Personal Adoption Story

Well after 2 1/2 years of waiting and anticipation, our beautiful daughter is in her crib sleeping in Texas !! There were many ups and down during the long wait, but Dave, Cindy, and Edd at AAO held our hands the entire time. There was not a moment during the process that we felt alone in our quest to have this child. 

Amy made making the travel arrangements completely undaunting. The prepared materials included list of items to bring, China customs, and what to expect, and they made the trip much easier. Amy is also the one who gave us "The Call". Thats the moment that time stands still, and you realize "You're going to China !!!" I have tears as I'm writing this, as it's one of the greatest moments in my life.

Once there, Richard and Alexa were our facilitators, guides and friends. They made such an enormous impact on our adoption, that we can't say enough good things about them. They handled all the processes, meetings, and paperwork effortlessly. They are truly professionals and we felt very confident the whole time we were there.

I cannot put into words the feelings we had when we first met Mei-Lien. We were parents !! A very long dream of being a daddy was looking me in the eye. She was and is the most beautiful and wonderful little girl we've ever seen. And she's our daughter !! My mind goes back to the first time I saw JoJo holding her new daughter. It is the most beautiful I have ever seen her ! From the first moment we held Mei-Lien she looked at us like we were mommy and daddy, she trusted us, and depended on us to take care of her. The feelings we instantly had for her are the same as if she had been born to us.

The sights of China are wonderful. The people were very friendly, if not a little curious. At 6'6" I had many people come up to me and put their arms around me, only for me to look up and see one of their friends taking a picture of us. That must be how a movie star feels !! Everyone was very helpful, and eager to be friendly to us. GuangZhou was beautiful !! I miss the little streets on the island, the friendly shopkeepers, and the smiles of all the adoptive parents walking around with their new babies. The wonderful energy in the air made it a Heaven on Earth for us. We can't wait to go back and visit the many wonderful people we met while there.

The time seemed to stretch our forever, but AAO was there every step of the way. In the end, if we had known how wonderful our little girl would be, and how much more happy our family would become, we would have gladly waited 10 years if we had to. "Our" daughter simply wasn't ready yet. Whether you believe in God, a "Greater Power" or the Stars, the fact is that something picked the perfect baby for our family. We have the best lives we could possibly imagine ! This little girl from the other side of the planet has completed us in a way that can't be described. You'll just have to experience it for yourselves.

To everyone at Americans Adopting Orphans in the USA and China, we love you all. You helped us do something that has altered the world for us. Something we could not do by ourselves. You have made it possible for us to have a daughter, and for her to have a loving home. You will all share a special place in our hearts forever.