celebrating our evelyn.

Gotcha day and bringing Evelyn home was just one year ago. It's crazy how one year seems so far from this moment and yet so fresh in our minds and emotions.  In so many ways Evelyn seems like a new person still to us and in so many more ways we know her very well. We honestly cannot imagine our family without her and don't quite remember what it was like.  

We are so so thankful the girls have each other and that God orchestrated Evelyn's homecoming on His timeline and not ours.  Our girls both had losses (of great difference) but found such great friends in each other and that helped fill some of the gaps during the transition to Germany for them.  Ah, God is good over and over again... whether we see it now or later - it's truth.  

We thank you LORD for your providence in Evleyn's life and for bringing her to us, we are so very blessed and happy.  Thank you too for showing us about your beautiful adoption of us into your family so we could easily hear your call to adopt our sweet Ev into ours.  What a beautiful example you've given us.  We pray to love and be more like you everyday to our girls.

Looking back... 

Gotcha day - the day we brought Evelyn back to the hotel with us (August 29th)!!!

A little time outside of the hotel room did us good :)  A distraction called Starbucks where we met another adoptive family.

Travel day to the states, long day.

And, arrival stateside after 40 hours of travel, phew.  What a fun few days!  Can you believe how much both girls have grown and changed?!

Cuddling with my daughterS! :)

On the 29th we celebrated Evelyn and loved on her a little extra, why not!?  We had friends over and swam in a little yard pool and made pink cupcakes and let the girls decorate them.  

The little lady of the day and her friends.

Super cute cheeks :)

And, yes, the cupcakes were a success... she may have had more than one...