Gotcha Day - Nov. 17, 1985

My mom recently brought over a big box of all my childhood photos. My kids have enjoyed going through them, as have I. The photos above were ones I was particularly looking for because they were of a very significant event in my life. One that I remember so vividly that it is permanently engraved in my mind. They're not pictures of me with Kari (can you tell by the cool hairstyle and enormous glasses?). They're actually pictures of me holding Cheryl, my baby sister, the moment she arrived from Korea exactly 23 years ago - Cheryl's Gotcha Day. (Gotcha Day is a term adoptees and their families use for the day the child is "gotten" by his/her forever family.) It's probably the moment that adoption became such a beautiful reality for me. One in which the Lord used to help determine for me that adoption was something I wanted to do (Lord willing, of course!). November 17, 1985 Cheryl arrived after a long flight from Korea to our waiting arms. Mine to be exact, as I was the one who was able to scoop her up first. Not sure why my parents let me do that :) - maybe I was pushing and shoving ahead of everyone else?

Cheryl's had several more significant "Gotcha Days" since the day she joined the Owyoung family. Probably the most significant was the day God got a hold of her heart and she gave her heart to Christ at age four, being adopted into the family of God. The other was most recently when she was "gotten" by Mr. Michael Moore. Cheryl was married this past October just over a month ago. I gave this sappy speech, and meant every word of it. I think it was an especially touching time for me because not only was this very special baby sister of mine getting married, but I had also just returned from China ten days before with another beautiful daughter of my own. I could see the full picture. God has been so good as to allow us to adopt two delightful girls, a hope we have had for many years. I too am so thankful the Lord gave me a husband who was willing to share the vision to build our family through adoption - it was something we dreamed of before we were married. Cheryl has grown from this cute chubby smiling baby into a God-fearing woman and God has blessed her with a husband who also loves and fears God. I can only hope that my daughters too will follow in her footsteps. Happy Gotcha Day Cheryl! I love you!