Final Care Package & Letter

I decided to send one last package to Shaling before our arrival. I didn't want 3 months to go by in between our letter and our arrival. I bought her an art set since she seems to like draw. Plus, I'm sending a candy or some sort of snack (something consumable, rather than another toy or clothing). Plus, I had a hidden motive -- I wanted to send her pictures of the new bedroom waiting for her. For the curious, the final letter we are sending is below:

Ni Hao Sha Ling!

This will be the last time we write to you before we finally get to come to China to get you. We think we are coming to get you in about a month. At the time we’ll be in China, most people back here in America will be celebrating a holiday called Christmas.

This holiday is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many families get together for elaborate meals and attend church together. Just a few days before we leave America to come get you, your brother Preston will participate in a Christmas play at church.

At our homes, we decorate Christmas trees. We put brightly wrapped presents underneath these trees. The presents are opened on Christmas Day. We are sending you a picture of Preston in front of our Christmas tree from two years ago. His big present that year was a drum set, so he’s holding his new drumsticks.



Since you will not be home with us in time for Christmas, all of your grandparents are saving some Christmas gifts for you to open here in America when you get here. We just want you to know that the reason you’ll be getting all of those gifts is because you are arriving home at such a special time.

You aren’t only getting a mom and a dad and a brother, but many other new family members as well. You have lots of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents that are as anxious as we are to get to meet you.

In addition to the picture of Preston in front of the Christmas tree, we are also sending you Preston’s recent school picture and four pictures of your new bedroom. We can’t wait for you to be here.











With this letter, we’re also sending you an art set and some tasty treats. We’ll be bringing one more gift with us when we come to get you.

By the time you get this letter, your friend Heng Xin will be with her new family. She will have an older sister, Tian and a younger brother, Yu-Hsuan. Her new name will be Star.

Do you remember another girl named Ji Xing? She went home to her new family three months ago. She has four new sisters. Her new name is Tessa. Another little girl that you might know, Mei Xin, will be coming to America about the same time as you. Her new name will be Natalie.

In America we usually have a first name, a middle name, and a last name. Our last name is our family name…that is the one that in China you say first. Your new last name will be Reynolds. For your first name, we are going to keep the name Sha Ling, but it will be written as one word: Shaling. Your new middle name will be Annabelle.

Around the time we’re sending this letter, we are celebrating a festival here in America called Thanksgiving. It is a day when we get together with our family and eat lots of food. During this festival, everybody gives thanks for all of the wonderful things in their lives. This year we are giving thanks that we are soon going to have a new daughter (you).

We will see you soon, Sha Ling. Wo men ai ni!

Ma Ma, Ba Ba and Ge Ge