Wow What A Weekend

We just returned from a wonderful weekend.    Back in 2004 we along with 13 other families traveled to China to adopt 14 little girls from the same orphanage.    We initially met up in Beijing and began bonding and sight seeing.   The first morning we got on the elevator to head down to breakfast and on the ride down met a couple and quickly learned that the lady and Robin were from the same hometown and actually attended the same school.  What a connection.

Over the next 2 weeks in China we became friends with many from this group as we went through the process of adopting our little girls.   We were fortunate, most of the families bonded right from the start and we have been able to maintain the friendship over the past 10 years.    We try to get together one weekend each year for a reunion.    Generally 6 or 7 families from the original group meet up and share some time together.   We have been able to attend a few of these events and this weekend was the 2015 Wanzai reunion.  Not all travel groups bond like this but in this case we were very blessed to have a great travel group and we are blessed to maintain contact with most of the 14 families.

The Wanzai Sisters all together

I have blogged previously about the "Friendships of Adoption" and this is just one example of those friendships.   Couples from all over the country that we likely would have never met but now thanks to adoption we have a connection and  we share the bond that one of our daughters spent the first year of her life living in the same orphanage.   We have always referred to them as the Wanzai sisters.

The girls plus some siblings.  Getting ready for some fun at Dave and Busters

So on Friday afternoon 6 families from different parts of the country gathered in Nashville Tn.   It was great seeing everyone and watching our girls reconnect.  The girls spent time swimming in the pool and just hanging out.  The parents spent time sitting around and talking, shared some meals together and just hung out.   It was a wonderful time of reconnecting and renewing friendships.

hanging out at the pool

For us the weekend did not end there.  We discovered last week that our son Aaron and his wife Karen would be preparing for camp at a city along our travel route.  So Sunday afternoon we were able to stop and see them for about 90 minutes.   It was great to see them and to meet their camp team.

So overall it was a wonderful weekend.   We have seen many blessings of adoptions and the friendships are a great one.  We are thankful for this travel group and for the friendships we maintain with these families.

Our 5 little ones with their big brother and sister-in-law.