Today is Alyssa’s gottcha day. I can’t believe that she came to us nine years ago. We met her at the Detroit airport. We’d spent the night in western Michigan – just too far for us to get to Detroit in one day. We got a late start, but arrived at the airport in plenty of time. Met the rest of our group. In those days, we were allowed to go up to the gate to watch the plane land. As I watched it taxi to the gate, I could hardly believe my daughter was on there. We had to leave before they deplaned and wait outside of immigration & customs. It seemed like forever until our group of babies came through the door. We recognized her immediately – the one with all the hair sticking straight up! She was beautiful. She didn’t make much of a fuss when they handed her to us. She didn’t have much response at all. Poor thing, it was the middle of the night for her! We had some difficulty communicating with her escort – he only spoke Korean, but then his daughter came and helped us out. I’m sorry I never got his name. We took some pictures and completed some paperwork, then we were off. She was dressed in a pair of long-sleeved pajamas under sweatpants, a long-sleeved shirt and a sweatshirt. It was one of those beautiful April days in the 70’s and she was sweating. While Doug got the car, I changed her. Then she started to howl. I had a difficult time calming her, but we eventually got her into her car seat and she fell asleep. About an hour from Detroit she woke up screaming. I can only imagine how upsetting everything was – a car seat, new people, new smells, etc. We had to pull over and pick her up before she settled down. We decided to spend a few quiet days in a hotel getting to know her before we headed home to her adoring public. That first night she didn’t sleep well. It was the middle of the day and she wanted to play! She didn’t cry, but she didn’t sleep, either, and neither did I. She bonded right away with Doug and Brian, but didn’t want anything to do with me. Her foster mother had been her sole caretaker, and I was trying to take her place. This very, very ticklish girl would laugh at Doug and Brian when they played with her. I would tickle her and she wouln’t crack a smile. It took a few weeks. I remember crying with joy when she first smiled at me. I’m happy to report that nine years later she is well adjusted, bright, intelligent and the light of our lives. Thank you, Lord, for this special gift to us.