Homestudy Count Down and Other Stuff...

Several of my friends told me not to go overboard cleaning my house before our homestudy. I am pretty much a clean freak. I don't like clutter or a dirty house. So it was a guarantee that I would clean like crazy before our homestudy. John and I had a date Saturday morning with the Clorox wipes, toilet cleaner and mop in preparation for our homestudy on Wednesday. I'll admit I didn't clean every nook and cranny but the house looks good. I'm impressed that John and I kept it fairly clean this weekend. I will probably have to dust and sweep the floor one more time before Wednesday. Hardwood floors get dirty fast and those little dust bunnies drive me crazy.
Anyway...after spending Saturday morning cleaning, John and I went to the Thunder basketball game with our friends Matt and Sarah. Sunday night we had another adoption couple over for dinner. We had a BLAST hanging out with these friends this weekend! I was reminded numerous times just how thankful I am for the friends we have made along this adoption journey.
These friendships are another perk to "having a baby" through adoption. We have met the most wonderful people and formed some of the most meaningful friendships. It's so nice to have a group of friends that totally "get" what you are going through, who are just as excited about adoption and Ethiopia and caring for orphans as you are. These are the friends that you can turn to at any moment when you need prayer, when you are stressed about your FBI fingerprints or when you just need to talk about the ache in your heart to be a mommy.
These friends have been an answer to prayer. For several years John and I were in a weird place when it came to friends - everyone had kiddos and we were kind of left in our own little childless world.
It's amazing how it can sometimes take friendships years to become deep and intimate. Even though you have known someone for years, you can't always be yourself or you try to pretend you're someone you aren't. It's not that way with these guys. We are real! We don't mind being vulnerable or blurting out exactly what's on our hearts. These friendships are like a breath of fresh air.
Last night we were talking with our friends Sommer and Neil about the hard road of infertility and adoption. We have faced a lot of challenges and heartache but we all agreed that we would do it all over again for the joy that has come from the heartache. New friendships have been one of the greatest joys. I know that these friends will walk this journey with us until we bring our baby home. We will party when we get our referrals, go on shopping sprees to load up on all things baby and meet each other at the airport to welcome our little ones homes They are forever friends. We will raise our babies together, have playgroups and always share the special bond of adoption, Ethiopia and our faith.