Family Friends

My friend Tami and I met 7 1/2 years ago.  Katherine had only been home a few months and Tami and her family were in the process of adopting from China.  At the time, I was just glad to be able to give them some support as they faced that exhausting waiting time that adoptive families experience.  Months later, Tami and I were amazed to discover that her new daughter Amy, who is a month younger than Katherine, was from Katherine's orphanage.  We realized then that our families were connected in some unique ways and we have made a point of getting together every now and then so that Katherine and Amy can spend time together. 

Our families have changed considerably since that first meeting.  Katherine was the only Chinese kid in the midst then.  But then Amy came home and there were two Yangjiang girls.  Then a year later Anna arrived.  She was from Yangjiang, too, but from the orphanage next door (yes, I know that sounds odd, but there really are side-by-side orphanages!).  Then Abraham joined them (and was not from Yangjiang).  Rachel became a part of our family.  And then Aubrey rounded out the crew.  She was one of the older kids at Amy (and Katherine's) orphanage when Tami's family met Amy.  For years they wondered what had become of her and then one day, they found her on a Waiting Child list and knew they were supposed to be her family.  So now when we get together, there are 6 Chinese kids, 4 of them from the same city and 3 from the same orphanage.  The invisible red threads of the Chinese proverb are firmly tied into a gigantic tangled knot with these siblings and friends!

Often when Tami's family and mine get together, we meet somewhere between our towns.  But today was way too hot to do anything outdoors and we were not in the mood for McDonalds Playland, so the girls and I drove and hour and a half to Tami's house.  We had a good time. 
There was time to play. 
And paint.

And even cut up some playdoh.
And the two Mamas had time to catch up on each other's lives and each other's kids.  We enjoy doing that.  And we love to see the whole loud, rowdy bunch together.
When we met all those years ago, we never imagined what our families and our lives would be like now. 
But we will never tire of seeing these two girls together.  They were born in the same city, half way around the world.  Lived in the same orphanage for eight months or so.  Were adopted by families a year and ahalf apart.  And live an hour and a half from each other in little towns in Kansas.  Amazing...