Re-Union '09

As an adoptive family, we are always looking for opportunities to interact with other adoptive families. I was lucky enough to have found a wonderful group of families who have adopted from Latin American countries (most from Guatemala) and we make every effort to regularly get together with each other. The primary purpose is to keep our children connected with each other, thus keeping them connected to their birth country.

In addition to our local group, I've had the privilege of connecting with other families via forums and my blog. Many have also adopted from Guatemala, others from Ethiopia, China, Colombia, etc. Last year we attended Guatoberfest in Myrtle Beach, SC. It was a wonderful trip that allowed us to reconnect with friends we had not seen in a year or more and to make some new friends. This year Guatoberfest is going to be held on the Atlantic and Caribbean Oceans, via Carnival Cruise Lines. It sounds like a wonderful trip, but financially a bit more than we feel comfortable spending this year. However, we have an opportunity to attend a couple other gatherings this year. One in St. Louis this spring and the other in Tulsa, OK this summer. The St. Louis get-together is still being planned, but the Tulsa get-together plans were completed a few months ago. As of this morning, our hotel reservations have officially been made and we'll be traveling to Tulsa this summer for a fun-filled weekend with other adoptive families from around the U.S. The nice thing about this get-together is that it is open to "all" adoptive families. If any of you are interested in getting more information about the event, please visit the blog at http://re-union09.blogspot.com/. I have made many blog friends and hope to finally have the opportunity to meet some of you in person at Re-Union '09 in Tulsa.

Also, if there are any families who are interested in attending the St. Louis get together this spring, please keep checking my blog for more information.

I hope all adoptive families are regularly interacting with other adoptive families. Our children need these connections and so do we.