Showing posts with label Sienna Grace - Photos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sienna Grace - Photos. Show all posts
Friday, May 13, 2011
So Happy It's Friday!
Ruby is home safely! She had a wonderful time!! In her words, "I was a very good house guest Mama!" That's all I could ever ask from my girls!!!! They know that's the only way to be invited back!!! :) My heartfelt thanks to Miss B for loving her for a few days. And, for the wonderful suitcase of clothes she sent home for Emme Jade!!! We are blessed by our friends!
Sienna and Ainsley were very excited to see Ruby arrive home. It was very cute how they ran out to the car when they heard the door open! It was clear Sienna missed her pal a lot! Once again I am reminded how far we have come in one year!
I took these pictures of Sienna this week. When she asked, I happily agreed to take her picture! I think she looks beautiful in turquoise....
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
To China and Back with Sienna Grace in 2010!
January, 2010
In January Sienna was still She Xia Chang and she was living in Hengshan with her Foster Mother. We had a wonderful connection at Pearl River who checked in on Sienna and sent us monthly photos. It was a priceless gift while we waited!
February, 2010
I received an email with about 6 photos of Sienna in this pink coat while I was in China. It was the last night of Chinese New Year and fireworks were going off all around the city. Jeff and Ainsley were sleeping, and I sat at my computer and wept when I got these. The next day her life would change forever. She would sit on the lap of her foster mother and say goodbye. And, then she would get in a car with 4 people alone and make her way to Changsha to meet us. I still tear up thinking about what that must have been like for our brave girl.
March, 2010
CHINA
(Eleven Days of Sienna Grace)
March 1st this little girl took our breath away. Our first glance of her was when she came walking off of the elevator with her escorts. She turned and stood at the door of the Civil Affairs Waiting Room where we were. She stared at us, and then turned to go in to the back offices to have her picture taken. It was a very long 10-15 minutes until they brought her to us.
That day is all documented at her Adoption Website above.
(Checking us out at the Civil Affairs Office)
(Safe with Daddy back at the Hotel after a heart breaking afternoon for Tung Tung)
(After dinner and a bath, we saw some of Sienna's sparkle emerge!)
(Dressed in the infamous silver coat to go back to the Civil Affairs Office the next day!)
(The miracle of prayer. A meeting we were dreading ended up being great! Sienna began to reveal her silly side with the help of Ainsley while we waited at the Civil Affairs office. It was am amazing contrast to less than 24 hours before in the exact same room!)
(One of my favorite photos of Sienna Grace from our time in Changsha taken on day 2 with her. She loved this window seat and she spent a lot of time there pondering her new journey.)
(Day 3 and ready for bed! She was starting to open up more. Still guarded but definitely feeling more comfortable!)
(Day 4.. Jeff had taken Ainsley to do homework and I was alone with her for the first time. She was not too excited about her Jie Jie leaving the room.)
(Day 5, and getting a little more silly... Still grieving, but making great strides!)
(Day 6, Our Hunan girl ready to take her first plane trip to Guangzhou. She was leaving Hunan for most likely the first time in her life.)
(Day 7, on Shamian Island! Taken before the dreaded Medical Exam that would change the course of our trip and bring us home early.)
(Day 8, Sienna woke up terribly sick from her vaccinations. It was a scarey day, and God proved his faithfulness as he answered prayers and healed her little body)
(Day 9, and she begins to feel better by the end of the day. She is now stir crazy in our hotel room.)
(Day 10, We are approved to leave China early, so we spent most of our day dealing with travel changes. This would prove to be the biggest day of grieving and bonding on our trip.)
(Day 11, We finally get to take Sienna to the park on Shamian. This was our last day in China. This night we would fly from Guangzhou to LAX to arrive in MSP the following day.)
APRIL, 2010
MAY, 2010
June, 2010
(The month Sienna had her dental surgery and we traveled to Chicago to see Nadi)
July, 2010
August, 2010
September, 2010
October, 2010
November, 2010
December, 2010
There are two words that come to me as I close this post of Sienna's 2010...
Wow and Amen!
Blessings,
Diana
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Tiffany Blue
Three weeks after Sienna came home she and I had our first photo shoot together. It just happened to be in our master bathroom where we have great natural lighting.
She was in her favorite yellow dress. I loved those pictures. You can see them here.
Yesterday, almost nine months later to the day she asked me to take her pictures in the same place. This time in tiffany blue.. You should have seen how fast I grabbed my camera!! As I was taking them, I was thinking how much has changed for Sienna and me. Back in March we could barely communicate. And, she was still checking me out. She was still processing how she got from there to here. She was still grieving all she had lost. She was slowly deciding if she could trust me. Yes, she was starting to blossom, but it is so much more than that now. Sienna still tests me. Sometimes daily. Mostly because I think she wants to make sure I am going to still love her no matter what. But, she has a quiet confidence about her now. The confidence to be silly, happy, sad, and tender. So much has changed in such a short time.
In 9 months Sienna has learned English beautifully, she has gone to school, she has had two successful surgeries, she has grabbed the hearts of four very special doctors, she has learned about Jesus, she has learned her ABC's, she has learned how to spell some words, she has learned to count, she has taken gymnastics and skating lessons, she has traveled, she has played in the snow, she has seen her best friend from China four times, she has embraced being a sister, etc.... Simply put, she has found her place here!
I have heard from some of you that read our blog, that Sienna has opened your hearts to adopting an older child! There is no greater blessing than knowing she has touched families she may never know personally... She is a testimony that with faith, all things are possible...
Sienna Grace, whether you are in yellow, or tiffany blue, I will always love you! You have stretched me in so many ways. You have taught me that I can love beyond what I thought my heart's capacity could hold. You have showed me that being tough can be beautiful! You have taught me again and again, that God's plans are always perfect. I love you Sienna Grace! And, I am so very proud of you! Merry Merry Christmas precious girl!
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
James 1:17
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Black & White Wednesday {Sienna Grace at Six Months}
Six months ago today, we met Sienna Grace. She came off an elevator at the Hunan Provincial Office munching on an apple, with no idea how her life would change in the next 2o minutes. Reflecting back, she was so scared. She had just said goodbye to the woman who had loved her for 4.5 years, with a bag of her belongings, and parts of the care packages we had sent to her. She drove in a car 2 plus hours with four people from Hengshan. I know God was there every mile for Sienna. He allowed her to show us her vulnerable side that day. He allowed her to show her survivor instincts. He allowed her to show us she could love deeply. And, he allowed her to grieve out loud. It was a heart breaking adoption day. But, it proved to teach us all that with time, love truly knows no boundaries. With time, walls break down. With time, love begins again. With faith, all things are possible.
Six month later I marvel at this little girl. She has moved on from Hengshan, but she has not forgotten. She loves her "China Mom." We talk in a healthy way about her life there. And, she doesn't ponder too long anymore. In time more will be revealed. But, for now she seems content being in her words,"just Sienna."
She has adjusted and bonded so well to all of us. As we prayed, she now runs up and hugs our legs. Snuggles when we hold her, and tells us "she loves us" without prompting. She speaks fluent English, knows her colors and shapes, and recognizes many letters. She is practicing spelling her name, and she will say it to anyone who will listen. She is normal and happy!!
Sienna is our tender one. She cares about others. She is compassionate and empathatic. Such great qualities for that doctor I am convinced she will be one day!
She will always be a "Hunan Spicy Girl" at heart. She is not afraid to speak her mind, when necessary. (And, sometimes when it is not.) I love Sienna's passion, and if channeled correctly, it will benefit her greatly in her precious life.
It truly is a miracle what God can do in the heart of one child and one family in six months time! What a blessing we have in Sienna Grace.
"Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27
P.S: I am excited to be participating in my first B&W Wednesday. Hop over to Lisa's blog and check out her amazing photos and her great news!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Minnesota Girl!
At first she wasn't sure.... But then it happened... First fish on the line! Scared at first... But, soon counting on her fingers how many she had caught that night! Miss Sienna Grace is fitting in just perfectly... Pink Vest, Pink Barbie Pole, a little bait, a little help from Daddy, and Wa-La.. Another fisher woman in the family! Can you tell she likes being a northern girl?Blessings,
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