My eight sisters I never knew I had

The past couple of months have been really tough for me. The yucky weather, lack of sunshine, bad news on friends health, the pet food recall that our babies were eating, struggles with my weight, Sonny working lots of extra hours, and the lack of news and referrals from China. Add these all up together and it's just plain ugly. So what's a girl to do to get back on track? Shop? Well, yes - you must have retail therapy - but that only works for a little while. Then you start worrying about the credit card bills on top of everything else and it just gets uglier.

But, there is a huge bright sparkly light at the end of this dark tunnel that I have gotten myself into. Back in January some of the girls in my Great Wall yahoo group decided to get together. First there were 8 of us, then 10, then 12, then 13 and finally 9 brave souls decided we needed a girls weekend. After all we were all going to be spending 2 weeks in China together so why not have a starter trip. So we were all to meet at Lynn's house in Texas. But wait -- this wasn't your typical girls weekend - remember none of us had every meet. We had to email each other pictures of what we looked like so that we could meet up in airports across the country. I know -- kind of weird sounding. But, really it wasn't. The 9 of us have been chit-chatting since last June. Ever since we all got on the China Adoption roller coaster that has decided we need an extra 100 or so loops around the amusement park before it will let us off. (that translates to we are still waiting and waiting and waiting for our referrals).

I meet up with Susan at my local airport. It was sisterhood at first sight. There was huge smiles and lots of hugs - then off to find some food and drinks before our flight to Texas. Just like we were long lost college friends who hadn't seem each other in years - but knew each other since childhood. We talked to entire flight while 200 Navy boys and girls napped around us. (another story for another time). We felt oh so safe and oh so old with the boys and girls.

Patti picked us up at the airport and it was lots more hugs and laughs. Off to Lynn's. When we got there Cynthia, Pam and Michele had already arrived. Again, more hugs and more laughs - just like old times - the old times that never were. Michele and I ended up being bunk mates. Or should I say the giggle sisters. We headed to bed about 2am and somewhere around 4am a train could be heard in the distance - for some reason the giggling started again. I think we were somehow 13 years old again - it felt really good to laugh or should I say giggle again. I can't remember the last time I giggled like a kid - something I need to do lots more of. Being with my sisters brought back all our childhood memories - memories that never happened between us.

More to come - stay tuned.