Abrazo Orientation Weekend (Jan 25-26)

Well, here we are with our new friends in San Antonio, Texas!! Can you believe we are here??!!

We were one of eight couples here. Three have already adopted children through Abrazo, the other 5 couples are "newbies." The first night we sat in a circle and talked about our stories.......Newbies first. Of course, that part is easy for me---talking. Jonny did great too! The head "Abrazo Chick"--Elizabeth--encouraged us to start acting like we were pregnant.........start telling everyone, get your nursery ready, register, etc....... She was very inspiring.....and for the first time it really began feeling real. I got a little emotional and began to get very excited. This is really the first time I have let myself get even a teensy bit excited!!
After a small break, the "againers" gave their stories. All of them LOVE Abrazo and could not stop talking about how wonderful the girls are! (I should tell you that all the Abrazo girls left the room when the againers talked---that way they would be candid.) The stories these couples had to tell ripped my heart out......and made this excited girl sober up. This is certainly going to be a roller coaster ride.....but I love roller coasters. I've paid big money to go to a few in my life. This one will certainly be the most expensive by far, but I have a feeling it will be the most worth it. Several (including Space Mountain at age 10) have brought me closer to God through my prayers begging Him to let me get off alive ......and I know for fact this one will certainly bring me closer to God....no matter what the journey or outcome is like. And for that, it will be all worth it. The stories tonight included failed adoptions, children that had to be returned, a terminally ill child, birth parents that took advantage, attorneys that were not honest, and several more tragedies...........But they are all back..........because they said it was all totally worth it!! It scares me to death....but I know that everything in life that is wonderful usually is hard.
Keep praying.......we have alot to learn and alot of growing to do!
And pray for our baby...he or she is very likely alive and growing inside of someone who is about to go through some of the hardest days of her life......Pray for her too!
Here we are after dinner on the last night...after a LONG DAY! Wow! Talk about information overload!! What a day! We got to meet an adoptive parent and a birthparent, we traveled to the Abrazo office, we visited Abrazo housing (for the birthmoms), toured the local hospital's birthing area, practiced talking on the phone so we will be ready to say the right things when prospective birthmoms call, (acutally, we were learning how to not say the wrong thing....), learned about what all the money goes to, learned lots of legal language, discussed our "Dear Birthmom" letters, planned our Adoptive Parent Profiles, and said our goodbyes........after a nice, big Mexican Dinner, of course!
What a worthwhile trip!! I feel so much more educated---and so uneducated at the same time! We have a tall order ahead of us.......they want us to have the rest of our paperwork in, our homestudy started, our profiles finished and copied ten times, and $8,000 to them in the next 10 days. February 5th is very close....... !!
They still have not received our application......and we had to write another check for the fees. Pray that little package arrives fairly soon! It's getting me nervous!!
We will leave sometime tomorrow........not sure if we will sightsee at all or not......We have so much to do!
I think we are going to be spontaneous and drive home a different way---through Houston, Louisiana, and up through Mississippi. We may take a small detour in Southern Mississippi to see the Jefferson Davis house (Rosemont)......the house ours is patterned after. We hope to be in Lake Charles, Louisiana tomorrow night, and home on Monday evening.This is Elizabeth--The head Abrazo chick! And below are some of the other Abrazo chicks!! They were amazingly helpful, informative, candid, and encouraging!

Here are some of our group members role playing how to talk on the phone!
The Abrazo chicks had cupcakes to wish me a happy January Birthday!! We got a little silly with them!! (It had been a long afternoon!!)Here we are touring one of the Abrazo housing apartments for the expectant mothers.
Here we are in the hospital, learning how to assist our birthmom when she is in labor and other hospital ettiquite.
And, of course more eating!! We really enjoyed our time with these fun and wise people!!