So a little over a year ago my precious friend Corinne decided to adopt. She has been a part of my family for the last 20 years. She has been a big sister to me, a friend, a confidant. My "brown sister" or "brown sugar" as I call her. I am "white sugar!"
She is older than me and been a part of my growing up in so many ways. In life's circumstances though I became a mother before her. She has always wanted to be a mom and it just didn't happen the traditional get married-have kids sort of way.
So she emailed me and said I need a letter of recommendation to start my adoption process, I was thrilled she was letting me have a small piece of the adventure with her. In the throws of motherhood myself I was excited to be part of her village. I knew she would need it and boy was I right.
In November 2011 Corinne received her first Court date in Ethiopia and met her sweet 7month old baby boy. You can fully follow her story at wheels-up.tumblr.com. Well worth your time!
She fell in love with her sweet son and he legally became her boy in Ethiopia. However, in order for her to bring him home she had to wait for the U.S. Embassy to clear him. The story is intense and I know I am not doing it justice so I am just giving you the facts.
They could not give her a guaranteed time but told her expect delays, expect 6 months. She couldn't bear to be away from this sweet thing who needed her and needed to bond with her. So she did the unbelievable. She put her life on hold, picked up and is living with her son in Ethiopia until....this past Monday!! The U.S. Embassy cleared them to come home!!!
(Are you kidding me??!!! Look at that face! You kinda just want to eat him up!!!)
I met him yesterday. Precious, sweet 11 month old babbling bundle of joy! I felt like a proud Auntie and so proud of my friend as a new mom!
I couldn't believe how well they are doing! I laughed so hard when as I am driving to her house she texts me saying the baby just went down for a nap at 10:30 he won't be up until 12 noon. Ha! My friend who never knew what she was doing in an hour is on a napping schedule. This over joyed my heart.
When we got there he was sleeping and we just watched him sleep and cried joyful tears that this moment had come and he was her son. He was in the place she had envisioned him to be all along. They had made it home.
My pictures on not super great because I was too caught in the moment to make sure they were good but I'll share because in her words it "was the BEST day so far!"
amazing story- what a blessed family. she truly has a mother's heart!
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