This is the first picture I ever saw of Remi. The orphanage named her Li Hong Cai, but Remi remembers and can write her birth name. When I saw Remi's picture and video she was at China's new adoption camp. She was trying so hard not to cry. Her whole life depended on her doing a good job, and she obviously knew it.
She was told she had a family and here she is holding up a picture of us I sent.
Her life has changed just a little. : - )
I must have heard some talk that China might be more open to adopting two, but it was the very, very start of it and had hardly been done. Just a few days after inquiring about Remi, I called the agency and asked if I also could have Shepard. The woman at the agency answered, "I think they will. I will just tell them no one is adopting the boys!" That of course is true. Most Americans go for the girls. Shepard is such a sweetie.
We got this picture of Shepard several months before we traveled to get him. Little did we know his two front teeth had been knocked out, and he was living in a lot of pain.
He has a sun grin here, but it shows off his teeth that took a whole year of dental work to get in shape.
Shepard is the exact same age as Stafan, which makes Stafan mad. Stafan says "he is sooo weak." Shepard takes great pleasure in getting under Stafan's skin, and he does a good job of it. Shepard's favorite thing to say to Stafan is "Hi Bob." I have no idea why he says that.
Stafan is in the green McDonald's tshirt. This was taken probably a couple of years before we even knew he existed. God knew though. Look at all the other pretty orphans. The little girl behind Stafan was burned. I saw her a year ago, and she is still in the orphanage.
Stafan now.
I know I say this all the time, but I so enjoy my boys!! Mike on the other hand, keeps spoiling the girls.
Then there is Arden. This was taken a few months before we got her by my sister who was there adopting. Arden was 11 y.o. She was one of the first older kids to be adopted from her orphanage. Looking back if God had not moved mountains she would have aged out since they were not doing older adoptions at the time. The legal cut off for China is age 14. By the time China started doing many older adoptions Arden would have missed it. God is good!!
Arden now at age 16 y.o.
No one probably loves Arden any more than her cousin Payton does. Yes, Payton has on the same shirt as Remi does. She bought it at American Eagle. I saw it, and I asked Arden if she wanted one. She said in her cute Chinese accent, "Payton have one. We respect one another's clothes." Well fine--I don't. It is on sale now and since I'm not rich... forgive me Payton.
