So last Saturday in the Austin paper we read about Colombian orphans in town, hoping to be adopted. Hmmm...interesting.....my husband made a phone call - just to ask, that's all.
Right.
Yesterday we began the process of adopting Natali, 13 years old. When we met her, it was love at first sight for all of us, including my two grown children.
I thought we were finished with child rearing, but apparently not!
I'm overwhelmed by the immediacy of this decision but it feels right. She fits into our household as though she has lived here with us forever. She doesn't speak any English yet. She has never eaten broccoli. She can't believe that she gets to choose the wall color of her room. She's never played on a computer ( until last night!) But she's a risk-taker: she was chosen to be part of this adoption program and took the challenge of flying to another country and being subjected to scrutiny by scores of adults. We were warned that she is shy. But as soon as we were introduced, she made eye contact with me, smiled and never looked away.
She goes back to Colombia and the orphanage on Wednesday.
So here we go....... I'll keep you all posted on the progress. It will take at least 6 months before she can come back.
She calls me Mamita....
Musings on life's twists and turns
Started by foodie52, Aug 13 2005 09:43 PM
1009 replies to this topic
#1
foodie52
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Posted 13 August 2005 - 09:43 PM
[size="4"]Visit our website for updates...Friends of Colombian Orphans
Donations are always gratefully accepted.
Donations are always gratefully accepted.
#2
Rail Paul
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Posted 13 August 2005 - 09:57 PM
This is an amazing story, foodie 52. What a wonderful journey to undertake. Keep us posted, please.
"Peter Kiewit looked for three things in hiring people. He looked for integrity, intelligence and energy. And he said if a person didn’t have the first…that the latter two would kill him. Because if they don’t have integrity, you want ‘em dumb and lazy. You don’t want ‘em smart and energetic.”
Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett
#3
Guest_Suzanne F_*
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Posted 13 August 2005 - 10:20 PM
I wish all of you the best of luck. And I believe that if it feels right, it IS right (to paraphrase Duke Ellington 
) What's great is that you have the support of your other children, who can function as auntie/uncle now. Please do keep us posted.
) What's great is that you have the support of your other children, who can function as auntie/uncle now. Please do keep us posted.
#4
Farid
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Posted 13 August 2005 - 10:21 PM
Foodie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love you even more! Have I told you lately how much I love you?
My mamman was adopted at a young age and I've always wanted to do so myself. I don't know for sure if I will (gotta convince the wife, but she's an ole softy too)
EDIT: Franglish
I love you even more! Have I told you lately how much I love you?
My mamman was adopted at a young age and I've always wanted to do so myself. I don't know for sure if I will (gotta convince the wife, but she's an ole softy too)
EDIT: Franglish
#5
Squeat Mungry
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Posted 13 August 2005 - 10:31 PM
Congratulations, foodie52! How very cool.
All my best to you and your expanding family... can't wait for updates!
Squeat
All my best to you and your expanding family... can't wait for updates!
Squeat
It is a pretty poem, Mr. Pope, but you must not call it Homer. -- Richard Bentley
#6
Behemoth
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Posted 13 August 2005 - 11:07 PM
Very cool. What a wonderful story.
Summarizing, then, we assume that relational information is not subject to a corpus of utterance tokens upon which conformity has been defined by the paired utterance test.
-Chomskybot
-Chomskybot
#7
Leslie
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 12:01 AM
Foodie52, Congratulations and best wishes to you and your family! I hope all goes well in the adoption process. It made my heart feel warm to read your story. What a generous heart you and your family have, too.
#8
bigbear
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 03:09 AM
God bless you and yours. That's great.
-- Jeff
TioPacho.com
"I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members." -- Groucho Marx
TioPacho.com
"I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members." -- Groucho Marx
#9
Cathy
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 01:54 PM
What a wonderful thing you're doing, foodie52. Best to you and your family!
You're only as good as your grease.
When working with high heat, the first contact between the cooking surface and the food must be respected.
-- Francis Mallman
When working with high heat, the first contact between the cooking surface and the food must be respected.
-- Francis Mallman
#10
fentona
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 01:56 PM
Congratulations, foodie. How exciting!
Andrew Fenton
#11
GG Mora
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 02:30 PM
I'm speechless, but my heart just did a couple of warm flips. This is awesome, F52. I can't imagine how altered is Natali's outlook on life. Bless you and your family for making this decision.
#12
yvonne johnson
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 02:44 PM
My goodness, Foodie. You'll be on tenterhooks for 6 months. Hope it all works out.
It was not a new dish, as I recognised my tooth marks. Wilfrid
#13
Farid
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 03:31 PM
I've never asked my mamman how she was orphaned or about her family.
Sometimes I think maybe the massacre at Setif or worse she was abandoned.
I do not think I will ever ask her.
Sometimes I think maybe the massacre at Setif or worse she was abandoned.
I do not think I will ever ask her.
#14
cristina
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 03:34 PM
Oh Foodie, how marvelous--I'm sitting here with tears of joy in my eyes, for all of you.
Long years ago, American friends here adopted four (or five, I forget now) Colombian kids from the same family, giving them a blended family of 10 kids: his, hers, and the adopted batch. If you want to correspond with them, PM me your email address and I'll send it to them. They've been through it all with these kids and are family from the heart out. They're great-hearted and generous people, just like you and your family.
Long years ago, American friends here adopted four (or five, I forget now) Colombian kids from the same family, giving them a blended family of 10 kids: his, hers, and the adopted batch. If you want to correspond with them, PM me your email address and I'll send it to them. They've been through it all with these kids and are family from the heart out. They're great-hearted and generous people, just like you and your family.
Mexico Cooks!
The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
#15
Farid
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 03:43 PM
A relative of my wife's adopted 12 kids at once!!!! They all came to visit.
Another relative adopted a toddler boy. The couple are a bit older and have the luxury of spending lots of time with the boy. I can only imagine going from an orphanage to loving, doting parents.
Another relative adopted a toddler boy. The couple are a bit older and have the luxury of spending lots of time with the boy. I can only imagine going from an orphanage to loving, doting parents.
