My Mum, Your Gigi!!

So JJ, I've told you about my dad, your grandpa.. but the first person you'll meet next week after me and your dad is my mum - your Gigi!!We're gonna call her Gigi because frankly, I told her she's way to young at heart and in action to be called Grandma! ha ha!

Your Gigi is amazing! She is the energy behind our family, she is the soul of the Grosshans and well she makes sure everyone is taken care of. She is one of the most approachable, disarming and beautiful people you will ever know... and she is always full of hugs and kissesto give you!!!
She is full of adventure, her favorite place to be is living out of a suitcase and traveling the world! In fact, you'll probably be one of the few kids in your class who can brag that his grandparents live in Beijing China!! We're going to take you there next year, and I can't wait to take you when you're older too!

You see I was born in Hong Kong, China - your grandparents lived their in the 1970's and now they live in Beijing! But what's really neat, is that you have an Uncle who was also born in China - Hainan (one of the southern most points of the country!).
China is very special to us for that reason - because that's where my mum found and fell in love with a little boy named Peter! (Your crazy Uncle!).

Petey has changed all of our lives, in fact we can't imagine living life without him! He is one of the most beautiful people you'll ever meet and super talented too!Mum met Petey in an orphanage when he was just a tiny baby. Remember when I told you she and your Grandpa lived everywhere? Well at this point in their lives they were living in Hainan. Grandpa was teaching English and Gigi was volunteering at an orphanage!
We all fell in love with Peter and well mum said if he wasn't adopted by the end of the year then, "we'd have to do something". And the whole family agreed!

Well, God knew exactly what family needed that little boy the most - it was ours! And ever since the day Petey became a 'Grosshans' it was like he had always been there! He has blessed us more through his life than us through his! And it all started because Gigi - isn't afraid of anything - I've learned through her never to say no to taking risks - and when it comes to following matters of the heart... even if it's against everything 'that's normal in this world' - then do it.
Gigi and Grandpa were in their late 50's when Petey came along - you see and they'd just finished raising Auntie Kimi and I - but they knew that even though it was out of the norm to raise a child at that age - that's what they wanted more than anything ... and as I like to say - it's the best decision our family, my parents - ever made!
My mum has left a legacy in our house that I pray I leave to you, and that's openess. You see every night before I went to bed since I can remember, my mum would come and sit on the edge of our beds and ask us about our day? And even when I didn't feel like talking, or was insecure about my ideas, thoughts and daily events, she would almost always be able to get a good conversation out of me! We would sit and talk about things that were funny and easy in life, but those moments also helped me when I didn't know what to do or had made a wrong choice - I always knew that mum would be there to help me talk it through and find a solution. She taught us always to think "put yourself in the other person's shoes before you judge or get angry... understand why they're reacting that way and you will see there's always a reason."

I could go on and on about my mum, your Gigi - it's easy and as you grow up you'll see how much your mum (me) and Gigi are alike... and I am so proud to be like her in so many ways. I pray that make half the impact she has in other peoples lives... for even right now as you read this she is probably on some adventure in over in Beijing helping at an orphanage, hospital or volunteering at the local university's English club. She is an amazing woman... who has loved and encouraged hundreds of others through out her life... and I pray that one day you and I will do the same!

Love your new mum:-)

PS- 5 more days and I get to hold you!!!