Friday, July 17, 2009

Adoption minus 5 days

On Wednesday, the adoption should be final. Ashley, Christopher and I are so very happy. We kinda just want to get this over, pay the lawyer bill off and move on. I will admit, it will be hard financially to lose the child support money, but the benefits are so much greater.

I simply cannot imagine being 13, the age when everything is stupid and nobody really gets you, to feel so loved and wanted. I think she realizes that Christopher loves her more than anything else in the world and will do anything for her. On some level she knows that I feel the same way, but she is watching him actively taking legal steps to tell the whole world that he wants to be her daddy. This analogy will crumble if really thought about to hard, but it is almost like a marriage in some ways. A public, legal show of love and commitment.
I am just so happy, blessed, lucky, etc. to have such a wonderful man and child in my life.

Ashley camped last night at Governor Dodge State Park. Shortly after I pick her up today, her Aunt (my ex-husband's sister) will be picking her up for the weekend. I think that the timing on this visit with his side of the family is well timed. With the adoption so close, I hope that it shows Ashley and that part of her family that even though ties are being cut with my ex, Christopher and I will always encourage her to maintain a relationship with the rest of them.

Back to Ashley's week...The day camp kids went rock climbing at Devil's Lake state park. They call it "free style" climbing. The kids were harnessed and had an adult belay, but they were climbing up a natural rock cliff with no grips or marked route. She loved it. They will be going again next week. Ashley has always been a climber. She still climbs trees whenever she gets a chance and has loved indoor rock climbing since she was about three years old. This outdoor climbing experience was great for her, she can't stop talking about it. Maybe she has found her sport. She has never really found a sport to love before this. We have exposed her to ballet, karate, basketball, volleyball, soccer, canoeing, kayaking, biking, swimming, running & tennis. Tennis was the only one that she really enjoyed. She took lessons for six years, but never really felt any strong connection to it. Lets hope this climbing thing sticks, or if not, that she finds some sort of active hobby that she will enjoy.

So there you go. That's what is on my mind today.

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