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Sunday, December 30, 2012

2012 Year in Review


1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?

Tons actually!  2012 was a huge year of firsts for me.  The biggest first was becoming parents after 2 1/2 years of waiting.  As new parents, there have been many firsts, and we are loving all of them.  Another shocking first is that I am a stay at home mom for the year.

This year I also traveled more than any other year. I was out of state 7 out of 12 months.  I also lived in a lake house in New Hampshire for a month.   I flew in an airplane for the first time since 2007, and I survived.

While I was the most stressed during August-October, I am now more at peace than ever.  Everything about my life feels just right.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? 


I didn't really make any last year, but I still need to work on my diet and exercise.  I did surpass my reading goal, and I semi-maintained my blog.

My resolution for 2013 is to live in a state of gratitude for all I have been given, most of which I do not deserve.

3. What places did you visit? 

Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Cape Cod, Maine, Ohio, California, Nevada, Vermont, New Hampshire

4. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?

Nothing.

5. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory?


5/18-20: Sisters Weekend in Cape Cod
7/5: Our 4th wedding anniversary and the day we got THE call
7/13: We made our match official
8/1-9: Our California/Lake Tahoe trip
8/22: LXG is  born
10/12: TRP is final

6. What was your biggest achievement of the year? 

Honestly, being a decent mom.  I wasn't sure I could do it well, but I think I am doing a good job.  I read 42 books this year, and I also tried (and loved) paddle boarding.
  
7. What was your biggest failure?

Right after LXG was born, I was afraid to really open my heart to him.  We were so close to our dream, and I was afraid it would come crashing down.  My parents' faith and love carried me through, and I opened my heart and never looked back.

8. Did you suffer illness or injury?


No :-)

9. What did you get really, really, really excited about? 

Aside from LXG, my year was all about great trips.  Amanda and I drove to VIrginia for a job interview and had the best time.  In May, Jess, Amanda and I went to Cape Cod for a Sisters Weekend and to celebrate Amanda's 25th birthday.  It was probably the best weekend of the year.  Dave and I also took an amazing trip to California and Lake Tahoe.  We made some really great memories this year.

10. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?
happier
b) thinner or fatter? 
fatter
c) richer or poorer
poorer

11. What do you wish you’d done more of?

We didn't get up to Moreau Lake as often as we usually do.  We also missed our annual camping trip with John and Jenn because we were in New Hampshire.  We took one hike, and I'd like to take more in 2013.  As always, I wish I had written more.  I hope my memory of LXG stays fresh because I didn't record much of his young life because we were too busy living it!    

12. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worrying and spending time in New Hampshire.  I never loved New York more than the day we came home.

13.  What were your favorite TV programs?

Modern Family
Big Bang Theory
NFL
Friends
HGTV
Keeping Up With the Kardashians
  
14.  What did you do for your birthday in 2012?

Not much at all, and it was exactly what I wanted.  We had just returned from New Hampshire, Sara had been here, and I just wanted a low-key birthday.  Having LXG was all I wanted, and we just enjoyed him.  Dave did take me to a Patriots/Bills game in Buffalo the following weekend, and it was awesome!  

15.  What is a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012?

At the risk of sounding cheesy, I learned that miracles DO happen!  So many times I doubted if we would ever be parents, and LXG is such a miracle in every way.  When I think of all of the ways that our adoption could have fallen apart, I am awe of how it all came together.

16.  My goals for 2013:   

Be present, say thank you, love more!


Happy New Year!

2012: A YEAR IN BOOKS


2012: A YEAR IN BOOKS

  • 42. A Year in the Merde, Stephen Clark
  • 41. Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, Maria Semple
  • 40. Why We Broke Up, Daniel Handler
  • 39. Atlas of Love, Laurie Frankel
  • 38. Burned, Sara Shephard
  • 37. Never Have I Ever, Sara Shephard
  • 36. DIsappear, Love, E. Hughes
  • 35. The Lying Game, Sara Shephard
  • 34. Murder at Blue Falls, Maggie Bishop
  • 33. It's Murder, My Son, Lauren Carr
  • 32. The Real, James Cole
  • 31. The Starboard Sea, Amber McDermont
  • 30. Travelogue of an Unruly Youth, DC Jesse Burkhardt
  • 29. All I Want for Christmas is You, Lisa Mondello
  • 28. Losing Clementine, Ashley Ream
  • 27. Weekends Required, Sydney Landon
  • 26. Night Road, Kristen Hannah
  • 25. The Bungalow: Sarah Jio
  • 24. A Week at the Beach, Virginia Jewel
  • 23. What I Saw and How I Lied, Judy Blundell
  • 22. That Old Cape Magic, Richard Russo
  • 21. Stunning, Sara Shephard
  • 20. A Northern Light, Jennifer Donnelly
  • 19. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
  • 18. Finishing Becca, Ann RInaldi
  • 17. Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly
  • 16. Ruthless, Sara Shepard
  • 15. Twisted, Sara Shepard
  • 14. Wanted, Sara Shepard
  • 13. Heartless, Sara Shepard
  • 12. Killer, Sara Shepard
  • 11. Wicked, Sara Shepard
  • 10. Unbelievable, Sara Shepard
  • 9. Perfect, Sara Shepard
  • 8. Flawless, Sara Shepard
  • 7. Home Again, Kristen Hannah
  • 6. Pretty Little Liars, Sara Shepard
  • 5. Three Moons Over Sedona, Sherry Hartzler
  • 4. Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
  • 3. On Thin Ice, Eve Gaddy
  • 2. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, Carolyn Mackler
  • 1. Sing You Home, Jodi Piccult

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Best Books of 2012

I am doing sub-categories since I liked most of what I read this year.

Best Book of 2012
The Bungalow, Sarah Jio

Best Young Adult
Pretty Little Liars and all that followed, Sara Shepard
The Hunger Games Trilogy, Suzanne Collins
Why We Broke Up, Daniel Handler

Best Historical Fiction
Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly
Finishing Becca, Ann Rinaldi

Best Fiction
Atlas of Love, Laurie Frankel
Night Road, Kristen Hannah
The Real, James Cole

Don't Bother Reading
All I Want for Christmas is You, Lisa Mondello
A Week at the Beach, Virginia Jewel




First Christmas!

Our first Christmas as a family of three was great!  We did things differently this year, but it was a really special holiday.  

We visited my parents for a bit on Christmas Eve day, but we spent the night at home.  We made a nice dinner and went to church at night.  L was so good during the service, awake but happy.  He especially loved the music.  We opened gifts with him before church, but he wasn't all that interested.  

Christmas Day was a flurry of activity!  In addition to our first real snow fall, we had many family visits to make.  We spent the first half of the day with my family and the second with Dave's family.  I left my camera at my parents house by accident so I didn't take many pictures.  We snapped this one in front of my parent's tree, and I just love it.  




Saturday, December 22, 2012

4 Months Old!


I can hardly believe that our little baby boy is 4 months old.  He has grown and changed so much, but his beautiful spirit remains the same. He is such a happy baby.  He loves to smile and laugh.  He has learned how to roll over, and he now prefers to sleep on his side.  He has almost total control of his neck and arms.  His hand-eye coordination is much better than last month.  He is an enthusiastic thumb sucker, toy holder, and music lover.  He is the greatest joy we have ever known.

Stats:
Height: 25.5 inches long, 75th percentile
Weight: 14.4 lbs., 30th percentile
Head: 17 inches, 91st percentile

Monday, December 17, 2012

Reading Goal Check In

I realized after going back in my posts that I started out with a goal of 40 books and then raised it to 50!  Amazingly, I am on pace to complete my 40 books in 2012.  I just finished #39 last night, and I plan to get 2-3 books read before January 1st.  50 will not be happening this year, but 40-something books is nothing to sneeze at!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Snow Post

Every year about this time I write a post about snow.  Or our lack of snow.  Christmas is only 11 days away and the green grass is still here.  As I went back into my archives, I realized that our snow patterns have been different than they were when I was younger.  Our biggest storms over the last few years came in January and February.  I promise this won't be about global warming, but where is our snow?!?! I am of the belief that if I wanted a green Christmas, I would live somewhere like North Carolina.  

Here is my plea to Mother Nature...







Monday, December 10, 2012

My Obsession with Sara Shepard Books

As I looked at my reading list for the year, I realized that Sara Shepard dominates it.  I have read 14 of her books this year, and I may squeeze in one more.  For those of you who don't know who she is, she is the author of the very popular (among young adults and 31 year old English teachers) Pretty Little Liars series and The Lying Game series.

I first became hooked on the PLL series through my school's librarian.  She book talked one of her books, and I was done!  The series follows Spencer, Hanna, Emily and Aria as they are tormented by their murdered friend Ali.  "A" is a mysterious and ever-changing villain throughout the series who finds the girls in the middle of some pretty heinous lies and crimes.  The book is set in Rosewood, a fancy suburb on the Mainline in Pennsylvania.  Rich girls + murder = juicy reading.  I admit that these books are not the best of literary fiction, but the plots are darned addictive!  I would read the books in a matter of days.  The last book in the series came out last week, and I waited for it like a kid on Christmas.

One down-side to this series is that it could have ended very well about 6 books ago.  I do feel that the first 6-7 books were by far the better half of the series, but I did enjoy reading each book.  I also dislike the television portrayal of the novels.  The plot of the show is pretty different from the books, which seems odd since the books are SO good. I will say that the actresses chosen to play the PLL are perfect.

If you have some time to kill and would like to be completely drawn in, this is the series for you!  I am only partly through The Lying Game, so I will post about that later.  Happy reading!
Every now and then, something is written that is so beautiful that I just have to keep it.

"I will tell him, there was this at the beginning: brilliant, beautiful, glaringly bright, embarrassingly blind, unspeakable faith."  from The Atlas of Love, Laurie Frankel

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

20 Days Until Christmas!!!


I am always a person who LOVES Christmas.  Not just for the gifts, but every bit of it.  The tree, the cookies, the family get togethers, the music, the snow, wrapping gifts, the meals, the love, the togetherness.  And this year, we have the best gift of all.  



So what are we doing for Christmas?  This year is going to be very different.  In addition to having Lucas with us, we are no longer celebrating Christmas Eve in our usual Polish tradition.  Part of me feels sad about this since we have done it for as long as I can remember, but the other part of me is excited to start new family traditions with Lucas.  Dave and I talk often about how nice it will be to have a quiet Christmas Eve at home.  I will cook a nice meal, we will read The Polar Express to Lucas, and we will give him his gifts.  Since he is too young to understand anything Christmasy, we figure there is no harm in doing it this way this year.

Are you wondering what is Santa bringing our sweet boy?  Not a whole lot to be honest!  Since he is too young to understand, we are going light this year.  We also know he has many family members who are looking to spoil him!  There isn't much that he needs.  Santa is bringing him one toy and one stuffed animal.  The stuffed animal is one I bought last Christmas, just in case he arrived.  To tell you the truth, I don't even know what it is since I asked the clerk to wrap it up!  I think it is a bear, possibly a koala.  I remember that it was very soft and that is partly why I selected it.  

This year we are focusing on all we have been given, gifts that are priceless.  The miracle that we so do not deserve, yet is here.  Isn't that what Christmas is all about?


Attitude

I haven't done a "favorite quotes" post in a while, but the idea of having a positive attitude has been on my mind lately so here we go.


If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.
Pat Riley 



A great attitude does much more than turn on the lights in our worlds; it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before the change.
Earl Nightingale 



The meaning of things lies not in the things themselves, but in our attitude towards them.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery 



If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.
Maya Angelou 


It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.
Dalai Lama 


Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Reflections on Good Deeds

I am so glad that I did this!

The Good:

*  While it wasn't easy, it certainly forced me to look at different ways to help others.
*  It pushed me to finally DO some of the things I have been putting off.
*  I hope it has challenged my readers to try to do some good deeds.
*  I think people have felt a bit more loved and appreciated as a result of this challenge.

The Tough:

*  The cost.  I really wanted to keep my deeds mostly free, but that was nearly impossible.  If I were working, spending the extra money wouldn't have hindered my good deeding.


Groceries: $10
Stamps: $1.38
Ornaments: $6
Gifts: $28.50
Shipping: $25.65
Card: $2.79
Donation: $37



*  I really struggled at times to come up with ideas.  While volunteering is always great, as a stay at home mom, I was limited in what time I could give.

All in all, I loved this project.  I am thinking for 2013, doing one good deed every week.  It gives me more time to really come up with a good idea and to carry it out with intention.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Day 30

I baked cookies for our across the street neighbors.  They are a wonderful family who help us out quite a bit.

Day 29

I bought a book and stuffed animal for Toys for Tots.  I am also thinking about volunteering with them next Christmas as a gift wrapper.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Day 28

I wrote the first update letter to Lucas' birth father.  This was more difficult than I thought it would be.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Day 27

I had coffee with a friend who is contemplating adoption.  She is nervous and unsure, and I tried my best to encourage her.

3 Months Old!

Lucas turned 3 months old on Thanksgiving! What a wonderful gift he is.


Saturday, November 24, 2012

Day 26

To support Small Business Saturday, we are shopping locally today.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Day 25

Dave and I made a decision to do something really nice for Lucas' birth mom.  To respect the privacy of all, we are keeping it a secret!  :-)

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Day 24

I spent time reflecting and writing my thankful list.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thanksgiving List

I would hate to break my favorite tradition of the Top 100 Thanksgiving List, so here goes...

1. Dave
2. Lucas
3. Mattie
4. Fen
5. Mom and Dad
6. Pat and Gary
7. J, J, and jj
8. Amanda
9. Sara, Pete, Meg and Cullen
10. Mike, Lynn, Ben and Kayla
11. All 4 living grandparents
12. Pop Pop and Norma
13. health
14. visiting 9 states
15. Lucas' birth mom
16. being able to stay home
17. Lucas being healthy and happy
18. Lucas being a good sleeper
19. my good deeds challenge
20. Bethy
21. reading
22. chocolate
23. wine
24. my God mother
25. crock pot
26. a loving home
27. YA Lit series
28. re-runs
29. Moreau Lake
30. good friends
31. seeing Dave be a dad
32. growing closer with my parents
33. new traditions
34. hot cider
35. formula pitcher
36. heat
37. water
38. food
39. magazines
40. fall
41. tea
42. CSA
43. good pens
44. smart phones
45. getting our finalization papers
46. volunteering
47. reading to Lucas
48. pumpkin
49. candles
50. leather furniture
51. memory foam
52. the ocean
53. ice cream
54. football
55. Pandora
56. Christmas ornaments
57. online community
58. Kindle
59. roses
60. snow days
61. sock monkeys
62. boots
63. DVR
64. sleeping in
65. getting mail
66. Lucas' smile
67. hugs
68. Market Basket
69. Luca's Cafe
70. jewel tones
71. Target
72. sundresses
73. Bejeweled Blitz
74. Mac
75. Big Bang Theory
76. a good replacement at work
77. a hot bath
78. sisters day
79. Boston
80. blankets
81. a happy marriage
82. jobs
83. good quotes
84. calculators
85. my blog
86. fun
87. lined paper
88. video camera
89. sweaters
90. a close relationship with Lucas' birth mom
91. cuddling with the dogs
92. writing (I have missed it lately!)
93. cooking
94. breakfast for dinner
95. Frank's Red Hot
96.  Mom's love letter
97. everything we need
98. most of what we want
99. a wonderful life
100. a very thankful heart

Day 23

I did not drop them off today, but I have some clothing to donate.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Day 22

Today I donated a toy to a toy drive through Dave's school.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Day 21

Dave and I always donate to a cause for the holidays.  This year, our charity is Mary's Meals.  http://www.marysmealsusa.org/

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Day 20

When I volunteered at the food pantry, the manager felt that it was running inefficiently.  It was taking too long for the people to get what they needed in the timeframe allowed.  She asked me if I had any ideas.  Today, I drew up a more efficient (I think) way to organize it.  The pantry is closed this week, but I will bring it with me next time I go.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Day 19

I was honest about my feelings today.

Day 18

I let other people go first when it was my turn.  This sounds basic, but it was difficult for me!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Day 17

I wrote my husband a love letter.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Day 16

Tonight is my first shift at the food pantry!

Day 15

Today I walked the dogs.  They have been receiving much less attention since the arrival of our son, so I am trying to make an effort to treat them right! :-)

Monday, November 12, 2012

Day 14

Happy Veteran's Day!  In honor of today, I made a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Day 13

Today, I will write a thank you note to our volunteer fire and rescue squad.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Day 12

I mailed a get well soon card to my mother-in-law, from LXG!

Friday, November 9, 2012

Day 11

I made dinner for my grandparents!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Day 10

I have a friend who is struggling with her career, and she emailed me for advice.  While I am no expert, I have had a lot of time to think while being home on leave.  This morning, I spent time thinking and sharing with her my thoughts about what she could do.

Day 9

I missed a day!  Yesterday, I spent a ton of time selecting ornaments and gifts for a holiday exchange that I am participating in.  While I will receive a gift back, I LOVE finding just the perfect gift for the person whose name was assigned to me.  I actually spent several afternoon naps browsing the internet, and yesterday I was able to commit.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Day 8

When we first joined our church, I was thrilled to hear that our local food pantry was connected with the church!  Every time it would come up, I would feel a tug toward volunteering.  But I was always too busy.  Today, I signed up!  As someone who has never known hunger, I want to share that with others.  Dave and I are semi-regular donators, but I needed to take it to the next level.  First thing this morning, I signed up and added myself to their volunteer calendar.  I am feeling really happy and excited about this!!!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Day 7

As I was taking my morning walk today in 35 degree weather, I realized that my deed for today should involve warmth.  I am donating extra hats, scarves and gloves that we have at our house so that someone else can be as warm as we are.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Day 6

Today is Orphan Sunday.  http://orphansunday.org/im-excited-about-orphan-sunday-2012/

I love to help out causes, and parentless children are close to my heart.  I am, however, a fan of helping those close to home.  In honor of Orphan Sunday, I will be donating baby blankets to a local church for children in need.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Day 5

My darling husband's back and neck are always sore.  We had a long day of cleaning the house and errands, so for my kind deed, I will give him a massage.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Day 4

A hidden card!  This card is for a very special person who follows my blog so I can't reveal that person's identity!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Day 3

Today I was at a loss for ideas!  I ended up heading to Target early this evening after a tough day with L.  I had to do a return and the lady behind me in line was so frazzled with her 2 kids running all over.  I allowed her to go ahead of me in line.  She didn't say thank you, but I am guessing she was a tad overwhelmed.  Sometimes it is the small things that make life better, and I hope I made her day a little bit less stressful.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Day 2

I really wanted to buy L a Halloween costume this year, but I knew it would be a waste of money since he is only 9 weeks old. Instead, I decided to use the money to buy food for the food pantry.  We will be dropping it off today!


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Day One

One of the blessings we hold near and dear to us is our son.  The experience of his birth was one of the most beautiful experiences we will ever have.  From that day on, we have wanted to express gratitude to the hospital staff who was so amazing to us.  Everyday we would say, "we really need to write that letter..." and yet never did.  Until today.

Day One of Gratitude:



30 Days of Good Deeds

I reading a blog that I love (http://tinyurl.com/8e368eo), and was inspired to try my own version of this challenge.  Many of you who know me know that I have a love hate relationship with 30 days.  In adoption, 30 days is significant in many ways, but that is an entirely different post!

I have decided that for the next 30 days, I will do some small kind deed or act of gratitude.  With the end of the 30 days happening right around Thanksgiving, I thought this is the perfect time for this.  I came across this quote in a different blog, and I felt compelled to act. 

"From Those Who Have Received Much, Much Is Expected."


Dave and I are blessed beyond words, and I want to pass those blessings along.  I initially was going to keep this a secret as Katie wanted to, but I was so inspired by her that I thought I would put the challenge out there. Go and do!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Hurricane Sandy

As a temporary stay at home mom, I have been extra dedicated to tracking this storm.  I must admit that any significant weather gets me excited, but I usually prefer blizzards.  I wasn't sure that I would feel the same excitement since I will be home either way, but I was pretty interested anyhow.


Here in upstate NY, we probably won't have much rain.  The experts predict that high winds and subsequent power outages will be the worst parts of the storm for us.  I am concerned about all of the old and feeble trees that border our property.  I hope they don't crash onto the house!  At this time (7pm, 10/29), we still have power.  You may not know this about us, but we ALWAYS lose power.  It is a matter of when, not if.  Luckily, we have plenty of candles and flashlights.

I hope you all make it out of the storm unscathed.  And hey, maybe you can stay home from work tomorrow!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Two Months Old!

I realized that I never posted L's one month picture, so here is Month 1 and 2!  It is hard to believe how quickly he is growing and changing.  He looks friendlier at 2 months old :-)



Out with the old

Friday was a sad day for me as my CR-V was deemed in need of expensive repairs.  The brakes were going and the car would need some other major repairs once it hit 110,000 miles.  Since the car has 101,000 miles, we knew it would be a large amount of money into an older and high mileage care.  When Dave suggested I look at new cars, I was aghast. I love my CR-V.  I didn't want a new car; I love my car.

But then, reality set in.  I had to admit that his financial argument made a lot of sense.  I won't bore you with the research process (I had it all typed out and the internet ate it!), but we ended up with a 2012 Honda Fit Sport!


Friday, October 19, 2012

The BIG Day!

As we proceeded with our match, we learned that the baby was due the first week in September.  I was so excited, a fall baby.  So imagine our surprise when my phone rang at 4 am on August 22!!!!

It was our case worker.  She said, "S's water broke, and you should come now."

AHHH! We were running around like mad trying to pack. What? He was early?!?! I had just packed my own bag the night before, but Dave's wasn't packed.  Some of our gear was gathered, but not all.  We were half ready, but it didn't matter because he was coming!  I don't think I have ever moved so quickly.  An hour later, we were on our way.

The 3 1/2 hour drive felt so long.  We were on our way to meet our son.  It was surreal. S wanted us to be in the delivery room with her.  I didn't even eat breakfast because I was so anxious to get there.

When we were about 15 minutes away, our case worker called again.  S was 8 inches dilated.  Our son was coming and soon!  I ran about 3 red lights, and we ran through the hospital.  We walked in the room at 8 am.

S was read to push.  Dave and I took turns holding her legs.  I remember hiding behind Dave at one point, so afraid to look.  He said, "here comes our son, look!"  At 8:55 am, our son was born.  Seeing our son come into the world was an experience that I never thought I would have, but I am so glad I did.  It was a miracle.

The three of us had already decided on his name, so we had an answer when the nurse asked.  He was a healthy baby boy.  Our boy.


The Meeting

We were set to meet with S just days after we learned about her.  We drove 2 1/2 hours to our case workers office in Vermont, and I was a nervous wreck.  On paper, we already liked S.  Would she like us?  Would we have a match?

I remember the case worker telling me to relax, that S already liked us and that was why we were there.  We watched out the window for when her car pulled up.  I want to respect her privacy so I will be vague, but the meeting went extremely well.  She came prepared with tons of great questions for us, and we were so pleased with her.

Before we left, our case worker asked if we all felt like it was a good match, and we all said YES!  We waited a few days (pending medical records) to make it official, but we walked away that night knowing that S was our gal.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Getting THE Call

On July 5, our fourth wedding anniversary, we received THE call.  We were over to our friends' house for the day. Dave was helping John build a bench for their deck, and Jenn and I were swimming.  We were just getting ready to order lunch from an Italian place when the phone rang.

The caller ID was from our agency.

Our hearts stopped.  Dave was in the pool and I ran over saying "Oh my God!!!"  He was worried that something was wrong, but then I told him who it was. With my heart pounding out of my chest, I answered the phone.

There was a young woman named S who had picked us.  She wanted to meet us...in 3 days!  She wasn't due until September, but she was anxious to meet us.  Of course, we said YES!

The rest of the call was a blur of note-taking about this young woman and about her baby.  I remember sitting there at the table saying "Did they really just call?  Is this really real???"  It was.

We had toyed with the idea of keeping the baby's gender a surprise.  Part of it was to keep from getting too attached, but also for the fun and excitement.  S asked us to consider incorporating a certain name into the baby's name so we had to find out what the gender was.  We were sitting at the ATM when the email came through.

It is a boy.

We went out to dinner that evening to celebrate our anniversary and this new possibility.  It was hard to reign in our excitement so for that night, we abandoned doubt.  We talked about what we would name him, what he would be like, what our new lives would be like.  It was a giddiness that is beyond words.

It was magical.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Welcome Back

Everyday I think about how I have neglected this blog.  Everyday I say that I am going to write.  Everyday I do not write.  This is unfortunate because I have a beautiful story to tell.  I will tell this story soon.

I do hope to get back to blogging about life soon.  Life has been amazing and I cannot wait to share with all of you the reason why.  I will give you a small hint.


Thursday, August 16, 2012

Lake Tahoe

Mark Twain once said, "Three days of camp life at Lake Tahoe would restore an Egyptian Mummy to his pristine Vigor and give him an appetite like an alligator."











Monday, August 13, 2012

Won't you save me San Francisco?

Going to San Francisco was one of the day trips I was most excited about.  As a life-long 49ers and Full House fan, the desire to go there was rather strong.  We hit the usual tourist sights:


Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge in the fog


View of the Bay from the other side


Can you tell we love California?


Is that Danny Tanner???


I love how the bridge disappears into the fog.  Classic SF.


I wouldn't mind being out on one of those boats!


Rice-A-Roni!


What an amazing view!  
We saw this on our way up to the Coit Tower, which we did not end up climbing.


Imagine living there?!


Perfect.


This view of the Bay Bridge was taken from the Ferry Building.


We had tons of fun in Chinatown!


He is a natural at trolley-riding.


This was one of the most fun parts of the trip! I can't wait to go back to San Francisco!