Caught off guard

I had kind of an odd experience today. I was having a discussion with a woman I know casually, in front of Michelle. This woman is probably a half generation older than myself, but I still think of her as more of a peer.

As we were talking, she was referring to Michelle and she put her hand to her mouth and whispered the word "adoption". It took me a minute to realize exactly what she had done, and at that point she had moved on in the conversation. It seemed awkward to go back and correct her, but I wish now that I had done just that.

I couldn't believe this woman whispered the word adoption to me as if it was something to be kept secret or said in a shameful way. First of all, even if we wanted to, I'm pretty sure we aren't going to be able to keep the "adoption" secret. I think Michelle will figure this one out pretty quickly. Even if we could, I would never dream of keeping that a secret from her. We are living in the 21st century! Do people really even do that anymore?!?!

I think adoption is one of the most beautiful ways you can add to a family. I am still amazed and humbled when I look at this precious child and think that I get to be her Mommy.

It's not exactly like we live in an area where international adoption is an unusual thing. There are several families in our church, several in our local schools, and it's one of the things I love most about living so close to our nation's capital. Not everyone looks like me, and it makes life much more diverse and interesting.

When we first brought Michelle home, I will admit when we went out in public I wondered what people might think or do in response to our family. But I quickly realized around here, it's just not that big of a deal. Sure, people occasionally look twice as we walk down the aisle in the grocery store. Usually, they look twice and smile. In this area, in my generation, it's just not that big of a deal.

So, I guess you can read all the books, and hear all the stories from other families, but it can still catch you off guard when it happens to you. And, in my case, it can leave you kind of speechless for a minute. (If you know me, you will realize how very rare that is!) I want a Do-Over!

Old and New friends

A couple of weeks ago I visited one of my dearest friends, Stella. She lives about 2 hours from me, and since she will be moving this summer I decided this would be a good time to visit. Stella has 3 beautiful girls, all adopted, and above Michelle is pictured with their middle daughter, Isabel. The last time we saw Stella and Isabel, Michelle was not saying much and kind of kept to herself. This time she and Isabel became fast friends and had a great time playing outside, especially being the "princess in the castle".
Stella "introduced" me to Cheri. Cheri and her husband traveled to China last October to bring home Amelia. Cheri and I became friends on Facebook, and it's been fun to compare stories, ask questions, and share the highs and lows of adoption. It was so sweet for me to get to meet Cheri and her precious daughter Amelia in person. I love it when you meet someone and you feel like you've known them for years. I felt that way with Cheri. We had a great afternoon, talking and catching up and watching our sweet girls play in the beautiful April sunshine.
These 3 should be the poster children for adoption. Aren't they gorgeous!?

I love flowers!

Michelle is so excited about spring. Her comment to me yesterday was, "I LOVE flowers!"

She obviously had a fun day at preschool. Her pigtails are a little lopsided, so I know it was a fun day.