THE "BIG 10"

We all knew this day could be coming soon but most of us were thinking July or August and trying not to get our hopes up!  If there is one common thing we have learned as a group...it is how to manage expectations!!  Early rumors started to trickle in saying that The CCAA was going to match families logged into China by June 30, 2006...That was us!  We wanted to believe it was true but as always we were managing expectations and emotions, as we have learned to do over the past several years.  We spent several days of riding the "are we in or not" roller coaster through a long holiday weekend!  Every person in our group has thought "Can something just go our way for once" at one time or another over the past several years and finally on June 1, 2011...it did!!!  In keeping with the tradition that nothing about our adoption experience has been the norm up to this point, in the largest batch of referrals China has produced in YEARS, (lovingly dubbed the Big 10) we finally received our referrals!!  Three beautiful girls and (surprise!) one of the most darling little boys you have every seen.  Once the shock wore off we were all overcome with such emotion that these little ones that have lived in our hearts for so many years are finally going to be part of our families! Our dreams have finally become reality.  Every piece of paperwork, every hoop jumped, every shed tear was all worth it once we saw their little faces.  I am very sure that each and every one of us would wait another 5 years if it led us to each of these angels!