Ten years!! Ten whole years! It is hard to believe that ten years ago today Glenn and I woke up as a couple and went to sleep as parents. It was a long awaited day for us, the end of a journey that had many unexpected twists that had served to lead us to this place where we couldn’t have been happier to be. For our Miss Katrine…perhaps no so anticipated or longed for.  The end of our journey to each other marked the beginning of our journey as a family. For all of us, definitely emotional.
We were blessed to have the opportunity to share this portion of our journey with a truly wonderful group of people. That day both our smaller family and larger family were formed and bonded together. Different stories becoming forever linked. The girls (and boy and subsequent siblings) who are part of Katrine’s China family are all unique but all important to each other. When they are together they make each other laugh and smile….they are family. That day in Nanning we were very lucky to gain not only our eldest but also the honour of touching and being touched by each of their lives.
Ten years ago, Glenn and I were sitting in the Gotcha Room. He restlessly set up and adjusted the video camera so it would be just right while I was shaking and crying. Then we heard them, the cries and baby sounds. Our children were just outside. It was torture to wait those few brief moments while the official walked in and gave a speech about how the children would come to love and accept us if we were patient and kind. It was the nicest kind of torment when the babies began arriving and we got to witness the birth of many other families and then, there she was. Full head of hair, chubby cheeks and red sweatshirt. Our Katrine. Our baby.
Then she was in my arms and I was a mom, Glenn a dad, us a family. Just like that. What did we do? Well, snuck off to our little slice of corner and tuned everyone out. When Glenn held her it made my heart happy.  Katrine was beautiful. More beautiful that we had ever dreamed and for some reason, we were going to have the honour of parenting her.
Every Gotcha Day since then we have taken photos of us. Looking back, it is amazing to see just how much she has grown. (We are missing 2012 as that is the year she had scarlet fever, poor mite.)
