Travel Family

What is a travel family? That is a great question. During our 1st adoption, we assumed that it would just be a group of people that we toured and ate dinner with. I connected with a couple of moms before our trip and we became friends. We had no idea what was in store for us. I often comment that I laugh when I watch American Idol and Biggest Loser and the contestants get so upset when someone is voted off. They keep saying we are family. I thought that was such a marketing ploy. Now I know different. When you spend 13-17 days with the same group of people, when you witness the miracle of a family growing with the addition of a child that has been prayed for and waited on for years, when you cry together over the uncertainities, when you mourn together for what your child has lost, when you celebrate small victories such as passports, visas and bathroom success:) When you search out food that is edible, when you share medicines and advice, when your children recognize each other and call out by name, when you rejoice because your child appears to be bonding to you, when you help each other through countless airports and security checks, when others help entertain your kids, when you watch one of the children in your group get so sick that you fear they can't come home and then get to watch them improve, when you bargain together for items to preserve your child's heritage, when you eat pizza in the hallways with no plates and way more kids than adults, that is when you know you are FOREVER FAMILY. There is no explanation---other than these are the people that I will forever be linked with-I enjoy their company. I love their children. I look forward to watching what God is going to do in their lives. I pray that we will be able to get everyone together a couple of times a year. Anna Grace's travel group is our family and now Andrew's travel group is also. You know you are family when while you are on your 2nd trip to China, each family from your 1st trip sends you emails, prays for you and says they can't wait for Andrew to join their group. Each time we have been so blessed with our groups. These last few days have been made harder as we cope with missing our family. It is so hard to go from being with someone 24/7 to not seeing them at all. We miss everyone. I find myself stalking their facebooks and blogs to just see how they are doing. I am already looking forward to our 1st reunion. Adoption changes so much about your life----Receiving Andrew as our son is the greatest blessing ever, but I can also say that the friends and family we have made along our journey, makes it all the better. We are blessed beyond measure!