The following post is cross-posted from our main, PrairieFrog Blog. Because Kiffanie has transitioned so beautifully, it’s becoming more and more difficult to separate “adoption” posts from family-life posts and know what things to post on this more adoption specific blog. For that reason, I’m going to place this Harp & Hammers Blog in semi-retirement for the present. We might resurrect it later for a new project, and I’ll keep the present posts up as a beautiful adoption journal of Kiffanie’s home coming and a few glimpses of her first year home with us. To keep up with Kiffanie (and all of our) adventures, hop over to our PrairieFrog Blog.
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Kiffanie has been home one full year today! On May 11th, 2012, I posted this hasty entry. Details followed the next day in this post. It’s been an amazing year!
Often, transitions are difficult for children from tough situations, but Kiffanie’s vivacious and adaptive spirit, the healing and nurturing time in the care of a small, family style orphanage, and God’s mercy and grace in ways we may never comprehend worked together to make everything far easier than we imagined possible! God has given us a wondrous gift in this precious girlie!
The photos below highlight today’s low-key celebration. She ate from the “celebration dishes” that are distinctive from our regular dinnerware, and reserved for special honorees. At her place she also found a little package with a necklace. Each facet of the necklace is inscribed with a word reflecting an aspect of adoption:
Created: She was created by our loving God who knew her before the foundations of the world. She was created within the womb of a special lady–her birth mother–who gave Kiffanie (and ultimately us) a beautiful gift of life.
Chosen: God chose her for us and us for her. We believe He directed us in placing her on our hearts from nearly the first moment we knew of her, we chose her.
Celebrated: Kiffanie lives life as a party, and her role in our family is celebrated by all of us!
Cherished: She is cherished–by her Heavenly Father, and by us–her earthly family.
If you are reading through an external feed reader, click through to the blog to view the photo collage of Kiffanie’s Homecoming Anniversary Celebration.
Harp & Hammers 
Hi and thanks for including us on this posting/email so we could celebrate too! Kat told me it was Kiffanie’s one year celebration (which I can hardly believe the time passing), but it’s so wonderful to be included in your special celebration. The necklace is so beautiful and meaningful, and we understand the meaning of special dinnerware!
We are getting ready to leave for Nationals Speech and Debate in AR this week, planning to leave early Saturday morning for about 10 days. Either I’m just getting older and don’t handle stress and lots of things to do very well, or the kids (and I only have 2 of them to school now) are doing more or I’m adding more to my agenda. Please be smarter than me 🙂
I continue to pray for you – continued great recovery, a renewed health and vigor, for you Ken and Dell time. And I give thanks for all of God’s good gifts to your family. You are doing a wonderful job and have an amazing attitude and spirit of love and trust that you exhibit daily to your family. Keep on keeping on!
Love, Suzanne
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Thanks, Suzanne! Your family is such a blessing to us!I’ll be praying for Nationals for all of you this week, and for extra energy for those busy days! You amaze me! Love, Dell
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