Our Essential Hope

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Hope at one year

Hope has been on our hearts and in our minds ever since we learned she was to be ours, right around her first birthday. "We" is her new mom & dad, Bruce & Nanette, big sister Faith, and of course all of us in the next concentric circle of family. All of the paperwork was done and submitted early this summer, and since July we've been in a bed-of-nails, bite-your-fingernails sort of waiting state. Each month that goes by has made the waiting harder, as she grows older, takes her first step, learns her first words, and becomes, no doubt, more attached to her surroundings and caregivers.

16 months

Hope lives in an orphanage in Pune, India. By all reports she is thriving and healthy. She is thin, as you can see, and small for her age, which is not uncommon for kids in overseas orphanages. Big sister Faith came to us in the same state, and she's now filled out and shot up and setting records for sociability and reading skills in the first grade. We have no reason to believe little Hope won't do the same.


The last I heard, our plans are to be in India about two weeks, arriving in Mumbai, travelling immediately to Pune to pick up Hope and spend a couple of days there, and then on to New Delhi to complete the rest of the paperwork needed to bring Hope home. At that time, Bruce & Nan will be her guardians. Official adoption will happen some time later in the U.S.

I am privileged and thrilled beyond belief to travel with Nanette to pick up this little treasure. We're so excited to have her for her first Christmas!! I'm glad that she will have a couple of weeks to settle in to her new home and family before the Langille hoards descend upon her for the holidays. It all may be a bit too new and scary for her ... or she may have adapted beautifully and be just as outgoing as her big sister. We'll see! What I do know is that she's going to a wonderful family, with a mom, dad & sister who will love her and nurture her. She's one lucky little girl. Not that luck had anything to do with it. :o)