How on earth?

Tonight, the kids and I went to an event held at a local college.  The Peking Acrobats performed amazing, death defying feats.  (Okay maybe not Evil Kneavil type death defying, but pretty amazing nonetheless.)  There was plate spinning and contortionism.   Lots of balancing in crazy positions and lots of balancing crazy things.  Like bowls.  And tables.  And people.  A sledgehammer was used to break bricks that were resting on a man's head.  Another man stacked seven chairs on top of each other and stood on top.  At one point, my friend, Jerri, who was sitting next to me said something about being quite interested to see what I might post on my blog about all of this, especially since she was sure my children would probably attempt some of what they had seen.  (Seeing as I just told Kenson not to throw bricks at his sister yesterday, the whole sledgehammer meets brick incident has me especially concerned.)

But actually this post isn't about the certain antics of my kids. 

Before my friend's words, I had actually already thought about a blog post.  It came on the heels of  "one of those moments." 

Let me explain. 

I think every parent has those moments when she looks at her child and is overwhelmingly thankful for that child's existence. 

For adoptive parents, I think those moments stretch even farther.

It's because there is this strange juxtaposition of being thankful for their existence and being overwhelmed by just how much had to happen for your child to be sitting right next to you. 

And tonight was one of those moments. 

As Conleigh sidled up next to me listening to live Asian music and watching this most unique display of human abilities, while I watched vivid colors flash by as the performers worked to engage the crowd, I was struck by just how far removed this experience was from the life she lived just a bit over 14 months ago.  How on earth did this little Haitian girl with a mischievious grin and eyes to match end up here, watching acrobats from China, sitting next her American mama?   How on earth indeed?  And oh how grateful I am that it's not so much about how on earth but rather about how in heaven that God orchestrated a plan to redeem her story, to allow us to be a part of that plan.