Adoption Database Luncheon

Jazz Kitchen, Downtown Disney, Anaheim, California 2006

 
Friday, October 13, 2006 - Airport Arrival
Met @ airport by 3 lovely ladies & a sign w/my name on it.
 Cristi, Susan, Nancy, & JoAnne!!! (photo from: Susan Werth)

Waiting on the baggage claim - Nancy, Susan, & Cristi pulling out cameras, but JoAnne beat everyone to the punch!.  (photo from: Susan Werth)

 
 Cristi, Susan, Nancy, & JoAnne!!! (photo from: JoAnne)  
Friday, October 13, 2006 - Disneyland Venture

Opening of the actual park - all Halloween themed (photo from: Susan Werth)

Closer look to see the mini-pumpkin & gourds w/flower (photo from: Susan Werth)

Closer look to see the beautiful flowers (photo from: JoAnne)

Closer look to see the mini-pumpkin & gourds w/flower (photo from: JoAnne)

Opening of the actual park - all Halloween themed (photo from: JoAnne)

Opening of the actual park - Susan & Nancy cannot wait to get inside! (photo from: JoAnne)

inside the park - first full view of the charming streets (photo from: Susan Werth)

Nancy, JoAnne, & Susan @ Disney Square (photo from: Susan Werth)
inside the park - first full view of the charming streets (photo from: JoAnne) inside the park - first full view of the charming streets (photo from: JoAnne)
Meet up w/Donald 1st :) (photo from: Susan Werth) Donald & the Ragtime Minstrels (photo from: JoAnne)
Donald & the Ragtime Minstrels (photo from: JoAnne) (photo from: JoAnne)

Amazed @ the attractions - How do they do that??? (photo from: Susan Werth)

1st Ride - Star Wars - CP3O was our greeter! (photo from: Susan Werth)

It's a Small World - (the only thing I remember from my only visit to DL when I was 4 yrs old) (photo from: Susan Werth)

(photo from: Susan Werth)

Entry of Haunted Mansion - Jack of Nightmare Before Christmas (photo from: Susan Werth)

(photo from: Susan Werth)
1st view of the Mansion!!!  OMG - so cool! (photo from: Susan Werth) Nancy explaining how they themed the normal ride for the upcoming holiday season (photo from: JoAnne)
Front view - wow! (photo from: Susan Werth) Carriage Hearse outside the entry (photo from: Susan Werth)
Carriage Hearse outside the entry (photo from: JoAnne)

Side view of Mansion - all the wrought iron trim is amazing!  So New Orleans! (photo from: Susan Werth)

(photo from: Susan Werth) (photo from: Susan Werth)
Still in the New Orlean's Area @ a smoker's pier - lol (photo from: Susan Werth) (photo from: JoAnne)
Saturday, October 14, 2006 - Adoption Database Luncheon @ Jazz Kitchen
The Jazz Kitchen, Downtown Disney, CA (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) The Courtyard Fountain (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

Saturday @ Jazz Kitchen:  Just got in & checked in to my seat & looked back.  Looking at the entry way.  Connie seated checking in Adoptee Lora (JoAnne's find) and her 2 birth parents (Dad from Canada & Mom from states).  Mom flew to Lora, they both flew to Dad, & all flew to CA.  40 some odd years later, both Mom & Dad are single & have kinda stated a relationship to Lora's happiness.  After the luncheon, they took their "little girl" to Disney Build-A-Bear to buy her the first teddy bear from them together & then planned to go to Disneyland the rest of the day as a family!  (I bawled!!!!!!!!!)  Notice Sherrill & Nancy snapping shots of entrances to the left.  :) (photo from: Susan Werth)

 Sherril & Susan picking out a place to sit.  (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) Lora's blended family @ table - how cute? (photo from: Susan Werth)
(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
Lora's smile says it all! (photo from: Susan Werth)

JoAnne beginning what would be the most exciting - Joe's 1st F2F w/his birth father.... (photo from: Susan Werth)

Joe standing taller w/adopted family.  All of them.  His brother (also a reuntied adoptee by JoAnne) picked his b/father up from the Airport coming in from San Antonio, TX.  They are just outside Dowtown Disney at this point & everyone is getting very excited! (photo from: Susan Werth)

JoAnne BEAMING w/excitement! (photo from: Susan Werth)
(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

Phone call - they are in the park!!!  Joe w/adoptive parents at entry to see them walk in!  Drum Roll Please! (photo from: Susan Werth)

As Donna & Kathy (her sister-in-law check in), Joe's brother & birth father walk up! (photo from: Susan Werth) A picture says it all - Father & Son's first hug!! Oscar & Joe finally together! (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

Joe introduces the entire blended family to birth father - tears all around! (photo from: Susan Werth)

Oscar & Joe (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

Joe & Oscar posing for a slue of cameras (you can see Cristi & me in the mirror - but there were a line of us all trying to get a good pic!) (photo from: Susan Werth)

Oscar & Joe (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

Joe's brother & adoptive parents in tears of excitement!  They have a full family gathering planned later that evening that will end up lasting through the night & his birth father will fly out mid afternoon Sunday. (photo from: Susan Werth)

(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

As you can see, we are not in a room but the main courtyard entry where EVERYONE walking by or into the Jazz Kitchen can see us.  Cameras are going off everywhere as each celebrity AD Member enters - Cristi & Nancy are going 2 directions at once! (photo from: Susan Werth)
 

 

Dan & Delayn (photo from: Susan Werth)

Connie & husband (Chuck) at the sign in table (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

Connie & husband (Chuck) at the sign in table with the beautiful Yellow Roses Grace sent from Florida - how wonderful of Grace! (photo from: Susan Werth)

Donna, JoAnne, Lora, & Cristi!!!! (photo from: Susan Werth) Donna, Susan, JoAnne, Nancy, & Lora!!! (photo from: Susan Werth)

(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
Susan, JoAnne, Dan (Chosen Babies, http://www.chosen-babies.com/), & Nancy!!! (photo from: Susan Werth) Joe, Delayn, Kati, Susan, JoAnne, Dan, & Nancy... -- just kept getting bigger & bigger!!!! (photo from: Susan Werth)
Enter Ramona, Israel, & Joshua straight from meeting her birth mother & sister! (photo from: Susan Werth)

(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

 
Israel & Joshua get settled in as Ramona is showing pics of her Mom to all of us!!!! (photo from: Susan Werth)  

Selling out the raffle tickets, Connie prepares to do the drawing.  (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

Connie made an Angel shirt & raffled it off raising money for the AD - Lora won! (photo from: Susan Werth)

Cristi kept catching me in all sorts of poses w/o my knowledge - so I got her!  lol (photo from: Susan Werth)

Donna & Kathy (her sister-in-law, her main support in her search) (photo from: Susan Werth)

Ramona & Susan - our first chance to talk & cry!  So Happy! (photo from: Susan Werth)

(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
Oh yes - & hug!!! (photo from: Susan Werth)

(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

Connie made a wonderful plaque that was on the greeting registration table - she presented this to JoAnne (photo from: Susan Werth)

Nancy & Mike Moore - such wonderful people to open their home to me! (photo from: Susan Werth)

Lora & her happy family leaving to go build her a teddy bear! (photo from: Susan Werth)

Wrapping up & saying tearful good-byes.  (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)

The beautiful shirt Connie made & presented JoAnne (photo from: JoAnne)

The Guest Book & Pen Set for the 1st Official AD Luncheon from Connie (photo from: JoAnne)

The Plaque of honor marking the 1st Official AD Luncheon made & presented to JoAnne by Connie (photo from: JoAnne)

 

Saturday, October 14, 2006 - Karaoke Send Off
Nancy's husband Mike singing! (photo from: Susan Werth)

OK - Nancy & Sherrill (both on AD) are sister inlaws, Sherrill is mike's sister & also a reunited birth mother.  Singing are Dean, Sherrill's husband & Mike, Nancy's husband. (photo from: Susan Werth)

(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
(photo from: Nancy Moore, CA) (photo from: Nancy Moore, CA)
(photo from: Susan Werth)

Local karaoke regulars that welcomed us all into the room & show.  We had many singing dedications from everyone - it was wonderful.  I had much Miller Lite & was very hung over @ 5AM to leave (we didn't get to bed until almost 3 AM) (photo from: Susan Werth)

Only One Casualty!

After the emotionally joyous weekend and celebrating into the wee hours of the morning, the wake-up call for 5 AM was really a chore.  Nancy & I raced out the door and up to John Wayne Airport.  I hoped out to grab my suitcases from the back seat & propped one up on the step to grab the other one, however it tottered & fell down on the bridge of my foot.  I saw stars for a moment, but continued on racing to check in.  (photo from: Susan Werth)

I could move my foot all directions w/o pain and also wiggle all my toes, so I soon forgot about it.  I snoozed through the flight from California to Denver to wake and see a little swollen bump on the top bridge of my foot.  However, sometime during my snooze from Denver to Dallas this all changed.  By the time I landed in Dallas, my foot had swollen over the straps of my sandals.  So, here are pictures 2 days later.  What a blonde moment - ouch!  (photo from: Susan Werth)

Dedicated to JoAnne, Our Fearless Leader!

We Love You JoAnne!

 

 

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