A NOTE FROM AUNTIE PAULA

Hi Folks,

I thought I would offer up an entry to the famous Lily Blog! You have only heard from Lily's Mom who is biased in her view of Lily and so I thought I better provide an objective perspective about Lily! We quickly discovered that this wee little one has a heart the size of China!! When you look into her eyes, reflected there seems to be the wisdom of all the generations of the country. When Lily offers up one of her gorgeous smiles, it starts at her beautiful eyes and then travels down to her lips - and then straight into the heart of the receiver. She has the most incredible sense of humour and loves to tease - is it possible that she has the "Nobert" gene all the way here in China?! She can also bring you down to earth and humble you with her "deadpan" stare - if we have a stare-down Lily will win every time!! Lily is one in a billion - her personality, her heart, that smile or the way that she looks around for her Mom when she is tired or uncertain or hungry - well there is something sacred and holy about all of it. It is destiny at its best. I feel so privileged to be a part of it. When we started the journey Francine and I talked about the concern of Lily connecting with me and then me being gone. This is not a concern for her at all as her heart is naturally connected to others which will be magnified tenfold when she meets Bernie, Sam and Isabel. The concern is for me!! and how I will cope with not having the daily "Lily Blessing".

One final objective point is if a person could capture the image of pure and untarnished love - one "head over heals in love", one of passion and devotion then that image would surely be that of Francine with her children. She is an incredible woman and unbelievable mother. It has been an honor to see that heart of hers at work and seeing Lily reap the benefits. China is incredible but it doesn't hold a candle to the true meaning of this trip - the completion of the McDonald family and bringing Lily home.

Love,

Auntie Paula