Created For Care

A few weekends ago, I took a long weekend to attend the Created for Care retreat for adoptive moms.  It was something I had waited for since…well…for MONTHS.  And it seemed like the weekend would never arrive.

The weekend was wonderfully great, but the best, best, BEST part of it was my roommates.  And I’ll devote an entire post to what I learned there (maybe several posts) but this post is mainly about these awesome moms I spent the weekend with.

Next to me is my friend Jennifer.  Jennifer and I have know each other for about 2 years now.  I found her online and purchased some hair accessories she was making and selling to help fund her own adoption from China.  Somehow we ended up chatting by phone and now I talk to her every single day almost.  As you know, I have a long commute home after work and Jennifer and I chat nearly every weekday on my way home and let me tell you, it makes my commute feel so much faster!  Jennifer and I met IRL last May when she brought her family to town on Memorial Day weekend.  It was the last days I had off before heading back to work from my leave and it was a fun weekend.  Jennifer flew into Nashville on Wednesday evening and then spent the night at my house.  We headed out to the retreat Thursday morning to get there Thursday afternoon and enjoy some down time before the conference started.  Thursday afternoon we stopped near/in Chattanooga to eat lunch with a friend of hers.  We took in a movie (Safe Haven) and then headed to a new friend of mine who I have gotten to know since working with her the last several months.  Kim was kind enough to not only to invite me and Jennifer to her home, but she COOKED DINNER!  She was a wonderful host and I am so glad I got to see her and even meet her husband and son.  Thanks sweet Kim for the great dinner and even greater company!

Friday found Jennifer and I at Chik Fil A for breakfast.  I’d never eaten CFA at breakfast and it was DELISH!

Then we did a little shopping and I bought my first pair of Toms!  (shout out to EY!) and then we met with some of my attorney friends I work with who are also located in Atlanta.  It was a great day hanging out! 

After arriving back at the lodge, our other two roomies greeted us!  So on to them…

Next to Jennifer is Angie.  Angie and I met through Julie (more to come on her).  Julie and Angie have adopted daughters who were both from the same orphanage.  Angie gave a VERY generous donation to our adoption even while she was in the midst of her own.  She has an adorable cleft daughter who doctors have done MIRACULOUS work on.  And if you can love someone you’ve never met, this is the girl.  She’s a precious woman and one that I can only aspire to be some day.  Put simply…she ROCKS.

Next to Angie is Julie.  Julie and I met online right after I received Kylie’s referral.  Julie has an absolutely amazing story regarding her 3 children and her adoptions.  Julie found ME online right after I transferred agencies.  We started emailing back and forth and talk online or via email multiple times a week.  Julie came down and hung out with me in the fall during Empowered to Connect.  I visited her when Jenna and I went to Chattanooga on the Passport to Purity trip.

I’m telling you, these women are my SOUL sisters…I see so much of myself in them and we have so many similarities in terms of parenting, struggles, likes and dislikes.  It never fails to amaze me how God brings people together.  Never in a million years would I have imagined saying some of my closest and dearest friends are those who I met online and rarely see IRL.

I love how God does that.  And I love these girls!  I hope this is an annual occurrence!!!