Hi All,
Just a few days after the end of school, after a 9 hour
journey to Sandusky,Ohio, (we do love our road trips!) we were again amongst
our Kaz peeps. This time, it was for
Kazapalooza- the weekend for Kaz adopters.
We once again got to spend time with the friends who we met
in Astana and Karaganda adopting our kids and those we have gotten to know
virtually online. It was the first time
we’d seen Mike/Jen/Matthew since Astana five years ago when we were there
adopting Rinat. But we picked up right
where we left off again just as we do every year with all of our Kaz
friends. We greeted each other like
family being picked up from the airport and at the end of dinner on the first
night my cheeks were sore from smiling so much.
It was bliss.
And the whole weekend was more of the same. Just pure happiness to be there with these
people who we have come to know so well over the last few years. Rinat would wake up saying, “I’m so
excited! It’s Kazakhstan Day today!”
every morning and he would rush us along until we finally bumbled our way down
to breakfast where we kept our eyes out for families like ours.
I just love that all these people from across North America
with not a ton in common come and are best friends because while we may not
live in the same place, have the same interests, or live the same sorts of
lives, we all have this one overriding thing that we all share- the love of our
Kaz kids and the country they come from.
It trumps all of those differences.
And, I have to say, that I know people out there who are not interested
in keeping their children connected to where they are from and I just don’t get
it. But these KP peeps, well, we are a
whole different breed. We revel in
it. We roll around in the Kaz like pigs
in a mud puddle, soaking it up and enjoying the feeling of being literally covered in Kaz. We have the TShirts, the necklaces, the wristbands/earrings/hairbows/hats. I am surprised that no one thought to tattoo
themselves (oh wait- our friend Tony did!).
Everywhere we go, we see someone with the golden eagle and we know “they
are one of us” and we give that little knowing smile or nod to acknowledge each
other. We are proud of our adopted heritage and want our kids to be too.
Our two year old was so riled up all weekend that he could
hardly stand it. He just bounded from
one admirer to another, smiling and giving hugs to anyone who asked. Everyone falls in love with our little guy
the second they meet him- which is sort of standard- but there is just
something that fills my heart when I see him palling around with what I think
is an older version of him. I just love
to see him fit in so completely with his fellow Kaz-ites (OK, that’s not a
word, I know.).
And the world couldn’t get any better than Rinat’s voice
whispering in the dark over and over again to himself as he tried to go to
sleep, contented lilt in his sweet little five year old voice, “I love Kazakhstan, I love all my Kazakhstan
friends, I want to come to Kazapalooza every day, Ilovekazakhstan.ilovekazakhstan.ilovekazakhstan”
until his little brain finally gave out and his breath slowed for the first
time that day and he fell deep asleep.
The water park was an absolute blast and the kids went
bonkers for it. We spent all day on Thurs
outside with our friends from Karaganda, all day Friday inside, some more
inside on Sat before the luncheon, and then we left the hotel grounds and
headed off to check out one of the Great Lakes in the afternoon. We hopped a ferry to Put-In Bay with all our
Astana friends where there was Pirate Fest going on. My kids are both pirate obsessed.
We wandered a bit until the little ones started to get
hungry and we stopped at a seafood place on the water. The kids were contentedly playing and the
adults were enjoying a beverage and we all sort of stopped and looked around
and someone raised their glass to toast our clan and said “Did you ever think
five years ago that we would be sitting here together in the middle of Ohio
with the kids playing like they are all best friends?” Our friend Annette added that she hoped we
would all still be here 30 years from now doing the same thing and I completely
agree. These people are our family. Like our kids, we don’t share the same blood,
but we sure do share the love and we want our kids to share it for a
lifetime. They were each other’s family
before we even met them- and I think it is important for them to carry that
link with them throughout their lives.
And I hope with all of my heart that they do. I know I will do my best to support and
encourage it by any means necessary. And
Kazapalooza is the perfect vehicle. All
in all, it was a wonderful, exhausting, exhilarating and fantastic weekend and
we feel so fortunate to be a part of it.
Can’t wait for KP 2013.
See you guys in Texas…
Love to all, -m
And I just love my little backseat comedian. He makes the hours fly by. When he's not tired, hungry, dirty, wet, or bored that is.