Three Beauties

Annie with her visiting birth half-sisters.
Left to right; Jenipher, Laura and my Annie. Three sister, each so beautiful, each so unique. They took this goodbye photo on PhotoBooth just as the sissy's we're walking out the door.

Mi Familia

Ah! Sweet Connection.

Annie's Birth Mother Patricia just left after a lovely weekend visit. She brought Annie's Birth Grandmother Ramona, and both of Annie's Birth half-Sisters, Laura and Jenipher plus little baby Billy, Sissy Jenipher's new baby.

We went to the beach, built a sand castle, collected shells and watched the wind surfers.

We ate some wonderful meals (thank you Billy), laughed, went to two yard sales and watched a movie. We snuggled Annie and Baby Billy, plus we took a lot of pictures. I just loving looking at all these dark-haired beauties!

Annie felt a little jealous of the amount of attention showered on Baby Billy! She's used to being the center of it all.

Adoption has been such a wonderful way for us to grow a family! Each visit is such a celebration of the pride, love and gratitude that we all feel about our connection.

This photo was just moments before everyone left.
Top Left to Right-Me, Patricia, Sissy Laura, Sissy Jenipher
Bottom Gramma Ramona and The Star of the Show, Annie

Just One More?

Something about babies clothing and shoes makes me lust for a new baby. For a moment I explore the thought of just one more. Please notice that I wrote 'for a moment?' I really am one that can clearly see my limits, and my need for balance and I feel very satisfied (also thrilled, grateful, and over-the-moon) with the family that Billy and I have made with Annie, our family and dear friends.
Just this week our friend Alison has grown her family for the second time through open adoption! Baby Isobel was lovingly placed in her arms by her birthmother Moriah who is also the birthmother of Olivia who is almost five. Alison and I both were dreaming about open adoption around the same time so we share a strong connection around this special way of growing our families. These booties are for Isobel who I will see tomorrow for the first time. She will be six days old tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Isobel!

The Best Day Ever!

The best (most amazing, wonderful, exhausting, miraculous, interesting, illuminating, exasperating, stretching, creative, waited-my-whole-lifetime for) seven years ever!

Thank you Annie!

Thank you Bill!

Thank you Patricia & Patrick!

You Can't Take Them With You

I knew when I painted these murals that if we ever moved, we would miss them. And now we are. And we will. Especially the mural in Annie's room. I painted the whole mural the weekend of June 10th 2000 and Annie was born February 28 2001. That's 40 weeks exactly! I probably painted it the weekend she was conceived! I painted the moon and sun at her request when she was almost two. They are up above her dresser and bookshelf shining down on her while she slept and played.

The trees and birds painting above is supposed to be Billy and I as birds on a swing calling out to the universe for a baby to adopt. I painted Annie as the little hummingbird waiting in the tree. Can you see her?




Goodbye little house!

Irish Heartbeat

The first time we went to Ireland was in 2001. A few days before we left (we bought non-refundable tickets) we heard through our adoption agency that Annie's Birthmother Patricia wanted us to parent her baby. It was our first "nibble" in the nine months we had been waiting. What a thrill! Only we still hadn't heard from her. Not a call or any signal from her at all. So it seemed like a vague possibility, and one with high risk factors. One of which, it was still unknown whether or not Annie's Birthtfather was going to agree to the adoption. So we went to the West of Ireland. We wandered. We explored. We were healed and renewed by the enormous amount of green. We walked. We ate. We breathed. We absolutely loved it. We also wondered...is our baby on it's way to us?

We arrived home on Presidents Day weekend. We met Patricia that Thursday. She was 39 weeks pregnant. We (Bill & I & Patricia) knew immediately that it was right. The following Tuesday we were in labor. Ten hours after that we had a daughter. We cut the cord. We came home. We became a family! We had grafted a whole new branch onto our family tree.

Then three years later, we took Annie back to Ireland for her third birthday. My Sister Fran Fran and Aunt LaLa Pat came too. We rented a cottage in Dingle bay together and had a wonderful time!

This time of year reminds me of Ireland.

We'd go back in a heartbeat!

(Photos from the top)
Me in the garden behind the cottage we rented in Sligo.
Annie the morning of her birthday.
Annie and I in Doolin.