"do I know you from somewhere?"

While we were waiting to bring our little one home, we often read about him on the New Day Foster Home blog. (fyi:  if you visit the site, you are probably gonna fall in love with one of the darlings there and want to get involved ~ consider yourself warned...)  A recurring theme we saw in those treasured posts and reports?

How he seemed to adore his foster sister.  The more we read, the more it made us sad to think of separating them.

Then we saw their mutual adoration in person last summer.

And while of course we were thrilled "the peanut" was joining our family, my heart was so burdened for this little sibling duo who would soon lose touch.

But as He often does, God provided a little sweetness in this story, and Khloe's mother and I found one another via the online international adoptive community.  While their family lives several states from ours, wouldn't you know they "just happen" to vacation yearly on the NC coast?  Just a day trip away from our house?

Wendy and I have touched base occasionally throughout the year since our kiddos have been apart, and earlier in July, she let me know that their week at the beach was on the horizon.  And even better than that, their family invited ours to come down and crash a day of their vacation.

It was an awesome day!  When we first arrived introductions were made, both of the handshake and hug variety) and we shared a sandwich lunch together.  Very quickly family barriers were broken and the band of 12 kids (yes TWELVE) were entertaining one another and playing together as if they'd known each other for years.

When the chorus of voices requesting to go down to the ocean reached a crescendo, we parents created strategy to keep up with all of the littles on the crowded beach and headed down to the sand and surf.  It was fun to watch kids from both families start to create a castle together.

 And maybe not so fun to try to get them all to pose.

missing the R family's teenage son ~ can't blame him for bailing on the chaos for a bit...

But the point of the day was seeing this little face again (and meeting her entire forever family)!

i can hardly get over how much khloe's hair has grown out!

The question we were asked many times ~ "Do you think they will/did they recognize each other?"

Well, not so much.  There was no instant recognition.

But for me, and I think for Wendy too, the rendezvous was mostly about keeping these two in touch.  After all, they've still lived under the same roof together longer than they've lived with either of our families.  While they may not remember it, they have history.  For both of our families, that history is worth preserving!

So they may not have rejoiced at being together again.  However...

Just seeing them side by side again made my heart smile.

And a few times they seemed to take a second glance ~ almost as if the other looked familiar...as if they were asking, "do I know you from somewhere?"

Those glances made all the time in the car TOTALLY worth it.  Besides, it was a blessing to spend time with the R family.  Though they may have double the number of kids, we were amazed at how many parts of our life stories were similar.  I think that if they lived closer than ten hours away our families would spend a lot of time together.

all 12, exhausted after sun, sand and surf ~ but happy!

 We're already looking forward to next year!