May Day

The past few weeks have been busy with visits from grandparents, trips to the zoo, park, and playgroups. When the weather was warm, we were spending hours outside each day. Then, it turned cold and rainy, and we've been houesbound most of this week. Tommy manages to have fun regardless of the weather, as you can see in these pictures.

We have been very saddened by the news of Vietnamese adoptions coming to an end. Though not surprising given recent events, we are still upset by the news and very sad for the children waiting for families in VietNam.

I'm copying this from my friend Dawn, whose daughter Katie is adopted from VietNam, and who, like us, was planning on adopting another child from VietNam, but now will wait:

The message I want to leave you with is this. Surely in the coming weeks all of you will encounter some kind of news release related to Vietnamese adoptions. The articles you read and the news releases you watch will be disturbing, and your thoughts will immediately turn to those you know who have adopted a child from Vietnam. The information uncovered by the US government will forever impact the thoughts people have regarding Vietnam and adoption. This will be a difficult stigma to overcome. Please remember, that although they have found cases of fraud and wrong doing this does not mean that ALL adoptions from Vietnam are unethical. Hundreds of Vietnamese children were adopted by US families last year and it is simply impossible for all of them to be associated with fraudulant, unethical behavior. Most people, by nature tend to believe the worst. You have the power to educate these misguided individuals. In doing so you may quite possibly prevent the types of comments that can be so hurtful to adoptive parents and their children.




















And lastly, a quote I came across today on my planner at work, of all places.

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." --Desmond Tutu

How true, how true.