Gotcha Day

One year ago, yesterday, Mitchell's adoption was finalized and he became OFFICIALLY ours!  He got to spend the day with Daddy yesterday.  I was bummed I had to work and miss out on the fun, but he got a much needed hair cut, took a trip to Ergadoozy (indoor play ground), enjoyed a happy meal for lunch, took a long nap and then once I got home, we all went out to dinner. 

I've decided that I'm really happy Gotcha Day lands so close to Christmas.  In the hype of the holidays, it's easy to forget what exactly Christmas means.  The real reason we celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the gift given to us by our heavenly Father, the gift of his only son.  Mitchell is an earthly reminder of this for me.  The gift of salvation through Jesus is the ultimate gift.  There are very few gifts we humans can give each other that come close to this.  I believe the best gifts we can give each other as humans are love and forgiveness.  However, Gus and I were given a gift that ranks right up there as well.  Mitchell is a gift to us from God and from his birth mother.  His adoption is also a gift to him.  A gift that, no matter how sure you are that you can't care for him on your own, couldn't have been an easy decision to make.  For one person to trust another person with the permanent care of their child, well, it's no small miracle.  Gotcha Day will be celebrated in our house every year.  Yes, it was the "ending" of a long journey.  And yes, it was more than worth it.  But it is also a reminder that God was there all along the way. 

And Merry Christmas from our family to yours!