Occupying My Time

Ok, so I found this blog that I am currently obsessed with. It deals with adoption and I can't get enough of it. Don't click on the link if you don't want to get sucked in!!! The author has all sorts of wonderful posts, including guest posts by birth moms who have placed their babies for adoption. Not only that, but she has links to blogs by other adoptive couples and birth moms. I think I could spend days straight looking at this blog. Since I have other responsibilities in life, I probably won't do that though.

Click here to go see for yourself.

I am just so happy right now. Life is fantastic. I had an all day training today with other agencies and their caseworkers and I left just feeling so UPLIFTED and so FULFILLED. By the way, a BIG FAT thanks to Kirston and Kassie who helped watch the Hals. What lifesavers. I am sure she enjoyed her time playing with Ryder and Calvin. Back to what I was saying...Here is the problem with happiness. Do you ever feel guilty about being happy when others around you are not? I do. Although I know everyone goes through trials and my time has come and will come again, I still feel bad when my life is going so well and others around me are suffering. Ah...anyway, I try to do what I can to be supportive of those hurting, but at the same time I have to tell myself that it is okay for me to be happy too. I got this fantastic reminder from my mother-in-law today via email. I pretty much cried after reading this sweet story:

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock , with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.
'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm ofan eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied...
' Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ..it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.

Isn't that so sweet?

Also, for good measure, a picture of the Cheetahs and I at dinner this week. We went to Cafe Rio and you KNOW I love that.

Jaime, me, Jessica, Cassie, and Amy. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these girls.

Isn't it so nice to have good friends? I think having great friends is a wonderful blessing. I enjoy and appreciate all the many friends that I have. So yes, to summarize this somewhat rambling post, life is good!

Oh, and I can't forget to say that I got this PINK LEMONADE award from my BF Haylee, for blogs that are positive and filled with hope! YAY!! How loving and kind.