Happy Finalization Day!

I can't believe we are already celebrating the one-year anniversary of the finalization of Josh's adoption! It was November 21st, 2009, National Adoption Day. I've been thinking for awhile about how we could celebrate. I thought it would be fun to make some sort of craft for Christmas, but what would set this craft apart from all the other little crafts Josh makes at home?

And then I realized, Duh! This craft we can date and send to Joshy's birthmom every year. We sent her a little picture Josh colored last month that had a tree and little fall leaves we glued onto it. She said she loved it so much that it made her cry! So I bought a little kit from Hobby Lobby with ceramic ornaments and paint. I was serious about letting Josh paint them however he wanted. I even took off his shirt and pants so he could get down and dirty. I think they turned out well, yeah? I'm sure b-mom will love them.

I'm not very good at keeping a journal. I've tried many times and have failed every time. Back in the summer of 2008 (whoa, was it really that long ago?) I made one of my many attempts at keeping a journal. I bought a little notebook and wrote about 15 entries before ending it. I placed it in my beside table drawer and there it sat until just a couple days ago. I needed a notebook to write something down in. I knew exactly what it was when I pulled it out, but I just told myself that I could rip those pages out and throw them away, due to the fact that it's silly to keep a journal with only 15 entries inside of it...

Nope. No, not silly at all. Instead of ripping the pages out, I started reading them. Wow, that was such a hard time in my life. At the time I was heavily involved in working with a fertility clinic that could not figure out what was wrong with me. I wrote about how it felt to have what the doctors called "unexplained infertility". I wrote about the idea of adopting a child. I wrote about being chosen to adopt a baby. And I wrote about the loads and loads of paperwork that I never thought we would get through before the baby was born. I wrote about finding out that this baby was a boy. I wrote about recieving his ultra-sound pictures in the mail. I wrote about the fears I had that the birthmom might change her mind and decide not to place him with us. I just wrote about so much in those measely 15 entries. So, I don't think I'll throw those pages away. I'm so glad that Josh will be able to read them when he's older. I hope he finds them comforting on the days when he feels sad about being adopted. This chunk especially, "What a wonderful surprise it will be when we're blessed with a child. I look forward to that day. And I know it will come. I don't mean to dwell even though it's usually on my mind. But I do want my future children to know how happy I am to finally have them in my life."

I love you Joshy!