LID anniversary

Two years ago today was the last time we truly marked this date as our LID, or log-in date to adopt a child in China — it was our number in line, so to speak.
It was an auspicious event, full of hope that slowly was giving away to the scary reality of a wait time growing uncontrollably.
The writing was on the wall early; the China program was going to see unprecedented delays.
So soon after our LID of April 4, 2007, we starting exploring our adoption agency's special needs program. We would receive a list of children in China with special needs — which run the gamut from serious to minor medical issues.
At the first of 2008, with our first anniversary of our LID approaching, we enrolled in the program, open to minor special needs.
Then, we waited. We celebrated our first LID anniversary by eating Mexican food and looking forward to our agency's big adoption conference in Chicago that we planned and looked forward to attending.
Then, less than two weeks later, as we were picking up last-minute items for the Chicago trip we were to take the next day, we got the call that rocked our world — the referral for our son, Jacob Wenfeng Hassler.
April 17 turned into our referral day, making today's date obsolete.
But still we remember our friends who still celebrate that LID anniversary and still are waiting in an ever-growing, stagnant line of potential parents of children for China.
And we know we are blessed, home 18 months (as of Monday) with the light of our lives, who will celebrate today in church with his family, having Easter dinner (making quick work of tomatoes and pickled beets that he loves and trying to find ways to dodge Mommy and Daddy's efforts to get him to eat meat) and hunting Easter eggs in Grandma and Grandpa's back yard.
We do realize the special needs program is not for everyone and we do realize not everyone desires that route to creating or expanding their family.
We know those facing the pain of the wait every day really don't want us telling them about our successful adoption through the special needs program.
But know this: It is hard for us to watch the pain of those continuing to wait knowing the smiles our son brings us every day.
We can only thank God for guiding us onto the right path every day, and we pray others can find happiness soon, no matter the road they take.
Here are a few photos of Jacob's activities on Saturday:

Showing his computer skills at sesamestreet.org



Sleeves rolled up and hard at work coloring Easter eggs



How's this Aunt Debbie?



Finished eggs



Eggs weren't the only things going into the dye!



Yuck! But it cleaned up.



Happy Easter everyone. May you be as blessed as we are.