This weekend Josh and I had the chance to visit Alabama to meet Alison, Caden's birthmother, and her family. To tell you the truth I was so nervous that I think I was making myself sick. What would they expect? Would Alison be disappointed she chose us? So many questions that faced us, but I was glad that through all of this and through out all to come my husband was and will be there.
We arrive on Friday night at about 10:30 to our hotel and decided to call Alison's social worker the next morning. Surprisingly, we both slept really well and woke up at about 7:00 am, sat in bed and just talked while we waited until 8:00 to call the social worker. When we called we decided to meet at 10 am at a restaurant called the "Cracker Barrel" (people we are in the south!). Josh and I arrived about 15 minutes early without a problem. We first met the social worker, who was nice and very positive about the whole experience. Then Alison arrived with her brother Johnson. Both of them looked so familiar to us, and we felt connected to Alison. Things though a little awkward at the beginning worked our PERFECTLY.
Alison, with an amazing determination, was able to get the birth father to sign the adoption papers that afternoon. We didn't have a chance to meet him, but did get to see him from a distance and for some reason it was really good for us to see him. After Alison's dedication of picking up his id and talking him through the things that needed to be signed in front of a notary, it was completed. Alison had sign them before and according to her and the social worker that was an experience of its own. A new judge, with zero experience with adoption papers struggled with the idea of having them sign, but at the end was wonderful and did sign them all.
Later Alison, Josh and I went to a park sat down and just talked. It was good to see her in person and to get to know her, not through IM or emails. We also went to the mall that had about 4 stores (okay I am exaggerating but it was a very small mall). Then went to her home which was absolutely beautiful, it was designed by her parents and the structure and color was like something from a magazine. Alison's mother made us dinner and invited the missionaries to join in the feast. After we all sat down and just talked for hours. Alison and her family are amazing people with a very strong Spirituality. At no point did we feel uncomfortable or unwelcome our love for Alison and her family grew at that moment.
We arrive on Friday night at about 10:30 to our hotel and decided to call Alison's social worker the next morning. Surprisingly, we both slept really well and woke up at about 7:00 am, sat in bed and just talked while we waited until 8:00 to call the social worker. When we called we decided to meet at 10 am at a restaurant called the "Cracker Barrel" (people we are in the south!). Josh and I arrived about 15 minutes early without a problem. We first met the social worker, who was nice and very positive about the whole experience. Then Alison arrived with her brother Johnson. Both of them looked so familiar to us, and we felt connected to Alison. Things though a little awkward at the beginning worked our PERFECTLY.
Alison, with an amazing determination, was able to get the birth father to sign the adoption papers that afternoon. We didn't have a chance to meet him, but did get to see him from a distance and for some reason it was really good for us to see him. After Alison's dedication of picking up his id and talking him through the things that needed to be signed in front of a notary, it was completed. Alison had sign them before and according to her and the social worker that was an experience of its own. A new judge, with zero experience with adoption papers struggled with the idea of having them sign, but at the end was wonderful and did sign them all.
Later Alison, Josh and I went to a park sat down and just talked. It was good to see her in person and to get to know her, not through IM or emails. We also went to the mall that had about 4 stores (okay I am exaggerating but it was a very small mall). Then went to her home which was absolutely beautiful, it was designed by her parents and the structure and color was like something from a magazine. Alison's mother made us dinner and invited the missionaries to join in the feast. After we all sat down and just talked for hours. Alison and her family are amazing people with a very strong Spirituality. At no point did we feel uncomfortable or unwelcome our love for Alison and her family grew at that moment.
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