It's official!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tonichelle]

He is now Duane REITTER!!! Took pictures with my digi... but there is something wrong as it took the worst pictures! so you'll have to look at these until we get the others developed...

In attendance were:
My parents
Me
Grandma and Grandpa Reitter
Duane's biological mom (she 'gave him up' because she can not protect him from his 'sperm donor') and her lawyer
His case/social worker, his guardian ad litem, his shrink...
Our pastor and his family (from the eldest son on down, all of the boys[save for teh 2 oldest] are coming to the party tonight)
Our church's secretary and one of mom's best friends
Kassy and her family
Ms Frankie and Ms Yvonne (two elderly women in our church whom Duane helps in and out of their cars)
The Morin family (the other teen sunday school teachers and their kids, one of whom is Duane's good friend)
and then dad's best friend's wife was there her hubby had to work so she took pics for him to see Hopefully she'll email them to me soon so we can have better photos!
His Guardian Ad Litem said she'd never seen so many people for one adoption
here are some, am uploading them now so more to come!

http://gallery.greatestjournal.com/albums/up/998/95998/normal_263-6343_IMG.JPG
My parents' appointed lawyer asks mom some questions (from closest to him: Duane's bio mom, mom, duane, dad)
http://gallery.greatestjournal.com/albums/up/998/95998/normal_263-6347_IMG.JPG
dad answers the same questions...
http://gallery.greatestjournal.com/albums/up/998/95998/normal_263-6349_IMG.JPG
Half of those in attendance...
http://gallery.greatestjournal.com/albums/up/998/95998/normal_263-6350_IMG.JPG
And here is a really bad picture of the other half (there were more than what you can see!)
http://gallery.greatestjournal.com/albums/up/998/95998/normal_263-6352_IMG.JPG
Judge Brown -- he was cool

 

[RealtorGal]

YAY! Congratulations!

 

[LegalGirl82]

Congratulations, Toni!

In my court reporting days, I was a nomad--I went from one county court house in North/Central New Jersey to another. Hands down, the best single day I ever spent in a courtroom was adoption day with Judge Rudd in Newark. Everybody was happy; the only tears were from joy and pictures were taken of smiling faces.

Best wishes to you and your family!

 

[NJSk8Fan]

Congratulations to you all!!!

 

[BronzeisGolden]

Great news, Toni! I'm glad everything worked out so well.

 

[insecureedge]

Congratulations and good luck on what is a most auspicious start to your new family!

insecureedge

 

[iluvtodd]

Congrats to your family, Toni! what a way to start the New Year! arty:

 

[Ptichka]

Congratulations, Toni!

Just out of curiosity, is this an "open adoption" where the biological mom will keep in touch with Douane, or is she out of the picture for good?

 

[Tonichelle]

yes it's an open one... the only biological family members who have no ties to him now are his dad's side of the family... (well ok his dad's side is so big that that's not true but it's also one of those "I'm married to my brother's sister's cousin's... etc" we're next door to some of his relatives but they want nothing to do with him. And one of his uncles is a good friend of dad's... but for the most part, yeah they're out of the picture) his mom's good for him

 

[purplecat]

Congrats Toni to you and your family! I think it's wonderful.

 

[Petlover]

Congratulations Toni! What a wonderful thing for your family to do!

 

[JOHIO2]

Congrats and best wishes to all! Glad to hear that his biological mother is still involved in his life. Now that it's all official, maybe he'll no longer need to constantly test your family's love and resolve. Here's to a happy 2005 and more for all.