Toddler Party of 8...

Toukoul Babies Unite!
The first ever playdate with hopes of many more to come. Anyone who would like to join us is welcome. Future dates to be announced.

Thankful...so very thankful!!!

I have a beautiful story to share. Several months ago on a Saturday afternoon, our family was having lunch at our favorite steak place. Just before we were leaving, we noticed another family (a mom and baby daughter) a few tables away. Feeling pretty sure that the baby was Ethiopian, we stopped by and said hello and commented on how precious this little one was. We exchanged greetings, briefly talked about our adoptions and confirmed with each other that our babies were indeed Ethiopian...but not only that, we also were thrilled at the fact that all three (hers and mine) were from the same orphanage! Imagine that! All three babies were within a few months of each other and had probably been together at the same time in their homeland.

We left feeling wonderful to have spoken to each other and that was that. Fast forward a few months and my dear friend, Tania, (who also brought her little toddler home from ET last December) mentioned her friend Kathrine and daughter Allegra. We put two and two together and realized this was the same mother/daughter we had met at the steak restaurant! Small world!!! Tania and Kathrine had met because they used the same agency, were single moms and had so much in common...an instant friendship developed.

Recently, several of us "Toukoul Orphanage" adoptive parents and our children met in Portland for lunch and to get all of our babies together. Eight babies all together under the age of 2!! That was an active place!!! The staff at the restaurant were gracious and we all had a wonderful time visiting and trading toddler stories. Even though we had only met once before, I was thrilled that Kathrine and Allegra came with Tania and Sabah, too.

Now for the REALLY, REALLY, REALLY cool part...Kathrine has a picture of Allegra, Azazu (a care-giver at the orphanage) and a mystery child when she was in Ethiopia bringing home Allegra. She inquired about this other little girl and wondered if she was going to be adopted. Azazu reassured Kathrine that this little girl did and would soon be going home with her new family.
After meeting us all again the second time, Kathrine was sure this mystery baby was Ruby. I got the picture in an email and without a doubt, this is my little girl! We actually have a referral picture of Ruby in the same dress she is wearing in the picture, too. No doubt.
It really shows what a very, very small world we live in! Here these two babies shared a room, cribs next to each other for several months and then coming home forever to the Pacific NW...literally to grow up just a few miles from each other. Gives me tingly chills just thinking about it.

I will now end with a quote that really makes me think about what else I can be doing in this world...

"Sometimes I’d like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world when He could do something about it...... But I’m afraid God might ask me the same question."

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone...I hope it is a truly blessed day for you all.