Here's to Making New Friends

From the time Dave and I decided to pursue a Guatemalan adoption, we made it a goal to find other families in the Central Illinois area who had also adopted from Guatemala. Not only did we want our daughter to be around other families that look like ours, but we wanted to provide her with opportunity to stay connected to her birth country. We felt that one way we could do that was by establishing relationships with other families who had also adopted from Guatemala, therefore, allowing her that opportunity to eventually develop friendships with other children also adopted from Guatemala. So, once we started our adoption paperwork, I immediately started my search and was quickly introduced to a local Latin American Heritage group in the area. We attended our first get together shortly after the 1st of the year and it was wonderful meeting and getting to know other families in the area. Since that first meeting, I've continued to be pro-active in coordinating get togethers every 2-3 months and trying to find other Central Illinois families who have or are adopting from Latin American countries. So far my efforts have paid off and we've added about a dozen new families over the last 7-8 months. Not only is it a great feeling to know that Lili will come home and immediately have the opportunity to spend time with other children from Guatemala, but the bonus for me has been the friendships that I've personally established as a result.

Our next event is scheduled for tomorrow and we're doing something that I absolutely loved as a kid. We're having a wiener roast!!! The rainy weather over the last couple of days had me a little concerned that we might get rained out, but now the sun is shining and tomorrow is predicted to be a picture perfect wiener roasting kind of day :-)

So, to all you parents out there who have or are adopting, I strongly encourage you to find a group you can connect with, not just for the sake of your children, but for the support and adult friendships you may make along the way.