Happy Birthday, MeiLi!!!!!

FIVE exclamation points for you, because you turned FIVE years old!! I'm sad we missed it, but you know what? We made a cake for you - it was lemon flavored. And we put candles in the cake, because that's what we like to do for birthday girls! And then we ate the cake and thought of you with every yummy bite! I know that in China, little girls have noodles for their birthdays, because it stands for "long life". What a neat idea! We love noodles too!

This will be your last birthday without us. We'll cook noodles and bake you a cake every year from now on!

We like to give presents when someone has a birthday, and guess what?! We have presents for you, and we're bringing them to China for you! I can't wait!

We have already found a friend for you! Her name is Nina, she is 7 years old, and she came from China last year. Whenever we see her, she asks, "Where's MeiLi?" It's so exciting that she's waiting for you too! She even made a pretty paper butterfly for you to have when you get home. (Thank you Nina, if you're reading this!)

Well, sweetie pie, it won't be long now . . . our trip to China is all we can think about, and we're so so so happy! I love you with all my heart!

Jesus, help MeiLi ShiQiao know that You love her, and that we love her, and that she has a forever family!

Love,
Mommy