Adoption contemplation

How do you go from this?

A picture on a computer screen saying, "This is your child..."
To a scared little boy getting off an elevator with the only "mommy" he's ever known and a little bag of crackers in his hand that are his only comfort in the world...
To saying "Hi, I'm your mommy..."

"And your daddy"...

Don't worry, we're just going to take you on an airplane, fly you half way across the world to a place where they don't speak your language and most of them don't look like you.

We're going to put some cute new clothes on you, give you a brother, a sister, a dog, 4 loving grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and even a great grandmother whom you've yet to meet.

To this. An amazingly happy, well adjusted, American kid. Who fits so perfectly into our family, sleeps well, is healthy as an ox (even if he won't eat a fruit or vegetable to save his life) and who will melt your heart with his smile.

Quinn came home 8 weeks today. He's been an American 2 short months and he ACTUALLY feels like my kid. It is absolutely amazing how God as rigged this thing that a picture on a computer kid turns into your flesh and blood in one short year.

October 30th is the one year anniversary of Quinn's referral coming to our family. The mad scramble and prayer to decide if we would say "Yes, we'll take him." It seems like so much water is under that bridge, and yet it's only been 8 piddly weeks. One short year. Our lives (all 5 of us) have been radically changed, for the better.

Words can't even describe how warm my heart is toward this boy. The other day I was driving somewhere and I glanced back and he grinned at me. The same boy who was such a mess on Gotcha Day, clinging to his caregiver, fearing me. I teared up at the grin. HE IS MY SON. I am amazed. And thankful.