One year ago on July 10, 2008 we landed in Detroit, Michigan and our daughter touched American soil for the first time. A few hours later we landed in Champaign, Illinois where Michael's family met us, and we wound up on the ten o'clock news.
Three days later, we stepped off the California Zephyr, finally back in Iowa and home after the most exciting trip we will likely ever have. We learned many things on that trip, perhaps the most important that people are more alike than different.
From a people in a faraway land and drastically different culture, we were given a gift we can never adequately repay. We were entrusted to raise a daughter of China, along the way, we promised to raise her with knowledge of the heritage and culture she came from and to never "abandon, neglect, or abuse her".
In the past year, our lives have changed in many ways, some we never anticipated. But, we would never change it for the world.