Two Court Trips Extended to May 9th

Inside scoop:

Today an all day meeting was held between adoption agency reps and the Ethiopian adoption court judges.

Outcome is that the deadline for 2 trip travel has been pushed back to May 9th. Anyone with a file into the court before May 9th will not have to make 2 trips.

Just FYI for those of you still waiting for referrals.

In other news, I have been invited to join in a little get together about an hour from my house on Friday. I will finally meet two adoption blogger friends face to face!

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I cannot imagine my life without the internet and the huge community of fabulous women it has brought to me. From the outside looking in I will completely admit that I assumed all adoptive families to be the same. I won't go into the details of what I assumed that meant, suffice it to say that it was a very ousider perspective.

I was, for the most part, very wrong. My preconceptions and my way of thinking are so challenged and enriched by you women who write the truth about your life, about adoption, about parenting a child of another race. I benefit from those of you who share about your marriage, your struggles with infertility and depression, your questions to God or about God, and the choices you've made for good or for bad. I have learned things about myself and prepared for Baby D in ways I didn't even know I needed to before I "met" you.

I can see this post is turning into a love fest for fellow bloggers.
I would be remiss not to say that I am also equally grateful for my friends and family who have not once given me cause to feel concerned for Baby D and the way she will fit with us here.

Recently a woman emailed me and she mentioned that she's had really mixed reactions from friends and family about the race of her child and her special need. She cautioned me about this.

I was so taken aback and so sorry for her experience. We must just have the greatest family, friends and church community. Because you have exceeded my hopes for love and acceptance and enthusiasm in so many ways. It just fills my heart up with joy and that light pushes out all the twisty dark stuff inside that started to grow this past year.

I think, in my 33rd year of life, I have had the revelation that the greatest gift one can receive is pure, unadulterated happiness on your behalf. We are swimming in it. We are wrapped up in it. And it is the best gift, better than anything I could have imagined.

Thank you. All of you.
~A