Our fairy tale love affair began with a blind date 11 ½ years ago. We immediately realized we were made for one another and our love has sprouted, blossomed, and grown exponentially over the years.
We know God brought us together because we are best friends and soul mates. While we do have outside hobbies, our favorite things are spending time together and participating in Church activities.
Mary has a career in banking. She is currently VP of Treasury Services Credit Risk Management for JPMorgan Chase.
David is in academia. His last position was as an Assistant Dean for Continuing Education at Dallas Community College District.
As we are relocating to Kansas City, Missouri from Dallas once we return from China, David’s main job now is as chief boxer and mover!
We are moving to Kansas City because that is where most of our extended family resides which will provide a good number of playmates for Sophie (and babysitting!!!).
While we have so much love for each other, we have so very much more for our little Sophie Elizabeth, our precious little charmer!!!
We know we will learn so much from her and she will enrich our lives beyond measure. We truly feel blessed for such a beautiful and wonderful gift from God. She was DEFINITELY worth the wait!!!
Please join us on our quest to bring Sophie home. As David was born in Okinawa, we are planning to spend a couple of days there before heading to Beijing. We hope you read our daily blogs and write to us. We certainly want to hear from all of you.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you, I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
Isaiah 43:5
IN MEMORY
While finally adding Sophie to our lives is the greatest joy we can imagine, it is with heavy hearts that we bring her home. Sadly, Sophie has lost 2 grandparents during our two- year wait for her. Edith Jo Gieringer 9/16/1924 - 12/24/2005
http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1132977.html
Mary's mom, Edith Jo, died unexpectedly in her sleep while visiting at our home on Christmas Eve morning 2005. While she will never physically meet Sophie, she cared about her. She had conversations with Mary's sister, Martha, about the fact that she already loved Sophie & already felt like she was one of the grandkids. She bought a Peter Rabbit storybook (Mom's favorite children's story & the theme of Sophie's nursery), a purple shirt (Mary's favorite color), & a pink dress for Sophie. She wanted to get Sophie her 1st pink dress.
On her final trip to Texas to visit us, she brought several of Mary's toy dishes she'd found as well as some change for Sophie's piggy bank. She was planning to go shopping for a baby shower gift for Sophie during her Texas visit as she said she likely wouldn't come down for the shower a few months later. It was as if she knew she would be gone.
Herman Gieringer Sr.
10/18/1920 - 8/28/1993
(obituary no longer available on-line)
Unfortunately, Mary's dad, Herman, died having never even met David, let alone knowing about little Sophie.
Gerald (Jerry) Vaughn 10/10/1940 - 10/2/2006
http://www.poncacitynews.com/templates/search /314072941883668.bsp David's dad, Jerry, died unexpectedly in his sleep the day Sophie turned 3 months old. While he will never know Sophie either, he loved her dearly & couldn't wait to be with her, his 1st grandchild. He bought her first DVD, Dumbo, because that was his favorite movie when he was a child. During a phone conversation the very night he died, he told David how much he was looking forward to being in Sophie's life.
After his death, we learned from his co-workers just how much he loved her as that was all he talked about. For 2 years, he never stopped asking if we knew when we were getting her. That was his 1st question during every visit & conversation. It was as if he was trying to rush her home because he knew he wouldn't be here very long.
Picking out Sophie's clothes for China
Starting to pack for China
Starting to pack for China
Mommy doing Sophie's first load of laundry
Daddy putting together Sophie's stroller (gift from Grandma Julie & Grandpa Vernon)
