Meeting friends.

This vacation was all about meeting friends, some old and dear ones, but also quite a few new ones. Friends we met through blogging or via FB connected most of the times because we are all parents to adoptive Thai children. How fun it was so see so many friends I have been writing to and following their blogs or journey towards a waiting child, and then finally meeting them in real life is surreal and so much fun!

Jennifer and Jason we met while we were in NC, I wrote on FB that we were there and then she responded: We are there as well, let's meet. So we did one night and it was so much fun! Hope our paths will cross again. They already have a handsome little boy age 3 and are now waiting for a precious Thai little girl, soon to be picked up from Thailand! Good Luck guys, we wish you all the best and hopefully your little girl is home before Xmas!!



Then after a week on the beach on the Outer Banks we headed to NYC for 4 days. We are meeting even more blogging and FB friends. Jenn and Ruby we already met in Delaware, they stayed with us for a few days and we spent some lovely days and evenings drinking bubbles and chatting away. This was not the first time I met Jenn, 2 years ago we also saw her in the City but then Ruby was not home yet. This year we saw Ruby for the first time and we instantly fell in love with this sweet little girl!! She stole JJ and Jezz's hearts!

And we saw Wendy, Lily and Becky again, well for Becky it was the first time, but Wendy and Lily we met in 2005 and it was so good to see them again. We stayed in touch all this time, and I feel we quite know each other. Are very comfortable talking online with each other and now seeing each other again, is like meeting a good old friend, so fun!!

Since we all 3 came from different directions we planned to meet at Central Park at the Balto statue. While we were waiting we took a picture with Balto.



By the way, this statue has an interesting story... read here.

In January 1925, Alaskan doctors feared a deadly diphtheria epidemic would spread among the children of Nome. Medicine to stop the outbreak existed, but doctors needed to travel nearly a thousand miles to Anchorage to retrieve it. With no trains running that far north and the only available airplane sidelined by a frozen engine, the best chance of transporting the medicine across the icy tundra was by sled dog.

More than 20 sled teams coordinated to make the trip through blinding snow and sub-zero temperatures. On the first of February, the package was handed off to the final team. Lead by Balto, the team covered 53 treacherous miles back to Nome in 20 hours. Newspapers and radio around the world followed the trek, fascinated by the brave team whose efforts eventually helped end the epidemic.

Balto became a national hero. Just 10 months after the successful mission, this statue by animal sculptor Frederick G. R. Roth was dedicated in Central Park. The sculpture depicts Balto surveying the distance, hind legs braced and a sled harness hanging from his back.

Balto spent many happy years in the Cleveland Zoo, but his statue remains a favorite for children and adults here in Central Park.

Then Wendy, Lily and Becky arrived and we took some pictures of our Thai princesses, dressed in white... :-) Aren't these girls just the loveliest?









Then we headed off to Alice's Tea Cup for some magical times at a cute little tea shop. Time to see Jenn & Ruby and drink some tea and eat some scones. We had a lovely time!!





Here are we all, from L to R: Jenn, me, Wendy, Becky and front row: Jasmine, Lily, Ruby & Juliet




I so loved meeting all my wonderful friends!! So good to see you all again, I treasure these meetings and friendship!!
Hope for sure that we will see each other again, come and visit me now in South Africa!!
Love, M xx