"I like you to come home to my Mommy's house..."

On December 4th, 2014, we celebrated another extremely special event.  The premiere of "Find Me" was held at our local theater!! 

Kathi excited to see "Find Me" in lights

"Uncle Dave" with his Luuucy girl

   Before the viewing of the film, we enjoyed dinner at a local Chinese restaurant with our friends, the producers of  "Find Me", Dave & Kathi Peters and Michael Rottina. God,  as our divine Red Thread, used Mike and David while in China in 2012 as very key pieces of the puzzle in guiding us to our girl.  While at dinner, Lucy leaned over and told her "Uncle Dave" and I quote in Lucy's words - "I like you to come home to my Mommy's house" - that's  her sweet "Chinglish"for..... "I love you for bringing me home to my Mommy's house "(family)!!!  I had told "Uncle Dave" on several occasions over the past year that I felt that our very intelligent little girl knew that he and "Uncle Mike"  were instrumental in bringing her home from China.  Lucy chooses to speak very little about her life in China and her adoption.  That one impromptu, love filled sentenced said so very much.   She's known!!  She's grateful and she's happy!  Thank you Dave and Mike for listening to God's prompting and making a detour in that day's plans, and helping to  be a voice for a voiceless little girl waiting for her family.  We are forever grateful!

With  lots of excitement, and some nervousness,  we watched the theater seats quickly fill.   Uncle Dave made a few opening remarks including one that told everyone in the theater that this was the first time that the families featured in the documentary would be seeing the film.   While we often talk about living in China, her "China Mom" (foster mom), her adoption, we didn't know how she might react to seeing it all on the huge screen,  and virtually  reliving a very emotional experience that only happened just over a year ago.  She sat on Mommy's lap with Daddy right beside us.  I'm not sure she budged the entire 80 minutes except to pull my arms tighter around her at different times.  I have no doubt that she is continually  processing all the trauma that she's been through in her four years of life (and will continue to process)...., Daddy and Mommy had tears rolling down our cheeks only minutes into the film....... 

Find Me is a beautiful, captivating, emotional and love filled documentary.  To God be the glory!  And again thank you David Peters, Kathi Peters and Michael Rottina for your labor of love in the making of this film.  May it be used as an instrument in helping more families find their children......

FOUND!!!

Unfortunately we did not get any pictures on premiere night with Lucy's beloved "Uncle Mike." 

* Copies of the dvd will be for sale via vision video in the near future as well as streaming options.  Details to follow.  If you have questions about obtaining a copy of a Finid Me  dvd - please e-mail me at kimmerszimmer@gmail.com or leave a comment.

Between Surgeries (2 of 2)

This window of time between surgeries has flown by.  Landing right between Thanksgiving and Christmas, our family has been very busy and having a non-weight bearing/ambulatory child hasn't slowed us or our schedule down!

After getting a six a.m. flight from  Missouri into Baltimore, we celebrated Thanksgiving Day (and Mommy's birthday) with extended family, followed by another family tradition on the Saturday following T-giving - the annual Zimmerman family cookie bake.  Two weeks post surgery, Lucy did  well with the extra family events and had lots of fun.

Team work!

Sprinkling the sandtarts

This girl stuck with it 'til the bitter end!

The day following the big cookie bake, Sunday) Lucy Kim was so excited to see "her Emmy" again.  Away at Bible college for four months in Costa Rica, our family greatly missed our fun loving, musically talented, lovable and silly red head!

Having traveled to China with us last year to bring our baby girl home, Emily and Lucy share a special and sweet sister bond.  In fact maybe that bond's a little to close because now BOTH GIRLS are in leg casts!  Monday afternoon found Emily and I at the orthopedic doctor's office where we learned that Emily had a fractured foot.  She apparently broke a small bone above her heel while at a water slide in Costa Rica two weeks before coming home! (yep, she limped around for two weeks on a broken foot).  Lucy's reaction to seeing Emily in a cast was funny - "Same, same Emily"!!

One has a cast on the right leg the other the left!

Same, same!

Last year Lucy was only home three months from China when we celebrated Jesus' birth.   When  Lucy's Mom-Mom decorated her house and put up the Christmas tree, she was one very excited little girl!  She just loved the decorations and didn't give us any peace until Daddy put up our Christmas tree.  She had a fun time putting the decorations on the lower part of the tree and then convinced her Daddy to hold her up to decorate some of the taller branches.

Lucy is scheduled to have her next surgery with Dr. Dobbs in St. Louis (to remove the pin in her foot) on December 23rd.

* Check back,....coming soon....post entitled "Lucy's adoption on film....Find Me" to read about another very special event our family experienced together recently....

Between Surgeries (1 of 2)

The cast that was put on Lucy Kim in the operating room was bigger, heavier and bulkier then her pre-surgery casts.  Because the cast was "split," the plaster was covered with a dark green ace bandage type material.  It began to look frayed quickly (because of rubbing against furniture, moving in bed, etc.)  Her big sister called it the "shabby chic look."  Hipster cast girl!

Two weeks after Lucy's surgery, she needed to be seen by Dr. Dobbs for a wound check.

 The blessing of Lucy's cast being split (allowing for swelling after surgery) meant that the loud, scary cast remover machine did NOT need to be used to take off the cast!!  Wohoo!

Prying the cast open on each side

Seeing her foot for the first time since surgery

2 weeks post surgery

Daddy always by her side!

While there was a lot of bruising and  some swelling, the doctor said the surgery site looked good, the pin was still in place and Dr. Dobbs was also very pleased with the range of motion he seemed to get from the foot and ankle, two weeks post surgery.

Poor Lucy was a bit shocked to see her foot post surgery.  It appeared that with the cast off and her foot and leg exposed, she felt very vulnerable and unprotected.  Anyone who entered the room to look at her foot she would quietly tell "be gentle, be gentle." 

Lucy was re-casted for the LAST time (seventh cast) and she chose the color black for this cast.  This final cast will be on the longest of any of the casts.  Approximately four weeks.  Protected inside the cast, her foot will continue to heal from the trauma of surgery.

After a whirlwind trip, we came back home on Thanksgiving morning.