott and Kathy our first day in Beijing and from that moment on, we spent each day together. We shared many, many laughs, adventures and special moments.  We became parents together and our Lily's started their little lives together nine months prior to our arrival.  
Saying goodbye to Scott, Kathy and Lilyana at the Minneapolis airport upon our arrival in the United States was one of the hardest parts of our trip.  Being together made our trip more special, easy and memorable. 
Once home, long distance and busy schedules kept us apart.  Until now.....
This weekend, six years later, we saw our Lily's together again, at seven years old. (Having moved to Indiana, we are now only 3 hours apart.)  Leading up to their visit, the girls were beyond excited, pen-paling, sharing pictures of themselves, asking questions about one another and planning.  I will be honest, Matt, Scott, Kathy and I were just as excited.  The morning of their arrival, Lily Grace was glued to the window watching for them with sheer excitement.  I even got in on the watching after a while.  Her excitement only elevated mine.  Once in the driveway, all we saw was Lilyana bolting around the corner and two China sisters (as they call themselves) standing there hugging and in awe of one another. It was truly something special to see.  Six years later, the six of us were home, settled in our lives and finally, together again.  
We spent the weekend cooking out, catching up, laughing a lot, reminiscing, taking lots of pictures and enjoying the giggles of two little girls who were sharing special time together.  
This was the first time either of the girls had spent the night over at a friends.  By mid-day, they had decided that they had to sleep together and two separate bedrooms just wouldn't work.  So, after much play, running around, crafts, giggles, a bubble bath, dolls, a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs and near midnight bedtime, they were asleep, together, the same way they had started life. 
We just melted each time we saw them.  They were the cutest. It was something quite special.  God is so good!  Now the same size, and seven years old, they still looked exactly the same in the face and it was just precious. 
It's amazing when I think about it.  As soon as Scott and Kathy entered the front door, it was just easy to be together, just like it was in China.  It's as if we just picked right up and carried on.  We all felt it and had to say it out loud at least once.  
The girls said goodbye this morning after breakfast but just until Nov. We have been given a gift with this move and the distance it closes between us.  The four of us are making it a priority to get together on a scheduled regular basis.  So while this is the first post of our families together in six years, it's just the beginning of posts for these two growing China sisters who will always share a connection and thanks to God's wonderful blessings, now share in the ability to grow together.  Thanks be to God!