I am now 26. Last year I recapped my life to that point with my Quarter Century of Greatness post.
This year I would add:
2011: The highlight of this year is of course the addition of our sweet, rolly-polly Jace. Oh, and definitely the year long wait for our child in Ecuador defines this year as well. A highlight for sure if you define highlight as rollercoaster-ish, crazy, frustrating, exciting, long, up-and-down, or did I mention anxiety inducing?? Yes, great times! Need I mention the loss our family has experienced? Okay, I won't. This list is supposed to be funny, afterall.
Uh, yeah. Looking back on it, this year has probably been one of the best and yet one of the worst of my life. Weird how that happens, huh?
My birthday was a great day, but at the same time, it was hard. It surfaced a lot of difficult feelings in relation to the loss of Linda and to the emptiness I feel due to MF's not being here yet. I look back at when we started the adoption process around this time last year and I really honestly thought we would have her home by summer. Well, that obviously didn't happen and while we are much closer, I still can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. Regarding Linda, she was always amongst the first to text me on my birthday, often at the crack of dawn, just because she could. One of my favorite birthdays was when Linda was babysitting us as my parents were out of town for my dad's job. I was turning 12 I think and Linda threw me a surprise birthday party. She also decorated my room with balloons and candy while I was at school. It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me and I always remember that birthday because I really felt special. Linda was always very thoughtful. As special as they are, holidays and birthdays are also going to be a reminders of what we are missing from now on. (*)
I am so blessed to have such a sweet, caring husband though. He made my delicious meals, got me flowers, and most importantly, spent all day with me. I love that. Oh- and just so you know, he also gave me my very own set of golf clubs for my birthday! We really are going to be a golfing family--never mind the fact that I have only played about 3 holes total to this point in my life. I am really good. Really, really good. Just wait until next year when for 2012 I will add to my list: "Joined the LPGA and won a million dollars!" You just wait and see. (No, really though I am super excited to learn a little more and to have a hobby to do with Devin.)
Here's to a truly happy 26th year! One that finally brings home our MF!!!
*I don't write these things so that people feel bad for me or to get pity calls, comments, or texts. I just want to be real about the processes I am going through, both the grief process of losing a loved one and the struggles inherent to adoption. I know chronicling the ups and downs of both has helped me a lot and hopefully will help someone else at some time, too. I would never share things here that I feel are too personal or to private...and to me, none of this is. It's simply a commentary on what life is like.
September 19, 2011
September 16, 2011
Hallie-isms
This girl is funny. And wild. She is starting to really push the limits sometimes. Fun, so fun. I try to keep in mind that she is only two (soon to be three) and focus on the good in her personality versus the button pushing parts. Some days are better than others. Ah well, such is the ride, eh?
Apparently the videos uploaded first, so here you go: The first is her dancing skills. TERRIBLE Rhythm! I wonder where she gets that from??? Ha, ha, ha. The second video is of her reciting the 2nd Article of Faith. Do forgive her appearance as she had just gotten out of the bath tub and was ready for bed. Please also forgive my annoying voice in the end. She wanted to say it for Grandma and Grandpa Perry, so we sent it to them, but some of my family may enjoy it as well.
*One day while we were driving somewhere, it was silent. She piped up from the back seat: "Mom, it's okay to talk to me." Okay, will do.
*We visited my cousin one day, and while using her bathroom, she told me, "Mom! This bathroom is PRETTY! Why don't you make ours pretty?"
*While playing and pretending, she handed me a rattle and we had the following conversation:
Hallie:"Here, Mom! Eat it!"
Me: "What is it?"
Hallie: "A Sandwich."
Me: "What kind of sandwich?"
Hallie: "A cucumber and french fry sandwich!"
(yum, yum...I think I will invent it...)
*One night, my cousin Carlie was over and Hallie had gone to bed (well, she was supposed to be in bed, we will put it that way.) She uses the technique that she needs to go to the bathroom all the time to get out, so of course she pulled out her favorite card and told me she needed to go to the bathroom. She was on her way up the stairs and Carlie and I were in the living room. As she was making her way up the stairs, she called down, "What are you guys doing?" and I replied, "We are watching T.V." She came back down, peered around the corner and proclaimed in a very matter-of-fact tone, "I love T.V."
*A conversation I overheard her having with Devin one day:
Hallie: Daddy, why is mommy crying?
Devin: She's not.
Hallie: She is crying because she had a bad dream about raspberries, huh?
(Where in the world does she come up with these things??)
*One day we were talking about birthdays and how old everyone is. She asked how old I am, how old Devin is, how old Jace is, how old Sadie is, how old Jen is, and then we got to Steve. "How old is Steve?" I answered, "He is 30." This seemed to just top the charts...her eyes got huge and she whispered in awe, "Whoa..."
* We have been riding our bikes a lot lately, especially after the death of the Honda. I was pulling her and Jace in the bike trailer one day on our way to the bank, when about halfway there:
Hallie: "Mom, where are we going?"
Me: "To the bank."
Hallie: "Well, that's not good news."
Me: "Sure it is good news!"
Hallie: "Well, it's not good news for me and Jacer!"
That's a rough run-down of what Hallie has been up to lately. She really is so funny and so much fun to be around. However, she also has an attitude. We are working on that....
Apparently the videos uploaded first, so here you go: The first is her dancing skills. TERRIBLE Rhythm! I wonder where she gets that from??? Ha, ha, ha. The second video is of her reciting the 2nd Article of Faith. Do forgive her appearance as she had just gotten out of the bath tub and was ready for bed. Please also forgive my annoying voice in the end. She wanted to say it for Grandma and Grandpa Perry, so we sent it to them, but some of my family may enjoy it as well.
Here are some recent "Hallie-isms" and pictures of her as well:
*During quiet time in her room one day, she yelled, "Please let me out! That would be helpful!"
 | |||||
| Hallie is such a cheeser. We went to a Latin-American Festival in Provo over Labor Day and she LOVED it. She wanted to sit and watch the singers and dancers for a really long time. We finally had to drag her away so that we could go home and get the kids to bed. She was trying to sing along (In Spanish) and was standing on her chair shaking her maracas the whole time. Funny. |
*We visited my cousin one day, and while using her bathroom, she told me, "Mom! This bathroom is PRETTY! Why don't you make ours pretty?"
 | ||
| At the same festival. Loving life. |
Hallie:"Here, Mom! Eat it!"
Me: "What is it?"
Hallie: "A Sandwich."
Me: "What kind of sandwich?"
Hallie: "A cucumber and french fry sandwich!"
(yum, yum...I think I will invent it...)
 | ||
| Hallie at her first dentist appointment ever! I know, I am behind. She did a great job & was particularly fascinated by the train running around the office near the ceiling. She has no cavities! yay! |
*A conversation I overheard her having with Devin one day:
Hallie: Daddy, why is mommy crying?
Devin: She's not.
Hallie: She is crying because she had a bad dream about raspberries, huh?
(Where in the world does she come up with these things??)
 |
| Cutest model of the Lady Linda t-shirts ever. Do you see a theme in that dress? Seriously, the girl has a massive wardrobe, yet she only wears dresses and skirts, so therefore they repeat often. I did convince her to wear the cutest little pair of skinny jeans one day and she looked adorable, but I haven't managed to convince her to wear them again. Sad. |
* We have been riding our bikes a lot lately, especially after the death of the Honda. I was pulling her and Jace in the bike trailer one day on our way to the bank, when about halfway there:
Hallie: "Mom, where are we going?"
Me: "To the bank."
Hallie: "Well, that's not good news."
Me: "Sure it is good news!"
Hallie: "Well, it's not good news for me and Jacer!"
 | ||
| This girl loves vegetables. I can't complain. When she wants a snack, she will often go into the fridge and eat whatever we have. She loves peppers and will eat them whole, as seen here, and also will snack on broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, celery...and whatever else is there. It's weird. But like I said, I am not complaining! She also does not care for fast food, for which I suppose I should be grateful... |
September 15, 2011
A Story
Hallie has a blanket on her bed that means a lot to me.
When I was in Ecuador with OSSO, some of the other volunteers and I had an idea one night that we ought to get the hand prints of each of the babies in the main orphanage where we worked. We had all become very connected to these children and felt like we needed some tangible way to remember them. At the time, we were only allowed one picture at the end of our three months, and it was a group shot of us and all the babies. So of course we felt like we needed something more.
We found a little fabric shop where we were able to buy a bunch of white fabric, which we then spent an evening cutting into hundreds of squares for each of us to have one hand print of each of the children. We re-arranged the shifts for the next morning so that the four or five of us heading up the project were able to go to the orphanage together.
We thought that the nuns likely wouldn't approve of our idea to hand print each of the children, so we were on a secretive mission. When I think back on it now, it's kind of funny that we thought we needed to be so secretive about it. I doubt the nuns would have cared, but who knows.
The process was chaotic to say the least. A few set up shop in one of the play rooms with the huge stack of squares, paint of different colors, and paintbrushes. The others of us took each baby, one at at time, into the room to have their hand painted and then placed on the square 12 times before taking the baby back to get into the bath tub (ahem, sink) and then getting them dressed for the day. Babies don't cooperate well with having their hands painted and then spreading their fingers out to make the prints look nice, just so you know. Considering that, what we actually got was pretty amazing.
We managed to get them all done (30 babies or so x 12 squares each) and onto the regular schedule for the day and I don't think anyone even noticed. Crazy.
I treasured my hand prints when I came home, but they just sat in a stack in my room before my mom was kind enough to make a quilt out of them for me.
I love this quilt. It reminds me of each of the special children who were and are a special part of my life. I don't have any idea where most of them are- though I do know of a few who were adopted. Even though MF has always felt like "my child", each of these kids took over a corner of my heart as well. The experience I had in Ecuador changed my life for the better and it was all due to the experiences I had with these amazing children. They would all be 5-8 years old now...and that is just crazy to me.
I want MF to have this quilt someday. Here is her little hand print, the very first one on the quilt. I hope to be able to tell her stories about each of the other hands on the quilt, friends she had in her first home. Friends who taught me amazing things. Friends who mean so much to me still. I look at each of their little names and funny memories pop up, pictures come to mind. For example, I can't sing or hear the song "Michelle" by the Beatles ("Michelle, my belle, these are words that go together well, my Michelle...") without thinking of my friend Beth singing the song to one of the little girls there, who seemed to be particularly unliked by a lot of the staff. Who knows how having someone care about her enough to sing to her each day has impacted her life?
So many memories. Can you tell I am just eager to get there?
When I was in Ecuador with OSSO, some of the other volunteers and I had an idea one night that we ought to get the hand prints of each of the babies in the main orphanage where we worked. We had all become very connected to these children and felt like we needed some tangible way to remember them. At the time, we were only allowed one picture at the end of our three months, and it was a group shot of us and all the babies. So of course we felt like we needed something more.
We found a little fabric shop where we were able to buy a bunch of white fabric, which we then spent an evening cutting into hundreds of squares for each of us to have one hand print of each of the children. We re-arranged the shifts for the next morning so that the four or five of us heading up the project were able to go to the orphanage together.
We thought that the nuns likely wouldn't approve of our idea to hand print each of the children, so we were on a secretive mission. When I think back on it now, it's kind of funny that we thought we needed to be so secretive about it. I doubt the nuns would have cared, but who knows.
The process was chaotic to say the least. A few set up shop in one of the play rooms with the huge stack of squares, paint of different colors, and paintbrushes. The others of us took each baby, one at at time, into the room to have their hand painted and then placed on the square 12 times before taking the baby back to get into the bath tub (ahem, sink) and then getting them dressed for the day. Babies don't cooperate well with having their hands painted and then spreading their fingers out to make the prints look nice, just so you know. Considering that, what we actually got was pretty amazing.
We managed to get them all done (30 babies or so x 12 squares each) and onto the regular schedule for the day and I don't think anyone even noticed. Crazy.
I treasured my hand prints when I came home, but they just sat in a stack in my room before my mom was kind enough to make a quilt out of them for me.
So many memories. Can you tell I am just eager to get there?
September 11, 2011
September 11, 2001
That morning, I woke up to get ready for school as usual. My thoughts were far from anything related to my country, terrorism, or anything of the sort. I was a week away from my 16th birthday and I had just been asked to homecoming, which would not only be my first dance, it would be my first date. I was thinking of typical 16 year old things: what I should wear, how should I do my hair, my upcoming date, probably what homework I still needed to finish....
But that all changed quickly. I heard commotion upstairs and ran up to watch the TV to see the events as they were unfolding. I was confused as I heard reports of a plane hitting the first tower. I remember thinking "surely this must be some kind of mistake! How can someone not see a huge tower in front of them??" It quickly became apparent that it was no mistake as we saw a second plane appear and careen into the second tower. I was horrified, yet at a loss for meaning. How could someone do something like that??
I listened to the radio all the way to school and spent the majority of the day watching the reports in each of my classes. I still couldn't grasp the magnitude of what had unfolded. The pentagon? Another plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania? Where was it headed? How did it happen? As time progressed, I began to understand the devastation that had occurred.
The Flight 93 story became a fascination for me-- I read book after book about it in the years to come. Those on that flight are heroes in every sense of the word - countering the terrorists and taking back control of the plane, knowing full well they would die, but that they would save countless lives at the same time.
It seems unreal that it has been ten years. Ten years. Wow. We were a large part of history that day. I remember the feeling of unity in the country and the added measure of love and compassion people seemed to have for each other. It is sad to me that most of that seems to have faded. Everyone is back to living their own lives, thinking less and less about what happened that day. I wish that sense of unity prevailed.
What I know is that September 11th each year will always be a reminder to me of what our country endured together that day. It will always be significant to me. It was a catalyst that helped me grow up. To be less egocentric.
Did I still worry about my hair, dates, and friends after 9/11? Of course. But I think I also internalized the value of caring for and loving others, regardless of our seeming differences. We are all together in this human race and we are here to help one another as we make our way through. Unity is of utmost importance. That is what I learned from September 11th, 2001.
(P.S. Darn you 20/20 for your segment on 9/11 kids--the kids who were in utero when their fathers passed away in the attacks on 9/11. Tear jerker, for sure.)
September 8, 2011
A downer post
I warned you. Read on only if you wish.
We found out tonight that our official assignment for MF did not happen today in Ecuador.
I can't tell you how bummed I am. I was set up to believe for some time now that this was going to happen today. I told myself to not plan on it so that I wouldn't be disappointed in case it didn't happen.
I tried hard to not set my heart on it. But I did. And I am disappointed. Not just that, but I am sad. I want my MF to be here so badly. My heart aches every day that I am not the one putting her to bed. That I am not the one hugging her when she wakes up in the morning. That I am not the one to play games with her, teach her, show her the world.
The reason our case was not assigned has to do with our agency's suspension. The worker in Ecuador did not feel comfortable presenting the cases (ours and one other family were supposed to be assigned today. Good thing we are going through this together. We have texted/emailed all afternoon and it is so nice to not be alone...) due to the suspension. She got a sense that the committee did not know about the suspension and did not want to jeopardize things by approving documents under a suspension without the committee's knowledge. So- our agency is hoping to have the United States notify Ecuador of the suspension before next Thursday and hopefully we can get the referral then (the committee meets every Thursday.)
However, I am not going to plan on it. I am not going to plan on anything happening until the beginning of October, when the suspension should be lifted. If it happens before, yay! But, I am not going to set my heart on it like I did this time. That means we will be one month behind.
One month may not seem like a long time, but it is a really long time to me. We have been in this process for almost a year and each day that passes by without progress is more and more torturous. I am so ready to be done.
I was also hoping we would have her home by Christmas. Who knows if that will happen now? We also really really really need the adoption to happen this year so that we can get the tax credit next year. Remember how we are driving Devin's parent's car while they are on their mission? Well, we are planning on using the tax credit money to get a larger car that we can use for our three kids and that will be easier to get MF in and out of as she grows (she has special needs remember and has limited walking abilities.) Waiting another year for the tax credit will hurt us a lot.
To top it off, our trusty (not so trusty anymore) Honda needs major repairs. Major enough that the cost is more than the car is worth. So, it looks like we will be getting two new cars. One ASAP- since the Honda is not safe to drive. That definitely puts a damper on the funds going toward our adoption (travel costs).
Don't get me wrong- we are SO grateful for all the help we have received. I keep thinking how blessed we are to have such good friends and family. We would really be in a world of hurt if it were not for your kind donations and help. It just seems crappy that everything is going on at once.
Maybe the delay is for a reason? I don't know. I just have to trust that God is in charge and that He has our best interests (and MF's) at heart regardless of how things seem to me.
Tomorrow is a new (and better) day, right?
We found out tonight that our official assignment for MF did not happen today in Ecuador.
I can't tell you how bummed I am. I was set up to believe for some time now that this was going to happen today. I told myself to not plan on it so that I wouldn't be disappointed in case it didn't happen.
I tried hard to not set my heart on it. But I did. And I am disappointed. Not just that, but I am sad. I want my MF to be here so badly. My heart aches every day that I am not the one putting her to bed. That I am not the one hugging her when she wakes up in the morning. That I am not the one to play games with her, teach her, show her the world.
The reason our case was not assigned has to do with our agency's suspension. The worker in Ecuador did not feel comfortable presenting the cases (ours and one other family were supposed to be assigned today. Good thing we are going through this together. We have texted/emailed all afternoon and it is so nice to not be alone...) due to the suspension. She got a sense that the committee did not know about the suspension and did not want to jeopardize things by approving documents under a suspension without the committee's knowledge. So- our agency is hoping to have the United States notify Ecuador of the suspension before next Thursday and hopefully we can get the referral then (the committee meets every Thursday.)
However, I am not going to plan on it. I am not going to plan on anything happening until the beginning of October, when the suspension should be lifted. If it happens before, yay! But, I am not going to set my heart on it like I did this time. That means we will be one month behind.
One month may not seem like a long time, but it is a really long time to me. We have been in this process for almost a year and each day that passes by without progress is more and more torturous. I am so ready to be done.
I was also hoping we would have her home by Christmas. Who knows if that will happen now? We also really really really need the adoption to happen this year so that we can get the tax credit next year. Remember how we are driving Devin's parent's car while they are on their mission? Well, we are planning on using the tax credit money to get a larger car that we can use for our three kids and that will be easier to get MF in and out of as she grows (she has special needs remember and has limited walking abilities.) Waiting another year for the tax credit will hurt us a lot.
To top it off, our trusty (not so trusty anymore) Honda needs major repairs. Major enough that the cost is more than the car is worth. So, it looks like we will be getting two new cars. One ASAP- since the Honda is not safe to drive. That definitely puts a damper on the funds going toward our adoption (travel costs).
Don't get me wrong- we are SO grateful for all the help we have received. I keep thinking how blessed we are to have such good friends and family. We would really be in a world of hurt if it were not for your kind donations and help. It just seems crappy that everything is going on at once.
Maybe the delay is for a reason? I don't know. I just have to trust that God is in charge and that He has our best interests (and MF's) at heart regardless of how things seem to me.
Tomorrow is a new (and better) day, right?
September 7, 2011
Man V. Mud 2011- The Results
We completed our first 5k Mud Run over the weekend in Logan. First things first... A picture tour:
Okay, so who won? The MUD or the Lady Lindas? (explanation on the Lady Lindas name if you care: Brad looooves cows for some reason and a few years ago bought two. He named one Zuana's Pride after one of his favorite co-workers (what an honor, eh?) and the other Lady Linda after his beloved wife. Linda used to joke that at least Lady Linda was the skinnier of the two...)
Best Part: The Mud trench. And the slip-n-slides. And the mud pit. Oh fine, I loved it all.
Worst Part: Running in shoes filled with water. UGH.
Funniest Part: Watching Cortney run on the floating bags in the water-- you know what I mean? You have to run on top of them just right or they tip you off. We all fell off right away, except Cortney who made it almost to the end with this dainty little run. It was hilarious.
Other Worst Part: My face. Sunburn around mud splotches = me looking like I had been beaten around the eyeballs the next day. White spots where there was mud surrounded by red everywhere else? Not pretty!
The Most Surprising Part: Devin cracking the whip on us all. If we ran too slow, he made sure to give us a good push in the back to get us going. No stopping during the mud where your feet just get dug in...no- instead he demonstrated- and then insisted upon-all of us using the high step to get in and get out really quick.
The Other Best Part: Knowing we were contributing to a great cause and at the same time, remembering our Linda. We talked as we ran (okay walked...not that we did much of that, just here and there you know..) about how we could just see Linda laughing at us and calling us nerds or something because of our participation.
The Classic Clark Family Moment: Of course we had to sing some Neil Diamond songs for a while (before we were too out of breath to continue, I mean, that never happened...)
The Scariest Part: Oh, just going down these huge slip and slides coated with SHAMPOO and water. Yes, Hailie and I spun clear around and flew off the mat before reaching the bottom. Yikes. And Cortney may have sat at the bottom for a while after saying "Guys! I am hurt! I mean, I am really hurt!" all the while getting hit over and over again by more people coming down. Funny.
The Other Other Worst Part: The huge mud trench may or may not have smelled like manure. I'll let you guess how we smelled when we were done!
What We Will Do Different Next Year: COSTUMES!!!!!
So the results are in: Though it was a close call, the LADY LINDAS definitely beat the MUD!
We had a great time and I really look forward to doing it again. I am no runner, but running in the mud was quite fun.
 |
| Carlie and I grease-o loading at Denny's before the race |
 |
| The Lady Linda's- Pre-Race. Notice that Devin is not in the picture..he refused to wear a tutu, can't imagine why?? |
 |
| The Lady Linda's Post race. Don't we look good!? Lisa, my mother, refused to get in from stomach up. Mud Run without mud? Come on woman. |
 |
| Devin and I |
 |
| I was most definitely the muddiest! No contest. Sorry other LL's, but it's true. |
 |
| Hallie, Sadie, and Jace got to hang out with Aunt Mari Ann during the race. Here they are enjoying the view. |
 |
| After the race, we went to a local diner called Angie's to "Clean the Sink." Devin did it himself, can you tell? |
 |
| Okay- Hallie helped too. And the rest of us. |
 |
| Gone. In no time at all. Do you see theme here with us and eating? |
Best Part: The Mud trench. And the slip-n-slides. And the mud pit. Oh fine, I loved it all.
Worst Part: Running in shoes filled with water. UGH.
Funniest Part: Watching Cortney run on the floating bags in the water-- you know what I mean? You have to run on top of them just right or they tip you off. We all fell off right away, except Cortney who made it almost to the end with this dainty little run. It was hilarious.
Other Worst Part: My face. Sunburn around mud splotches = me looking like I had been beaten around the eyeballs the next day. White spots where there was mud surrounded by red everywhere else? Not pretty!
The Most Surprising Part: Devin cracking the whip on us all. If we ran too slow, he made sure to give us a good push in the back to get us going. No stopping during the mud where your feet just get dug in...no- instead he demonstrated- and then insisted upon-all of us using the high step to get in and get out really quick.
The Other Best Part: Knowing we were contributing to a great cause and at the same time, remembering our Linda. We talked as we ran (okay walked...not that we did much of that, just here and there you know..) about how we could just see Linda laughing at us and calling us nerds or something because of our participation.
The Classic Clark Family Moment: Of course we had to sing some Neil Diamond songs for a while (before we were too out of breath to continue, I mean, that never happened...)
The Scariest Part: Oh, just going down these huge slip and slides coated with SHAMPOO and water. Yes, Hailie and I spun clear around and flew off the mat before reaching the bottom. Yikes. And Cortney may have sat at the bottom for a while after saying "Guys! I am hurt! I mean, I am really hurt!" all the while getting hit over and over again by more people coming down. Funny.
The Other Other Worst Part: The huge mud trench may or may not have smelled like manure. I'll let you guess how we smelled when we were done!
What We Will Do Different Next Year: COSTUMES!!!!!
So the results are in: Though it was a close call, the LADY LINDAS definitely beat the MUD!
We had a great time and I really look forward to doing it again. I am no runner, but running in the mud was quite fun.
September 4, 2011
The Temple
What an amazing weekend. I can't remember the last time I have had such a great weekend. It started with a Friday night date night- all thanks to my cousin Che'Lyn and her husband Landon for taking the kids- and then the Mud Run on Saturday. More on that later--suffice it to say, it was pretty dirty...and so much fun.
Our date Friday started with a visit to the Salt Lake Temple to do some proxy sealings. We have a temple just about five minutes away from us, but it is fun sometimes to attend other Temples. What happens inside is the same regardless of where you are, but being in the Salt Lake Temple is particularly meaningful as it was one of the first temples built. It took the early members of the church over 40 years to complete it. You can definitely tell that great care was taken as the architecture and finish work are beautiful and one of a kind.
There are different ordinances that take place in each temple, culminating in the sealing of families for eternity. Since Devin and I were sealed in the temple when we were married, we now return to act as proxy and do sealings for families (our own ancestors or otherwise) who are dead.
Our experience on Friday was incredible. It was really a spiritual experience for me, but also a fun one. Our sealer was really enjoyable. There was a couple in our session with us celebrating their 47th anniversary, so the sealer took them through a back route to the room where they were married. I would have loved to see that! The rest of us were sitting there when another worker came to bring another couple to join our session. He peeked his head in, looked around, and said, "Where is he?" (It's not really standard practice to leave in the middle of a sealing session...) We explained that he had taken this couple to see the room where they were married and he said, "Ahhh. Of course. It sounds like him. Just so you know, he is the most ADHD sealer we have!" Totally random- but he was right. The man couldn't sit still, he was fiddling with items on his desk, standing up, sitting down, opening drawers, shutting them, etc. It was really funny. All while pronouncing the sealings.
An incredible spirit was there with us that day. I couldn't help but think of my dear Aunt Linda. I am so grateful that she was placed into our family and that she was taken to that very same temple when she was three to be sealed to her parents and siblings for time and all eternity. The sealing covenant makes everything all right. It may not be all right now, but I know with a certainty that things will be okay. I will see Linda again. We will be together. We are tied eternally.
Of course, this led me to think of our sweet MF. We too will get the experience of taking her to the temple to be sealed to us. I am so anxious for this day. This is a unique experience as babies biologically born to us are "Born in the Covenant" meaning they are sealed to us automatically upon birth. However, since MF will be adopted, we will get the privilege of taking her to the temple to be sealed to us. I just sat there envisioning it and I was so overcome with emotion and with the Holy Ghost, which again testified to me that we are on the right path. I am so blessed. I think of her already as my child (and I have for a long time) so you can imagine my anxiety and the sense of urgency I feel to get her here and to have her sealed to us. I don't even have words to convey how important that day will be to us. I can't wait.
The temple was the best part of the date for me. It was just so refreshing and so needed.
We also went to dinner and then to see the latest Harry Potter movie (which I LOVED). I know we are like the last people in America to see it (there were about 10 people in the theater) but we have kids and weird work schedules, so it is hard to get out and see movies. We then stayed in a hotel in Salt Lake and then picked up the kids Saturday morning in time to head to Logan for the Mud Run. That was an experience...pictures and details to come!
Our date Friday started with a visit to the Salt Lake Temple to do some proxy sealings. We have a temple just about five minutes away from us, but it is fun sometimes to attend other Temples. What happens inside is the same regardless of where you are, but being in the Salt Lake Temple is particularly meaningful as it was one of the first temples built. It took the early members of the church over 40 years to complete it. You can definitely tell that great care was taken as the architecture and finish work are beautiful and one of a kind.
There are different ordinances that take place in each temple, culminating in the sealing of families for eternity. Since Devin and I were sealed in the temple when we were married, we now return to act as proxy and do sealings for families (our own ancestors or otherwise) who are dead.
Our experience on Friday was incredible. It was really a spiritual experience for me, but also a fun one. Our sealer was really enjoyable. There was a couple in our session with us celebrating their 47th anniversary, so the sealer took them through a back route to the room where they were married. I would have loved to see that! The rest of us were sitting there when another worker came to bring another couple to join our session. He peeked his head in, looked around, and said, "Where is he?" (It's not really standard practice to leave in the middle of a sealing session...) We explained that he had taken this couple to see the room where they were married and he said, "Ahhh. Of course. It sounds like him. Just so you know, he is the most ADHD sealer we have!" Totally random- but he was right. The man couldn't sit still, he was fiddling with items on his desk, standing up, sitting down, opening drawers, shutting them, etc. It was really funny. All while pronouncing the sealings.
An incredible spirit was there with us that day. I couldn't help but think of my dear Aunt Linda. I am so grateful that she was placed into our family and that she was taken to that very same temple when she was three to be sealed to her parents and siblings for time and all eternity. The sealing covenant makes everything all right. It may not be all right now, but I know with a certainty that things will be okay. I will see Linda again. We will be together. We are tied eternally.
Of course, this led me to think of our sweet MF. We too will get the experience of taking her to the temple to be sealed to us. I am so anxious for this day. This is a unique experience as babies biologically born to us are "Born in the Covenant" meaning they are sealed to us automatically upon birth. However, since MF will be adopted, we will get the privilege of taking her to the temple to be sealed to us. I just sat there envisioning it and I was so overcome with emotion and with the Holy Ghost, which again testified to me that we are on the right path. I am so blessed. I think of her already as my child (and I have for a long time) so you can imagine my anxiety and the sense of urgency I feel to get her here and to have her sealed to us. I don't even have words to convey how important that day will be to us. I can't wait.
The temple was the best part of the date for me. It was just so refreshing and so needed.
We also went to dinner and then to see the latest Harry Potter movie (which I LOVED). I know we are like the last people in America to see it (there were about 10 people in the theater) but we have kids and weird work schedules, so it is hard to get out and see movies. We then stayed in a hotel in Salt Lake and then picked up the kids Saturday morning in time to head to Logan for the Mud Run. That was an experience...pictures and details to come!
September 1, 2011
Jace- 6 months
Our little bug is 6 months old! I've said it before and I will say it again- so crazy that time goes so quickly. He is such a wonderful part of our family and we are so blessed that he is ours. 
{Jace}
{For comparison's sake, Hallie at 6 months. What do think? Definitely siblings, I'd say...}
Jace's stats:
{Jace}
{For comparison's sake, Hallie at 6 months. What do think? Definitely siblings, I'd say...}
Jace's stats:
Weight: 19 pounds 1 ounce (75%)
Height: 29 inches (off the charts)
{Again, to compare: Hallie was 18 pounds 4 ounces and 26.5 inches at 6 months}
Jace is sitting up pretty well...just as long as you balance him. He needs to use his hands to steady himself a lot,but he will get better. He rarely rolls, though he does know how. Hopefully he will pick that up more soon.
Jace is a happy, smiley boy, but is more reserved with his smiles than Hallie was. He is a mama's boy for sure and we are already working on saying "mama" since I know his tendency will be to say "dada" first, just like every other baby. I know he won't let me down, though... (just kidding about all that- other than that I do say "mama" to him all day long. Haha!)
Jace loves to eat (as if you couldn't tell!) He enjoys foods of all types. The only food I have discovered that he does not like is bananas (the real deal, though he will eat the baby food jar kind. Weird.)
Jace is very interested in what we eat. The other day I was sitting at the table while he was in the bumbo and I was eating a mini cookie. I was talking to Devin and not paying attention and before I knew it, Jace had grabbed my hand and yanked it into his mouth. He sorely needed that cookie apparently, and took matters into his own hands. First cookie ever and it didn't disappoint!
Check out the rolllllllls. That's how we do it around here.
Jace is blessed to have boy cousins on both sides. He gets to see Hudson a lot and sure loves him. Hudson used to hold Jace on his lap (he is 10 weeks older or so) and now that Jace has far exceeded him in size, he can hold Hudson. What a funny pair. So fun that these boys will be able to grow up together.
A few other things about Jace:
*He is still a great sleeper. He naps three times a day usually for anywhere from a half hour to 2 and a half hours. He sleeps 13 or so hours per night.
* He loves to pat people's faces, hold your hands/fingers, and put his hands around your neck to hug you, though he is not much of a cuddler
*Wears 6-12 month clothing as well as 9 month clothing. Too tall for 6 month clothes.
*No more than his two teeth that he got when he was 3 months old. Where are the rest???
*Favorite toy is still the bouncy chair. He can get that thing bouncing! He can also rock himself in his carseat, which he likes to do. He just gets his legs kicking and gets it going back and forth.
We sure love our Jacer boy! We are truly blessed.
August 30, 2011
Bits and Pieces
A few things we have been up to:
1) Weddings. My step-brother Brady got married on August 12 in the Bountiful Temple to a sweet girl named Jackie. The wedding was gorgeous and the luncheon after quite amazing (Tucanos. Can never go wrong there!)
The next week, my cousin Spencer got married in the Salt Lake Temple. We went to the reception that he and his new bride had in Timpanogos Park in Provo. It was beautiful. Yay for weddings!
The only picture I have from either wedding is not actually from either event... just a picture of my kids getting ready to go to Spencer's reception. I thought they looked quite cute.
2) I got to meet up with my cousin Anneka at her sister Meagan's house in Draper for an hour or so...they were on their way to Arizona where her husband is starting Optometry School. Her cute little guy, Hinckley, is about a month older than Jace. They had a good time wearing twinner outfits (unplanned). They look a little similar, yes?
This is what happens when I leave my camera at Meagan's house after...self-portraits. And this is what happens when you put self portraits on my camera: I put them on the blog. :) Meagan's girls McKayla and Kristen and then Anneka.
3) We had a fun day Saturday with cousins. We met up with Che' and Landon, who were babysitting Cortney's three kids and also had Linda's two older kids. We went swimming first, then to a trampoline arena and then onto McDonald's (Mc-a-donalds according to Hallie) to feed the crew. Did you know you can buy 50 chicken nuggets, two large fries, and two large drinks for $15? Yeah. Good deal to feed the large lot of children.
Avery is a good help with the little ones. Hallie and Max are about 4 months apart, but you wouldn't know it based on their size...plus, let's not mention that Max is wearing one of Jace's outfits here and it was a big baggy. Yeah. My kids are large, what can we say?
Hallie and her crazy face at the trampoline place. Sadly I did not get many pictures of all the children there.
4) Hallie has started a computer class on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We go to a church with other kids her age from our ward. She does 30 minutes of learning the ABCs, numbers, matching games, etc. It is good for her. She needs help working the mouse, but hopefully she will get the hang of that soon too. We are also thinking of doing a neighborhood preschool, which I think would be great for her.
5) Adoption update: Things took an unexpected turn yesterday when we found out that our agency has had their Hague accreditation temporarily suspended. The suspension is to last 30 days while the agency updates some of the documents they have been using. The cause for the suspension seems minor, so we hope and pray that things will get back up and running VERY soon. Needless to say, this may delay things about a month for us and other families who are in the same spot in the adoption. I am sick about it. But, I just have to remember that things will happen in the Lord's time. I have become friends with some of the people who are also adopting right now through our same agency and as I was talking to one of them yesterday, I said it seems like we were getting so close I could practically feel it, and now it feels like she is being yanked back again. Ugh. I know things will work themselves out and this is a minor bump (hopefully), but it seems so large when another month may separate us from MF. Not to mention that we hoped to be home before Christmas, but that may not happen...
Anyway, prayers for our case would be lovely. We still hope that our official assignment will happen on the 8th of September as all of our documents are already in Ecuador, ready to go. I have known that date since we submitted our dossier and I have been anticipating that it will happen then. I will be really sad if it doesn't. Anyway...back to the waiting game.
1) Weddings. My step-brother Brady got married on August 12 in the Bountiful Temple to a sweet girl named Jackie. The wedding was gorgeous and the luncheon after quite amazing (Tucanos. Can never go wrong there!)
The next week, my cousin Spencer got married in the Salt Lake Temple. We went to the reception that he and his new bride had in Timpanogos Park in Provo. It was beautiful. Yay for weddings!
The only picture I have from either wedding is not actually from either event... just a picture of my kids getting ready to go to Spencer's reception. I thought they looked quite cute.
2) I got to meet up with my cousin Anneka at her sister Meagan's house in Draper for an hour or so...they were on their way to Arizona where her husband is starting Optometry School. Her cute little guy, Hinckley, is about a month older than Jace. They had a good time wearing twinner outfits (unplanned). They look a little similar, yes?
This is what happens when I leave my camera at Meagan's house after...self-portraits. And this is what happens when you put self portraits on my camera: I put them on the blog. :) Meagan's girls McKayla and Kristen and then Anneka.
3) We had a fun day Saturday with cousins. We met up with Che' and Landon, who were babysitting Cortney's three kids and also had Linda's two older kids. We went swimming first, then to a trampoline arena and then onto McDonald's (Mc-a-donalds according to Hallie) to feed the crew. Did you know you can buy 50 chicken nuggets, two large fries, and two large drinks for $15? Yeah. Good deal to feed the large lot of children.
Avery is a good help with the little ones. Hallie and Max are about 4 months apart, but you wouldn't know it based on their size...plus, let's not mention that Max is wearing one of Jace's outfits here and it was a big baggy. Yeah. My kids are large, what can we say?
Hallie and her crazy face at the trampoline place. Sadly I did not get many pictures of all the children there.
4) Hallie has started a computer class on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We go to a church with other kids her age from our ward. She does 30 minutes of learning the ABCs, numbers, matching games, etc. It is good for her. She needs help working the mouse, but hopefully she will get the hang of that soon too. We are also thinking of doing a neighborhood preschool, which I think would be great for her.
5) Adoption update: Things took an unexpected turn yesterday when we found out that our agency has had their Hague accreditation temporarily suspended. The suspension is to last 30 days while the agency updates some of the documents they have been using. The cause for the suspension seems minor, so we hope and pray that things will get back up and running VERY soon. Needless to say, this may delay things about a month for us and other families who are in the same spot in the adoption. I am sick about it. But, I just have to remember that things will happen in the Lord's time. I have become friends with some of the people who are also adopting right now through our same agency and as I was talking to one of them yesterday, I said it seems like we were getting so close I could practically feel it, and now it feels like she is being yanked back again. Ugh. I know things will work themselves out and this is a minor bump (hopefully), but it seems so large when another month may separate us from MF. Not to mention that we hoped to be home before Christmas, but that may not happen...
Anyway, prayers for our case would be lovely. We still hope that our official assignment will happen on the 8th of September as all of our documents are already in Ecuador, ready to go. I have known that date since we submitted our dossier and I have been anticipating that it will happen then. I will be really sad if it doesn't. Anyway...back to the waiting game.
August 25, 2011
It's still real...
It's been more than two months since my sweet Aunt Linda's death.
It still hurts. A lot.
It seems cruel that life is going on at such break-neck speeds still. I find myself feeling guilty sometimes that life is good for me, when I know that Brad is faced with the reality of the situation every minute of every day.
I didn't feel like doing much for a while after Linda died. I would have rather just sat on the couch and thought about her. I still feel that way sometimes. Little things trigger thoughts and then I just miss her all the more. I can't use my kitchenaid (which she gave me) without getting really sad. I can't dress Jace in anything she gave him (which is nearly his entire wardrobe) without smelling it and thinking of her. I find myself driving down the street on the verge of tears when certain songs play, or when I see someone who resembles her.
I was talking to my cousin the other day and we both agreed that it's the little things that are the repeat visuals in our heads. Her posture. Her facial expressions. Her words. "You are such a nerd!" with her little laugh. (Yes, that was an endearment...). The drive to Boise and our conversations then. The funny inside jokes.
All of this is priceless. I know some day those images will fade, and I dread that day.
Something I don't think I have shared here before is that one of the last conversations I had with Linda was her telling me how proud she was of Devin and I in our pursuit of adopting MF. We had had some mixed reactions to the news up to that point. But, not with Linda. She was genuinely so excited and so supportive. I treasure knowing this and remembering her words of support. I pray to Heavenly Father a lot that he will use her to help us from the other side. I have felt that help.
Maybe you wonder why I blog about this? I do it for me as part of the healing journey. I have written a lot in my journal some of the more intimate details that are too personal and private to share. But, I find that sharing helps me heal too. I want others to know what a special person Linda is and I want to keep her memory alive.
In good news, Charlie has been home for about three weeks now and she is doing so well. SO well. I haven't seen her since she left the hospital, but from what I hear, she is a feisty little thing. She acts much like a normal newborn, which is such great news. We still won't know the extent of her brain damage until she is older, but for now, I am so happy with the miracles in her. She is on a g-tube, which feeds her through her stomach, and hopefully with her continued therapy she will be able to eat orally.
Isn't she so beautiful? She looks a lot like her mama. I can't wait to see her next week when we are in Logan for the Mud Run. There is still time to sign up if you want- and part of the proceeds will go to Brad and the kids.
August 19, 2011
Golf
Since Devin works at a golf course, it seems only natural that we should take up golf, right? We have been making it a regular Tuesday activity around here, along with Landon and Che'.
Che' and I usually just drive the golf carts around with the kids in tow because we discovered that when we actually golfed, it made the boys feel bad. Yes, we are that good. In all actuality, though, Devin and Landon are getting pretty good! Check it out:
Okay, this doesn't show anything. He made it in the hole, though, right? Hallie is quite the golfer as well, as you can see. She has her own clubs (plastic) and her own ball.
Apparently I do have a picture of Landon actually golfing, just in case you wonder what it looks like. Professional.
Or...something like that. This is more what it looks like for Devin and Landon. (just kidding boys...this is totally rare, of course.)
Cute Hudson. The boys are usually very well behaved. I mean, how much more fun can life be than riding around in your carseat in a golf cart?!
Obviously Hallie and I enjoy the cart riding too. I must say, I am as excellent a driver as I am a golfer. Interpret that as you will.
Love, love, love summer. It is going to be sad when it gets too cold to have our Monday trip to the water park and our Tuesday trip to the golf course.
Che' and I usually just drive the golf carts around with the kids in tow because we discovered that when we actually golfed, it made the boys feel bad. Yes, we are that good. In all actuality, though, Devin and Landon are getting pretty good! Check it out:
Okay, this doesn't show anything. He made it in the hole, though, right? Hallie is quite the golfer as well, as you can see. She has her own clubs (plastic) and her own ball.
Apparently I do have a picture of Landon actually golfing, just in case you wonder what it looks like. Professional.
Or...something like that. This is more what it looks like for Devin and Landon. (just kidding boys...this is totally rare, of course.)
Cute Hudson. The boys are usually very well behaved. I mean, how much more fun can life be than riding around in your carseat in a golf cart?!
Obviously Hallie and I enjoy the cart riding too. I must say, I am as excellent a driver as I am a golfer. Interpret that as you will.
Love, love, love summer. It is going to be sad when it gets too cold to have our Monday trip to the water park and our Tuesday trip to the golf course.
August 15, 2011
The Cutest
Devin and I have some nieces and nephews who take the cake for being adorable and sweet. To be exact, there are 20 of them (with two on the way) on Devin's side and 1 (with one on the way) on my side.
Let me just tell you about three of them. Brelynn (8), Cole (6), and Ryder (2) belong to Devin's sister Kirston and her husband Travis. Last week for Family Home Evening, Kirston and Travis talked to them about MF. Of course they have heard about her before, but this time they asked the kids to think of a way to help with the costs of bringing MF home. The next morning, the kids came to their parents on their own accord and said that they had decided that they wanted to put up a stand on the corner to sell juice and otter pops. So that is what they did.
Little Ryder waved people on over from the curb (and how could you resist that!?) and the kids also had a homemade sign that said "Help us bring our cousin MF (they used her real name) home from Ecuador!"
On Saturday, Kirston texted me to see if they could stop by. The kids came in with a big envelope full of bills and change that they had earned for us. I couldn't have been more overwhelmed. What sweet and caring children. And really, what a testament to the type of parents Kirston and Travis are for teaching them to care for and serve others.
I hope that one day (soon would be lovely) MF can hear these stories and know how much she was loved and wanted. We have been so amazed at the response of others who have been willing to help us. I feel like I am repeating myself a lot, but we feel so loved. Since two weeks ago when I posted the donation link, we have had people donate nearly $9000. That far surpassed my wildest dreams. We are so grateful. I have had people tell me that they have felt inspired to help and I know that the Lord works through good people who are willing to listen to the promptings they receive to bless the lives of so many. It is humbling being on the receiving end.
Thank you all of you for being a part of this journey!
Let me just tell you about three of them. Brelynn (8), Cole (6), and Ryder (2) belong to Devin's sister Kirston and her husband Travis. Last week for Family Home Evening, Kirston and Travis talked to them about MF. Of course they have heard about her before, but this time they asked the kids to think of a way to help with the costs of bringing MF home. The next morning, the kids came to their parents on their own accord and said that they had decided that they wanted to put up a stand on the corner to sell juice and otter pops. So that is what they did.
Little Ryder waved people on over from the curb (and how could you resist that!?) and the kids also had a homemade sign that said "Help us bring our cousin MF (they used her real name) home from Ecuador!"
On Saturday, Kirston texted me to see if they could stop by. The kids came in with a big envelope full of bills and change that they had earned for us. I couldn't have been more overwhelmed. What sweet and caring children. And really, what a testament to the type of parents Kirston and Travis are for teaching them to care for and serve others.
I hope that one day (soon would be lovely) MF can hear these stories and know how much she was loved and wanted. We have been so amazed at the response of others who have been willing to help us. I feel like I am repeating myself a lot, but we feel so loved. Since two weeks ago when I posted the donation link, we have had people donate nearly $9000. That far surpassed my wildest dreams. We are so grateful. I have had people tell me that they have felt inspired to help and I know that the Lord works through good people who are willing to listen to the promptings they receive to bless the lives of so many. It is humbling being on the receiving end.
Thank you all of you for being a part of this journey!
Sent
It's official: our dossier has been sent.
Now, back to the waiting game. According to our agency, our case will go before the committee in Ecuador on September 8th where we we will receive MF's official assignment. We already signed paperwork back in January to accept her referral, which means that she was taken off all waiting lists, etc. and told the government that we were interested in adopting her and that we would be working on the rest of our paperwork to make it happen. Now, the assignment is what we need to continue the process. The worrier in me asked the agency if there was any way we could not receive her assignment, and she said no. So we will trust in that.
Some people have asked what these things mean that I have referred to, so here are a few visuals.
Dossier: This thing is a beast. This is the compilation of every item imaginable that tells about our family. There is a total of 21 documents in our dossier (each country has their own specifications as to what they want). Among other things it includes an application, copies of our passports, our home study, our birth certficates, our marriage license, pictures of our family and house, reference letters, medical reports, employment verifications, etc. etc. etc. Each of these items had to be notarized.
After being notarized, we took the entire load up to the State Capitol (minus my birth certificate and our marriage license, which we sent to Idaho) to be apostilled.
Apostille: This is an offical state stamp for each document. It verifies that the notary's stamp, or the seal on the birth certificate, or the seal on our background checks is real and that each person signing the seal is authorized to do so. Each and every single one of our 21 documents had to have this apostille stamp. It took about two days for them to be completed (which was really quick actually) and cost $15 a whack. You can see a picture of what it is below.
Aaaaaaand it's such a relief to have all that done.
Praying things move quickly from here!
Now, back to the waiting game. According to our agency, our case will go before the committee in Ecuador on September 8th where we we will receive MF's official assignment. We already signed paperwork back in January to accept her referral, which means that she was taken off all waiting lists, etc. and told the government that we were interested in adopting her and that we would be working on the rest of our paperwork to make it happen. Now, the assignment is what we need to continue the process. The worrier in me asked the agency if there was any way we could not receive her assignment, and she said no. So we will trust in that.
Some people have asked what these things mean that I have referred to, so here are a few visuals.
Dossier: This thing is a beast. This is the compilation of every item imaginable that tells about our family. There is a total of 21 documents in our dossier (each country has their own specifications as to what they want). Among other things it includes an application, copies of our passports, our home study, our birth certficates, our marriage license, pictures of our family and house, reference letters, medical reports, employment verifications, etc. etc. etc. Each of these items had to be notarized.
After being notarized, we took the entire load up to the State Capitol (minus my birth certificate and our marriage license, which we sent to Idaho) to be apostilled.
Apostille: This is an offical state stamp for each document. It verifies that the notary's stamp, or the seal on the birth certificate, or the seal on our background checks is real and that each person signing the seal is authorized to do so. Each and every single one of our 21 documents had to have this apostille stamp. It took about two days for them to be completed (which was really quick actually) and cost $15 a whack. You can see a picture of what it is below.
Aaaaaaand it's such a relief to have all that done.
Praying things move quickly from here!
August 10, 2011
Miracles Continued
Take a look at our thermometer over there...
Yes, that is right, TODAY we had $5500 donated, which means we have surpassed what we needed for our dossier.
I don't even know what to say. I am humbled. I am grateful. I am so touched. I am OVERWHELMED.
Yes, it is true. God is a God of Miracles. I know without a doubt that He has been looking out for us and that He has had a plan for us all along. I am so grateful for His servants here on earth who listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and act on them. Many of you are amongst those people and I know we will never be able to fully express our gratitude.
I was talking to my cousin the other day and saying how I feel like we don't deserve all the support we are getting. However, right after she and I both said at the same time, "But MF does." And that is true. MF deserves a family and she deserves everything that you have all done in her behalf. I am sure at some point in this life or the next, she will be able to express her appreciation to each of you individually, but in the mean time, let me say it:
THANK YOU!!!!!!
(P.S.. I know there are some of you who have sent checks that are on their way-- we are still so appreciate of that. We will keep whatever else is donated from here in the MF fund and will use it for travel expenses. Flights are not cheap to Ecuador...and neither is staying there for 8 weeks. Yep, 8 weeks! We will have a fun family adventure in Ecuador for 8 weeks or so when we get to go pick her up. ANXIOUSLY awaiting the day!!!)
Yes, that is right, TODAY we had $5500 donated, which means we have surpassed what we needed for our dossier.
I don't even know what to say. I am humbled. I am grateful. I am so touched. I am OVERWHELMED.
Yes, it is true. God is a God of Miracles. I know without a doubt that He has been looking out for us and that He has had a plan for us all along. I am so grateful for His servants here on earth who listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and act on them. Many of you are amongst those people and I know we will never be able to fully express our gratitude.
I was talking to my cousin the other day and saying how I feel like we don't deserve all the support we are getting. However, right after she and I both said at the same time, "But MF does." And that is true. MF deserves a family and she deserves everything that you have all done in her behalf. I am sure at some point in this life or the next, she will be able to express her appreciation to each of you individually, but in the mean time, let me say it:
THANK YOU!!!!!!
(P.S.. I know there are some of you who have sent checks that are on their way-- we are still so appreciate of that. We will keep whatever else is donated from here in the MF fund and will use it for travel expenses. Flights are not cheap to Ecuador...and neither is staying there for 8 weeks. Yep, 8 weeks! We will have a fun family adventure in Ecuador for 8 weeks or so when we get to go pick her up. ANXIOUSLY awaiting the day!!!)
Final Rejection
As suspected, we were denied for our last grant. I just heard today (that is after emailing them three times since we submitted the grant in February and still hadn't heard anything). Rejection sucks! I know I said that we weren't really holding out any hope for this grant either, but to be honest, a small part of me was. The reason I was is because our adoption agency had to provide a letter as part of the grant verifying that we are adopting, etc. and as she was writing it for us, she told me that she has written the letter numerous times before and every family has received a grant.
And then...us. Hmm. I don't honestly know what to think. I have to just believe that other families need it more than we do and that Heavenly Father still has a plan for us. I know that what we are doing is right. Devin and I have both had that confirmation so many times before we began this process and now throughout. Nothing that is worth it in life comes easy, right? We will just plug ahead and do the best we can with what we have.
I am so, so grateful for everyone who has supported our cause through donations and spreading the word. You can see we put up a little thermometer on the sidebar after some requests to see how we are doing. We have had so many donations and we are forever thankful for good friends and family (and even strangers) who are willing to help us bring our child home. Just yesterday, I received book and a check in the mail for $300 with an incredibly sweet note from a former co-worker. I was so touched and overwhelmed by her generosity and willingness to help. That is just one story of many where we have seen the Lord's hand in this. You will each never know how much it means to us. It's not just the big donations that matter, either. Our first donation was from members of our last ward who just lost their 2 month old son about a month ago. Here they are going through an incredible amount of loss and grief, and yet they still thought it important enough to help us.
I have cried multiple times, feeling humbled with the generosity of each of you. Thank you for being a part of our journey!
And then...us. Hmm. I don't honestly know what to think. I have to just believe that other families need it more than we do and that Heavenly Father still has a plan for us. I know that what we are doing is right. Devin and I have both had that confirmation so many times before we began this process and now throughout. Nothing that is worth it in life comes easy, right? We will just plug ahead and do the best we can with what we have.
I am so, so grateful for everyone who has supported our cause through donations and spreading the word. You can see we put up a little thermometer on the sidebar after some requests to see how we are doing. We have had so many donations and we are forever thankful for good friends and family (and even strangers) who are willing to help us bring our child home. Just yesterday, I received book and a check in the mail for $300 with an incredibly sweet note from a former co-worker. I was so touched and overwhelmed by her generosity and willingness to help. That is just one story of many where we have seen the Lord's hand in this. You will each never know how much it means to us. It's not just the big donations that matter, either. Our first donation was from members of our last ward who just lost their 2 month old son about a month ago. Here they are going through an incredible amount of loss and grief, and yet they still thought it important enough to help us.
I have cried multiple times, feeling humbled with the generosity of each of you. Thank you for being a part of our journey!
August 7, 2011
Hallie-isms
It's been a while since I have done a post on Hallie. This girl is as funny/wild as they come. She is 2 going on 25 by the way she acts. She tells me what to do all the time and is sure to point out if she feels that my behavior is "naughty."( Don't worry- I am not naughty all that often.) Here's a picture and some recent Hallie-isms:
*At our recent family get-together for Mari Ann's graduation, Hallie informed Aunt Suey that she wanted a new skirt. Black to be exact. Well, being the nice aunt that she is, Sue sent her the above skirt (much cuter than any black skirt, definitely) and the brightest hot-pink shoes anyone has ever seen. Instant hits. She has literally worn (or tried to wear) that skirt every day since. I have managed to wash it a few times, don't you worry. The other day I also got $3 in the mail from my grandma, with a note saying it was for "stick-on earrings for Hallie." WHAT?? I asked Hallie about it and her response? "Yeah, I ask grandma to get me some sticker earrings!" Geez, who is this kid? Biggest Mooch ever?!
*One day Hallie was dancing around in the front room (no rhythm, like me, just in case you wonder) and I was watching her, laughing a little bit. She suddenly stopped and whirled around to face me then said "And what can I help you with?"
*Hallie was watching the movie Tangled one day. At one point she commented, "That's a crazy movie!" me: "why?" Hallie: "Because it's genius!" Don't ask me where she gets these things...
*Driving one day, Hallie suddenly yelled from the back seat, "You slow down, daddy!" When we asked her how come, she insisted that he needed to slow down so she "wouldn't spill her drink." 5 mph the whole way home so that you can not spill your cup with a lid and straw?- no thanks.
*As mentioned above, she tends to wear the same thing over and over and over again. If she loves it, you better believe she is going to wear it ALL. THE. TIME. She has a dress that we got her a while back that she was trying to wear every day before the skirt came along. One day, I told her she needed to change her clothes because her dress was dirty. Her response? "No, it washed itself! It's fine!" Yeah, if only.
*Pulling into the grocery store Allen's one day. "I don't want to go to Allen's (whine whine whine), I want Cooooooooostco." I'm not sure where she gets her preferences--too bad she is only 2 and doesn't get to pick. Haha.
*Handing Devin a lifesaver one day, she said "here you go Dev." I told her, "You call him Dad, not Dev." Her response was, "No, I call him Dev. He's handsome." Uh...ok?
*Hallie has a fake cell phone that she got from the neighbors. One day she told me while playing with it, "Mom, I am going to text Cinderella." Me: "What are you going to say?" Hallie: I am going to ask her if she is dancing!"
*While driving in the car one day, I was talking to my sister on the phone and we were discussing how we both thought our first kids were going to be boys, but ultrasounds showed they were girls. After I got off the phone, Hallie piped up from the back seat, "Mom? I used to be a boy, but now I am a girl??" I tried to explain to her the whole thing, but now she is stuck on this theme that she used to be a boy. Oh, dear....I guess I am going to have to be careful about the conversations I have in front of her!
Well there are just some of the funny things she says each day. I wish I remembered more. Kids at this age are just hilarious. Hallie is constantly surprising me with what she picks up on and what she knows. She is too smart for her own good. Today we were cutting coupons out and she picked up an ad page in the coupons and said, "Mom! It says Smith's! Like Daddy's Smiths!" Sure enough, it was an ad for Smiths. Weird. She will be reading and doing algebra before I know it. So sad.
*At our recent family get-together for Mari Ann's graduation, Hallie informed Aunt Suey that she wanted a new skirt. Black to be exact. Well, being the nice aunt that she is, Sue sent her the above skirt (much cuter than any black skirt, definitely) and the brightest hot-pink shoes anyone has ever seen. Instant hits. She has literally worn (or tried to wear) that skirt every day since. I have managed to wash it a few times, don't you worry. The other day I also got $3 in the mail from my grandma, with a note saying it was for "stick-on earrings for Hallie." WHAT?? I asked Hallie about it and her response? "Yeah, I ask grandma to get me some sticker earrings!" Geez, who is this kid? Biggest Mooch ever?!*One day Hallie was dancing around in the front room (no rhythm, like me, just in case you wonder) and I was watching her, laughing a little bit. She suddenly stopped and whirled around to face me then said "And what can I help you with?"
*Hallie was watching the movie Tangled one day. At one point she commented, "That's a crazy movie!" me: "why?" Hallie: "Because it's genius!" Don't ask me where she gets these things...
*Driving one day, Hallie suddenly yelled from the back seat, "You slow down, daddy!" When we asked her how come, she insisted that he needed to slow down so she "wouldn't spill her drink." 5 mph the whole way home so that you can not spill your cup with a lid and straw?- no thanks.
*As mentioned above, she tends to wear the same thing over and over and over again. If she loves it, you better believe she is going to wear it ALL. THE. TIME. She has a dress that we got her a while back that she was trying to wear every day before the skirt came along. One day, I told her she needed to change her clothes because her dress was dirty. Her response? "No, it washed itself! It's fine!" Yeah, if only.
*Pulling into the grocery store Allen's one day. "I don't want to go to Allen's (whine whine whine), I want Cooooooooostco." I'm not sure where she gets her preferences--too bad she is only 2 and doesn't get to pick. Haha.
*Handing Devin a lifesaver one day, she said "here you go Dev." I told her, "You call him Dad, not Dev." Her response was, "No, I call him Dev. He's handsome." Uh...ok?
*Hallie has a fake cell phone that she got from the neighbors. One day she told me while playing with it, "Mom, I am going to text Cinderella." Me: "What are you going to say?" Hallie: I am going to ask her if she is dancing!"
*While driving in the car one day, I was talking to my sister on the phone and we were discussing how we both thought our first kids were going to be boys, but ultrasounds showed they were girls. After I got off the phone, Hallie piped up from the back seat, "Mom? I used to be a boy, but now I am a girl??" I tried to explain to her the whole thing, but now she is stuck on this theme that she used to be a boy. Oh, dear....I guess I am going to have to be careful about the conversations I have in front of her!
Well there are just some of the funny things she says each day. I wish I remembered more. Kids at this age are just hilarious. Hallie is constantly surprising me with what she picks up on and what she knows. She is too smart for her own good. Today we were cutting coupons out and she picked up an ad page in the coupons and said, "Mom! It says Smith's! Like Daddy's Smiths!" Sure enough, it was an ad for Smiths. Weird. She will be reading and doing algebra before I know it. So sad.
August 5, 2011
Jacer- 5 months
I am behind on updating about sweet Jace at 5 months- Just so much adoption excitement going on! We got the official I-800a approval form in the mail today. Hallelujah!!! We will notarize our the rest of our documents on Monday, then I will drive them to Salt Lake to be apostilled. That is supposed to take 3-4 days then I will drive up to go get them as I don't want to wait for the mail! So hopefully we will file our dossier (if all goes well) in the next two weeks or so. Wish us luck! It is sort of surreal to be moving forward again since we were doing anything BUT moving in the last little while. After the dossier, we file another form for immigration and then can travel to go get MF. Anxious, anxious, anxious. That's all I can say.
Anyway, I said that this wasn't about adoption. Can you tell I am excited about it though?
In other news, I have an adorable, handsome, happy little guy named Jace who turned 5 months old on the 1st. Here are some pictures of him and a few things- not much has changed in the last month or so.
Jace is a THUMB- SUCKER. Can you tell? No need for a binky (though he still likes that too), he more so enjoys his thumb. If he is lucky, he can manage to suck on his binky on one side of his mouth and his thumb on the other. Great. Devin is already advocating for whipping out the Tabasco Sauce to curb this habit. Don't worry, I quickly vetoed that!
This was the one day in his life that he fell asleep on the floor while playing! My kids have both been anti-sleeping anywhere but in their beds. See the thumb in the mouth?
Wide awake and cute as a bug. Jace has beautiful blue eyes. Hallie has a light shade of blue that are also gorgeous, but Jace's are a little darker. The odd thing is- neither Devin or I have blue eyes. We both have brown. Go figure, right?
This kid EATS and EATS and EATS. He already is eating us out of house and home! He has started on solids of all sorts and loves them all. He has no preference between peas or applesauce or carrots or pears. As long as he is being fed, he is happy!
I just think sleeping babies are the cutest thing. He is still a champ sleeper- going to bed at 7 pm and sleeping till 8 am, sometimes 9. It's weird. You'd think he would wake me up in the morning (I am NOT a morning person), but more often than not, I get him up. Maybe he is just like me and doesn't like to drag himself out of bed in the morning. I know buddy, it's not fun.
The cute boy loves water...baths, swimming, anything. We go to 7 peaks at least once a week and he is happy to kick and splash around. He also loves riding around the lazy river in a tube or riding the waves in the wave pool. Both of our children are fish, apparently.
Jace is such a happy, fun, wonderful baby. We are so blessed to have him in our lives. I love him so much and just can't get enough! I can't believe he is almost half a year old. Where does time go?!?
Anyway, I said that this wasn't about adoption. Can you tell I am excited about it though?
In other news, I have an adorable, handsome, happy little guy named Jace who turned 5 months old on the 1st. Here are some pictures of him and a few things- not much has changed in the last month or so.
Jace is a THUMB- SUCKER. Can you tell? No need for a binky (though he still likes that too), he more so enjoys his thumb. If he is lucky, he can manage to suck on his binky on one side of his mouth and his thumb on the other. Great. Devin is already advocating for whipping out the Tabasco Sauce to curb this habit. Don't worry, I quickly vetoed that!
This was the one day in his life that he fell asleep on the floor while playing! My kids have both been anti-sleeping anywhere but in their beds. See the thumb in the mouth?
Wide awake and cute as a bug. Jace has beautiful blue eyes. Hallie has a light shade of blue that are also gorgeous, but Jace's are a little darker. The odd thing is- neither Devin or I have blue eyes. We both have brown. Go figure, right?
This kid EATS and EATS and EATS. He already is eating us out of house and home! He has started on solids of all sorts and loves them all. He has no preference between peas or applesauce or carrots or pears. As long as he is being fed, he is happy!
I just think sleeping babies are the cutest thing. He is still a champ sleeper- going to bed at 7 pm and sleeping till 8 am, sometimes 9. It's weird. You'd think he would wake me up in the morning (I am NOT a morning person), but more often than not, I get him up. Maybe he is just like me and doesn't like to drag himself out of bed in the morning. I know buddy, it's not fun.
The cute boy loves water...baths, swimming, anything. We go to 7 peaks at least once a week and he is happy to kick and splash around. He also loves riding around the lazy river in a tube or riding the waves in the wave pool. Both of our children are fish, apparently.Jace is such a happy, fun, wonderful baby. We are so blessed to have him in our lives. I love him so much and just can't get enough! I can't believe he is almost half a year old. Where does time go?!?
Miracles...
Hi friends,
I totally don't intend to update the blog everyday from here on out- but I just have to share that miracles are happening....
We have raised $1700 in two days. Yep, you read that right- $1700.
I am so grateful to all of you who have donated and who have helped spread the word. The majority of our donations are $5, $10, or $20- and it is those that are adding up and making a difference. THANK YOU.
A few things to know:
*A few people have emailed and said that they want to donate, but don't have an account with Paypal or don't want to use Paypal. If this is the case for you, we have a savings account at Chase bank for all the MF funds and you can donate directly to there if you would rather. Email me and I can give you the account number. Again- don't feel obligated! But there is an alternative.
*The Paypal account name is thefridgester- which is Devin's email address. I have also had a few people ask to make sure that was right. Sorry if that threw you off!
I think that's it!! We are moving along. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I totally don't intend to update the blog everyday from here on out- but I just have to share that miracles are happening....
We have raised $1700 in two days. Yep, you read that right- $1700.
I am so grateful to all of you who have donated and who have helped spread the word. The majority of our donations are $5, $10, or $20- and it is those that are adding up and making a difference. THANK YOU.
A few things to know:
*A few people have emailed and said that they want to donate, but don't have an account with Paypal or don't want to use Paypal. If this is the case for you, we have a savings account at Chase bank for all the MF funds and you can donate directly to there if you would rather. Email me and I can give you the account number. Again- don't feel obligated! But there is an alternative.
*The Paypal account name is thefridgester- which is Devin's email address. I have also had a few people ask to make sure that was right. Sorry if that threw you off!
I think that's it!! We are moving along. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
August 4, 2011
!!!!!!!!!
I told you when I had good news to post, there would be a LOT of exclamation points! Well- here they are:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just got off the phone with our USCIS officer, who let me know that our application (i-800a) was approved as of August 1. YAY!!!! So, it should be here by Saturday or Monday at the latest and then on we go with the process. We still need to apostille a lot of our documents and that may take a week or two, but then we will be ready to file our dossier.
In other good news, I am SO overwhelmed by the support of family, friends, and strangers in donating to our MF fund. We raised $600 so far- in just one day. Wow. That's all I can say. So many people posted it on Facebook and so many people donated that I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I teared up a few times during the day thinking about all the support. We are so grateful.
We are still short on what we need in order to file our dossier. We need $7500 to file the dossier and still need probably about $4000. We have our yard sale this Saturday and the donations keep rolling in, so we will see what we can do in the next few weeks before going the loan route. I don't want to wait any longer than we need to to file the dossier. I feel like we have waited long enough!!
I am just SO anxious to get our sweet MF here. I am elated with the progress we have made in the last few days. Thank you again, everyone. We love you.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just got off the phone with our USCIS officer, who let me know that our application (i-800a) was approved as of August 1. YAY!!!! So, it should be here by Saturday or Monday at the latest and then on we go with the process. We still need to apostille a lot of our documents and that may take a week or two, but then we will be ready to file our dossier.
In other good news, I am SO overwhelmed by the support of family, friends, and strangers in donating to our MF fund. We raised $600 so far- in just one day. Wow. That's all I can say. So many people posted it on Facebook and so many people donated that I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I teared up a few times during the day thinking about all the support. We are so grateful.
We are still short on what we need in order to file our dossier. We need $7500 to file the dossier and still need probably about $4000. We have our yard sale this Saturday and the donations keep rolling in, so we will see what we can do in the next few weeks before going the loan route. I don't want to wait any longer than we need to to file the dossier. I feel like we have waited long enough!!
I am just SO anxious to get our sweet MF here. I am elated with the progress we have made in the last few days. Thank you again, everyone. We love you.
August 2, 2011
Fundraising
Hello all-
The time has come where Devin and I need to get serious about raising money to bring our MF home. As you know, we have applied for every grant out there and have been denied for all of them, except for one that we have yet to hear from. We applied in February and it is supposed to take 90 days to hear the decision, but since it has been about double that, we are not holding our breath.
We want to have everything ready to go as soon as we get our approval from our i-800a (remember that form that we filed a million years ago and still haven't heard anything on? Yeah. That one. At least I know it's not just us. The good thing about this yahoo group that I am on for Ecuador adoptions is that we can compare stories and luckily there are other families in the same boat with the long wait. They just must be backed up. Anyway, that's neither here nor there.)
As soon as we have the i-800a approval, we can file our dossier. With it, we need to pay our largest chunk of money yet. And to be honest, we don't have it all. So this is where I humble myself and ask for your help. I have had a lot of people tell me that they would like to help, so I set up an easy way to do so with a paypal button here on the blog. It is at the top of the page on the right hand side.
Please know that every cent you donate will go straight into our MF fund. We feel so humbled and grateful already for the offers of help. Thank you. Please do not feel obligated to donate, but if you do want to help, even little bits will add up. $5, $10...whatever you can do.
Also, we are willing and open to hearing other fundraising ideas that you might have. We have another garage sale planned, thanks to Devin's sister who gave us a lot of their stuff since they are soon moving to Russia (Russia. Yes, RUSSIA. Can you believe it!?) This time all the money raised will go into our MF fund as well. What other ideas do you have?
As always, we feel humbled and blessed to have such supportive family and friends. We love you! Thanks for being a part of our journey.
*P.S. Feel free to spread the word....we would love you forever. (disregard that. We do anyway.)
The time has come where Devin and I need to get serious about raising money to bring our MF home. As you know, we have applied for every grant out there and have been denied for all of them, except for one that we have yet to hear from. We applied in February and it is supposed to take 90 days to hear the decision, but since it has been about double that, we are not holding our breath.
We want to have everything ready to go as soon as we get our approval from our i-800a (remember that form that we filed a million years ago and still haven't heard anything on? Yeah. That one. At least I know it's not just us. The good thing about this yahoo group that I am on for Ecuador adoptions is that we can compare stories and luckily there are other families in the same boat with the long wait. They just must be backed up. Anyway, that's neither here nor there.)
As soon as we have the i-800a approval, we can file our dossier. With it, we need to pay our largest chunk of money yet. And to be honest, we don't have it all. So this is where I humble myself and ask for your help. I have had a lot of people tell me that they would like to help, so I set up an easy way to do so with a paypal button here on the blog. It is at the top of the page on the right hand side.
Please know that every cent you donate will go straight into our MF fund. We feel so humbled and grateful already for the offers of help. Thank you. Please do not feel obligated to donate, but if you do want to help, even little bits will add up. $5, $10...whatever you can do.
Also, we are willing and open to hearing other fundraising ideas that you might have. We have another garage sale planned, thanks to Devin's sister who gave us a lot of their stuff since they are soon moving to Russia (Russia. Yes, RUSSIA. Can you believe it!?) This time all the money raised will go into our MF fund as well. What other ideas do you have?
As always, we feel humbled and blessed to have such supportive family and friends. We love you! Thanks for being a part of our journey.
*P.S. Feel free to spread the word....we would love you forever. (disregard that. We do anyway.)
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