We just got back from beutiful Gatlinburg, TN for our Ethiopia Travel Group Reunion!!! All but 3 of the families in our travel group made it to the reunion, and we were even able to stop and see one of those on our way over there. It was SO wonderful to see all of the beautiful families that we have grown to love so much. We had to split up between 2 cabins, but hopefully next year (yes, we're hoping to do this ANNUALLY) we'll be in one BIG cabin all together.
Now, let me just take a second to mention how awfully crazy our drive over there was. I mean, sometimes something happens on the road and gives you something to talk about...but they just KEPT happening. I can't even remember what order it happened in, because we started losing track after a while, but here's a recap:
Once we arrived, the fun began! It literally felt like a week since we had seen everyone. Isn't that weird? I think something as "traumatic" as adoption really ingrains things into your brain and emotions and it just doesn't seem very far off from you ever...or at least yet it hasn't.
My special Et mommy "family":
And all of the gang that made it:
The kids were great sports taking pictures, but after a while they got a little tired of it!
We went hiking on the Laurel Falls trail in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. It was about 1 mile up and my wonderful husband pushed the DOUBLE stroller almost all the way up (I pushed it about 5 minutes, and my friend Joy aka Martha Stewart pushed it a bit too...since her son was sort of hitching a ride on it now and then. haha!)
We also visited WonderWorks. I was dumb and wore flip-flops and evidently some exhibits you have to have closed to shoes. Oops. SO hubby brought biggest man up on the lunar rope-walk while the rest of us stayed put and watched. By the time we got to the 3-D roller coaster (in the little capsule that flips over and spins around) I was so excited that I could do that, so I talked #1 into getting on with me. Um...yeah...we both about barfed. I hit the emergency stop button 11 seconds before it was over. It ruined me for the entire day so I had to give up my goal of going ZORBing with my friend. Oh well, I'm old, what can I say?
At Ober Gatlinburg big man was able to see a REAL bear walking through the park, from the chair lift, as it crossed a clearing into the woods. He didn't seem to care at all. :-P
We also brought our group of 24 to one of the awesome pancake houses and lucked out to (almost) all get to sit together really quickly. As if going out with our own family didn't get enough attention...you can only imagine how many people were staring at us THEN. Oh yes and we had matching shirts to help with that too!!
The last night a couple of us (and my big and middle man) went to see HP7.2. OH MAN WAS IT GOOD!!! I'm dying to go see it again. I'm just so glad they did justice for Snape. I could go on and on, but I'll refrain.
On the way back home I FINALLY got to meet my friend Mary Beth, who is with our agency. She and I have been best email buddies and hoped to travel together last year, but didn't get to. We stayed the night at their house and it was wonderful to finally get to meet her and her beautiful family.
It was awesome to see another one of our families from our travel group (somehow I neglected to picture the adults!), who's 2 boys are from the same village that Lily is. In fact, their family knew each other, so they are especially special to me.
Ok and I can't end this post without mentioning my friend L and her crew. She's been along with me on our entire adoption ride...thick and thin...since we started a few years ago with domestic adoption. She's heard me moan and grown, cry happy and sad, and our little girls were actually born right about the same time. I was so glad to finally have them all together too, so that our little blessings could play together. I've asked her a bajillion questions about adoption and she helped get this show on the road.
The drive was long, but oh so worth it.
Now, let me just take a second to mention how awfully crazy our drive over there was. I mean, sometimes something happens on the road and gives you something to talk about...but they just KEPT happening. I can't even remember what order it happened in, because we started losing track after a while, but here's a recap:
- Axle in the road
- Truck in front of us loses their trailer, which crosses median into oncoming traffic, then back into median again.
- Pine tree falls randomly from forest beside highway, and lands inches from the shoulder just as we approach it.
- Lightening strikes a light pole next to the road and about shakes my sparkly little flip flops off of my feet.
- Passed a flipped vehicle just as emergency crews arrived, and witnessed what surely looked like a fatality accident (will spare you the details, but I felt sicker than I ever have in my life.)
Once we arrived, the fun began! It literally felt like a week since we had seen everyone. Isn't that weird? I think something as "traumatic" as adoption really ingrains things into your brain and emotions and it just doesn't seem very far off from you ever...or at least yet it hasn't.
My special Et mommy "family":
And all of the gang that made it:
The kids were great sports taking pictures, but after a while they got a little tired of it!
We went hiking on the Laurel Falls trail in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. It was about 1 mile up and my wonderful husband pushed the DOUBLE stroller almost all the way up (I pushed it about 5 minutes, and my friend Joy aka Martha Stewart pushed it a bit too...since her son was sort of hitching a ride on it now and then. haha!)
We also visited WonderWorks. I was dumb and wore flip-flops and evidently some exhibits you have to have closed to shoes. Oops. SO hubby brought biggest man up on the lunar rope-walk while the rest of us stayed put and watched. By the time we got to the 3-D roller coaster (in the little capsule that flips over and spins around) I was so excited that I could do that, so I talked #1 into getting on with me. Um...yeah...we both about barfed. I hit the emergency stop button 11 seconds before it was over. It ruined me for the entire day so I had to give up my goal of going ZORBing with my friend. Oh well, I'm old, what can I say?
At Ober Gatlinburg big man was able to see a REAL bear walking through the park, from the chair lift, as it crossed a clearing into the woods. He didn't seem to care at all. :-P
We also brought our group of 24 to one of the awesome pancake houses and lucked out to (almost) all get to sit together really quickly. As if going out with our own family didn't get enough attention...you can only imagine how many people were staring at us THEN. Oh yes and we had matching shirts to help with that too!!
The last night a couple of us (and my big and middle man) went to see HP7.2. OH MAN WAS IT GOOD!!! I'm dying to go see it again. I'm just so glad they did justice for Snape. I could go on and on, but I'll refrain.
On the way back home I FINALLY got to meet my friend Mary Beth, who is with our agency. She and I have been best email buddies and hoped to travel together last year, but didn't get to. We stayed the night at their house and it was wonderful to finally get to meet her and her beautiful family.
It was awesome to see another one of our families from our travel group (somehow I neglected to picture the adults!), who's 2 boys are from the same village that Lily is. In fact, their family knew each other, so they are especially special to me.
Ok and I can't end this post without mentioning my friend L and her crew. She's been along with me on our entire adoption ride...thick and thin...since we started a few years ago with domestic adoption. She's heard me moan and grown, cry happy and sad, and our little girls were actually born right about the same time. I was so glad to finally have them all together too, so that our little blessings could play together. I've asked her a bajillion questions about adoption and she helped get this show on the road.
The drive was long, but oh so worth it.
Loved this post and the pics. So glad you got make your trip and see everyone... especially ME! And I'm so glad our kiddos finally got to meet... and we got to meet Jeremy, too! We'll save the rooms for you next year! ;)
ReplyDeleteCan I go next year and be the official reunion photographer?!?! (Trying to find an excuse to crash the party...) :)
ReplyDelete