This weekend, several families from our adoption travel group met in Louisville for what we hope is the first of many biennial reunions. The weekend went by far too quickly, but I think even those who traveled the farthest (thanks Coles and McClintocks and Smiths!) would agree that it was worth it to reconnect and see the changes in these kiddos over the past 18 months.
This is part of the (in)famous "red couch" picture for our travel group taken in December 2008 in China. In the back row, we have Mya (far left) and Michelle (far right). In the front row, we have Alex (second from the left) and Leah (far right).
And, look at them now! Leah is on the far left, Mya is second from the right, and Michelle is third from the right.
Every "red couch" picture requires at least one crying child and, this time, Alex took on this role ... with gusto. So, alas, we don't have any (happy) pictures of him with his groupmates.
Alex preferred, instead, to hang out with his mama (thanks, Midge, for the photo ... hope that you don't mind that I borrowed this and some others).
We did manage to sneak a few photos of Alex with the other kiddos when he wasn't paying attention. The two girls in this photo are Michelle and Molly. Michelle and Molly were adopted at different times by different families, but had the same foster mother in China. Michelle, Molly, and Alex were, at one time, all in the same orphanage.
Michelle and Alex (and our families) have a special connection insofar as they were adopted at the same time, from the same orphanage (though Michelle was in foster care at the time). Here's a picture of the two of them together, perhaps a few months before "family day". Alex is in the pink coat. :)
Because Alex refused any posed photos during the reunion, I spent a lot of time stalking these two to see if I could capture them together again. Mostly this led to lots of photos of their backs, but these will have to do ...
until we get together with these families -- and those we missed this time around -- in two more years!
5 comments:
loved the photos
hope to meet up with you all next time
-Lily's mama
I love your red couch photo comparisons. It really is amazing to see how much these kids have grown and changed. We loved seeing your family - I almost cried as I read your blog. We feel that same special connectiong with your family too! I would love the pic's you have of Michelle and Alex at LouHe, when you have the chance. I'm already looking forward to the next time!
I better get going on my blog...you and Midge are making me look bad!
Thanks so much for putting up with us as we "crashed" your travel group party! Any opportunity to connect with other families like ours is such an awesome gift and we truly enjoyed meeting you, Bill, and the boys.
I'm following your blog officially now...
Teresa =)
Michelle & Alex held HANDS!?!?!?! So sweet that you stalked them. I love the thread that Alex, Michelle & Molly were all in the same orphanage at them same time. Maybe the same nanny cared for them. Surely they shared clothing & bottles! SO COOL!!!!!! And now they live hours away in the USA.
{sigh}
I am so glad/honored to have been able to travel with such cool people and be tied together with this amazing journey called Adoption - we are truly blessed...blessed to have these kids in our lives.
I will patiently await news on #3...
:)
hey - did you take the picture of the (4) #1444 kids on the couch? the one in true red couch fashion, with sweet alex? if you did - can you email it to me? i'd love to blog it too!
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