Run for your lives!

Ha ha - just kidding about running for our lives, although not about my in-laws impending arrival. They will be here in a mere 9 days...soon to be 8...then 7...then 6...then before we know it they'll be here. With their coolers of food (they bring all their own food...sigh) and their golf clubs at the ready.

I really like my in-laws but of course, since they aren't "my" people, I'm not entirely comfortable the way I am with my "own" family. Perhaps that seems like a really stupid thing for an adoptive parent to say, but I'm not defining "own" and "my" by blood. My sisters' husbands, for example, I consider "my" people. One of my husband's uncles, also "my" people. Several of my close friends, "my" people. I think it's just the difference between people who get you and people who don't.

But despite the fact that they aren't "my" people I am PROFOUNDLY grateful for them. For 3 reasons: my husband, my older son, and my younger son. Without them there would be no husband of mine nor would there be my older son. And it was them and my husband's perception of their reluctance about adoption that lead us to Russia. He felt like they'd be more comfortable with an adopted grandchild who "looked like" them. (I actually think they would have loved any child we brought home, but that was the perception at the time). So we went to Russia (because Poland, which is the country of my husband's family's heritage, is more difficult to adopt from) and we got Little J.

Yay! He's the one for us and we're the ones for him. So people who aren't "my" people lead us to someone who definitely is one of "my" people.