| *Downloading all these pictures in Haiti would have taken maybe a lifetime. Therefore, there are 68 pictures on this blogpost that perhaps could/should have been divided into many episodes if we weren't so busy taking pictures at all these first! This is for the record and for those who really want to share in our special memories that we are so overwhelmingly thankful we were able to experience! Special thanks to the Varda and Allen families that helped make our trip possible, to our parents for loving us, providing for us and driving us long distances to help make our trip possible, to our dear friends the Wells and Potts families who housed, fed, and loved us, and to our family members who put up with us and love us unconditionally. "How lucky we are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard!"-Winnie the Pooh We will never forget these moments! We pray we will never cease to be thankful!  |
| Elita Marguerite has been to this airport many times. Now she gets to go inside for the first time! |
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| First airplane! Port au Prince to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida |
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| First time in the U.S.A.! |
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| First hugs from PaPa upon arrival in St. Louis, Missouri! |
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| First family photo in the U.S.A. with PaPa and MeMa Ream! |
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| The Bonacquisti family drove 5 hours to meet us at the airport! The Bonacquisti family stayed with us in Haiti off and on while they were fighting to bring their Haitian daughter Isemelda home to Illinois! They are such great friends and we were so happy to see them! We drove them to the airport in Haiti when "Lala" was leaving Haiti in February 2012. So it was very special that they were here to greet us upon our arrival! |
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| The day before Thankgiving my Daddy took me on a special date. We went to a movie and shopping. Mom thought we were only going to ONE store. Dad called her with a question and she asked where we were at? "THE MALL???"....on my first day in the states! Think that defies some kind of adoption law? There are no pics of that defiance. Here is a pic of me eating Thanksgiving dinner. But I already devoured the turkey! |
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| Since my Dad did such a good job at defying any semblance of adoption law, my mom decided to beat him and take me BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING! I decided "AMERICAN'S ARE CRAZY!" |
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| I met my cousin Elauna for the first time at Black Friday Shopping at the Wal-Mart in Taylorville, IL. My mom kept pointing out other relatives too. MeMa and Dad were standing in lines. Mom and I left early after we were done helping MeMa! |
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| I met lots of relatives including Uncle Dick... who gave me these barbie dolls I really wanted! |
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| I really am a REAM! Standing outside PaPa and MeMa's house in Taylorville, IL (where her Daddy grew up!) |
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| We drove from Illinois and stopped off in Kentucky on our way to Virginia. The reason we stopped in Kentucky is because we love the Wells family and were just dying to see them! Here is E.M. with Page! Thank you Page for being such a treasured friend! |
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| We made it to Lynchburg, Virginia! And at Lynchburg, Virginia is Liberty University! And at Liberty University is Ba's (grandpa's) office/museum! So we had to go see it! |
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| We were a bit naughty at Ba's office! Not exactly a "first"! |
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| First pic with my grandparents! And first time at the Snowflex complex! (Aunt Emee took me another time to tube down the fake snow... but she has those pics) Good times! |
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| First time to celebrate with my Ta (Grandma) on her 60th birthday! |
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| 1st time ice skating! |
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| Mom and me at Liberty University on ice! |
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| We drove from VA to TN on our way to TX! 1st time meeting Tia Eleisha in Spring Hill, Tennessee! |
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| 1st time meeting my cousin baby Bella Shalom! |
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| And cousins Elianna and Talia! |
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| We finally got to TEXAS! And mom made me go to the dentist the first morning! But I got a great report! |
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| I met my cousin Allyssa Grace Babcock for the first time! Allyssa has prayed for me and raised money for my adoption for the past 2.9 years! We were very excited to meet each other and are now very good friends! I got to stay at Allyssa's house for 3 days and we had a ton of fun! Allyssa has 3 adopted siblings and 9 people in her family that I LOVE! |
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| Breakfast at the Babcock house! LOVE my cousins! |
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| Guess where cousin Shannon took me, Allyssa, and Deja??? |
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| HOLY MOLY! I am not dreaming... I think I am officially SPOILED ROTTEN! |
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| Then we went to cousin Bobby and Devorje's basketball games! Bobby scored 3 dunks...another first! This was my first basketball game America style! And I realized for not the first time that... there are a lot of black people in America! |
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| But I couldn't wait to get home and open my American Girl doll "Cecilé" and play with my cousins! |
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| We had to go pick up Ba the next morning at the hotel. Mom got lost. I told her, "I thought you knew Texas?" Mom said, "Well I don't know EVERY road in Texas!" Mom did much better with driving after we left this "road-high". |
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| I guess it was a good thing that Mom got lost getting to the hotel. Cause we got to meet a famous person that is friends with Ba. His name is Tim LaHaye. |
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| Hi and Bye to Dallas, TX! |
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| First time to see a zoo when we stopped across the street for gas. Can we please go to the zoo? |
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| Mom told me she would take me to the zoo. But I didn't know there was a zoo at her best friend's house! First time to meet Danny the Deer = first time at the Pott's house! |
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| My first time on a horse! Thank you Steph! |
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| My first time practicing ballet with Katya and Allee Potts! |
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| The next morning... I met my Auntie Erin for the first time! |
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| And also Miss Brittany Docter, a beautiful dancer and teacher who prayed for me and supported my adoption! Miss Brittany invited me to try out her ballet class the next day! In more ways than one she helped make my dreams come true! |
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| I got to mee Kayleigh Tansey. Kayleigh was adopted from the Ukraine this year! Our mom's prayed for us together! |
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| I really loved my first ballet class! |
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| The next morning we traveled to Houston, Texas and I met Uncle Jon and Aunt Katherine for the first time! We spent the night at their house! |
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| And the next morning was Sunday. And we surprised our cousins who were dedicating baby Kiersten at church the same day we happened to be there! |
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| And after church I went rock climbing with my brother Ethan! Actually it was really a big, huge, party at Tim Lanier's house and we were invited! |
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| First time as a sumo wrestler. I could barely stand up. But I still put my little brother in his place! |
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| Not my first time saying, "What the heck?" (Thanks a lot Emma Richardson for teaching me that.) |
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| "What the heck?" is right! First time walking on water alongside brothers in a plastic blow up ball! |
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| First major intro to country music at the Faith Hill and Tim McGraw concert which took place at the house party we somehow snagged free tickets to! "What the heck???!!!" |
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| After my intro to country music I had to learn how to two step! First time dancing with my Uncle Jonathan! |
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| First time eating Blue Bell Ice Cream on the way home from Houston! |
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| Mom said our tour of the ice cream factory was our homeschooling for the day. We can handle that! |
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| Bye bye Blue Bell! We love you and miss you in Haiti! |
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| Not my first time shopping, but it is my first time selling Apparent Project jewelry! I asked Mom if we could do this as a fundraiser to help bring Esmée home to experience all these wonderful places and people I can't wait to tell her all about! Thank you Redland's for opening your home on this special night! |
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| Some of my very best Haiti buds who came to our Apparent Project meet and greet me night! This was my first time to meet the Redland family and to see Kelli, Ashtin, Peter, and Ben stateside (who have all come to see me in Haiti)! |
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| My first time at "The Master's School" that I have heard so much about! I was happy that my brother Ethan got to see his old classmates and that I got to play foursquare at recess with them! I told my mom, "The kids at this school are very nice! I think it is a very good school!" |
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| That night I got to meet some more of my brothers friends from New Braunfels Bible Church! We went to Peter Piper Pizza and that was my first time at a place like that! |
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| The next morning was Saturday. We drove all the way to DFW again for something called "Shaw Family Christmas" or "Cousin Christmas"! I was happy to see Allyssa again and meet almost ALL of my cousins. I have A LOT of cousins! Allyssa and Anna Michelle are the cousins I hang out with the most. I so wish we lived closer! |
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| Our Cousin Christmas was hosted by my cousins Carrie and Amy Joy Wilson...and their parents. I think there were 100 relatives at Shaw Family Christmas! But we will not post all 100 pictures this time. |
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| We got to see our friend Betsy while passing through on our way back from DFW! Betsy first met Elita Marguerite when she was stationed as a nurse at the orphanage back in December 2010. We love you Betsy! |
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| I did get to go to a zoo (besides the Pott's family zoo)! I got to meet Jefflin and Jeffnia's brothers and sister for the first time too! (Jefflin and Jeffnia are two friends still waiting to come home from Haiti.) |
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| First animals to see inside the zoo are the flamingos! |
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| My favorite animals at the zoo were the Lory birds! |
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| First time on a train! |
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| Thank you for an amazing adventure in the U.S.A.! I am so happy I am now an American citizen! But I still love Haiti too and can't wait to get back to my favorite Haitian food! Oh and I especially have been missing my Dad and sister Esmée who are in Haiti! We are returning to Haiti on Christmas Eve and are all excited to get back! Everyone says my English is SO good! It is good enough for me to go to an English school soon! I will be starting school January 7th at El Shaddai Learning Center in St. Marc, Haiti along with my brothers and sister. We are moving there after Christmas! Pray for me since my Dad will be the Principal at my new school! "What the heck am I going to do with that???!!!" Thank you for praying for my adoption! I am so blessed to be able to meet many friends and family that have prayed for me! Please continue to pray for me and for my family in Haiti and for Esmée and many of my friends to be able to come to the U.S.A. soon too! |
