Grace in My Heart

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T15:14:00.000-05:00

Balloons from our local Dollar Tree

(E and I went in to just get the cheapie blow up kind, well...

you know we came home with a few more after this display, haha!)

We had a fun morning here.

E is taking a nice, long nap after all the excitement and I'm currently sitting at our dining room table with my laptop taking a sugar crash myself.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lots of love from this little ol' blog to yours.

Lazy Weekend

2012-02-13T06:00:00.022-05:00

A package in the mail from Mimi and Pop Pop.

Our first snow flurries of the season!

Reading, playing, take out, and snuggled in a blanket TV/movie watching.

What could be better?! I hope you had a nice weekend too.

Moments to Remember

2012-02-10T06:00:00.021-05:00

A New Haircut

Courtesy of mom's kitchen scissors

(Thank goodness for those curls because they hide all my mistakes!)

We had some spring-like weather the past few weeks (which was heavenly), but unfortunately, I think the cold days of winter have finally settled in. The extra time indoors has me inspired to work on some projects. I dusted off my sewing machine this week and found a nice little spot (down in our dudgeon of an unfinished basement) to set it up. I'm sure at the first sighting of a spider I'll be outta there and back at our dining room table, but in the meantime, I like having a little space to sew and most importantly, not have to clean up after each use.

Oh and I love the little projects I'm working on right now! But speaking of scissors, I'm still in the cutting stages of it all. I'll be sure to share the final product once I'm done. :)

And how do you like that fabric?! I spotted it at our local shop. I couldn't believe it! I know it's pretty loud and a tad bit tacky, but I couldn't resist. E loves the color orange so he was a fan too. Now I just need to figure out what to do with it. Any ideas???

Around Our Home- Cocktail Party

2012-02-09T06:00:00.002-05:00

We hosted a little winter get together with friends this past weekend...

Before After

...and a lot of fun in-between!

E was very excited to spend the night at Grandmom and Grandpop's house that evening and apparently, he had quite a good time too. :)

Two Hugs

2012-02-08T06:00:00.039-05:00

These two paper hugs are in the mail and on their way to E's grandmoms for Valentine's Day!

Although the length of the ribbon matches the length of his arms, we weren't too technical around here beyond that. If these were real, E's right arm would be wrapped around twice.

All I can say about that is this mama's little man has opinions about things now. :)

P.S. This clever idea came from here.

Oh happy day!

2012-02-06T06:00:00.023-05:00

There've been some placements at our adoption agency! After several months of no activity on their website, I couldn't be happier!

While this news is certainly fabulous, I also felt an abundance of hope after the March for Life a few weeks back too.

I remember seeing all of those thousand upon thousands of marchers and just thinking about all the prayers being said for the mothers in our country...

Prayer and action are so powerful and there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that there will be adoption miracles to come as a result.

Reminding myself of ours each year certainly brings tears to my eyes.

Watching the March for Life on EWTN- 2012

Hi!

2012-02-03T09:23:00.004-05:00

Oh how I've missed you all and this little 'ol blog!

I recently read a quote that stated.... "Your life can't change until your habits do."

Well, I had some computer habits I needed to kick and I'm so glad I cut back on my computer time.

Has anyone else felt overwhelmed by the computer lately?

I think back to the amount of emails I received 5 years ago and compare that to nowadays...total craziness! I feel like I have to check my email a few times per day just to keep up...

Anyway, my goal was to simplify so I "unsubscribed" from as many email lists as I could and I'm happy to report that it has helped.

And ohhh Facebook.

I'm on and off in about 10 minutes now and it's amazing. I read an article not too long ago that said how many people are feeling burned out by Facebook these days. Apparently, checking other's updates can actually turn into a part-time job (time-wise) if you are constantly signing on. I don't think I was that bad, but I was feeling like I'd miss something if I didn't sign on throughout the day. Ugh, such a time waster though!

The article said that the best way to evaluate what to do with your account is to think back to the reason why you signed up in the first place.

It took some getting used to, but I'm so glad I'm back to that place. I love being in touch with my many cousins on there, keeping up with friends that I don't see that often, and also looking at friends' pictures. I am able to do this all with one sign in per day.

Have I mentioned it has been amazing?! I'm pretty sure my many formerly unattended household tasks are thanking me for the decision. :)

I also reevaluated my schedule in general and made more time for prayer, reading, and exercise. These are all things that are very good for the soul and I certainly needed to make more time for them. As I know many of you will agree, waiting is not easy (especially during this period in our lives when baby announcements seem to come in by the day.) While I'm certainly no expert on the topic of being patient, I do seem to find that I feel much more inner peace about God's plans when I make prayer a priority.

I find I'm able to accept this season of waiting with renewed energy, humility, and trust. (Duh to me, right?!) You'd think I'd have this waiting thing figured out by now, but it's all still a learning process, I guess, and I continue to have to work on it.

A Season of Waiting

2012-01-07T14:27:00.003-05:00

I've decided to take some time away from the computer for a little while. My prayer life needs a "reboot" so I'm hoping by prioritizing my time (without the computer distraction) that will help. I already deleted face.book and my google reader of blogs off of my phone (which, let me tell you, was extremely difficult!)!!!

I know it's going to be tough, but worth it in the end. I haven't done any spiritual reading in the past year (how sad!), but I already have a book picked out and I'm super excited to read it.

You all will be in my prayers.

I'll leave you with this quote that I came across recently. It really struck a chord with me during this time of waiting...

"The trials to which the Lord is subjecting you at present and those to which he will subject you in the future are all countersigns of divine love and jewels for the soul.

The winter will pass, my dears, and the never-ending spring will come, all the richer in beauty as the storms were strong."

-Padre Pio

I'll miss you!

Moments to Remember- Favorites Edition

2012-01-06T06:00:00.072-05:00

We visited one of my favorite historical spots on New Year's Day...

At the top of the steps is where we got engaged on a cold, yet very beautiful January evening, 2004.

My two favorite boys in the whole wide world...

Wearing matching sweaters.

E's favorite book right now...

I got it at the dollar store and it has been quite a hit. We've colored in it every afternoon this week.

E's favorite snack...

...and oh my, they are good! I don't know what it is, but they are so much better than regular gold fish!

My favorite grocery purchase of the week...

Although it's so big it doesn't fit into our cabinet, ha!

Our family room has always been my favorite room in our house, but now thanks to the new wall color and furniture arrangement, it's my ultimate, ultimate favorite...

Our dog Janie is also apparently a fan because she has found a nice, new resting spot right in the warmth of the afternoon sun...

Unfortunately for me, I have to vacuum that darn spot every day, but I guess it's worth it. She is one happy, lovable dog.

And finally, my favorite photo of the week...

I spotted this beautiful single pink rose and a purple flower behind our Blessed Mother Statue out in the backyard...

It's been freezing here this week so I really don't know how they are surviving, but they sure do remind me of spring and that makes me smile.

Something else that made me smile was the photo you see above slightly edited by our little E using an app on my phone that adds graphics to pictures...

I actually found this gem as I was uploading the original photo above to this blog post. Sooo....I think I'll have to change my mind now and make this one my favorite photo of the week....too, too funny!

Have a great weekend.

Christmas Book Favorites 2011

2012-01-04T21:29:00.016-05:00

Call me crazy, but I began a little book collection way back when (this was long before we adopted E) for my future baby. I know some of you waiting might not be able to do this (believe me, I'd never buy something on a bad day or I'd be in tears at the register!), but on the good days, for me, this was something nice I could do to give myself some hope and also dream about the day I'd read them to my little one.

(The other good thing is you can tuck them away in the corner of your closet and not think about them if you don't want to.)

Each year when I bring out the little Christmas book collection I started long ago, I get teary eyed thinking about the days I bought those books. I can even specifically remember my deep sense of hope I had at the time I bought each one- that yes, as impossible as it seemed, even through all our hardship, we would one day adopt. I just knew deep down in my heart that it was going to happen. It just wasn't going to happen according to my time.

While this is no deep theological reflection on the importance of hope and waiting, reflecting back, I think it's just so important to remember every now and then to cling to what you hope for. Then give yourself a little reminder that everything will happen exactly according to God's plan.

And we all know that His plans are always better than our own.

As the years continue to roll by (this was Christmas #3 with our E), it is in the little moments like taking out Christmas books that I can vividly stop and remember the hardest days of waiting. And believe it or not, I am thankful for them.

It is because of that time of waiting that I can't even fully describe in words my gratitude for life now.

God knew exactly what He was doing the whole time.

*I added three new books to our Christmas book collection this year. E has loved them all. These are all perfect for tots (and are probably on sale now!):

Food For Thought for a New Year

2012-01-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

21 Suggestions for Success by H.J. Brown*

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.

2. Work at something that you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.

3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.

6. Be generous.

7. Have a grateful heart.

8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.

9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.

10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.

11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.

12. Commit yourself to quality.

13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.

14. Be loyal.

15. Be honest.

16. Be a self-starter.

17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.

18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.

19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.

20. Take good care of those you love.

21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your mom proud.

Happy 2012!

* I have no clue who H.J. Brown is and I couldn't find anything via google. When I asked the hub if he knew, he joked and said maybe it is Mother Theresa's pen name... Haha, maybe!!!

Moments to Remember

2011-12-30T06:00:00.096-05:00

I hosted a little dinner party here last night for some family that were in town. I wish I could say I was one of those people who remained perfectly calm in the midst of the preparations, but I become a bundle of stress! I'm always afraid that something is going to go terribly wrong with my cooking (like I have forgotten a main ingredient for a recipe or that the main course will be burned to a crisp!)

Minus one little stick of butter that melted in a pot a tad too long and filled my kitchen with smoke- thankfully, everything went smoothly, the food was delicious, and I realized at the end of it all that I always stress for nothing. (Plus, we all had a wonderful time...the whole point of the gathering!) :)

I love hosting cocktail parties, but throw in actual main course food preparation and it's all over...the stress has set in. I've realized that in order to enjoy cooking, I need to just relax and add some good (and easy) recipes to my repertoire. I'm very visual, so the always amazing Pioneer Woman's step-by-step picture instructions really help me. Last night I tried two of her recipes (Buttered Rosemary Rolls and these Brownies) and both were fabulous.

For appetizers I made these Pita Chips and this Feta Dip and they were also delish. I also have a few other tried and true easy recipes from some Christmas cookbooks I have for the main course and sides...thank goodness for those!

After dinner last night, I decided that my New Year's resolution for this year is going to be to improve my cooking skills as well as host more dinner parties throughout the year (with stress-free prep as my goal). I'm hoping to host at least one dinner party per month if I can...(I can feel the stress building already, although I'm working on this! Haha...!) I'll be sure to keep you posted on how it goes and if any of you foodies out there have any tips or good food blog recommendations, I would greatly appreciate it.

E has had a fun week playing with his new toys. His little tool bench has been a definite favorite.

Taking an important call...

The tool bench was a gift from E's grandparents. It's absolutely adorable and I'm so glad he is loving it, but I do have to say when I saw it, my first thought was, "Oh no, where are we going to put that thing?!!!"

(I know those of you with small houses and no storage space also understand!) :)

Thankfully the tool bench ended up fitting perfectly on a wall in E's playroom...phew!

I'm still working on organizing his other toys in these cheapie dollar store blue baskets I remembered I had in the attic from my teaching days.

They seem to be keeping things organized for now. A friend of mine also uses baskets and switches them out of their playroom every week or so to keep the toys "new" and exciting. Does anyone else do this? I guess it's like Christmas morning all over again when they reappear. :) I'm going to try it.

Prayers for My Mom

2011-12-28T10:22:00.001-05:00

My mom is having a biopsy this morning. A small mass was found in her esophagus about two weeks ago when she went to the doctor because she was having trouble swallowing. Our family is praying that she will be okay and this is something that can be removed easily and painlessly. Any small prayer you can offer for my mom today is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

All Was Merry & Bright!

2011-12-26T23:44:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! I hope you did too!

Christmas Eve

A Christmas Eve gift from E's aunt...footie pajamas for them both! :)

My mother-in-law prepares a big (and very delicious) Christmas morning breakfast. I don't know how she does it, but she makes everything Christmas Eve night so she can just pop it all into the oven on Christmas morning. She's amazing.

Christmas Morning

E had a really fun morning! He was playing with a little tool bench he received so much that he only opened one other gift...haha!

The rest we had to bring home so it was like Christmas morning #2 today...

Pure (remote control car) joy! :)

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.010-05:00

From our family to yours....

and many, many

Christmas Blessings!

Moments to Remember

2011-12-23T06:00:00.055-05:00

My brother came to visit this past weekend. E just loves him and only said his name, ohhh.... about a million times before, during, and after the visit.

E and I have had a quiet week around here.

The Christmas music has been playing softly in the background and all we've done is read books, play, and do a few fun little activities together here at home.

Don't you just love those kind of days? It's been so nice.

Now that the end of December is near, I've been reflecting on how much my E has grown this past year. I must say that one of my biggest joys has been watching his little imagination grow.

Lately, he loves giving his zoo animals water.

He asks me to turn on the water and one by one he gives each animal a little drink. So precious.

I don't have a picture of this, but E also has been trying to sit in/on his miniature cars.

I remember reading an article during my college education days that young children actually think they can fit on until about age 3 (this goes for miniature doll house furniture too.) Too funny!

In addition to making us smile and laugh, our little man has quite the sense of humor these days and cracks himself up all the time...

Here he was laughing because I let him drink from (in his words) "Dada's baba"....(aka the water bottle)...and that was just apparently too funny!

And this post would not be complete without mention of this little antic...

Amazingly, he can balance himself there for several minutes!

(And now you know that I wasn't kidding when I said I was afraid he'd climb the tree!)
:)

We are excitedly anticipating Christmas! I can't believe it's almost here already. I hope you all have a blessed and very, Merry Christmas!

Around Our Home- Christmas Decorations!

2011-12-19T06:00:00.032-05:00

I'm keeping our decorations pretty simple this year. Not by choice, but more because of a little 2 year old we have running all around over here!

No candles in the windows this year...E would have them all pulled down in 5 minutes or less!

We're also rocking a fake tree. We usually go to a tree farm and cut one down (and we really thought we'd do it this year like we did here and decorated here), but the more I thought about it, the more I knew our little man would probably climb up the tree or have it pulled down in a day or two...!

We keep our faker in E's playroom because I'm always in there with him and that way I can keep an eye on the ornaments (because they'd be goners if I didn't.)

And just so you're not fooled that this room is actually neat and tidy...

Our new family room wall color! I love it.

On our mantel...

I usually put our Nativity set on this table, but decided that I wanted all the figures to remain intact so, sadly, they are back up in the attic.

I made these pillows via some pinterest inspiration... I sewed them, added a zipper, and used a Sharpie for the letters.

In addition to painting our family room, we moved the furniture around and emptied our book cases. I'm loving the arrangement and the baskets on the one book case (above) that we kept have been so handy. I never know where to put my camera and laptop, but they are safe in the top basket. I'm also keeping the chargers and cords in the little bowl at the top. Oh it's wonderful. E's books, supplies, and a few baskets of toys are on the lower shelves so he can get to them.

I sewed the red pillows too...Pottery Barn had a set that was similar, but I saved a bundle making my own.

In the kitchen...

Dining Room...

I'm a little late with this post...I took these photos back when we were just two purple candles along...

I actually wish we could go back in time to just the two candles. Seriously, where does the time go?!

Fastest. Advent. Season. Ever!

Prayer for Motherhood

2011-12-17T13:31:00.002-05:00

Below is a prayer I have been saying for my prayer buddy (and also for myself) this Advent season. I know I sometimes get all wrapped up in how hard it is to wait (and begin to feel down), but I think this beautiful prayer truly gets at the heart of why we all so desperately yearn for a little one (or two!) and it helps me feel better.

I hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired me.

Prayer for Motherhood

Mother of Christ, you know, as no other mother can, the high dignity of motherhood.
You know how immensely great is the privilege to call into this world a tiny soul destined to praise God forever in heaven.
This is the privilege I now seek, Mary!
Confidently I beg you to assist me, for I know that motherhood is so precious in your sight.
And confidently, too, I hope for this blessing through your divine Son, since Jesus is the lover of the little children and has said that we should allow them to come to him.
It is for this blessing that I beg you to join to my petition your own holy intercession, that I might be privileged to bring to Jesus a little one such as he so dearly loves, that he may bless the baby, that he may bless me, also, in my motherhood, and that he may then make us both grow in the wonders of his divine life.

Mother of Mothers,
Pray for me!

Moments to Remember

2011-12-16T06:00:00.066-05:00

We've had a busy week doing all things Christmasy! I just love this time of year.

E and I went to a little gingerbread house making party earlier this week. I'm so glad I snapped the picture below because that M&M was the one and only piece of candy E put on the house...

The rest of E's time was devoted to this...

Thanks to my friend, Amber, who sent me this picture

(also more proof of what E did the whole time!):

Since someone was on a major sugar high, we hit the playground afterwards. Believe it or not, I actually got a smile! A real Christmas miracle in my book!

It's been fun talking about Santa with E this year. He gets excited and says, "YAY!" anytime he sees a picture of Santa. I'm not quite sure that he really "gets it" yet, but it's still pretty adorable.

We took E to see Santa and I could tell he was a little nervous while we were waiting our turn. I was so proud of him though for being brave and sitting nicely.

As soon as he hopped down off Santa's knee, he had a big smile. I think he was proud he did it too.

We took a little drive around town one night to look at all the Christmas lights. This house is famous for their extravagant display. It's quite a sight!

As we walked around, E kept saying, "More, more!" with every turn. :)

All I could think about while we were there was, "Thank goodness this isn't our next door neighbor because E would never sleep!"

The hubs and I attended our first of two of his work-related Christmas parties. I know some people hate going to these types of things, but I love getting dressed up and drinking some wine.

Of course I can barely keep my momma eyeballs open today, but it's fun to have a night out every once and a while. An afternoon cup of coffee, perhaps? Yes, please!

Have a great weekend.

I passed!

2011-12-12T14:04:00.004-05:00

Guess who will be having a glass of champagne with dinner tonight?!

I passed my exam! Hip, hip, hooray! I'm so excited!

:)

It's such a relief!

And now that I'm winding down with my program, beginning this January, I'm hoping to take on two reading students to tutor on Saturday mornings. Teaching is something I love (and of course I get to do it everyday at home with our little E, which is such a blessing!) but we want to adopt more children. And as many of you know, the process is (shall I say...ridiculously!) expensive. Our current agency is very slow right now, so I'm hoping that the little extra savings I bring in will help us maybe switch to a larger agency that has more placements or possibly adopt internationally? These are both options we've been thinking about now and for the future.

As I learned on the day that E was placed into our arms, the wait is oh so worth it! I look forward to the day when God's plan is revealed.

Moments to Remember

2011-12-09T06:00:00.009-05:00

Believe it or not, I actually enjoy the "art" of gift wrapping. Folding and cutting the paper precisely and using ribbon fulfills my need to be crafty. Am I the only one?

I got these cute containers for $1 at Target. Perfect for holding gift cards.

I got the cellophane and ribbon from our local craft store.

More gift card containers... I always make sure to give Christmas pencils to any school-aged gift recipient...(it's the teacher in me!)

More from Target...these are for boys...

The wrapping paper I chose this year- very vintagey! I love it! $3.99/roll from Marshalls and I have leftovers for next year!

Our family room painting is finally done, my shopping/wrapping is complete, our Christmas cards are here, the decorations are up, the tree is trimmed, and I'm ready to enjoy a quiet, restful, prayerful Advent from here on out!

We were actually able to live this out in a very real way when our power went out on Wednesday night due to a big thunderstorm. At first I was super annoyed by the inconvenience, but as I enjoyed a glass of wine with our take-out Chipotle dinner, I was filled with a sense of joy looking at "my boys" in the dim of our Advent candles.

I love this season.

Have a great weekend!

Cookies!

2011-12-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

E and I had fun yesterday making a few batches of the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip cookies for a cookie exchange party. Have you ever had these cookies before? They have blended oats mixed in and they are quite divine.

This was the first time I let E really help me and he did great!

The finished result:

I spotted a small plate of cookies on the window sill this morning. Hmmm, they weren't mine!

The cookie exchange party with friends!

We came home with quite a variety of goodies, yum!

Do any of you have any delicious secret cookie recipes you're willing to share?!

Christmas Cookie Cutter Ornaments

2011-12-07T06:00:00.001-05:00

Oh Martha, you're just so darn good.

How cute are these cookie cutter ornaments?

Adorable.

My ornaments definitely didn't turn out nearly as cute as hers (especially since I just used materials I already had lying around), but thankfully my subject is the most adorable of all.

I know the grandmoms are going to love these. Of course I had to make one for myself too.

Almost There!

2011-12-06T06:00:00.004-05:00

I'm alllllmost done painting our family room...it has been quite the project. Why the heck did I decide to do this right before Christmas again?! ;)

On Sunday the hubs moved our big TV hutch for me so I could paint behind it and we went on a little furniture-moving adventure for the next few hours. Totally wasn't expecting that, but I love the new arrangement. It feels like a new room! Don't you love how a new paint color and furniture rearrangement can totally reset the mood of a room?

Due to the new layout, there was a bare wall in desperate need of some frames. We ventured out to a local antique store and it was pretty much the last place E wanted to be on a nice Sunday afternoon. I gave him my phone to keep him occupied and it did the trick.

However, now we know why...

Oh my, it still gets me!

I laughed so hard, I cried when I found it.

If you didn't guess already, our little E is the photographer and me and the hubs are in the background.

Every time I looked down at him he was playing a game, but apparently our little E was snapping away on the camera! There were a few more photos like the one above and some of his shoes too. So so funny!

Moments to Remember

2011-12-02T09:43:00.005-05:00

Over the river and through the woods...

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We timed our trip during E's nap times and it worked out perfectly. He slept most of the way.

We had a relaxing Thanksgiving day watching the parade on TV in the morning and walking around my parents' farm. My mom worked so hard all day to make a delicious meal for the 13 of us.

Watching Pop Pop carve the turkey and playing with cousins...

These two...

crack me up!

My 90 year old grandmom...

How cute is she?

On Black Friday the hub and I took the train into NYC. It has become a little tradition and a fun one at that. It is crazy busy with people, but that's all apart of the fun. I can deal with it for one day but then steer clear of busy stores the rest of the season. Believe it or not, I finished all my shopping and wrapping! It feels good!

Speaking of crazy busy stores, I had a chance to go to George.town Cup.cakes just recently. Have you seen the show DC Cup.cakes on TLC? I just love it and the two sisters who run the shop are adorable. The line at the store is always crazy, but it was worth it! The red velvet cupcake I had was a.m.a.z.i.n.g!

The icing is to die for!

This week I've been busy painting and stayed up waaaay past my bedtime last night to try to finish. I have one little section left and then I'll be done! I can't wait to put up our Christmas decorations once it's complete...hopefully this weekend!

E and I also ventured out earlier this week for "Mission Possible?!: Christmas Card Photo Attempt #2." My parents' farm is a beautiful backdrop for a Christmas Card Photo, but E would have none of it when we were up there and tried. I know most Christmas Card outtakes are funny, but ours are just plain sad! We managed to get one family photo that was decent, but not good enough to be a single photo on a card, darn!

I decided to just pick one of the cards with a collage of photos and hoped that I could at least get one of E with like...a smile on his face! Pretty much the only way I could get some smiles was by singing. Yes, this crazy mama was running after her toddler through a garden with a camera around her neck singing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."

E singing "e-i-e-i-OOOO!"

Thankfully, after about 200+ photos, some begging, and my glorious singing, I got some smiles and our card is now complete. Thank God. Oh, the joys of Christmas Card photo attempts!

Adoption Update and Some Food for Thought

2011-12-01T06:00:00.006-05:00

Happy December!

I hopped over to our adoption agency's website for my monthly check and saw that another family was added to the list bringing the grand total up to 20. Zero placements took place during the month of November. :(

Ugh...this does not feel good on my baby-feverish heart.

I think I'm going to change my monthly adoption update to every three months. Hopefully there will be some movement by then and I'll feel better. I'll update again in February.

In the meantime, some food for thought...

....

Don't you love the pinterest quotes section? The ones I need always seem to pop up when I'm perusing.

Around Our Home

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Two naps and a Sesame Street episode later...

One wall down...three more to go!

I know it's hard to tell from this photo, but it's a perfect combination of cream/gray, (also known by Lowe's as "Woodrow Wilson Putty.")

I'm loving it!

En Route Home

2011-11-26T23:31:00.003-05:00

from a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend....

I was able to whip my phone out in record time and capture this shot (don't worry, I was the passenger):

It made me happy to see it again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T06:00:00.003-05:00

Have a blessed Thanksgiving and be sure to "gobble 'til you wobble"! That's what I plan to do! :)

Prayer of Thanksgiving:

Father in Heaven, Creator of all and source of all goodness and love, please look kindly upon us and receive our heartfelt gratitude in this time of giving thanks.

Thank you for all the graces and blessings you have bestowed upon us, spiritual and temporal: our faith and religious heritage, our food and shelter, our health, the love we have for one another, our family and friends.

Dear Father, in Your infinite generosity, please grant us continued graces and blessing throughout the coming year.

This we ask in the Name of Jesus, Your Son.
Amen.

My Weakness

2011-11-22T06:00:00.003-05:00

Good Catholic bookstores...

Yes, I could spend all day in one and also spend the hubs' whole wallet if he'd let me. :)

Here's what I got:

#1. Had to get it! #2. Gotta love vintage books. Especially ones that were made in the North Pole. ;)

#3. So many good quotes in this one. #4. I needed to read this one. There's also a really beautiful prayer I've never heard before for women hoping for children...I'll be sure to post it.

What are you reading right now? Anything good?

Thank you!

2011-11-21T06:00:00.006-05:00

Thanks for your kind wishes!

My exam went well...it took me the whole six hours! Pretty crazy. I'll find out if I passed mid-December. Fingers crossed.

After it was over, the hubs surprised me with a little getaway. So sweet...! He arranged to have my in-laws watch E. We had a wonderful, relaxing time...having a interruption-free dinner was something we haven't enjoyed in a while. It was so nice!

We also visited our alma mater, where we met. It is a beautiful campus that holds so many memories for us.

We miss the church, the big beautiful buildings, and those carefree days, but we couldn't wait to get back to our little E. We weren't even away from him for 24 hours, but we sure talked about him a lot.

What a blessing "my boys" are!

Bloggy Break

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

For the next few days I'll be M.I.A. from my computer time in an attempt to focus on this:

My final, final comprehensive exam for my master's degree in reading.
The test is this Saturday. Six hours long.
I need to pass in order to graduate in May and I can't wait to get it over with!

It's hard to believe that I began the program 3 years ago to keep myself busy as we waited to adopt.

And now....

It's been a really great experience and I've learned so much about a topic I am truly passionate about,

but seriously...

nothing beats those chubby little arms wrapped around my neck.

E is my everything.

Around Our Home

2011-11-15T06:00:00.009-05:00

I'm already in the mood!

No, don't worry...I'm not hanging anything up, but I was super excited when my new PB stockings arrived the other day! I've been eyeing them for years in the catalog so I finally got them. I can't wait to hang them up (repeat to self: "after Thanksgiving!")

And yes, my family room walls are still blue. Ugh! I hope to get started on my big paint project next week.

Spotted this spider web this morning outside:

So pretty.

Adoption Inspiration

2011-11-14T06:00:00.005-05:00

Oh I'm just loving all the adoption love out there in honor of National Adoption Awareness Month. Have you seen this video? Grab your tissues!

There are some really amazing adoptive mama's and I'm so thankful that you share your wisdom.

Here are a few posts I came across recently and loved:

Fear by He Adopted Me First
It Was Them by All You Who Hope
Gratitude for Adoption by Forever, For Always, No Matter What

And here is a blog I just started reading. Every post could probably be listed here, but since that would be a little long, this one in particular made me smile:

Can You Love Down Syndrome? by Just Showing Up

Have you come across any other inspiring adoption posts recently?

Moments to Remember

2011-11-11T06:00:00.021-05:00

Someone had two lollipops this week.

Lollipop #1 at a friend's birthday party after the piñata:

And lollipop #2 at the doctor's office for his 2 year check-up.

Our little man is growing leaps and bounds! No shots this time, but he did get his finger pricked. Ouchies! A lollipop from the nurse and french fries on the ride home from mom seemed to help make it all better.

After washing the dishes one night, I walked into the family room to see this:

It made me laugh...hard.

E likes to climb up and kneel on the trashcan to watch me wash dishes or begin to prepare dinner.

Honestly, he makes a mess, knocks things over, and grabs, but he is just so cute though trying to see what I'm doing so I let him stay. Although he almost gives me heart failure every few minutes because I always think he is going to fall off or turn the oven on. (And I know my hub, Mr. Safety.Nazi, will probably have an actual heart attack when he sees these photos!) I probably should just get him a chair and move him to the other side next time. Thanks for helping me think that one through, haha.

This little lady is happy about the season change. I tend to keep her outside a lot during the spring/summer (mostly because I can't stand large amounts of dog hair on my rugs), but she is in all the time when it's cold. She's in heaven.

Speaking of animals, our neighbor asked if our cat was pregnant. Considering "Jack the cat" is a boy and is neutered I really don't think it's a possibility. However, after our neighbor said this, I noticed that Jack does look a lot bigger in the middle. Uhmmm... We got him from an animal rescue at Pet.smart and they were the ones who told us his gender and that he was fixed also. Could they have gotten it mixed up and be wrong?!! If so, this will be, by far, the craziest pregnancy announcement I've ever heard.

Teaching & Learning- Reading

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

The $1 Sesame Street books from Target = E's faves!

National Adoption Month~ My Guest Post

2011-11-09T06:00:00.011-05:00

Thank you so much to Jen for asking me to guest post over at her beautiful adoption blog, Forever, For Always, No Matter What, in honor of National Adoption Month. While the topic I discuss is a difficult one for me (adoption loss), I'm thankful Jen asked me to write it. It was hard for me to reflect back on all we've been through, yet at the same time, I couldn't help but feel an immense joy in my heart knowing where we are now.

While the adoption process itself is not always easy, I'm so overwhelmingly grateful for all of God's tremendous gifts- the strengthening of my faith and trust through the whole process, courageous birthmothers who selflessly think about their child and chose life, and of course being a mom to our little man.

"Being a mom..." three words that still make my heart flutter a bit.

When I asked Jen which day she was going to run my post, she said, "November 9th." How perfectly fitting that today, November 9th, is also the 2nd anniversary of the day when we first met our little E. I'll never forget that happy day as long as I live.

God is good and I am so grateful.

Adoption Update

2011-11-07T06:00:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure why I'm doing this to myself, but I want to keep track of the amount of adoptions taking place at our agency (based on what I can tell from their website.) My hope is to just check their website monthly and keep tabs here.

Our agency doesn't provide us with any information about how many placements there have been or how many birthmothers they are working with, etc. (I know some of yours do) so this is not a perfect science, but it's the best I can guess.

Here's what I can tell from the month of October:

Based on our adoption agency's website, there were 0 placements this month because no new families have moved into the "Placements" section.

One new family was added to the list, so there are currently 19 families waiting. (And they all seem really wonderful and nice...darn!)

My heart is really aching for another baby...

I know there adoptions taking place and wonderful news like this and this give me great hope!

God, please grant me patience!

My Past Updates:

September 2011 Update

Moments to Remember

2011-11-04T06:00:00.001-04:00

We've had a low-key week around here in an attempt to recover from Halloween, recover from the sniffles, and recover from our trip the week before... It's amazing how a little trip out of town can be so relaxing and then you get home and you're completely wiped out!

Sunrise @ my parents' farm the morning we left

Anyway, it took me a few days to unpack everything and then catch up on laundry. As a result, E and I have been going on walks, hanging out at home playing, and reading books together. There's nothing more I love than my little man handing me a book to read to him. I drop everything and do it because I just treasure these moments when he is little, snuggly, and wants nothing more than to be close to his mama.

Our leaves are just really beginning to change

Some independent 2 year old behavior is really coming out because E's new thing is to run away from my camera anytime he sees it. Great! Thank goodness for the i.Phone though because the pictures turn out fairly well (and I can get E when he doesn't think I'm taking a picture.) Like below on one of our fall walks:

He had no clue! I feel very bad, but in the photo above E also has no clue he is actually eating animal crackers and multigrain pita chips (not cookies.) He thinks any round cracker/chip is a cookie, so I'm running with it for now... I know he is gonna kill me when he finds out what a real cookie is!

And also that I've been taking his picture this whole time when he doesn't know it! :)

Around Our Home

2011-11-03T06:00:00.001-04:00

Call me crazy, but I started Christmas shopping.

I recently read this post and was inspired to get organized this year so I could really enjoy Advent.

I really don't enjoy seeing Christmas decor out in the stores before Halloween, but I guess I see the point of it now that I'm joining the group of crazy people who Christmas shop in the fall. :) My goal is to have all the gifts bought and wrapped in November. My one other goal is to schedule all the fun Christmasy things we want to do as a family so that we can actually participate in them before the Advent season is over and we are wondering where the time went.

I have to admit that I feel much more on top of things and less overwhelmed with a plan in place.

The one other fun thing I hope to accomplish is to make a little manger scene for E to play with. I ended up not buying that one I posted about a few weeks ago because I found this at Tar.get in the $2.50 section instead (sorry I haven't taken the plastic off yet):

I'm using pin.terest inspiration for the people, but haven't decided which one to do yet:

Those finger puppets are so adorable, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull it off. I'll be sure to share the final result! :)

An Inspiring Saint

2011-11-02T06:00:00.003-04:00

Our church has an area where you can take pamphlets, prayer cards, etc. Yesterday at the All Saints' Day Mass, my eye was drawn to a prayer card with a picture of a sweet little girl on the front:

Once I got in the car, I flipped the card over and read that it was a prayer card for Blessed Antonietta Meo. Under her name was a quote that brought tears to my eyes.

She wrote, "Dear Jesus, I love you so much,
dear Jesus, I want to abandon myself in your hands...
help me with your grace, help me, because without your grace I can do nothing."
(From Letters.)

It immediately made me feel better about our adoption wait and God's will.

Who was this sweet little girl with so much wisdom and who wrote so beautifully?

I looked up her biography and it. is. inspiring.

At a young age, she was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of bone cancer. She went on to lose a leg, but dealt with her illness and the loss of her leg "cheerfully." Throughout her life she wrote letters to Jesus and her words for dealing with pain and suffering are so inspirational.

While the pain of infertility is different than that of a terminal illness, her words are still beyond uplifting and encouraging, for all of us.

Here are some of my favorites:

"Pain is like fabric, the stronger it is, the more it's worth."

"When you feel pain, you have to keep quiet and offer it to Jesus for a sinner. Jesus suffered so much for us, but He hadn't committed any sin: He was God. How could we complain, we who are sinners and always offend him?"

And here is her prayer for grace:

O God, Father of the humble,
we thank you
because in Antonietta Meo
you gave us a living image
of your Love and your Wisdom,
revealed to the meek.
You, who gave her the Grace
to be joined to the Cross
of the Lord Jesus
and to suffer with fortitude and joy,
make her glorious also
at this time on earth,
that she may be for all
a shining example
of faithfulness to the Gospel,
grant us her same simple love
that burned
for the Eucharist and for the Church;
come to us in our poverty
and, by her intercession,
according to your Holy Will,
give us the grace
which, with trust, we ask to You.
Amen.

Pater, Ave, Gloria

Happy Halloween & All Saints' Day!

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

Our little giraffe was in no mood for pictures...

So I have a lot that look like this...

Oh and the hood?

No thanks mom.

I'll just eat the candy.

Gotta love toddler independence.

Have a blessed All Saints' Day!

Teaching and Learning- Magnet Fun

2011-10-31T06:00:00.001-04:00

I saw this cute magnet/pom pom idea and just had to try it with E:

He had so much fun!

I got the pom poms and magnets at Walmart for less than $5. The magnets were sticky on one side, but I used my glue gun just to make sure.

This website has some cute dot sheet pictures to print.

Have fun!

Moments to Remember

2011-10-28T06:00:00.049-04:00

This past week E and I enjoyed a little visit to see my parents. Each time I told E we were going to Grammie and Pop Pop's farm, he'd respond with a big, "Baaa!" (for sheep, haha.)

The hubs was away at a trial (that could have been 2+ weeks long...ekk!) so I was hoping our trip would make the time he was gone go by faster. (Plus my parents are always dying to see the little E man....and me of course too!) We had a great visit and thankfully before the week was even up, we got the wonderful news that the hubs' trial unexpectedly ended early...yay!

I think I've mentioned this before, but I didn't grow up on a farm. My parents bought it a few years ago to retire on. It's a beautiful place and E sure loved running all around.

Much to E's disappointment, they don't have any sheep or animals, but they do have a big garden and my dad even grew a field of corn last year. (By the way, anytime I talk about the farm, I start cracking up...I just think it's hilarious that my parents drive tractors and grow things!) Anyway, in addition to corn, my dad grew a bunch of pumpkins this year and he was super excited to have all the grandchildren carve them. He was very brave to take on this endeavor....

The boys scooped out the guts and Pop Pop cut the faces.

My sister hosted a little Halloween party because there is a parade that goes on right outside of her house. The boys carved the pumpkins and then we all waited for the parade to begin...

I never heard of a Halloween parade before, but it was a lot of fun. The different floats toss out candy to the kids. There were football players, boy scouts, fire trucks, and this particular parade had lots of tractors. One even went around in circles and everyone clapped and cheered...too funny!

My sister lives very close to my parents so E and I had fun visiting with cousins as well. Here is one of my adorable nephews performing a finger puppet show just for me. :)

E spent one special day with Grammie while I got to enjoy a little day trip to New York City!

A dear friend of mine lives there so I took the train in to visit. New York City during autumn is just beautiful! We had such a nice day walking around Central Park.

We walked around, drank mimosas, shopped, and then had afternoon tea at a fancy hotel...such a treat!

At the tea I was thinking that this was the longest I have sat still in a VERY long time...(E is always on the go, go, go!)

While my mom's day out was super nice and soooo relaxing, boy was I happy to see my little munchkin when I got back to my parents. He came running with a big smile when he saw me too...

Running hugs...oh, so sweet. :)

Trust in God's Plan

2011-10-27T06:00:00.003-04:00

"But most important, do not lose heart. Be patient, wait, do all you can to develop a spirit of compassion. I

have no doubt God is holding you by the hand; if he allows you to stumble, it is only to let you know that

if he were not holding your hand, you would fall. That is how he gets you to take tighter hold of his hand."

~St. Francis de Sales

(h/t to a friend via fb, thanks E!)

List of Catholic Adoption Blogs

2011-10-26T06:00:00.035-04:00

I would love to update my list of Catholic Adoption blogs. I created the list a while ago so I know I'm missing a bunch!

Do you know of any blogs not on here? Or did you just recently start the process? I love being connected to fellow Catholic adoptive mamas...don't you?! :)

Please feel free to leave a comment or email me at: graceinmyheart @ gmail . com so I can update the list. Thank you!

Around Our Home

2011-10-25T06:00:00.009-04:00

I have no idea why it took me so long to figure this one out, but for all my fellow sweet tooth-ers

(who are trying not to eat a lot of pre-Halloween candy)....

just buy the kind you don't like!

For me, this is the fruity, chewy kinds so I haven't even touched the bowl. Amazing!

It took a tad bit of will power (okay, a lot!) to not purchase the kinds that were calling my name, but I thought about how this one purchase would make it much easier than trying to resist the bowl if the kinds I did like were in there.

Because, believe me, if it was filled with chocolatey, caramel varieties- it would be empty! :)

E's 2nd Birthday!

2011-10-24T06:00:00.038-04:00

E had a wonderful 2nd birthday! Thanks so much for your sweet wishes.

A little bit about his special day...

I decorated our dining room the night before...

I cut out "2's" from wrapping paper and taped them onto some party hats. A few of E's friends were kind enough to put them on for me, ha.

E's expression when he woke up and came downstairs was just precious!

He was actually really excited all day! It was so adorable. He knew something special was going on just for him.

I also talked to him about his birthmother and her love and courage. We said a special little prayer just for her. :) I hope these simple, beginning conversations are what enable him to know that yes, he was adopted, but always loved. That is the true beauty of adoption.

Oh and the water table? He was obsessed. I actually let him play with it in the kitchen (since I was trying to make cupcakes) and he got water ALL over the floor! He had such fun I didn't even care and just mopped it all up before Grandmom and Grandpop came over for dinner. :)

Here are my Red Velvet (thank you very much Betty Crocker) Elmo cupcakes!

E's had a bit more "bling":

And here he is blowing it out!

And he ended up eating two! :)

Such a fun day!

We love you E! You have filled the past two years of our lives with so much happiness, love, and joy! xo!

Moments to Remember

2011-10-21T06:00:00.010-04:00

~E's sweet little "tomorrow I'll be a 2 year old" smile.

~When we ask E how old he'll be, he holds up both pointer fingers and says, "Twuuuu...!" (I've been trying to get this on video, but as soon as he sees the camera, he runs. I'll keep trying!)

~I've been practicing singing "Happy Birthday to You" with E and his favorite part is blowing out air at the end for the candles. I can't wait to see how it goes when it comes time to actually do it!

~He is growing right before my eyes. I try to soak it all in, enjoy every little moment that we so longingly waited for, and still time seems to go by so fast. My little E is turning into a big boy and I tear up every time I think about it.

Happy 2nd Birthday to our little love bug!

2009

2010

E's Birthday Gift

2011-10-20T06:00:00.010-04:00

One benefit to having an unfinished basement with concrete floors and drains is that I was able to get E a water play table for his birthday!

E is obsessed with the water area at our Children's Museum so I knew exactly what I wanted to get him for his special day. With cooler temps ahead of us, I wasn't sure if this idea was going to work, but thankfully our basement will do the trick until spring is upon us and we can move the table outside.

This is the one I got him (although I'm only going to put water in it- no sand):

I searched around and Amazon was selling them for $49.99 along with free shipping (although sadly it doesn't look like you can get it off of there anymore- bummer!) I also saw them on Target's website although for a bit more and no free shipping.

I thought about holding off on this idea and just making him a little water table in the spring, but since it's his birthday and I know he'll love the boats and trains, I had to get it. The table is actually hiding down in the basement right now for his birthday on Saturday...he has no idea! :)

Here are some of the fun homemade water table ideas I found on Pinterest:

Images found here.

Seriously, how creative are some people? Oh and one more little photo that had me laughing with tears:

Something Beautiful

2011-10-19T06:00:00.006-04:00

One of the most beautiful pro-life speeches of all time.

I've read it over a dozen times and it never gets old.

I just love her simple explanation of love and adoption.

"Each child is created in the special image and likeness of God for greater things -

to love and to be loved."

~Mother Teresa

*I actually stumbled across the speech while researching the status of Fr. Pavone. I'm not sure what to think about that situation, but I'm reminded by Mother Teresa's inspirational words that we can't give up hope {and we have to give until it hurts.}

Teaching and Learning- Fall Colors

2011-10-18T06:00:00.020-04:00

What we've done with the leaves E has picked up so far:

E doesn't know his colors yet, but I noticed that anytime he saw something red, he'd say, "Elmo!" so I figured we better start working on them. This little activity has been a fun way to introduce color names (and also remind myself to remember to talk about them!) I'm kinda wondering if we'll be moving all the leaves we find to the brown piece of paper after a few days though. :) Any tips for how to help the leaves keep their color?

Any other fun leaf activities for little ones? E has also been enjoying using the rake outside too....I'll take it!

Around Our Home

2011-10-17T06:00:00.038-04:00

Gotta love Sunday brunch.

The dishes? Not so much...

A few weeks ago one of my favorite fabric stores in town was having a sale. I wasn't really in any mood to sew, so I just went to "browse."

Well, you know what happened, right?

I found a beautiful fabric that I thought would look perfect as curtains in our dining room. (You always find something when you're not looking, right?!) Anyway, I still was in no mood to drag out my sewing machine from our basement so I made them using "no sew" fabric tape. Not even one stitch was sewn!

If you don't own a sewing machine (or don't feel like dragging yours out either), I highly recommend this method. The only thing required is an iron and the fabric tape (which can be found at any old fabric store for like $5). Unfortunately, the down side to it all is if you mess up, you can't take it out. The tape adheres very strongly. One of my lines was a tad crooked so I was kicking myself for that, but otherwise it was super easy and I love my new curtains!

In addition to new curtains, I also moved our china hutch (all by myself, haha...) to the other side of the room to make more space for the little man. He loves to read, do puzzles, and have snacks at "his" little table.

Oh the joys of squeezing kiddo gear into any little nook I can find! :)

Moments to Remember

2011-10-14T06:00:00.029-04:00

Watching daddy as he gets in his car to leave for work...

E waves goodbye until he can no longer see his car. It's so precious.

Speaking of goodbyes, we said our final, "Farewell!" to E's last remaining binky.

It's been a tough week for E without it and I've just felt horrible for him, but I am very happy with this decision. He'd sneak up to his room to snatch it from Elmo....it was getting bad! Plus, the binky had seen better days. I dropped it and it got run over by a car a while back (but of course I saved it since I knew we were low.) Oh the joys of binky finding...(which, thankfully will be no more now!)

Someone figured out how to open the fridge...

He loves taking a drink from his cup whenever he wants and then putting it back in the fridge. He thinks this is so great...it's hilarious. I did move those beer cans and glass jars higher up after I realized this was E's new thing. I do sometimes find apples around with one little bite out of them though so I think I need to move those up now too.

A little sampling of E (and my!) current artwork:

Yes, the Elmo's are mine! :) And speaking of small bites, E completely bit off the top of the gray marker shortly after these drawings were completed. To top it off (literally!) I thought I had given him the washable markers, but it turns out I gave him the other kind. His teeth were a little gray that afternoon. Not one of my finest motherly moments!

Rain, rain go away! We spent one rainy morning at our Children's Museum this week. E just loves the water area and would stay there the whole time if I didn't coax him to move on to other things.

Since he loves water so much, E tested out his "new" rain boots from Grammie in some puddles in our backyard:

The reason I put "new" in quotes is because Grammie actually gave E these boots last year. They were several sizes too big so I was hoping I wouldn't forget to have E wear them when they did fit.

Is buying things too big a typical grandmom thing to do?

Because both sets of grandmom's seem to do this. :)

And what was I thinking giving him my umbrella?

Thankfully no eyes were poked out.

Patience, Patience

2011-10-13T06:00:00.015-04:00

A little note to my baby-feverish self:

Adoption Inspiration

2011-10-12T06:00:00.003-04:00

I love a good inspiring adoption story.

(Here are a few that I love to go back to: Scottie Reynolds, Claire Culwell, and this video always makes me tear up!)

I know several of you already talked about Steve Jobs and how he was adopted, but I couldn't resist posting a link to the video below. It's one of the most inspiring speeches I've ever heard.

(I know I'll be having E watch this when he is older.)

The entire speech is very moving, but if you don't have time, he talks about his adoption in the first few minutes. I've read a few articles about Steve Jobs' adoption, but it's pretty powerful to hear it directly from him:

(video = h/t to AYWH's hub)

Teaching and Learning- Keeping a Toddler Busy in the Kitchen

2011-10-11T06:00:00.011-04:00

A few ideas (that have worked for me!) to keep a busy toddler busy while you cook....

#1. Pots, Pan, Spoons, etc.

E cooks on the floor while I cook too! He loves it when I put a few drips of water in a pot for him.

#2. A Pasta Strainer and Pipe Cleaners

Unfortunately, you can't do this one on spaghetti night, but it works all the other nights. I had to model for E how to put the pipe cleaners in the holes. Once he got the hang of it, it kept him busy for a good 15 minutes. He had fun putting them in and then taking them all out again and starting over.

#3. A Baking Sheet and Magnets

Take any old magnets you having lying around and slap them on a baking sheet. It will be new, fun, and keeps 'em busy! E loves it.

Do you have any other ideas for keeping your kiddos busy during cooking time? I'd love to try them!

P.S. Since I'm talking about learning activities, I just had to share this amazing deal for Little People Nativity Sets that I saw. Santa will be ordering this for E!

Around Our Home

2011-10-10T06:00:00.006-04:00

I love, love, love sunflowers. I saw these at the grocery store and couldn't resist!

Doing dishes is much more enjoyable with these beauties as my view.

I snuck out to the party store and got these decorations for the soon-to-be birthday boy. {He has no idea.} I ordered his birthday gift from amazon and it arrived while he was napping so I was able to hide that too...double bonus points for mom! :)

We are just having a small, simple family party. I'm excited and I know E will be too. :)

Moments to Remember

2011-10-07T06:00:00.038-04:00

Our trip to the pumpkin patch...

It was one of those places where you get in the wagon and the tractor takes you way out into the field..so fun! Our little man is not a fan of loud noises so the loud tractor ride was a little scary for him at first. That's okay because I could hold him like a little baby all day long if he'd let me!

Eventually he was fine and we had a great time!

Life with an almost 2 year old...

The look on his face is the one that I'm seeing often these days...when he doesn't want to do something, he certainly let's us know! :)

Although I do think E had more fun waiting for his food from Sonic to arrive than at the pumpkin patch. This kiddo loves a good meal of chicken fingers and fries! He'd eat every meal from Chick-Fil-a or Sonic if he could.

I have a big paper due on Saturday for my graduate class. Each day this week when I've sat down at E's nap time to write it, I would miraculously find myself writing a blog post instead, haha! Blogging is so much more fun!

Once I hand the paper in I'm sure my current continual blogging streak will end, but I do hope to keep up with this "Moments to Remember" series. I was inspired by Sarah's Ordinary Days posts (which I love!) and I do take so many pictures throughout the week so hopefully I can keep it up (fingers crossed) and I can print these out for a scrapbook someday.

Toddler proofing 101...note to self: always put everything away!

E did this during his nap time (because he doesn't stay in his crib!). Usually when he wakes up, he knocks on the door to let me know, but this time I guess he spotted the lotion and got to work. Anyway, I heard a weird squirting sound and rushed in.

The cutest part about this incident was that he was rubbing the lotion on his legs just like I do. It was absolutely adorable so of course I ran and got my camera. It's amazing (and a little surprising/crazy!) how much children copy exactly what their parents do.

And finally, my favorite...

I got this new striped sweater and have worn it a few times since the weather has gotten cooler.

The only thing is yesterday when I wore it, E pointed at it and said,

"ERNIE!"

Who knows if it was just a weird coincidence (E loves Sesame Street and says their names a lot), but
I think the reason I can't stop laughing about it is because yes, I do see it! :)

Apple Bread

2011-10-06T06:00:00.004-04:00

I had a lot of these:

So I decided to make this:

Apple bread.

And oh yes, it was good!

(Recipe found here.)

The very next day my friend hosted this:

An autumn tea.

So nice and so many yummy treats!

As a result, I'm back to step #1...

just eating the plain apples. :)

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

I couldn't believe it when I saw these two pictures side by side...

2010 2011

He is getting so big! Off to dab my eyes now...

Waiting Gracefully (I hope!)

2011-10-04T06:00:00.002-04:00

"Patience can't be acquired overnight.

It is just like building up a muscle.

Everyday you need to work on it."

~Eknath Easwaran

I guess my "waiting muscles" are getting slightly toned because it seems to be a wee bit easier this time around. Granted, we haven't even been technically waiting for a full week yet, but I do feel more experienced.

This time:

~I've promised myself not to jump every time the phone rings.

~Or obsessively check our agency's website to see if any placements have occurred.

~Or compare myself to other families on the list.

~Or compare myself to friends who seem to get pregnant with the bat of an eye.

I'm going to really enjoy this time of waiting. I'm going to imagine the beautiful baby God has in store for us and begin working on a little adoption scrapbook for when the little one arrives.

I did that for E. I have every paper and all my little notes from day #1 of our home study process. I love looking through the book and remembering how even though the wait was difficult, it was perfect too.

If only I knew then...and joyfully, gracefully anticipated who was to come!

2009

Around Our Home

2011-10-03T07:00:00.021-04:00

My fall decorations are out. I love this season!

I bought a pack of these dish towels at Home Goods for $4.99. Two of them had cute leaves, but the rest looked a little bland. I spruced them up with some leftover ribbon and a glue gun.

A bag of gourds from Trader Joe's...$5.

I'm a tad obsessed with my new wreath and smile at it each time I walk through the door, haha.

I love indoor wreaths too.

And let's not forget that we need somewhere to stash the candy!

I decorated this tin container that I got from the dollar section at Target. I used orange, black, and white Sharpie paint markers for the writing and tied leftover ribbon on the sides.

Oh and see my ugly blue family room walls (that I absolutely can't stand) in the background? They will soon be no more...I have a big painting project coming up! Can't wait to get started... :)

Happy October!

Moments to Remember

2011-09-30T07:38:00.005-04:00

Waking up...

Elmo takes care of E's binky until he comes back for his afternoon nap.

Our little climber in action...

He climbs out every day and is quite good at it. Some friends recommended the crib tent, but it doesn't fit correctly on his crib. I'm not quite sure what to do at this point except move on to a toddler bed and try not to worry about what he might get into. Most of the time, if I hear him climb out and I peek in to check, I find him like this:

Sound asleep.

Some type of weird outer space equipment or a toilet?!...

I'm beginning to wonder too! And no, we aren't potty training. Not even close. E just likes to sit on it...for fun. He has gone a few times and I've made a big, happy deal out of it.

Mr. Smiley at the Playground...

And even though there's all this really nice playground equipment to play on, the little man prefers to just hang out by the garage area. Must be a boy thing, 'cause I don't get it!

The Breakdown

2011-09-29T08:41:00.002-04:00

Our birthmother letter was posted on our agency's website yesterday. We are officially waiting.

Yippee!

There are currently 18 families on the waiting list. We are #17.

Out of the 18 families, there are 3 that already have one child. We are the fourth.

If a birthmother would like a family with another child, our chances of being picked are much higher. We are also open to any child so hopefully that will help us.

Our agency typically has about 1 to 2 placements per month, so I'm hoping our wait isn't much more than a year and a half.

It's all in God's hands and we obviously have no clue what will happen, but I'm feeling full of hope!

Cleaning Schedule

2011-09-28T13:56:00.003-04:00

In my mind, fall always feels like a "new year" and the teacher within me is ready to look at this season as a time of new beginnings. One of my goals is to stick with my cleaning schedule (and I hope by sharing it here I'll be more motivated)! I've been reading lots of great posts about cleaning lately, so I hope we all can motivate each other too.

Ladies, my cleaning schedule has gone out the window and I need to get back on track!

When I worked, I used to be great at keeping up with my cleaning schedule. As soon as I came home, I'd clean the kitchen on a Monday, the bathrooms on Tuesday, etc. For the most part I never forgot and the house was typically clean and in good order.

Once our little E was added to the equation, this method no longer worked for me. I would be exhausted and just couldn't get the bathrooms done on a Tuesday. The next week the same thing would happen. My internal need for a clean home was there, but I just literally couldn't do anything about it. Sleep deprivation also prevented me from remembering which days I did end up cleaning something and which days I didn't.

I began to think of how to modify my schedule so that I could get everything done and also know when I didn't. Here's what I came up with:

#1. My Weekly To Do List Folder

Step #1: I filled a folder with clear plastic sheets. I used leftover ribbon to attach a dry erase marker (with an eraser) to the folder so it wouldn't get lost.

#2. My Cleaning List

Step #2: I wrote down each room in the house and listed everything I needed to clean in that particular room. I placed this list in one of the clear laminate sheets.

This is how the schedule works:

-My current goal is to have each task crossed off by the end of the week.
-*However, the beauty of this cross off system is that you can decide how long it will take you. For example, if E is sick, I know I won't get everything done so I'll give myself two weeks to get everything crossed off.
-Depending on what is going on in your life at the moment, at least you'll know what you've done based on what you've crossed off. You can also decide one week to just clean the important areas and skip the less important tasks (like window washing, etc. which I tend to skip often!)
-Once you're finished, use the dry eraser to clean off the sheet and start again. (The laminate sheets and dry erase markers save so much time otherwise spent on list creating/writing or printing!)

#3. A few Other Lists

I also have a weekly "chore list" to cross off so I am more organized with my time (and when I go out on errands.) I do have specific days to get some of those items crossed off. Monday is always my laundry day and I feel so excited when I can cross that one off! (I also don't cross it off until all the clothes are put away because otherwise they'd probably sit in the baskets for a day or two!) Thursday is always my grocery day. Other errands and things that we need or come up I do just whenever I can.

Finally, here's how I keep it all organized:

This basket is in our kitchen (right next to the first place I go when I wake up) to help remind me of what needs to be done. I also keep my daily planner with appointments and my cell phone/charger in the basket so I'm ready to go for the day.

This system has certainly helped me stay organized, but I have slacked off over the summer months. I'm excited to get back on track! I would love to hear other cleaning motivation tips and encouragement. What works for you?

Our Fall Wreath

2011-09-24T18:11:00.000-04:00

Using my "pin-spiring" fall board, I made a new fall wreath for our front door.

Wreath from HomeGoods= $29.99 (on sale)
Gold Letter from Hobby Lobby= $4.99 (on sale)
Wire to attach letter to the wreath= free (already had it on hand)

Total= $34.98

I just used wire at the top and bottom to fasten the letter. Very easy!

Happy Fall!

Our Birthmother Letter

2011-09-22T21:20:00.004-04:00

I finally finished our birthmother letter.

When our adoption fell through in August, we learned we could get onto our agency's waiting list, but we first had to write our birthmother letter and provide a picture before they would add us to their list.

So technically for the past few weeks, we've been completely home-study approved but in limbo...ugh! (And so unlike me to have this go on for so long)!

Thankfully the letter is now complete and I feel a great sense of peace.

I do have to say I had a much harder time writing this letter than the first time around. With our first letter, we were just so excited the words flew out! This time though I was really thinking about our future child's mother and all she might be going through (not that I wasn't the first time, but I'm sure you know what I mean about being excited.) Anyway, I really wanted to be heartfelt so just thinking about that made writing it a very overwhelming task. I actually lost some sleep over it! I'd be up thinking and thinking and then would have to run to the computer to get down a line. I really and truly thought this letter might not ever come all together, but thankfully it has (and I'm pretty sure I ended up erasing all the lines I came up with at 3 am, ha.)

Now I can't help but think that we finished it exactly at the time God wanted us to.

Here's the picture we chose for our profile:

I don't really like how my eyes are scrunched, but we were laughing about something (I can't remember what!) so we chose this one because those are authentic smiles!

Fall Inspiration

2011-09-20T14:17:00.001-04:00

Pinterest.

I love this website.

I am very visual and I love looking at all my boards.

Here are a few of my favorite Fall "pins."

Bill

2011-09-17T16:36:00.001-04:00

We got a bill in the mail today from our AZ attorney. I thought we had paid for all the work she had done for us up until we knew the birthmother changed her mind; however, that apparently wasn't the case.

I think one of the hardest things about adoption is writing out the checks (especially when there is no baby.) :(

Singing

2011-09-14T03:45:00.002-04:00

"Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes..." on the web cam.

The web cam certainly allows for toddler entertainment and learning fun for hours!
(Okay, well maybe not for hours, but a lot longer than he normally can sit still at one given time!)
He loved being about to see himself.

Hair Pulling

2011-09-12T11:40:00.000-04:00

We are having a little issue at the moment with E pulling other children's hair. I'm so desperate, I'm pulling out my own hair too so any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

A little while back, I mentioned we were helping E learn to not swat at other children. Thankfully, that subsided after constant (and I mean constant!) reminders to be gentle. He knows what it means to be gentle now and will actually nicely rub his little hand on me (or another child) when I say the word.

He has been really good about not hitting all summer long, but it seems he has now moved on to hair pulling. It is mortifying because he pulls so hard sometimes the other child will fall down. Here's the weird thing, he tends to do it only when he is indoors and there are a lot of other children around.

I signed E up for a little morning toddler play group once a week and this morning he pulled about 4 other children's hair. Lovely. It was really crowded since a lot of parents were there, so I'm hoping that was why. Maybe he was just overwhelmed? I told him, "No, no! You need to be gentle with your friends." I tried to have him give the other child a little hug, but that didn't work too well. I apologized to the child (and the parents) and felt so bad.

I'm hoping that my constant reminders to be gentle will work, but is there anything I can do in the meantime to make him stop faster? I'd hate for him to become known as the bully of the group and for all the mothers to want E to stop coming.

Also is hitting and hair pulling normal? I have no clue where he is picking up on these things. I do take him to the little kids area when I go to the gym, so maybe there? I've never seen another child hit or hair pull anywhere we've been so I'm really at a loss here. Is there anything I should be doing differently?

Lots of Excitement...

2011-09-08T14:21:00.005-04:00

...happening over here in our front yard today!

Let me just tell you that I'm a nervous Nellie though. With each limb that is brought down, I let out a big PHEW! I feel like asking one of those men for a puff of their cigarette, haha! (Just kidding, of course!)

E is just loving this and has been at the window all morning. He is loving all the trucks too. He points, says "tuck" and then says "vroom vroom!" Too cute. E and I actually headed out (after we flagged down the tree men to let them know we were coming through) and went to the playground to get out of there for a little bit. E had fun and it helped me relax.

We are sad to see Big Ol' Bertha the oak tree go, but at the same time I'm happy to know we won't have to worry about her anymore, pick up her bizillions of leaves each fall, or deal with the sound of her dropping acorns on our roof at night.

And yes, that is a man up there. Crazy, huh?!

Some neighbors who have lived on our street for a very long time came out this morning to take one last look at the tree.

And I guess Big Ol' Bertha wanted to give me one last parting gift because I learned this afternoon that my car is totaled. Not the news I wanted to hear, but I'm happy to say, "New mom car here I come!!!"

Like I Said...Never a Dull Moment!

2011-09-07T08:11:00.002-04:00

Yesterday E and I came into the house after doing some errands. It was lunchtime so I started making E a sandwich when all of the sudden I heard a very loud snap.

I knew exactly what it was (from my experience last week).

It was the sound of a tree limb about to break off.

Like a dummy, I ran to the window to look at our big oak tree and sure enough, right before my eyes a huge limb came crashing down and it landed splat! right on my car!

I started to cry.

Although I couldn't figure out if I was crying because of the damage to my poor car or because we literally got home a few minutes before and I was so thankful we weren't in it. Probably both.

It was a long day. I was finally able to get a tree service to remove the limb from the car in the late afternoon. It will be towed away today and I'm just praying that all the damage will be covered.

I took a lot of pictures for our insurance company, but every time I look at them, they make me tear up all over again. Here's one that isn't so so bad:

Most of the damage is on the front area of the car. :(

The big oak tree is coming down today. The tree service people are cutting her down. It's sad to think that this big, beautiful tree has been in that spot for all the families who've lived in this house before us and probably many, many years before that too.

However, we are pretty sure it has suffered damage from the hurricane that we can't see and other limbs will follow. I feel sick thinking about it possibly falling on our house, especially if we are in it, so it's time.

Looking on the bright side, I do have to say that I'm thrilled it's being taken down right before fall. All the weekends we would have had to spend raking will be no more! And my little mouse friend? I'm sure he booked it out of there after all that commotion!

As for my poor car, we'll see what happens. We've been looking at larger mom cars recently so if it ends up being totaled, a new car would certainly be nice! :)

My Life According to Google Searches

2011-09-06T08:18:00.001-04:00

I loved reading Kaitlin's week according to google searches. How fun!

You'd all be bored to tears reading a week's worth of mine since I literally google everything...directions, recipes, restaurant menus, any time I have a question about something...you name it, I google it. :)

In attempt to keep this list short, I thought it would be fun to just do my past 10 google searches. Here they are (with the most recent first):

1. Maryland's New Football Uniforms

I'm not a football fan at all, but several people on facebook mentioned how ugly Maryland's new team uniforms were so I had to go take a look. They didn't look that bad, but maybe I'm missing something? Are they all wearing the different colored jerseys on the field at the same time?

image

2. Dear Birthmother Letter Examples

Please don't judge, haha! I need help with what to say! :)

3. A few or afew

I always google words I don't know how to spell and the one above happens to be one of them.

4. (The Name of a Restaurant)

I was so looking forward to making a reservation at this amazing restaurant while we were at the beach, but sadly they were closed due to hurricane damage. So so sad. Hopefully they'll reopen soon.

5. (The Name of a Church) and Mass Times

This is the church we went to while we were at the beach. I won't comment on the music (yikes!) and the lack of kneeling (what is up with that?) but the priest is new and seems like a holy man. Hopefully he can change some things. He gave a very nice homily and mentioned he was adopted at birth...very sweet.

6. January Jones isn't nice?

Mad Men! Do you watch this amazing show? I heard a rumor that January Jones is very rude and snobby in real life, so I had to find out if this was true. I found one article confirming it and giving several examples, but I just can't believe it!

image

7. How many cups is 55 oz.?

I can't remember what I was making, but this was for a recipe from last week. I hate math and googling is so much easier.

8. Are Kent and Lauren dating?

Oh, I just love Kent from last year on So You Think You Can Dance. He is adorable and so funny. He and Lauren would be really cute together, although I couldn't find anything about it. Hopefully they are keeping it a secret and not getting all caught up in Hollywood stardom.

image

9. Go Jee

I read that this is a really good recipe website. I went to the site, but you have to sign up for it. (I'm pretty sure it's free, but I just didn't have the motivation at the time to fill it all out.) I'll let you know if I try it or if anyone has used it before, I'd love to hear your opinion.

10. How to get rid of oxalis weeds?

Before this search, I had several searches trying to figure out the name of the weed. We have it on our front lawn and I'm trying to kill it. The advice I found is working so far. Thank you google! :)

What have you googled lately? It's super fun to go to your search history and find out. Have fun!

*Oh and I just had to update with my most recent search: How do you get a mouse out of your car?
I guess all the crumbs in E's carseat finally added up! Never a dull moment over here, that's for sure! :)

Perfect Weekend

2011-09-05T17:58:00.002-04:00

Ahhh, just what I needed...a little weekend getaway to the beach!

Accompanied with:

...an adorable rental house that was an easy walk to the beach and had everything we needed for our little family of three

Haha no, that's not the house we stayed in. This one was actually across the way and my view from out the kitchen window. I stared at it. A lot. So pretty!

...a little boy who was an absolute angel (including at restaurants!) and had a blast in the water

...several very relaxing beach days with little E taking his afternoon nap in my arms (which he hasn't done since he was a baby...awh, I loved it)

...and finally, picture perfect weather the whole time!

The time away was great and very refreshing. Although I'm still sad our adoption fell through, I know there is some sweet baby out there that God has planned just for us. I am full of hope and am so excited for this little blessing to be welcomed into our family someday soon.

Since we are home study approved, I got in touch with our social worker to find out what we'd need to do to get onto our adoption agency's waiting list. We just need to write our birthmother letter so we are currently working on it.

As you fellow adoptive moms know, the wait can be long, so I'm glad we are moving forward.

We are ready!

More About Adoption #2

2011-08-31T11:58:00.010-04:00

Well, the big, bad hurricane was certainly a distraction from the adoption.

We recently learned that the birthmother gave birth on August 13th and decided to keep the baby. This is not confirmed information since we still haven't heard this directly from her, but based on what we know, I'm certain of it.

I do have to say I'm a little heartbroken that the birthmother didn't let us know what was going on. We've been in contact with her since March and she was committed to her adoption plan each time she spoke with our attorney. It's hard to understand, but I will continue to pray for her and her baby (as I still do with our first failed adoption) and hope that their lives are filled with peace and love.

After I found out, I looked at my calendar to see what we were doing on August 13th, a Saturday. Believe it or not, it's the day we were at my Grandparents' 90th Birthday Party and the night I saw the St. Philomena billboard on our way home. I'm sure this was no coincidence...perhaps a little reminder from God for me to continue holding on to hope for the baby He intends for us to adopt. I know there is another little baby out there somewhere that will need us and I wait in joyful anticipation for that day to come.

Failed adoptions are difficult, but like I mentioned before, we will be okay. I tear up a lot thinking about "what could have been," how excited I was for E to be a big brother, and how I'll have unpack the baby's suitcase and put away all the other baby stuff I got out. Babies R Us also called to see if I needed any help with the little registry I created for a shower some friends were going to throw me and a large lump rose up in my throat. This is all very hard right now, but I know I will get through it.

Leila has been such a great friend and support to me throughout this process along with so many others. I feel a sense of peace about it all and I know it is because of all your prayers. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

The Big, Bad Hurricane!

2011-08-30T13:48:00.005-04:00

We were hit by Hurricane Irene pretty badly around these parts. Thankfully there was no damage to our home or cars (we were so lucky!). It has been pretty sad driving around and seeing the destruction to others' beautiful homes though. We have much to be thankful for!

E eating breakfast in his pre-hurricane fort:

There were quite a few branches down in our neighborhood and two very large limbs from our tree out front. It was really scary when those came down. We heard a big snap and watched them fall right before our eyes! Ekk! I really wish I could say I was one of those people who stayed perfectly calm in emergency situations, but I am not. I shake, I can't breathe, my legs turn to lead, and praying is the last thing on my mind...oh how I wish I could change this! Thankfully the limbs didn't hit our house!

The hubs getting to work on the clean up. Haha!

Don't worry, one of our very kind neighbors came to the rescue with a chain saw!

We haven't had power since Saturday and let's just say it has been quite an adventure. We made do with what was in our fridge/freezer the first day, but after that we relied on granola bars, gold fish, and daily trips to fast food places. Yesterday I had to drive to three McDonalds before I found one with milk for E...it was pretty crazy!

Anyway, our power was restored (FINALLY!) this morning (day #4!!!!). If you heard our cheers, you probably would have thought we won the lottery! :)

We are all cleaned up and almost back to normal. I had to toss everything in our fridge, but I guess this now gives me the excuse to give it a good cleaning. And can I tell you how happy I am to be back on the computer {{HUGS}}! I love electricity!

Hanging in There

2011-08-24T13:38:00.005-04:00

Thank you so much for all your prayers. Truly, they are working. I'm feeling at peace.

We still haven't heard anything and that's very hard. I would just love to know what's going on- did the birthmother change her mind? Did another family come along? Is she late and the baby isn't even here yet?

Both our attorney and the birthmother's friend (that we have been in touch with) are unable to reach the birthmother. She was very committed and easy to get in touch with at the beginning of the process, but now it seems no one can get a hold of her. I'm praying that she is okay and that we'll find out what is going on soon.

Honestly, I don't know what to think. Maybe we'll get the miraculous call that she was late and it's time to pick up the baby or maybe we'll never hear anything at all.

All I know is that either way, we'll be okay.

We have our faith, our health, our amazing families and friends, and of course our precious little E~ all of these beautiful, amazing blessings. And I'm just so thankful for the gift of motherhood already while I know so many of you continue to wait ever so patiently and gracefully.

I'm sure that with time, the little ache in my heart right now will pass and we'll be able to move on, if that is God's plan for our family.

Again, thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. I'm doing fine...our little guy sure does make me smile!

Feeling Heartbroken

2011-08-18T22:58:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we debated about whether or not we should make the long trek up to a big family party for my Grandparent's 90th Birthdays. We were worried we might "get the call" while we were up there, but decided it was too important of an event to miss and we could always just easily fly out of the airport up there.

I'm so glad we went and didn't miss it because my phone never rang.

On our drive home I really began to worry about the adoption. My always optimistic hub was getting a little sick of hearing me worry so I began to silently pray that if it was God's will, everything would work out and this baby would be ours.

A few moments later, I saw a huge billboard with a picture of a little girl with her hands folded over her chest.

Under her picture were the words, "St. Philomena, Anchor of Hope, Pray for Us."

I was amazed at being given this beautiful "sign" (literally)....and on Route 95 of all places.

This week I've received such sweet emails from friends and family all wondering if we have heard any news. Some other friends are organizing a baby shower and others have asked about putting together a sign up sheet to bring us dinners. The generosity and love of those around us is enough to make me cry (and even more so under these circumstances.)

Today is the birthmother's due date and we've still heard nothing.

I'm grieving, but trying to hold on to hope too.

"In darkness, at times of tribulation and distress of the spirit, Jesus is with you. In such a state you see nothing but darkness, but I can assure you on God's behalf that the light of the Lord is all around you and pervades your spirit. . .You see yourself forsaken and I assure you that Jesus is holding you tighter than ever to His divine Heart."

~Padre Pio

Phones

2011-08-11T14:36:00.002-04:00

Phones in our house disappear.

I'm pretty sure the one that was never found was dropped into the trash can. Another was lost and then found...in the toilet! Yep, after I fished it out, it was as dead as a doornail so it had to get tossed too.

Other times there is nothing wrong with the phone, it just isn't where it's suppose to be. I'll hear it ringing away but I can't find it...anywhere!

I'm sure you've figured out why this happens. If not, here is a little visual for you:

I've put it up high, hid it behind things- you name it- and nothing works. He always gets it.

I've come to accept this and just know that I'll keep buying the cheapie white phones from Walmart with each passing toilet or trash drop.

There have been a few times this week where the phone has rung and it hasn't been there! This is somewhat of a big deal to me since you all know we are waiting on some big news in the coming days. I knew I had to figure something out.

I went back to the trusty phone section in Walmart and bought a phone with a cord. Who knew they still made those?! Well, apparently they do, but I'm pretty sure they are designed specifically for old folks in mind. The phone is called "The Loud and Clear" and has an extra volume "boost" button on the side. The numbers on the dial pad are also quite large. This made me giggle a bit, but I was just happy to know there was one phone in our house that would be there when I heard it ring.

I placed the phone on my desk up in our room in the hopes that the little guy would have even less of a chance of getting into it. Well, like a typical boy that didn't last long. Yesterday I was blow drying my hair one minute and then the next thing I notice is that the little man has unhooked it from the main cord! How he did this I have no clue, but he sure is fast!

At least this time instead of dropping the phone in the toilet, it looks like he had the right idea...(and I was super excited my camera was right there so I could capture it...)

a possible phone call to his new sibling to find out when he or she is going to get here?!!! :)

A few More Wedding Pictures...

2011-08-10T15:30:00.001-04:00

The professional photographer put a few "sneak peak" pictures up from the wedding that I just had to share...I promise I'm done after this! :)

And how I wish I could take pictures like these...how on earth do they do it?!

The bride and her mom put all the flower table arrangements together themselves! They collected mason jars and then ordered the flowers from Costco and saved a bundle. So pretty!

Love this one!

And no baby news yet...I race to the phone each time it rings and 9 x's out of 10 it has been a telemarketer, haha...

Beautiful Wedding Weekend!

2011-08-08T13:20:00.003-04:00

The wedding was absolutely beautiful! The weather was perfect, the bride and groom were glowing, and my little man made it down the aisle! I was so proud of him I teared up...(big time!) :)

The sweetest part was when the flower girl went to her mom and my sweet little E didn't know where to go. I was asked to do the first reading and was sitting off to the side so he was supposed to go to Grandmom. With a little direction he got there and it was oh so precious!

The ceremony was lovely. I loved the readings they chose, the priest is a dear family friend so his homily was extremely thoughtful, and the bride and groom were just so happy! Here's a picture of our family (hubs' side) after the ceremony:

The reception was held at a charming winery/lodge out in the country. They have a beautiful reception hall and then small little cottages all around that guests and family members from out of town stay in. Here was the entrance:

And here are some pictures of the inside of the reception area:

It was so nice to spend time with family (my parents and brother came too) and also to see little E dance. We nicknamed him "Mr. Dancing Shoes" because apparently, he has a talent we weren't aware of:

He danced all around after he finished his dinner and then really boogied down once everyone got out on the dance floor. It was too cute! (And thank goodness for the binky which helped him stay up waaaay past his bedtime!)

We were very thankful we could be apart of the hub's brother's special weekend! Our families are so excited about the arrival of the new baby and it was fun to share all those details with everyone. There are many, many prayers being said for the health and bravery of our birthmother and the baby.

It has been such a busy time that the hubs and I almost totally forgot that Sunday was our 7th wedding anniversary! It's hard to believe that our wedding was that long ago because it really feels like it was just yesterday. (I did one of those fun wedding questionnaires a few years ago here if you'd like to read it.)

Although it did hit me while we were at my brother-in-law's wedding that it actually was a long time ago. My sweet sister-in-law who was our precious little flower girl in the picture above was old enough to be a bridesmaid this time around!

Unbelievable! I've known her since she was in preschool and she is heading into high school next year. Wow, I am getting old!

Anyway, thank you so much for all your prayers and I'll be sure to share any baby news in the coming days!

Have I mentioned that we are so excited and can't wait?!!!!

Happy 90th!

2011-08-05T12:29:00.001-04:00

My Grandpop turned 90 yesterday and my Grandmom turns 90 on the 15th. I spoke with them on the phone last night (they are both big chatters) and just love them so much! As kids we would go to their house every Saturday for dinner and my Grandmom always made a vanilla cake with chocolate icing for dessert. We also spent two weeks with them each year when my parents went away on business to the furniture market. I remember the big thing they'd take us to do is go "window shopping" at the mall, haha.

I mentioned a long time ago that my grandparents actually suffered from infertility during the first three years of their marriage. Once they figured out the problem, they went on to have six children (my dad being #4.) What a blessing it was that they were able to diagnose the problem back then!

They are just the cutest couple and amazingly still live in the same house they raised all their children in. They also recently bought a new car so they could continue going to daily Mass and attend family get-togethers...just precious!

Happy 90th Grandpop and Grandmom!

For the Soon-to-Be Big Brother

2011-08-04T14:45:00.002-04:00

For My E~

You don't really understand this right now, but very soon, you're going to become a big brother.

And even though there will be another baby in our family, I want you to know that you will always be my little baby, my first, my sweet boy who makes me smile each and every day.

You are spirited, sweet, kind, and very affectionate. I couldn't have asked for a better son. Your constant kisses and hugs fill me with joy. You are going to be such a good big brother and I am so proud of you.

As I look around our house, I am reminded of just how much I love being your mom.

I see the little giraffe you take everywhere with you sitting nicely on the window ledge. You care for your giraffe, just like I know you'll care for your new sibling. You will watch out for them, make sure they are okay, and love them.

I venture into your play room. Your ability to get into things so quickly really amazes me. Your creativity, spirit, and joy for life is an inspiration to those around you. I know you will have so much fun playing, exploring, and "getting into things" with your new brother or sister. You will be such a wonderful role model for them.

I open my planner and I spot a little love note from you. I don't know when or how you got a hold of it (along with the pen!) but you remind me of something very important with your note. As your mom, you are my priority. Lunch dates, to-do lists, parties, and any career I could have ever had are nothing compared to the time I spend with you. You and your sibling mean more to me than anything the world could ever offer.

I go into our family room and I see the vocabulary cards we've been working on. You are so bright and are picking up on all your words so quickly. I know that when you are older, you will use your words to care for your siblings, to be a good example of virtue, and to always be generous and loving.

I finally head into the kitchen where I see the drawings you did for me this morning. You worked hard on them and politely told me when you wanted a new color. I know you will be a hard worker in all that you do in life. You'll be polite, respectful, and your younger siblings will do the same because they'll want to be just like you.

You are prayerful. Even though you are only a toddler, you're the one who reminds me to pray before meals. You put your little hands together and say, "A-ben!" It amazes me that you remember every time, but you do. As you grow older, I know you will become a man who doesn't forget to pray and thank God for all the abundant blessings in your life.

You are ready to be a big brother. You are ready to share, love, play, and protect a new sibling.

Through the years, I know it's not always going to be easy. I'm sure my hair will begin to gray from worry, you and your siblings will not always see eye to eye, and you'll give me "the look" when we disagree (like this morning when I tried to get you to come out of the sandbox).

But, it's okay.

We have God, our faith, patience, and love to get us through. We will make it through.

And one day when you are grown, I'll be smiling into those big brown eyes of yours, reminding you that you are still my baby.

The precious little bundle delivered from heaven that made me your mother.

I love you!

Dresses, Ribbons, & Baby News!

2011-08-03T11:12:00.008-04:00

I found a dress! I made a last ditch effort to find one (with the hubs and E in tow, believe it or not!) and found the perfect dress to wear for my brother-in-law's wedding! (I of course would have been perfectly fine in my option B dress, but am thrilled I found something I hadn't worn to numerous weddings before.) It was the third one I tried on, it was on sale, and I love the color. Happy, happy day!

Speaking of the wedding, it's this weekend! I'm helping the bride with some of the last minute details and was super excited to help with some of the decor. She asked me to make these lovely banners for some mantels at the reception. Aren't they pretty?

Martha is just too good!

The bride also wanted some of her engagement photos to be hung along the mantel too, so I printed a few out and attached ribbon to the back. I figured I'll just space and tape them along wherever they look best.

Has anyone else noticed how drastically wedding photography has changed in the past few years? I love the natural settings and poses that they do now. Just beautiful!

While I was working on the banners, I had my ribbon collection out and saw some leftover Christmas ribbon I had. I thought this little project would also make a cute "Merry Christmas" banner too, so I made one, haha! It felt very weird attaching "Merry Christmas" to the ribbon (and don't worry, I won't post pictures of the banner until December!) :)

P.S. We heard from the birthmother! All is well.

Adoption Update

2011-07-28T08:08:00.001-04:00

We got a letter yesterday stating our adoption tax refund was approved! Yippee!

We had our final adoption home study meeting last week. I am completely amazed at how smoothly and quickly the process seemed this time around. We are so thankful.

My suitcase of baby things is packed and stored under our bed. Who knew that E owned so many blue newborn outfits? Thankfully he had a few yellow/green ones so we are all set. We are just so so excited!

Our birthmother is due August 18th. The attorney has been trying to get in touch with her for the past two weeks but hasn't had any luck. I feel in my heart that she is committed, but of course this makes me very nervous. I'm sure this must be an extremely difficult time so my heart and many, many prayers go out to her.

On a lighter note...

The ring bearer for my brother-in-law's wedding is ready. :) He looked adorable in his little tux and kept smiling at himself in the mirror. I think he knew he looked good...too cute!

The wedding is August 6th. We can't wait!

Budding Vocabulary

2011-07-27T14:04:00.001-04:00

E is 21 months old now and his brain is a little sponge, soaking in everything. His favorite thing to do right now is point and say, "Whats-at?"

I know E has been learning all along, but the beginning of real vocabulary development makes the teacher within me jump for joy. Granted, he is only saying a few new words here and there along with the typical words/questions he has been saying for a while, but this is a fun time/age to give him explanations all about the world around him. I'm enjoying every second!

Surprisingly, E loved a book about dinosaurs we picked up recently from the library (and I couldn't even say some of the names of the dinos myself, haha!). But, he enjoyed pointing to the pictures and then hearing me say the word (or trying to say the word in this case!).

Since he liked the book so much, I figured I better run with it so we headed over to our local book shop and picked up a few more from this publisher:

I try to get the majority of E's books from the library, but I am happy to spend on quality books that I know he'll enjoy (and these books are doing the trick right now). I really like how the books are organized into categories and all the pictures are photos of the real objects.

E is really enjoying all of the books. They were totally worth buying.

For any teachers or experienced moms out there, are there any other vocabulary building books/videos/tips that you recommend for a budding talker?

30 years old....almost! (Ekk!!!)

2011-07-25T12:56:00.002-04:00

My actual birthday is this upcoming weekend (the BIG 30- AH!!!).

We have some other plans (not birthday related) on the actual day, so the hubs planned a little party for me on Saturday. It was so sweet!

He did a great job organizing all the details like the evite, food, and drinks. Since he isn't into decorating like me, I did ask for permission to hang some outdoor lights and balloons to make it look festive and less "male-planned" (which I'm sure would have consisted of just a cooler of drinks and paper plates being passed around), haha!

Our backyard:

Sadly, it turned out to be like a bizillion degrees so we spent the majority of the time indoors in the a.c. (which was fine with me)!

The margaritas were flowing and everyone was cool and happy. Especially these little cuties:

FT & AYWH's little ones!

Surprisingly, it rained and then cooled off so we were able to head outside at the end, yay!

Thank you hubby & friends!

It was such a fun night!

And 30?!!!! It's not that bad, right?!!!

The Salad I've Had Everyday for Lunch this Summer

2011-07-22T13:17:00.001-04:00

It's so delish, I just had to share. I'm not sure what to call it, so I think I'll have to stick to:

The Salad I've Had Everyday for Lunch this Summer

Ingredients:

One head of romaine lettuce (chopped)
Trail Mix of almonds, dried cranberries, and cashews (I got the mix at Trader Joe's, but you could buy each separately too.)
1 can of tuna (I also get my tuna from Trader Joe's...it tastes amazingly better than the regular brands. If you don't like tuna, you can substitute grilled chicken as well.)
Crumbled goat cheese
Cranberry Walnut dressing (Again Trader Joe's, but any raspberry/cranberry type of dressing will work.)

Filling and delicious! Enjoy!

Are there any other salads you've been enjoying lately?

One of My Favorites

2011-07-21T12:09:00.002-04:00

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway."

~Mother Teresa

My Answers to Questions for those Discerning Adoption

2011-07-19T22:46:00.012-04:00

Please check out this post to see where these questions came from and to read other's beautiful answers!

Questions for Adoptive Mother's for those Discerning Adoption:

1. How did you know when to begin the adoption process?

My husband was aware of my infertility before we were married so adoption was on our minds from the beginning. We both love children and dreamed of having a big family so adoption was the answer to our hopes and dreams.

I realize that this is not the case for everyone. I recently spoke with a friend discerning adoption and she's having a hard time "pulling the trigger" to begin the process. She's nervous and also explained that she was never someone who thought about adopting before learning of her infertility. My advice to her was that if you're meant to adopt, you'll know when the timing is right. Someone may tell you that they adopted, you'll see a TV show about adoption, or you'll just feel in your heart that you are meant to move forward. I believe that God sends you little signs to help open your heart to the possibility.

2. Did you ever feel like you failed at TTC (and were giving up "trying") so that's why you adopted? What suggestions do you have for those working through these emotions?

Just because we adopted doesn't mean we don't continue to hope and pray for a miracle (because we do!).

I admit that I sometimes feel uncomfortable during times of "pregnancy talk," but I think this might just be the stage of life I am in right now because there was a time when pretty much everyone I knew was expecting. I also sometimes wonder what our biological children might look like. These are normal feelings (from what I can tell) and something that I have had to mourn and move on from. The bottom line is that I am a mother who is extremely grateful to be one. I look at my little E's face and am so thankful for my infertility because it brought him to me. I don't feel sad anymore after that! I've also realized that waiting has been a blessing in disguise. It has allowed me to really appreciate my vocation and as a result, I soak up each and every moment with JOY!

3. Were you and your husband on the same page about adoption? What suggestions do you have for a spouse who may not be as excited as the other about adoption?

Thankfully, we've always been on the same page. If one spouse is having a hard time with the idea, my suggestion would be to pray, pray, pray. St. Joseph, St. Anne, St. Gianna, and Padre Pio are great ones to turn to for adoption guidance. If you are meant to adopt, your spouse will begin to receive the "little signs" from God too.

4. How did you work through figuring out where to adopt from, how open to be, and what type of communication to have with your child's birthparents?

We decided on domestic adoption because we wanted to adopt an infant. Also, due to my husband's work schedule, we weren't able to do any extensive traveling. The idea of international adoption has always intrigued me though so who knows? Maybe it will happen in the future. I admit that after watching this video, I wanted to hop on a plane and scoop up those babies! That would probably be my problem with international...get me in an orphanage with a bunch of babies and I'd want to come home with them all, haha! :)

In terms of openness, it turned out that E's birthmother did not want to meet us and only wanted to exchange letters/pictures. We have felt very comfortable with this type of contact and if E would like to reach out and meet his birthmother when he is old enough to make the decision, we would fully support him. With adoption #2, we will have a similiar communication arrangement with the birthmother.

5. Adoption can be really expensive. What recommendations do you have to work through the financial aspect of it all?

My advice would be not to worry because that will stress you out (believe me, I have experience!) Put your trust in God, pray your heart out, and the $ will come.

6. Do you truly feel like a mother even though you didn't give birth? If you've never been pregnant, do you feel like you missed out on this experience?

E is mine through and through. I am his mother.

Someone recently asked me if E's curly hair came from his father and I immediately thought of the hubs and his super straight brown hair. Then I remembered...haha! I rarely think of E as adopted (mostly because I forget). He is my baby!

7. What prayers and/or books do you recommend for those discerning whether or not to pursue adoption?

I have a list of favorite prayers on the sidebar of my blog. These are the ones I turned to during our time of waiting.

I also checked out every book our library had about adoption. That might sound crazy, but I wanted to read everything I could. Some books were really good, some I just skimmed. The informational adoption books are really good if you have no clue about the process, but they all kind of say the same thing. If you are looking for more inspirational "pull the trigger" type of reads, check out this book and you'll want to adopt as many kids as you can!

8. What has been the best part about being an adoptive mother?

The paperwork is a pain, the waiting is tough, but in the end I am a mother. Every single step of the journey was worth it!

Questions/Answers for those Discerning Adoption

2011-07-15T13:24:00.004-04:00

Earlier this week I got together with a teacher friend of mine who also happens to be a fellow adoptive mama. Back during my teaching days, this lovely lady's classroom was right next to mine so we would chat a lot during carpool and recess. I'll never forget the cold, winter day out on the school blacktop when we both learned we were going through the adoption process. (We also realized we had actually began around the same exact time!) We joked and said we'd be "adoption buddies" for life!

As we all know, schedules fill up and life gets busy so the last time I saw this friend was actually when she came to visit when we adopted E...way too long ago! Anyway, we were so happy to see one another this week, catch up, and also reminisce back on those carpool and recess chats we had before we both became adoptive mothers.

We remembered that we both had the typical never-adopted-before mother questions and worries such as: Will the birthmother take care of herself during the pregnancy? Will I really feel like a mother even though I didn't give birth to the baby? (And the one we always laughed about...) Oh gosh, what if the baby isn't cute?!

(Thankfully, we didn't have to worry about that last one, haha!)

Believe it or not, we both actually ended up adopting within a week of each other right after school let out back in June 2008. We were so full of joy and also in utter disbelief! She adopted a beautiful, healthy little girl and ours was an adorable, healthy little boy. We both felt like we had hit the adoption jackpot!

While my friend's adoption moved forward smoothly and quickly, sadly, ours didn't. After almost four months of caring and loving our little baby, we ended up having to give him back to the birthfather.

I was beyond happy for my friend's joyous outcome, but of course, (as you know) was devastated about our situation. (It was actually around this time that I began writing this blog to help me with the healing process and also for support.)

After going through all that we did, I questioned whether or not I was even meant to adopt or be a mother.

Through much time and prayer, I got through that difficult time and realized one of the most important lessons about adoption. I realized that adoption wasn't just something I was doing to fulfill my own need for motherhood. God was asking me, calling me...to open my heart to one of His precious children. I was a woman yearning for a child and hoping (begging!) to be a mother while there was a child out there somewhere in need of a loving family. What better reason did I need to fulfill my vocation for motherhood than to adopt?

We went back onto the waiting list, after a year of waiting God opened my heart even a bit more, and one day later our precious E came into our lives.

Adoption is a calling from God.

It's not a "Plan B".

And it's certainly not a reason to stop trying to have your own. (Even though we are in the process of adopting #2, we continue to be open to life and would happily, excitedly!, welcome any and all miracles!)

As with any calling or vocation, there are things you need to think through before committing and adoption is certainly one of them. Believe me, I certainly remember all the questions and concerns I had before, during, and even after the process. Heck, I still have questions!

Interestingly though, I've had a few emails recently from infertile women with some of the same initial adoption questions and concerns I had. I hope these ladies don't mind, but their questions made me begin to think about how the wonderful network of adoptive mothers we have here in our little blogging community could possibly help you with some of these concerns during your discernment.

I was talking with a friend about this recently and she suggested creating a list of typical questions/concerns and having the fellow adoptive mom's answer them. (Won't it be neat to read everyone's answers?) Since the comment box is only so big, if you'd like to participate, maybe you could write a post answering these questions and then come back and put the link so we know where to find them.

Also, if you don't have a blog or only have time to answer one of the questions, please feel free to just leave a comment.

Adoption is not for everyone. I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings here if you are infertile and God is not calling you to adopt right now. Instead, my hope is that the adoptive mom's here can offer some support and guidance to those of you discerning.

Below is the list of questions and if anyone has any other questions, please feel free to ask those as well!

Questions for Adoptive Mother's for those Discerning Adoption:
(Please feel free to copy and paste and then leave the post link with your answers!)

1. How did you know when to begin the adoption process?

2. Did you ever feel like you failed at TTC (and were giving up "trying") so that's why you adopted? What suggestions do you have for those working through these emotions?

3. Were you and your husband on the same page about adoption? What suggestions do you have for a spouse who may not be as excited as the other about adoption?

4. How did you work through figuring out where to adopt from, how open to be, and what type of communication to have with your child's birthparents?

5. Adoption can be really expensive. What recommendations do you have to work through the financial aspect of it all?

6. Do you truly feel like a mother even though you didn't give birth? If you've never been pregnant, do you feel like you missed out on this experience?

7. What prayers and/or books do you recommend for those discerning whether or not to pursue adoption?

8. What has been the best part about being an adoptive mother?