SHE'S OFFICIALLY OURS!

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!! Our sweet China Blessing No 4 is OFFICIALLY A PIERCE!!!! This morning we went to the Registration Office to get Ansley Grace's adoption certificate. This was the same place that Callie Beth and Eiley Joy were placed into our arms for the first time. It was a short and sweet process. We had our picture made by the infamous wall with the Chinese writing and the date. We have had our picture made in front of this very same wall with each of our last three adoptions. No one told us until today that the wall was intended only to be used for people who are getting married!!! We still had our picture made there, and since the date on the wall was wrong, we stood in front of it so it wouldn't show. We just didn't want to break tradition!!!! :) It's Official! After we left the registration office, we had to go to the Notary Office for our notary interview. All that consisted of was us getting our picture made with the notary. The rest of our group will be going to the Zhengzhou PSB office this afternoon to apply for their children's passports. Since Ansley Grace was hosted in the United States last year, she already has a passport, so we have a free rest of the day!!! I am planning on visiting the orphanage where Ansley Grace has spent the last 7 1/2 years of her life. I want to visit the foster family who live on the grounds of the orphanage whose care she has been under for the past two or three years. When I talked to our guide about our visiting there, she recommended that we not take Ansley Grace with us. Since she has been doing so well with us, I kind of agreed, but then a friend of mine recommended that maybe I have our guide talk to her and ask her is she would like to go back and visit her foster family one more time, and explain to her that it wouldn't be to stay....it would just be for a visit. So, I asked Tina our guide if she would do that. I watched as she asked Ansley Grace if she would like to go back and visit, and explained to her that it wouldn't be to stay, but just to see her family one more time. Her answer was NO......she did not want to go back. A part of that makes me sad. I truly believe her foster family loved her and cared for her. She is very self-sufficient, she is a very happy child, she is obedient, and really has a sweet personality. Someone has done something right in her life along the way. At the same time, though, her not wanting to go back tells me that she is happy and content with us. We are still not doing big bear hugs with her, but she holds our hand, lets us help her when she needs it, and definitely doesn't act scared of us in any way. We knew from the beginning that God chose Ansley Grace for us, so honestly, I have never doubted through this whole process that she was meant to be our daughter number four. God has graciously shown us already just how perfect she is for our family. I know her big bubbas are going to love her, as will her Gran Gran, and her uncle and all her aunts. She is going to fit perfectly in to our China Girls group. Our family will never be the same again without Eiley Joy, and the intent of adopting again was NEVER to try to fill the loss of her because no child could ever take her place. We adopted again because God gave us enough love in our heart for another little girl......and yes, we have enough for plenty more!!!! I don't know whether or not there will be a Pierce Girl Number 5. It is not in our plans now, but we have learned that if we will keep our heart and mind open to God's will for our lives, and say YES when He calls, He will bless us beyond words. Sent from Yahoo! Mail for Windows 8