Sunday Snapshot ~ Grace Lanli

Stefanie at Ni Hao Y'all started 'Sunday Snapshot' and I wanted to participate this week.

Grace.

My second child, the daughter I'd hoped, dreamed and prayed for many years.

Grace and her brother Nick are 17 years apart. In hindsight waiting 17 years for this little girl made perfect sense, because Grace is the daughter
we were always supposed to have.

Her name fits her perfectly.

We first met in the Gloria Plaza Hotel in the city of Nan Chang in Jiangxi Province, China. It was the last day of August in 2003, and she was 12 months old. She came into my arms easily and gave me a sweet little smile... it was one of the happiest moments of my life and I already loved this angel.
We had a first year of great transition, she was sick with chronic ear infections and reactive airway disease, and had many sleep issues. Right around her second birthday that all stopped. A few months later she was diagnosed with a profound speech delay. A profound delay means no speech, none. She made very few sounds. I remember being concerned but also knowing somehow my strong willed, smart little girl would overcome it. Grace started speech at age 2 and now 5.5 years later, you would never know that at one time that was an issue. Grace has worked extremely hard in therapy with her language and speech issues.


I've mentioned many times on my blog that I've never met such a joyful and happy child, she has a ready smile and infectious laugh. She has a true 'joie de vivre' or joy of living and expresses it easily and often. Grace is a kind, gentle person and a natural nurturer...and I believe someday she'll make a wonderful mother. She has a love of learning and school and asks to go even on the weekends! I would describe her as soft spoken and a little shy in new situations but once she knows someone she'll talk their ear off. (hmm...sounds very much like her mother). Our girl is artistic and draws or paints every single day. But if I picked one word to describe Grace it would be 'survivor.' Because even with all these gentle traits she has, she is also fiesty at times, has a will of iron, and enormous strength underneath it all which will serve her well in life.



I'm constantly in awe of how our children come to us and the matching process that occurs and I've had a few of my friends who are waiting for their children ask me about it. When I look at Grace's travel group of 11 families I see an individual child that fits their family to perfection. Personally I believe there's an element of divine intervention in it. We are very blessed to have Grace as our daughter and cannot wait to see what the future holds for her!