Grace's "Virtual" BFF- the power of adoption blogs

Did you know that sometimes a" BFF" can be someone you have never even met?

I have a few friends that I joke are my "virtual friends."  They are my "blog buddies."

The funny thing is, some of these "friends" know more about me and my feelings than my "real-life" friends do.  They have been with me throughout our entire adoption journey, and have experienced many of the same ups and downs that I have.

A bonus to having adoptive moms that are "virtual friends" is that they come with "virtual friends" for my little Grace.  I can show Grace photos of other families that look like hers.  I can explain to her that other little girls came to America and joined their families through adoption when they were two or three.

Here are a couple pictures- Grace and her "friend" Aregash.

Aren't they cute? (Her mom and I did a little shopping at Naartjie while we were in Atlanta...)

Here is a photo of me and my "virtual friend" Kendra.  

I am excited to say that we are no longer just "virtual friends," we are real friends.  

Kendra lives in South Dakota and I live in Wisconsin.  

As many adoptive mom/blogger people know, geography means nothing when it comes to getting to know someone who is on a similar path.  When Kendra and I "met" we were both starting our adoptions.  We were so excited to learn everything we could about Ethiopia and the process to bring our little girls home.  

There is something special about going through such a unique experience and knowing that someone else can relate to you.  

Kendra and I were lucky enough to spend some time together in March at the Created for Care retreat in Atlanta.  Funny that we had to fly across the country to meet.

It's pretty strange to meet a "friend" for the first time in a hotel lobby (although this lobby was beautiful and it was an amazing retreat).  

After walking through the beautiful grounds of Lake Lanier Lodge, Kendra and I were already trying to set up visits to each other's home states.  This summer we might actually get to introduce our little girls to each other!

  

I am so thankful for friends like Kendra and the many "blog buddies" that I have "met" over the past two and a half years.  Three years ago I was reading other people's blogs and trying to figure out if we could actually adopt.  Blogs were so valuable to me. 

I hope that our blog can, at times, provide future adoptive families with some inspiration, information, or insight into what a blessing adoption can be.

Thank you to all of my "virtual friends..."  - you know who you are! ;)