When we got back from our trip to Utah, we immediately changed the title of our blog and never explained why. Maybe nobody noticed, but just in case you did, this post is for you. The first morning we were at my sister Dawnette's, while eating breakfast, I noticed a piece of painted wood hanging above the kitchen table with these words painted on it, in my Dad's writing: Love the Life you Live.
As I stared at those words, it was like one of those "ah-ha" moments. I mean, I know it's a really simple idea, but I guess it just really hit me. I feel like too much of my life {lately} has been spent comparing my life to those around me, making mental lists of how my life differs from theirs... and wouldn't you know it, that more often than not those mental lists don't dwell on how fortunate I am.
Not so much anymore. That "ah-ha" moment has changed the way I look at my life. I have new eyes that appreciate the journey our life has taken. Yes, I'll admit that our life has taken us in a different course than what we expected, but along that path we have found beautiful moments that have strengthened us and given us many opportunities to see amazing vistas.
A few months ago I may have told you that I'd do anything to trade places with "person X", but I can honestly say I am happy to be in these shoes. I love the path we are traveling and I'm grateful for the blessings we're finding along the way, teaching us that whatever path our life takes, we can love the life we live.
Normally it's coolest to celebrate Friday the 13th in October, because of the superstitious connotations of the date. I have bad news, though: The next Friday the 13th that occurs in October won't be until 2017.
In fact, the 13th of the month is more likely to fall on a Friday than on any other day, so if you were waiting for *tuesday* the 13th, for example, you'd have to wait longer. Or so I'm told.
Speaking of people who would look good in witch costumes, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was born on Friday, March 13, 1964. Can't you just imagine her as the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz?
Anyway, if you, like me, found yourself cowering under the table all day today, you may have triskaidekaphobia, the fear of...the number that comes after twelve.
Closer to the subject at hand, if you are thinking, "no, this cowering thing happens to me *every* 13th, not just on Fridays," you probably aren't lucky enough to have paraskevidekatriaphobia, or a fear of Friday the 13th specifically.
Sadly, I predict that the only part of this post you will remember tomorrow is the mental image of Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a witch costume.
My parents left for Australia on Monday night. They arrived in Sydney sometime Wednesday morning, and I was able to talk to them for a few minutes soon after they arrived. They are probably still recovering from jet lag and getting settled in to their new home for the next year and a half. It makes me so happy to think of them in Australia, helping and loving the people there.
So, Mom and Dad, if you're reading this, please know that you're in every one of our prayers. We can't wait to hear about your first impressions, and how your first few days have been! We love you so much!
There may be some people out there who are wondering what LDS Family Services is all about. Basically, LDSFS offers a wide range of help for a wide range of needs. As far as adoption goes, there are two sides to it - helping birth parents and helping adoptive couples.
For birth parents they offer counseling, medical services, and other resources free of charge. Birth parents receive help and counseling tailored to their unique situation, without being pressured into choosing adoption. Here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions that is really helpful.
For adoptive couples they distribute profiles of couples to prospective birth parents who are considering adoption for their child. They also have profiles online, making it convenient for birth parents to view them from home at their leisure. The agency doesn't match adoptive couples with birth parents. Rather, the birth parents review profiles and other information about couples, and are able to choose for themselves the family they'd like their baby to be placed in.
We have been very happy with our experiences with LDS Family Services. We have felt very comfortable and secure every step of the way, knowing we are in good hands. We would highly recommend them and their services to anyone who is seeking counseling, wanting to adopt, or is interested in learning more about adoption.
Ever since we've become involved in the adoption scene, we've been aware of the importance of word-of-mouth communications as a way to identify birth mothers who may be out there. It's been difficult to "market" ourselves, so we've been grateful for the wonderful support we receive from both sides of our family.
We appreciate all the different types of support that we receive. All our family members have been incredibly supportive ever since we let them know our adoption plans, everyone doing what they can to spread the word, be understanding, etc. We are thankful to all of them.
We do in fact receive serious linkage from Carrot's blog, which has been embedded in the blogosphere long enough to have built up a virtual army of link-clickers. And she's funny, too. So check out Carrot's blog when you get a chance.
And, just so you don't think this award was some cheap thing we bought in a thrift store:
Thanks Carrot! And, big thank yous to everyone else out there who is hoping and praying with us. We are often overwhelmed at how much others have done and are doing for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
-Marc
P.S. I think I just heard my favorite shower song coming from Carrot's blog... "And I said, heyyyy eee yayyyyy eee yayyyyyy eh eh...." :-)
NPR has a segment called "This I Believe" where people write essays about their life experiences. While we were in Utah, John and Dawnette shared one of the essays with us. It's about a couple who is waiting to adopt and have come to believe parenthood is a gift. It reflects many of our own feelings, but the feelings are expressed so well that we had to share it. You can listen to it or read it.
Day 1 - Woke up at 3:41am. Spent about 14 hours in the car - Marc, me, and my Mom and Dad - before arriving at Matt and April's near Ogden, Utah. April fed us some delicious tortellini soup with spinach and sausage, which really hit the spot after eating snack foods most of the day. Visited there with April and 2-year old Kelly for a while, before heading up to Smithfield to see Dawnette and family.
Day 2 - Woke to the smell of blueberry pancakes and bacon. YUMMY! We were introduced to their two new baby kittens, one white and one gray/black. Since they could only keep one of the kittens, they offered to let us have the gray one. We decided to name him Watson. (They later decided on "Sherlock" as the name of their kitty.)
Attended the Logan temple with Mom, Dad, Dawnette, and John.
Played soccer in the front yard with McKayla, Dennison, Truman, and Malachi. Went on a nice little hike up the canyon with everyone, and spotted tons of dragonflies. When I tried to point them out to 2-year old Malachi, all he noticed was the dog poop on the trail. :) Ended the day with an ice cream cone from Casper's. Oh, while we were waiting at the car for the others, Marc taught the kids some karate moves. Here is Malachi showing his stuff.
Day 3 - We relaxed at home most of the day. Played more soccer. Went shopping with my big sister, Dawnette. She and I ended the day with pedicures. I believe self-pampering is a healthy activity! I tried to convince Marc to join in, but he was too busy watching a movie on his new laptop. Oh well, next time. :)
Day 4 - We met up in Ogden with four of the eight siblings for a family picnic with Mom and Dad. After eating lunch, we chatted, played with the kids, and tossed a football and softballs with each other... until we were all so hot that we returned to Matt's house for Popsicles and air conditioning.
Drove down to Provo with Mandi and Adam. Had dinner at Guru's and watched part of Casino Royale.
Day 5 - Went to Church. Hung out with Mandi and Adam all day. Played with Watson. Went on a walk with Marc, and then later went on a walk with my little sister, Mandi. Mom and Dad arrived later that night, excited to enter the MTC the next morning...
Day 6 - Bid farewell to Mom and Dad, well for a couple of hours anyway. They checked into the MTC and got their name tags and then came back for lunch with us, before attending more meetings in the afternoon.
Don't they look so great?!!
Marc, Mandi, and I did a little shopping and then later played Skip-Bo. Marc and I checked out the mural that my Dad painted at Mandi's work, and then took a stroll around BYU's campus. We made French Bread Pizza for dinner and Apple Crisp for dessert. Jamie and his family joined us from Idaho that night, which was a treat! With it being our final night in Utah, we really soaked up the time with everyone. We enjoyed some much-needed quiet moments with Mom and Dad.
Day 7 - Woke at 4:45am. Shared hugs and kisses and tears. It was hard to leave the state where both of my sisters live. In my ideal world I would live across the street from both of them, or at least around the corner. Hopefully one day!
Mandi, Dawnette, and me - both my sisters are expecting! :)
It was even harder to say good-bye to Mom and Dad. They'll be in Australia in just a few days - on the other side of the world for a year and a half. But, I'm so proud of them... and it gives us an excuse to make a trip to Australia! :)
It took us about 12 hours to drive back home to California. We listened to a book on tape that Mandi let us borrow - Outlander - which actually made the trip seem to go faster. What a relief to finally get out of the car. Watson traveled really well.
After arriving home, we cuddled Einstein before introducing him to our new kitty, Watson. Here's a video of their first introduction. (DISCLAIMER: Please ignore our annoying, high-pitched kitty-talking voices.)
And, then this is the following day, after we had given Watson a bath. The first clues that Einstein and Watson are going to be good buddies.
As you can see, we had quite the trip! We had a fantastic time in Utah. It was great to spend time with two of my brothers and two of my sisters and their families. And, it was wonderful to have some time away with Marc. There really isn't anyone I'd rather be with than him. I love our time together!
We just got back from a quick trip to Utah. We drove out there with my parents, to see them off at the MTC (Missionary Training Center). We were able to spend time with family, play with nieces and nephews, attend the Logan temple, have a self-guided tour of the latest renovations at BYU, hike up a Utah mountain, and send my parents off on another mission. It was a week packed with a lot of fun and tender moments with family.
Come back later for photos and other highlights of our trip! :)
Oh, and by the way, we also came back with a four-week old kitten, Watson. So far he and Einstein get along really well. We captured their first introduction on video. They're some handsome kitties!
Through a long journey of seeking to create our family, we've experienced infertility, miracle pregnancies, loss, and adoption. Along the way, we've found purpose in the pain and joy in the blessings life has offered us. We love our life together!
