Packing in the Fun

 We take Alexis to DC tomorrow to board her plane back to China.  Surreal.  For her last week here, we have been packing in the fun! 

Local Corn & Watermelon Festival

Hay ride!

Chowing down on roasted sweet corn

Make a goofy face!

That kind man in the background cleared the bouncy house so that Alexis could get through

Pony ride!  Unsure at first, but then loved it!

Hayride back to the van.  We are HOT!

Putt Putt in Midlothian!

Playing some Putt Putt. All the kids LOVED it.

Hysterical.  She made it to Hole 16 and then tired out. 

Davison took all 3 girls (separately) on the Go Karts.  Thanks for being so fun, D!

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Thank you to everyone for the guest passes!  We had a fabulous day at Lewis Ginter, especially with the LEGO exhibit and Splash Pad.

That butterfly is made of LEGO pieces!!

Splash Pad was crucial on a 90 degree day.

Each child made a LEGO brick creation to contribute to the wall in the LG Library

We have a translator/friend coming to the house tonight to explain to Alexis that she's going to the airport tomorrow.  We're also going to talk through what things she would like to pack in her (small) backpack.  We plan to cram that bag full!  We have made a little photo/memory book of all of her experiences to take back with her as well.

I have no idea what is going through Alexis' mind now.  I do not know how it is going to go with the translator tonight.  We don't tell her things much in advance because she asks the same questions about things over and over.  I think she struggles some with short term memory. She may be glad to see her orphanage family, eat familiar foods and sleep in her bed.  She may be sad.  She may be relieved.  I just do not know. 

So how do we feel about her departure tomorrow?  I'm sure it will take months of processing that question, but for right now, this Mama is tired.  Mostly just physically tired.  And I think that our biological kids are looking forward to their "normal" routine and "normal" Mama (please refrain from smirking).  I feel sad that no potential adoptive families have contacted us or her agency about meeting her while she is in the US, but we are people of HOPE.  A family can come forward at any time to adopt her.  We will not stop praying for Alexis...for a forever family for her, for her health, her education, her faith and her future.  She has changed our lives, and I hope that we have given her some hope for her future.  Thank you for reading and sharing.