Dear God...

Our night-time prayers always start with "Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen."

Then the girls like to hear me say a prayer, which usually goes something like this: "Dear God. Thank you for Derrek, Chris, and Jonny. Thank you for bringing Ruby Nigate, Nora Lynn, and Elizabeth Amsalu to me so I could be their mommy forever too. Please help me to take good care of my girls and keep them safe and be a good mommy forever and ever. I love them so much. Please watch over the people who loved them in Ethiopia and China and keep them safe too. Amen."

Then, each of the girls say a prayer of their own. I never asked them to do this, they just started it on their own. Each of them says something like this: "Dear God, thank you for Mommy and Daddy come get me in [Africa/China]. Thank you for good food and Mommy and Daddy kiss me and keep safe and love me forever. Amen." They also thank God for Granny and Pa, Ayi, their brothers, each other, and other people depending on the night. It brings tears to my eyes every time.