Our official gotcha day is September 18th but we are going take a trip with Nana and some friends to the beach this weekend to celebrate so I'll just get this up in advance rather than late.

4 years, where has the time gone!!! It seems like yesterday and it seems like forever that Kacey has been part of our family she continues to grow and become more beautiful everyday and we are most honored to be her family. Kindergarten has been just one of the milestones this year (still waiting to lose a tooth like Jena) and Kacey loves it she tells everyone that asks that she LOVES kindergarten and her terrific teacher Mrs. Bloom. She's acceling in her work and making lots of new friends, still misses her BFF from pre-school but luckily they go to Sunday School together and live close by so they get to see each other often:)

There is not a day that goes by that I do not thank the people of China for entrusting me with Lu Xiao Mei and for her birthparents who risked harm to make sure she was delivered safe and sound to Luan Child Welfare Agency where she was cared for until that fateful day in September 2006. This is how Kacey tells the story (thanks to the I love you like Crazy Cakes Book for helping define it to perfection)

...a lady in Georgia had a wonderful family but was missing a daughter, a baby in China was living in a big room with lots of friends and nannies taking care of her but she really needed a mama. The lady wrote a letter asking to adopt one of the babies in the big room and the people in China said yes IF she would PROMISE to take good care of her and love her FOREVER (she says this loudly). The lady said yes and got on a plane with her nana (my mom) and bags packed with toys, snacks and diapers and came to get her. The first day they met I cried because I was scared and mommy cried because she was soooooo happy. We played in China with our friends for a week, got on a plane and went home to Georgia...Pop, Jimbo, Kevin and Danielle were at the airport to say hi and meet me. We went home and lived happily ever after! She tells it to anyone who will listen and I get teary every single solitary time.

Oh how I love that sweet (most of the time) girl and can't imagine a life without her as my centerpiece. Happy Family Day Sweet Kacey...you are loved and cherished by so many.