Yes, we’ve been home with the Colombian princess for almost nine months…. next Thursday, it’ll be nine months. I’m finally getting around to making a scrapbook of our trip. I’ve spent much mental anguish on the Colombia scrapbook topic over the past six months. (The first three months home I just needed a nap. That’s all.) I know there are LOTS of photos. I know there are LOTS of photos that I want to include. I also know my scrapbooking speed is not what it used to be in the days of old when I got 65 pages completed on a weekend retreat. I’ve weighed the digital vs. traditional issues too.
This morning my problems were solved when I opened my email and Snapfish had sent me a free digital hard-cover scrapbook. Well, the first 20 pages are free. I was all over it…. but the deadline is Sept. 21. My husband and I are leaving on a jet plane in three days… and not coming home until the 22nd. So today, instead of teaching my pupils (well I did have Nora do math… and the others are pretty self-motivated at the moment)…. (yes, those were guilt justifying comments)… I uploaded 296 photos and put them in a digital book. BAM! Done! Well, almost. I only did half of the journaling… and it’s too late in the day to write coherent sentences, much less remember the Spanish names of places and fruits.
Into my closet I went searching for my journal from our trip to South America. One paragraph smacked me between the eyes and I want to share it with you. For all those who have adopted, want to adopt, are trying to adopt and are thinking they might adopt…. here’s some cold, hard facts to think on:
“As I drove home the seven hours from the Colombian consulate in Beverly Hills, I had one of those God-moments where I realized that this whole adoption is not about me… or Rick and I… or even Nora. It’s about God taking care of His children – about His children taking one step at a time, obeying the call on their lives – about God providing everything we need – far before we figured out what we needed.”
This was taken right after we landed in Bogotá!
That was so philosophical of me…. and rare… here’s the next page in the journal for your pure enjoyment.
(This was the night before we were leaving Cali to fly to Bogotá.) “As late as it was after packing, 12:30 a.m., I simply could not fall asleep. The thought that Nora was leaving behind her life as she knows it – kept me awake. One reassuring thought was that we LOVED Cali SO much – we will return someday. I also wondered at 2:30, 3:15, 4:12 and from 4:35 on…. would Nora have motion sickness? Would the airplane terrify her? Did we check under all the beds? And finally – I was awake at 5:00… “ready” for our adventure to Bogotá.” No wonder I needed three months of naps!
Tags: adoption, adoptive parent, Bogota, Cali, Colombia, Colombian Adoption, Gladney, homeschooling, ICBF, math, mom, mother, naps, raising kids, scrapbook, snapfish
My Sister's Jar 
September 17, 2011 at 10:14 pm |
What a wonderful experience to share! I was born in Colombia and I’ve lived in the US since I was 6 years old. You wondering what your adopted child’s feelings about starting a new life here are really touching my heart; I came to the US to live with my uncle after my parents died and he was pretty cold and uninvolved with me, so was his wife. The way you’re welcoming this new child into your heart and into your family really speaks volumes to me about what a lovely woman you must be. Congrats and God bless you for taking in one of His.
September 17, 2011 at 11:55 pm |
Thank you, Eva! That was a beautiful comment…. I need to read it often when I’m feeling overwhelmed by it all! Blessings to you too!