The Gilded Pear

Tri'ing to Swim

2010-04-08T01:40:00.000-07:00

What in the world was I thinking signing up for the triathlon when swimming is up first.

First of all. I don't...didn't...swim. I had one set of lessons growing up and never really learned how. There was a summer at Bear Lake when my aunt taught me to float on my back and so I have always and forever reverted to that. I hate having water on my face so swimming with my head in the water has never really been an option. I have a huge fear of drowning. And I hate holding my breath. Let's not even mention the things that you find floating in the pool.

Wow. Definitely should have signed up for this triathlon shouldn't I have. Oh man does not even begin to describe it.

My friend, Christine and I are bound and determined to swim and not just swim to survive but swim and do the best we can. We have swimming lessons with a competitive swimming coach once a week (aka neighbor who was suckered in, an amazing coach and swimmer that broke swimming records in high school). He and his wife are both amazing and do olympic triathlons.

Christine told him from the beginning that she was terrified of the deep end, that I was terrified of having my head in the water and that our other friend, Heidi, was just terrified. He just laughed and probably didn't think she was serious. She was dead on.

Our first lesson was..dare I say rocky. After swimming half a lap for him to see what our skill level was, he kindly told us that we were both at the same level and needed to start with the basics. Our first lesson was holding onto the side of the pool trying to get comfortable with the breathing. We left feeling less that enthusiastic and wondered if we would ever really figure it out.

After five weeks of swimming I can tell you...I now swim with my head in the water. I haven't drowned and am swimming full laps without drinking gallons of water (not so much the first few weeks, I assure you I drank more than my fair share of pool water). I am learning to separate the water and air and don't feel like I am going to choke or drowned when I get a mouth full of water or someone sends a huge wave over my head as I am taking a breath. I am slow but I make it across.

Christine and I have been swimming about 6 to 8 hours a week just to get comfortable in the water and to practice what we are learning with our coach. It is hard. Sometimes I don't know how I am going to do it and feel like I am taking ten steps back. But there is nothing better than coming out of the pool and being able to say that we did it. We are getting better, we are building endurance and somehow we are going to make it to the finish line.

I would never be able to do this without my friend, Christine. Seriously she pushes me when I just want to quit and move on. Hopefully I do the same for her. If we just keep tri'ing together we know that we can do it.

Tri'ing Hard

2010-04-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

You may or may not have noticed on my side bar that I am training for the Women of Steel Triathlon at the end of May.

It is coming up quicker than I dare admit.

Let me back track a moment to the 1/2 marathon that my friends talked me into because that is really what got me started.

THE SHORT STORY

Our team didn't get into the lottery for the 1/2 marathon and I have to say that I was somewhat relieved even though I had already started the C25K. Some of our family (L's birth family) did get in and a few of my friends still ran in charity slots. They just amaze me.

I started cycling for some extra cardio to go along with the C25K for the 1/2 marathon training (which let's be honest...I should have started with the coffin to 5K. lol). I wanted a reason to get back into shape and it definitely gave me a reason. I fell in love with cycling and made some great new friends from class that I am so lucky to have gotten to known. These fabulous friends talked me into signing up for the sprint triathlon. And so the training began.

Cycling. Running. Swimming.

A few things you should know:

1) I don't know how to swim.

2) I hate having water on my face even in the shower.

3) Swimming is something you should learn as a kid when you have no fear.

4) Clip in shoes are hard to get used to.

5) You should always carry tools when cycling.

6) Running with "the girls" is hard.

7) Running shoes don't come girly in monster foot sizes. Especially when said running shoes should be a size bigger than normal.

I never thought in my entire life that I would be learning to swim in my 30's. Let alone signing up for a triathlon. It has pushed me to 'tri' things that I never would have. I am almost feeling like I may not drowned in the first 10 minutes and might actually make it to the parts that I feel like I can survive.

Oh the stories I have to share.

2010-04-02T00:18:00.000-07:00

Not sure where I have been seeing that this isn't a new song but it is very appropriate for my cycling class where I was introduced to it.

Listening to it in class, I almost lost it. Way too appropriate for my life and not just because I was climbing a hill at the moment.

Miley Cyrus, "The Climb"

I feel this way on so many levels. Training for the tri. Adoption. My businesses. Juggling so many things in my life.

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

Sometimes I feel like I should just set one thing down and walk away.

And the part that I need to remember when I am feeling like I just can't keep going is that...

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on...

There are so many times that I wonder if my life will ever be as I have envisioned it. Am I ever going to make it where I think I am headed? As hard as it is, I just need to remind myself that the journey can be as great as the destination.

And really does it matter how fast I get there as long as I am heading in the right direction?

Best Holiday Vacation

2010-01-07T20:43:00.001-08:00

One of our best vacations in 2009, Oceanside, CA

The Boy still asks to go back to stay at "Sam's house" which is the condo we rented

I really wish we could be there right now.

It's hard to believe that the holidays are over and that is is 2010. I still keep forgetting to write 10 instead of 09. I think it may take another month or so before it sinks in.

The last two weeks of 2009 were the best. The Gent was off work, we were so much further ahead on our Christmas shopping and lists than ever before and were just able to take in the magic of the season, be together, hang out and do whatever we/the kids wanted to do.

The week before The Gent and I sat down and wrote out what we wanted to do while he was off. Mine were the practical things we had to do before Christmas Eve was upon us and The Gent had all of the fun outtings and activities on his list. He joked that my list all sounded like work (keep in mind being crafty to me is fun, it is work to him). We both laughed and agreed we'd get in some of both. And we did. Our list of favs from the holiday season.

- How into giving gifts the kids were (I got to hear all of the stories from the neighbors on the funny things The Boy said as he dropped off presents. From "do you have a chimney?" to "here you go, now do you have a gift for me?" Hilarious I tell you) but even beyond that they were excited to wrap presents for others and to give them to them.

- Family movie day with the kids

- Sledding (The Girl never wanting to come in)

- Letting the kids wrap each others presents

- Christmas Bingo with traditional (oh so fabulous might I add) gifts

- Being with our families

- Christmas tree street and "transporting" into the story (and going back multiple times to be transported again)

- Christmas breakfast (our favorite tradition)

- The Boy waking us all up on Christmas Day to tell us what Santa brought for The Girl to push him away and say, "Yannon, leave me alone, I am tired."

- The kids singing Christmas songs

- How much excitement the kids had, how much they have grown and how much fun they had this year making it ever so much more fun for us.

Moving on the from fabulous, lovely, wonderful holiday season. Trying not to wish it could be like that all year long (The Gent home, hanging out, doing whatever we want to) and also trying not to be mad that the air is gray and gross, it is freezing outside and winter is really just beginning.

Thanksgiving Gift to You

2009-11-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

custom initial necklace.
email me if you are interested in customization.

custom three name bar necklace with birthstones.

custom grandma brag bracelet.

from 12:01 am on friday, november 27th through 11:59 pm on saturday, december 5th we will be offering FREE SHIPPING to anyone living in the united states or canada.

consider it our holiday treat to you.

to browse our already made earrings, bracelets, necklaces and adoption shirts click HERE.

Hoping you all have a fabulous Turkey Day today. We are celebrating The Gents birthday right along with Thanksgiving today and loving every minute of it. Hopefully he just doesn't feel like he gets jipped.

Canyonlands Half

2009-11-26T02:26:00.000-08:00

Man oh man. I really can't believe that I actually just registered myself for the Canyonlands Half marathon coming up in March. I am sitting here wondering what in the world I am thinking and also telling myself that somehow I can do it. It is a lottery to get in and while a little part of me secretly (or not so secretly now) is thinking that maybe our group won't get in, it would absolutely be something so different for me to train and accomplish for.

I started the couch to 5K just over two months ago and seriously wondered how I would ever run a mile. Especially seeing that I haven't ran since highschool and even in highschool did it but didn't really love one minute of it. Needless to say, the C25K was hard for me. It kicked my butt. And I am sure I looked like a huge dork running on the track. What's a girl to do.

Five weeks ago, I decided to join our neighborhood gym to get my butt in better shape than I have been for the last 8 years. It is crazy how much I really can do and I am already feeling better and seeing results. I know I can push myself to do things that I never thought I could. And the half marathon isn't going to be any different. Somehow, I am going to drag my big butt acrossed that finish line and feel accomplished doing it. Even if I have to walk part of the way.

I will be running the half marathon with a group of some of the best friends a girl could ask for. They have promised me that they won't leave me laying on the side of the road and that I can do this. They are such an inspiration to me for so many reasons.

First of all there is Nakia...she is such an inspiration to me. She is bound and determined and is constantly inspiring me to keep going and to just give it a try. When I am feeling like there is no way I can ever do it, I just have to talk to her for two seconds, read her blog or FB her and she makes me feel like I can do it and we'll be there for each other cheering each other on.

Then there is Kimmie. Kimmie ran her first half marathon last year and it was her idea that we all get together and run a half marathon this year (Kim, what were you thinking. lol). I totally thought she was kidding until she started talking to me about running shoes and shorts and all sorts of other things that I really would have no clue about. Kim is a quiet giant. She has been through more than a person should really have to endure over the last year and a half and yet is always there for everyone else when they need it. She is such a wonderful friend to me. More wonderful than she will probably ever know.

And Lindsey. Lindsey is a runner. She has ran her fair share of half marathons. She is constantly telling us all that we can do it and that it is going to be so much fun. She does it in such a way that I almost start to believe her. lol She makes it so that I can envision it...all of us cheering each other on and waiting for each other at the finish line.

So as crazy as it sounds (which it still does for me) I think I can do this. We'll see how it goes and maybe by the time the lottery comes around I will actually really be hoping that we get in.

Christmas IS right around the corner

2009-11-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

click to enlarge.

We are gearing up for another fabulous boutique this weekend. We will be at pistol pete's mexican grill on Saturday ready to handstamp whatever you would like. Come and grab a quesadilla (random that it's at a mexican grill, right? lol! but my parents neighbor owns this place and the food really is pretty good. I might just have to grab some for myself :-) and bring your christmas shopping list. Wwe are all stocked up and ready to create.

p.s. the kiddie shirts and running shirts will be there too.

see you there ...right?

Boutique-ing it Out

2009-10-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend, the ladies and I from The R House Couture will be debuting our line of adoption related shirts and onesies and a new line of pendant necklaces at the Belle Boutique. Of course we will have our fabulous necklace line as well including tons of one of a kind designs. We will also be offering a discount on custom necklaces (can't beat that).

Come visit us!

We'd love to see you.

Mrs R and I will be there in full force and will be thinking of Sensei who is having surgery and will be in the hospital.

There will be over 40 vendors at the boutique. Such a great variety (although, who are we kidding, our booth will be the best!). There will also be a raffle every hour, one of the prizes will be a pair of our earrings (a pair that I love and want for myself!).

So, come join us even just to say hi.

Disneyland Giveaway

2009-10-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

If you have never visited Sweet Life in the Valley now is the time to do it! They, along with Out & About with the family are giving away a trip to Disneyland. Of course, they also have great info on their blog as well but, the. trip. to. Disneyland. Man oh man, how I could use a vacation. And if I don't win, then hopefully it will be one of you. I know my kids would love it (and who am I kidding, I would too!). So head on over and check it out.

My Button

2009-09-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I have forgotten about my "Gilded Pear" button. It wasn't until Mrs. R was searching for it that I realized it had never made it's debut. So, to debut my fabulous button, I thought I would say some nice things about it.

1) I love it's green color combination and pattern
2) It's rounded corners are the best and would make for a great coaster
3) The "stamped" font is so great and makes me miss my stamping days
4) The little pear is just adorable with it's scratchy details

Allow me to introduce The Gilded Pear button:

Just copy and paste this html into your sidebar for a direct link to my blog.

Always Making Me Laugh

2009-09-12T20:07:00.001-07:00

No pictures because I suck at getting them organized lately. But I must write down the funny things my kids say somewhere.

First of all, it has been quite the day. The kids haven't been acting like themselves all day and the little man has been complaining about his stomach and then threw up twice.

Earlier tonight...

Me: Little man does your tummy feel OK? (this is right after he threw up)
L: I shouldn't have eaten that Sushi. (after having just one bite at my mom's house and not being sure about it)

I couldn't help but laugh.

A few minutes later...

L: Mom, do you think the toilet is going to be OK.
Me: What do you mean? I think the toilet is fine.
L: No, it isn't. I probably just made it sick from puking in it.
Me (laughing inside because he was completely serious): I think the toilet can handle it.

The little lady has been cranky all day. Whining and crying galore. Still whining L starts singing "I understand, I understand, I understand" (yes, sings) and then says, "it's OK K, you don't have to cry." This is what I have been telling her all day as I am trying to calm her down (minus the singing). I guess it is just funny to hear L saying it over and over again.

And this is so typical...earlier today K goes outside and drenches herself with the hose. Standing in the kitchen dripping wet she says (with much dramatization I might add), "guys, I am soakin' wet (arms in the air, talking with her hands). I need to change my cloo-othes (pulling on her shirt). Get my swimming suit and I can go swimming (hand on hips so matter of factly). This is going to be so greaa-at (with the biggest smile ever). She seriously thinks that if she gets all wet then we can bust out their little pool and go swimming. It is her tactic and it worked today.

They are hilarious and seriously say the funniest things. I really need to write them down more often. And really need to videotape Kate when she is talking so dramatically. Really, so funny.

So good we can laugh as we try to survive the sickies. Although I just gagged from having to clean up poor little K's bum. I hope no one else gets sick and it was just something the two of them ate.

2009-09-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

this is where Mrs. R and Kimmie will be tonight and I am hoping to join them a bit later.
join us.

below is the invitation from katie.
We will be debuting our new designs.

If you live or will be in the Salt Lake area this Wednesday, September 2, be sure to stop by my Scentsy party in Taylorsville (5255 s Queenswood Drive) between 7-8:30. It's an open house so you're welcome to come and go as you'd like.

The new Fall/Winter catalog just came out and I'll have all the new scents there to sample. I'll also be offering hostess benefits to anyone who generates at least $150 in sales. Even if your friends can't make it to the party but want to send an order with you, it will count toward your total.

But the most exciting part about this night will be the opportunity to meet Mrs. R from The R House, and Kim, from Simply Me as well as purchase items from their brand new R House Couture shop. For anyone who might not be familiar with these two powerhouse women, they are both champions for the cause of adoption, children and families in general, not to mention fabulous writers and beautiful people. Even if you have no personal experience with adoption these are two ladies you will want to meet!

Plus, anyone who makes both a Scentsy and an R House purchase that night will receive an extra gift.

This is going to be such a fun, unique night that I guarantee you won't want to miss! Even if we've never met IRL, please consider coming and changing that fact. We'll have lots of food and giveaways throughout the night so really there's no reason not to come! For more details or to get the address of the party, email me at benkatieandkiara@gmail.com

Introducing R House Couture

2009-08-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to our brand new Etsy shop called The R House Couture.

Together with Kim and Mrs. R, we have been working on this project for almost a year. It all started with a little idea from Mrs. R, we went crazy brainstorming and the ideas grew and grew.

Like Mrs. R, I am sure that my family is thinking "another endeavor?!?!?!" but adoption is something that I love and adore. And because we are hoping to adopt again, this is a great way that you can support our adoption.

We currently have some fantastic stering silver necklaces and will be adding many more adoption related items in the coming months. Just a few things on the horizon include onesies, running shirts, jewelry, family trees ...and maybe even a custom adoption baby book.

Check out the items we have listed. They are all handmade, each unique and all adoption related.

(hope and wish necklace with distressed red bead and turquoise)

click here for details and description.

This is my personal favorite that I chose out of the bunch and I love wearing it. Although I can't wait to sneak a few minutes to make a custom necklace of my own with my kids names on it (a custom option we will be offering shortly)!

And the winner is...

2009-05-05T19:30:00.001-07:00

Kam-a-Lam who said, "I would love to go get something! *fingers crossed*"

Kamie, it looks like crossing your fingers worked!

(OK, and maybe the extra entries from posting about it on your blog, following my blog, and following me on Twitter helped too :-)

Enjoy your $50 Goldsmith Jeweler coupon, look for an email in your inbox shortly with the deets. And don't forget to head to Goldsmith by Saturday to redeem it.

Thank heavens for random.org for picking a winner so that I didn't have to because I hate feeling like I am leaving anyone out.

And for those of you who haven't gone to Goldsmith Jewelers for your free pearl necklace, you still have until Saturday.
(Just a little reminder so that no one feel left out)

Goldsmith Jewelers
120 N. University Ave.
Provo, UT 84601
Tel: (801) 375-5220

Store HoursMon to Fri: 10-6
Saturday: 10-6
Sunday: Closed

ENDED: Win a $50 Gift Certificate

2009-05-03T23:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

If you haven't gotten your free strand of pearls yet, make sure you print the coupon off here and head to Goldsmith to redeem it before May 9th.

While you are getting ready to head to Goldsmith, take a minute and leave your comment to enter the $50 gift certificate giveaway. I can see your are busy getting extra entries but make sure to leave a comment on the giveaway post so that I know you want to be entered in the giveaway as that is your main entry and the other entries are bonus entries.

And for those of you just dying to win...there are 10 other gift certificates being given away as well. Here are the links to the blogs. Enter them all, why not, and then you'll have even more chances of winning. Of course, enter mine first and then go from there :-)

(here at) The Gilded Pear
I never Grew Up
Sweet Life in the Valley
The R House
Because Babies Grow Up
What About Mom?
Sherbet Blossom
Vanilla Joy
Simply Me
Praying for Parker
CraziBeautiful Women

ENDED: Drum Roll, Please!

2009-05-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

Me (which why am I turned the wrong way?), Kim, and Mrs. R on the red carpet at the Goldsmith Jeweler Event

Vanessa, Evonne, Me, Mrs. R and Amber

Me, Kim & Mrs. R trying to get a sneak peek of the goods in the safe (take note of our Pandora bracelets).

The entire group of ladies who I had a great time getting to know many of them and I look forward to following their blogs.

Since yesterday, I have been wearing and staring at my Pandora bracelet. Which says a lot since I have been working in my PJ's all day long and really had no reason to have jewelry on.

Really, I've just been dreaming all day about adding more charms to it.

I also can't help but notice my wedding ring which Goldsmith cleaned for me last night. It is truly a cleaning process, not like most other jewelers who just stick it in a little cleaning container, shake it up a bit and call it clean. This puppy is super duper clean, shiny, and all of the scratches from the last 13 years buffed out. It looks brand new. There are no longer remnants of the bread I made a week ago or the sugar cookies we made a month ago stuck in the crevaces.

Gross, I know. I really should take my ring off for those things but I never remember until it is already stuck in the cracks,then what's the point.

Goldsmith Jewelers is serious about their work, they are serious about their customers and they seriously love giving things away. In addition to the free pearl necklaces for every single one of you...I am giving away a $50 gift certificate to Goldsmith Jewelers which can be used towards anything at their store.

To enter the giveaway, just leave me a comment (be sure to leave me your email address so that I can contact the winner). It's as easy as that. Remember that Goldsmith Jewelers is in Provo (totally worth the drive even if you are in Salt Lake) and you will need to go there to redeem it. The giveaway will close on Tuesday, May 5th at 12:00 noon. The winner will be announced later that afternoon and the gift certificate will be emailed to them so they can use it immediately, just in time for Mother's Day (good through May 9th).

And for those who like to go above and beyond,

you can earn additional entries (after first leaving a comment) by:

1) Blogging about my giveaway

Make sure to include a link to my blog and also leave a comment for me with a link to your post.

2 extra entries

2) Twitter about my giveaway, Goldsmith Jewelers or Pandora

Be sure to include @leishakelsey so I will see it

1 extra entry

3) Follow my blog

1 extra entry

4) Follow me on Twitter
see the link to the bottom of my sidebar

1 extra entry

5) Blog or post a message on Facebook about my family's Hope to Adopt

with a link to our adoption profile at www.joinourfamily.blogspot.com

5 extra entries for this one (for real!)

That's a total of 11 possible entries per person.

No anonymous entries please.

I know exactly which two charms I would get if I had a $50 gift certificate. What would you get?

Pandora Goodness

2009-05-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a Red Carpet event at Goldsmith Jewelers and have to say, I have fallen in love with the store. My good friend, Mrs. R has always told me how much she loves it and now I can see why. The store has a fabulous layout, a large production area (which I really loved learning about) and of course fabulous jewelry which I adored trying on; not to mention watches that cost more than my car that I, in all honesty, wouldn't mind having. We can all dream, right. :-) To top it off, the owner, Wil, and his son Trevor are just hilarious and Matt, who is just too cute (ask for him if you go in) loves what he does and you can just tell.

Now, let's talk Pandora. Oh my, how I love it. Goldsmith Jewelers is an exclusive dealer of the Pandora jewelry line.

I am wearing my very own Pandora bracelet and adore it!

(So much so that I don't know if I'll take it off and I also don't know how long I can truly go without heading back to Goldsmith Jewelers to add a few more beads to it.)

I love it for a few reasons. First, I love how the beads screw on so that you can keep them where you want them on the bracelet. I also love how easy the clasp is to take on and off. I love the variety of beads and how you can mix and match whatever you like to make your own style of bracelet. I think the danglies are my favorite. The beads start at just $25 and are handmade from sterling silver and/or 14K gold and some are even accented with precious stones. And last but not least, I love that this bracelet makes the perfect gift that you can personalize and also keep adding to for any special occasion. A charm for my birthday, a few charms for Mother's Day, a charm just because, a few charms for Christmas (Gent, I hope you are paying attention).
Goldsmith Jewelers is such a fabulous place that I thought you should all get a chance to visit them.

If you aren't in Provo, believe me, it is worth the drive!

They were kind enough to give all of my readers a free strand of pearls (a $99 value). All you have to do is print this coupon off (while you are at it, print one for your mom, your sister, and your friend because you know they will all want to come with you) and make a lunch date out of it all while getting a free strand of pearls.

What could be better.

It's just in time for Mother's Day.

(Just make sure you go this week as the offer goes through Saturday, May 9th.)

Also, be sure to stay tuned for a fabulous Goldsmith Jeweler giveaway coming tomorrow.

Just the Best

2009-04-19T00:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had something that you just love so much that you can't live without it. Even being apart for a day makes you a little bit worried and crazy and you just crave it. It's been such a long time since I have truly felt like I needed something. I sometimes feel like I am just constantly taking care of my family and doing things for everyone else (not complaining here, I love doing it, I'm just saying). Sometimes I feel guilty when I crave something for myself and I know that I just can't live without it.

I am not talking about food here (although you know how much I really love food). I am talking about the 3 Musketeers. I feel like one of the 3 Musketters when I am with my two BFF's. They are the best. Always there for you as a sounding board, there to support you when you need it, there to laugh with, cry with, have fun with, go to lunch with, make a Target run with. That kind of friend.

I love it.

I crave it.

I need it.

I just hope I am there for them when they need me as much as they are for me.

Love the 3 Musketeers and I just can't seem to get enough of them these days

.

In Case you Didn't Know

2009-04-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

I thought I might share a few totally random things about me just because I am sure you were wondering.

1. I hang out in my PJ’s most days.
2. I love to have people over, love nice dinners, love to go out.
3. I am a night owl and love to sleep in (although that never happens with two kids).
4. I love Italian food. . . anything creamy. . .nothing with marinara.
5. If ever I say something stupid, I worry about it for weeks if not months.
6. I worry about my younger brothers and sisters like a mom.
7. I always throw my clothes on the bedroom floor at night.
8. I have to sleep on the right hand side of the bed
9. I dread doing the laundry and put it off as long as possible.
10. I am afraid of the dark.
11. I have to sleep with my feet poking out of the covers or I feel like I am suffocating.
12. I am a huge procrastinator and therefore work best under pressure.
13. I love dining at nice restaurants because I love having a reason to get dressed up.
14. I absolutely hate call-waiting.
15. I would love to volunteer in an orphanage.
16. I often worry about the “what if’s” of life.
17. I love cuddling up with my hubby and watching a movie.
18. When I start cleaning, I feel the need to clean everything inside and out. Cupboards, walls, door jams, etc. so it takes ten times longer than it really probably needs to.
19. I would be a shoe person but can’t be with my size 13 feet.
20. I love winter scarves.
21. I love the smell of rain and love playing in the rain.
22. I wish I could remember more of my childhood (or maybe not)
23. I love family traditions.
24. I would love to play the violin.
25. I am a picky pita.
26. I love to make up my own recipes.
27. I love black and white photography.
28. I hate surprises.
29. I love the smell of campfire.
30. I can't live without my family & friends.

There ya go. Me in a nutshell

Olay, Olay!

2009-04-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

I came across this body wash by accident as I was walking by some clearance at my favorite store, Target. It was a 2-pack for $3. Cheap, right. So, I thought I could take a chance and upgrade the kiddos from the baby wash to something for "big kids" because they definitely are that. I just hate changing things like that because, what if you just hate it.

Well, I don't. I love it! It has been so good. I love the smell. Although the smell is really nothing like it, it reminds me of the shampoo from our trips to Bearlake with our grandparents. And the kids think it is so great to get the loofa (I'd like to point out, NOT the wood looking loofa) all foamy with bubbles.

But the best part has been that since using it, I haven't had to lotion The Girls eczyma legs ten times a day. It keeps them from getting so dry. Of course I also love the baby lotion smell and we are not about to upgrade that just yet.

Designing Away

2009-03-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

I have been having so much fun doing design work lately. If you haven't seen it yet, you should definitely check out my design blog here. I have many new projects in the works which I am super, super excited about. I am also starting to dabble in the corporate sector. Shhhhhh, it's kinda hush, hush right now and only in the very beginning stages but I love dreaming about the possibilities. It is going to be great. I love having this creative outlet. It's just the best.

Where have I been?

2009-03-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

I swear it happened overnight.

I blinked and these two grew up on me.

I wish I could freeze them for just a little while to let the different stages sink in fully. I feel like I haven't slowed down enough lately and now I'm realizing how big they have gotten.

Boy & Girl - Please don't grow up too fast. I just can't handle turning around to realize that you are ten.

And the cutest story to go along with the jacket The Boy is wearing.

A few weeks ago, as we were getting dressed for church, I pulled out this jacket that I had gotten for him a while back but one that he has never worn and asked him if he wanted to wear it. He loves jackets and rushes to get ready if he knows there is a great jacket or sweater to wear. So, he got his jacket on, got all excited, pulled on the bottom of the jacket as if to straighten it out and with the biggest smile on his face said, "I look just like D, don't I?" [for those of you who may not know, D is his birth grandpa]

It was so cute. He was so proud. It totally reminds him of D and now whenever I ask him if he wants a jacket, he says, "the D jacket?"

One Day

2009-03-05T00:27:00.000-08:00

I come here to my little blog every single day and think to myself, "self, why haven't you posted?" and I want to, I have to many pictures and so many stories that I never want to forget and I really should write down and this has been my place to do that. I even walk around taking pictures just for my blog because it would be a great post. They are all sitting here on my computer, most unedited.

Since the beginning of the year, I have been trying to focus on what is most important in my life and trying to cut out the things that I waste too much time doing (although granted some of the things I have cut out have not been a waste of time and I miss them dearly). Amongst those things, blogging became one of them. So while I think every day to write a post apologizing for my lack of posting. . .it's not going to happen. I have come to accept that when I have a few minutes I can post on the blog and if I don't, I'm not going to worry about it (obviously, right. lol).

At the same time, I don't want you to think that I have fallen off the planet. I am here and even occassionally blog hop. And one day, maybe someday I will actually get aroung to making the dozens of posts that are just dying to be posted. One day. Just not today.

"Me Talk to Daddy"

2009-01-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, after sitting on the side of the road for an hour and a half in our broken down car (a lovely story to come later), we finally get the kids in The Gent's car and I was talking to him about the tow truck and The Girl says,

"Mommy, no talk to daddy. Me talk to daddy, ok."

Thinking how funny it was I wanted to clarify and said, "You don't want me to talk to daddy because you want to?" and she said, "yes." So, I told her to go ahead and talk to him for a minute. She mumbled something in the foreign language that she speaks half of the time and then said, "tanks mommy" and turns to The Gent, gets better situated in her car seat, looks up at him, smiles with her I'm so cute sort of smile (because she is) and says, "mmmmm Hi daddy" and that was it. That's all she wanted to say.

Hilarious I tell you. Especially after the long afternoon we had had. She's only two. Where does she come up with this stuff. She's hilarious.

I need sleep

2009-01-20T01:16:00.000-08:00

It is so late (or way too early depending on how you look at it).

I can't sleep.

It's becoming a regular thing. I'm wide awake with a million thoughts running through my head on a regular basis. I wish I could just turn my brain off sometimes so that I could really get a good nights sleep.

I am an analyzer. I analyze every little aspect of my life and am constantly wondering why things happen and what I am supposed to be doing.

My husband can always tell when I am overanalyzing things. He reminds me that breaking things down and worrying about things outside of our control doesn't do any good. If he were here, I might be sleeping rather than letting a million trivial things consume my thoughts because he'd remind me of that. So, I guess I am just reminding myself.

Good night.

Welcome 2009

2009-01-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Every year, as we start a new one, I love looking back at all of my resolutions and seeing what I have accomplished the year before.

I am a huge list person.

There is something about making a list and crossing things off once they are completed that I just love and adore. And although I never really post my list of resolutions anywhere, I always look back at it to see how far I've come. 2008 has been a very productive year and my list was almost all accomplished.

This year is different, I am not making a list. I am not going to think of all of the things I would "like" to work on or do. Hopefully some of those things will just happen because they are on my mind and in the works if that makes sense. This year, I am focusing on just one thing that has never gotten crossed off the list.

I'm a Little Slow

2008-12-19T20:23:00.000-08:00

A sneak peek of my Christmas card this year.

I just finished decorating my Christmas tree, sent my Christmas cards off to the printer, finalized the menu for the week of Christmas parties, got my sister's birthday present on its way, sent The Gent off to the store, and am finishing one of the last of the three "crafty" gifts that I am working on for Christmas and hoping to finish it up while cuddling on the couch with my hubby. Today has been very productive. I am feeling like I might be able to slow down just enough to enjoy a few days of the holiday season after all.

Yes, I realize Christmas is next week and it is pathetic that the tree has been up and undecorated for. . .way too long. But it's done. Ahhh. I love it but with all of the hustle and bustle I really do just love to enjoy my family and friends and not worry about some of the "less important" things sometimes.

Note to self: Don't procrastinate so much next year especially when you want to make "crafty" presents. Start the list early and have the presents wrapped mid December. Then you can enjoy the holidays. Also, a cut off for photog orders. . .as much as you love them, you need time to enjoy and work on your own projects.

That's all.

Silly Girl

2008-12-16T13:06:00.000-08:00

The Girl is hilarious lately and full of life. She has completely broken out of her quiet little shell and has a lot to say and a million things to talk about (although half of the time I swear she is speaking a different language). She is definitely two years old and has a mind of her own.

Today, while I was getting her ready for her nap and The Boy situated for quiet time, The Girl says to me, "no nap" with THE best face she has ever given me (her just try and make me face). She jumped up on the couch, sat down, folded her arms and gave me the look. I said, "come on cute girl, it's nap time." And she said, with her arms still folded and a glaring look that said I already told you, "I doe teent so." It was the funniest thing. She wasn't going to have it. The whole way upstairs she just kept saying, "I doe teent so."

Earlier today at the store, she over heard some ladies saying how cute her sweater was and she turned and said, in the sweetest little voice, "I cute" then she tilted her head and gave them the sweetest little smile. I laughed so hard and so did to two ladies. When we walked by them again, The Girl looked down and brushed her sweater as if to say, "my sweater is cute." roflmbo Hilarious I tell you. She is the best.

I Don't Care

2008-12-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

The Boy is finally, FINALLY feeling better.

And even better, he is finally sleeping.
He has to be exhausted from the lack of sleep he's had since he's been sick. I swear the medicine they gave him that was supposed to knock him out, had the opposite affect.

He has slept in the last two days.

He slept until 9 today (unheard of for this guy who likes to wake up at 6:45). And I let him. Who cares that preschool starts at 9 and he was completely late. Who cares that I let him take an extra 10 minutes to eat his breakfast. Who cares that we read a book, had cuddles and then got him ready for preschool.

I don't. It was worth every minute. And our entire day will be better because of it.

Start off the Day

2008-12-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

It seems like we have the same three things for breakfast almost every single day. . .Cheerios, oatmeal or pancakes. The Girl's favorite is oatmeal. The Boy's is pancakes. That is until recently when The Boy realized that I made my oatmeal a little bit differently. I like my oatmeal with milk but the trick is to pour it over while it is piping hot and without stirring. It makes the oatmeal clump together and it is divine. The Boy noticed and wanted a bite of mine. He was hooked after the first bite and said it was the best oatmeal he had ever eaten. The Girl of course had to have a bite but didn't like it and went back to her creamy, milk stirred in, bowl of oatmeal which she devours in minutes and always wants more. Now every morning when I ask The Boy what he wants for breakfast he says, "oatmeal but with milk please." He knows what he likes and I love that he wants it just like mine.

Finally

2008-12-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

The Boy has been sick and hasn't been sleeping. He has been wide awake in the wee hours of the night and then coughs and hacks all night. Poor guy. He has had bags under his eyes and they have been red and watering just telling me that they should be closed. The Boy can run on very little sleep which exhausts me sometimes. And he never slows down, even when he is sick (shouldn't that be a benefit of them being sick :-) He finally, finally gave in this afternoon and took a nap. I am not sure who needed it more. . . him or me. It has definitely been a looooooooonng week for all of us.

Good Reads

2008-12-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about today (maybe it is because I haven't slept good worrying about The Boy for the last 4 nights, I'm not quite sure) but grab a box of tissues because there is some blog reading you shouldn't be missing. Here, here, and here. All made me cry.

Fun times

2008-12-04T21:09:00.000-08:00

Two sick kiddos.

One with a cold.

One with croupe.

He is sounding like Darth Vader. And freaking me out.

Just hoping The Girl's stays just a cold.

Friends

2008-11-26T14:34:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed on my sidebar, I have a section of "Friends Hoping to Adopt" I'd love to add your link to the list just leave me a comment with the web address you'd like me to link too and I'll do it! Just because you never know, ya know :-)

Have I ever told you how much I love adoption.

Adoption Rocks

2008-11-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

I love that adoption has been in the media this month. The Horrocks are friends of ours and I love that they are always sharing their adoption stories. They are amazing and have so much love in their hearts and home. Their children are adorable and their little boy reminds me so much of Landon. Seriously, the stories. . .they are two peas in a pod. Anywho, enjoy the video.

Twin Babes

2008-11-25T22:27:00.000-08:00

I thought I would pass this info along for anyone who might be interested in twins. My heart aches that they are up at Primary's just waiting for a family.

Go here to read the story. Go here to the agency website.

I wish I had a million dollars :-) I would adopt until our house was bursting at the seams. And as much as I always say that you never think about the money again, it does play a factor which is the sad and honest truth.

And I do feel the need to put a disclaimer just like Mrs. R did on Heart to Heart because I have some very close friends who had, shall I say, a more than rough experience through H to H and it has been gutt wrenching to watch them deal with them. Their adoptions ended up costing them double. So, I'll just leave it at that and if you do consider it, I would love to share their experience so that you can go in with your eyes wide open. Just saying.

We Love Her to Pieces

2008-11-23T23:37:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce you to Dee.

Dee is The Boy's birth mother.

We have an open adoption and see her and/or her family about once a month. We get together for lunch, movies, the park, birthdays/holidays, even just hanging out.

We love her to pieces.

We are often asked how long we are required to have contact and how much contact we have to have.

This is the thing, we aren't required.

We aren't forced.

We have chosen open adoption and we love it.

We love being a part of theirs lives and having them be a part of ours. We love spending time together and we love sharing all of the different aspects of our lives with them. We love that The Boy will always have that connection and that he can see how much they love and care about him.

They are part of our family. We are part of theirs. Dee is like a sister to me and her parents are just like any other grandparents to both The Boy & The Girl. The Boy and The Girl love them just as much as we do and are always excited to see them. We are all second best to The Boy when D (D's dad) is around. The Boy has D wrapped around his little finger and The Girl is Dee & P's little buddy (P is Dee's mom). We love it.

We couldn't imagine a better relationship, a better situation.

We recently spent the weekend at P & D's house in southern Utah for the second time. I can already hear so many of you saying "what in the world? how could you ever?" We thought the same thing when we first started the adoption process, we never in a million years imagined that it would be THIS open. I still remember going to the adoption classes and thinking to myself, we can never do that. We had many conversations with friends who had open adoptions who we thought were crazy. Now The Boy's adoption is more open than any of theirs and they are the ones thinking that we are crazy :-). But, really we aren't.

The day we first met Dee and her parents, we feel in love with them. We had an instant connection and we never wanted to leave. We talked and talked about all sorts of things and we wondered how it would be to just send letters and pictures through the agency (which is how it was at the time). We hoped that somehow we would be able to find them or they would be able to find us. At the time we were not able to share any identifying information. Thankfully, we were able to get Dee's last name and address at placement (thanks, Dee!) and were later able to email her directly.

We were excited but so nervous the first time we met her for dinner after placement. It was so great though. And from there, we got to know her and her family better and better. They are such great people. And they truly make it easy to have the contact that we do. I know that it doesn't work for everyone nor does it work in every situation but Dee and her family are amazing.

I think what truly makes it work is that we all have a mutual respect for each other and for the role that we are in The Boy's life. We love and respect Dee for blessing our lives with The Boy and her and her family love and respect us as The Boy's parents. We talk about things openly and while our relationship didn't start out being this open, it has grown and evolved over time.

The way we see it is that it is more people who love and adore our children as much as we do. They have a special connection with them and they with us. And we truly appreciate having them in our lives.

What I Realize

2008-11-21T18:32:00.000-08:00

As you have probably noticed, I have been MIA this week. I have come here a million different times to tell you about The Girl and The Boy's adoptions and it doesn't seem like anything is really good enough to express what an amazing journey and experience both of their adoptions have been for us. Nothing can truly express the love and gratitude that we have for their birth families. There are no words to describe the immense love and joy that adoption has brought into our lives. And as we celebrated P's birthday this weekend with P & D (Landon's birth grandparents) D said something that really rang so true for me.

He said that no one can truly understand until they have experienced adoption firsthand. Even when you expect them to because they have witnessed the process.
(The Boy's birth mom, Dee was adopted as well so they have experienced two sides of adoption)

How very true that is.

And as close as adoption is to my heart, as much as it has taught me, as much love as it has given me, as much as I adore and love my children and their birth families, and as much as I love talking about adoption, it has made me realize how sacred adoption is to me. It is how my family was and hopefully still will be formed. No one will understand that completely. No one will understand the depth of my testimony of adoption, of our Savior's love for us, and of his underlying hand in the adoption process every step of the way until they have walked those steps with Him and have been able to see His infinite wisdom and love throughout the entire adoption process. Complete trust, faith and following His promptings is what has brought our little family to this point and will continue to do so. Those experiences are so sweet and tender to me that when I think of how miraculous their stories are, I get choked up and teary eyed.

Can I truly express that in writing their stories? I don't know. I'm trying. I just hope I can give them the adequate admiration that they deserve.

Adoptions Do Happen

2008-11-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

With so many crazy adoption stories out there, I feel like sometimes I am horrible in always being a positive voice in adoption. I am definitely not oblivious to the fact that adoption can be hard. There are failed adoptions, adoption scams, high risk adoptions, and all sorts of other crazy things that can happen in adoption, but even with that knowledge I can't help but remind those that are hoping to adopt that adoptions do happen.

I needed that reassurance while waiting three years for The Boy to join our family.

I needed hope.

I needed to hear positives in adoption rather than negatives.

I needed reassurance.

I needed support.

And I needed to know that I wasn't crazy in all of my wishing, hoping and dreaming.

And so I share with you this, and this, and this, and this and this.

Adoptions do happen!

And when they do, you have to let it all soak in.

Making it Easier

2008-11-15T22:43:00.000-08:00

Just to make it easier for everyone who is wanting to link this button.

Copy and paste this code into your HTML/Java Script:

Easy peasey lemon squeezy :-)

Positive Adoption Language

2008-11-15T21:58:00.000-08:00

I am stealing this fabulous post from my friend who is also celebrating Adoption Awareness month on her blog if you haven't been reading, you should! And it is so good, I'm copying it.

I too, like Kim was not aware of the positive adoption language and the impact that not utilizing it could have when we were first looking into adoption. Now, I cringe when I hear someone say "gave their baby up" or "their real parents." This article really explains it beautifully.

***Taken from http://www.internationaladoption.com/ ***
Positive Adoption Language
Excerpted from "International Adoption Guidebook," Mary M. Strickert © 2004

First introduced by Minneapolis social worker Marietta Spencer more than 20 years ago, positive adoption language is crafted to give the maximum respect, dignity, responsibility, and objectivity about the decisions made by both birthparents and adoptive parents in discussing the family planning decisions they have made for children who have been adopted. By using positive adoption language, we help abolish the old stereotype that adoption is second best – a dirty little secret that everyone knows about.

If you stop and really think about what you’re saying, positive adoption language is just common sense. For example, take terms such as real parent, real mother, real father, real family – these terms imply that an adopted child is not a real part of the family. By using phrases like this, you are invalidating both the child being a “real” part of the family and the “realness” of the family itself.

Through the use of positive adoption language, we educate others about adoption. By consistently speaking (and writing) in positive adoption language, someday this language will become commonplace – and the old hurtful terms will only serve to expose those who choose to be mean and small-minded. When we use positive adoption language, we say that adoption, like birth, is just another way to build a family. Both are important, but one is not necessarily better than the other.

There Are Better Ways to Say What You Mean
The old clichés "give up" and "put up for adoption" can slip out of our mouths almost unnoticed. However, are these phrases really accurate descriptions of what takes place when parents choose adoption? Of course not – no one who has gestated a child for nine months can cavalierly “give away” that child! Much heart-wrenching thought and soul searching goes into the decision to choose adoption for your child. Yes, parents do "give up" their parental rights, but do not give up on their child or give up loving their child. Saying that they “gave up” their child for adoption stigmatizes birthparents for deciding they aren't ready or able to parent. Saying that birthparents “gave up” their child is akin to saying that the birthparents made the wrong choice, when in fact, the birthparents made an incredibly strong choice by putting their child ahead of themselves.

Instead of contributing to the use of these outdated and hurtful clichés, those of us touched by adoption can do something to change the world for the better by using positive adoption language. We may have to go through a period of retraining our own minds and hearts while we carefully choose the words we use to describe adoption. We may need to (gently) correct and educate our family, our friends, and our co-workers. As we become more accustomed to using positive adoption language, we'll discover that this way of speaking about adoption will feel just as natural as the old hurtful clichés once did – and hearing the old clichés will offend us as much as a racial slur.

What we say and the words we use, communicate a lot about our values. The conscious and consistent use of positive adoption language affirms that adoption is as valid a way to build a family as birth. Choose the following positive adoption language instead of the negative phrases that helps perpetuate the myth that adoption is second best. By using positive adoption language you'll reflect the true nature of adoption – free of innuendo.

Additional Resources: Glossaries
Disabilities DefinitionsFrom the National Adoption Center, definitions of risk factors and physical, emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. Glossary of Adoption TerminologyFrom AdoptNet. Glossary of TermsFrom the California Association of Adoption Agencies. Glossary of Terms: Adoption SubsidyIf you are adopting a child who will receive a subsidy, these are the words to know. Glossary of Terms: InfertilityWords and terms used in the diagnosis and treatment of fertility problems, prepared by Drs. Aniruddha Malpani and Anjali Malpani Glossary of Terms: Mental HealthFrom the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

it's about love

2008-11-13T09:27:00.000-08:00

You are more than welcome to steal this if you leave a comment and link it to itsaboutlove.org! :-)

I am so excited for the new itsaboutlove.org website which will be ready by the end of the year. It is going to be so much better for birth families to search and view adoptive families. And the best part is that the stories and Q&A's are all from actual birth families and adoptive families.

And our family will be one of them!

I just saw the beta version and you will definitely see our little faces on there. I promise I'll let you know when it goes live so that you can check it out. But, in the meantime, add a link for itsaboutlove.org on your blog, website, facebook, myspace or wherever. Don't worry. I'll wait.

www.itsaboutlove.org

Whew. Thanks.

Now, for today's adoption post, I thought I would share this article.

A Greater Love

by Eve Burch

This is the part that stood out to me in the article so if you can only read this do it. But the whole article is definitely a good one.

A little background. . .written by an adoptee who reconnected with her birth mother after many years through a letter and then over the phone. Karen is the birth mother.

"Karen called me as promised. We spent what seemed like an eternity on the phone together. Like her parents, she wanted to know all about me, my family, and the life I had led."

"She shared with me how difficult it had been to place me for adoption and the struggles and uncertainties she had experienced since that day, wondering if she had made the right choice. She wanted to emphasize that she did not let me go because she didn’t want me or love me. She had felt strongly that I was meant to be someone else’s baby."

"At that point, I did what I had always promised myself I would do if I were ever given the opportunity. I thanked her from the bottom of my heart for the decision she had made and for giving me a loving, active Latter-day Saint family. I told her that, through her sacrifice, she had allowed me to have everything I valued in my life. "

"Karen did not respond. At first, I was uncertain if I had said something wrong. Then I realized she was sobbing. It took a few minutes, but she was then able to share with me a special experience. In the years since my birth, she had often felt worried and anxious about me and would sometimes get depressed. During one of these periods she received a blessing of comfort from a family friend. He said many things in the blessing, but one promise stood out. She was told that at some future time, either in this life or in the life to come, we would meet again and I would thank her for the choice and sacrifice she had made. Our conversation that night was a direct fulfillment of that promise."

"Even though Karen and I were miles apart, the Spirit bore witness to both of us that her choice and my growing up in the family I did were all in accordance with Heavenly Father’s plan."

I love this for so many reasons. First off, the love that was and always has been there. Birth families do not stop loving the child that was placed for adoption. They think about them often. They love them to pieces and they yearn to know what is going on in their lives. How thankful I am for open adoption for those reasons. I also love the adoptee's view because she loves her family and also recognizes her birth mothers role in allowing her life to be what it is. And I love the love and respect that everyone has for each other. Her, her parents, and her birth mother. Love encompasses all to make such a wonderful relationship possible.

Adoption IS indeed about love.

A Continuous Journey

2008-11-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

Adoption is a continuous journey. Some days it seems never ending. We are always hoping, wishing, dreaming of the family that we have always envisioned.

When The Gent and I were dating and after we got engaged, we talked about many things, including how many children we wanted to have.

We both wanted five.

That changed when we were hit with infertility. We hoped and prayed that there would be even one child to join our family. We knew it would happen and The Girl and The Boy are proof that it has.

Every adoption is a miracle and The Boy & The Girl's are no exception. Their adoptions are miracles, their birth families are our angels, and their stories are what give us more faith and hope that another miracle can and will happen.

We are often asked where we are in the adoption process (which is definitely a process) but in all honesty, we are always in the process. If not officially approved and "waiting" we are always hoping and praying that our children will find their way to our family. That their birth mothers will have the strength and courage to first choose life and then choose adoption. That our family and friends all know that we are always open to adoption and that they will be adoption advocates. Not just for us, but for all of the families hoping to adopt and for all of those who find themselves or someone they love in a situation with an unplanned pregnancy. We want adoption to be a positive option.

Our adoption journey is just that a journey, one that we are always walking. One that we are always on. And we will be until we feel like our family is complete. We will constantly be hoping, dreaming, wishing and praying for another miracle.

I'll admit that I talk about it and think about it a hundred times more than The Gent does. But I can't help it. Adoption is a huge part of our lives. My brain is always on overdrive wondering what I should be doing, analyzing things, decifering thoughts and trying to follow promptings. I am really just trying to do my part even though I know Heavenly Father sees a much bigger picture and has a much bigger dream for us than we may realize. And so the journey continues.

Button, Button, Whose Got a Button

2008-11-11T01:13:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. Since I am having an adoption extravaganza for the month of November, I made a special little something for you:

A fabulous little blog button! After all, they are the NEW craze!

So if you would like to spread the word about adoption, especially your own adoption. . .

Just copy and paste it into your sidebar to link to your adoption blogs or profiles.

Interested in a custom designed adoption button?

Contact me! leishakelsey[at]gmail[dot]com

I would love to make a custom button for you.

or visit leishakelseydesign.blogspot.com

If I Could Talk to Them

2008-11-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

Nearly half (45 percent) of the 6.4 million pregnancies in 2004 occurred among unmarried women. Pregnancy totals among unmarried women increased from over 2.7 million in 1990 to over 2.8 million in 2004.

For unmarried women, 35 % of these pregnancies ended in abortion.

In 2007, less than 1% of these women opted for adoption.

Taken from Vital Statistics Report Released April 14, 2008

http://www.cdc.gov/

Whenever I hear of someone who is dealing with an unwanted pregnancy and is considering abortion, I just want to scream. And lately I feel like I have had a few too many conversations about this with family and friends. My heart starts pounding, my hands get sweaty and I wish that I could just talk to them for a few minutes and let them know that there are other options for them. I wish I could help them feel a little less panicked and a little more hopeful. But most importantly I wish they could see the benefit of choosing life even though they might not be ready for all that that entails. If I could talk to them for just a few moments I would tell them what a positive option adoption can be. And if I could do that, then maybe I wouldn't feel like screaming so much lately. And maybe I would feel a little less out of control when it comes to adoption. This is when I can't look at the statistics, rather I just have to remind myself that adoptions do happen and each and every one is a miracle.

Did You Know?

2008-11-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

Taken from www.itsaboutlove.org

"Contrary to what some may believe, unwed parents who place their children for adoption are not taking “the easy way out” or abandoning their responsibility. Instead, they are placing the needs of their children before their own feelings and desires—the essence of true parenthood. Such a decision is deserving of the highest commendation and respect."

"But children are not the only ones who benefit from adoption. Studies show that single mothers who place their children for adoption are more likely to finish school, are less likely to live in poverty, and have fewer physical or emotional health problems."

"Children who are raised by a single parent are "five time as likely to be poor, twice as likely to drop out of school and two to three times more likely as adults to commit crimes."

"Children placed in adoptive homes have better scores in school and engage
in less delinquent behavior than children raised by a single parent."

"Children in adoptive families have better health status and higher quality
home environment than all other children."

"Mothers who place their child for adoption are “more likely to finish school
and less likely to live in poverty”."

"Mothers who choose adoption are more likely to marry than those who
parent their baby."

Adoption truly is a positive option for everyone involved.

I just wish more people would realize that.

I wish teen pregnancy wasn't made to seem
so glamorous in the media.

I wish abortion wasn't the only choice for so many.

I wish more women considered adoption an option.

And I wish it were viewed as a positive one at that.

Everything to Me

2008-11-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

Being able to share stories with The Boy & The Girl about their birth families. . .that means everything to me. Openness in adoption has come a long way. How grateful I am for that.

Come Support Adoption

2008-11-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the 3rd Annual Adoption Walk with me. Anyone and everyone that has been touched by adoption or knows someone that has should go. It should be fun.

When:

November 8, 2008
10:00 a.m.

Where:

Liberty Park

900 South 700 East

Salt Lake City

Add This to Your Dictionaries

2008-11-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

We have issues here at our house. Major issues. It's not him it's me. These issues cause me a lot of pain and heartache and I rarely talk about the root of the problem. So, I thought I should get down to what really causes the sleepless night, the crying, the heartache and the overanalyzing that seems like it is never going to end. Sometimes so much so that I feel like I am on an endless quest. It sucks sometimes and really I just wish that everyone could work together. They haven't for the last 12 years and I'm not counting on them to work now.

No, I'm not talking about The Gent people. Hopefully you read this post because I love him more than I can really explain and we work together as equal partners in our marriage and it is fabulous.

I'm talking about my infertility frenemy.

Frenemy

\fr-e-na-me\noun

:someone that is always there but you wish they really weren't; something you could live without; a love/hate relationship

I have to admit that sometimes my infertility gets the better part of me. I sometimes feel sorry for myself and I wonder if we will ever be able to quit focusing so much energy on adding to our family. I just made the 6th version of our adoption collage. 6 in the last 7 years. Gag. I don't ever want to update it again. Yet I know that is how our children are going to come to us. It's the epitome of a frenemy relationship.

I am just hoping that one day I can feel that our little family is complete and we can move on from the searching, waiting, hoping aspect of our lives. Onto one that doesn't feel so conflicted and confused on what should be done. One that focuses less on the fact that my ovaries hoard the perfect little eggs they should make, rather turning them into cysts that don't do anyone any good and wasting the strong little swimmers that hubby has. But more importantly, one that doesn't rely on another mother to add children to our family.

It's a lot to expect. It's a lot to ask. But I know that we can be an answer to prayers for a birth mother just as she is an answer to ours.

I love it as much as I hate it. Mainly because I'm broken and PCOS has taken away that part of me. Yet I have more love and joy in my life because of our children and their birth families than I could have ever imagined. And that's why infertility is my frenemy.

GTU

2008-11-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

We seriously had so much fun going to Good Things Utah today. My friends Mrs. R (an adoptive mom x2) and Miss Myra (a birth mother) were perfect on the show. If you didn't see it, hopefully we'll have a link for you in a few days so that you can watch it online. Even though I thought the little segment could have been ten times longer :-) what they did share was perfect. That adoption is an option and a blessing for everyone involved. Fantabulous! And as Mrs. R said, "Four minutes is better than zero, so we'll go with it!" Seriously so much fun. I love my friends and if it weren't for adoption I wouldn't have met this amazing lady (who joined the adoption world just to be my friend :-) and this cute lady who I met through the blog world because of an adoption connection and who drove 2 hours in the snow just to come to GTU today. And many others who I have such great friendships with all because of adoption. Have I ever mentioned how wonderful adoption is. :-) Onto the pics.

Foster care dude, Myra, and Mrs. R on the adoption segment

Myra and Mrs. R with the GTU ladies.

Mrs. R, Me, and Kimmie with the GTU ladies

Mrs. R, me and Kimmie in the green room

Did you vote?

2008-11-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

Have you voted? If not, you should. You still have time, and who knows, maybe there will be a short line (that's what I'm hoping for as I'm leaving in about two minutes to go). I've been back and forth a hundred times and think I finally know who I am voting for. This is the first election that I have really gotten into all of the issues. Researched them and watched the debates. There are some issues that have more pull than others for me and really those issues have made it easier for me to decide who to vote for.

Since I'm not into political debating, I'll just leave it at that. So, do it! Quit reading this and go now if you haven't already!

Tune In

2008-11-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, Good Things Utah is going to be having an adoption segment in Honor of Adoption Awareness month. Two of my friends will be on the show to discuss adoption. Be sure to watch it or at the very least set the TIVO! As for me, I am going to be in the audience cheering them on. Ooooh, I can't wait. It should be fun.

What Adoption is NOT

2008-11-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

My good friend who is so passion about adoption that it inspires me on a regular basis made this post on her blog and there is one part that I completely love and couldn't say it any better myself so I am just going to share exactly what Mrs. R said (thanks for letting me share, lady). She said,

"Adoption is not "giving a baby up" or "giving a baby away." Adoption is hand-picking, choosing and deliberately PLACING and entrusting this new, perfect little life into the family that the birth parent dreamed of. It's not an accident and it's not without careful thought."

Powerful, right.

I know that is exactly what both The Boy & The Girl's birth parents did when choosing us to be the family for their baby. How grateful I am for that. To know that they have complete trust in us to give them all of the things they hope and dream of for these two amazing little ones. I don't know that I always feel worthy and I know for sure that I am not perfect. What I do know is that I will do my very best to be the kind of mother that they would be if they were in a different situation to do so. I love them for that. For giving me the opportunity to be a mother. Without them I wouldn't have. And without them, I wouldn't be able to watch The Gent be the wonderful father that he is. For them I am forever grateful.

Addicted

2008-11-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

The Boy (with a little help from daddy) has discovered YouTube. He loves it! Loves It! He will sit on the computer watching video after video and will even tell you which one he wants next. This is his favorite. He has been singing this song all week and it is adorable.

In a nutshell

2008-11-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

As we start the month of adoption education (let's be honest, adoption overload), I wanted to give you our adoption journey in a nutshell. Just so that you know where I am coming from and so that some of the coming posts will make more sense.

1996

Got married

1998 to 2001

infertility treatments

2001

Started the adoption process & were approved

2004

Were chosen by The Boy's birth mother & The Boy was born five months later (agency adoption)

2006

Got a phone call from The Girl's birth mother and The Girl was born two weeks later (designated adoption)

2008

Started the adoption process once again. Hoping to adopt a third. (our adoption blog)

So, here we are today. Still hoping to add to our family and so grateful for the two children who have joined our family through adoption. Both of their adoptions are open adoption although to different extents. Every adoption situation is different and every adoption has its own level of openness. Here are the different levels you may hear about.

Closed Adoption - No contact after placement.
Semi-Open Adoption - Letters and pictures after placement.
Open Adoption - Letters, pictures, visits.

You can read more about the different levels of openness and pros/cons of all them here.

In my opinion there isn't one level of openness that is better than another. I think that in every adoption situation, the birth family and adoptive family have to talk about what works best for them and what they want as every situation is different. Communication is the key. I know for us, our level of openness in both of our adoptions has changed over time and it is only because of a mutual respect and open, honest communication that it can be what it is. We are blessed to have the contact with our children's birth families that we do. We love them all so much and wouldn't have it any other way.

Adoption Awareness Month

2008-11-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

Did you know that November is Adoption Awareness Month?

People, November is Adoption Awareness Month!

So, in honor of that, I will be posting an adoption related post every day throughout the month of November. And also, because I love talking about adoption, I would love to get your questions regarding adoption. Leave them in the comment section and I will be posting a Q&A session in about a week. You are more than welcome to leave them anonymously if it is something you have always wanted to ask but haven't dared. So, go for it. I only bite if you do :-)

Is that Me?

2008-10-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

Please tell me that I am not the only one that pictures themselves differently than they really are. I really don't picture myself as the overstuffed person that I am. In highschool, it was the other way around. I thought for sure I was fatter than ever. I really wish I would have realized then that I was just perfect. Now, I will walk by a mirror in the store or see a reflection and think, ewwwww. That's me?!?!?!?!

A while back, I had The Gent take a lovely, lovely Biggest Loser picture of me (you know in a sports bra like they wear on the show). No, I am not about to share. I would scare you all away. And well. . .it is scary. It scares me and it is me. That was about 18.5 lbs ago. I always get to the 20 or 30 lb. mark by changing my diet, and randomly exercising and then I just quit focusing on it. Well, this time is going to be different. Since we are scheduling and planning everything else around this place, we now have a new workout schedule/routine (we, as in The Gent decided to do it with me). I am excercising my butt off every night (hopefully literally). I just need to keep the motivation going.

I'm thinking life size biggest loser picture right in front of the treadmill? What do you think?

Goals

2008-10-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

Does anyone have a fabulous quote about goals? I could really use one to just keep me pushing through.

(Make it a good one, it is going on my motivational board right in front of the treadmill)

I wanna go!

2008-10-28T23:53:00.000-07:00

The Girl loves being with her brother and has turned from a complete mommy's girl to a complete daddy's girl over the last few months. This morning, after taking The Boy to preschool and coming back home to eat breakfast, The Girl and I had a conversation that went something like this. . .

The Girl: where Yannon [which is what she calls The Boy] go?

Me: The Boy's at school. He'll be back soon.

The Girl: Mmmm Hmmmm. Where daddy go?

Me: Daddy's at work.

The Girl: Mmmmm Hmmmm. (Silent for a minute just eating her oatmeal.) I go skeew. I go wook?

Me: One day you can go to school and go to work but right now you just get to play with mommy and have fun. Eat your oatmeal and we can find your baby.

The Girl: I wanna go get [The Boy]. Get daddy. (pointing to the door and getting all worked up)

I guess I'm not as much fun as I think I am. Not when you could wrestle and play with The Boy and Daddy.

No More!

2008-10-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

Today I've had it.

Enough is enough.

Last night I joked with my MIL that it was totally fine if the oven melted some of my bumm off. I was half joking. Really, it would have been fine to melt that and more. If only it were that easy. I can think of a million and one reasons of how I've gotten to this point but I won't because really, they are all just lame reasons/excuses. Although that won't keep me from taping them all to the punching bag and getting them out of my system.

So, tonight, the treadmill, eliptical and punching bag got the better part of me. My legs are jello, my hair is a sweaty mess, my arms ache. It feels so good. I am already imagining the motivational board for the wall and the lovely chart.

Get ready because I am.

50.

That is the goal.

(and no ladies, this does NOT mean I'm all in for the craft night weigh in)

I've decided that once in a while, I need to move to the top of the list. I need to be the priority rather than everything else being the excuse.

Pics by Landon

2008-10-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

The Boy hates. . .did I say HATES having his picture taken lately. What he does love, is taking pictures himself. Forever we have had the Fisher Price Digital camera. Definitely not a high quality camera for sure. But something that it doesn't matter if he drops, throws, leaves on the floor, etc. And forever, The Boy wanted nothing to do with it. Until lately. The Gent decided to upload the pictures from the camera the other day and they just made me laugh. For one, they are all blurry. . .so The Boy because he is constantly on the go. Most of them had all/part/some of The Girl's head in them. . . .they are always right by each other doing what the other one is doing. And they show glimpses of life as The Boy which I absolutely love. He goes around saying, "I can take a picture of that" or when I get my camera he'll say, "And I can get mine" and run and get his FP one.

Silly Silly Kids

2008-10-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

The Boy and The Girl are constantly making me laugh. As I was going through some pictures, these pictures completely remind me of them. They scream The Boy & The Girl.

The Girl loves to hide. She laughs histerically when she surprises you and she loves her blankie.

The Boy is always curious and wondering what you are doing. He loves to be silly and loves making funny faces. And his belly laugh is just the best.

I just love these little people. They constantly brighten my day.

"Get Da Froggy. . .Boots"

2008-10-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

I bought these because The Girl has completely figured out that "you go poo poo potty, get da froggy boots" and because she has been running to the bathroom and wanting to go. She has gone twice in the potty. And so we'll see.

(Ahhhh. Really, I am so glad The Boy finally figured it out and I thought we could wait. Ya know, take a potty training break but The Girl seems to have other plans.)

Missing His Buddy

2008-10-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is The Boy, about 9 months old, with his cousin, D. The Boy and D love each other and have always had this special little bond. Always.

About a year ago, D and his mom moved to this loverly place in Oregon.

D with his mom

And that is when The Boy began missing his buddy D. Big time. So, earlier this year, we decided to take a road trip to find his buddy D. The Boy didn't care that it was 14 hours in the car. Whenever he wanted to get out, he would ask, "we are going to D's house, right?" and we would reassure him that we were, that it was just a really long drive. And he was peachy keen THE entire drive (seriously the best he has EVER been in the car).

And when we finally got to Oregon. The Boy and D were ecstatic. They were joined at the hip the entire trip.

They had a great time together and even though D had to remind The Boy a few times not to sit right on him or to just let go of him or to let him sleep, they were sad to have to leave each other. And The Boy has wanted to go back ever since. Whenever we are in the car for more than 20 minutes, The Boy will ask if we are going to D's house. And I remind him how far away D's house really is. The Boy misses D. And if we could drive to see D every weekend we would because The Boy and D love each other so much and really wish they weren't so far away from each other because then they could have movie nights every weekend and they could call each other up at the last minute and go to dinner and they could hang out until they both just fell asleep on the couch.

And so could their moms.

There was This One Day

2008-10-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

Back in the day :-) when The Boy started preschool. He was overly excited. He wasn't worried or concerned at all. He woke up ready to start the day and the first thing he wanted was his backpack. He put it on with his PJ's and wanted to go to school. It took everything I had to get him to eat breakfast and actually get him to get dressed for school. And then to take a picture was just completely pushing him over the edge. He was just ready to get to school and asked, "can we go now?" Here is The Boy running (literally) out the door. Not waiting for two seconds for me to adjust the camera.

When we got there, he jumped out of the car and wasn't going to wait for a second for me to even go with him. I tricked him into waiting while I took this. And when he realized he waited for a picture, he was off. Running to preschool. He was in the door and up the stairs to his classroom before I could even make it through all of the other parents and kids. And that was that. His first day of preschool. He never looked back. I didn't get a hug and kiss. He's too grown up for that and I cried about it the whole way to the store because, after all, he should miss me more than that, right?!?!?!? But when I picked him up from school that day, he came running to me full force with his arms open wide and gave me the best hug ever. So, that made up for all of that.

Going Green

2008-10-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to be a bit greener by getting reuseable grocery bags. I just never do it for so many reasons. Mainly because the bags seems like such a waste, they aren't very big, are never very sturdy and I feel like they really can never hold as much as I need them too. I have always loved a good brown paper bag and love shopping at Harmon's for that reason (there are other reasons too but do love those brown paper bags). Well, I have finally done it.

I have been loving these bags because they are an exact replica of the Harmons brown paper bags with handles. Just reusable. They are super sturdy, have extra reinforcement on the bottom and fold up just like the brown paper bags. Love them. And they are definitely green in more ways than one. "Go green. The planet thanks you." (that's the bag talking, not me :-)

Priorities

2008-10-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

With preschool starting last month, it has somewhat forced us to get out of our lazy, summer day swing of things and into more of a routine and schedule. (I realize that summer is pretty much long gone since I am sitting here in a sweater and really feeling the need for hot chocolate as it has gotten so cold.) But it has also made me focus more on the things that are truly important and prioritize the things in my life. As much as I hate sticking to a schedule and really enjoy just doing whatever we feel like on any given day, our life is becoming more organized and neat. I've missed that without really realizing it along the way.

I now have a cleaning schedule, a grocery shopping schedule, a work schedule, a laundry schedule, a family calendar, an organized budget, of course the preschool schedule (which started it all), one on one time with Little Miss, a date night and craft night. Along with all of that, we've started an earlier bedtime. 7:30 (which if you know The Boy is an amazing feat). We've been sticking to all of it and it is so good. We are all happier and more content. We are more productive and aware of what is going on in our family. The Gent and I have more alone time together than we have in the last few years. It is a good feeling. It's not that those things weren't really there before but have just been more laxed with all of it lately.

It really makes me stop and think about priorities and really just making time for what is important. Being a wife and a mother is definitely at the top of the list. Followed by church, extended family/friends, and then my photography business. It is good to look at that and remind myself of what really is important when our schedules and days tend to feel crammed and crazy. And to realize what really should be taking precedence and I approach things with a different perspective.

I look forward to our family nights, date nights, craft nights and cuddle time. Although it is all more scheduled and laid out than ever before, I find myself planning more, accomplishing more and enjoying all of it more rather than thinking of the rest of the things waiting for me on the never ending to do list.

They Bring Sunshine

2008-10-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

These two little people brighten my day more than anything (and that guy in the background does too but this post isn't about him). Here are just a few reasons:

1. They are hilarious together. They make each other laugh and say the funniest things to each other.

2. They are so sweet to each other (most of the time :-).

3. The Boy worries and always wants to protect The Girl.

4. The Girl loves giving The Boy hugs even when he doesn't want them.

5. Their laughter is the sweetest thing and always brings a smile to my face.

6. I love to find them sitting in The Boy's room reading books together.

7. I love overhearing their conversations (right now it's mostly The Boy talking to The Girl but The Girl jabbers and The Boy seems to know just what she is saying).

8. They love being silly and love to dance and sing.

9. They teach me something new every single day. I've learned more about myself in the last four years than ever before.

10. Their imaginations and love of learning intrigue me.

Dearest Boy, I love your energetic, curious personality. I love that you can make friends wherever you go and that you are so tender hearted, loving and caring. I love your vocabulary. You always bring a smile to my face with the funny things you say. I am always up for a rhino hug and love it when you want to cuddle with me in the morning. Thanks for being my "best-est buddy ever."

Little Miss, I love your sweet, loving personality. I love to watch you breaking out of your quiet little mold. I love that you want to try new things all of the time and that you love to do what we do. I love getting you up in the morning when you are still half asleep and just want your "bain-key." I love that your brother is your best friend and that you always want to be with him.

12 Fabulous Years

2008-09-18T01:53:00.000-07:00

As we celebrate our 12th anniversary today, I just want to tell you the top 12 things that I love about The Gent.

photos taken by Kim Orlandini Photography

1. He is a rock. He stays calm amongst all of the storms we have in our lives and keeps me grounded and focused on what is important.

2. He is an amazing father. I love watching him with our children.

3. He constantly tells me what a great mother I am, even on the days that I feel like I am at my witts end.

4. He is a quiet, humble example to everyone around him.

5. He amazes me with his patience and love.

6. His smile and laugh always brighten my day and bring a smile to my face.

7. He is a hard worker and it allows me to be home with our children.

8. He has an unwaivering testimony in the gospel.

9. He puts up with me and lets me have my moments when I need them.

10. He has a sense of humor that completely catches you off guard because he is so quiet most of the time.

11. He supports me in everything I do.

12. He's one good looking guy (just in case you hadn't noticed). And that butt still gets me just like it did in the good 'ole Amber days when he wore his sweats and cooking apron. (I can see my mom rolling her eyes. . .Hi mom!).

Thank you, Gent for being the man that you are. For being such an amazing husband and father. For everything you do for our family. I love you so much and can only imagine how great the next twelve years are going to be with you.

He perches!

2008-08-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

Footprints on the toilet seat,

Make me happy, make things sweet.

Seeing them means lots of things,

Mostly that I want to sing.

He is going every day,

Without accidents we can say.

Seeing him is such a sight,

Perched up on the seat just right.

In his own way and nothing more,

Potty training is no longer a chore.

Way to go!

Adoption Yard Sale - Part II

2008-08-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

You are not going to want to miss this. It's our BLOWOUT SALE! Everything MUST go ...or go to D.I.

Mrs. R & Kim and I have been frantically sorting, labeling, organizing and dejunking ...again. It is going to be huge. You won't want to miss it and the best part about the entire thing is that all of the money that we make from the yard sale will be going towards our adoptions.

WHEN:Saturday, August 16th
8am-1pm

WHERE:4152 South King Arthur Drive
West Valley, UT (about 4152 south 2885 west)

look for the "Adoption Yard Sale" signs along the way, you can't miss them

WHY:-to raise money for our adoptions-to spread the word about adoption

THERE ARE SO MANY FABULOUS THINGS WITH THE BEST PRICES:
furniture. (toddlers bed with matching night stand, box springs (twin & queen), cradles, couches, bookshelves, end tables, etc.)

clothes. (.25 cents to $2.00 OR kids clothes - fill a bag for $5, adult clothes, fill a bag for $2; tons of kids shoes too) *tons of new adult/jr. clothes

baby stuff. (car seats, stroller, baby carriers, swing, cradles, bouncy seats, clothes, etc.)

CD's, DVD's, & VHS tapes (including Living Scripture sets)

scrapbooking supplies.

dishes and kitchen items. (crockpot, pans, dish sets, choppers, etc.)

art & frames. Dozens of beautiful prints.

books. (most .25 to .50 cents!)

toys. (tons of different toys, cheap. Grab bags for $0.50 to $1.00. little girls table and chairs, Easy Bake oven with accessories, etc.)

electronics. (TV, keyboards, mouse, radio, cordless phone, etc.)

bedding sets. (for toddlers & adults, quilts, bed skirts, throw pillows, sheets, etc.)

Everything is priced to sell. Help us make our adoptions happen! We hope to see you there. Thank you.

We've had so many people donate items to the cause. Thank you for that to each and every one of you! Come and support us and help make our adoptions happen! And who knows what little treasure you might find while you are there! Happy Yard Sale-ing it everyone.Visit Our Adoption Blog:http://www.joinourfamily.blogspot.com/

Clean = Happiness All Around

2008-08-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

I love a clean house. With everything in its place, free of knick knacks, clutter, etc. The last few years, things have changed. Not with my desire and need for a clean house. But these days it seems like nothing is safe. Everything is fair game and dare I say, nothing, absolutely nothing stays in the place it was intended for or clean for more than ten minutes. And to top it off, we are always heading in a million different directions and cleaning seems to get pushed to the bottom of the list.

It doesn't help that The Boy is a monkey and climbs up on anything and everything playing with anything he can find. I find random things on the floor, counter, or wherever. And it just isn't as great if you leave things in their package. They must be dumped. He loves playing in the garage and well. . .the garage isn't really Boy proof. He loves to play in the laundry baskets, but laundry in the baskets isn't cohesive to playing in them.

The Girl is now getting to be a climber herself. She absolutely loves to sit and play on top of the table. She climbs up and throws things off and then we get her down. We do that over and over and over again, a million times a day. She thinks it's the best game ever. She loves to empty drawers, the toy bins, baskets, etc. So everywhere I go, I am putting everything back.

Things are everywhere and I can't help but feel a little crazyiness. Nothing is organized. I sort of feel chaotic. I need more structure. More tidiness. More things in their place. Get ready everyone, here comes the schedule!

Reflecting on Adoption (long! get ready)

2008-08-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

Today, after my crazy, busy weekend, which included the National Families Supporting Adoption conference & shooting two weddings, I had a lazy, relaxing, re-energizing day. I hung out in bed with the kids, read a little, took a long nap, and really just kicked back. Adoption is on my mind a lot lately. Not just for the fact that we are hoping to adopt again but because I feel blessed beyond measure for adoption, for our children, for our children's birth parents, and for wonderful friends who we've met through adoption that understand all that adoption entails.

For some reason, an old journal was lying on the floor in our bedroom. I'm sure the kids found it and pulled it out (The Girl loves to empty drawers lately). It is a journal that The Gent and I started right after we got engaged. I broke it open and started reading it. It really brought back so many feelings and emotions. It is so interesting to read it now, after all we have been through with infertility and adoption and to read some of the things we wrote long before we every considered adoption. I thought I'd just paraphrase a few little parts that, at the time, I really had no idea of the amazing experiences that were in store for us.

To give you a little background, right before we got engaged, we were talking about our future plans and felt like we should document all that we were feeling and wanting. Not really for us, but for our children. And so we wrote...to our children. Random things that were going on, how we were feeling, etc. We continued the journal for quite some time and I would mostly write, and every once in a while The Gent would add an entry.

November 30, 1996

entry by me

right after we were married and were talking about "being careful"
"Who knows, maybe one of you might be reading this before we know it. So, I'll just tell you I love your dad more than anything. If they say the first year of marriage is the hardest, I can't wait to see how good the second year is."

I'm skipping a whole bunch of the mushy stuff and what we were up to :0)

January 11, 2000

entry by me

talking about how spoiled our new puppy, is
"We have to spoil someone until we have a baby. We are waiting to be blessed with such an opportunity but we have not been so fortunate. Your dad is waiting for the day for me to tell him that I'm pregnant. I am scared that we will not receive such a blessing. . . .We decided that when we got married we would let nature take its course. That whatever is meant to be will be. But here we are 3 1/2 years later waiting for whatever is meant to be to be."

January 13, 2000

entry by The Gent

"We are working hard and hoping you will be on the way soon."

January 31, 2001

entry by me

"This year we have grown a lot and come to realize many things in our lives. The biggest of which is that we are not able to have children. That is the hardest thing for us. I get so emotional talking about it. I know that your dad has a hard time with it as well but he has his own ways of dealing with it. After much soul searching (and many nights of crying) we know that somehow, someday we will have a family."

"I thought that one day I would find out I was pregnant & that one day I would be able to share that special moment with your dad. Not that I have given up, just that I am frustrated. Frustrated with myself, with my body, with everything. . . I feel like I am not meeting the expectations that your father had when we got married. I feel as though we are the only ones going through this and that no one understands. I don't know where to turn. It is hard to accept the fact that I may never have a baby."

February 4, 2001

entry by me

"Why is this our trial? Your father and I have had this on our minds for quite some time now. We are always thinking of you & of how we are to go about bringing you into our home. We truly believe that our Heavenly Father has a plan for us although there are times that we lose faith. I pray that we will be able to make it through this."

"Your father has started telling people when they ask why we don't have kids that we cannot have children. For me, it is not that easy. It is hard to talk about. It is so personal, such a private thing. We will continue to search for an answer and try to remember that our prayers may be answered in a way we never even imagined."

WOW!

Those are just a tiny bit of the entries we made and the entries continue on with our adoption decision. But I'll save that for another post. Looking back at that and the feelings and emotions that we had, I can't help but wish that we could have had just a glimpse of what was in store for us. It was more than we could ever have imagined.

I will never forget the day we received an email from Dee, The Boy's birth mother, telling us that she had chosen us to be his parents.

Pure Joy

We were both at work and The Getn had called to say that we had received an email and I might want to read it right then. I did and I cried uncontrollably. So much so that I had to leave work. The Gent was home when I got here. When he heard me come in, he ran downstairs, I ran up. We met half way on the stairs in our entry way, held each other and sobbed.

I will never forget the phone call we received from A, Little Miss' birth mother. As we emailed back and forth while we were on our cruise, I was overcome with emotion. The Gent and I rushed back to our cabin where I shared all of the thoughts and feelings I had been having over the last few months. We held each other and bawled. We knew Little Miss was going to be coming to our family.

We had a similar experience a week later after meeting her birth parents and having her birth father call to tell us that they had indeed chosen to place her in our family. The Gent was on the phone with him and I was dying to know what he was saying. When he hung up the phone, he was completely choked up. I knew before he told me what they had talked about. Big alligator tears.
Pure Joy

Both of those are just small examples of the joy that we have experienced over the last four and a half years. If I were to write about them all right now you'd be long gone (if you aren't already :-) because of my forever long post.

I reflect on this for so many reasons that normally I keep all to myself. But for some reason I feel I should write down. No, our children did not join our family in the way we had originally thought they would. Regardless, we love them with every ounce of our beings. We know that all of the struggles and heartache that came through infertility have made us and our family what we are today. And as we put our adoption papers in again, it seems to bring up so many of the same questions and emotions that originally brought us to adoption. The difference is that we know now that our dream of having a family of five isn't beyond our reach. How grateful we are for adoption and for all that it has taught us and for birth parents who consider adoption an option for their child.

Home

2008-08-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

I'm back.

So tired.

Had a great time.

The potty prize bucket is empty.

We're doing fabulous.

Back to the grind.

Oh a Camping We Will Go

2008-07-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

(this is the leaders tent poster)

Girls Camp is this week. I've been getting things ready for the last few weeks and now it is crunch time. I'm hurrying as fast as I can. It's going to be fabulous. So many fun things. I can't wait (except that I can because I'm not quite ready yet :-). So, I'll leave you with our cheer. And see you all when I get back on Saturday.

We are the 6th Ward,
We set our sights high.
To Eternity and Beyond,
We'll strive to keep the spirit nigh.
Go, Buzz Lightyear!

(and with that, I'm sure you can guess our theme)

Theme: Source of Strength (stake camp)

Each ward is a superhero

We are: Buzz Lightyear

Our motto: To Eternity and Beyond

When: Tomorrow! Bye! I need to go get ready!

So Very Close

2008-07-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

One week completely in big boy pants

Only one accident

Progress!

Telling me he needed to go potty at the store

Major Progress!

Stopping to go potty while swimming and playing with friends

Fantastic Progress!

We might just be able to do this after all.

Not too Shabby

2008-07-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

We had our yard sale a few weeks back and it turned out pretty good. We had so many donations and were busy getting things ready just about every day the week before. Here we are that morning bright eyed and bushy tailed all set up and ready to go. Me (left), Kim, and Mrs. R.

And this cracks me up of Kim & Flavio with their pass along cards. They are hilarious. We just love these guys!
Here's Mr. R promoting adoption with his t-shirt and all. And giving killer deals to BYU fans (notice the hat). Funny that he has on a bright red U of U apron though much bigger than his hat. (OK, not really U of U, but very red indeed).

Kim & Flavio not hiding behind their pass along cards. :-)

Mrs. R, looking fabulous as always.

Ron & Jessica at their concession stand. In their Families Supporting Adoption uniforms and all.And all the stuff. So well organized that you would have felt like you were shopping in a store. lol

The man table. Mrs. R's brilliant idea. It sucked the guys right in and let their wives enjoy more time at the scrapbooking table.

And really, the best part about the entire day was that we were able to talk about adoption all day long. We shared our adoption stories, passed out a TON of our adoption cards, answered all sorts of questions regarding adoption and how the process works and really felt like people left knowing a bit more about adoption. Here is our display with our adoption profiles, cards and adoption brochures.

And the price tags on each and every item had all of our adoption blogs and a thank you for helping all of us get one step closer to our adoption goals.

So, Thank You to everyone who donated items, everyone who came and enjoyed the yard sale and every one who watched the kids while we got ready for and had the yard sale. It was great, fabulous. We made some mula and have already gotten the ball rolling on our adoption paperwork.

And, because it was such a great success. We are going to be having another yard sale on August 16th because we still have a ton of stuff. In the meantime, we are still taking any donations you might have so let me know and I will come and pick them up. Thank you everyone! It's been fun.

Like My Shoes?

2008-07-18T00:56:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting a few minutes to go through some pictures of my own from the last few months and laughed so hard at this picture.

Let me set the scene. This was after church. The Gent had taught that day. We come home and The Gent says, "Leish, do you like my shoes?" I glance down as I am getting the kids some lunch and say, "yeah, they look nice." He stops me and says, "seriously?"I take a second look. We both bust up laughing. Call it tired, busy, in a hurry, or whatever. He didn't notice until we were sitting in sacrament meeting (which for us is the last hour of church). I didn't notice at all even when he asked. What can I say, it had been a long week for both of us.

Ups & Downs

2008-07-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

This is our adoption pass along card which I am in love with even though I realize The Girl has changed so much in the little amount of time since I took that picture.

We should be old pros at this adoption stuff after two fabulous adoptions, right!?!?!?! That's what I thought too. I'm feeling like an adoption newbie since calling the adoption agency to get our "official" paperwork going. Man oh man. And I am also realizing that we got the sweetened condensed version of the paperwork with The Girl's adoption and in my mind, I thought that's what we would be getting again. Simple as pie. Get the papers, take a few days to "update" everything and walla. Good to go. We filled out everything in a day or two for The Girl's adoption and it seemed as though it couldn't be simpler. So, when The Gent said, "why not go get the paperwork when we are doing all of this other stuff anyways" I didn't think twice about it. I just did it. Why not?!?!?! Now I realize why not. Because now I am stressing out! lol Who knew that I would feel so many different emotions since we turned in our first bit of paperwork. We know we should be doing this right now but I can't help but feel torn. For oh so many reasons that I wish I could make sense of right now.

I am also coming to a strange realization that while there are so many people who are completely and utterly excited that we are pursuing adoption again that there are more than I'd like to admit that question why. Whether it be that we already have two and should be "happy" with that or because there are so many other families out there with no children who would just love one, or because there are many a days where we feel a bit scattered and crazy. And while I know that their opinions and thoughts on the matter really don't change the fact that The Gent and I know this is what we are supposed to be doing right now, I can't help but wonder if it would be different if I were pregnant with our third child. Would people say these things still? I can't help but feel like they wouldn't. They would be happy, excited, delighted and never question the reasons and thoughts behind why we decided to get pregnant again so why question the feelings and promptings that we have had that we are supposed to continue growing our family through adoption. I guess this is when my little infertility friend gets the better part of me. And I just need a little pity party about it sometimes. So please just indulge me for a minute.

There are many days that I just wish my body would figure things out. Why am I just broken? Yet at the same time after so many years of doctor's visits and negative pregnancy tests at this point I feel like the biggest idiot for even stopping to imagine what that might be like. I really try not to dwell on that but it creeps in as we go through the entire process of hoping to adopt and thinking how nice it might be to just be able to get pregnant.

And then the guilt sets in because I know in my heart that doesn't matter one bit. I have two of the most beautiful and amazing children in the entire world because of the greatest, selfless love of their birth parents (We love you Dee, Lys & P!). Their adoptions are some of the most spiritual experiences that I have and probably will ever experience in my entire life. And the things that The Gent and I have experienced together through infertility and adoption are the things that have truly defined our relationship and brought us closer together. We don't expect everyone to understand those experiences because they are personal to us. Because of them, I thought my little infertility friend had maybe taken on a new, friendlier form. I guess not.

As we continue our adoption journey, we are aware that there are so many different scenarios that could happen. The Boy & The Girl's adoptions were both so different. There were so many reasons that we waited three years for The Boy to join our family (none of which I realized while waiting for him). Yet we were supposed to put our adoption papers in when we did (for so many reasons other than the fact that we wanted a family). And there were so many different reasons that The Girl came when and how she did (the two week whirlwind that started the night before our cruise for our ten year anniversary that I know I have yet to write about). They both happened when and how they were supposed to. While we don't know what to expect or how long it might take, we do know that we need to follow the feelings and promptings we have when they come and do everything we can to allow it to happen.

In the brief, quiet moments that I have to myself, I find myself crying thinking about it. I am afraid. At the same time, the Spirit is so strong and is letting me know that everything is going to be OK and I know without a doubt that we need to be doing this right now. I just need to focus and not let my worries, thoughts and fears get the better part of me.

Potty Training 101

2008-07-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

Where is potty training boot camp when you need it?
Seriously.
I am talking, ship him off and get him back a week later completely potty trained.
That's what I need.

I think I have officially gotten an F- in potty training. Our first attempt was over a year ago. I cannot tell you how many attempts there have been since then. What I can tell you are dozens of poop and pee stories around my house, my in-laws house, the back yard, etc. but if I were to do that no one would ever come over again. All I can say is thank heavens for Mr. Clean and Lysol. I promise everything is sanitized! :-)

So, a few weeks ago I officially gave up. Dropped out of potty training 101 and walked away with the F- I had felt for months was inevitable. And out of the blue, guess who decides to go potty. The Boy! He has only had a handful of accidents in the last week and has started telling people if he needs to go potty. It is unbelievable. He even went #2 all on his own and finally got the frog out of his "potty bucket" that he has been dying to play with for months now. He has stopped freaking out every time he realizes that he does need to head to the potty and will just run in and do it. I am shocked. I am so proud. I am hoping it sticks. As soon as he pooped we wanted to call everyone we know to tell them. Boy was he excited to share the great news and so was I. Please let this be it. Please let it not just be another attempt. How nice it would be to have one child out of diapers (well Pull Ups in his case with our many attempts).

Today as he headed to the park with The Gent's parents, I reminded him that he needed to let them know if he needed to go potty and he looked right at The Gent's mom and said, "yeah, because I'm a big boy!" Yes, yes you are. A big boy that ALWAYS goes potty on the big boy potty when you need to! Let's hope and pray this is it. I've had more than my share of cleaning up poop and pee and seriously might freak if I find one more "present" waiting somewhere.

Wide Awake

2008-06-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever really, really needed sleep yet find yourself wide awake. Hi! I am seriously bright eyed and bushy tailed with a huge day ahead of me tomorrow full of yard sale-ing and a family reunion photo shoot hopefully followed by a visit to the FSA (Families Supporting Adoption) picnic. It is officially 1:15 in the a.m. and we are all meeting at 5:30 for yard sale set up. What am I doing here wide awake? I don't know. I may as well go through my basement one more time and tag a few more things, right :-) Seriously I am nuts. I had a psycho day today and thought I'd be more than glad to get home to my bed. Yet, all I really want to do it go wake The Gent up and chat his ears off. Believe me, that wouldn't be a welcome thing after the day he had at work today. Sigh. I guess I'll find myself something more productive to do.

Huge ADOPTION Yard Sale

2008-06-19T00:46:00.000-07:00

People, people, people! Check this out.

I have been busily getting ready for the biggest yard sale I think I may ever experience. My friends, Kim & Mrs. R and I have been frantically sorting, labeling, organizing and dejunking every night this week. It is going to be huge. You won't want to miss it and the best part about the entire thing is that all of the money that we make from the yard sale will be going towards our adoptions.

WHEN:

Saturday, June 21st

8am-1pm

WHERE:

4152 South King Arthur Drive

West Valley, UT (about 4152 south 2885 west)

look for the "Adoption Yard Sale" signs along the way, you can't miss them

WHY:

-to raise money for our adoptions

-to spread the word about adoption

THERE ARE SO MANY FABULOUS THINGS WITH THE BEST PRICES:

furniture.
(toddlers beds with matching night stands, matresses (twin & queen), kitchen table & chairs, indoor/outdoor chairs & cushions, cradle with cute bedding, china hutch, etc.)

clothes.
(.25 cents to $2.00 OR kids clothes - fill a bag for $5, adult clothes, fill a bag for $2; tons of kids shoes too)

baby stuff. (car seats, strollers, baby carriers, swings, bouncy seats, tons of clothes, etc.)

CD's, DVD's, & VHS tapes (including Living Scripture sets)

scrapbooking supplies.

dishes and kitchen items. (crockpots, bread maker, pressure cooker, etc.)

art & frames.

books. (most .25 to .50 cents!)

toys.
(tons of different toys, cheap. Grab bags for $1.00. Little Tykes table and chairs, Hokey Pokey Elmo, etc.)

electronics.
(TV, VCR, keyboards, mouse, radio, cordless phone, etc.)

bedding sets.
(for toddlers & adults, quilts, bed skirts, throw pillows, sheets, etc.)

We've had so many people donate items to the cause. Thank you for that to each and every one of you! Come and support us and help make our adoptions happen! And who knows what little treasure you might find while you are there! Happy Yard Sale-ing it everyone.

Visit All of Our Adoption Blogs
www.joinourfamily.blogspot.com

www.flavioandkim.blogspot.com

www.joshuaandlindsey.blogspot.com

Mixed Feelings

2008-06-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Chicago and so much is happening. I haven't even had a second to catch my breath. Let alone think about any of the stuff I learned or make a plan for the things that will be changing in my photography business. That will have to come later. I'll just say it was fabulous, totally worth it, many things to think about, a lot learned, a lot of changes to come. Kim and I had a ton of fun in Chicago. I don't know how long it has been since I've laughed so hard. Oh man, the stories. Hopefully Kim has more time for our list of outtakes and I'll link you to it :-)

As for now, I am sitting here going through all of my Primary stuff to pass onto the new Primary President. It is definitely bitter sweet. I knew this was coming. It isn't a complete shock but I never imagined all of the feelings that I would have running through me. I was released on Sunday while I was in Chicago. I know that the 125 Primary kids know how much I love each and every one of them but I would have loved to have told them just one more time. I have been an emotional wreck since I've gotten home and it has really hit me. All of their little faces are going through my head. They make me smile. They make me laugh. They make me think. They brighten each week. I love their personalities and how diffferent they all are. I love the quiet ones, the loud ones, the silly ones, the happy ones, the serious ones. There are the ones that amaze me with their knowledge of the gospel, the ones that sing their little hearts out, the ones that are worried about their friends around them, the ones that yearn to learn and every personality in between. I will miss all of that. Their hugs, their excitement, their smiles, their laughs, their sly grins. I love them all. And the last three years has been amazing.

I am "graduating" and moving on to Young Women's. 1st Counselor. I'm excited, I'm nervous, and the change will be good. Many of the girls are those that I had in my first primary class right after we moved in five years ago. They have all grown up and moved on. They were such a great group of girls so I know it will be fabulous. There is so much coordination that has taken place since I've been gone. I am catching up now on all of it and rearranging my schedule because after all, Tueday tonight is Mutual. And the new Primary Pres has just been waiting for me to get back into town so that she can get the low down. I'm scrambling to get back to the daily routine and get all of this taken care of at that same time.

So then why am I sitting here bloggin? To hopefully let out some of the feelings that are consuming my thoughts or at least trigger them when I have everything passed on to the new president and find out what I'm doing in Young Women's. Then I can write. I should have used that notebook that I bought in Chicago for this but. . .well, I think the flood gates would have opened like they are right now. And well. . . it was already raining enough in Chicago.

Chicag-a!

2008-06-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

Here I am in Chicago. Yes, at the internet cafe. Gotta check the email (we can't help it). It rocks. Kim and I have about two minutes left on our little timer here and are headed to the park and then to get pedicures. We are taking some fabulous pictures. I'll share when we get back. We are having a fabulous time and are headed to our Audrey Woulard photography workshop. We are so excited. I am going to come back much more knowledgable (at least that's the plan!). See you when we get back everyone. Hope you are having a fab time. Miss us. I miss my fam. Hi fam! Love you guys.

Be good for daddy. :-)

Thanks, lady!

2008-05-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

Just a big hug and thank you to my friend Kim for this. Now I really need to get to that adoption post! I swear it's coming. One of these days. :-)

Adoption Yard Sale Coming Up!

2008-05-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

Mark your Calendars for June 21st!

We have an fabulous yardsale coming up! Visit the linky lou for all of the info. If you love yard sales, perfect! Come and join us. You might just find something fabulous. If you hate them but have stuff you just want to donate to the cause, let us know and we'll pick it up from you.

And just in case you are wondering, yes, we are hoping to adopt again (claps and cheers here people! :-) And while a separate post is needed for all of the nitty gritty details, you are more than welcome to visit our hoping to adopt blog which you may have noticed as a recent addition to our sidebar. It's not official, there is still paperwork to be done but, as we know with Little Miss, who needs their paperwork in anyways :-)

And if you just want to read some fantastic adoption related articles/topics, this is the blog you shouldn't miss. Love this lady. She is amazing and such a huge adoption advocate. Love it.

Geneology

2008-05-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to decide what to post, whether or not to even post about this but since I am THE worst journal keeper ever these days, I am opting to post something, even if it is vague just to have something written down more for myself than anything.

I have never been one to get into geneology at all. AT. ALL. I leave that to my mom. She loves it. It intrigues her. It's by far, her favorite thing to do. I never get into it. Ever. I have always wondered why she loves it so much, why all of her free time is devoted to it and why she can remember tiny little details and stories from these peoples lives when she can't remember where she put her glasses (sorry mom, but it's true :-).

I was able to experience just a glimpse of what it must be like for her as we went to the temple with some of the family names that she had completed through her geneology. My mom always makes sure that the temple work for those people she has done the family history on is completed. She told me that while that is important to her it is really the searching, finding, family history that she loves about geneology (you know that part that I just can not get into, yeah, that part). But I couldn't help but get into the most important part (if you are asking me). Josephine Cooper gave me that experience (I am going to ask my mom for a picture, I'm sure she looks just like I have pictured her too although she's in color in my mind and in 1870 well, maybe there isn't even a picture). Anyways, that is the person's name my mom gave me and said she really wanted me to have. And so I did. It was overwhelming. It was something I was priveleged to play a small part in.

I wish I had ironed my dress.

I wish I hadn't gotten ready in such a rush.

I wish I had not treated it like something I do every day

(not that I go to the temple every day but you know what I mean)

I wish I had thought more about the meaning of all of it.

Not for me but for her.

Please accept my apologies Josephine.

Remember

2008-05-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hoping that everyone is having a nice Memorial holiday today. Gotta love this rain we are having. Freezing cold, pouring rain. Our plans have all changed from being outside, having a relaxful day in the yard together with a fabulous BBQ to hanging out inside in our sweats eating ham and cheese sandwiches. Gotta love this weather. I thought it was May already. Who knew May (almost June at that) could feel like March. Sigh.

Loving the Warmth

2008-05-22T00:03:00.000-07:00

We've definitely been outside enjoying every moment that we can. Too bad it hasn't come to stay. :-(

MIA

2008-05-21T23:41:00.000-07:00

I love this little guy. My good friend, Carmen, got this in England forever ago and brought this to me before she even knew that I was jumping into photography. She just knew that I have always loved photography and thought it was perfect for me. Now he sits in my office reminding me of the love and support she is always giving me in everything I do.

I have been MIA, I know. What have I been up to you ask? Oh so many things but mostly, the kids and photography. I feel like I have been living, breathing, eating, and sleeping photography (in a good way). I've been busy over the last few weeks and between sessions, weddings, editing and launching my own business, I haven't gotten much else accomplished (including updating my blog as you can see). I have though been in the editing groove and so many of my personal photos are now getting edited. Yay! Look for some soon. The kids are getting so big and just look so different to me in some of the pics.

And although the new launch isn't completely finished yet (hopefully, hopefully soon) you can visit my new photog website, blog, and proofing site at the following links:

http://www.leishakelseyphotography.com/

http://www.leishakelsey.blogspot.com/

http://www.leishakelseyphotography.instaproofs.com/

Wide Eyed

2008-04-29T01:42:00.000-07:00

ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Man here I am. Wide awake. I won't even tell you what time it is. I haven't been sleeping very good lately. I lay in bed wide awake with a million gazillion things running through my head. I won't even begin to go into all of that. I wish I could sleep. I'd be a better mom tomorrow if I could. But here I am. I got up thinking I could be productive yet I'm not accomplishing a thing. :-(

Midnight Snack

2008-04-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

No, it's not really midnight yet but I totally have a sweet tooth. Big time sweet tooth. Too bad The Gent and I have been eating healthy. So healthy. You would be proud :-) Anyways, here I sit gathering the last tidbits for my sharing time tomorrow and wanting to snack. I could seriously go for something sweet, something bad, something that wouldn't really be worth eating. Instead, we are having Quaker Rice cakes and ice water. Gah. I know it's a good little snack but are they kicking the sweet tooth? NO. Sad. I'm trying not to miss my Dr. Pepper and sweets. At the moment it is hard because, well, I love me some Dr. Pepper and I love anything sweet. :-( Go away cravings, go away sweet tooth! As much as I've loved your friendship it is time to go our separate ways.

Insight into Me

2008-04-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight as I sat in an adoption education class, I was taken back. Taken back just over 6 years to when we started the adoption process. Tonight I felt all of those same emotions and the same heartache as I felt then but this time it wasn't for me. It was for all of those couples sitting in the class just starting their adoption journey. I just wanted to be their friend, a support, someone they could ask any question they might have, someone to be there for them when they were having a hard day. I hope they meet someone in the classes who can be just that for them.

My friend, Laurie, gave one of the presentations and as many times as I had heard it before, something stuck out to me today more than it ever has before. She said that she feels like no one really knows her unless they know she is infertile because that is something that is such a big part of her (Laurie, hopefully I quoted you right :-) It just got me thinking about how much that really has affected my life and what a big part that has played in who I am today. Does that mean that it defines me? No. But it has changed me in a way that nothing else truly, dare I say, ever will. It is what brought us to adoption. Adoption is something so near and dear to my heart and I am grateful for it each and every day. We are blessed to have two open adoptions that have taught me so much about love and selflessness. The Boy & The Girl's birth families are some of the most wonderful people we have every met. I seriously could go on and on about it.

I guess what I am saying is look forward to more adoption/infertility related posts because, just as Laurie said, it is part of me. You can't really know me without knowing that about me and well, I might as well share. And what better place then here on my bloggity blog :-)

Go Skate!

2008-04-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

We went ice skating for my brother's birthday a few weeks ago and the boy thought it was just the coolest thing ever. My brother's were so good about taking him around. By the end of the night The Boy didn't want to leave. He has figured out how to balance and walk on the ice skates and was on his way to becoming a pro. The next morning when he woke up, the first thing he asked is if we were going skating again.
He is telling me "don't picture me!"

The Gent would have helped The Boy except that he was just

trying to stay up himself. He totally biffed it and cut his lip open.

Arteest!

2008-04-16T02:06:00.000-07:00

The Girl is NOT the guilty Arteest here. The guilty one ran and hid in his room.

A few months ago The Boy got into the markers. After picking them all up, there was one marker we couldn't find. We searched high and low and figured that it was just gone. And then it shows up. The pictures really explain it all. In case you aren't sure, it's a snake. When I walked into the room to find this, The Boy said, "Hi mom, do you like my snake?" So proud of his artwork. I was livid. Then I saw The Girl. The Boy got even more excited and said, "look, I made her eyes green!" She was covered and she thought it was great. This was the first of about a dozen drawings on just about every wall he could find. Magic Eraser saved them all except our bedroom wall. It's still green. The suede paint soaked it all in and Magic Eraser takes off the paint and all. I guess it's time to choose a new color.

It's funny now looking back. But at the time, I had to leave the room, shut the door and just pretend it didn't happen. Especially since I thought they were both looking at books in The Boy's room and I had just snuck out to send a few Primary emails when it happened. I can't turn my back for a second! When The Gent got home I let The Boy show him the snake. Daddy wasn't happy either.

Yumm

2008-04-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

I found this picture and I laughed so hard. A friend of mine had given me a box of chocolate covered macadamia nuts and The Boy found the box, opened it and was completely enjoying himself when I found him. He had two or three in his hand and when he saw that he had been caught he shoved them all in as fast as he could. His mouth was so full. The box was completely gone. Between The Boy, The Girl and the dog I'm not quite sure who enjoyed them more.

Hello!

2008-04-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

The Boy cracks me up answering the phone all of the time lately. Today it went something like this. . .

Phone rings. The Boy runs as fast as he can to the office which is the phone he can easily grab.

The Boy (in his fastest talking voice ever without taking a breath): Hello. I'm going to soccer today. Hello. I can play with a soccer team. Hello.

Me: Hello. (not knowing who it was, asking The Boy to please hang up the phone)

THe Boy (over top me): We're gonna go to soccer now.

Coach (trying too hide his laughter): This is The Boy's soccer coach. The game has been cancelled today because of the weather.

Getting off the phone I had to tell The Boy we weren't going to soccer because of the snow. All he said was, "yeah, that snow is soooooo cold!" We haven't heard another word about soccer.

I know, I know. No pictures. I suck at getting to edit my own pictures lately. I promise I'll break them out one of these days. You'll love the soccer pictures. The Boy tangled in the net, sitting with the other team and really being anywhere but on the field with his team.

Tagged by Amanda

2008-04-11T00:59:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by Amanda to list six things about myself. I'll try to make them something you might not know :-)

1) I am afraid of the dark. Hate it. Even if it is just turning off all the lights for the night and walking upstairs. I flip the lights off and run (seriously, run) up the stairs and down the hall because I hate being alone in the dark.

2) I am a night owl. I love staying up at night and love to sleep in. Too bad I have a built in alarm clock named Landon who can live on very little sleep.

3) I come from a family of 10. 8 kids. I am second oldest and my youngest sister is 14. No wonder my poor mom tunes everything out.

4) I worry about the most frivolous things. Things people say, what people think, the list goes on and on.

5) I am the Primary President in my ward. I was put into Primary the week after we moved into our house five years ago and have never left. Teacher, counselor, and now the President for the last three years.

6) I love entertaining. While that has become harder with two kids in the mix I still really love it and miss it. I miss my friends!

Seriously?!?!?!?!?!

2008-04-10T23:43:00.000-07:00

We have all been sick around here the last week and there have been way too many trips to the doctor. Today it was my turn since I was up all night last night with THE worst sore throat and my ear feeling like it was going to explode. It hurt worse than I can seriously remember it ever hurting. So, I call my mom who happily agrees to come over to watch my two sick kids. The Boy with an ear infection and The Girl with pink eye. Thanks mom!

I head to the doctor, a random doctor at the medical center that we go to because who else do you ever get to see when you are sick and making a same day appointment. And so I wait. I sit and wait and get back into the room fairly quickly. Yay! It might not take all day. With my head feeling like it was about to explode and feeling light headed all at the same time, I sit and wait in the little room. And wait, and wait and wait. About half an hour later the nurse comes back in and says that the doctor will be right with me. And I wait and wait and wait. Seriously, I sat in there for an hour. I could hear ALL of the other rooms around me being taken care of and yet I sat there waiting and waiting. Did I mention my stuffiness and lightheadedness. I feel like crap ola! I finally get up and go out to find that there isn't a soul around. No nurses, no doctors, no patients. Yes, no patients! Except for me. All of the other rooms were empty. I am sitting there with my little chart in the door with a #1 sign on it. That's means I'm the first patient, right. The very next patient to be seen. I better be since I have been in this little room for an hour. So, walking through the doctor's office I have yet to find a nurse or anyone to ask what the deal is. I walk to all of the nurses stations without any luck. I finally go to the last station to see a few doctors and nurses sitting there talking to a drug rep. Seriously?!?!?!?!? Seriously?!?!?!?! That is why I am waiting? An unexpecting doctor comes out of his office to find me, fuming at this point. I say, "excuse me, I have been sitting in here for an hour and am pretty sure I have been forgotten." With a shocked look he says he'll find out what is going on. Drug rep! You got it. She was chatting away with the drug rep. She comes in two minutes later to tell me that I have a head cold and not being bacterial there is really nothing she can do for me. Three minutes total. Three freakin minutes after waiting for an hour to tell me to go home and take some Sudafed. Seriously?!?!?!?!?! You have got to be kidding me.

So I just wanted to say Thank You. Thank you for allowing me to spend an hour and a half in your office. Thank you for for insight and knowledge in telling me that my lymphnodes are swollen and that there is some drainage in my ears. Thank you for going to medical school for that! Thank you for sending me on my way to get some OTC medicine (did I mention I have been taking that ALL week without any luck). And Thank you for charging me a butt load for your medical knowledge and intellect.

Why do we pay these people? Seriously? Why? Why did I go to the doctor? Why did I sit there and not demand better service sooner? Why? Argh.

End Rant.

Buddies

2008-04-10T00:06:00.000-07:00

Today as I was going through my photos, I came across these. . .

As I was watching them play together today I realized that they have become these little buddies. No, it hasn't always been this way. The Boy hasn't always been the gentlest little guy and then The Girl took her turn with hitting and pushing back. For months I have wondered if they would realize it was so much more fun to just play with each other. I realize that they have. They love each other so much.

The Boy is constantly watching out for The Girl and helping her in any way he can. Even if that means doing something as simple as finding her sippie cup because she is crying and he thinks she is thirsty. Which I love when she is upset and he will try to interpret for us what she needs. (e.g. she is just hungry, she just needs her juice, she just wants you to hold her - which are things he tells us all of the time).

The Girl wants to do everything and anything that The Boy does (which if you know The Boy is good and bad :-) She loves playing with him, reading books with him and especially loves his laugh. She loves to tease and they have so much fun teasing each other. They are so cute and amazing to watch. They are learning and growing right beside each other and I love it.

They both have a bit of a cold right now and today was an extra cranky day for everyone. I wish I would have had the camera when The Girl was crying and The Boy told her, "don't cry Kater bug (which we call her a lot), it's OK." Then he said, "come here honey, do you need a hug?" (It's so funny to hear them use words I do). That was just what The Girl needed and she leaned right into him and gave him a hug. As he consoled her I realized that not every day has to be a battle around here although it may seem like it at times. They are both getting so big and I need to stop wishing my days away.