Life in Longyan~

I was going thru some pictures today, and stopped when I got to the folder of Sophie living in Longyan. She moved in with her foster family just after surgery, maybe around 5 months old. Her foster family lived in the Longyan countryside, not in the city, so I have been told. I would tend to think life was at a slower pace, much more simple. Here are a few images of Longyan...

When Sophie was living with her foster family, her foster parents grandchildren were around a lot, it seems from the pictures we have. I think this is was great in preparing Sophie to be in our family, growing up with siblings. She also had a foster sister, who is now named Penny. We will be able to visit her one day, as she has been adopted here in the States!

Sophie's foster family was so good to her. They always seemed to have her outside, with family, riding bikes. Normal family living. Now, when I show Sophie the pictures of her in Longyan, she doesn't believe me that that's her! She looks so young, and so different. We will be forever grateful to her foster family for showing her so much love. They showed her what it was like to live in a family, not an institution. For this, she bonded to us more quickly.

In Sophie's care package, I sent a disposable camera. Her foster family took all the pictures and returned the camera on Sophie's Gotcha Day. Here are just a few of Sophie living in Longyan, March 2014.