Incredibly Blessed...

Shawna and Alannah came by to hang out Thursday night and help with the laundry and clothes choosing (which was an ordeal!). I could not decide what to take to Africa, what to wear in London, and how much to take to each place. I was strugglin'! Christy and Jake stopped by Friday afternoon to help pack. Alannah and Jake thought my head light was a great time. A multi-purpose tool, Light in the squatty in Africa, Wall spot light for shadow puppets in America! Christy was a very big help in the packing as i could not handle my life trying to figure out the suitcase issue! I had some incredibly "helpful" apprentice packers while trying to fill 2 suitcases with all my stuff, my presents, and amy's stuff too. I am VERY good at packing a LOT in a small space, its that stinkin' 50 pound weight limit that will get you! Some of what i am bringing are amazing and incredibly thoughtful gifts from people who i love and care about. See below..

I spent a lot of time thinking about adoption on my own. I didn't say much to anyone for a VERY long time. Mostly because i was not sure how i felt about it, and didn't want to hear what other people thought about it, if i wasn't even sure. I kinda thought i might be crazy for even considering it, and didn't want other people to confirm it! haha However.. once i became a little more serious about it, and actually started to talk about the possibility i was amazed at the support and generosity of my friends and family. I should NOT have been surprised, because i am blessed to know a LOT of amazing people. Here are some of the gifts that i received to take with me. My very good friend Laure has a beautiful little girl named Charlotte who wears a bunch of head bands with bows. She may be a lot younger, but like Scholastika, has no hair. Laure gave me a bunch of headbands and a hat to take with me for her until she gets hair.

These outfits are from my friend Tina.. I looked at the yellow skirt like a million times but was trying REALLY hard not to buy a ton of stuff to take with me because honestly i could have bought the store! It is absolutely acceptable to take gifts though!! SO i can NOT wait to put it on her! :)

These outfits are from my mom. I was SO nervous to tell her that i was even considering adoption as a single mom. I knew that there was a possibility she would be the first to tell me i was crazy! We have the kind of relationship where she would certainly tell me what she really thought.. no sugar coating here. However after a LOT of conversation and question answering she was and continues to be incredibly supportive. (for the record, my dad is too he just doesn't say much) Mombought these outfits for me to take to her! She is going to look SO stinkin' cute in them!

This outfit is from our Red Apple friends Rustina and Johanna. They bought something for my new nephew and this outfit for me to take with me to Africa. It was incredibly thoughtful and I thought it was awesome of them to do that!

This TOTALLY made me cry. A family at Pleasant Hill, who's little boy i just love, had this made for me. This student's adopted, and his mom has been trying to get me to adopt for a very long time. When she found out that i was going to Africa last year, she said ... "you're coming home with a baby". When i saw them at the back to school picnic, the first thing she asked was if i had brought one home. Obviously i said no, but... and she said there is a big story in that but! When I talked to her about Scholastika i will never forget what she said to me which was, "you know as an adoptive parent when you hold your child." You know when that is your baby. I knew i felt something different the minute i picked her up, something that i had never felt before. It was when she said that, I realized it was exactly how i felt but just couldn't verbalizeit in a way people would understand. This entire school year she has been very encouraging and supportive. Asking questions and offering advice and resources. This gift was incredibly thoughtful and personal and I was very touched. I can not wait to take it to her. (For those of you who don't know, her nickname, if i am able to adopt her, will be Lola. In the orphanage they call her Schola, and i hate that! BUT she knows her name and i do not want to change it on her but with the accent change it will sound very close.

SO...

I am packed... with more suitcase then i wanted to fill... BUT ready to go! I can not wait to get there but at the same time I feel like i have been planning this trip in my head for months and it seems crazy that it is time to go. I am anxious about what lies ahead for me but i am hopeful that i will be able to find answers to the questions I am looking for with this return trip to Africa. My next blog will mean that i have arrived safe and sound in Africa, and HOPEFULLY will be pictures of me with my peanut because THAT is FIRST on my agenda!! :)