Miracles... Big and Small

So Friday was all about miracles... both big and small.  I'll go with the big miracle first:

Trent and Kate started swim team practice on Thursday of this past week at Piper Glen Country Club.  Since practice is only 45 minutes every day, I am tagging along with a good book and an iced tea to sit in the shade and enjoy the spring air.  So, we get there Thursday and because we are new to the swim team, I started chatting with some of the moms and dads, about nothing in particular, when a dad asks me what I have in my lap that I am reading.  Well, I was in the middle of a book called "I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black Children in a Race Conscious World" so I tell him the title.  He responds with 'Hmm, a little light reading huh?"  Of course, we get to talking about why, I who am clearly not the mother of black children presently, am reading this particular book and I tell him about our adoption... end of story.

But then Friday, we're back at the club for practice and the same guy comes over and says ,"Heidi, you're not going to believe this.  Last night I was here for dinner and was introduced to a woman that i hadn't met here before.  She had an interesting ethnic look and so I asked her where she as from and she told me- Ethiopia!  So, I told her that I had just met you and if I ever saw the two of you in the same place, I would introduce you."...  and as he's telling me this, guess who walks into swim practice?  Yep, the very lady he met the night before!  She had her back to me and when he began to introduce us and she turned around, I realized it was a woman that I have spoken with several times on the phone about playing tennis (but, with my crazy schedule, just hadn't worked out).  So, of course, we talked the whole time during swim practice about Ethiopia and she was so delightful.  I am over-the-moon excited about knowing she is from Ethiopia and she is just as excited to share her culture with me!  She is going to have me over to learn how to cook Injera (Ethiopian bread) and a few traditional dishes, and she even invited our family over for dinner, Ethiopia style!!  How cool is that?!   Her name is Ami and her whole family is Ethiopian and other than her husband and daughter, all of their family still lives in Ethiopia.  She offered to give us her family's names when we travel, which just was so beyond sweet.  She was so genuine and generous with her enthusiasm and encouragement to me.  As we said goodbye, I told her that meeting her was a gift from God and I look forward to learning more from her.  (And... her daughter is 12, which means that we have another babysitter in the making, which is always a plus!)
And the kicker is - She is also adopting from Ethiopia!  They are going to pick up their 13 year old daughter in the next few months - I'll post Ami's story a different day because it deserves a post of its own.

Next: Small miracle - the miracle itself is not a small one but it comes in a very small package.  In fact, a 9 month old package called Baby Grace.  A family on my son's baseball team has also been in the process of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia and last week they brought sweet baby Grace home.  After I finished my conversation with Ami, the kids and I hopped in the car and I was just telling the kids how cool it was that God had answered my prayer for an Ethiopian connection so quickly and effortlessly, we headed to Trent's baseball game.  And as I prop up my chair to sit and watch, our new friends, the Garrett's, arrive with Grace.  I, of course, began tearing up even as they got out of their car.  It was so special to see Grace with her new forever family.  She is cute as a button and all smiles.  She is a doll baby and I was struck with how seeing her made this adoption process go from a "paper pregnancy" to a living, breathing miracle.