Red Thread Friends

There's a beautiful proverb that's well-known in the adoption community:

An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet.
Regardless of time, place or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break.

~ Chinese Proverb

I love that saying because it not only makes me think of our son, but also of a few special friends that I've met along the road of our adoption journey.  Wendy (from Our Story) and Rachel are two such friends.  Last week I was fortunate enough to be able to spend the day with these two amazing women, and their children.

All our kids are within a few months of each other age-wise, so they had a great time playing together, both at Wendy's house where we first got together, and at the splash park where we went to play.

We've had a lot of 100+ degree days in Michigan this summer, so all of us were relieved when our special play day turned out to be sunny and 85.  We really could not have asked for a more beautiful day!  There is something so special about being with people who just "get it," without any explanations needed.  We were able to talk while the kids played, and it was really nice to relax and enjoy our time together. 

As we walked out together, all the kids were giggling as we held hands in a big, long line.  It was music to my ears, and a perfect sentiment to the emotions I think we were all feeling as we left the park.  Great times!  

Another Blogging Buddy

This past Wednesday, I had a chance to meet up with Wendy and her daughter, Zoe.  Wendy's blog is one I've been following for quite a while now, throughout their adoption journey and into the beautiful family life they have now.  There's something so remarkable about getting to physically meet someone who, for all intents and purposes, you already know really well.  There is a transformation that happens throughout the adoption process, and when that 's shared through writing, there is a kinship that is unparalleled in other encounters.  Wendy and I talked about the fact that, even though our IRL friends do mean well and do try to understand, there is just something about the world of adoption that they can't break into without having experienced it first hand.  It's comforting to spend time around other people--other moms--who don't have the same questions and misconceptions that are all too prevalent in so many other situations.  We had a great day, hanging out at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and then enjoying lunch at Zingerman's Delicatessen, followed by lots of great conversation while we waited out the afternoons' torrential downpours to subside.

We had a great day and considering we were accompanied by two little ones, we were able to talk quite a bit while the babies played or sat in our laps.  Great times!  

 

 

A Trip to #2 Hippo Way

When Charlie was born, one of the very best gifts we received was a season pass to the Toledo Zoo.  This zoo is amazing...it's apparently one of the top ten zoos in the country.  It's an easy day trip for us since it's not very far from home. 







The pictures you see here are some of my favorite photos from each of the two times we've taken Charlie there so far.  The first time was on a fluke warm day back in November.  He was only about six months old at the time and I can't believe he was ever that small!

The second was just this past weekend.  He had such a blast, running around ALL over the place and exploring the new neighborhood play space they have just for kids.  Great times!

 

A Grand Day Out!

Yesterday was a special day for Charlie and me.  Rebekah and I, along with our baby boys, drove to Grand Rapids, where we met up with BB and her little one for an afternoon of fun at the Frederik Meijer Sculpture Gardens. We spent the majority of our time in the super cool Children's Garden they have there.   

It was so amazing to have all of our sweet little miracle babies together in one spot.  These two girls were some of the first I ever started following here on the blog and their stories and support have been both an inspiration and a safety net for me throughout mine.  Another adoptive mom put it very well when she said, "It's wonderful to actually meet with those people who've supported us through our journeys. It's a beautiful thing."  I couldn't agree more and I'm very thankful for having had the opportunity to move my relationship with these amazing women beyond the blogosphere.  I've said it before but it's worth repeating, I'm really not sure how I would have survived our adoption journey without this blog and the genuine connections it has forged.  So fascinating to me that 15 years (or so) ago this sort of thing never would have or could have happened.  And at the same time it feels completely natural, I feel like they've been my friends forever.  There's something so comforting about being in the company of people who just get it...people who have traveled down very similar roads to ours and consequently don't need any explanations for how beautiful and yet how complicated being an adoptive mom can be at times.  

Since I'm clearly at the risk of rambling on even further, I'll conclude with some of the best photos from the day.  We had a great time!

A Big Day for Our Big Boy!

I'm definitely in post-overload right now but I don't want to forget one single moment of these days! Even now, having a one-year-old, I find that I am surprised when I look at photos and videos from this last year. How tiny Charlie was...how could I have forgotten? But I have. Days have gone by and times have changed. I've gotten caught up in the todays and forget what all the yesterdays were like, not that that's necessarily a bad thing. Much like his entry into our lives though, I want to capture every single moment of Charlie's first birthday so that I never, ever forget how sweet these times truly are.

We had a great day today. We both had the day off and spent it happily enjoying time with our son. His actual birthday party with family and friends is yet to come, this Saturday but today we had lots of fun practicing for the big event. This morning had us opening up and breaking in a couple of new toys, which included a square foot garden kit for Mommy that will certainly appear in future blog entries! After that we went to lunch, where Charlie got a balloon and his first-ever restaurant birthday serenade, along with dessert that was bigger than he was. Next it was off to our favorite Scottish bakery about half and hour away, where we picked up some treats that we save for special occasions. To finish off the afternoon, we took a trip to the park where Charlie enjoyed some time on the slide and swing. Finally, we went over to my parent's house where we had dinner and sang "Happy Birthday" to Charlie as we (well, the wind) helped him blow out his candle. It was a lovely day and without further ado, here is a photographic synopsis of our celebrations:

Early morning snuggles with Daddy, on the deck.

Showing off his snazzy socks and birthday shirt.

Dessert that's bigger than you are, nice...

...and delicious!
Special time with Mommy...

...and Daddy!
Checking out his cool blue balloon...

...and of course, showing it off!

Daddy, helping Charlie practice his new walking skills.

Sliding and smiling!

Swinging in the sunshine!

Yes that's a pickle he's sharing with Daddy, yum!

Mama and Baby.

Brown eyes and birthday cake

What a beautiful mess!