Forever Changed...

     First I'd like to start by saying that I have never blogged before.  Heck, I never even kept a diary and I was positively awful at my journaling assignments in school.  Hopefully I'll turn over a new leaf with this endeavor.

     About a year ago I watched a documentary  called "Bulgaria's Abandoned Children".  My heart was forever broken and my life forever changed.  I absolutely could not believe the things I saw! I was in a state of disbelief! Did people know about these children? How could this be allowed to happen in our modern age?  But what could I do?

     The most haunting part of the documentary for me was at the very end. It was an interview with a man in a mental institution.  He had spent his entire life in orphanages. There was no fairytale happy ending for him,  just lots of flimsy wire fences and ramshackle outbuildings. Sadly this is the last stop for many special needs orphans. He talked about the fact that the thing he wished he had most of all was a mother.  "I want a mother. I don't want anything else."

     The childlike outcry of this grown man shattered my world.  I remembered my own lonely childhood and hoping beyond hope that my parents would want me. That they might change their minds and realize the error of their ways. The longing that I even now feel at times to have that family photo with parents that look just like me. For me to be that puzzle piece missing that makes the picture complete,  not just the tattered bent up piece that might not even belong in the box.

     I argued with myself. I made all of the excuses but in the end I knew that I couldn't forget that man and his life long dream of a family.  It echoed too deep in my own heart to ignore. I researched international adoption with my husband.  I found a website called Reece's Rainbow. I received an e-mail about waiting children in Bulgaria.  It was there that we found our boys.

     I hope to update our journey to them here and maybe include a little bit of my back story as well.  Currently we have USCIS approval and are waiting for trip one.  We hit a little snafu today which I will blog about later when I have the energy.

Look out world, we are Bulgaria Bound!

     We have set up a fundraising page on Reece's Rainbow to help defray the travel expenses to our boys.  If you feel inclined you could donate. I'd certainly appreciate it. After all, it takes a village! Thanks for taking the time to visit our little piece of cyber space.