Molly's Foster Family

Now that we are DTC (Dossier-to-China), we felt it would be okay to inform our China Family (the foster family Molly lived with for 3 years) that we will be returning to China!!  It is, of course, our desire to see them, visit with them, spend some time with them once more, ... so we have sent them a message to let them know that hopefully something can be arranged once we receive our Travel Invitation.

While we were in the process of adopting Molly, we were told that she had been living with a foster family and knowing how long she had been living with the family and also having friends at the time who were foster parents gave us the perspective that Molly leaving them to be adopted would be a difficult and emotional experience for them.  So, we enclosed a translated letter within the recommended gift that we left for the family to be given.  In it, we shared our sentiments for them and provided our mailing address in case they wanted to "keep in touch".  Within a month of returning to the USA with Molly, we received a letter from them and photos of the family and Molly during her time with them.  It was such a wonderful blessing to receive this insight into Molly's life in China!  

When we adopted Brynn, we went to Wuxi first, which is where the family lives. We met them for the first time and they were able to love on Molly whom they hadn't seen for 18 months at that point.

It was quite the tearful reunion!

Many in the neighborhood came to see Molly.

We had a wonderful few days seeing the sights of Molly's hometown ...

One of the things we liked best about our visit was being taught how to make authentic Chinese dumplings!!

That's A LOT of dumplings!!  We had three of those filled with dumplings!

Mmm Mmm Mmm ....

We truly enjoyed our visit with the people who knew, cared for and loved Molly before we did!

We are so grateful for them!!

This may be the last opportunity for Molly to spend some time with her foster family, ... her FIRST family, ... together in the place that used to be her home with them.  Now that Molly is older, it will be exciting for her to see them again and to recall her memories of China.  She is a very different girl than she was back then.  But hopefully they will recognize the spunky little Chinese girl and be proud of who she has become.