ONE YEAR

Today marks one year since Max became our legally adopted son. On this day (Friday 22 July 2011) one year ago we were picked up by our Facilitator who had the signed court papers and a new birth certificate that showed that Max was now  Benjamin Maxim Burger. The first thing we had to do was go by the bank and close out the account that was in Max's name. The next stop was at the orphanage, where we met with the Director and donated the money that we had just received from Max's closed account. Next we went to get Max, and put him in cloths that we had brought especially for this day. This was the first time he had ever worn cloths that were his only and not communal. We left the orphanage to never return on this trip. The next 4 hrs were long and hard. We had to have Max's picture taken (not an easy task) for his passport, complete the paperwork for it and sign more papers. At the end of the day we were given a package of papers that had to be copied and the copies were to be filed with the local government office.

Now to that evening. Max was in a whirlwind, he had been taken from the only life he had ever known (the orphanage) and was with people he that he had seen twice a day, (everyday) for the last 5 weeks and in a strange place (the apartment we were renting). Needless to say that none of us got very much sleep that night.

This blog will be continued next week, when we do a year in review from the day we got home until one year later.