Friday, February 27, 2009

Missing Viet Nam....Looking Back

Yep. You saw it. We miss Viet Nam. And not because it is 80 there and supposed to snow here tomorrow..... I got up this morning and went back to watch old videos and view pix from when we were in Saigon and Ha Noi. Wow, how our little girl has blossomed. I watched the first video we shot of her at the CWC in Binh Duong and compared it to her "running" through the house today. It is amazing at what 11 weeks has done to this little lotus flower.
We go back re-visiting all of the wonderful and special moments, the ones that take your breath away and just marvel in the experience that we had. It is now really a complete circle. God led us (all three of us) down the path to what has brought us together as a family. Me meeting Trish, her having cancer, and then the knock-down blows from other tries at adoption and then Holt who matched Sophie with us, the love of our lives.
We miss Viet Nam and we know our girl does too. All the great times we had with the Ducker family, it just is like a dream that we never want to wake up from. We even have a beckoning cat for Sophie, while it might not be a Vietnamese thing, it sure brings us back to that one restaurant in Ha Noi and the wild goose chase the street lady led us on to find one (long story but go into the December 2008 posts and you will find it!). We miss the special people in Vietnam. We miss the Holt staff and the whole experience....it was just simply fantastic. For those that have ever considered foreign adoption or are in the stages of doing it, there is no other way to go than Holt. Period, end of story. We hope and pray that someday the red tape is cut and we can have another child from this beautiful country that WE are so lucky to be matched with. We are still told how lucky Sophie is, but it is the complete opposite. WE are the lucky ones to have her. WE are the ones that thank God every night as we stand over her bed and pray, just marveling at the peace, joy and love we now have.
We are very excited to be re-uniting with Jackie, Rich and Mya over Independence Day. A dual trip to meet my oldest sister Diehnee and her tribe in NJ and to let these two angels (Sophie an Mya) from Viet Nam spend their first 4th of July together. We could not think of anything better.
Sophie is doing so very well and bonded with us both 100%. The anxiety she showed in the past for me is now long gone (Thanks for the words of support Thomas!!!) She KNOWS we are her forever family and we have so many people to thank for the gift that they have given us. I just do not know how to express what this one little girl has given us. She makes us complete. We love you Sophie Lee-Nguyen Belz.... With all our hearts!!!!!!

The smile and expression from Tricia that I so longed for. My two girls!!!

Two special girls...Mya Grace and Sophie Lee. Friends forever.

Sophie and Mommy, their first moments on Gotcha' Day. 12/9/08. A sad & happy day for all three of us as well as a foster family and the Holt staff in VN...

The first picture that we every took of our daughter. The lady pictured was her primary care giver when she was at the CWC in Binh Duong.

The special foster mother (and her family) who we still think and pray about every day. Some day we hope we can re-unite. We send them pictures and letters via Holt so they can know how well is adapting with her forever family. God Bless them all!


One of the first videos of Sophie.......look in the background on the bench. That is a member of her foster family, that we can only assume is an older foster brother as he is in other pictures we have.


The newest citizen of the United States...Wheels down @ LAX.....

One of the very special people we met while in Viet Nam. An employee of The Vine in Ha Noi. Such a wonderful place.

One of the priceless photos...if only we knew what they were saying. A picture is worth MORE than 1,000 words......

The flight to the rest of our lives.

The sign on the CWC in Binh Duong... I can only imagine that it says "FINDING FAMILIES FOR CHILDREN" under the logo. That they did....that they did!

Proof that yes, you CAN carry 541 birds on the back of a motor bike :-)

The Belz family outside the Department of Justice in Binh Duong after our G&R ceremony.

Hoping you all have a great weekend!!!!

4 comments:

Jackie, Rich, and Mya Grace said...

I have chills after reading your post!!! I went thru all our pics/videos last week and I cried. We all had such a great time in Vietnam!!! It was so amazing that we were able to share such an unforgettable journey with you. I can't wait until 4th of July!!!! Once the girls are older we should take a trip back to Vietnam....how cool would that be????? Miss you guys!!!!

Stevens Family said...

Oh so sweet tears are welling up under my eyes. What a beautiful journey it is. I too miss it all; the whole experience and can't wait to do it again. Trish's mommy glow is just beautiful :)

Cathy said...

Cathy and I talk all the time about how we miss Vietnam and look forward to going back. It was one of the few times in out lives where we truly had no worries and just focused on our new daughter. Great memories!

Max and Anne-Marie said...

What a great tribute/summary of this momentous event in your lives! I sure hope Sophie grows to appreciate the wonderful job you do in recording your journey to each other and your life now TOGETHER!!

Anne-Marie