"Gotcha Day" + one year.

Dear Jackson,

You are napping in your room right now. We played all morning just like we have done every day for the last year. Exactly a year ago today we gained custody of you, or maybe you gained custody of us. Either way, we are so proud of you for the strides you make every day.

We don't know, nor will we ever know what you went through during the first 15 months of your life. What you felt when you got a boo-boo and nobody kissed it better. What it was like to go to bed without hearing a bedtime story and being kissed on your little head before being tucked in. What you felt like when you were hungry or thirsty and nobody gave you a snack or drink of milk. You were certainly loved those first 15 months, and you were taken care of as well as you could have been under the circumstances.

But God decided that you needed a Mommy and Daddy of your very own. So he sent Mommy on a mission to complete a lot of paperwork. Daddy didn't really understand why we needed 57 notarized copies of a document saying we have never had malaria, but Mommy made sure we got all of the paperwork completed as fast as humanly possible. When we started the process, we didn't know you and you didn't know us. But God knew all three of us and had already started us on a path towards each other. Mommy had to keep Daddy on track for the first few months of the process, but once we saw a picture of you and learned about you, it became clear why we were doing what we were doing.

There has been exactly one time in my life that I knew I was doing EXACTLY what I was put on this Earth to do, and that was adopting you. I know Mommy feels the same way about you. You are a pretty special little guy for God to have picked you out for us. We don't really understand why we got to be the lucky ones God called on to be your parents, but we will always be thankful He did.

As we continue to grow together as a family, we promise to love you every step of the way. Your boo-boos will always be kissed, and you will always be tucked in each night by your Mommy or Daddy. You have been loved each minute of your life since you were born, and you will be each minute of the rest of your life.

Thank You for allowing us to be a part of your life.

Happy Gotcha Day son. We love you.

Love, Mommy and Daddy.