Thalia's "birthday"

I have made no secret about the irritation and sadness I felt over the fact that our former agency sat on our dossier for two months before getting it logged in.  Completing our adoption in November would have meant Thalia would have been home for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, and for her 8th birthday in January.  Most importantly to me, she would have met my mom.  It's hard for me to think about how close we came.  I know that my mom can see Thalia and knows her, but I would love to have had some pictures of the two of them and to know that they'd seen each other and laughed and hugged together.  It makes me so sad that this opportunity didn't come.  I'm trying to be forgiving and not let anger fester in my heart, but it hurts, hurts, hurts.

I can't do anything about that, or Christmas or Thanksgiving, but I decided that by golly, we were going to celebrate her birthday.  I wasn't going to let that be stolen from us.  It was simply postponed by 8 weeks.  :o)  I give you - the birthday photos!