Continued from previous posts...

We didn’t have a very long wait for our connection in Chicago, so we walked around a little, used the restrooms and then found our gate. Lots of flights were being delayed because of the weather, but luckily ours was close to on time. This was a shorter flight than the first leg and we had better seats, and we were in Washington DC before we knew it. We were excited, but also a little nervous, because it was really, really snowing!

Finding the Ethiopian Air gates was a bit tricky, but we finally figured out the airport and after getting something to eat, we settled in at the gate. I quickly found several other adoptive families that were on... more

A year ago today…

At 2:30 a.m., on Saturday, Feb. 11, we were waiting for our boss and friend, Dan, to pick us up and drive us to the airport. I had taken a shower, charged up the camera and video camera batteries, checked and rechecked my packing lists, gone over everything with my Aunt, and knew that there was nothing left to do but walk out the door.

I was excited, nervous and anxious…all of which were being added to by the fact that Dan was running late. As I stood in the quiet of my living room…with six of my kids off at friends’ houses and two tucked in in their bedrooms, I was sad about leaving, and nervous about how far away we were going to be. I love my house, my... more

Continued from previous post...

Josh finally got home from work around 5 p.m. and ran the dog to the dog boarding place, and then came back home so we could load up the van with suitcases, kids and STUFF.

We went to a big family dinner at Pizza Hut and had a blast…we ate wings, bread sticks and of course pizza and everyone was in a great mood. I was so excited and nervous and anxious that I could hardly eat (which is unusual for me!!!!)

After dinner we dropped the kids off at their friends’ houses one by one. At each house I left our schedule, the kids’ schedule, a list of phone numbers where all of the other kids were and of other people who were willing to help out,... more

A year ago today…

It was our last day “home” before heading off to Africa. AFRICA. It really seemed almost unreal. Despite the fact that I had been packing (and unpacking and repacking) repeatedly for several months, much to Josh’s amusement, it still seemed amazing to me that we were really going…going to Ethiopia, going to get our son Benjamin.

My Aunt had arrived from New York two days earlier, and we were in the throws of “Auntie training”. Marcus (who was almost two years old) was still a high needs kid at that point…complete with g-tube, oxygen (which he was refusing to wear), several medications, breathing treatments and chest therapy daily. We were only leaving Marcus... more

Almost an entire year after bringing him home, Benjamin’s adoption is FINALLY FINAL. Woo hoo!

I had turned in all of the paperwork way back when he had been home for six months (our state makes you wait six months to finalize) but our lawyer drug his feet and drug his feet on it forever…

We went to court this morning, and making the day extra special was that my best friend and her family were finalizing their adoption this morning too…of the little boy that was one of Ben’s best friends in Ethiopia. So we were all in court together... more

Ok, this is really awesome. It is not directly related to adoption, but as the mom of a transracial family, I think it is really, really great.

Check this out...

Photographer Danny Goldfield is doing a project titled "New York City Children". His goal is to take a photograph of at least one child from every country on Earth. Know how many countries there currently are on our planet? (I admit, sorry Dad...that I didn't before I read... more

I have already talked about the blog “AdoptBlogger”- Martha’s Voice on Adoption, but today I am going to do it again because she a WONDERFUL post that I wanted to share with you. Martha is the creator and editor of Rainbowkids.com, a website dedicated to international adoption. She is also an adult adoptee, and her and her husband have five gorgeous daughters that have joined their family through adoption from Korea and China.

Martha’s post yesterday really caught my attention. It is titled “On the Bright Side” and features a picture of what was left of their home after Hurricane Katrina. I skimmed the first line of the post and since I had... more

Here is a great, short video you can watch courtesy of 60 Minutes in Australia titled “Out of Africa”. The video tells the story of a beautiful, transracial family. The Gavels are a family made up of Mom and Dad, who are from Australia, and Eskindir and Eskedar, who are from Ethiopia.

I think the reported does a great job of showing the joys of adoption, and the heart breaking aspects as well, including video footage of the Gavels, along with Eskindir and Eskedar saying good-bye in Ethiopia to the children’s grandparents and older sister. The footage of the little girl wiping her tears... more

Last week I shared an awesome story with you about my friend Tana, the children she and her husband are adopting from Haiti and the birth mother of two of those children, and her amazing love and self-lessness. If you missed it, you can read the story here.

Here is a photo that really needs to go with the story. In this picture is R., who is the birth mother of two of the children that Tana is adopting from Haiti. In the photo, she is holding... more

I have meant to share the “Star Fish Story” with you for some time. Many of you have probably already seen this, but it is one that “gets me” every time I read it. I couldn’t find where it originated, but there are many, many versions out there that are all variations on the same story.

Once upon a time, there was a wise old man, who went to the sea to contemplate.

One day, while walking along the shore, the wise old man looked down the beach, and saw a gracefully dancing human figure. The wise old man wondered... more