This and That - Snow, "Adopted" and Calendar

If you hadn't heard by now, Atlanta got some snow on Thursday. (I know you northerners are laughing, but this is big news in the south.) Unfortunately, it ended up just being a dusting at my house. But, my parents that live 30 minutes from me got around an inch or maybe a little more. With super cold temps, their snow really isn't melting. Bri had a great time yesterday playing in their snow as you can see above. I have lots more snow pics to post, but I need to resize them. I'll post in a few days.

Moving on to another subject..."Adopted".

I finally watched it. I heard about the DVD months and months ago and planned on buying it. I finally did buy it and watched it over the weekend. It was VERY, VERY good - I recommend it to anyone and everyone contemplating international adoption. It brings up really tough subjects that make you think. I really liked the documentary, but I think I got way more out of the companion/training DVD. There were a few things in the series that surprised me, but overall, I think the DVD mainly solidified the things that I have already been thinking about or worrying about regarding Briana and her future. I waited for Briana for two years and she has been home with me for two years. In that time, I've tried to obtain lots of information - reading books, looking around the internet, reading blogs of both adoptive parents and transracial adoptees, watching documentaries. I have absorbed a lot over the years.

I do like to read/hear opinions and experiences from other people because they make me think. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I don't. Some people are brutally honest with their kids regarding adoption, some sugar coat a little. Some celebrate adoption, others tell you not to celebrate it at all. Some people use the word "gotcha", some think it is completely horrible. Some people say don't make your kid feel different about themselves, others say kids differences should be celebrated. Some people focus on the down sides of adoption, some rather look at the positives that come out of it. What we can conclude from all of this is that we live in a world with lots of different people with lots of different perspectives on the same subject. And a lot of the time, who really knows for sure who is right or who is wrong? I don't think there are any black and white answers to any of this - I wish there were. All I can do is process the information that I have learned and try to do what I believe is best for MY family.

'Nuff said on that.

On a lighter note, Briana's orphanage group puts out a calendar each year. I submitted two pictures of Briana for the 2010 calendar. There is a picture of her in the center of the calendar and she is in the month of October (shown below - top left).

Happy Monday everyone.