Reunited

   Ahh... my trip to Paris. What can I possibly say that would describe my time over seas? Amazing doesn't even touch it. So lets back up to the preparation. Now when someone says "hey, come visit us in Paris" you think "yeah, great idea. I'll just hop on my flying pig and head over" at least that is what I thought. There is no way in hell that I ever imagined that I would go to Paris!! I felt that way the whole trip there until I stepped out of the plane and the "oh shit! We are in Paris" hit. Anxious and excited does not even describe what I was feeling up to that point. I was so excited to see my surro family but so scared of the flight and going to another country where I didn't speak the language or have any idea how to navigate. I get so lost I knew for sure that I would be lost in a foreign country! I seriously was asking myself all the way to the airport " how pissed would they be if I can't get on the plane?". It was hard to leave my kids too. I cried, not going to lie. Even though they are older it was still hard to leave and know that if something went wrong I was not going to be able to be right there to help them.
   Once I got to the airport I was even more nervous. Me, a plain Jane redneck from small town Cottonwood, California was going to get on a plane and fly FOREVER to another country! Oh and then there is my mother, I love her dearly but when she gets nervous she asks a ton of questions. Which way do we go? Is this the right terminal? What if they lose our luggage? Where can we get a drink? Seriously? Like I know!! I had never been to the San Francisco airport, I HAVE NO IDEA!! Add to that anxiety that if you remember from LONG ago that I have some issues with my sinuses that can cause EXTREME pain during the decent. I thought it would be a good idea to visit my ENT and get a plan to prevent this. As it turns out my sinuses are not in very good shape so I was put on a super aggressive steroid protocol to try to prevent the pain. SO, I was super nervous that I would have pain during the landing in addition to all of my other anxieties about traveling. Even the Madori Sours from the airport bar could not calm my nerves. The only thing that got my ass on that plane was the thought of seeing my French boys again..... It had been a YEAR and I have missed them so much!
   I'm not going to lie, the flight sucked! We were squeezed into tiny seats and it was FREEZING!! There was one kid next to us screaming and another puking. Our flight left SFO at 9 pm and got to Paris at 4:45 pm THE NEXT DAY!! All of the friends that have gone on long flights have said to sleep on the plane. It was a nice thought, but it didn't really happen. Even with melatonin all I could manage was a few minutes here and there.
  Once we arrived in Paris it  really hit us just how much planning was done on our behalf, we are forever grateful for D's obsessive planning!! A care was there to meet us at the airport and D&G were at our apartment (that they arranged for) waiting when we got there! They had a full itinerary planned for us. Seriously, they thought of EVERYTHING! They helped us get settled and then we got to walk the short walk to their place to see Isaac.
   He is so adorable! Pictures just don't do him justice. His personality is priceless. He smiles all of the time! By the second day I even managed to get a hug and kiss from him. ( I may have bribed him with my phone)

 Just look at him!! He is just such a gorgeous baby! And of course we had to bring him a birthday present! He is also very talented, see, he loves to play the piano. But when he does he plays a little bit and then stops to make sure that everyone is watching him, then you MUST clap and cheer!

  I have to admit that I was a little worried that it would be awkward being with my surro family again after a year apart, it was not! From the first day it was as if we had never been apart. We laughed and visited and drank wine. Lots and lots of wine, which I normally do not like but as it turns out the French are blessed with very good wine!! They took such good care of us and showed us around and how to navigate. But beyond all of the sights and experiences of being in Paris, I got to witness my favorite thing.... The RELATIONSHIP! I got to see first hand how loved and adored Isaac is, not only by his daddies, but by his amazing nanny, their friends and everyone who comes in contact with him. This was so rewarding. To be welcomed into their home and given free access to see Isaac whenever we wanted was such a gift. We spent almost every evening together doting on Isaac until he went to bed and then visiting and catching up until late in the evening, it was so nice.
  The experience of Paris was amazing. The sights, the people, the food.... all of it. I was so nervous about the food. I am so picky I really thought I would starve or only eat bread but everything I tried was good! And navigating was not as hard as I expected. After just a day or two, with the help of maps, my mom and I were able to navigate the part of town we were in on foot AND take the metro, even changing trains, to get to where we wanted to go. Language was not an issue either since just about everyone spoke English. The buildings are absolutely breath taking, they are so old and so beautiful. And the weather was perfect, sunny and warm. So much so that we both got sun burns!
  It was the trip of a lifetime. And while I enjoyed the sights and the experience of being in Paris, what I really took away was the knowledge that I carried a sweet little boy for two of the most loving and generous people I have been blessed to know. That baby will never want for anything or ever doubt that he is loved. I know that our connection is not one in the form of an agency arranged business arrangement but one of the heart.

This is my favorite picture because there is no divide. Someone looking at it cannot tell where one family ends and the other begins. I was lucky enough to get to choose these special people and help them become parents, and I can only thank God for leading me to them and for the relationship that we continue to have.
   Coming home was hard. I missed my family like crazy, but Paris was just so unbelievable. I think I may have scared their poor nanny because as hard as I tried, when it came time to say good bye I cried. I just couldn't stop! It was so emotional to witness their love, and I know I will miss them all so much until we see each other again. No, I did not want to take the baby and run ( well, not long term. I would totally babysit!) I wanted to take them ALL with me!
   Besides the wonderful time we had with D&G and Isaac we got to experience a new culture where you sleep in and socialize until late at night ( when it is still light at 10:30 pm). We got to see Gay Pride in Paris ( we were together in San Francisco last year for it), we got to see art from famous artists and so much more. I will never forget this trip! I am so grateful to D&G for everything that they did to bring us to Paris and to make sure that we had a great experience but most of all for allowing me the opportunity to continue to be a part of their lives.

Some of the Parisian beauty..

Until next time......