one thousand stories *part 4*

First things first on Monday morning, a family picture.

Foster mama, her daughter in law and me :)

We drove into "town" to pick up a few things for lunch.  John Paul started this day so much more confident and at ease!  He trotted into her courtyard like he owned the place and headed straight to the water pump.  At the store he was "helping" foster mama carry her goods and get them to the checkout lady.

We also visited the electric motor scooter shop that her son owns (located right across from the store - it's a very small town).

Back at home and cooking again.  This was one of my favorite moments of Monday - four of our kids and one granddaughter were playing UNO in the bedroom and I went looking for John Paul.  He was in the kitchen with foster mama, just the two of them.

And here she is, keeping him as safe as possible while he plays with the fire!

At lunch with Zhao Ya Hui

And another highlight, though filled with lots and lots of tears.  I showed them all the pictures I have of John Paul before we got him (not many - only about 7).  She was in most of them!  And I now recognize the background in all these pictures... "oh that's beside your house" "oh that one is taken right here in this room".

And then we looked at the pictures of the day we got him (also the day she said goodbye).  He was picked up by the lady who coordinates foster care for the orphanage at 6am that morning, drove the hours Zhengzhou and met us about 10:30.  She gave him his last bath, dressed him in those clothes, bought him those shoes.

How she ever pried him out of her arms and placed him into the arms of a stranger and sent him off to meet us is beyond me.  But she did.  And going back to see her and honor her and thank her was one of the greatest experiences of my life.