Gotcha!

Amazing. Has it actually been four years since our journey to China? Has it really been 1,460 days since officials from a far away land handed over a 13-month old child named Su over to two individuals who had no clue just what the heck they were doing? Four years ago on this date (August 11th of 2003) ended a 19 month adoption process and brought about the first day in the actual start of our new "family." And, frankly, I can't remember much about what life was like before Su entered our lives.

Part of the tradition in some adopting circles is to acknowledge the actual date that the new addition actually is handed over to the new parents. This day is referred to as GOTCHA DAY. It's a special date that deserves recognition, as it's a momentous occasion for the parents and becomes a special day for the child, more unique than birthdays or miscellaneous holidays. And it creates a wonderful opportunity to relive and retell the events that brought this family together.

Our Gotcha Day turned out to a very fun-filled day despite the continued 90 degree heat and awful humidity. We decided we weren't going to let the uncomfortable conditions take us out of having some outdoor fun. We decided to cope with the heat and embark on a little biking journey. We attached the trailer, strapped in Su, and headed out for the Batavia Art in Your Eye fine art show and festival. It was a chance to stroll through some art displays and also spend a little time in the park alongside the Fox River.

Later in the day, we dined at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, El Tesoro in West Chicago -- a favorite of Su's. Feeling quite full from our dining experience, we elected to take a trip to downtown Geneva and walk the main strip of shopping and assorted gathering spots. Armed with a handful of coupons from our volunteer time associated with the Geneva Viking 5K run last month, we strolled into Graham's for some incredible free ice cream. Feeling even more uncomfortable with the added calories, we elected to walk a little bit of it off before heading back home.

We concluded the evening by viewing one of the DVDs from our journey 4 years earlier, just staring in amazement at the footage of this little baby, once unable to even so much as crawl, and just marveling at how far she had come in such a short period of time. How far we ALL had come.