fun at catoctin creek park

We spent the day at Catoctin Creek Park in Middletown, Md (near Frederick).  Our first time to visit this park, but definitely not our last.  Beautiful area, nice facilities, awesome playground, great nature center and a creek that captivated our children for a long time.

We didn't know about the creek so we were not prepared.  The creek bed is very rocky.  They kids still got in, but next time we will all wear our water shoes.

The Mid-Atlantic Ethiopian Adoption Group hosted the event today.  We loved seeing old friends and making lots of new ones.  This morning, the girls and I were talking about the day ahead of us and what we would be doing.
Me:  "We are going to a park to have a picnic with other families who have children who were born in Ethiopia."
Faith:  "That's my Country!!"
All four kids were so excited to go.  When we arrived they jumped out of our van and ran ahead to where some kids were already playing.  I love their enthusiasm and ability to leap right in and make new friends.

One of the families attending is forever a part of our family.  Their children were at the care center in Ethiopia with Faith and we experienced meeting our children for the first time together.  That is something that bonds you for life.  Our boys love them and talked all week about seeing them again.

When we decided to adopt Faith, we had multiple people ask us if we thought this was "fair to do to our boys".  I guess they were concerned about the sacrifice they would have to make with their share of mommy and daddy's time and resources... or maybe the issues they would have to consider and questions they would have to answer.  I love moments like this one.  It has nothing to do with fair.  It has everything to do with the best thing that could have ever happened to them.

I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have had women tell me that they would love to adopt, but their husbands say no.  To all of you men out there, I have one thing to say:  there is nothing more attractive than a husband who decides to change the label of a child from orphaned to daughter... who opens his heart to love a child who does not share his genetics.... who takes them for his very own.  My friends, it does not get any hotter than that.

One of the families we met today has a boy and girl from the same area of Ethiopia where Faith was born and, even better, they are also four.  I loved watching them play together.  At one point I looked up and saw Faith and their little boy doing Faith's signature nose scrunch to each other.  That picture is etched in my heart.  But you can see in this photograph her continuing to do it to the both of them.  

I know it is important to Faith to know and be around people who look like her.   She especially gets excited when she meets another girl who "looks like me."  I can tell it feeds her heart and in turn it thrills my own.  My cup overflowed watching these two beauties run together today.  And, I didn't get a picture of it, but Elie found a special friend too.  Another Elie, who is five, who also came to her forever family last summer.  They played hand in hand for hours.  Special friendships made possible by adoption.  Much has been said in recent times about the grief and difficulty of adoption, but there is also so much light and beauty.  

... and we got to see a snake slithering up a tree.  our day was complete.