Well, I ate my words today "no news is good news..."
Our case worker called about an hour after I posted that and had news for us. It's good in some respect, bad in others. The really good news is that the birth mom and the baby are healthy. Everything looked great! She also is very set in her adoption plan still and had simply lost our contact info (hence the lack of knowledge...). The not so fantastic news is that her due date was moved... significantly... like a month and a half... She now has a tentative c-section date for February 7! Considering we were originally told sometime next week, that is quite the shock! We're not all the way sure what to think at the moment, other than disbelief!
So anyway, she has a sonogram in two weeks at which point, hopefully the due date/c-section date will be more set in stone. Then we do more waiting... We know how much I love waiting... Another month and a half of this seems like sheer torture at the moment (as I'm sure it does for her as she felt ready to pop when we met her 3 weeks ago)!!!
The blessing in all of this is that baby boy gets another 5-6 weeks of good prenatal care. He gets a chance to grow and "cook" a little longer! In addition, it gives us a chance to get to know the birth mom better and have increased contact with her over the next month or so. The cynical part of me also says that it gives her more time to change her mind, but we'll just ignore the fact that I thought that...
Friday, December 17, 2010
No news is good news?
We've had a lot of people asking, so here's an easy way to let everyone know. So far, there's no more news regarding the baby. So in the spirit of being positive, we're assuming no news is good news.
We know that the birth mom had a doctors appointment and sonogram yesterday. We know that her case worker is in touch with her and our case worker is in touch with her case worker, who is then in touch with us. And we know that the due date is quickly approaching.
We also know that our nerves are a mess and that each day we get more and more anxious. I feel like everyone assumes that we are just beyond excited at this point. The reality, no matter how excited we are, is that there are sill so many unknowns and so many things that could go "wrong" at this point. The fact is, emotionally, we are quite the basket case at this point. You never know when the fears and nerves are going to take over and you never know when the excitement is going to take over.
There's a lot of emotions at this point. A few of my friends and coworkers have likened it to the last month of pregnancy and I would tend to agree. However, as you near the end of a pregnancy, the fact is, the end result IS an addition to your family. Now, obviously things can go wrong or not according to plan and I'm fully aware of that, but I think our struggle in this last waiting period is the reality that there may NOT be a baby at the end of this particular journey. Sure we will put our names back in circulation, but this time, there is a very real possibility that it WON'T work out nicely. And while we try not to dwell on that, it's always there in the back of our minds.
So I guess what I'm trying to say with all of this is to bear with us. We are at a point where we WANT to know information but we DON'T know anything more. It is extremely hard to relay that to others who are just as excited as we are and want information as well. When we do know information (that we CAN share), we WILL share it. We are not secretive people, we are very open and honest about our lives.
The point of this post didn't intend to be a whine session, however, I guess as my emotions are a wreck, that's what came out. So continue to pray for us and for the birth mom and baby boy. Hopefully we will know something soon (you know, like a c-section date) but until then we've tried to accept the fact that it's all in God's hands and what better hands for it to be in, and when there's important information to know, we'll know it.
We know that the birth mom had a doctors appointment and sonogram yesterday. We know that her case worker is in touch with her and our case worker is in touch with her case worker, who is then in touch with us. And we know that the due date is quickly approaching.
We also know that our nerves are a mess and that each day we get more and more anxious. I feel like everyone assumes that we are just beyond excited at this point. The reality, no matter how excited we are, is that there are sill so many unknowns and so many things that could go "wrong" at this point. The fact is, emotionally, we are quite the basket case at this point. You never know when the fears and nerves are going to take over and you never know when the excitement is going to take over.
There's a lot of emotions at this point. A few of my friends and coworkers have likened it to the last month of pregnancy and I would tend to agree. However, as you near the end of a pregnancy, the fact is, the end result IS an addition to your family. Now, obviously things can go wrong or not according to plan and I'm fully aware of that, but I think our struggle in this last waiting period is the reality that there may NOT be a baby at the end of this particular journey. Sure we will put our names back in circulation, but this time, there is a very real possibility that it WON'T work out nicely. And while we try not to dwell on that, it's always there in the back of our minds.
So I guess what I'm trying to say with all of this is to bear with us. We are at a point where we WANT to know information but we DON'T know anything more. It is extremely hard to relay that to others who are just as excited as we are and want information as well. When we do know information (that we CAN share), we WILL share it. We are not secretive people, we are very open and honest about our lives.
The point of this post didn't intend to be a whine session, however, I guess as my emotions are a wreck, that's what came out. So continue to pray for us and for the birth mom and baby boy. Hopefully we will know something soon (you know, like a c-section date) but until then we've tried to accept the fact that it's all in God's hands and what better hands for it to be in, and when there's important information to know, we'll know it.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Christmas Cards
We like to send out photo cards each year for Christmas, or at least we have for the last few years since being engaged and then married. We like to because we enjoy getting cards from others to hang on our refrigerator for the year. I keep them up until I begin getting new ones and then I replace them!
This year, I was getting ready to order mine in November with a fall picture we took when our leaves were super pretty and decided to wait another week, more out of procrastination than anything else. Boy am I glad I did. That week was the week of our super exciting phone call about the baby that will hopefully be our son in just over a week! So we definitely put a hold on the Christmas cards and meanwhile I called the daughter of a friend of ours who takes absolutely gorgeous pictures and was one of my students at Central last year as well as a family friend for as long as I can remember. She's on standby to take some super cute newborn pics. (hopefully next week!!!!)
So this year we're doing a combined Christmas card/birth announcement. Then I saw this link on two of my friends' blogs. 50 free Christmas cards for bloggers, sign me up. So here I am sharing my favorite Christmas cards from Shutterfly and looking forward to some super cute Christmas cards with a super cute baby on them this year!
1) This one would be really cute with some newborn baby pictures: Family Wall Red
2) I can't wait to put up a year's worth of pictures of our son and look forward to a new picture each month with this: Wall Calendar (And maybe a cool gift for some family members!)
3) I also really like the Family Wall Blue card on this one (editing it to say "Merry Christmas" instead), very appropriate for a baby boy!
One of Jeremy's aunts sent her Christmas card early and in it she wrote a fun note saying "How can you top last year's Christmas card in front of St. Peter's Basilica?" I told Jeremy that I hope this year we can top it with a beautiful baby boy, the most wonderful Christmas present anyone could receive!
This year, I was getting ready to order mine in November with a fall picture we took when our leaves were super pretty and decided to wait another week, more out of procrastination than anything else. Boy am I glad I did. That week was the week of our super exciting phone call about the baby that will hopefully be our son in just over a week! So we definitely put a hold on the Christmas cards and meanwhile I called the daughter of a friend of ours who takes absolutely gorgeous pictures and was one of my students at Central last year as well as a family friend for as long as I can remember. She's on standby to take some super cute newborn pics. (hopefully next week!!!!)
So this year we're doing a combined Christmas card/birth announcement. Then I saw this link on two of my friends' blogs. 50 free Christmas cards for bloggers, sign me up. So here I am sharing my favorite Christmas cards from Shutterfly and looking forward to some super cute Christmas cards with a super cute baby on them this year!
1) This one would be really cute with some newborn baby pictures: Family Wall Red
2) I can't wait to put up a year's worth of pictures of our son and look forward to a new picture each month with this: Wall Calendar (And maybe a cool gift for some family members!)
3) I also really like the Family Wall Blue card on this one (editing it to say "Merry Christmas" instead), very appropriate for a baby boy!
One of Jeremy's aunts sent her Christmas card early and in it she wrote a fun note saying "How can you top last year's Christmas card in front of St. Peter's Basilica?" I told Jeremy that I hope this year we can top it with a beautiful baby boy, the most wonderful Christmas present anyone could receive!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Please do not say...
When we went through our Homestudy, a portion of it was dedicated to "How to word things." (Okay, maybe that's not the official title, but that's the best I could come up with for now...) People often are very casual about the way they speak, I, myself, am guilty of not thinking before I speak (more often than not). However, since receiving our phone call, I have become very sensitive to the language and wording that people use. I realize that most times, things are said innocently, but I guess in order for it to change, I have to tell them it bothers me... Something I'm not very good at. So here's a short list of things I have encountered recently and how to best rephrase them so as not to offend or judge anyone.
1) The term "giving them up for adoption" is the most common one I hear (and have used many times in the past). I hadn't ever really thought about it myself, but if you truly think about the sacrifice that birth moms are making, you'll quickly realize there is no "giving up" about it. It is just that, a sacrifice. They are selflessly giving OF themselves so that their child may have a better life. Instead, of "giving up", they are making an "adoption plan". They are freely choosing to "place" their child with an adoptive family in order to GIVE them a better life. They forever love the child, they forever think about the child, they forever give of themselves for the child. Can you imagine, as a birth mom, hearing the term "giving up" over and over again? I cannot, that would be torture, so I am now very careful to make sure the sacrifice and planning are key when describing her choice.
2) Your adopted son/daughter. I haven't heard this one spoken to me, but I have heard it spoken to others. My son will not be identified as "our adopted son." I will forever identify him as "our son." If needed I will say, "our son who we adopted". It really can make a child feel like an outcast to place a label on them. Would you go around referring to your child as "my birth son/daughter?" No, so why put the adjective in front of a child who was adopted? He will be first and foremost be "our son" and if questioned, yes, we adopted him, and love him because he is our son.
3) Doesn't she know where babies come from? I've heard this one a lot referring to our birth mom. Yes, she has other children. Yes, she knows where babies come from. She made it very clear to us that she does not see any of her children as a mistake, but she knows she's made some questionable choices in her past. I want everyone to understand how highly we think of her. She is making the ultimate sacrifice and she is a mother who loves her children, this was so apparent and our son will always know how much she loves him. We are not here to judge her but to be a "family" to her in a very unique sense of the word.
I have so much respect for her ability to look into the future and understand that the future of her child depends on her choice today. She knows that choosing to place him with us, as his parents, that she is giving him the opportunity to be a virtuous and successful man in his future. I cannot argue with those intentions and I see them as totally selfless. It makes me hurt to hear negative things spoken about her, she's about to give us a gift more precious than anything. Please pray for her and understand that no matter what happens, she is a part of our family now and she deserves respect, love, and all of the prayers we can give her. I'm overcome with gratitude for her and joy that God has put her in our lives.
Those are the major ones. I don't want to sound like I'm criticizing anyone. If you made one of these comments to me, I don't even remember who you are. I don't want you to think I was mad, I just know if I don't want them said to me, I may as well tell you! So just make sure you're careful about the wording of things, it's really made me think about the way I word things. When in doubt, just put things in a positive manner. Thanks! Keep the prayers coming, we (S, baby, and the two of us included) need them!
P.S. I thought it would be really appropriate to write this on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It's always humbling to think about the sacrifices mothers make and to remember our Mother Mary and her sacrifices for her son. It is always important to remember that what we say and how we view others should always model our (sinless) Mother and her gentleness and compassion, she is the perfect model. Mary, Mother of God... Pray for us!
1) The term "giving them up for adoption" is the most common one I hear (and have used many times in the past). I hadn't ever really thought about it myself, but if you truly think about the sacrifice that birth moms are making, you'll quickly realize there is no "giving up" about it. It is just that, a sacrifice. They are selflessly giving OF themselves so that their child may have a better life. Instead, of "giving up", they are making an "adoption plan". They are freely choosing to "place" their child with an adoptive family in order to GIVE them a better life. They forever love the child, they forever think about the child, they forever give of themselves for the child. Can you imagine, as a birth mom, hearing the term "giving up" over and over again? I cannot, that would be torture, so I am now very careful to make sure the sacrifice and planning are key when describing her choice.
2) Your adopted son/daughter. I haven't heard this one spoken to me, but I have heard it spoken to others. My son will not be identified as "our adopted son." I will forever identify him as "our son." If needed I will say, "our son who we adopted". It really can make a child feel like an outcast to place a label on them. Would you go around referring to your child as "my birth son/daughter?" No, so why put the adjective in front of a child who was adopted? He will be first and foremost be "our son" and if questioned, yes, we adopted him, and love him because he is our son.
3) Doesn't she know where babies come from? I've heard this one a lot referring to our birth mom. Yes, she has other children. Yes, she knows where babies come from. She made it very clear to us that she does not see any of her children as a mistake, but she knows she's made some questionable choices in her past. I want everyone to understand how highly we think of her. She is making the ultimate sacrifice and she is a mother who loves her children, this was so apparent and our son will always know how much she loves him. We are not here to judge her but to be a "family" to her in a very unique sense of the word.
I have so much respect for her ability to look into the future and understand that the future of her child depends on her choice today. She knows that choosing to place him with us, as his parents, that she is giving him the opportunity to be a virtuous and successful man in his future. I cannot argue with those intentions and I see them as totally selfless. It makes me hurt to hear negative things spoken about her, she's about to give us a gift more precious than anything. Please pray for her and understand that no matter what happens, she is a part of our family now and she deserves respect, love, and all of the prayers we can give her. I'm overcome with gratitude for her and joy that God has put her in our lives.
Those are the major ones. I don't want to sound like I'm criticizing anyone. If you made one of these comments to me, I don't even remember who you are. I don't want you to think I was mad, I just know if I don't want them said to me, I may as well tell you! So just make sure you're careful about the wording of things, it's really made me think about the way I word things. When in doubt, just put things in a positive manner. Thanks! Keep the prayers coming, we (S, baby, and the two of us included) need them!
P.S. I thought it would be really appropriate to write this on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It's always humbling to think about the sacrifices mothers make and to remember our Mother Mary and her sacrifices for her son. It is always important to remember that what we say and how we view others should always model our (sinless) Mother and her gentleness and compassion, she is the perfect model. Mary, Mother of God... Pray for us!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Dumpster Dive Nativity Scene
So on the day that we first got our exciting phone call, Jeremy reminded me that Advent is a really appropriate time to be expecting a baby. We found out just before Advent started and we will spend the majority of Advent preparing not only for the birth of our Lord, but also for the birth of our child. It is a very neat parallel and a really cool chance to reflect on Mary and Joseph's journey at that point (without the very large belly and donkey ride).
Fast forward to yesterday when we went to meet S. As we were driving out of the neighborhood, we spotted something on the side of the road, a pile of "giveaway" Christmas items. Among the items were a light up nativity scene (Jesus, Mary and Joseph) for outdoors. Yeah, that's definitely on the top of my dumpster dive finds!!! We had wanted one but they're kinda pricey... So of course we picked it up, but we didn't have time to stop at home and drop it off. So Jesus, Mary, and Joseph hung out in our backseat through our whole day. We asked for Mary and Joseph's intercession and of course for Jesus' divine blessing on our meeting and we not only had them there in spirit and love, but also physically in plastic form in the car. Needless to say, it was a constant reminder of our spiritual preparation for the coming of Christ and the birth of our son (that gives me goosebumps to say).
So here is a picture of our dumpster find, a for-free nativity scene and yes there is a baby Jesus, but it's Advent, so we're preparing for his coming. He'll make his appearance on Christmas at about the same time that our son makes his appearance to in our home.
Fast forward to yesterday when we went to meet S. As we were driving out of the neighborhood, we spotted something on the side of the road, a pile of "giveaway" Christmas items. Among the items were a light up nativity scene (Jesus, Mary and Joseph) for outdoors. Yeah, that's definitely on the top of my dumpster dive finds!!! We had wanted one but they're kinda pricey... So of course we picked it up, but we didn't have time to stop at home and drop it off. So Jesus, Mary, and Joseph hung out in our backseat through our whole day. We asked for Mary and Joseph's intercession and of course for Jesus' divine blessing on our meeting and we not only had them there in spirit and love, but also physically in plastic form in the car. Needless to say, it was a constant reminder of our spiritual preparation for the coming of Christ and the birth of our son (that gives me goosebumps to say).
So here is a picture of our dumpster find, a for-free nativity scene and yes there is a baby Jesus, but it's Advent, so we're preparing for his coming. He'll make his appearance on Christmas at about the same time that our son makes his appearance to in our home.
Monday, November 29, 2010
IT'S A.....
BOY!
Disclaimer: For those of you that were hoping for a phone call, I'm just going to say that we are 100% exhausted from a very emotionally and physically draining day... So a blog post will have to do, and I apologize in advance it if is not very coherent...
Okay, now on to the good stuff! We got to meet with our birthmom today who I'm just going to call S for the sake of this post and the fact that I don't want to type out birthmom over and over again. It was wonderful to meet her and get to know her a little bit better. It is truly a unique experience to get to meet the mother of your child! I had all kinds of preconceived notions going into it and I can honestly say none of them were even close to correct. And we also got the exciting news that she's having a boy!!!
It was a wonderful chance for us to understand her story and what led her here now. S gave us some wonderful insights into her life and her choice to make an adoption plan. I have to say her reasoning and intentions are so carefully thought out and planned that I couldn't help but feel comforted by her. So all in all, it was an effective meeting and a great chance for her to get to know us better and us to get to know her better.
She also asked me if I would be in the room with her during her scheduled c-section. Due to health reasons, they are going to schedule one and it'll probably be in about 3 weeks, most likely the week before Christmas. I was super excited about this, it definitely made me cry!!! She also told us that she would like us to be at the hospital as much as possible and she would like us to be the ones to take the baby home (instead of interim care). So these were all things that we were super thrilled about. She also chanted, "You're gonna have a baby" to us multiple times :-)
We also were very curious about what it was about us that made her choose our profile. S told us that she really picked us because she wants an ongoing relationship with the child and that was something that we clearly stated in our video. She wants to have a chance to be a part of his life while giving him the chance to be raised by people who can give him the life that she wants for him. So that was touching and she said that all of them cried when they watched our video and she knew the moment she saw it that we were going to be the parents of her child. (Again, it made me cry)
The one thing that has yet to be nailed down is a name, there was some conflict here as she had a name in mind and so did we and they're like not even on the same planet of name choices... So Jeremy and I think we've come up with a solution that will appease everyone (and we REALLY like) but I guess we won't know for sure until we talk with her again!
I would just like to ask a favor of everyone at this point... Please pray for the health and safety of both S and baby. At this point she's really close to the soon to be scheduled due date and she could use all the prayers you can give her, she has already become a part of our family and no matter what happens, she will always hold a special place in our lives, so I'd appreciate your prayers for her and the child that she's caring for.
Disclaimer: For those of you that were hoping for a phone call, I'm just going to say that we are 100% exhausted from a very emotionally and physically draining day... So a blog post will have to do, and I apologize in advance it if is not very coherent...
Okay, now on to the good stuff! We got to meet with our birthmom today who I'm just going to call S for the sake of this post and the fact that I don't want to type out birthmom over and over again. It was wonderful to meet her and get to know her a little bit better. It is truly a unique experience to get to meet the mother of your child! I had all kinds of preconceived notions going into it and I can honestly say none of them were even close to correct. And we also got the exciting news that she's having a boy!!!
It was a wonderful chance for us to understand her story and what led her here now. S gave us some wonderful insights into her life and her choice to make an adoption plan. I have to say her reasoning and intentions are so carefully thought out and planned that I couldn't help but feel comforted by her. So all in all, it was an effective meeting and a great chance for her to get to know us better and us to get to know her better.
She also asked me if I would be in the room with her during her scheduled c-section. Due to health reasons, they are going to schedule one and it'll probably be in about 3 weeks, most likely the week before Christmas. I was super excited about this, it definitely made me cry!!! She also told us that she would like us to be at the hospital as much as possible and she would like us to be the ones to take the baby home (instead of interim care). So these were all things that we were super thrilled about. She also chanted, "You're gonna have a baby" to us multiple times :-)
We also were very curious about what it was about us that made her choose our profile. S told us that she really picked us because she wants an ongoing relationship with the child and that was something that we clearly stated in our video. She wants to have a chance to be a part of his life while giving him the chance to be raised by people who can give him the life that she wants for him. So that was touching and she said that all of them cried when they watched our video and she knew the moment she saw it that we were going to be the parents of her child. (Again, it made me cry)
The one thing that has yet to be nailed down is a name, there was some conflict here as she had a name in mind and so did we and they're like not even on the same planet of name choices... So Jeremy and I think we've come up with a solution that will appease everyone (and we REALLY like) but I guess we won't know for sure until we talk with her again!
I would just like to ask a favor of everyone at this point... Please pray for the health and safety of both S and baby. At this point she's really close to the soon to be scheduled due date and she could use all the prayers you can give her, she has already become a part of our family and no matter what happens, she will always hold a special place in our lives, so I'd appreciate your prayers for her and the child that she's caring for.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thankfuls
Update: Yeah, apparently I can't spell... Thanksfuls???
There are an unlimited number of things that I am thankful for. However, for time and space's sake, I'll narrow it down to the ten most important:
1) OUR HOME - I'm thankful for a roof over our heads and a wonderful place that our children will be able to call home and always feel the warmth and comfort of our love.
2) FOOD - I always try to be thankful for the things in life that we take for granted. I'm so grateful that I have the luxury of putting food on the table whenever I want!
3) JOBS - We always have to count our blessings with Jeremy's good job and my ability to kinda do whatever I want :-). In a month that will be a stay at home mom and I am sooooo grateful to my husband for this opportunity.
4) LUXURIES - There are so many luxuries in our lives that I am thankful for. I won't list them all for you, but many of them are small, many of them are huge, and I am so grateful that we live in a society where there's freedom and rights and we can express who we are and what we want to be in a very real and unjudged manner.
5) FRIENDS - I am so thankful for our amazing group of friends. They constantly help us to grow in holiness, they are always there for us with good things and bad things. They support, love, and help us in any way, shape or form. We are so blessed with an abundance of good, holy people in our lives that we are grateful to call friends.
6) FAMILY - We have amazing, wonderful, supportive families and we enjoy each and every minute that we spend with them. We are so blessed in this area and are so thankful for each member of our immediate and extended families. They truly have shaped who we are and we have learned valuable life lessons from them.
7) THE CHANCE TO GROW IN HOLINESS - Through our infertility. Without this opportunity, we never would have had the respect for birth families, we would have continued judging them. We would never have the opportunity to grow our family in a very unique and very special way.
8) BIRTHMOMS - I'm so thankful for this group of women who choose life for their child, while knowing that they can't provide for them. They truly make the ultimate sacrifice of love and I'm thankful to one in particular whose name I don't know yet and whose child I have not yet met, but hope to be a mother to very soon. I am so thankful for her selfless gift of love and the chance to meet her and understand her.
9) MY HUSBAND - He is such a wonderful, amazing person and I am grateful each and every minute of the day for him. He is so patient, hard working, loving, and selfless. I couldn't do it without him and I am so grateful for him.
10) MY CATHOLIC FAITH - I'm so thankful for the opportunity to practice my faith freely and wholeheartedly. I'm thankful for being able to live in the Truth of Christ's presence each and every day and to have the chance to grow in holiness each and everyday.
There are an unlimited number of things that I am thankful for. However, for time and space's sake, I'll narrow it down to the ten most important:
1) OUR HOME - I'm thankful for a roof over our heads and a wonderful place that our children will be able to call home and always feel the warmth and comfort of our love.
2) FOOD - I always try to be thankful for the things in life that we take for granted. I'm so grateful that I have the luxury of putting food on the table whenever I want!
3) JOBS - We always have to count our blessings with Jeremy's good job and my ability to kinda do whatever I want :-). In a month that will be a stay at home mom and I am sooooo grateful to my husband for this opportunity.
4) LUXURIES - There are so many luxuries in our lives that I am thankful for. I won't list them all for you, but many of them are small, many of them are huge, and I am so grateful that we live in a society where there's freedom and rights and we can express who we are and what we want to be in a very real and unjudged manner.
5) FRIENDS - I am so thankful for our amazing group of friends. They constantly help us to grow in holiness, they are always there for us with good things and bad things. They support, love, and help us in any way, shape or form. We are so blessed with an abundance of good, holy people in our lives that we are grateful to call friends.
6) FAMILY - We have amazing, wonderful, supportive families and we enjoy each and every minute that we spend with them. We are so blessed in this area and are so thankful for each member of our immediate and extended families. They truly have shaped who we are and we have learned valuable life lessons from them.
7) THE CHANCE TO GROW IN HOLINESS - Through our infertility. Without this opportunity, we never would have had the respect for birth families, we would have continued judging them. We would never have the opportunity to grow our family in a very unique and very special way.
8) BIRTHMOMS - I'm so thankful for this group of women who choose life for their child, while knowing that they can't provide for them. They truly make the ultimate sacrifice of love and I'm thankful to one in particular whose name I don't know yet and whose child I have not yet met, but hope to be a mother to very soon. I am so thankful for her selfless gift of love and the chance to meet her and understand her.
9) MY HUSBAND - He is such a wonderful, amazing person and I am grateful each and every minute of the day for him. He is so patient, hard working, loving, and selfless. I couldn't do it without him and I am so grateful for him.
10) MY CATHOLIC FAITH - I'm so thankful for the opportunity to practice my faith freely and wholeheartedly. I'm thankful for being able to live in the Truth of Christ's presence each and every day and to have the chance to grow in holiness each and everyday.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
It's no conincidence...
It's amazing to me how much motivation our recent good news has given us. All of the sudden there are things we NEED to get done and we WANT to do them!
We were kind of in an emotional funk as of like a week ago. It is very draining to try being hopeful in a situation that often seems hopeless. However, I was reminded this week of how gracious God is and how intricately woven His plans are for us. It is so amazing to see His plan unfold after so long of questioning if He really had one...
For instance, it is not merely a coincidence that the birth mom who identified our profile is due at the very same time that I begin my new job as nanny/stay at home wife. It is no coincidence that we had recently taken a cloth diapering class and had built up our supply of cloth diapers. It is no coincidence that we had finally gotten to a point in our finances where we could (more) comfortably write a check for thousands of dollars (which we will have to do on placement day). It is no coincidence that almost a year to the day after we found out that we could not have kids, we get a phone call that will change our lives forever. And it is no coincidence that as we enter this time of Advent, an intense time of preparation for the birth of our Lord, we, as a family, get to actively participate both spiritually, physically, and emotionally in that preparation for our own (hopefully) child.
I often simply struggle with trusting in someone else'a plan. I like to have control over all situations and letting go of that is extremely challenging. However in the last 6 months I have learned a great amount of patience. I have also learned to let go of some of that control. I'm have no where near mastered either of those things, but I have certainly made some small steps in the right direction. It actually made me laugh when I said to Jeremy, "Wow, six months wasn't that long to wait." And he quickly reminded me that a few days ago I was saying how long six months seemed. It's fascinating how quickly your perspective can change!
The last few days, we have had a blast frequenting baby sections the last few days. We have bought a few fun sleepers and a toy or two. My parents went out and bought us a cozy carseat cover since (as long as everything goes through) we will have a baby in the cold weather! We also have registered, since we finally have an due date and have simply enjoyed doing some of the things we wished we had a reason to do!
So please keep up the prayers, we greatly appreciate all of the love, support, and prayers of our family and friends.
We were kind of in an emotional funk as of like a week ago. It is very draining to try being hopeful in a situation that often seems hopeless. However, I was reminded this week of how gracious God is and how intricately woven His plans are for us. It is so amazing to see His plan unfold after so long of questioning if He really had one...
For instance, it is not merely a coincidence that the birth mom who identified our profile is due at the very same time that I begin my new job as nanny/stay at home wife. It is no coincidence that we had recently taken a cloth diapering class and had built up our supply of cloth diapers. It is no coincidence that we had finally gotten to a point in our finances where we could (more) comfortably write a check for thousands of dollars (which we will have to do on placement day). It is no coincidence that almost a year to the day after we found out that we could not have kids, we get a phone call that will change our lives forever. And it is no coincidence that as we enter this time of Advent, an intense time of preparation for the birth of our Lord, we, as a family, get to actively participate both spiritually, physically, and emotionally in that preparation for our own (hopefully) child.
I often simply struggle with trusting in someone else'a plan. I like to have control over all situations and letting go of that is extremely challenging. However in the last 6 months I have learned a great amount of patience. I have also learned to let go of some of that control. I'm have no where near mastered either of those things, but I have certainly made some small steps in the right direction. It actually made me laugh when I said to Jeremy, "Wow, six months wasn't that long to wait." And he quickly reminded me that a few days ago I was saying how long six months seemed. It's fascinating how quickly your perspective can change!
The last few days, we have had a blast frequenting baby sections the last few days. We have bought a few fun sleepers and a toy or two. My parents went out and bought us a cozy carseat cover since (as long as everything goes through) we will have a baby in the cold weather! We also have registered, since we finally have an due date and have simply enjoyed doing some of the things we wished we had a reason to do!
So please keep up the prayers, we greatly appreciate all of the love, support, and prayers of our family and friends.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE...
...OUR JOY AT THE MOMENT!!!
Yes, it's the post you've all been waiting for (of course no one more so than Jeremy and I).
It is fitting that during National Adoption Month, we are identified by a birth parent as the (hopeful) adoptive parents of her unborn child!!!! Yes, we got our long awaited phone call today. It went a little something like this:
Last week we had a 6 month licensing review at which point our case worker had to do another walk through of our home, inform us of any program changes, ask us some really seemingly pointless questions (for example: "Now you know after you get a baby, you will have to feed it right? **She HAS to ask these, but how dumb is that) and gave us updates on our status within the program. It was a very uplifting meeting as she told us that our profile had been viewed 4-5 times (about once a month, pretty good considering what we thought we were getting viewed) and she told us that we actually were in a pile of prospective adoptive parents waiting for a birth mom at the moment. She did not know when she would pick, but (in hindsight) we think she may have had some inside information on this. She gave us some pretty specific details and kinda led us to get our hopes up... something she generally doesn't do...
Fast forward to today... I got a phone call from my caseworker and returned the call after school (of course, while I was still AT school). I was in the hallway when she said "Are you sitting down?" and I shouted and burst into tears, scaring some kids and receiving some pretty strange looks... So I talked with her for a while and all the time she's giving me lots of details and such and I'm saying to myself "Pinch me" and "I need to call Jeremy". Once I finally got off the phone with her and had cried for a good fifteen minutes at the point, I called Jeremy.
His first response was, "You're not joking are you?" That would be mean of me... I drove (maybe a little too quickly) to pick him up at which point I couldn't remember driving there, one of those surreal times when you're not sure how you got from one place to another and made him get in the drivers seat. We then went to tell our parents and we spent lots of time on the phone telling sisters, brothers and grandparents and lots of friends.
So, the details, that we can share (most are confidential) are: the birth mom is due January 4 (YES, THAT IS LIKE LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AWAY, WE COULD BE PARENTS AT CHRISTMASTIME!), other than we know that we will get to meet the birth mom on Monday, November 29th and get a chance to talk with her and get to know her a little bit. We do not know boy or girl (neither does she) and we don't know (and can't share) much about her yet.
So, keep the prayers coming. We are praying very hard for a smooth adoption and (selfishly) that she doesn't change her mind. Prayers, prayers, prayers please, for the birth mom, the baby, and for us!
P.S. this blog post has taken me like 2 hours to write because we keep getting fun returned phone calls!
Yes, it's the post you've all been waiting for (of course no one more so than Jeremy and I).
It is fitting that during National Adoption Month, we are identified by a birth parent as the (hopeful) adoptive parents of her unborn child!!!! Yes, we got our long awaited phone call today. It went a little something like this:
Last week we had a 6 month licensing review at which point our case worker had to do another walk through of our home, inform us of any program changes, ask us some really seemingly pointless questions (for example: "Now you know after you get a baby, you will have to feed it right? **She HAS to ask these, but how dumb is that) and gave us updates on our status within the program. It was a very uplifting meeting as she told us that our profile had been viewed 4-5 times (about once a month, pretty good considering what we thought we were getting viewed) and she told us that we actually were in a pile of prospective adoptive parents waiting for a birth mom at the moment. She did not know when she would pick, but (in hindsight) we think she may have had some inside information on this. She gave us some pretty specific details and kinda led us to get our hopes up... something she generally doesn't do...
Fast forward to today... I got a phone call from my caseworker and returned the call after school (of course, while I was still AT school). I was in the hallway when she said "Are you sitting down?" and I shouted and burst into tears, scaring some kids and receiving some pretty strange looks... So I talked with her for a while and all the time she's giving me lots of details and such and I'm saying to myself "Pinch me" and "I need to call Jeremy". Once I finally got off the phone with her and had cried for a good fifteen minutes at the point, I called Jeremy.
His first response was, "You're not joking are you?" That would be mean of me... I drove (maybe a little too quickly) to pick him up at which point I couldn't remember driving there, one of those surreal times when you're not sure how you got from one place to another and made him get in the drivers seat. We then went to tell our parents and we spent lots of time on the phone telling sisters, brothers and grandparents and lots of friends.
So, the details, that we can share (most are confidential) are: the birth mom is due January 4 (YES, THAT IS LIKE LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AWAY, WE COULD BE PARENTS AT CHRISTMASTIME!), other than we know that we will get to meet the birth mom on Monday, November 29th and get a chance to talk with her and get to know her a little bit. We do not know boy or girl (neither does she) and we don't know (and can't share) much about her yet.
So, keep the prayers coming. We are praying very hard for a smooth adoption and (selfishly) that she doesn't change her mind. Prayers, prayers, prayers please, for the birth mom, the baby, and for us!
P.S. this blog post has taken me like 2 hours to write because we keep getting fun returned phone calls!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
RCIA
After having only 4 candidates/catechumens last year for RCIA, we expected pretty much the same this year. Don't get me wrong, they were an excellent group of candidates, fun, enthusiastic and eager to learn about the faith. It was great for our first year being in charge. In years before, when a staff member was assigned to lead it, the numbers grew every year. They had time to seek people out and to spread the word. Last year, we had virtually no way of letting others know about it and had hopes for higher numbers. We didn't really do anything different this year, but the Sisters and Fr. L at the Center have. I am so grateful for their diligence with regards to RCIA, they really have made it a priority to ensure a fruitful process.
We are so abundantly blessed with 10 candidates this year. We more than doubled! In the last four weeks we have had three new people join us. It's November and people are still signing up as interested. It is fantastic! It makes me smile each week to see the "classroom" filled with people. I make treats each week and it is becoming increasingly challenging to ensure I make enough (a very good problem to have :-)).
Aside from that we have more teachers this year, basically a different one each week and they have done an amazing job of teaching the Catholic faith. Without them, Jeremy and I would be overwhelmed with work to do! In addition, we have the rest of the team that leads the small groups and functions as a liaison between us and the candidates. These small group leaders are the ones that connect with the candidates, give them a clear Catholic role model and guide them on this journey. They each have 2-3 candidates assigned to them and these small groups yield such visible faith from the candidates.
I am just so grateful for all of the volunteers that help us with this ministry that is so vital for the growth and strength of the Church. It is so rewarding to see the transformation of hearts and faith in just two semesters and often times I think that I get more out of it than the candidates do. I am so glad that we were asked to be a part of this ministry.
We are so abundantly blessed with 10 candidates this year. We more than doubled! In the last four weeks we have had three new people join us. It's November and people are still signing up as interested. It is fantastic! It makes me smile each week to see the "classroom" filled with people. I make treats each week and it is becoming increasingly challenging to ensure I make enough (a very good problem to have :-)).
Aside from that we have more teachers this year, basically a different one each week and they have done an amazing job of teaching the Catholic faith. Without them, Jeremy and I would be overwhelmed with work to do! In addition, we have the rest of the team that leads the small groups and functions as a liaison between us and the candidates. These small group leaders are the ones that connect with the candidates, give them a clear Catholic role model and guide them on this journey. They each have 2-3 candidates assigned to them and these small groups yield such visible faith from the candidates.
I am just so grateful for all of the volunteers that help us with this ministry that is so vital for the growth and strength of the Church. It is so rewarding to see the transformation of hearts and faith in just two semesters and often times I think that I get more out of it than the candidates do. I am so glad that we were asked to be a part of this ministry.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
National Adoption Month
November is National Adoption Month!! So maybe during the month of November, say some extra prayers for all of those involved in the adoption process:
~ Birth moms who face the toughest and most important decision of their life and the life of their child
~ Case workers who deal with everything from the most touching to the saddest cases you can ever imagine
~ Foster parents who care for and give a temporary home to those waiting to be adopted
~ Adoptive parents who are in any and all stages of the adoption process
~ Those discerning adoption as a means of expanding their family
~ And most importantly for the Children involved in the process whether born or unborn, especially those who are waiting and are desperately longing for a forever home
This is fitting as November also marks the point, last year, at which we began to pursue adoption. It's hard to believe that a whole year has gone by, but last November was when we learned the devastating news that (more than likely) we will not have children of our own. It was also the month that we prayed constantly for guidance as to what God's plans were for our future family. It was those prayers that led us to Catholic Charities where we began our adoption process.
The last year has been a total roller coaster for us. We have had some extreme highs and some extreme lows. However, I know that at some point we will be able to look back and understand it all more clearly, at least I hope :-). I am confident that all of the mountains of paperwork, money, time, effort, tears, smiles, and sweat will be blown away the moment we become parents. While it's hard to think about that time now as we struggle to play the waiting game, I know that it will come and that it will be great.
~ Birth moms who face the toughest and most important decision of their life and the life of their child
~ Case workers who deal with everything from the most touching to the saddest cases you can ever imagine
~ Foster parents who care for and give a temporary home to those waiting to be adopted
~ Adoptive parents who are in any and all stages of the adoption process
~ Those discerning adoption as a means of expanding their family
~ And most importantly for the Children involved in the process whether born or unborn, especially those who are waiting and are desperately longing for a forever home
This is fitting as November also marks the point, last year, at which we began to pursue adoption. It's hard to believe that a whole year has gone by, but last November was when we learned the devastating news that (more than likely) we will not have children of our own. It was also the month that we prayed constantly for guidance as to what God's plans were for our future family. It was those prayers that led us to Catholic Charities where we began our adoption process.
The last year has been a total roller coaster for us. We have had some extreme highs and some extreme lows. However, I know that at some point we will be able to look back and understand it all more clearly, at least I hope :-). I am confident that all of the mountains of paperwork, money, time, effort, tears, smiles, and sweat will be blown away the moment we become parents. While it's hard to think about that time now as we struggle to play the waiting game, I know that it will come and that it will be great.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Purses, Burp Rags, and Groceries
Today was one of those days when I click it into overdrive and accomplish everything that I have failed to accomplish the last week or so. I have worked in kindergarten all week and it WIPED me out!
First up was some major grocery shopping. We were out of all things that could be considered "side dishes". So needless to say, our lunches this week have left something to be desired, there's a certain point when no amount of creativity can help... So I got up early, tackled the grocery shopping, got home and had it all put away by 9am. That was a small success in itself, I sacrificed sleeping in to do so...
I also had bought fabric to make myself a new purse a week ago. A friend of mine had a purse that was given to her as a gift and I immediately thought that I could make one similar. So I found some fabric and kind of designed my own pattern. I think the end result is basically what I was going for!
I also decided to make add some pizazz to some burp rags today. I bought a 12 pack of the plain white prefold cloth diapers (the best burp rags there are, the only ones we would use at the day care) and I used scrap fabric and ribbon to make them pretty. Since I will be watching two newborns come January, I will probably get a lot of use out of them!
Other things I did today were buy new jeans. I had two pair and I split both of them this week, one at home, one at school the next day (HOW EMBARRASSING!) I should have seen it coming, I always wear pants out in that same spot as I am one of those people whose thighs participate in an activity that my family calls "chub rub". So anyway, it was an unfortunate week in the pants department here and I realized that without those two pairs of jeans, my pants wardrobe is limited to a pair of sweatpants (for working out) and a pair of khakis (that have marker all over them due to the kindergarteners :-)!
So all in all, it was a successful day here.
First up was some major grocery shopping. We were out of all things that could be considered "side dishes". So needless to say, our lunches this week have left something to be desired, there's a certain point when no amount of creativity can help... So I got up early, tackled the grocery shopping, got home and had it all put away by 9am. That was a small success in itself, I sacrificed sleeping in to do so...
I also had bought fabric to make myself a new purse a week ago. A friend of mine had a purse that was given to her as a gift and I immediately thought that I could make one similar. So I found some fabric and kind of designed my own pattern. I think the end result is basically what I was going for!
I also decided to make add some pizazz to some burp rags today. I bought a 12 pack of the plain white prefold cloth diapers (the best burp rags there are, the only ones we would use at the day care) and I used scrap fabric and ribbon to make them pretty. Since I will be watching two newborns come January, I will probably get a lot of use out of them!
Other things I did today were buy new jeans. I had two pair and I split both of them this week, one at home, one at school the next day (HOW EMBARRASSING!) I should have seen it coming, I always wear pants out in that same spot as I am one of those people whose thighs participate in an activity that my family calls "chub rub". So anyway, it was an unfortunate week in the pants department here and I realized that without those two pairs of jeans, my pants wardrobe is limited to a pair of sweatpants (for working out) and a pair of khakis (that have marker all over them due to the kindergarteners :-)!
So all in all, it was a successful day here.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
1.5 miles!
Today was a first for me, I jogged a total of a mile and a half! I have never been able to do that before! I have been working up to it and while it was not consecutive (I did half mile intervals with a short walking period between), I still feel like I accomplished a major task in doing it! For once in my life, my asthma isn't wreaking havoc on me. I think it's the fact that I built up to it instead of jumping right in (like I used to do when I played basketball, my asthma hated me)!
Despite my persistent exercise and diligent eating habits, I haven't really lost any weight since the first week when I lost almost ten pounds. However, I have noticed weight shifting, my pants and shirts are fitting differently and I like to think that the lack of weight loss is an increase in muscle (at least that's what I'm telling myself :-)) So hopefully here soon I'll start seeing some weight loss... It's much easier to stay motivated when you can see progress and that your hard work is actually paying off...
So basically I am just happy that I've kept up my motivation and stuck with it, I have been able to exercise every day in the month of October and now it is just a part of my daily routine. I used to use the excuse of not enough time and I'm realizing that it was a lame excuse... Today I exercised, worked (only half day), took an hour nap, went to the mall for a few minutes, and got my jogging in... and its only 4:00... And I still have time to get some cleaning done before dinner and RCIA tonight! Not to mention, when I exercise hard, I eat a lot healthier so as not to undo all of my hard work!
Despite my persistent exercise and diligent eating habits, I haven't really lost any weight since the first week when I lost almost ten pounds. However, I have noticed weight shifting, my pants and shirts are fitting differently and I like to think that the lack of weight loss is an increase in muscle (at least that's what I'm telling myself :-)) So hopefully here soon I'll start seeing some weight loss... It's much easier to stay motivated when you can see progress and that your hard work is actually paying off...
So basically I am just happy that I've kept up my motivation and stuck with it, I have been able to exercise every day in the month of October and now it is just a part of my daily routine. I used to use the excuse of not enough time and I'm realizing that it was a lame excuse... Today I exercised, worked (only half day), took an hour nap, went to the mall for a few minutes, and got my jogging in... and its only 4:00... And I still have time to get some cleaning done before dinner and RCIA tonight! Not to mention, when I exercise hard, I eat a lot healthier so as not to undo all of my hard work!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Perspective
It is easy to get lost in your own struggles and trials but often times something happens to someone else and makes you gain a little perspective.
For instance, we have a few friends who (like us) are in a battle of infertility. Now let me just say right now that my heart aches when I hear about it. Not for me, but for them. I know the struggles that come with it, the emotional ups and downs, the regular hopes that quickly get crushed, and it really hurts me to see others going through those struggles, maybe even more than my own struggles hurt. My regular emotions have been shifted lately to the struggles of waiting for an adoption. Now often those infertility feelings and trials perk up and I deal with them at that time, but on a regular basis, my emotions are geared towards an indefinite waiting period... But I still sympathize greatly with those, especially those close to me, whose struggles with infertility seem never ending, and for some are just beginning.
So as I was praying, it dawned on me that I have so much to be grateful for, even regarding my infertility.
First, we were given some kind of definitive answer, not the answer we hoped for but, it still was an answer. More than likely, we will not be able to get pregnant on our own. That doesn't mean we may not actively try again in the future, but our chances aren't good... However, a "No" is easier than a "maybe" (at least for me).
Second, after hearing "No", we knew that our finances were such that we could afford to adopt. Now that's not to say it's easy for us, we're no millionaires or even thousandaires, but with Jeremy's income where it is, we're able to put all of my income, as irregular as it is, into savings (aka, the adoption fund). Many others don't have this option, at least not right away, so we are truly grateful for his financial stability. Third, we are totally settled into our lives in our home. We have space, we have room to grow, and we have a beautiful neighborhood. Being settled makes the waiting process that much easier as there is not a lot of stress in that area. And finally, we are at a point where we know that when the phone call finally happens, all of our ducks are in a row. I will be able to stay home, my job is such that at a moment's notice, I am available.
Being the choleric person that I am, recognizing our stability as a family and knowing that whenever God gifts us with a child, we are ready. It really makes me appreciate what I have, but also makes me feel for those who don't. My heart and my prayers go out to those who struggle with infertility as it is a battle that I still fight and I don't wish for anyone to go through those struggles.
On a happy note, my basil is sprouting!!! I haven't killed it yet!!! In like two-three weeks, I should have some herbs that I can cook with!
For instance, we have a few friends who (like us) are in a battle of infertility. Now let me just say right now that my heart aches when I hear about it. Not for me, but for them. I know the struggles that come with it, the emotional ups and downs, the regular hopes that quickly get crushed, and it really hurts me to see others going through those struggles, maybe even more than my own struggles hurt. My regular emotions have been shifted lately to the struggles of waiting for an adoption. Now often those infertility feelings and trials perk up and I deal with them at that time, but on a regular basis, my emotions are geared towards an indefinite waiting period... But I still sympathize greatly with those, especially those close to me, whose struggles with infertility seem never ending, and for some are just beginning.
So as I was praying, it dawned on me that I have so much to be grateful for, even regarding my infertility.
First, we were given some kind of definitive answer, not the answer we hoped for but, it still was an answer. More than likely, we will not be able to get pregnant on our own. That doesn't mean we may not actively try again in the future, but our chances aren't good... However, a "No" is easier than a "maybe" (at least for me).
Second, after hearing "No", we knew that our finances were such that we could afford to adopt. Now that's not to say it's easy for us, we're no millionaires or even thousandaires, but with Jeremy's income where it is, we're able to put all of my income, as irregular as it is, into savings (aka, the adoption fund). Many others don't have this option, at least not right away, so we are truly grateful for his financial stability. Third, we are totally settled into our lives in our home. We have space, we have room to grow, and we have a beautiful neighborhood. Being settled makes the waiting process that much easier as there is not a lot of stress in that area. And finally, we are at a point where we know that when the phone call finally happens, all of our ducks are in a row. I will be able to stay home, my job is such that at a moment's notice, I am available.
Being the choleric person that I am, recognizing our stability as a family and knowing that whenever God gifts us with a child, we are ready. It really makes me appreciate what I have, but also makes me feel for those who don't. My heart and my prayers go out to those who struggle with infertility as it is a battle that I still fight and I don't wish for anyone to go through those struggles.
On a happy note, my basil is sprouting!!! I haven't killed it yet!!! In like two-three weeks, I should have some herbs that I can cook with!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Friday
So my Friday consisted of subbing in Junior High Spanish. What this means is that I watched the first 35 minutes of "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakual" SEVEN times... in Spanish... with English subtitles... Now that I'm intrigued, I feel the need to rent the movie and at least watch the ending... And at the end of the day we had a party (not sure what for to be honest, I think maybe Central's Homecoming???) at which time we gave them cookies and apple cider and went to the gym to play knockout. And then sent them on their way for a three day weekend... It made me ask the question, "Who let the animals out of the zoo?" more than once :-)!
Well, all I have to say is that this is a HUGE improvement over my Spanish subbing experience last year when it was "Milo and Otis"... So not complaining about watching the chipmunks :-)!
It's going to be a fun weekend, we're going to the Homecoming game tonight and tomorrow we're having our high school friends over for a fun cookout!!
Well, all I have to say is that this is a HUGE improvement over my Spanish subbing experience last year when it was "Milo and Otis"... So not complaining about watching the chipmunks :-)!
It's going to be a fun weekend, we're going to the Homecoming game tonight and tomorrow we're having our high school friends over for a fun cookout!!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Martha and Mary
I read an article a while back in an adoption packet we received during our homestudy. It focused on the importance of the health of those waiting to adopt an infant. When a woman is pregnant, her body undergoes many physical changes in order to fully prepare her to care for the infant after birth. This is true throughout pregnancy and after as well. Her body adjusts quickly and while she may notice the changes and experience discomfort as her body adjusts, it is a natural process. However, when you adopt a baby, unless you make an effort, your body can be unprepared for the sudden changes it's about to endure. So it stressed the importance of staying fit, losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight, working on arm and leg strength and just overall striving to be in the best health you can when the baby arrives.
So I decided to take this advice to heart. I didn't do it right away, it took a long time for that to be a priority for me, there were many other emotional issues that I really had to work through first. However, it has really become evident recently that these are things that i NEED to do for ME and for our future child. I need it not just for health, but for something to work towards. It is different than a physical pregnancy where you are working towards an end goal that at least has a time frame. Expecting a baby without a due date gives me a lack of focus and a lack of seeing "progress". So I decided to make my own progress. So I have been diligent in regular exercise (even working towards possibly running a 5K, something I never would have been interested in before). I also have been diligent in tracking my calories and overall eating habits. This has been fruitful as I have already lost 7 pounds and am feeling better than I have in a long time.
So what does this have to do with Martha and Mary? Well, aside from physical healthy, I have been really trying to "train" spiritually as well. I have been especially focused on daily readings and reflections as well as devotions to our Mother Mary, reading books and prayers and such. Yesterday, the Gospel was the story of the two women, Martha and Mary. I always like reading this story because it is so applicable in my life. Martha was working very hard to prepare for Jesus and His disciples. While Martha was working so hard, Mary was simply sitting at the Lord's feet and listening to his teaching.
While reading about this story in the "In Conversation with God" reflection, it really struck me that while I can DO a lot to prepare my home and my body for a baby, I also need to LISTEN, PRAY, and REFLECT on it as well to prepare my heart. I am such a doer, someone who has to be busy and doing something. I always want to be accomplishing something, seeing progress. However, this story really shows the importance of stepping back and finding a balance between the doing and the reflecting. It's not all about how much gets done or how fast. Often it's simply about how it was done or how much thought was put into it.
So I really took that to heart. Instead of always saying, "What can I do today to prepare for a child," I am going to start saying "Lord how do YOU want me to serve today? How do YOU want me to prepare my HEART today?" So my goals are to use this waiting period as a time of preparation and to remain hopeful. Not just preparing my home (which I've pretty done) but preparing my body, my heart, and my soul for another member of our family. It's taken some time but I have really taken that adoption article as well as the lessons of Martha and Mary to heart and am trying to go beyond just the physical but into the spiritual and emotional as well.
So I decided to take this advice to heart. I didn't do it right away, it took a long time for that to be a priority for me, there were many other emotional issues that I really had to work through first. However, it has really become evident recently that these are things that i NEED to do for ME and for our future child. I need it not just for health, but for something to work towards. It is different than a physical pregnancy where you are working towards an end goal that at least has a time frame. Expecting a baby without a due date gives me a lack of focus and a lack of seeing "progress". So I decided to make my own progress. So I have been diligent in regular exercise (even working towards possibly running a 5K, something I never would have been interested in before). I also have been diligent in tracking my calories and overall eating habits. This has been fruitful as I have already lost 7 pounds and am feeling better than I have in a long time.
So what does this have to do with Martha and Mary? Well, aside from physical healthy, I have been really trying to "train" spiritually as well. I have been especially focused on daily readings and reflections as well as devotions to our Mother Mary, reading books and prayers and such. Yesterday, the Gospel was the story of the two women, Martha and Mary. I always like reading this story because it is so applicable in my life. Martha was working very hard to prepare for Jesus and His disciples. While Martha was working so hard, Mary was simply sitting at the Lord's feet and listening to his teaching.
While reading about this story in the "In Conversation with God" reflection, it really struck me that while I can DO a lot to prepare my home and my body for a baby, I also need to LISTEN, PRAY, and REFLECT on it as well to prepare my heart. I am such a doer, someone who has to be busy and doing something. I always want to be accomplishing something, seeing progress. However, this story really shows the importance of stepping back and finding a balance between the doing and the reflecting. It's not all about how much gets done or how fast. Often it's simply about how it was done or how much thought was put into it.
So I really took that to heart. Instead of always saying, "What can I do today to prepare for a child," I am going to start saying "Lord how do YOU want me to serve today? How do YOU want me to prepare my HEART today?" So my goals are to use this waiting period as a time of preparation and to remain hopeful. Not just preparing my home (which I've pretty done) but preparing my body, my heart, and my soul for another member of our family. It's taken some time but I have really taken that adoption article as well as the lessons of Martha and Mary to heart and am trying to go beyond just the physical but into the spiritual and emotional as well.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Herb Garden
My MIL is always very creative when it comes to gifts of any kind. For my birthday this year she got me everything I need to make my own indoor herb garden! I've talked about doing this now since we've had our house and just haven't gotten to it. So now is the perfect opportunity!
She got the big container to hold all of the individual pots. She also got me the potting mix and special "food" for them. As well as some seeds for parsley, basil, mint, majoram, and rosemary. There were some sheers to cut the herbs off also, as well as a squirt bottle for misting. She also (knowing my psycho organization tendencies) got me labels and a special pen that is waterproof. Finally she researched the best way to do all of this and is sending me all of the information!
I can't wait to get planting (and organizing)!
Also gifts for my birthday, from my mom (well, and my dad, but I don't think he had much to do with picking them out :-)), were a mat and rotary cutter as well as squares for measuring and straight edges for cutting all of my sewing stuff! They also got me some photo organizers and a photo album for my scrapbooking!
Jeremy got me a Bear's T-shirt, flowers, and once again attempted his annual cookie cake. This year he succeeded in making an edible cake that was very yummy and delicious. He also got me an ice cream cake. It was very sweet to come home after baby-sitting to find that he had worked very hard to make a cookie cake again this year. It's kind of his tradition, but we like to laugh because in years past his efforts (while appreciated) have not yet yielded edible cookie cakes... He persevered this year and even decorated it with homemade icing (that he made) and used my cake decorating tools!
I'd say he did a pretty fantastic job! Thanks hubby! And thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! (Now if only I could get a late birthday phone call about a baby that is waiting for us...)
UPDATE: I just couldn't wait to put it all together, so here are all of my little seeds ready for some sunlight! It'll be 2-3 weeks before they sprout, so lets hope I don't kill them between now and then :-)!
She got the big container to hold all of the individual pots. She also got me the potting mix and special "food" for them. As well as some seeds for parsley, basil, mint, majoram, and rosemary. There were some sheers to cut the herbs off also, as well as a squirt bottle for misting. She also (knowing my psycho organization tendencies) got me labels and a special pen that is waterproof. Finally she researched the best way to do all of this and is sending me all of the information!
I can't wait to get planting (and organizing)!
Also gifts for my birthday, from my mom (well, and my dad, but I don't think he had much to do with picking them out :-)), were a mat and rotary cutter as well as squares for measuring and straight edges for cutting all of my sewing stuff! They also got me some photo organizers and a photo album for my scrapbooking!
Jeremy got me a Bear's T-shirt, flowers, and once again attempted his annual cookie cake. This year he succeeded in making an edible cake that was very yummy and delicious. He also got me an ice cream cake. It was very sweet to come home after baby-sitting to find that he had worked very hard to make a cookie cake again this year. It's kind of his tradition, but we like to laugh because in years past his efforts (while appreciated) have not yet yielded edible cookie cakes... He persevered this year and even decorated it with homemade icing (that he made) and used my cake decorating tools!
I'd say he did a pretty fantastic job! Thanks hubby! And thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! (Now if only I could get a late birthday phone call about a baby that is waiting for us...)UPDATE: I just couldn't wait to put it all together, so here are all of my little seeds ready for some sunlight! It'll be 2-3 weeks before they sprout, so lets hope I don't kill them between now and then :-)!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The "Nice" Teacher
I've had a lot of fun subbing the past few weeks. I've been in and out of Kindergarten, 5th grade, and Junior Theology and have enjoyed the variety. I have also had many laughs as kids say and do some of the funniest things.
Here's my story of the day:
I subbed in 5th grade today. So I got to school this morning and after assembly, we were getting the kids' backpacks. One girl taps me and says "Are you the sub?" I nodded. She then said "Did you bring your paddle?" (The look on my face had to be priceless at this moment and let me just say that I know their teacher well and know that it did not come from her nor would she ever have a paddle) I asked her to repeat what she just said and she did. So I smiled and said "Yes." (jokingly of course) The look on her face was one of sheer terror. She then said "I thought my teacher said you would be nice!" And she then walked away and whispered to another girl that I had, indeed, brought my paddle. I quickly told her that I was joking and did not bring a paddle and would not ever bring a paddle....
Where do they come up with these things? Who gave her the idea that the sub would bring a paddle? A paddle? Really?
So anyway, I was then "graded" all day long on my "niceness". Apparently their teacher told them that I was very nice, so they measured how "nice" I was all day long. So every time a student got in trouble I heard, "I thought you were nice!"
Here's my story of the day:
I subbed in 5th grade today. So I got to school this morning and after assembly, we were getting the kids' backpacks. One girl taps me and says "Are you the sub?" I nodded. She then said "Did you bring your paddle?" (The look on my face had to be priceless at this moment and let me just say that I know their teacher well and know that it did not come from her nor would she ever have a paddle) I asked her to repeat what she just said and she did. So I smiled and said "Yes." (jokingly of course) The look on her face was one of sheer terror. She then said "I thought my teacher said you would be nice!" And she then walked away and whispered to another girl that I had, indeed, brought my paddle. I quickly told her that I was joking and did not bring a paddle and would not ever bring a paddle....
Where do they come up with these things? Who gave her the idea that the sub would bring a paddle? A paddle? Really?
So anyway, I was then "graded" all day long on my "niceness". Apparently their teacher told them that I was very nice, so they measured how "nice" I was all day long. So every time a student got in trouble I heard, "I thought you were nice!"
Monday, September 20, 2010
Birthday Projects
So today is my birthday and I had the day off so I decided to do some fun crafty projects.
The first one was a lamp for the orange and blue man cave downstairs. We needed a lamp down there because it gets so dark when you're watching a movie or something so I decided to make one instead of buying one. I started with an old popcorn tin that of course had Chicago Bears all over it and I drilled holes in the top and the bottom. I bought a self-adhesive lamp shade and a lamp kit, all of which combined was cheaper than buying a lamp. I had leftover fabric from the curtains my mom made for our basement. I attached the fabric to the shade, assembled the lamp kit and voila, it worked!!! My hubby will be excited when he gets home!
The next thing I did was a nightlight for the nursery. When I was in the lamp shade making aisle at Hobby Lobby, I saw make your own nightlights as well and knew I had extra nursery fabric. So with a little cutting, some hot glue, and some pretty ribbon, I have a nightlight next to the changing table!
Finally, the last thing I did was a shelf for above the changing table in the nursery. I was trying to find one that I liked that had hooks too, well, again, while at Hobby Lobby I found the perfect one that was unpainted and ready for some TLC! It also has a cut-out for you to put something cute like a name or something. So I spray painted it all chocolate brown first. Then I took the insert and simply put "Head" in it since we obviously don't know what a name will be when we adopt our baby, added some scrapbook paper to make it cute, and hung it on the wall!
It was fun to relax and do some crafty things today on my birthday!
And here's a picture of the carseat we ordered. We were told by other couples who had recently adopted that a carseat is the one thing that they didn't have when they got the phone call that there was a baby for them. They scrambled to get one and didn't end up with the one they wanted or have time to research the safety of them. Since that is the one thing that you NEED to have, we went ahead and got one, I loved the pattern and the safety ratings were excellent!
The first one was a lamp for the orange and blue man cave downstairs. We needed a lamp down there because it gets so dark when you're watching a movie or something so I decided to make one instead of buying one. I started with an old popcorn tin that of course had Chicago Bears all over it and I drilled holes in the top and the bottom. I bought a self-adhesive lamp shade and a lamp kit, all of which combined was cheaper than buying a lamp. I had leftover fabric from the curtains my mom made for our basement. I attached the fabric to the shade, assembled the lamp kit and voila, it worked!!! My hubby will be excited when he gets home!
The next thing I did was a nightlight for the nursery. When I was in the lamp shade making aisle at Hobby Lobby, I saw make your own nightlights as well and knew I had extra nursery fabric. So with a little cutting, some hot glue, and some pretty ribbon, I have a nightlight next to the changing table!
Finally, the last thing I did was a shelf for above the changing table in the nursery. I was trying to find one that I liked that had hooks too, well, again, while at Hobby Lobby I found the perfect one that was unpainted and ready for some TLC! It also has a cut-out for you to put something cute like a name or something. So I spray painted it all chocolate brown first. Then I took the insert and simply put "Head" in it since we obviously don't know what a name will be when we adopt our baby, added some scrapbook paper to make it cute, and hung it on the wall!
It was fun to relax and do some crafty things today on my birthday!
And here's a picture of the carseat we ordered. We were told by other couples who had recently adopted that a carseat is the one thing that they didn't have when they got the phone call that there was a baby for them. They scrambled to get one and didn't end up with the one they wanted or have time to research the safety of them. Since that is the one thing that you NEED to have, we went ahead and got one, I loved the pattern and the safety ratings were excellent!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
If you give Karen some hedgetrimmers...
She's gonna trim EVERY bush in the yard...
Once she's finished trimming, it will remind her that she needs to clean it all up...
She will get out leaf blower and suck up all of the debris in the WHOLE yard...
After sucking up all of the debri (and getting some mosquito bites along the way), she will notice a few weeds that need pulling...
After pulling ALL of the weeds around the house, she will notice that a tree's branches are starting to get too low...
Once all of the trees are trimmed, branches cleaned up, and a very large pile has accumulated on the curb, she'll stand back admire the hard work she's done... only to realize that she missed a bush...
She will get the hedge trimmers back out and you know what happens when you give Karen some hedgetrimmers...
Okay, maybe a little cheesy, but that was the story of my life this afternoon :-) And it is wonderfully gorgeous outside, so why not spend the day outside!
Once she's finished trimming, it will remind her that she needs to clean it all up...
She will get out leaf blower and suck up all of the debris in the WHOLE yard...
After sucking up all of the debri (and getting some mosquito bites along the way), she will notice a few weeds that need pulling...
After pulling ALL of the weeds around the house, she will notice that a tree's branches are starting to get too low...
Once all of the trees are trimmed, branches cleaned up, and a very large pile has accumulated on the curb, she'll stand back admire the hard work she's done... only to realize that she missed a bush...
She will get the hedge trimmers back out and you know what happens when you give Karen some hedgetrimmers...
Okay, maybe a little cheesy, but that was the story of my life this afternoon :-) And it is wonderfully gorgeous outside, so why not spend the day outside!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Frustration
The last few weeks have been a struggle for me here at home. I enjoy being at home so much, but having so much time on my hands makes it very hard for me to overcome my frustration playing the waiting game. We have been fully licensed to adopt now for 3 months. Three months doesn't sound like a long time, but to us it seems like FOREVER. (And I REALLY can't stand it when people say "it's only been a few months", I want to scream)
When I am home all day, wishing that I was at home with my own children, each day seems like FOREVER. The struggle is that I love being at home. I love having my hubby come home to a clean house with dinner on the table after I was at the park with lots of people and got lots of RCIA work done. It is a wonderful feeling at the end of the day. However, when I am subbing or any other kind of work and am super busy, I am able to temporarily forget about my frustrating waiting game.
Yesterday I kept asking myself, "What am I doing?" By that I mean, where am I going, what purpose am I fulfilling? I am kind of a stay at home wife. Well, in all reality my hubby's not that high maintenance that he needs a stay at home wife :-). I just feel like I'm watching everyone's lives fly by while I'm standing still. Each decision I make, each "career" choice I make are all made assuming that we will have children soon. But will we? I just really don't know. It is just really hard for me to see the purpose in it all. Should I have gotten a "real" job? Should I just plan as though we won't have kids and live my life accordingly? Or should I keep doing what I'm doing and let it go? I have never been a patient person and I really like to have control over things. Letting go of that is not something that comes easy to me.
Some days I am so hopeful. I just hope that God will bless us with a child soon and everything will go smoothly. Other days I just can't see that our time will ever come and I just KNOW that we'll wait years and years. I guess it all comes down to trusting in God's divine plan and right now that just seems scary to me. I KNOW that it will ultimately lead to my happiness but it's hard to see past the frustration of the NOW when the one thing we want most in the world seems so far away...
So please keep us in your prayers. It is a trying time and although I know that God has a plan for our family, there are days when I really struggle to trust in it.
When I am home all day, wishing that I was at home with my own children, each day seems like FOREVER. The struggle is that I love being at home. I love having my hubby come home to a clean house with dinner on the table after I was at the park with lots of people and got lots of RCIA work done. It is a wonderful feeling at the end of the day. However, when I am subbing or any other kind of work and am super busy, I am able to temporarily forget about my frustrating waiting game.
Yesterday I kept asking myself, "What am I doing?" By that I mean, where am I going, what purpose am I fulfilling? I am kind of a stay at home wife. Well, in all reality my hubby's not that high maintenance that he needs a stay at home wife :-). I just feel like I'm watching everyone's lives fly by while I'm standing still. Each decision I make, each "career" choice I make are all made assuming that we will have children soon. But will we? I just really don't know. It is just really hard for me to see the purpose in it all. Should I have gotten a "real" job? Should I just plan as though we won't have kids and live my life accordingly? Or should I keep doing what I'm doing and let it go? I have never been a patient person and I really like to have control over things. Letting go of that is not something that comes easy to me.
Some days I am so hopeful. I just hope that God will bless us with a child soon and everything will go smoothly. Other days I just can't see that our time will ever come and I just KNOW that we'll wait years and years. I guess it all comes down to trusting in God's divine plan and right now that just seems scary to me. I KNOW that it will ultimately lead to my happiness but it's hard to see past the frustration of the NOW when the one thing we want most in the world seems so far away...
So please keep us in your prayers. It is a trying time and although I know that God has a plan for our family, there are days when I really struggle to trust in it.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Top Seven Laughs/Smiles of the week
This week was the first week of school. Which for me means this was my week off! Yay! While it is very nice to have time off, it was also kinda difficult because I was home alone all week. Jeremy had a few evening work things this week so that made for some long days... However, admist my boredom, I had a pretty fantastic week! So here are some things that made me laugh/smile this week.
1) Mass at the Newman Center on Monday! So not necessary a laugh, but definitely smile. It is so nice to see the Chapel finished and so much more beautiful than it was. It is great to finally see a place where students can not only feel the presence of God, but see it as well! It's no longer an eyesore (as long as you approach from the front :-)) And a laugh came after when Lucy was offering people popcorn by giving them two-three pieces out of her hand instead of offering the bag :-)
2) Daily Mass breakfast. So after St. Pat's daily Mass, some of the older ladies and gentlemen go out for breakfast, every day. Well, I went with Fr. Ryan and Stephanie and we had laughs aplenty! My favorite was when Father, after eating his second breakfast of the day, could not finish his omelet and hash browns and pancakes (already covered in syrup, mind you). The lady next to him, who brags to be 89 years old, promptly said "Fr. are you going to finish that?" He responds by explaining his giant waffle breakfast at home that morning. And she says "Father, there are starving children in China and you are not going to finish the food that you are given!" I don't think I've ever actually heard someone say that while being serious. And then she proceeded to make him box it up and take it home and made him scrape the plate, crumbs and all. He jokingly asked for a squeegee which made the whole table laugh. It was quite the laugh. This is after she corrected his grammar more than once. It was so much fun to hang out with those cool holy people who I see at Mass all of the time but rarely have a chance to talk to!
3) Seeing all of the facebook comments after I posted that I had made cookies and ice cream. That's one way to get human contact in a week all by yourself :-)
4) This outrageously gorgeous weather! Wow, how blessed were we this week! Enough said!
5) Having Raine and Jade, the girls I baby-sit often, tell me on the phone that they miss me (after only two weeks of not seeing them) and that they want me to come baby-sit soon. Lucky for them, I'm watching them all weekend this weekend! We're gonna have fun! And tonight I get to watch two of my other favorite little friends, Carter and Anna, who make me laugh the entire time that I am there!
6) Getting my behind handed to me in putt-putt golf last night by my hubby. I laughed many a time as I am usually super good at putt-putt but couldn't do a thing last night. I landed in every water, sand, rock, etc... trap and put up the high score of the game (by A LOT). At the same time, Jeremy got 3 hole in ones and ended up only getting one over par at the end of the game! It was a fun impromptu date night when we remembered that we had free putt-putt tickets from our cornbelters game this weekend!
7) A nice lady walking her dog this morning stopped while I was moving the sprinkler to compliment us on our nice garden out front. She said it was beautiful. After a week of pruning, watering, and caring for it, that was a very nice compliment!
What a nice week off! I am very lucky to have time to get everything done that needed done and relax a ton too. As nice as it was, I hope it doesn't last long :-). At least I know next Thursday/Friday I'm subbing for theology!
1) Mass at the Newman Center on Monday! So not necessary a laugh, but definitely smile. It is so nice to see the Chapel finished and so much more beautiful than it was. It is great to finally see a place where students can not only feel the presence of God, but see it as well! It's no longer an eyesore (as long as you approach from the front :-)) And a laugh came after when Lucy was offering people popcorn by giving them two-three pieces out of her hand instead of offering the bag :-)
2) Daily Mass breakfast. So after St. Pat's daily Mass, some of the older ladies and gentlemen go out for breakfast, every day. Well, I went with Fr. Ryan and Stephanie and we had laughs aplenty! My favorite was when Father, after eating his second breakfast of the day, could not finish his omelet and hash browns and pancakes (already covered in syrup, mind you). The lady next to him, who brags to be 89 years old, promptly said "Fr. are you going to finish that?" He responds by explaining his giant waffle breakfast at home that morning. And she says "Father, there are starving children in China and you are not going to finish the food that you are given!" I don't think I've ever actually heard someone say that while being serious. And then she proceeded to make him box it up and take it home and made him scrape the plate, crumbs and all. He jokingly asked for a squeegee which made the whole table laugh. It was quite the laugh. This is after she corrected his grammar more than once. It was so much fun to hang out with those cool holy people who I see at Mass all of the time but rarely have a chance to talk to!
3) Seeing all of the facebook comments after I posted that I had made cookies and ice cream. That's one way to get human contact in a week all by yourself :-)
4) This outrageously gorgeous weather! Wow, how blessed were we this week! Enough said!
5) Having Raine and Jade, the girls I baby-sit often, tell me on the phone that they miss me (after only two weeks of not seeing them) and that they want me to come baby-sit soon. Lucky for them, I'm watching them all weekend this weekend! We're gonna have fun! And tonight I get to watch two of my other favorite little friends, Carter and Anna, who make me laugh the entire time that I am there!
6) Getting my behind handed to me in putt-putt golf last night by my hubby. I laughed many a time as I am usually super good at putt-putt but couldn't do a thing last night. I landed in every water, sand, rock, etc... trap and put up the high score of the game (by A LOT). At the same time, Jeremy got 3 hole in ones and ended up only getting one over par at the end of the game! It was a fun impromptu date night when we remembered that we had free putt-putt tickets from our cornbelters game this weekend!
7) A nice lady walking her dog this morning stopped while I was moving the sprinkler to compliment us on our nice garden out front. She said it was beautiful. After a week of pruning, watering, and caring for it, that was a very nice compliment!
What a nice week off! I am very lucky to have time to get everything done that needed done and relax a ton too. As nice as it was, I hope it doesn't last long :-). At least I know next Thursday/Friday I'm subbing for theology!
Friday, August 6, 2010
DIY Bathroom Makeover
Since we bought our house, the one room that I never liked was our Master Bathroom. When we found this house, we decided that if we had to sacrifice on one room, then it would be a bathroom where quality time is not spent with others. So we have the World's Smallest Master Bath. It IS a master bath which we liked, our own private bathroom (although Jeremy has recently pointed out that I have three of my own private bathrooms :-))
So since making it bigger is not an option, it's landlocked... and reconfiguring it is not an option, we decided to make the most of what we call our "one butt bathroom". We had this light wood colored cheapo looking vanity that had many places where the finish was scratched/peeled off (and what's with the fake drawers). And the walls were kinda half painted, but with lots of missed spots. The hardware was all ugly gold (including the light fixture) and basically there wasn't much redeeming about it other than a nice big shower which we like.
Okay, enough complaining about the small bathroom. I decided to change it. The first thing I did was reorganize the counter, decluttering and putting a suction cup thing on the mirror for extra storage. I also painted the walls a couple months ago, to match the shower curtain and our bedroom. We had also painted all of the towel racks to match. So I got a wild hair one day and decided to stain the vanity. Being a beginner at the whole staining thing, I read the directions carefully and just went to town. I sanded, stained/wiped (3 coats). Then I polyeurothaned the next day. The end result: WOW! What a difference the vanity makes! The whole thing was probably a total of like $20 and I feel like we have a whole new bathroom! It was very easy and I LOVE IT!
So here's some pictures of my new master bathroom that is still small but not looks as "decorated" as the rest of the house! (I always forget to take "before" pictures, but trust me, they're not worth looking at)
Oh yeah, I spray painted the light fixture too, it's chocolate brown but I took these pictures at night, so I had to have the lights on... Trust me, it looks way better than ugly gold.
This one kinda shows the color of the vanity now.
I also spray painted the hardware chocolate brown, a huge improvement over the gold. Jeremy is convinced that I am on a quest to remove all gold finishes from this house... He may be right...
So since making it bigger is not an option, it's landlocked... and reconfiguring it is not an option, we decided to make the most of what we call our "one butt bathroom". We had this light wood colored cheapo looking vanity that had many places where the finish was scratched/peeled off (and what's with the fake drawers). And the walls were kinda half painted, but with lots of missed spots. The hardware was all ugly gold (including the light fixture) and basically there wasn't much redeeming about it other than a nice big shower which we like.
Okay, enough complaining about the small bathroom. I decided to change it. The first thing I did was reorganize the counter, decluttering and putting a suction cup thing on the mirror for extra storage. I also painted the walls a couple months ago, to match the shower curtain and our bedroom. We had also painted all of the towel racks to match. So I got a wild hair one day and decided to stain the vanity. Being a beginner at the whole staining thing, I read the directions carefully and just went to town. I sanded, stained/wiped (3 coats). Then I polyeurothaned the next day. The end result: WOW! What a difference the vanity makes! The whole thing was probably a total of like $20 and I feel like we have a whole new bathroom! It was very easy and I LOVE IT!
So here's some pictures of my new master bathroom that is still small but not looks as "decorated" as the rest of the house! (I always forget to take "before" pictures, but trust me, they're not worth looking at)
Oh yeah, I spray painted the light fixture too, it's chocolate brown but I took these pictures at night, so I had to have the lights on... Trust me, it looks way better than ugly gold.
This one kinda shows the color of the vanity now.
I also spray painted the hardware chocolate brown, a huge improvement over the gold. Jeremy is convinced that I am on a quest to remove all gold finishes from this house... He may be right...
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Dear Jeremy,
Thank you for loving me unconditionally. Thank you for making me smile. Thank you for the little things, like making me bacon on a Saturday morning or riding your bike with a flat tire to pick up the pottery that I forgot to pick up or doing the laundry unexpectedly when you know I've had a rough day. Thank you, most importantly, for your faith and your ability to make every day the perfect day!
You always thing of yourself last and others first. You are one of the most generous people I have ever met and all who know you love your kindness. You are one of the most faith-filled people that I know and no matter what, your Catholic aith always comes first. I admire your persistence, your courage, your sincerity, and your gentleness.
The last two years have been two of the best of our lives. We have gone through a lot of great times, trying times, and many in between. From a beautiful wedding to a fun vacation in Rome despite being on a plane that caught fire, a brand new and absolutely wonderful house and all of the work that comes with it, a trip to California to see your best friend get married, lots of studying, the long wait for a child, the trials of infertility, the stress of becoming licensed foster parents, the joy of finally becoming licensed, and now the wait to receive our first child. But through it all, you remain a smiling face and a perfect example of patience. I have learned a lot from you in the 7.5 years we've been together and there is still much more to learn. I am a better person because of you and your example.
Thank you for being my best friend, my soul mate, and my life long partner! You are the best and I am the luckiest girl in the world. I love you and am so excited for the continued journey that we are on. I am especially excited for the (hopefully soon) opportunity to see you become a father and to raise our children together.
Happy Anniversary to the best hubby ever! I love you Jeremy!
Love,
Karen
You always thing of yourself last and others first. You are one of the most generous people I have ever met and all who know you love your kindness. You are one of the most faith-filled people that I know and no matter what, your Catholic aith always comes first. I admire your persistence, your courage, your sincerity, and your gentleness.
The last two years have been two of the best of our lives. We have gone through a lot of great times, trying times, and many in between. From a beautiful wedding to a fun vacation in Rome despite being on a plane that caught fire, a brand new and absolutely wonderful house and all of the work that comes with it, a trip to California to see your best friend get married, lots of studying, the long wait for a child, the trials of infertility, the stress of becoming licensed foster parents, the joy of finally becoming licensed, and now the wait to receive our first child. But through it all, you remain a smiling face and a perfect example of patience. I have learned a lot from you in the 7.5 years we've been together and there is still much more to learn. I am a better person because of you and your example.
Thank you for being my best friend, my soul mate, and my life long partner! You are the best and I am the luckiest girl in the world. I love you and am so excited for the continued journey that we are on. I am especially excited for the (hopefully soon) opportunity to see you become a father and to raise our children together.
Happy Anniversary to the best hubby ever! I love you Jeremy!
Love,
Karen
Monday, July 12, 2010
Midsummer Review
Summer is flying!!! Yikes!! It seems like I was teaching last week and it's already mid-July! So what have I enjoyed about summer?
1) The opportunity to go to daily Mass! During the school year, I actually get this opportunity a lot too, teaching at Catholic Schools, but it's not regular! However, the girl that I baby-sit for has swim team from 8-10:45. So I drop her off and hit one of the many Masses offered right around that time! It's been really nice to utilize that time. And I am definitely missing it this week as I have her cousin this week also and he doesn't go to swimming...
2) Lots of things checked off our "things to do list" on the weekends. There really are just a few left to do and they're all inside things, so they can wait!
3) Teaching myself how to sew. I've definitely enjoyed this new hobby!
4) Working on Christmas presents (I know, weird right)! But I make a years supply of birthday/anniversary/thank you cards for my mom, jeremy's mom, and various other gift exchanges. I have made about 50 cards so far and plan on doing about 4 times that. It greatly reduces our Christmas budget and is homemade and from the heart with a lot of time and effort involved. And I know they're appreciated and used! I am also going to make pretty basket liners to put inside baskets to store them in.
5) Hubby Time! Basically Jeremy studies for 4 months and has 2 months off. He takes his Actuary Exams twice a year and while he's waiting for the results, he has time off to enjoy himself. And I get to enjoy evenings with him and lots of family/friend time. However, results are in, he didn't pass again this time, so it's back to the books for another round of this super horrible exam. We're ready for him to move past this one. He's working super hard to pass it in November!!! And when we do, you can all expect to be invited to a party as this exam has been very straining on him!
It's been a fun summer thus far, lots of fun times. And as we continue to wait patiently for that baby to come along, we're hoping that maybe the end of the summer will be our time? I'm far less patient than I thought I was (that's not something to be proud of for sure) and seriously every time my phone rings and I don't know the number (which surprisingly happens just about every day) I get all excited inside! So forewarning, if you ever call me from an unknown number, don't be offended when I sound disappointed that it's you :-)! So say a few prayers for me, will ya? I really could use some extra patience, but prayers for a quick adoption would be nice too :-)!
1) The opportunity to go to daily Mass! During the school year, I actually get this opportunity a lot too, teaching at Catholic Schools, but it's not regular! However, the girl that I baby-sit for has swim team from 8-10:45. So I drop her off and hit one of the many Masses offered right around that time! It's been really nice to utilize that time. And I am definitely missing it this week as I have her cousin this week also and he doesn't go to swimming...
2) Lots of things checked off our "things to do list" on the weekends. There really are just a few left to do and they're all inside things, so they can wait!
3) Teaching myself how to sew. I've definitely enjoyed this new hobby!
4) Working on Christmas presents (I know, weird right)! But I make a years supply of birthday/anniversary/thank you cards for my mom, jeremy's mom, and various other gift exchanges. I have made about 50 cards so far and plan on doing about 4 times that. It greatly reduces our Christmas budget and is homemade and from the heart with a lot of time and effort involved. And I know they're appreciated and used! I am also going to make pretty basket liners to put inside baskets to store them in.
5) Hubby Time! Basically Jeremy studies for 4 months and has 2 months off. He takes his Actuary Exams twice a year and while he's waiting for the results, he has time off to enjoy himself. And I get to enjoy evenings with him and lots of family/friend time. However, results are in, he didn't pass again this time, so it's back to the books for another round of this super horrible exam. We're ready for him to move past this one. He's working super hard to pass it in November!!! And when we do, you can all expect to be invited to a party as this exam has been very straining on him!
It's been a fun summer thus far, lots of fun times. And as we continue to wait patiently for that baby to come along, we're hoping that maybe the end of the summer will be our time? I'm far less patient than I thought I was (that's not something to be proud of for sure) and seriously every time my phone rings and I don't know the number (which surprisingly happens just about every day) I get all excited inside! So forewarning, if you ever call me from an unknown number, don't be offended when I sound disappointed that it's you :-)! So say a few prayers for me, will ya? I really could use some extra patience, but prayers for a quick adoption would be nice too :-)!
Friday, July 2, 2010
StayCation
We took a little mini vacation which we called a "staycation". You know, one of those where you have time off just to get things done at home, and not go anywhere! The people I baby-sit for have family in town for a few days, so I had time off and Jeremy took it off as well! So here's what we've been up to during the 2 out of the 5 day weekend we've had so far.
Day 1: (Thursday)
Jeremy got up early and got right to work staining the deck. It took a total of 12 hours to complete, but boy does it look fantastic! The first one is the before picture, the last three are after! We haven't put our furniture out yet, the deck is still drying.
While he was doing that, I was sewing myself a new purse. My old one got hydrocortizone cream spilled in it big time. Not easy to get out. So I made myself a new purse! I also made a little pouch for feminine products since there's no zipper pocket inside. It thought it turned out cute! And it holds everything I need.
I also helped stain the deck a little bit, but was a bigger help making lunch/dinner and making sure he always had water. It was the perfect day to do it and we were only in the sun for about an hour because of our beautiful trees! And we finally found a weekend with no rain!
Day 2: (Friday)
We slept in, had cinnamon rolls (a treat around here) and then we got to work. I began by trimming/pruning "The Beasts". We have these two bushes, one on each side of the front of our house and they're just monsters. They grow so fast and just take over the whole area. They're hard to mow around and when it rains they just get worse. So it was time to trim them, again! We trim them a lot but I did a major whack job this time. I forgot to take before pictures, I guess I didn't realize there would be such a difference!
Jeremy mowed the yard (a bi-weekly occurrence right now with all of this rain) and trimmed around our landscaping. Then he edged around the sidewalk/driveway. It needed done, but we didn't want to buy an edger. Then I remembered that my parents had one. I know they used it once, but beyond that, I think it was just a cob web collector in the garage. So we asked for it and they said they'd gladly give it up! My dad hated edging and therefore never did it. Jeremy, however, likes it and likes the way it looks, so he is excited about his "new" toy! It looks great!
Here's our beautiful flowers this year! The daisies are a new development, we didn't put them there, but they showed up anyway! And we are glad, they are beautiful! We love the landscaping that the old owners of this house did, it is so beautiful at all times of the year, and super low maintenance (except for The Beasts of course). We are truly blessed with a beautiful home and we enjoy doing the work to make it stay beautiful!
On the agenda for the rest of today is to grocery shop. We've been using up our reserves for the last few months and haven't really been to the grocery store since March/April except for the basic things like milk, bread, eggs, etc... So it is a major stock up time, as we need just about everything. We were looking for something to eat last night and realized that we really don't have anything to eat. Pantry, fridge, and freezer are all empty except for basic condiments! So it's off to the store for us and we'll soon have a freezer full!
We also have a birthday dinner for my mom tomorrow night. And we're having a 4th of July cookout for family/friends on Sunday afternoon! We're hoping to have a fun Sunday celebrating our nation's independence with the people we love! Happy 4th of July weekend!
Day 1: (Thursday)
Jeremy got up early and got right to work staining the deck. It took a total of 12 hours to complete, but boy does it look fantastic! The first one is the before picture, the last three are after! We haven't put our furniture out yet, the deck is still drying.
While he was doing that, I was sewing myself a new purse. My old one got hydrocortizone cream spilled in it big time. Not easy to get out. So I made myself a new purse! I also made a little pouch for feminine products since there's no zipper pocket inside. It thought it turned out cute! And it holds everything I need.
I also helped stain the deck a little bit, but was a bigger help making lunch/dinner and making sure he always had water. It was the perfect day to do it and we were only in the sun for about an hour because of our beautiful trees! And we finally found a weekend with no rain!
Day 2: (Friday)
We slept in, had cinnamon rolls (a treat around here) and then we got to work. I began by trimming/pruning "The Beasts". We have these two bushes, one on each side of the front of our house and they're just monsters. They grow so fast and just take over the whole area. They're hard to mow around and when it rains they just get worse. So it was time to trim them, again! We trim them a lot but I did a major whack job this time. I forgot to take before pictures, I guess I didn't realize there would be such a difference!
Jeremy mowed the yard (a bi-weekly occurrence right now with all of this rain) and trimmed around our landscaping. Then he edged around the sidewalk/driveway. It needed done, but we didn't want to buy an edger. Then I remembered that my parents had one. I know they used it once, but beyond that, I think it was just a cob web collector in the garage. So we asked for it and they said they'd gladly give it up! My dad hated edging and therefore never did it. Jeremy, however, likes it and likes the way it looks, so he is excited about his "new" toy! It looks great!
Here's our beautiful flowers this year! The daisies are a new development, we didn't put them there, but they showed up anyway! And we are glad, they are beautiful! We love the landscaping that the old owners of this house did, it is so beautiful at all times of the year, and super low maintenance (except for The Beasts of course). We are truly blessed with a beautiful home and we enjoy doing the work to make it stay beautiful!
On the agenda for the rest of today is to grocery shop. We've been using up our reserves for the last few months and haven't really been to the grocery store since March/April except for the basic things like milk, bread, eggs, etc... So it is a major stock up time, as we need just about everything. We were looking for something to eat last night and realized that we really don't have anything to eat. Pantry, fridge, and freezer are all empty except for basic condiments! So it's off to the store for us and we'll soon have a freezer full!
We also have a birthday dinner for my mom tomorrow night. And we're having a 4th of July cookout for family/friends on Sunday afternoon! We're hoping to have a fun Sunday celebrating our nation's independence with the people we love! Happy 4th of July weekend!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Diaper Stacker
I just completed my diaper stacker! It was more complicated that I originally thought, but after a few hours of work, I completed it! It is certainly a little rough around the edges, but no one will notice those spots except me! It turned out well and looks like what it was supposed to be! So I call it a success!
On the right of the changing table is the crib that the people I baby-sit for gave us! They used it for their now 2 year old and we finally drove it from their house to ours! It's going to be beautiful when it's all done and put together!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Nursery Fun
Take two... I typed this all out and then our computer got angry... So here goes again!
So I said in a post recently that I couldn't find baby "stuff" that I liked, meaning bedding, curtains, etc... So I was going to make it all (or get help making it all). So I asked Jeremy for a super early birthday present (my birthday's in September) and he got me a sewing machine! We got a good deal on it at Target. It's nothing super fancy, but it works great! So I read the owners manual and taught myself kinda how to use it! I've done a few things with my mom, but never on my own. I typically am very good at figuring things out on my own, I get impatient when people try to teach me, so it works well that I learn fast on my own. So here's my attempts at sewing! It seems to be going very well for starters!
I had also found some fabric that I really like that really matches the walls in our nursery. They were painted a teal color by the past owners and its really pretty. So I found a teal/brown paisley and a teal/brown polka dot. They are really pretty and very gender neutral depending on what I pair it with. So I started my sewing endeavors! And I found super cute ribbons to match.
I started by sewing a curtain. I later realized it was good to start with something not very close to eye level as the work is not perfect by any stretch, I'm still learning... I thought it turned out pretty cute! And there may or may not be newspaper stuffed up in the top because it was too heavy and sagged... I'm recycling...
Then I made two pillows. One to put on the big rocking chair and one to put in a little rocking chair that I have from when I was a kid. The first pillow I made, I made wrong, so I had to undo it and redo it, but in the end, they turned out cute too!
That was all of my sewing for the day. The other thing that I did was make a lamp shade. I found a lamp stand at Target for super cheap and painted it brown. Originally it was white and blended with the shelf and made it look like the lamp shade was floating. So I just spray painted it. I thought it turned out cute too! Here's a picture of the lamp and the surrounding items on the shelf.
I've really enjoyed this so far. My plans are to make a cute crib skirt, a diaper stacker, a changing pad cover, and some basket liners for baskets on the changing table. I also want my mom to make a quilt with the different fabrics I've used. I also am enjoying the fact that I've done all of this and have all of the fabric to make the rest for less than 50 dollars! I find that amazing as no set that I can find (cute ones at least) is anywhere near that price. And I think it's cuter! It's kinda fun to have another room to decorate since the rest of the house is done! Now all we need is the baby... :-)
Here's the art work I did for the room to... It's what you can see behind the lamp. It's the prayer from night prayer that we say every night and I think it is a really beautiful prayer!
So I said in a post recently that I couldn't find baby "stuff" that I liked, meaning bedding, curtains, etc... So I was going to make it all (or get help making it all). So I asked Jeremy for a super early birthday present (my birthday's in September) and he got me a sewing machine! We got a good deal on it at Target. It's nothing super fancy, but it works great! So I read the owners manual and taught myself kinda how to use it! I've done a few things with my mom, but never on my own. I typically am very good at figuring things out on my own, I get impatient when people try to teach me, so it works well that I learn fast on my own. So here's my attempts at sewing! It seems to be going very well for starters!
I had also found some fabric that I really like that really matches the walls in our nursery. They were painted a teal color by the past owners and its really pretty. So I found a teal/brown paisley and a teal/brown polka dot. They are really pretty and very gender neutral depending on what I pair it with. So I started my sewing endeavors! And I found super cute ribbons to match.
I started by sewing a curtain. I later realized it was good to start with something not very close to eye level as the work is not perfect by any stretch, I'm still learning... I thought it turned out pretty cute! And there may or may not be newspaper stuffed up in the top because it was too heavy and sagged... I'm recycling...
Then I made two pillows. One to put on the big rocking chair and one to put in a little rocking chair that I have from when I was a kid. The first pillow I made, I made wrong, so I had to undo it and redo it, but in the end, they turned out cute too!
That was all of my sewing for the day. The other thing that I did was make a lamp shade. I found a lamp stand at Target for super cheap and painted it brown. Originally it was white and blended with the shelf and made it look like the lamp shade was floating. So I just spray painted it. I thought it turned out cute too! Here's a picture of the lamp and the surrounding items on the shelf.
I've really enjoyed this so far. My plans are to make a cute crib skirt, a diaper stacker, a changing pad cover, and some basket liners for baskets on the changing table. I also want my mom to make a quilt with the different fabrics I've used. I also am enjoying the fact that I've done all of this and have all of the fabric to make the rest for less than 50 dollars! I find that amazing as no set that I can find (cute ones at least) is anywhere near that price. And I think it's cuter! It's kinda fun to have another room to decorate since the rest of the house is done! Now all we need is the baby... :-)
Here's the art work I did for the room to... It's what you can see behind the lamp. It's the prayer from night prayer that we say every night and I think it is a really beautiful prayer!
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