Everything is NOT Coming up Roses but Maybe That's Because it's Winter...or Rather New Year's in New York

So I don't even know where to start but I've been getting phone calls and emails, so I better update my blog.

As most of you know, there was a fellow adoptive mom in Ghana filing some paperwork. We had all our ducks in a row for Adjoa to come home before Christmas. Of course, we needed someone to sit by her on the plane and watch her sleep for half the flight. I figured another mom who has been in my shoes would understand. Not the case. She felt like she needed to rest on the flight back. {I know some of you have already pointed out that we would be meeting the person in NY and that would give her time to rest, but you can't really say that to the person who said 'no, I'm not willing to help you.'} She felt it was the best decision for her family.

Anyway, we put the word out there and had a lot of help from many of you {THANK YOU!}.

We had people volunteer to travel {who were not planning on flying at all, let alone making a 17 hour trip to Africa and back} if we could round up a ticket. We had several people with friends and family flying but they were either on a different airline {we had already purchased her ticket with Delta} or they weren't expecting to travel for a while.

Robert and I are both so grateful for the kindness and selflessness everyone has shown. Even perfect strangers have been willing to help - it brings tears of gratitude to my eyes just thinking about you all.

At this point, our quickest option is the Westerby family. Ginny was planning on traveling with her 8-year-old daughter to Ghana to bring home baby Esther. She volunteered immediately to travel by herself with 3 children! Ticket prices dropped and now they are planning on coming home January 5th!

Another adoptive mother, Lori, offered to bring Adjoa home around the middle of January when she is going to get her son.

Our dilemma now is the airfare to and from New York. Anyone ever flown to or from New York around the 1st of the year???? It's not pretty. It's $700 not pretty, in fact.

We have officially paid more in unexpected airfare than our entire adoption cost.

So we are faced with paying more than $500 above standard airfare to bring her home on the 5th or waiting a few more weeks and saving $500.

A mother in crisis, missing her daughter's first Christmas should NOT be expected to make a decision like that.

Any help/advice you care to offer????