Happy Birthday to Samuel Fangzhou

Today is the birthday the orphanage gave to Sam. We will never know for sure if this is his actual birthday but we will celebrate this day each year. Sam is now 6 years old! We can't wait to bring him home.

We sent a care package to him on Monday. It is doubtful it has arrived yet hopefully next week. We included a blanket and a beanie baby snake and another wooden snake. Samuel was born in the year of the snake. So I thought those gifts would be appropriate. A Photo album was included with pictures of everyone who lives here, our house and Sam's new room. I hope that he will be blessed by these items and that going to a new home is something that he will look forward to with joy not fear.

Ryan helped us get in touch with a professor of Chinese at George Mason to translate the letter I sent with the package. I e-mailed him to thank him for his help then asked him to translate Sam's name as well. It turns out the professor is from an area very close to Chengdu! small world huh? He said, after seeing the characters of his name, that Fangzhou means literally square boat. The neat thing is that this name suggests Noah's Ark...is that cool or what. I really love that name.