Monday, November 26, 2007

The Cat's Out of the Bag














When I got the adoption referral on Wed. my co- worker, who also happened to be my student teacher a few years ago was the first person I told at work. No one else at work knew until today when my friend who moved to Arkansas sent me a beautiful fruit arrangement with a balloon attached that said "It's a Boy!". (Leave it to her, always looking for the WOW factor) Of course the questions started in the office, and the principal called my room to see if I had heard something and had not shared with her. So I just emailed the staff to let everyone know. My teammates and I enjoyed the fruit during team planning!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Thanksgiving in the Mountains


We have had a timeshare in Massanutten VA for more than 10 years and have never been to visit since the day we decided to buy in. Since Daddy and Mommy are retired, Mommy has decided to use it as much as she can. This Thanksgiving she thought it would be nice for the whole family to spend Thanksgiving there. They got there on Monday and the rest of us came later in the week. By Thanksgiving Day we had all arrived and we were able to share a picture of the newest member of the family. I think we all ate too much but we had a nice time.
The day after Thanksgiving instead of shopping, we went to an indoor waterpark. I probably would have enjoyed shopping more but my better half had a great time with his nephews. Of course we couldn't help to reflect on the fact that next year at Thanksgiving there will be one more little person added to the family.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

It's A Boy!!!!!!!!




We got the call today!!!! Well actually he got the call and then he called me. I happened to be sitting at my desk since it was a half day. He said well we got the call....I said what!!?? He said hold on and I will put you on three way. The referral is for an adorable 4 1/2 month old infant boy born on July 1, 2007.
His name is Geremu Asefa. The name Geremu means I am amazed. The agency told us it will probably be an additional twelve weeks until we get to fly to Ethiopia and pick him up. We are unable to post a picture of him on the internet until we receive a birth certificate naming us as the parents. If you don't live close to us and haven't seen his picture, take our word for it, he is ADORABLE!! Oh boy! So much to do.....Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we are TRULY THANKFUL!!!!!!

Friday, November 16, 2007

The Adoptive Mother~ (soon that will be me!)

Well, we have now been waiting for almost 7 months. On the agency's unofficial list of parents waiting for referrals we are # 3...so perhaps in the next few weeks we will get that life altering phone call.

A member of the adoption forum found this article and shared it~

Being an adoptive mother is not for every woman. She must possess not only the natural mother instinct but an understanding and appreciation of the situation that brought a child into her arms making her a mother. The adoptive family came to be by choices made, choices made by the first parents and by the adoptive parents. This bond the adoptive mother has with her child grows over time, like the child did within his first mother’s womb. Day by day, touch by touch, with each tear, kiss, and memory made they became a family. Adoptive mothers have that special knack to let love grow.

An adoptive mother knows that she’s a mender of wounds, not just of the physical skinned knees with a band-aid and a kiss, but of the heart. She gives love, acceptance, and permission to ask and talk about the day the child was born and of his first parents.

Adoptive mothers are embracers, not only of the child with many hugs and kisses, but of the child’s heritage and history. She embraces the facts of her child’s past with strength for herself and the child.

She’s not only a memory maker planning family vacations, activities, and birthday parties, but also a memory keeper. Details of a birth, photos, and of the parents who brought the child into the world are kept along side the newspaper clipping that announced it all. All these things are kept in a special book that tells the whole story.

She’s a tier of shoelaces and of hearts. She weaves lives together into a tapestry of a new family, with many different brightly, colored threads showcasing their individualities and family origins. Together they create one unit attached to each other.

Adoptive mothers are experts at finding lost objects, but understand and validate the profound, deep loss left by adoption. She allows the tears to fall and grief to be felt, allowing the mourning of the mom not there. She is secure in knowing that she’s not a replacement, but a finisher of a race for someone who, for whatever reason, could not run any longer.

This role is not for the weak of spirit, or the easily wounded. Loving a child not born to her but calling him her own, but this is what she does, it is her calling. She is a mother.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

And still we wait...





One misconception people have about people who do not have children is that they have lots of time on their hands. If that were the case, we would have the garage and basement cleaned out and be twiddling our thumbs awaiting the arrival of our bundle of joy.
But since that is not the case, this week was a particularly busy one... I had report cards to do, as well as plan a surprise bridal shower and serve as "wedding coordinator" for a secret wedding for our friend S.R.G. She found her true love and the two of them are riding off into the sunset as husband and wife...well not really...they are driving to Arkansas to start their new life together. (the driving off into the sunset just sounded a bit more romantic)

We wish them all the best! We know that they will be fine as along as they remember- Marriage takes three- husband, wife and Jesus Christ.