• Home
  • About
  • Wild Olive Tees
  • No Hands But Ours
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • RSS

Ni Hao Y'all

when east meets south

  • Ni Hao Y'all
  • Faith
    • my faith
  • adoption
    • special needs adoption
      • clubfoot
      • Down syndrome
      • dwarfism
    • shared list
    • advocating
  • family
    • Magnolia
    • Clementine
    • Tallula
    • Poppy
    • Esther
    • Vivienne
    • Shepherd
    • Jude
    • Isabelle
    • Sophie
    • Dalton
    • Asher
    • Zach
    • Victoria
  • Life
    • memory lane
    • what works for us
    • things I love
    • Q and A
    • marriage
    • cooking
    • celebrations
    • blogging
      • love others
      • kudos
  • photography
    • photography 101
    • Sunday Snapshot

four years later

Yesterday was Sophie’s day for show-and-tell.

I expected her to run down the stairs clutching a favorite bear.

Or a new toy.


But she wasn’t.

Instead she came down asking if she could bring something from her “China box”.


Her box of extra special things from her time in China.

She loves to go through her box and ask questions. Sometimes she wants to look at her photo album from China. And sometimes she just wants to hold onto one special thing that reminds her of China.


And on this day, this was that one special thing.

I had printed out and laminated pictures of her and her nanny, as well as pictures of everyone in our family, put them on a sink chain and included them in one of her care packages.


At the time I had hoped it would prepare her for when she would come home. That she would feel connected somehow to the people in the pictures that she didn’t know.

What I didn’t know was how it would soothe her. How it would help her feel connected to the person holding her in those pictures, almost four years later.


Although Sophie doesn’t have many memories from her first two years in China, she most definitely remembers her nanny.

And she remembers how much she did, and still very much does, love her.


And she wanted to share that with her Kindergarten class.


We talk about China a lot. About where she is from. About what life is like in China.

She is very proud to be Chinese.


She is also proud to look Chinese. When I asked her why we she thought she and I didn’t look alike she replied, “Because we’re from different countries!”

*left unsaid: “…you big dummy!”*


Smart, smart girl that one.

Happy four years together my precious girl. How I love you.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • More
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
«
»

05.21.10 · adoption, Sophie 25

Comments

  1. Chris says

    May 21, 2010 at 4:38 PM

    Yes! Happy four years together!!! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  2. Annie says

    May 21, 2010 at 5:02 PM

    Happy four years!! What a sweet post, Stefanie!! Lizzie loves her China "box" too!

    Reply
  3. Kim says

    May 21, 2010 at 5:07 PM

    Happy four years! Beautifully said, as always ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  4. *Overflowing* says

    May 21, 2010 at 5:09 PM

    Stefanie…that is soooo sweet!! Happy 4 years…crazy how fast it goes by, hun?

    Hey…stop by my blog and see what Tracy (Junk Posse) made for our family to fundraise with…it's sooo neat!!

    Reply
  5. Tracy says

    May 21, 2010 at 5:14 PM

    We have a special China box for our son too. It is one of his favorite things to do. On occasion he will ask us to pull it down from the top of his closet so that he can go through and look at all of the special things it holds inside. He loves to try on the clothes he was wearing the first day that we met him, and then he breaks out in laughter that after almost three years they still fit, including the shoes. It is just a precious site to watch him as he filters through the box, asking questions and reliving in his little mind memories that he has. Which seem to be few, although the last time we went through his box he specifically wanted to look at pictures. So we sat and looked at the pictures together of him and his foster family. After a few minutes he started to tear up(which was a first). I asked him if he remembered his foster family in China, and if he was crying because he missed them. He sayed "no mommma, I dont remember them, but I miss China very much." He was feeling homesick for the place where he was born and even though it made me sad for his little heart, I felt blessed to have shared that very raw moment with him.

    Reply
  6. Isabelle et Sijia says

    May 21, 2010 at 6:39 PM

    Happy 4 years! Wow! Time flies, isn't it?

    Reply
  7. Victoria says

    May 21, 2010 at 7:49 PM

    awww. i just love her to pieces. <3

    Reply
  8. Jessica says

    May 21, 2010 at 8:15 PM

    I have all of my daughters special pictures and items from China gathered in one place, but I've been searching for the perfect box to put them in. I know that just having a box (whatever it is) is what is important, but for all of your children, do you use the same type of "box", and what does it look like if you don't mind me asking?

    Reply
  9. Rachel says

    May 21, 2010 at 8:18 PM

    Happy 4 years!! She's absolutely precious!

    Reply
  10. Tavianna says

    May 21, 2010 at 8:35 PM

    Im a little late on the asking nosey questions post but i do have a good one! I have always wondered how well your kids have done with moving around so much. Im thinking about it even more these days because we are about to move across the country after living in the same location for seven years. Our older kids are really excited but our daughter is four years old and has only been home since August of last year. Im hoping it will be a positive realization for her that family doesn't change when all else sometimes does. Im sure the last change is fresh in her memory but she is too busy learning about life with us to yet talk a whole lot about China and life before gotcha day. Any thoughts or suggests would be greatly appreciated!

    Love the China box idea! I think I'll get that one going right away!

    Reply
  11. Chandra says

    May 21, 2010 at 9:33 PM

    How sweet Sophie is! (smart and very pretty too!)

    Reply
  12. Jen says

    May 21, 2010 at 11:43 PM

    How very cool! My daughter does not remember anything from her time in China, but she loves to look at the pictures and hear stories about our first few days together.

    Reply
  13. Valerie and Jeff says

    May 22, 2010 at 12:26 AM

    That is so special that you made such a cool thing for her then … and have such a neat idea of a "china box" that she has access to and isn't "put away for later." She IS so smart! And I love those pony tails!
    Blessings,
    Valerie

    Reply
  14. Kim says

    May 22, 2010 at 1:57 AM

    Love how you teach us.

    Reply
  15. Holly says

    May 22, 2010 at 3:00 AM

    Love that smile. That's one well adjusted girl!

    Reply
  16. Karin says

    May 22, 2010 at 3:08 AM

    What a sweet story! My girls go in and out of being proud of their Chinese heritage, but I love it when they are 'in.'

    Reply
  17. Football & Fried Rice says

    May 22, 2010 at 4:05 AM

    We have a "China book" that lies on the nightstand and gets read most nights. Something kids love about seeing & hearing about themselves ๐Ÿ™‚

    ((okay, so it's not just the kids!))

    Happy Four Years together! We were beginning our adoption process and had found you this time 4 years ago. I got to watch you meet that precious baby girl! so many tears over that journey and I learned so much about love from watching you.

    I humble thank you.

    Reply
  18. Joe and Jane says

    May 22, 2010 at 4:07 AM

    I'm glad she finds such comfort in what you made for her. How wonderful.

    Jia talks a lot about China too. She often asks what time it is there and then wonders what people might be doing at that time. I hope she is able to find comfort in her photos and items too someday.

    Reply
  19. Ellie says

    May 22, 2010 at 2:08 PM

    Happy 4 years! I cannot believe you have 4 more in that amount of time. must be a God thing.

    She is just beautiful ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  20. Jean says

    May 22, 2010 at 3:14 PM

    Beautiful! Pics and post!

    Happy 4 years sweetheart!! God Bless You!

    Reply
  21. Jesse, James and Lindsey's mom says

    May 22, 2010 at 5:20 PM

    Wonderful post!! Happy 4 years!! I just realized that you were in CHina on the day my Lindsey was born!!! Very cool!!!!

    Reply
  22. Wild Olive says

    May 22, 2010 at 9:36 PM

    Sweet girl! I miss you Sophie!!
    Love – To-leen

    Reply
  23. Leigh says

    May 24, 2010 at 3:36 PM

    I tell you, Stef, I love this post.

    My Grandfather is dying today and I am reflecting on his life. My fondest memories of him are the times when I was the recipient of his adoring stares. He thought the world of me and I knew it. I think Sophie was adored by her Nanny and thank God, she still knows it. What a beautiful foundation!

    I pray Sophie will know throughout her life what it is to be adored by her Creator and Redeemer.

    Reply
  24. 3 Peanuts says

    May 25, 2010 at 2:21 PM

    What a sweet and beautiful story.

    Reply
  25. jen says

    May 26, 2010 at 1:07 PM

    I live in China and this post really struck me. How precious. She is a beautiful little girl.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

I'm Stefanie. Wife to one, mom to 13. Occasional blogger and t-shirt maker. Wannabe photographer and exerciser. Constant grace-needer and orphan advocator. more
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS

Subscribe

instagram

see more...follow us on IG

our china journeys

magnolia - 2016
clementine - 2014
tallula - 2012
penelope - 2011
vivienne - 2010
shepherd - 2008
jude - 2007
sophie - 2006
isabelle - 2005

ways to make a difference

Love Project

proceed with caution

a dirty secret in adoption
we don't celebrate gotcha day
there's no such thing as an easy adoption
if I can, you can.
co-sleeping, why we do it.
gawsh. the series.
crazy
affording adoption
God and me.
Vivi's diagnosis
the ugly, beautiful truth
special needs: my .02
my testimony
dear anonymous
my chinese son

Creative Commons License

Copyright © 2023 · Darling theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 ยท Darling Theme on Genesis Framework ยท WordPress ยท Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.