I'm Off

“my bags are packed and I’m ready to go, I’m standing here.....”

I think I’m ready.... My stuff is printed, my information is transferred to my laptop, arrangements are made for my children (Bart is speaking at an FAS event this week, so there are a couple days when we have others taking care of some kids), my new clothes that make me look like something other than I am (a frumpy, dumpy barefoot and fat housewife) are in the suitcase, and my heart and mind are ready for the challenge ahead.

My week will go something like this:

Leave at 8:30 a.m. Monday. Fly to Denver. 3.5 hour layover where I get to have lunch with my best friend (who I have known since age 13) who happens to be a guy... we went to youth camp together, then to college together, and then worked together at that same college. I called him my “pseudo husband” because the whole time I worked there we had lots of friends who were married and the two of us hung out with them together. Then Fly to Portland where I will most likely wait in the airport for my boss to arrive and we’ll head to the hotel. We’ll meet briefly and then I’ll crash.

On Tuesday we’ll awaken early, grab something to eat, and then I’ll be speaking in Vancouver from 9-4. My morning consists of telling our family story complete with powerpoint and pictures and then talking about large adoptive families . Then we’ll break for lunch and in the afternoon I will discuss the Myths of Matching where I passionately plea for workers to not give up on finding homes for kids, especially the older ones, and teaching them some ways to do it.

Then on Tuesday night we’ll head to Bellevue, stopping to eat probably and crash. The next day is the same routine all day in Bellevue, and then we drive to Yakima for the night. Thursday I do the same all day thing in Pasco and then we’ll drive back to Portland. I fly back at 5:30 a.m. on Friday, getting me in at 2, when I face the kids alone until Saturday night (and I will be exhausted).

But, if ONE kid who otherwise would have aged out gets adopted instead, the whole trip will have been worth it.

I’ll try to blog a little, but don’t expect a lot. It will be a busy week.