A Long Awaited Hope Still Waiting

This is the first you may have heard that my dh and I are going through the adoption process.   Yipee!  Finally a child.  Well, if you have ever gone through the process or know of anyone who has, it is a LONG process (no pun intended).  We were set on an international adoption specifically from Colombia, as that is where I am from.  Are plans have been changed by fate, destiny, God.  We were not accepted into the program for Colombia or any other Latin American country for reasons that I do not want to disclose here.  So, we have decided to go the domestic route.  Maybe we were meant to save a child here in the states.  Maybe we were meant to have a baby and enjoy that experience if only once in our lifetime.  Maybe we weren't meant to be parents of a sibling group.  Whatever the reason, this is where we are at now.  We have options and will begin to explore those options. I still hang onto my dream of being a mommy.  And, I am waiting with lots of hope.

Hoping I will hold a little creation (baby or child) of my own someday.

For you moms out there, count your blessings everyday.  No matter how frustrated or tired you may get, thank God for your precious babies.

They Miss Me :)

Yesterday I received a beautiful card signed by a group of my scrapbooking/card making friends.   The awesome part is that they all signed it that they missed me.  I have only been part of the group for a short period of time and may have attended 6 crops or so.  They don't know me forever but I open up pretty easily.  I couldn't believe it.  I have gotten emails from them too.  It's so nice to be part of a group you really truly feel like you fit in with and each care about each other.  You guys know who you are and you are AWESOME!  I love you guys.   I have to post the card when my camera is working so you should see the pic by end of week.  Great job on the card Nanc.

Create some sunshine in someone else's life!  Make it a surprise.  

Saved 10 Lives

Yesterday, while simply relaxing and enjoying the beautiful day...all of a sudden there was an emergency we had to take care of.  It affected 9 lives.  We had to save them.  No, they weren't kitties.  No, they weren't puppies.  No, they weren't children..well...in a way they were.  They were babies!  They were baby frogs.  Ribbett, ribbett, ribbett.  Maybe they were toads but nevertheless they were part of the froggy family and they had gotten lost from their home.  They somehow found themselves in the bottom of one of our window wells.  I think we found the mommy and her babies but no daddy.  My husband took a small ladder into the window well. Poor little babies were terrified.  They were jumpin' all around and did not want to be disturbed.  I grabbed a deep bucket and one by one each baby frog was saved.  My husband took them to the prairie behind us and let them loose on the rocks.  Boing..one jumped right into the pond.  The others were safe now back into their natural habitat.  I should have had my camera.  It was cute to see each baby frog jump out of the bucket and onto the the rocks.  What a beautiful day.  We saved 9 creations yesterday.  Today, one more was added to the bunch.

Enjoy mother nature's creations.

Life awaits

Well, another summer has come and gone (almost) and I haven't learned to ride my bike.  I know it is never too late but for this summer or fall it is.  Why does it feel like every time I want to learn, something happens that prevents me from doing so??? Weird.  Such a dream waiting to come true.

With my car accident and the surgeries, I am banned from learning to ride this season.  My beautiful bike is in the garage.  I see it every day.  I see the cyclists in the neighborhood, on the paths....aaaaahhh.  How nice it would be.  

Well, I'll have to find something else I can learn to do where I won't injure my hand.  Maybe, just maybe, I will take swimming lessons this winter, but don't bet money on it.  I'm scared of swimming pools.

Don't let my setback discourage you.  Learn to do something new, take a class you have been longing to take.  Life awaits!

I Love You

Today, I want to focus on not waiting to demonstrate your feelings, love, encouragement to others, especially family.   You never know what may happen and when, so appreciate what you have while you have it.  

I think just about everyone at one point or another has had a moment or two where they have been upset with a relative or parent.  How long do you hold on to that?  It does neither you nor the other person any good.  In the long run, the relationship will suffer if you don't let go. Forgiveness is so important, both spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

My father has been in the hospital for about 6 weeks now and it was touch and go for quite some time.  He is doing relatively better than he was after his surgery but it has challenged his independence.  He basically has to learn everything from scratch....how to dress, undress, bathe, walk.  It is amazing what we take for granted.  A few weeks ago I didn't know, neither did he or the rest of the family, whether he was going to make it.  He was so extremely fragile.  He still is, but I see improvement.  Everyday, he is getting stronger.

Well, on one of those days when I thought he wasn't going to make it, all my disappointment, frustrations, and anger went away.  That was no longer important.  My father was important.  It didn't matter what mistakes he had made in his life; I loved him just the same and I was going to be by his bedside for anything he needed.  I did this day in and day out until I could do it no longer as it was affecting my health.

On my next visit, dad realized that I loved him so much and would be a caregiver with no squeemishity (is that a word? well it is now).  We both cried as he told me he loved me and that he was sorry for everything.  He now knew how much I loved him and the patience and tolerance I had was never-ending for him.

We often demonstrate our love in our own ways, but sometimes we need to demonstrate it in the way the other person needs to receive it.  A verbal I Love You always is nice to hear but sometimes even better to say.

Show some appreciation to a family member today.  Start a new tradition.  Say I Love You to a family member, parent, spouse everyday and mean it.  You won't have regrets later in life.

Creating for Others

“One knows from daily life that one exists for other people...” Albert Einstein (1879–1955) Swiss

This quote can apply to all of us as we give unto others and make little differences unknowingly.  These small acts of kindness create happiness and bring joy into someone else's garden (life). A small token as helping someone out when they are down on their luck makes a difference.  No thank you is needed if done out of purity.

By the same token, others around us, even a total stranger can create a smile on our face by just making a kind remark, doing something silly, or creating a better world out of kindness.  Think about all the times this quote has applied to you and the times someone existed for you.

This week, let's focus on bringing joy into someone else's garden.  Create joy and happiness for someone else without an expectation of a thank you.  And, if someone creates a better world for you, let them know it.

Persevering Through Uncertain Times

“The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found those dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) Dutch painter