tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73269553012753530972024-02-21T04:46:05.799-05:00our story: a blog about open adoptionopen adoptionWendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.comBlogger234125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-22206860911673275862013-11-11T12:12:00.001-05:002013-11-11T12:12:02.746-05:00Taking a break…<p>I’m not sure where this blog is going right now…I find that I am not keeping up with many posts, and I feel bad about that. I love to write, but I’ve been spending less and less time on the actual blog. I really appreciate everyone who checks in with me or leaves comments to see how we’re doing. Thank you so much for listening, for sharing your stories, and for supporting me. </p> <p>Things have just gotten busier with Zoe in preschool (she goes more days than she did last year), and I find that our afternoons are filled with all kinds of things – art projects, playing outside, spending time with her new friends (and me spending time with her friends’ moms who are newer friends for me), visiting family, running errands, and other activities. </p> <p>We are kind of in limbo as far as adopting again…Just not sure if it’s going to happen. We’re not ruling it out, but at this point we aren’t in the process to adopt again. We had a really big disappointment about a month ago when we applied for a grant and were not chosen. There are other grants out there, but this one was very substantial and really would have made the process more feasible.</p> <p>I haven’t written as much about visits with Zoe’s birth mom because she has been living out of state and going to school. She just graduated, though, and we are so happy for her! She is planning to move back to our state, and we’re looking forward to seeing her again! </p> <p>I just feel like adoption topics and posts aren’t coming to me as easily as they did before. I think that for now I’m going to take a break from writing here. I may be back….just not sure when. Just going to focus a little more on other things…like getting ready for the holidays, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying the little moments of each day.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gEu_rAVvZwA/UoEP3UbGAHI/AAAAAAAAG_w/ahAo-UGsSqo/s1600-h/wendy%252520and%252520zoe%252520in%252520leaves%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img title="wendy and zoe in leaves" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="wendy and zoe in leaves" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-b7YeNheMcbY/UoEP4Lbl-mI/AAAAAAAAG_4/UPbNGmDODwQ/wendy%252520and%252520zoe%252520in%252520leaves_thumb%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="670" height="446"></a></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-52585411474794260912013-10-29T23:36:00.001-04:002013-10-29T23:36:29.674-04:00Some October pics…<p>October is almost over and I really haven’t posted much. We’ve been busy with going apple picking, making apple pies, preschool, a field trip to the pumpkin patch, trick or treating at a Halloween festival, and dressing up for a Trunk or Treat at school. I really think this is my favorite time of year. Wish it didn’t go by so quickly…</p> <p>Also very excited about something else that’s coming up soon…Zoe’s birthmom is graduating from cosmetology school and will be moving back soon! We’ve missed her so much and can’t wait to see her. We’re so proud of all that she’s accomplished!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fGM6XvSPDXk/UnB-dJe1XLI/AAAAAAAAG9Y/0ecas2sjJl8/s1600-h/IMG_8358%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8358" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8358" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cAKIi_cccRA/UnB-ecKF5XI/AAAAAAAAG9g/Q5n2skH_lNU/IMG_8358_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="672" height="504"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKBZUjMRpTxJmMGnLCyzPYfezwbYIyQRJZ2NcgZ2CX-EI_8TVvTmvcW90yTps848ln3tFfw4hpjgQI4IZ6_9KoXiM9X-DjN_3e2Yb9S1yr6cM1Z_J5cPMSfAmZBhFXTgABQbFRc1rQwDM/s1600-h/IMG_8357%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8357" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3-W1SG6-0FK3fX2jK1iw-t9rAq4eyOjV67ZCPbqxjjbzq63m7arYz2safr98j3LWH5_Wm5rMNQ4BsZFuETJ8bIYzxltxsPyIcCWsxRsaB61koFMXC7U66vSzmLmHih5-GvEj1dB_ez5w/?imgmax=800" width="673" height="505"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-79wNb3rtqZE/UnB-ha398UI/AAAAAAAAG94/Hi5cg1VSvWs/s1600-h/IMG_8362%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8362" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8362" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gbsjiznw64Y/UnB-iZiQAJI/AAAAAAAAG-A/S6sFiEEvaDo/IMG_8362_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="528" height="657"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3gYycMcQBx55Hi2a8Sut9oE2Wg0jHVduFITwYlr-yjpXhRawMV2mwavMWFGb34SrjYvtm0MP2aPpDkGV9SY5g5E3vqrq5PcLllYhqSgo-wHzeOPNjMC9wPEB_5cKvjmBSlhxyjGB47OA/s1600-h/IMG_8374%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8374" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8374" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0moLGeQ6ZAE/UnB-kdvdX5I/AAAAAAAAG-Q/M36mn-Q1AEo/IMG_8374_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="692" height="519"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_LgEjhZdLXg/UnB-k5NmWeI/AAAAAAAAG-Y/q7bssNWQqY8/s1600-h/IMG_8580%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8580" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11BCTSKjUKkAMWUYl-114nCGInnQjJPAFAPy-5bA-gb-ofaVJsAoS-PXMxf-5a0Q72ciETu8wAip-1T3LZU1wwXhgIFOaIS65S-prOi6EDo5d35-9tY8q4jX_JVTjNZIlIlwg0uNl6BPi/?imgmax=800" width="482" height="642"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kcFz_G7jPNs/UnB-nVeIBvI/AAAAAAAAG-o/YaNS-0we2rA/s1600-h/IMG_8589%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8589" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8589" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2Dl_QSzsyno/UnB-oRhpwFI/AAAAAAAAG-w/jBcDjgxaES8/IMG_8589_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="661" height="496"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-J5EMTxvrihc/UnB-pvunBVI/AAAAAAAAG-4/YTvUkCt9jAU/s1600-h/IMG_8484%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8484" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8484" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6AiyE5StRLg/UnB-qanGGVI/AAAAAAAAG_A/oILtpMYjyyo/IMG_8484_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="661" height="496"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrpIJJKf2X7-lwORvziLrUvwAjCzAPgJRVCs6Nwk5ebrEAeGy3AhyHiYA4Y0TO1UszUBeC3VKcMPNDGophBdwDk9qD6WvsFsvuzHGS5FflawlOV_K7CPBYuGg_S2cGiaF9fDjX__vcxAn/s1600-h/minion%252520pumpkin%2525202013%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="minion pumpkin 2013" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="minion pumpkin 2013" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cEFMS5911Gs/UnB-smhv_AI/AAAAAAAAG_Q/bjYCWR9kC4U/minion%252520pumpkin%2525202013_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="511" height="677"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fEX-HaFWLYQ/UnB-t44P5oI/AAAAAAAAG_Y/_Gqegn6e5-U/s1600-h/IMG_8494%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8494" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8494" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zVJfbnlZHgg/UnB-vMStwRI/AAAAAAAAG_g/2XsDnORQ7yM/IMG_8494_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="511" height="680"></a></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-88389799627072962762013-10-23T14:06:00.001-04:002013-10-23T14:07:07.548-04:00How do you celebrate fall and Halloween?<p>The end of October is coming up so quickly. How is that even possible? Zoe started preschool last month, and she loves it. She’s learning a lot. She’ll tell you all about lower case and upper case letters. She sings songs that we’ve never heard before. She is identifying numbers and letters with more and more ease every day. It’s amazing. </p> <p>We’ve been trying to squeeze in a lot of fall and Halloween activities. We’ve made a few projects, decorated the house, and collected leaves on our walks (and those became collages.) We went to a pumpkin patch last weekend and picked up a couple of pumpkins to decorate. Once Zoe found the one she wanted, she kept saying that she had found the perfect pumpkin and that she loved it.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-U6DWhVMNEu0/UmgQHpOUEjI/AAAAAAAAG9A/bcP0jR8AvHs/s1600-h/pumpkin%252520patch%2525202013%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="pumpkin patch 2013" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="pumpkin patch 2013" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Dfu33BEwafA/UmgQIB0HmjI/AAAAAAAAG9E/hbWhtXzJ7pA/pumpkin%252520patch%2525202013_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="326" height="607"></a></p> <p>We have a Trunk or Treat coming up, a couple of Halloween events that are at local places like a park and the mall, a Halloween party, and of course her celebration at school. </p> <p><strong><em><font size="2">How are you celebrating Halloween or fall this month? What do you and your family like to do?</font></em></strong></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-15408191830573277522013-10-07T09:45:00.001-04:002013-10-07T09:57:16.885-04:00Book Review: The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption<p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-n0uG5WX8b0k/UlK9b5nkheI/AAAAAAAAG8o/EYPJr07GyZo/s1600-h/Adoption%252520book%25255B15%25255D.jpg"><img title="Adoption book" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Adoption book" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDFOSrTNFmUXK5V6NMpO6NM2Pw-QUjU0TstZyLaD1RHen6NjPBPwqAMsBOOIpmkmb-ef7GZCQgzVfeZJBRl66WqeBY4v0royfLGDP-rFfevDLsXhtZ1g6D5zEFFMFwWPyAGIciLOn4Cva/?imgmax=800" width="379" height="568"></a></p> <p>A little while ago I was asked if I would be interested in receiving a copy of a new book about open adoption and reviewing it for my blog. I was <em>very</em> interested – Lori Holden is the author of the book, and I have read her blog, <a href="http://lavenderluz.com/">Lavender Luz</a>, for quite a while. I remember when she wrote about working on the book, and I have been looking forward to it ever since. It does not disappoint! </p> <p>In her book, <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442217386">The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole</a>, by Lori Holden and with Crystal Hass, Holden writes, “Adoption creates a split in a person between his biology and his biography. Openness in adoption is an effective way to heal that split.” This quote is the overriding theme in Holden’s new book. Holden and her daughter’s birthmother, Hass, explain why open adoption is beneficial and how to create a healthy open adoption relationship. Openness, according to Holden, is a process, not a point in time – it’s a journey, not a destination. She goes into much detail about how the process of openness should start even before the child is born and continue as the child grows up.</p> <p>Holden offers suggestions on important topics to discuss with your adoption agency and with the expectant parents before you are matched or before the child is born. The author suggests asking specifics about typical wait times, placements, openness, and post-placement support and counseling for all those involved in the adoption. Waiting couples should also be aware of pre-birth expenses and what is allowed by law as well as how their agency handles birth father rights. Everyone involved in the adoption should also discuss what they imagine openness to look like and how it might evolve over time.</p> <p>Throughout the book in various chapters, Holden and Hass describe what openness can look like and does look like in their relationship. They write about mutual respect, trust, being open to relationships, being open to giving and receiving, a willingness to work through issues and misunderstandings, and the ability to accommodate other family members all for the sake of the child. Being open to that, as well as being open to communication between the birth parents, the child, and the adoptive parents can be very beneficial in helping to heal the split that Holden writes about. </p> <p>Holden describes specifics in terms of what should be discussed before the adoption occurs as well as after the child is placed in the adoptive home. She examines different areas of possible difficulty – communication issues, fear, lack of sharing of feelings, boundaries, and broken agreements. She writes about how the adoptive parents need to look at the relationship as what they are willing to “grant” to the birth parents or what they are willing to “welcome” as opposed to what they will “allow.” It is definitely a mind set that will honor the birthparents’ special role in their child’s life. Holden writes that the open attitude described in the book is more of a mind set or a “heart set.”</p> <p>Throughout the book, Hass also shares stories about how openness has been a part of her life and her relationship with her daughter as well as her role as a birthmother. There are sections in the book that describe how a birth parent or adoptive parent can ask the other for more openness in the relationship or how to deal with difficult situations and issues.</p> <p>I would <strong>highly</strong> recommend reading this book if you are waiting to adopt or if you are in an open adoption and looking for more guidance or information. Holden walks the reader through adoption – from the beginning stages, to the new relationship stage between the child, the birthparents, and the adoptive parents, to a relationship that will grow as time moves on. Holden and Hass share their views on what makes their adoption work and also share the views of others involved in their own open adoptions. <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442217386">The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption</a> is a great book and should be used as a tool that can offer advice, anecdotes, and knowledge to anyone navigating their way through an open adoption relationship.</p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-79147085440349955972013-09-30T10:03:00.001-04:002013-09-30T10:08:53.773-04:00Fairy-style birthday party<p>This past Saturday we celebrated Zoe’s birthday with some of our family and friends. We decided to have to the party at a local nursery that hosts a fall festival for young children every September and October. We were the only party that day, so it was quieter than normal. We were really lucky to have a day that felt like summer. We were so thankful that so many people were able to be there – some even had to travel quite far. </p> <p>I had lots of fun over the past couple of months with planning her party. I was pinning ideas on Pinterest like crazy! (What did we do before Pinterest??? Oh, that’s right, I had a favorites bar that was a MILE long!)</p> <p>I made as much as I could – the fairy wands, the fairy wing napkin holders, the pixie dust flags, and the cupcakes and cake (with the help of my talented friend, Dawn!) I’m pretty sure the smallest guests all flitted about with their wings and pirate hats.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-FaayrVxPUhE/UkmEoIEpEwI/AAAAAAAAG58/GMlWnvoyS_E/s1600-h/IMG_8207%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8207" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8207" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uXyE1wM90Bs/UkmEohkIrtI/AAAAAAAAG6A/VWGho67MK8o/IMG_8207_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="690" height="517"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LqEOdYMFk6U/UkmEpIjEPJI/AAAAAAAAG6M/jyFvVQ4udms/s1600-h/IMG_8210%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8210" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8210" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UVWme_xrF6A/UkmEp1mB_JI/AAAAAAAAG6Q/rYUEBK8almA/IMG_8210_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="692" height="519"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DvFb5sL1TDY/UkmEqVmXTKI/AAAAAAAAG6c/QI47UnjWL_k/s1600-h/IMG_8211%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8211" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8211" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-g6deCRSvhFs/UkmEqw7huOI/AAAAAAAAG6g/v7s9Go1NO4M/IMG_8211_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="463" height="617"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jWyGjpTjYW8/UkmErTdV29I/AAAAAAAAG6s/Dluc3EKxQ9Q/s1600-h/IMG_8215%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8215" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94KJrOxon_RYwR_Ut9eVjLhNpeL-pqxZXm_Wj07ztNo3J1_u-ob8AXEMql3jwZbGI-atkvQkJs1G3j5HemuNrWjB1DCSk5mNWr-HCk9J8jAV93gdobr1cqeeN4mdCLfjkni6gKQyQlP8Q/?imgmax=800" width="493" height="657"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pwa1LOW9f8Y/UkmEscTMICI/AAAAAAAAG64/2HQ1WurOa5o/s1600-h/IMG_8216%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8216" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8216" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ftu5n_ZgQEk/UkmEtC1QD2I/AAAAAAAAG7A/txObDaREnC0/IMG_8216_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="498" height="664"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLZ-DNbUEIOXre_v1Vb3QFC4r4IiT-rKKgsPRvJtt6Ao0IbY5J-cRKETa_sv3DWWFenvAbdCFDE5cYZLuQwNmzzj25sz3pzRLm6VPQxnJfI5svQz8pYGT3b4RZCdZCcoSNb-alkU36o_0/s1600-h/IMG_8231%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8231" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8231" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CJStwI9L-3Q/UkmEt_rLB3I/AAAAAAAAG7Q/cfJYkrJk7kg/IMG_8231_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="500" height="915"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcfjaFQs2jsuDjuJjYT8NFHKNE0u3arkViG1WJKvqVOH7qZdMHq1MyZseKWBYLOEC86zYbZnnpzyxaTtKLowfvDkZVjZSt3tIfzKc0T90agnY557tpA_fZpBj4OT_fktD6Db1JKo-ZDJO/s1600-h/IMG_8309%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8309" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8309" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-NuzIFV2dwp8/UkmEvLlwewI/AAAAAAAAG7k/Jhr9Wt4-Nwo/IMG_8309_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="501" height="690"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZfMgP9Zq7wo/UkmEw9xfqTI/AAAAAAAAG7s/6PdBR1hGLI0/s1600-h/WP_20130928_015%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_20130928_015" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_20130928_015" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWL40YgzWoH7qhFpEkDnnQJiFJKufgtZhC_NSUO32LcaD0MBL5pVIY-t7pNlRbxIVdUvGiUG5lc_U74sIb2RFVI09uZfz-PIccUlen_WMPUQA6EgLb7JnaDF8oryxY9IKTp6HQTG86GAbQ/?imgmax=800" width="669" height="463"></a></p> <p>I’ll leave you with one of my favorite pics from that day…eating a cupcake is like Christmas morning to her. I just love the anticipation on her face. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TA_lxJfSK9c/UkmExzJDKtI/AAAAAAAAG74/zDbKhm6TD-0/s1600-h/IMG_8235%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8235" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LTUyJ5B27nJjIhttv9yORjm0WVdUmy2MlWR_BB5YqAh_P9CqTHodcRhmatgk6dxVLTtaAxZ2e5RhNhEO2ElHOK4y-2ih2s3gdlGAqnydxjuc3OZCnSPDXn4mHoVZhKqw4dh2Gi3bmzd0/?imgmax=800" width="671" height="526"></a></p> <p>Happy birthday to the most amazing little girl that brings so much joy, love, and happiness to our lives every single day. </p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-65283951354467193602013-09-16T23:50:00.001-04:002013-09-16T23:50:49.355-04:001st day at preschool and her 4th birthday<p>Wanted to share a couple of pictures from her big day. Zoe started at a new preschool program today and loved it! She can’t wait for tomorrow to go back. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jw6q5sP5X34/UjfRh39hJcI/AAAAAAAAG5A/JIxwEJiLVj0/s1600-h/IMG_8020%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8020" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8020" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KBHijDS-iFc/UjfRijPc6cI/AAAAAAAAG5I/VrEFryX2HHE/IMG_8020_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="432" height="648"></a></p> <p>You can tell by her expression…it says it all! </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NdUf_z8JfyQ/UjfRjBXEURI/AAAAAAAAG5Q/Q0iPvwO1l0Y/s1600-h/IMG_8024%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8024" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8024" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6d97Lt3cHEQ/UjfRj19tjdI/AAAAAAAAG5Y/yKCj0M5sSzk/IMG_8024_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="683" height="512"></a></p> <p>We celebrated her FOURTH birthday today, too! How is that even possible?</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0qzJVCh5b0I/UjfRkZMgR2I/AAAAAAAAG5g/JHpscX2lx0M/s1600-h/IMG_8057%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8057" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_8057" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3A2Wekk7Ss0/UjfRl7CjKKI/AAAAAAAAG5o/xDwDfUW8GDA/IMG_8057_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="681" height="454"></a></p> <p>The day was extra special because we got to talk to her birth mom and her birth grandma. They wished Zoe a happy birthday and we got to catch up a little bit. So glad we could talk with them. Hope we get to see them soon!</p> <p>Love this little girl – big girl! – so much! Can’t believe how much she’s grown…she amazes us every day.</p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-59991455680611690502013-09-07T23:29:00.001-04:002013-09-08T23:19:43.170-04:00End of summer wedding<p>This isn’t adoption-related, but it was an event that was a big part of our summer. My cousin and his fiance were getting married at the end of August, and they asked us if Zoe could be one of their two flower girls. We were very excited to say yes, but I reminded them of her age and that I didn’t know if she would actually be okay with walking down the aisle on the big day. They were okay with that. So we had a day of dress shopping, a shower, and a rehearsal all before the wedding day. </p> <p>And then the official day came along and everything went so well…</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-B5AU9n2Vl2o/UivuwrDu0RI/AAAAAAAAG0U/n8zglMujC1A/s1600-h/IMG_7663%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7663" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7663" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Dk1wRkJ5dqY/UivuxdLS-GI/AAAAAAAAG0c/eQOrcTReh90/IMG_7663_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="445" height="593"></a></p> <p>Outside of the chapel…</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxo3MkGUK4ZueRKykoPgnarYAH25FY2P9CVgzxIksqTBgMKlkvPmJWVhaI3pXLoXwZgKdr3iE_gcXC9psdD3LMUJZBFhm9MWUSCDDrewBBpvmgpE_hhL8yqOM8qJ1JXUib9zRPTEL3KCE/s1600-h/IMG_7664%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7664" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7664" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rwi1k6T2ncQ/Uivuyg7RETI/AAAAAAAAG0s/IeqBsES0akw/IMG_7664_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="720" height="540"></a></p> <p>My sisters looked beautiful…I look like I’m sleeping standing up…</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0avB6NnkLCg/UivuzTEwwuI/AAAAAAAAG00/5ascvdJ_404/s1600-h/IMG_7668%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7668" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7668" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zzP-Bxh8OXQ/Uivu0ETuR5I/AAAAAAAAG08/uumFQxDw540/IMG_7668_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="735" height="490"></a></p> <p>…as did, of course, the bride and groom! (I’m not including pics of the other children that were in the wedding, but they were adorable.)</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-rSD_VfY8DOPEs3uMLmKV40UsF8pwkXEPnb2Iwn51XZ8LRuhOlBZEATnshCVUraW9brS0HKhyphenhyphenQ52nyGVrr9iS-JoUYvn8B3nSvjBY2eBaxjz35SSzHR15iCOBSAVkTzsu1J5MtJjEUYK/s1600-h/IMG_7683%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7683" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7683" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XsVCAG3K1KA/Uivu1Zz9e8I/AAAAAAAAG1M/9be1N8C4LCo/IMG_7683_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="732" height="549"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FNvCuIOXY20/Uivu2GMRnOI/AAAAAAAAG1Q/o2fd5wLiEaw/s1600-h/IMG_7687%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7687" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7687" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8vd6xFR0D_U/Uivu3JqZBdI/AAAAAAAAG1c/l5v4Hyg_8hI/IMG_7687_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="526" height="809"></a></p> <p>One of my cousins walking with one of my newest cousins…</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5Ld89MnDAMY/Uivu3qiYwbI/AAAAAAAAG1k/TVYx907PNno/s1600-h/IMG_7690%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7690" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7690" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SIR0BxunIK0/Uivu4C4zzeI/AAAAAAAAG1s/RPt9FcMIyiM/IMG_7690_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="524" height="785"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-64KA1JV2Wgc/Uivu4rtpYKI/AAAAAAAAG10/bir1Yz7qQ8k/s1600-h/IMG_7696%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7696" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7696" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-26WgS-swgHA/Uivu5avJYqI/AAAAAAAAG18/dqjZpvm_Xsc/IMG_7696_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="675" height="506"></a></p> <p>More cousins!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7wD6gAD1_sk/Uivu5z_qFjI/AAAAAAAAG2E/MWTYD5-4BfA/s1600-h/IMG_7751%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7751" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7751" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-J5K7vnM_aAk/Uivu6e1y3II/AAAAAAAAG2M/Km2lVx3ufPU/IMG_7751_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="467" height="717"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-blStBDwjzjQ/Uivu7LOwefI/AAAAAAAAG2U/0hZQP0pwvKc/s1600-h/IMG_7756%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7756" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7756" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQ-MuZ_g_WSPFD5W6xd_sBgc9Kl2jYnNXqW3dwG6m5r_tTowJPiBF7E0OlhvXJigkvG-WTx43NuTgjA9qmFJKqo9vWmq5oXCS_mtKgRXOQpGvcpGHkCCWPI_CBDQqvWnfy1dMkIrdeiWe/?imgmax=800" width="469" height="786"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-On_UDmfKVIc/Uivu8MZfOZI/AAAAAAAAG2k/8CYQSuWeK-E/s1600-h/IMG_7758%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7758" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7758" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lNSz16qunLA/Uivu8rFLyAI/AAAAAAAAG2s/VMmzjnZ01IU/IMG_7758_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="692" height="464"></a></p> <p>My mom and dad got out on the dance floor a bit, and Zoe encouraged everyone there to do the same! She literally went up to people she didn’t know and tried to get them out there to dance.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZS6-kawuBYnfWkld4NJ8PL950cmwamjE7ii9UYJlRSL6BE6QJTzlaFZ5Xy-q4B7csGb_wiL3WjCJlweLArQvTuVkKVDveJ-WrUV8xi2FEf2_nzV6BlAuEWpRR-PJGbhadKtSiDuSsVoAz/s1600-h/IMG_7709%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7709" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7709" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6tZGGht8bsM/Uivu9zZPW0I/AAAAAAAAG28/oKP3KloXs2A/IMG_7709_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="705" height="470"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-dTnz6Hh5p3I/Uivu-dmfq_I/AAAAAAAAG3E/mg_M5Pis7KE/s1600-h/IMG_7723%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7723" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7723" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYxqz7Gsdn8GkgJlMRAIpE_pQ3Yu6mcVTsBHgZNDuPeOkzWa4SRLKInNQglNL4_xlxoJE4k6PDGD5Kck5BqPe5qebncLDmpcGq5L2oHFqN5GbYv_3IA3a6YDWn0hXyvmiB874Cu5noUGM/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="842"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vL5voZNqlps/Uivu_REWNRI/AAAAAAAAG3U/lFRSHBC8nzE/s1600-h/IMG_7740%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7740" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7740" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7xJuTvxdKnc/Uivu_372kmI/AAAAAAAAG3c/I14oBjRROok/IMG_7740_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="720" height="480"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4cH3HIHdZ-I/UivvAeg7_MI/AAAAAAAAG3k/qyQQ2GzSRvY/s1600-h/WP_20130824_065%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_20130824_065" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_20130824_065" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlxePzBorODanh-ri9wQz5ICAmkHKzS0EDOpTJdLr3dcmVtxGU0nRtiD-Wh3xWeeWjrNMlJrCF20pIU9BMrDzG5y1pWYpRPTQaR92L6tDgq-DOlHQiTUx6y3Y157v9hyphenhyphenYETp_zGHuQJeM/?imgmax=800" width="502" height="886"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xkVM-yCbN4w/UivvBmEJBiI/AAAAAAAAG30/2Iq3uwauKeM/s1600-h/IMG_7701%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7701" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7701" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu_dBB8Fie5Lz14U1t5Csgvy3qJObzyHC1CV2Azn8XOS4fFHDSfhdXi56TZuQZu0xKOwDLKrZaj66M1cMIsP0_iAXggq6Nq1GZMAMCP5mdYP1zSePgVvcPucknJij2wSf3rdgyGDtsU4y/?imgmax=800" width="734" height="489"></a></p> <p>It was a beautiful day…so happy for Allan and Glenda and all of their children. We were so happy to be included.</p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-35899071952406280052013-08-27T21:54:00.001-04:002013-08-27T21:57:25.006-04:00The last week of August? Already?<p>My last post is dated July 16th. How is that even possible? I can’t believe it’s pretty much been a month and a half since the last time I wrote.</p> <p>We are all doing well. It’s been one of those months (summers?) where it was just a blur. Right after our trip to the lake around the 4th of July, Zoe started swimming lessons. She was so brave – jumped in the pool (shallow end and deep end), swam across the pool with the help of a lifejacket and a pool noodle, went down the water slide, and jumped off the diving board multiple times. It’s amazing how much they learn in such a short amount of time. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK59VrsmtfN5amQ6esjAcem0GNvJwQ1Gj1VPNAxYOSCsY4ckDVfcueB0q3BPRV7t_fpShe7VVVNfEbXVHtnjy5a-nibVANGjytm7EuE9qAvIaXyX2YOXTrZ0E6OKqIhfBeVPY_vno0phe4/s1600-h/IMG_6998%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6998" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6998" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_BfhKnqNodO6sLltLCAqfOKdByLCHQ6g7pQcTuA-DwUY3Wws3JvQtgP2rDJRwnfSmkKCFB3_jRHuK-ZID7BCBK01dZcV2lAlFaqz9qMoG3yYuuHVdXRApQ6qkTDKyxvXWT8xhpVv1jqK/?imgmax=800" width="739" height="492"></a></p> <p>We had many get togethers with friends – trips to the park, bowling, swimming, hanging out at each others’ houses. We were beyond busy.</p> <p>We had a big trip out to the East Coast in the middle of August. We visited family and friends and hopped from one house to the next. Zoe was an amazing traveler. I loved watching her interact with her cousins, her aunt and uncle, her grandma (Mom-Mom) and her two great-grandmothers. I loved seeing her playing with our friends’ kids, too. She was so sweet with all of them. </p> <p>Portraits taken with the cousins, lunches out, barbeques, playtime in a bouncy house, a trip to the zoo and a splash park…</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-s0IA17cLNiU/Uh1YC1lBs8I/AAAAAAAAGxA/1vB_lovZsYY/s1600-h/IMG_7281%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7281" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7281" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZLzB17cDXKs/Uh1YDdtBa8I/AAAAAAAAGxI/C0LxvvjxuFw/IMG_7281_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="574" height="860"></a></p> <p>Super hero mini golf…I mean, really…Who <em>doesn’t </em>wear their cape to the golf course?!?</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_gC_206_BTw/Uh1YDyGbMvI/AAAAAAAAGxQ/3ZCtKFAsBHY/s1600-h/IMG_7368%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7368" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7368" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UfBVHHKr850/Uh1YErGkzpI/AAAAAAAAGxY/dXICOXCT3Zk/IMG_7368_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="574" height="765"></a></p> <p>Mini pedicure with her Mom-Mom…(she’s making such a goofy face…)</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wy12PeSIb3M/Uh1YFELcdTI/AAAAAAAAGxg/JRpMuRFUSyo/s1600-h/IMG_7392%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7392" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7392" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2aVgjQDY1Vg/Uh1YFtZ-e2I/AAAAAAAAGxo/VL1JmmJnenY/IMG_7392_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="756" height="567"></a></p> <p>A trip to the bowling alley with our friends…love this picture</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoDVHJLl348477UzcfB1bckHvnVMuzq90hk6CSaNDpEAnIwe650Iu6t66oL9EAprkpEws-ZUfiTBkaYoDyFKHzku1Rji0VT9BBpzDz7zxjQcMlDlrW6mPJqRvFPQVdbe5BgYXoizW7Edm/s1600-h/IMG_7413%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7413" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7413" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oj7EdORk448/Uh1YGx3sm-I/AAAAAAAAGx4/zPdD29lfHyQ/IMG_7413_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="753" height="565"></a></p> <p>And an amazing day at the sculpture garden…</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-70-EHvMTa0E/Uh1YHjyZUEI/AAAAAAAAGyA/sme41UV8JJU/s1600-h/IMG_7556%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7556" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7556" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KSJvQ2fmb7s/Uh1YIH53wfI/AAAAAAAAGyI/nZsLanVrUeM/IMG_7556_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="573" height="764"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-id43WuCcxaI/Uh1YIr8sr9I/AAAAAAAAGyQ/rVpaqNO2upM/s1600-h/IMG_7594%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7594" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7594" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dC-Xprb8h_U/Uh1YJRLvzZI/AAAAAAAAGyY/jlV28icDv1w/IMG_7594_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="696" height="523"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GrMyaPmTxyU/Uh1YJ2BHNoI/AAAAAAAAGyg/2oO8-0_eBwo/s1600-h/IMG_7616%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7616" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7616" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yN9-in_j4T4/Uh1YKSoVS6I/AAAAAAAAGyo/-TtPYIbQDGA/IMG_7616_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="695" height="521"></a></p> <p>This one (below) took my breath away…I’ve always loved the Monet painting that it is based on…</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-O9rJmBAEQVA/Uh1YK1zjDqI/AAAAAAAAGyw/xVLsMacR22Q/s1600-h/IMG_7638%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7638" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3OiX5eqpk578Jtp-sb_n8S-8iX18KJRamFBKfFNINOgl5BXwT6csjOgFLPhAheZ7_2xAYbzMcjUgJoxh_yxSILajOBwf-uDG31f19aJPjxawzEoqntWIGBtCjQAWLzZfLP4GylE6MSA0D/?imgmax=800" width="543" height="724"></a></p> <p>Making music with friends…</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Gl5_CuO14Fw/Uh1YMPsQFtI/AAAAAAAAGzA/BzEIZHJIMAQ/s1600-h/IMG_7589%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7589" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7589" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OHJcy2lteXs/Uh1YM2Rcf_I/AAAAAAAAGzI/EdbWkqYGvtU/IMG_7589_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="693" height="520"></a></p> <p>A family picture of our friends on the Japanese bridge…</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cDHZgCL5qzE/Uh1YNbdUdCI/AAAAAAAAGzQ/gDufXCX66ds/s1600-h/IMG_7630%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7630" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7630" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5RQI_RtnLQI/Uh1YOvyJbQI/AAAAAAAAGzY/IQNqzgTTkyo/IMG_7630_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="477" height="716"></a></p> <p>And in classic Zoe style…a family picture of us, too.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HJenV0fvWBE/Uh1YPOLo-tI/AAAAAAAAGzg/Es2hZXcqUZQ/s1600-h/IMG_7631%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7631" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7631" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ADMkHQI9Nbg/Uh1YP9uM-DI/AAAAAAAAGzo/FsYSScEfMPo/IMG_7631_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="693" height="459"></a></p> <p>After 9 days, we returned home and had a house guest and a wedding to prepare for - I’ll have more to share soon…sorry it has been so so long.</p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-83594578112079871212013-07-16T22:14:00.001-04:002013-07-17T22:04:57.458-04:00Loving open adoption!<p><font size="2">Back in June, we had a great visit with Zoe’s birthmom, Z. You can read about it here: </font><a href="http://wendy-steve-andg3.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-visit-with-her-birth-mom.html"><font size="2">A Visit with her Birthmom</font></a><font size="2">. We hadn’t seen her since late September. We also hadn’t seen Z’s family since January because they moved out of state. They happened to be here on vacation, so we were able to get together with them today at the zoo.</font> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9i4V-Ns42H0/UeX-CHO2fLI/AAAAAAAAGsg/2pHXJss2na8/s1600-h/IMG_7025%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7025" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7025" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6IQKm5v1UDM/UeX-C4MKPCI/AAAAAAAAGso/6geQMhQnxuM/IMG_7025_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="715"></a></p> <p><font size="2">I am guessing that most of the country is having the same heat wave that we are having this week. Wow, it was quite a lot to handle. But we all had a great time walking around and talking about what has been going on with each other. New jobs, new homes, kids getting bigger…it was really nice to catch up. Zoe had a lot of fun with her birth grand parents and one of her birth uncles. They bought her a little water toy that sprayed water, and she was very happy to get everyone wet! (Not that we minded, that’s for sure.) We are hoping to see them again sometime soon!</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-u-5MCFhJzQg/UeX-DXq36LI/AAAAAAAAGsw/JsIQXW7cpCQ/s1600-h/IMG_7032%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7032" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7032" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FPqTDtNI6iY/UeX-EGCWmYI/AAAAAAAAGs4/wB5bRMJHCAA/IMG_7032_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="750" height="525"></a></p> <p><font size="2">I love that we were able to make a visit happen today. We miss them a lot, just like we miss Zoe’s birth mom. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_jefSswXjio/UeX-EqysWyI/AAAAAAAAGtA/o-2BW9fl5DE/s1600-h/IMG_7040%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7040" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_7040" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fSlezCRdCVI/UeX-FVg27nI/AAAAAAAAGtI/8coy9ZXxxmQ/IMG_7040_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="745" height="559"></a></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-42464646240936195762013-07-08T00:01:00.001-04:002013-07-08T00:01:06.694-04:004th of July at the lake<p>When I was growing up, we used to drive about 3 hours away to get to my grandparents’ house. They lived on a lake, and we spent a lot of time there every summer. My sisters and I would spend hours swimming and looking for rocks that we could skip. We would see how far we could swim out until we couldn’t touch bottom anymore. My dad would take us all out for boat rides, and we would go tubing or waterskiing behind the boat. I can remember walking up the hill to Hunts’ drugstore with my change in my pocket; I couldn’t wait to buy candy or magazines. We would go putt-putt golfing and go to the waterslide. We went strawberry picking (or raspberries) with my grandma, and we would beg our parents to stop at Zubler’s and the Rocking Chair Gift Shoppe for souvenirs. </p> <p>My parents and my aunt uncle own my grandparents’ home now. We were lucky enough to go up this past week and spend some time on the lake with my parents, my sister, Janice, and my cousin, and his friends. It was pretty amazing to see the lake that I loved as a child through Zoe’s eyes. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7c3wkogoCLc/Udo5Sbht0AI/AAAAAAAAGn8/08AwUa0V5NE/s1600-h/IMG_6557%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6557" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6557" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CDj8qL8R6IQ/Udo5S2W8pkI/AAAAAAAAGoE/c2qUpuPmyk8/IMG_6557_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="743" height="525"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YFrtI7Sp6bY/Udo5TExhtYI/AAAAAAAAGoM/BYRqexdpW3Q/s1600-h/IMG_6711%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6711" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6711" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wHwsHH91Zwk/Udo5Tm-GS-I/AAAAAAAAGoU/JlD4rg4YWas/IMG_6711_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="743" height="557"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5f1PCBVzG0U/Udo5UERaokI/AAAAAAAAGoc/ud8IsV87XO4/s1600-h/IMG_6695%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6695" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6695" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Twp51xukcq2AcwH9_iCYevPK4j1sSKexRbVbLswyW8-kQrQ-PWHDxrZbLRiXRmMGWJcsRDIDxFHtGk_93BVqGEfDFoogBxiMXqDaMc_8NqlQDv8_7MZtkrDuCa1J3NWq06SjsrqkyXGl/?imgmax=800" width="743" height="557"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-G6eDxmpm3qU/Udo5VFRwaOI/AAAAAAAAGos/x2tbe_7hRug/s1600-h/IMG_6745%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6745" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6745" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--vDqLnBdP8M/Udo5VnCFCcI/AAAAAAAAGo0/b7tRd30RD_w/IMG_6745_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="589" height="786"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rGNjHrb6ZRo/Udo5WNQWCEI/AAAAAAAAGo8/0sXZfsGoXgY/s1600-h/IMG_6750%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6750" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6750" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-599KFIT-VAo/Udo5WpY01gI/AAAAAAAAGpE/N4OgfigxO5E/IMG_6750_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="747" height="560"></a></p> <p>Heading out for a fishing trip…</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-h0oFqA15Jho/Udo5XGBSZLI/AAAAAAAAGpM/LFiJeIsAbgQ/s1600-h/IMG_6829%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6829" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6829" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FpdHWSSKZaI/Udo5XiaJzJI/AAAAAAAAGpU/ReXqSwD3jSs/IMG_6829_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="748" height="561"></a></p> <p>Fourth of July and s’mores kind of go hand-in-hand for me, but apparently not for Zoe. She was not a fan. Oh well. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BmmaeRB8QXQ/Udo5X3E410I/AAAAAAAAGpY/X38EhmNX4n0/s1600-h/IMG_6628%25255B14%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6628" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6628" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--CdcDCuVf8I/Udo5YVyGXdI/AAAAAAAAGpk/zlBuipf9qfo/IMG_6628_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="754" height="565"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilJUDaltkFhAvX7svqD89fvvzePgMi4hEFmlvP0hEvtFuGuK1p-YLBaqgRb9_89qJt0Z6k2uRGRKvVoETkjqvqoTawMBZ8e_9bMWUDAGkKkkx5lBpWD3lQ1jXOYtcl9jgiDLTAhyphenhyphenJnhUl/s1600-h/IMG_6636%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6636" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6636" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sN50p1JFt3E/Udo5ZfXVRmI/AAAAAAAAGpw/za5iZ4Hkg0o/IMG_6636_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="752" height="565"></a></p> <p>Campfire, fireworks, and sparklers…the perfect night! I think Zoe was super excited to stay up past 8:00 pm, too! She got to stay up with the big kids.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-YBOjlg8hlaQ/Udo5ZwcIZhI/AAAAAAAAGp8/n0M5VCVDMB8/s1600-h/IMG_6735%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6735" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6735" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9hxvBYpVrhk/Udo5aRRw5ZI/AAAAAAAAGqE/YniKzNMKgHM/IMG_6735_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="580" height="844"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0GziSpfSCII/Udo5a3Sc_kI/AAAAAAAAGqM/DPPoCVmDx8Y/s1600-h/IMG_6809%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6809" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6809" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMqALq_qE4AaKBbbXYZDOx38eFUiuDzCRUH940ZU60IKrf8U0_G3Vb5-JLyrnt9_aCxa_56q26josu__H-aM9pBx00HqJVpMr-XwGJTLAFa1dPoTC5sXvcnXYC4wR3BcRERLctojjQlB9/?imgmax=800" width="760" height="494"></a></p> <p>Zoe’s favorite part of the trip? Riding on her grandparents’ boat…and trying to help with the driving! I could really see how much she loved it all when she was out on the lake. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Xnlz1O4hqfU/Udo5b-TJ4oI/AAAAAAAAGqc/GaNzzL9XdB4/s1600-h/IMG_6565%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6565" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6565" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OWidXodj3cg/Udo5cWPgGyI/AAAAAAAAGqk/PR5V4ZI3WZQ/IMG_6565_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="742" height="556"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RH-iT3CEy1I/Udo5c6Z1lOI/AAAAAAAAGqs/P6Pc3CBftxQ/s1600-h/IMG_6571%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6571" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6571" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1iblTpXjOx0/Udo5dQG-IUI/AAAAAAAAGq0/EyzpuB8QSg8/IMG_6571_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="737" height="553"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CZhX6y6zCDg/Udo5dyWguiI/AAAAAAAAGq8/d0C8Tr8KbXY/s1600-h/IMG_6582%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6582" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6582" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8mHdrupzYqg/Udo5ee9RalI/AAAAAAAAGrE/1BlsRGbpc4I/IMG_6582_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="736" height="552"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2joEE-X03H7P5Rf5onPOPv5j9FM73fpxgQXONLCZWxPlTvfImSi9kGeQ6ldeoubdzHLYvLAHedLSM4v4pq7wEnd_i6XNZkalJHAdusTMWm1X3kpdi59Xe0W9G5GHbUxJW8H2_lJcEUzd/s1600-h/IMG_6888%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6888" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6888" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2Mcu_DBpvZY/Udo5fUtCQlI/AAAAAAAAGrU/aOzdvXgf858/IMG_6888_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="733" height="550"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS03hvZKq-M42slEasT2dLo1UTCujL5CE5AvqWm8aMUGgJgz7VoD1ZFxmFARAj5cPkTqyi_DIDhyMqR61cJhvsIRRf5qL9imBSV-PDGJVFvmzUVvjj-9kZkKMJZYCLhaK1Z4E8vul7uo7K/s1600-h/IMG_6897%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6897" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6897" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-biMsegik-Q0/Udo5gZWDGHI/AAAAAAAAGrk/LpGw3_J_Bh8/IMG_6897_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="732" height="548"></a></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-69020194330679029182013-07-02T18:36:00.001-04:002013-07-02T18:36:18.508-04:00What have you been up to this summer?<p>This past Friday was Steve’s follow-up appointment to check on his progress since the open-heart surgery he had done just a bit over two years ago. We are still waiting to hear news back about his test result, but the visit in the office went really well. They are very happy with how he’s doing; so are we! I feel so thankful and grateful that he did so well when he had the surgery done and that he’s doing so great today!</p> <p>Adoption-related news…I just finished working on a project that is going to be part of Zoe’s birth mom’s birthday gift. I will post a picture soon; I just want to wait until after she receives it in the mail. Other adoption news…we applied for the Cade Foundation’s Family Building Grant. I had heard it about online and had also heard that they hadn’t had many people apply who were adopting. The grant is given to couples who are doing infertility treatments or adopting. We won’t know if we received the grant until sometime in the fall. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-D_QZNHLC5ag/UdNVuj5kDMI/AAAAAAAAGlE/TyctmZcXlhI/s1600-h/IMG_6516%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6516" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6516" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PviKIlEM6w4/UdNVvER6PaI/AAAAAAAAGlM/o5kaqiPX7uc/IMG_6516_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="534" height="712"></a></p> <p><em>(a picture Zoe drew of her birth mom…we’re sending it to her soon. By the way, that’s an eyebrow – just one – with eyelashes above her eye!)</em></p> <p>Other than that, we have been keeping busy. We’ve been doing some things with our neighbors, going to the pool, checking on our garden, and playing in the backyard. We found a new place (new to us and relatively new to the area) for Zoe to play – Detroit Kid City. It was a lot of fun to watch her run back and forth between their post office, bank, recording studio, diner and a few other little places. We had so much fun there the day of Steve’s doctor appointment that we went back yesterday so we could take some friends with us. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hc_9RikbCf0/UdNVvQ86C2I/AAAAAAAAGlU/AJ4HRC9D5G8/s1600-h/IMG_6468%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6468" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPG8guy31pZSfkzIaUtrNcKOR04YgVm2ai3DDPU9zy_NGNkaYWvRMIN_XKRNwRCdoos75uE1MqJpGeVWDKiBg09dz_u7Epfc3jZpJYAiyJ-ipz7jcCLy_VM35K4HWav__hD2cniPO-tDTH/?imgmax=800" width="600" height="800"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vcSqtqm8N0c/UdNVwUJVh3I/AAAAAAAAGlk/nm8IeXmUpq0/s1600-h/IMG_6470%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6470" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6470" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UvqbrHqISZU/UdNVw-bP4oI/AAAAAAAAGls/7iX7wLrT3Cw/IMG_6470_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="724" height="543"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2C_X8fQOve45kiL8gy1gEDuYNxwV5xW7hPhQsfaXHk-d0NoDOwWcqJFcYr6RQTRpeKTkTy34PHG_lUn79Uat3mT__jyiTr8Ta2wLxK8yuw2ZDw0HMhblJvHvj1pp4sqxRG53rARNCVhU/s1600-h/IMG_6471%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6471" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6471" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfvTRP0kJz0AhVZO59waFZMf1Duk4OUZ8_54wMhnIdGKyxzHThbiR3Kb7ekO2TYb_wYFyZIyqiWjVk7GbLPgsvNyPMT_EH9XxUqo0i58Be2TObIlIEAH3y8-A15b3Y7qODYeTP3m_8TYJ/?imgmax=800" width="722" height="481"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-axTmR3vekns/UdNVyTC_QaI/AAAAAAAAGmE/2CHffed2vlY/s1600-h/IMG_6477%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6477" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6477" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--jwUbyk65tU/UdNVymETMRI/AAAAAAAAGmM/1-fuCGrp_kk/IMG_6477_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="591" height="788"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yrzck0whFhc/UdNVzGazu1I/AAAAAAAAGmU/jjKl_1RJTTk/s1600-h/IMG_6479%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6479" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6479" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8VsdNhYp-80/UdNVzmXWxrI/AAAAAAAAGmc/wI7_z8Ir8Uc/IMG_6479_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="589" height="882"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cFpZvLy9whI/UdNVz-7YQkI/AAAAAAAAGmk/TsHj3I1MFus/s1600-h/IMG_6483%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6483" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6483" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xVGiVmDguOs/UdNV0fA6qUI/AAAAAAAAGms/hLfm0q7hKw8/IMG_6483_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="720" height="540"></a></p> <p><em>(planting a garden, just like ours at home…)</em></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAK8wZNUvhg05rZ7FOie8C-vt4k6Lqyhjyw8iEc4CMAt58IuUrvSL9zT82Wq3X0QOrd9cKUvDUJfFYE1SDKG5JYwYXuUoUpUfX5tMxfrke9wHE44XXBv1zrmdGn21iFoX43IxavrZUsEK/s1600-h/IMG_6494%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6494" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6494" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XyIexcnhoes/UdNV1dfKEZI/AAAAAAAAGm8/NqOHOZHobIw/IMG_6494_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="719" height="539"></a></p> <p>(our first peppers…I was just a bit excited!!)</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Fw6r14qOO14/UdNV1wutsDI/AAAAAAAAGnE/b8q9OtZ8fbk/s1600-h/IMG_6496%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6496" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6496" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-z01okXOoiZY/UdNV2KMP-3I/AAAAAAAAGnM/IxFFkG3YdG0/IMG_6496_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="716" height="537"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kzHpLdvu1H0/UdNV21vRwKI/AAAAAAAAGnU/fiiLkmNOWtI/s1600-h/IMG_6495%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6495" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6495" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PGc3OoW7HgE/UdNV3Bu-sxI/AAAAAAAAGnc/h5v_mJcHvj4/IMG_6495_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="714" height="536"></a></p> <p><em>(Hoping we get some strawberries, too!)</em></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lmVPZU_ZuZc/UdNV35GXVBI/AAAAAAAAGnk/JpI2enNQhxQ/s1600-h/IMG_6511%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6511" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6511" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vnCDqtdCYdg2nFqABSkJEnfUDsOscUzl43fUjyFavaCrK8Ro1H84mtg1rV9dTOUA79RZztDuQI8Iut6Y9eF7ejrxtuzuBnsWEGk6fs8ReppwO1XqFYs7Ws9L9Xj_-YbNNMTYaZy9cu_5/?imgmax=800" width="714" height="536"></a></p> <p><em>(Someone loves to be in the water. I love watching her go up to other kids and talk to them at the pool. She’s so interested in meeting them and talking to them.)</em></p> <p><strong>What fun things have you been doing this summer? Anything on your summer ‘bucket’ list?</strong></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-63385841710393760862013-06-24T11:23:00.001-04:002013-06-24T11:30:05.081-04:00Adoption Buddies and Our Summer Bucket List<p>In the blink of eye it is already June 24th. I’m not sure how that happened. We have had so much going on this past month, and this is the first chance I have had to really write a blog post. This weekend and last weekend were just as busy as the first part of June when Zoe’s birthmom was here to visit. We had friends here from Boston; they arrived this past Friday night, and we were able to show them around our town a bit. We spent a very hot but fun afternoon at the zoo and a very fun evening (just adults) at a baseball game.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RYyJVjp5trs/UchkL-W0gKI/AAAAAAAAGfM/Jch7rkK540k/s1600-h/IMG_6445%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6445" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6445" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TbKCIQavRvE/UchkMWSCH-I/AAAAAAAAGfU/C_CfQpx8obU/IMG_6445_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="716" height="537"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-g0zZLMwyDro/UchkM8rI01I/AAAAAAAAGfc/JF6Zbj3uofA/s1600-h/IMG_6447%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6447" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6447" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5lWVR8Un5uc/UchkNDcpH4I/AAAAAAAAGfk/0yeTXp3qmPE/IMG_6447_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="716" height="537"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XNNd-O2h6Ro/UchkNucYEEI/AAAAAAAAGfs/DPl3OUlhBQw/s1600-h/IMG_6450%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6450" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6450" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZNjRWA4y6uw/UchkN_oN4rI/AAAAAAAAGf0/2vf4WvLEJ_I/IMG_6450_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="719" height="539"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9MxWLNJOGR8/UchkOVXW6JI/AAAAAAAAGf8/HKctf27TMBY/s1600-h/IMG_6453%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6453" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6453" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-q_EOcYpfU30/UchkOhdLgWI/AAAAAAAAGgE/K369gm97ss4/IMG_6453_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="719" height="539"></a></p> <p>Our friends, L and B, and trying to convert our little one into a Red Sox fan! They brought her lots of gear to get her started.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-toV_TlDl0Jg/UchkPLSroYI/AAAAAAAAGgM/tvrp5FuPfyE/s1600-h/IMG_6456%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6456" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6456" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Yarb2aFbEd8/UchkPlfJ9KI/AAAAAAAAGgU/bNiJsXej9PU/IMG_6456_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="718" height="538"></a></p> <p>The game was really fun to watch. Our home team won, and they ended the night with an amazing fireworks display. I have never been so close to fireworks before…exciting and yet a bit scary all at the same time.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7u9UUSfg1XM/UchkP5NKAAI/AAAAAAAAGgc/lTboWVopHT0/s1600-h/1010258_10201417481663860_1723615864_n%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="1010258_10201417481663860_1723615864_n" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="1010258_10201417481663860_1723615864_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2B7mheiC3XxG3kXvEgp4IAdOI_Dl0sOI39rBrQlCEGoBENTJukhlMVX4CsNktOySutDK5RASsv5e0lgDjz-G0Y29QJ_GCZB3TWYi9gcgxwv259BN3B04NQGqS2Y51Uno4AX0kNji25GDL/?imgmax=800" width="724" height="408"></a></p> <p>Like I said, our weekends have been jam-packed. Not only were our friends visiting, but I was helping host a bridal shower for my cousins on Sunday, so part of last week was spent helping my family get ready for that. We also had a few get togethers with some of Zoe’s friends, and we even met up with a new group of friends through our adoption agency. I had heard from our caseworker that some adoptive moms were starting a playgroup and were looking for others to join. We spent part of Friday at a local park hanging out with them. While the kids played, we parents were able to share our stories with each other. It was a pretty neat day to meet other moms from our agency who have been through the process before. We are planning on more trips and visits over the summer.</p> <p>In addition to that, I got it in my head that I really wanted to take Zoe strawberry picking! Yes, it’s actually on the summer bucket list I have posted on our refrigerator! One of Zoe’s friends and her family had just been, and I decided we had better do it before the berries were gone. We went to one of our favorite orchards on Thursday and luckily they still had “lots ‘o’ berries.”</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-U0dPqOsa9Lk/UchkQi8e7KI/AAAAAAAAGgs/q_C5FhwxmLw/s1600-h/IMG_6408%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6408" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LYDgOBnCZ7BjSf-CYNia55iyE4MHAXkupGGYajrB3xWjy9EgWTNhanKppxAEg8SGqqi-m2ToEIXFVeiu7h8ifGUskpQCNYqO7Nbgs_3Us7pFQl_DBbHEL1KYmhDBgRz2rIw9q6G7nsQi/?imgmax=800" width="731" height="548"></a></p> <p>I loved how Zoe would step carefully over the rows and call, “Here’s a good one, Mommy!” It was very sweet. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3S5J3OKz70I/UchkRq6BCII/AAAAAAAAGg8/FHsg642Zkmg/s1600-h/IMG_6422%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6422" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6422" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OcQF-pk39TQ/UchkSHTBmAI/AAAAAAAAGhA/_bzRuC_Mzqg/IMG_6422_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="734" height="489"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-19lUys7GaHs/UchkSRgSKpI/AAAAAAAAGhM/2wRs7gtToDg/s1600-h/IMG_6425%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6425" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhver8yJ66qhF2yz1M2cikDrGNcR82HDkONBvBks8ir5Uxn2UoBEDV2K_ZsQOiRfJRG6uA2k2Y2PCyIUItVo5OzHQSNBCWsmqJgoTCxv7wXwQeny0PT7HgHQVK4FJ4iLMINYGMRImvmCNlt/?imgmax=800" width="551" height="734"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3H7JCiF2bD0AyWGVPLTEcJV-3Bq_3YjnE2sEBOUt5_02X7blRQ_Xt-5YZi0KtaaZm_GBiHPAh1wtUm2QJz182z2gzyM5hing6Ta2P_0lNTI87XEpoH9m1Vb0ojCSpnj6cwPkketi5A_k/s1600-h/IMG_6424%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6424" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6424" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-L-hgGmO6Gko/UchkTnd_EZI/AAAAAAAAGhk/CbcBEcdlckY/IMG_6424_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="548" height="731"></a></p> <p>I can remember picking berries with my parents, sisters, and grandparents; Zoe will have that memory, too. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wCW6GgdYFEg/UchkUAWSCnI/AAAAAAAAGho/NfamRxnBFpM/s1600-h/IMG_6434%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6434" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6434" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2kWlVHbfnFs/UchkUnK52GI/AAAAAAAAGh0/p9eWz9UphxI/IMG_6434_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="543" height="814"></a></p> <p>I am sort of writing in reverse…so I guess I’ll skip back to last weekend. We celebrated Father’s Day by going to a local historical place that also had a car show. It was right up my Dad’s alley. </p> <p>Zoe wanted to give Steve and my dad their gifts before we left…a handprint painting and a photo collage for Zoe’s Daddy and a stepping stone for Grandpa’s garden and a pair of baseball tickets. We made our own wrapping paper this year…pretty good likeness, I would say!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZCGvGH1YjBY/UchkUwhwxfI/AAAAAAAAGh8/tVL1GZfXO4Q/s1600-h/IMG_6342%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6342" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6342" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mOml01S2tAA/UchkVZlqUUI/AAAAAAAAGiE/UI-Jcxm8O5A/IMG_6342_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="727" height="485"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4JKNQUBw29g/UchkVsaTb6I/AAAAAAAAGiM/bUYLR1unJIY/s1600-h/IMG_6346%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6346" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6346" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4J4QM2fFlLs/UchkWDk9YnI/AAAAAAAAGiU/AWQHujewde8/IMG_6346_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="512" height="683"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hCpLtRdbJLI/UchkWrQoQ6I/AAAAAAAAGic/XbjeESLtD8o/s1600-h/IMG_6375%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6375" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6375" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--p_tWZ2fcGQ/UchkW8lJ9lI/AAAAAAAAGik/CEbW7cBsGBw/IMG_6375_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="735" height="551"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJCJrlQdcv4iyjN3Fh_VEH48JjojD2oKcymBhdyUYdt_nEtl2EZhJyzsxakIPm1yffnwcdDToBprD3V0JmgBQPsT1AZhrHa7xl8MaYZyCK_GtdhkUOS1u600fgRjbjDxS92yEXn4vZ3_v/s1600-h/IMG_6387%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6387" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6387" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ubWwGf2yg7Q/UchkXw6NQuI/AAAAAAAAGi0/Ukfjqkc4qE4/IMG_6387_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="733" height="489"></a></p> <p>She looks like she’s grown so much when I look at that last picture…where has the time gone?</p> <p>The day before Father’s Day was spent on a mini-road trip. Zoe and I drove to our state’s capitol to meet up with our friends. M met us there with her son C, and R met us there with her son M. I am friends with M and R through an online adoption group. I am beyond lucky and fortunate to know these two ladies and their little ones. It’s amazing to me how even before we all met, we felt such a sense of connection to each other. M and I and the kids had met a few times over the past couple of years. The six of us got to meet each other for the first time last summer when we had a picnic and spent the afternoon at a splash park.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ujstwH_FMGw/UchkYL8QGdI/AAAAAAAAGi8/LzWeUlo-zmw/s1600-h/IMG_632714.jpg"><img title="IMG_6327" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rSi5Pq7zYtbh8ENwuyYENwEgte-UdvV2MdaZAaly1nr0VWMaNZ8jrHbP178astw_3qj3e-MIuYDCnURFYlxa4V0pK_3mMKUG7EwCDIxyCCt91ZIWlfq30fV632TCXXuo0OIPgTLmzkcz/?imgmax=800" width="717" height="478"></a></p> <p>We had a picnic on the grounds of the Capitol building, and the kids had chased each other and checked everything out. C had a book about our state, and he knew all about our capitol!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8GxWiK6-Dwk/UchkZLB8zmI/AAAAAAAAGjM/-wvB8WxKF3A/s1600-h/IMG_62198.jpg"><img title="IMG_6219" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6219" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TIXo88UspsE/UchkZquBwOI/AAAAAAAAGjU/ZtyNM8vh2q4/IMG_6219_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="716" height="537"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGXAbUYZ9TnAIBixuislTCJ8hOl4bVbTM7FaUhkG-GAerZGTWX1beaeRPT94TlKUHeA1sPF2sv1qs21oXLF3d_bNjOS85zCBy8P-ukJGEuYNNRnCDIyABmGGq9yARImrFpe9MBKVzjRlE/s1600-h/IMG_622510.jpg"><img title="IMG_6225" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6225" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZhQUskX93Fg/UchkabK2gcI/AAAAAAAAGjk/_U3qkQWkvTo/IMG_6225_thumb7.jpg?imgmax=800" width="545" height="726"></a></p> <p>We spent the rest of the day at a nearby zoo and explored the different exhibits…got to wander around, pet some goats, go for a pony ride, and see a white peacock, too!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EPcGsQk1Vnk/Uchka1b0YQI/AAAAAAAAGjs/Cb5DbaD1wJI/s1600-h/IMG_62457.jpg"><img title="IMG_6245" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6245" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wPw0B0Nk_hc/UchkbApAX2I/AAAAAAAAGj0/CEjrwxTm0lk/IMG_6245_thumb4.jpg?imgmax=800" width="732" height="549"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6QDOhrr4iXw/UchkbtP4gBI/AAAAAAAAGj8/kkk1ceFXugk/s1600-h/IMG_62537.jpg"><img title="IMG_6253" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vAgRd9pvDhwf8SS0teQUQ3OS2nvtFN6J9DG6wAxdWX6a0mXoLRVYq2297WlmClxQr7IxhjQGBv3i1maqowZcGSSZc-wsZ2ICPpr7ls7a20bKM_Rq_DqBSmqtJBR1_ZNWDIX6kF4smPRW/?imgmax=800" width="728" height="546"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2oCZtZKvG4E/UchkcdXbwjI/AAAAAAAAGkM/seK8GlC0ll8/s1600-h/IMG_63258.jpg"><img title="IMG_6325" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxP8e5tWCQtI-MSf0HxBCNLRj9q_KeqNyBpU-kwK-T40CMPD-XwPUmjItjXg1pVh7zvXgMyawE-T6_K2PhMQ_ih5jciY76tHaqbJLCAUiN0sbBMspCTvhXCRuhhmI-eU8du1MbtuyT8jN/?imgmax=800" width="721" height="481"></a></p> <p>We may have spied Spiderman nearby…the kids were slinging their “webs” at him! </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1nCOzFRRarY/UchkdVDJM5I/AAAAAAAAGkc/6U0c9qK2k6o/s1600-h/IMG_63158.jpg"><img title="IMG_6315" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6315" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PulcPTDD3F4/UchkdlfOhrI/AAAAAAAAGkg/MS0oXr24D8c/IMG_6315_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="722" height="541"></a></p> <p>And at a few times throughout the day, the ended up hand in hand just like little buddies should. I am so thankful for our friendship and the way adoption has brought us together.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Y0nTnClf2o4/UchkeG7DeFI/AAAAAAAAGks/LJdgYlPbGTk/s1600-h/IMG_6293%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6293" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_6293" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zMkbLFUI_Rc/UchkeYiZbbI/AAAAAAAAGkw/PjemrIvglEo/IMG_6293_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="724" height="483"></a></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-8626454719055380442013-06-05T23:30:00.001-04:002013-06-05T23:36:46.364-04:00A visit with her birth mom<p>We invited Zoe’s birth mom to come for a visit over the past few days. We were so happy to see her, especially since the last time we saw her was September! </p> <p>We met her at the airport, and someone was super excited to greet her…</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwf_bADoc6qYxuQB375gzWUu7ENsbotun-WRg98EhpuJPanE-n38UVMMr_jnjlRM9lvJGreKVU_1DjYsv14BCGlezkKFDAQbKZaAVvO2UiMJ5B_c7E5cJ_CYnNvSmQH_mfxOunV-Ge0qL7/s1600-h/WP_20130531_017%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_20130531_017" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_20130531_017" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cwFHyr-aLOw/UbACVP3JlmI/AAAAAAAAGdI/AtG4XmW47uk/WP_20130531_017_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="691" height="389"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vf4NoqaiIR8/UbACVYg3ieI/AAAAAAAAGdQ/cNz3xgs8oGo/s1600-h/WP_20130531_018%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_20130531_018" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_20130531_018" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-M6kuu7LcpAI/UbACV4cNa-I/AAAAAAAAGdY/DaUmeZaNw0Q/WP_20130531_018_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="692" height="390"></a></p> <p>We had talked with Zoe about what she wanted to do with Z while she was here visiting us. Her answers weren’t a shock to us: play and eat ice cream. I like the way she thinks! We made sure that the trip included both. We got caught up a bit the first day and visited. Zoe probably could have used a nap because she got a bit tired/cranky in the afternoon, but she felt better after getting some rest that night. We did get to talk about family, school, and how Zoe looks more like she’s in kindergarten and not a 3 year old! </p> <p>We met up the next day, and Z and her boyfriend got to see Zoe dance at her tap dance class. She did a really great job! (Only one more to go, too…I think we’ll be signing her up again.) We met up with my parents and sister for lunch and then headed to a place called the Robot Garage. Zoe loves it there – lots of Legos, Duplos, and other building toys for kids (and adults…we all played with them!)</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qAzPBKYuYLA/UbACWGveThI/AAAAAAAAGdg/tnJU8V88Wq8/s1600-h/WP_20130601_008%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_20130601_008" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_20130601_008" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MZT2rYxhR3o/UbACWnSSapI/AAAAAAAAGdo/z3PLYrvPU5o/WP_20130601_008_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="706" height="470"></a></p> <p>We spent the next day at a local park and playground. We had dinner together, and Zoe was thrilled to have a sleepover party with her birth mom. She had it all planned out! They painted little birdhouses for each other, ate ice cream (of course!), and watched her birth mom’s favorite cartoon movie. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-piSSDvnDtng/UbACW8-hRjI/AAAAAAAAGdw/PKQca4Fewik/s1600-h/IMG_5824%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5824" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_5824" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-BfX39iIug_w/UbACXf5WCwI/AAAAAAAAGd4/P65mP05Ze-o/IMG_5824_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="717" height="538"></a></p> <p>Zoe let Z sleep in her bed, and Zoe slept on her little mattress next to her. She and Z listened to the story book that Z had recorded for her. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_dPV68sWACs/UbACXnf4bFI/AAAAAAAAGeA/Sg-fJgC9jGo/s1600-h/WP_20130602_018%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_20130602_018" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_20130602_018" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ay1QconarLE/UbACX9RuhKI/AAAAAAAAGeI/ybe-Y1CI9Sw/WP_20130602_018_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="722" height="406"></a></p> <p>Z said Zoe was a chatterbox at bedtime. She would think she was drifting off, and she would ask her a question. And another. And another.</p> <p>We spent one day at a pool and indoor water park. I know Zoe loved doing that, and Z got to spend a lot of time with her there as she splashed around and tried to get everybody else wet, too. We had fun outside with Zoe’s bike (which she really just started riding for the first time during this visit – Go Zoe!) and drawing with chalk on our driveway.</p> <p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-8x9MtfxNEq4/UbACYSWMX6I/AAAAAAAAGeQ/ADMrzv52uWU/s1600-h/WP_20130603_017%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_20130603_017" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_20130603_017" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrvDsFUnx3D_IuZhcJfmxJGA4sFx8pW57lETRc9IOGgTuGV6otfI5pkH33knsMtDoQZ3FmwCzJERP9RNWhf0-7FsRAtUhV-5PxH9f0Vxggk3Ot7COO2J-lTKx0efS-5L67D4OW7bI8qt2/?imgmax=800" width="443" height="665"></a> </p> <p><em>(please ignore the cracks in the driveway and the weeds…)</em></p> <p>The last day of Z’s trip happened to fall on Zoe’s Adoption Day. We felt pretty lucky to spend it with Zoe’s birth mom. We took a trip to a local pottery studio where she and Z painted a little Hello Kitty figure and a Hello Kitty box. I painted a little bowl. Zoe had a very green kitty as you can see from the picture below. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMeTu2ODIpKx0-a0JbySLxDmeNmycJMLFsieuoVFOPk26XzY4eeLQYhHmEU-4nm0XSBy3zQ4e2i1fVS7X8gJCDw5boxOzwdil1Kb0xet7n061hxdfEZ4UigL_R7MjrR9vryq6RIo18ESX/s1600-h/IMG_5834%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5834" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_5834" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_wuplelI6LA/UbACZSAsQ9I/AAAAAAAAGeo/WZRUWISMr1s/IMG_5834_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="711" height="477"></a></p> <p>Every Adoption Day, we plan to do a couple things – let her pick out what we do for the day and to add a little charm to a bracelet for Zoe. Her first year we bought the bracelet and the “Z” charm. The 2nd year was the heart charm. Last year Zoe chose the camera charm because I would take pictures of her and she would take pictures of me with her little pretend camera. And this year she chose…drumroll please…an ice cream charm! I know, you’re shocked, aren’t you? </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DFWugaF9I1o/UbACZ57-8aI/AAAAAAAAGew/ggZIw8ZI-c4/s1600-h/IMG_5841%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5841" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_5841" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QGUTfYaDdzM/UbACaOqk0aI/AAAAAAAAGe4/yrWAAox4AGY/IMG_5841_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="725" height="544"></a></p> <p>The visit ended with a fun lunch at a Mexican restaurant, a trip to the bookstore, a piggy back ride, and lots of hugs and kisses at the airport. We’re so glad we had this time with her. She’s planning a move back to our state when she’s done with school, and we’re so happy – for her and for us. We wish her all the best in everything she does, and we’re so proud of her. I am so glad that we have an open adoption with Z. <3</p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-12155614569277258842013-05-31T22:51:00.001-04:002013-05-31T22:51:36.539-04:00Waiting for her birth mom<p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--nM8Zc11-X8/UalhtdTrQCI/AAAAAAAAGco/gNdPI0ifD0o/s1600-h/zoe%252520at%252520the%252520airport%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="zoe at the airport" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="zoe at the airport" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiaKnS5O8eb_to9-yi3jDbML9GGPi0QR9MN6qDpnRqM6gTvXDwXMhVl-46YcgKAnpEMEEv7zrCSfGviLIK1NIUiwE7eFCq12z_YI8QQgMpgjR_Y9TptOx1-8gBqtPdNJLAHw2B-6OO0g4/?imgmax=800" width="682" height="384"></a></p> <p><em>(anticipation at the airport)</em></p> <p>We have had a countdown going for a few weeks now. And then this past week Zoe asked us every day if it was Friday yet. And today was the today: her birth mom came here for a visit. We’re so happy to see her and spend some time with her. </p> <p>I’ll write more about it later…looking forward to the rest of the weekend!</p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-56213545686183918292013-05-17T16:15:00.001-04:002013-05-17T16:15:10.553-04:00Color Me Rad 5K–I DID IT!! (I have pictures to prove it!)<p>In the comments section of my last post, A to Z asked me if we are planning to adopt again. Well, we’re not sure yet. We are in the talking about it stage, I guess. We would like to learn more about adopting from foster care, but we haven’t ruled out domestic adoption, either. So we’ll see! We have a lot of research to do. <p>Laura wrote that she gets worried as she reads about the adoption process and that they are hoping to adopt three children. She asked, “Are we crazy?” for wanting to adopt three. I don’t think you’re crazy. I think you just have to go into it with as much information as possible and with the willingness to be flexible when needed. I wish you all the best as you figure it all out! <p>Birthmothertalks mentioned she is doing the Color Run soon…yay! I think you’ll really like it. <p>Last Saturday I ran in the Color Me Rad 5K (similar to the Color Run) with my cousin and her friends. I have never run a race before. I’ve been running for about 6 months or so. I have run the equivalent of a 5K at the gym and at the park, but I have to say that this was much harder! I can proudly say that I ran the entire race, even when I had to run up a hill near the end of it!! (Seriously, who puts a hill at the end of a race?!?!) If you haven’t seen it before, as you run volunteers throw rainbow-colored cornstarch at you. They also spray you with liquid color. All while you (or at least me!) are huffing and puffing along the race path. <p>My cousin stayed with me as we ran, and she really encouraged me to keep going. That meant a lot to me. What an exciting – set a goal and reached it – day! <p>Before the race we took some pictures…(I’m on the far left in this photo, my cousin is 3rd from the left and the other two women are friends.) <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-a5MyZqtwuKU/UZWe_h7zJLI/AAAAAAAAGYI/qWo2_Cg0e1Q/s1600-h/color%252520me%252520rad%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="color me rad" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="color me rad" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3NX3VdIZ7K8/UZWfBNMGp7I/AAAAAAAAGYM/sAPyJHG56ew/color%252520me%252520rad_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="679" height="509"></a> <dd> <p>Our clean shoes before the race!</p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NWjW-9ztgrA/UZWfCZHRRaI/AAAAAAAAGYU/qzYBZH3P-uM/s1600-h/color%252520me%252520rad2%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="color me rad2" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="color me rad2" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TiFUCGz6et0/UZWfFo1nN4I/AAAAAAAAGYc/HOvZ8Trw4aw/color%252520me%252520rad2_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="546" height="728"></a></p> <dd> <p>They will take pictures of you beforehand – you can compare the befores and afters!</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6QS6X7uVJTedvnWcdSEIgMVnE9g_ZsSJFywLGLUcuIWDZDJ2_CeGouP1Ab015lT9b0uZ9-iuNClYhHyhvbsAfB-2JvnjuOkNFIucoJlcy5vVN5ZIgk9jYohJBHEJkXH9V6ha-7pB_oCC/s1600-h/CDTW13_10_01457%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="CDTW13_10_01457" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="CDTW13_10_01457" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLMk7SyD2DiLwkukA0RteewI1G83szB5DmOvGBG8fhXyi6ZIu_7kI7IEnTLmByGQKJvS_xSFhKWEHGH3GS_p9DeBRm1UZVmFNDcz94xYYmdg6zLfjNtx4FNF9m9KBEcujbe6HzFFAtUSI/?imgmax=800" width="686" height="457"></a> <p>Our extra color packets are ready! You can buy extra packets for fun plus they give you one (or three!) to throw at the end. </p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CR8jQP7HOt0/UZWfN7OhbrI/AAAAAAAAGY0/00vM0MJTJos/s1600-h/935036_10100707203630308_878114489_n%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="935036_10100707203630308_878114489_n" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="935036_10100707203630308_878114489_n" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DbnlYdPyCpo/UZWfPrbhohI/AAAAAAAAGY8/-1E6N1qXwL0/935036_10100707203630308_878114489_n_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="531" height="708"></a></p> <dd> <p>Steve, Zoe, my parents, and my sister, Janice, came to cheer us on. They were standing on the side of the hill that I would soon be running up when this picture was taken. </p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FilOQ2y1XBg/UZWfSHD7RII/AAAAAAAAGZE/JnJs9hOeG48/s1600-h/IMG_1031%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1031" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_1031" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-B45wXwQuVA0/UZWfU4_aASI/AAAAAAAAGZI/3RMR5bWpmb8/IMG_1031_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="717" height="478"></a></p> <dd> <p>Just a tiny bit of color!</p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vj3aTH-b6g0/UZWfVqRcuII/AAAAAAAAGZQ/GnlJQw2Jzyw/s1600-h/IMG_5591%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5591" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_5591" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jsJPEm_g4PE/UZWfYOfBE2I/AAAAAAAAGZc/Xf66Kw2X8T4/IMG_5591_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="719" height="539"></a></p> <dd> <p>Did I mention it was HARD? It really was – my legs were begging me to slow down to a walk, but I didn’t give in. It was so cool to be doing something I had been thinking about doing for a long time. </p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rm-YXROs0yU/UZWfba9jmyI/AAAAAAAAGZo/KMtxfGIHy9Y/s1600-h/CDTW13_03_00968%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="CDTW13_03_00968" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="CDTW13_03_00968" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Uo__3PjKsU4/UZWfdiNtkeI/AAAAAAAAGZs/tUcvYNY91KU/CDTW13_03_00968_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="524" height="787"></a></p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-atBgdg0Ttl4/UZWfe2h6_3I/AAAAAAAAGZ0/7fd5jf62h84/s1600-h/CDTW13_03_08640%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="CDTW13_03_08640" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="CDTW13_03_08640" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-eUvaWW64u_4/UZWfgXZdGPI/AAAAAAAAGZ8/S_tUS1GDx8M/CDTW13_03_08640_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="524" height="784"></a></p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fPS-nYYImmk/UZWfh0hsx5I/AAAAAAAAGaI/K_Of7YZ4nUo/s1600-h/CDTW13_03_08641%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="CDTW13_03_08641" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="CDTW13_03_08641" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bTW0A30jas0/UZWfl_xiI-I/AAAAAAAAGaM/hiChDcHNJL0/CDTW13_03_08641_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="519" height="778"></a></p> <dd> <p>Crossing the finish line (thanks for the picture, Janice) – it’s not a timed race, but we did it in 38 minutes. That’s over 5 minutes better than my best time. I love the striped socks on the girls behind me…if I run this again I’ll have to come up with something creative! Lots of people had crazy tutus, fun hats, and bright socks.</p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QhiodoXn1L4/UZWfngBdLKI/AAAAAAAAGaY/O0MnD-D-HY0/s1600-h/IMG_5610%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5610" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_5610" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-AYqmvGrRPkM/UZWfsPORuSI/AAAAAAAAGac/YWqpkxPMx_w/IMG_5610_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="693" height="462"></a></p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0rXglgDXzzU/UZaPoTjt3mI/AAAAAAAAGbc/35rKEabBGDM/s1600-h/CDTW13_10_009849.jpg"><img title="CDTW13_10_00984" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="CDTW13_10_00984" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XPreRYc5Jjw/UZWfwBhhl2I/AAAAAAAAGbk/tUyzUGUfa3I/CDTW13_10_00984_thumb6.jpg?imgmax=800" width="691" height="461"></a></p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left">I know I look totally crazy in this picture, but it’s still pretty funny!</p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0u-CXXCgCqE/UZWf6JB8y_I/AAAAAAAAGbo/iWjLXsX4XkI/s1600-h/CDTW13_10_0098720.jpg"><img title="CDTW13_10_00987" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="CDTW13_10_00987" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vy4SyEldMeA/UZWf7SwvGQI/AAAAAAAAGbs/aC2QRvSugYM/CDTW13_10_00987_thumb14.jpg?imgmax=800" width="730" height="487"></a></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYR9E8oOyEgp_GtaTLa_BEX9nNCHLJylIdIR_-Cb_MyH9sMDgwNcfjlIDsNjwSQSwJlBVOxdQc_rGbvaksCbXu0zwCq1En0lQmkqIItne99D_vAryjz08bB23eUwfVT3TozpS4W6wyB0aM/s1600-h/CDTW13_10_0098523.jpg"><img title="CDTW13_10_00985" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="CDTW13_10_00985" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLqP0EFn1XafoZBDvs76gTfmoNThUUYFzile1JHtKMIxG8JA3SfGQ03ylGCWSqAUcDRfbYl6yE1gfhNl0RG3vfxp6JHirqdkQoUqAIykdzL9wHyIlf98KfmhK6OUm8pGbZ_vhNsazUCJQ/?imgmax=800" width="727" height="486"></a></p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wFDTYY5S2aw/UZaPwxTBYAI/AAAAAAAAGcA/UjgK4lMfSFc/s1600-h/color-me-rad48.jpg"><img title="color me rad4" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="color me rad4" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hfOtmfG_K2Q/UZaPxjAXLQI/AAAAAAAAGcI/fiUBxqRRwHI/color-me-rad4_thumb6.jpg?imgmax=800" width="480" height="641"></a></p> <dd> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CquC5-7dOa4/UZaPyHIQ7VI/AAAAAAAAGcQ/6RvqE15K4lM/s1600-h/color-me-rad58.jpg"><img title="color me rad5" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="color me rad5" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-nWJkkjckxno/UZaPyzkteNI/AAAAAAAAGcU/6konn98uMEg/color-me-rad5_thumb6.jpg?imgmax=800" width="768" height="432"></a></p> <dd> <p> </p></dd> <p>If you ever thought about doing this race (or any race), I really recommend it. It was so much fun, especially because of my cousin and her friends – they made me feel like part of the team. Steve really encouraged me to go for it and do it – he gave me so much encouragement along the way while I was preparing. I’m really glad that Zoe got to see me run – even if she was a bit taken aback by all of the color! She got to see me do something that I had been working towards, and she got to see me having fun doing it, too! <p> <dd> <p> <p> <p><a href="http://www.blogger.com/delete-comment.g?blogID=7326955301275353097&postID=7525041771111893101"><img alt="Delete" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif"></a> </p> <dt><img alt="Anonymous" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif"><img alt="Blogger" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif"> </dt> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-35216758749034814022013-05-08T09:40:00.001-04:002013-05-08T09:40:07.876-04:00What would you like to ask me?<p>Getting ready for something new this weekend…I’m running my first 5K! Steve and I have been going to the gym a couple times a week for the past year and a half (since his surgery.) About 6 months or so ago I decided to try running on the treadmill instead of just walking. It was really hard in the beginning. I slowly built up from just a minute or two to 10 minutes or so and now I can run the mile. I have actually run the full 5K (3.1 miles) before, too. It’s not pretty, but I can do it! This weekend I’m running in a non-timed race – it’s the Color Me Rad run where as you run, they throw packets of colored corn starch at you. I expect to be looking like a rainbow by the time I’m done! I guess it’s something I had wanted to do (at least in the back of my mind) and when I saw that my cousin signed up, I asked her if I could join her team. I’ll post some pictures soon!</p> <p>__________________________________________________________________</p> <p>Do you have any questions you would like to ask me about adoption – it can be about the process, about openness, about what it’s like now that Zoe is a preschooler? </p> <p>I would be more than happy to answer them in the next few posts!</p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-26446639210816786552013-05-06T14:44:00.001-04:002013-05-06T15:54:22.878-04:00Being Connected<p>I had planned to start this post in a slightly different way, but I just saw a trailer for a documentary about adoption called Closure and want to share it with you. It’s a film by Bryan Tucker, and it’s about his wife, Angela, and her journey to find her birth family.</p> <p>You can read more about it and watch the trailer here: <a href="http://www.chicagonow.com/portrait-of-an-adoption/2013/05/closure-an-adoption-documentary/">Portrait of an Adoption</a>. It’s just a couple minutes long but just those few minutes brought tears to my eyes. A woman (possibly Angela’s birth mother) says ‘and for the rest of my life, I’ll be connected.’ She’s describing how she feels since Angela found her. It kind of took my breath away. I can’t imagine the not knowing…whether you’re an adoptee or a birth parent (or a sibling or other family member.) I can’t imagine that. And what a sense of closure it truly must be to finally meet those people that have been missing from your life. It makes me even more grateful that openness in adoption is more frequent now.</p> <p>You can also help Bryan get his project funded…there is a link on the Portrait of Adoption site (at the link above) for his Kickstarter campaign.</p> <p>__________________________________________________________________</p> <p>Being connected is what I was originally going to write about. Thursday night we attended a fundraiser gala for our adoption agency. We were asked by our caseworker if we would host a table at the event. We said yes and asked some family members and friends to attend. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvcOINbZ84W9ZvyvnbQXaRFQWWDcw8EG97zJ9C1yPRaYMBAv6l5LA6Hdve0Eb-XdruWEy3uSJBhDNfjQI-jQp8uVOc3dXULekB_GaWGsAfKLV2kf2Xl32JJ8AkNAwbx76pgE9PinjB3tZ/s1600-h/IMG_5462-001%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5462-001" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_5462-001" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DkLUkA21Y8U/UYf53jY91jI/AAAAAAAAGVs/0S2i32N3mA0/IMG_5462-001_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="739" height="554"></a></p> <p>As the fundraiser got started, they showed us a short video that included some of the people who work for our agency and how they are personally connected to adoption. A youth choir performed. We heard speeches from some of the people who run the agency as well as a family and their two children. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LP3nxmhBAYE/UYf55iXsCdI/AAAAAAAAGV0/htg1t_AAdqo/s1600-h/IMG_5463%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5463" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_5463" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXLip4Rr9vD37UBEap0b212hQ9kuQFpuD7igXnQ6JFd2EE-wpkMcEvTmADPxTx4pMnOICAbgmrC487DkHD4fUlPioKZ9UVqBEFIU4OBA1zuewkJNjuI0m6pv5YIZfaTJgMi9NJXPN6YAC/?imgmax=800" width="736" height="552"></a></p> <p>We listened to a radio personality speak about her personal connection to adoption. The keynote speaker was a man who adopted two of his children and encouraged everyone to not be ‘practical’ because being practical doesn’t create change. (The title of the even was Change a Life; Change the World.) </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rjb0xutHfy4/UYf59JY4BOI/AAAAAAAAGWE/7LZCjBSinXw/s1600-h/IMG_5467%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5467" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_5467" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sErMMEJ4CiA/UYf59r3VdAI/AAAAAAAAGWM/L7Zp7Shckqc/IMG_5467_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="738" height="553"></a></p> <p>It was amazing to be in a room surrounded by people who have been touched by adoption. We got to see our caseworker as well as Zoe’s birth mom’s caseworker. We saw other people that we recognized from the agency as well. We saw adoptees and adoptive families come together for the evening’s event. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-R3_1lZp2i6w/UYf5-KwhofI/AAAAAAAAGWU/LWTIKGg37Ms/s1600-h/IMG_5464%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5464" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_5464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8sU_579xxeaCXrQBe2HDIb7o7ITVNCseLhNZpRaJA2s8eYdLRCw6Xqmp_w4aexk15sSSotaxP3shGxOwK6pPVS_uM7WrTvKbgbszX2JA-tnLBi5H3lrC3ar9fUPbiL-UYpJgfCV4Vhkw/?imgmax=800" width="736" height="491"></a></p> <p>We are so happy that we could attend and be a part of such a special evening. It was great to be in a room where you could really feel how much everyone had been touched by adoption. We’ve already been asked by other family members and a friend if we can invite them to next year’s Gala, too. Looking forward to it!</p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-25044580262951232082013-04-25T15:42:00.001-04:002013-04-25T15:42:09.787-04:00Getting creative…<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7QxjAf_azGw/UXmHD1KME0I/AAAAAAAAGUk/eC5jQylnNek/s1600-h/IMG_5112%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5112" border="0" alt="IMG_5112" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xkcG6nkR7PU/UXmHEJ4TG-I/AAAAAAAAGUs/pP23tXDFKbE/IMG_5112_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="692" height="519"></a></p> <p>Our adoption agency put out a request on Facebook asking if anyone might be interested in making handmade cards for them. They send the cards to expectant mothers, birth mothers, waiting couples, and families. My mom, sisters, and cousins are very into making cards, so they offered to help, too. </p> <p>I don’t know what our final count was but I would guess between 40-50? I officially dropped them all in the mailbox today and they are on their way to the agency. It’s something that we’re going to do every couple of months. It’s nice to continue to be involved. We have a big event coming up next month, too – our agency is having a fundraising dinner. We’re really looking forward to it! </p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-56801115222963572792013-04-21T13:12:00.001-04:002013-04-21T13:12:56.547-04:00An early birthday gift<p>My parents’ birthdays are coming up this week. I had seen a neat idea on Pinterest where a daughter wrote to her father’s family members and friends and asked them to send letters, cards, and pictures for her father’s birthday. Everyone wrote about their favorite memories or special things they remembered about her father. I wanted to do this for my parents and my sisters were both on board to help. We sent a letter out to a lot of their family members and friends and waited. The cards started to come in a few weeks later. Eventually we started organizing them into a scrapbook. One of my sisters who lives out of state was in town this past week, so we used that as an opportunity to give the book to my parents. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVO2gFzuoSCofbgrpFoC4MvClIFeSt08appNlBtIKM0E31mE20M4hHlDrzbBIdapyIajADOqR1a_XzrGWunbRNderIsgXbuYRdvj3em7GzXYivgEkw16Cf7fj3rylUVjxk2_cdy-UtBkV5/s1600-h/IMG_5179%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5179" border="0" alt="IMG_5179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_R-WwDTRoBWhtQ-WguztAkracT3roBlwjtf7l8GPqZ9qD4yCRcTEW2HyCYbU0C10ROVcTpEcLz9ncyHddejkdJ8iDnVDtGGk0HOpDaXdqBPDIfWkijuPFpUeA-tLrfhzTBb__oXiE7Gg0/?imgmax=800" width="728" height="546"></a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fD8IXlCPUZs/UXQeAomgN_I/AAAAAAAAGS8/lR6Dgbsn4UU/s1600-h/IMG_5182%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5182" border="0" alt="IMG_5182" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jRH9mUGbsSo/UXQeBSiv2aI/AAAAAAAAGTE/7ujzfAXAT0g/IMG_5182_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="727" height="545"></a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hopTSyGnrbs/UXQeB-3CGHI/AAAAAAAAGTM/o0iaJkA9-sI/s1600-h/IMG_5257%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5257" border="0" alt="IMG_5257" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Q0ZTu7T5szs/UXQeCCjY7dI/AAAAAAAAGTU/4AXxLWwh08k/IMG_5257_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="727" height="545"></a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuucp_nc0RiCdHi1JR-wooDCinBg03-5HK9vrKu1844iTg2TQ7qfc78xNp9yS22cSZ4ACinoxRXmCZjC9Le-9kfPZd6N437DGH8SScUqQLE-TUluERbRcmMBb6SQXiESr_gDR6tQ9dPMaK/s1600-h/IMG_5270%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5270" border="0" alt="IMG_5270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4SlsBtAo2LdoECkBmDV81veBtnEDn9j8K6xd4yZ4_IWMtihLjrzSBNtUXDcny5OmB1BXx_nV5fJfbnctRZvVETEFLDlVSn3TNs_ZA9Gb2wqRsOdu75FRVk3WCPve83B2se31sb_ws7xTP/?imgmax=800" width="727" height="545"></a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZDyz32eS9Gs/UXQeD5LPfRI/AAAAAAAAGTs/F4TR5MdwVeQ/s1600-h/IMG_5281%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5281" border="0" alt="IMG_5281" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-t0tkk2lYPTI/UXQeER_AEOI/AAAAAAAAGT0/gMMEGZgVS68/IMG_5281_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="726" height="545"></a></p> <p>I think they really liked it, and I think we managed to surprise them, too!</p> <p>We’ve had a busy weekend, filled with errands, shopping, a neighbor’s soccer game, a visit with my parents, and something new…a dance class for Zoe. She started taking a beginner tap class on Saturday. We were allowed to watch and take pictures through the class. She had so much fun and even got to see one of her classmates from preschool there. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-T__-5ITO27k/UXQeEhZsAzI/AAAAAAAAGT4/LbNvn7Nl0fI/s1600-h/IMG_5365%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5365" border="0" alt="IMG_5365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu776QCT7CPG6jUyd0FyR8CiE56n-HIrNq_JaFeECWzbw1QZLRZ-jiYbQU60DhT6uGBxVkkIwGhoVplZXI_ktDD_A2-aCM2rNLXkms3nyUMIC7pnocBNMQiVw8hy6mIK4-dxks-Nnnkb7b/?imgmax=800" width="495" height="659"></a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-m-2-p2Ps0BY/UXQeFpMq67I/AAAAAAAAGUM/Lzp8JWd8oLc/s1600-h/IMG_5394%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5394" border="0" alt="IMG_5394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmODMjp3D-HId9hXyjq3JRadQJFrwlqg5gHt_Bn68cuvHonkjrADoIbDBecoKWpcuXHftS3i3dJH4tyZbB1OsPGzFZOScYhBcG-bUfBWlR-NGC_ywWxfJopRKlo3FhWZxbiZ4tuwO-DABb/?imgmax=800" width="494" height="740"></a></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-26732377460179155472013-04-15T10:11:00.001-04:002013-04-15T10:11:14.505-04:00Old photos and memories<p>Ever have those days (weeks?) where you think a lot about the past? I’ve been doing a lot of that lately. I think it’s a combination of reasons why. A couple of weeks ago, I spent some time looking at old pictures and it brought back a lot of memories…of my grandparents, my aunt and uncle, of what is was like for us growing up…</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzF-MpLgO76YkX7WAZ3iQ72GnMXOBzDu2IVxFlYFO1PNzgBn-3T_4Nn6jHxMwZERWxEWkP3Q2XCW2wX1Kit_Tfwydx8CwF2q4Tb3y2HiGes85hZQlgBnJbSTJ-rQeYemq3Ohovcy6sO7R/s1600-h/Top-002%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Top-002" border="0" alt="Top-002" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ooKqPTWOFo4/UWwKdtFkiKI/AAAAAAAAGR8/qKBQoaMhlE0/Top-002_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="678" height="452"></a></p> <p>My parents taught us to be kind, they taught us to be curious, and they taught us to love each other. They showed us how important family is by including our grandparents in our daily lives and our special events. The picture above was taken on our front porch right before our gymnastics show (check out those sequins!) I love the look on my grandma’s face. Even now it feels like she was proud of us. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KYSiWJ9ZRbY/UWwKeeUj_rI/AAAAAAAAGSE/RFJxw-AJUHU/s1600-h/Top%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Top" border="0" alt="Top" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_Ns1KD20Lec/UWwKfNUzDBI/AAAAAAAAGSM/nEtG0bvn7dg/Top_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="680" height="465"></a></p> <p>They showed us how important family is by organizing birthday parties and holiday parties. Everyone would hang out, have dinner, play board games like Trivial Pursuit, and just spend time together. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL3-fq1AdxfNzYzylJf6P4NxxiWB8wVOGrlpiiBRVnHaqKqzVhjkYg8Gl5XgLIAWHCVa_WeH3teebIgJk3KybK_yPj7wgxvZSwqGfEFPQyOL6fn6CIdaASrMc2GjIBP5k93VXnc4erGfe/s1600-h/Top-001%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Top-001" border="0" alt="Top-001" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-h-u7reMyN3g/UWwKgZAa-LI/AAAAAAAAGSc/KMqDpSf6fSs/Top-001_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="691" height="464"></a></p> <p>They showed us how important family is by telling us family stories, saving family photos, and by making time for each other. Sure, I have some not-so-great memories from my childhood (don’t we all?) but overall, I have really positive memories of growing up.</p> <p>I hope that we are doing that for Zoe, too: creating traditions, showing her how important family is, and creating lasting memories for her. It seems like she went from that baby/toddler stage to this little lady in front of us overnight. Traditions (like putting reindeer food out for Rudolph), family dinners (at our house or Grandma and Grandpa’s), trips to the park or the pool, visits with her birth mom and her family, dance lessons, learning how to ride a bike for the first time…it’s pretty exciting to think that she’ll have her own “old photos'” to look at someday of all of those childhood memories. And I’m so grateful that we get to help her make them. </p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-63466463206451527072013-03-30T16:49:00.001-04:002013-03-30T16:49:15.516-04:00a day early…Happy Easter!<p>We’ve been busy getting ready for Easter Sunday…</p> <p>Mom Mom Cheryl, Zoe’s grandma on the East Coast, sent her a box of goodies that arrived this week. She sent some art projects that Zoe had fun putting together.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1HA_fP38IZo/UVdPNO8H26I/AAAAAAAAGP4/2-Pb1VUdr8c/s1600-h/IMG_4736%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4736" border="0" alt="IMG_4736" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--pCJnOQm_7M/UVdPNj-8P6I/AAAAAAAAGQA/VThiqQWijDA/IMG_4736_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="682" height="455"></a></p> <p>We made sure to visit with the Easter Bunny. She was a lot more excited and a lot less nervous this year…</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxClZ4mYmJDT9h6gaJe16mXJkJboT2MRVp1XaNPUgQNLfPY7L-zXC0W6ZiTUgrtHonV1IeseXOkQ-a5b2tcLzCMUahYSjbHiLoLrApPEmPCltix2zJYFX3LYD4A6ydUPVhhjIk3iR1BlH/s1600-h/IMG_4755%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4755" border="0" alt="IMG_4755" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-W7ivjDtUTT4/UVdPOb86EDI/AAAAAAAAGQM/tPzMuQTiJmM/IMG_4755_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="683" height="512"></a></p> <p>We did an egg hunt (or maybe three!)</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ONnp_LwUsxk/UVdPOuRBWXI/AAAAAAAAGQU/ntVVxJJ0CPo/s1600-h/IMG_4773%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4773" border="0" alt="IMG_4773" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RFKyrGsxnVU/UVdPO3acuSI/AAAAAAAAGQY/Pb4zht9i3zk/IMG_4773_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="483" height="724"></a></p> <p>She was busy at preschool learning how to use stamps and paint…</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3Vn19Rj4a-A/UVdPPMWn6FI/AAAAAAAAGQk/yevNp95Bdow/s1600-h/IMG_4798%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4798" border="0" alt="IMG_4798" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XDFwxDmlGWo/UVdPPrOJazI/AAAAAAAAGQw/hbyZr3t-WEI/IMG_4798_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="485" height="647"></a></p> <p>We might have visited a second bunny earlier today…we had fun hunting for eggs with Zoe’s cousins…</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KpXihizV3L8/UVdPQKG7qdI/AAAAAAAAGQ4/PRtPKeRAU8s/s1600-h/IMG_4843%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4843" border="0" alt="IMG_4843" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9XNvT1zjqQw/UVdPQXjOsKI/AAAAAAAAGRA/wO-NB5c392k/IMG_4843_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="707" height="530"></a></p> <p>We even planted a flower…</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EQTS3-B1Hv8/UVdPQ_InDiI/AAAAAAAAGRE/MYQP0_NweLY/s1600-h/IMG_4848%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4848" border="0" alt="IMG_4848" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xnLxsiEzCss/UVdPRO6cN0I/AAAAAAAAGRQ/2hu_SZKmhu0/IMG_4848_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="705" height="528"></a></p> <p>I’ll leave you with a pic of our bunny cake that’s half Easter dessert/half birthday cake since we were celebrating two birthdays in our family this week! </p> <p>Happy Easter to you and your family!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-V0VFnecQcr8/UVdPRhVUpkI/AAAAAAAAGRU/2COLmG0Y9Yc/s1600-h/IMG_4822%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4822" border="0" alt="IMG_4822" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OQVdJQI72UU/UVdPRyLGA1I/AAAAAAAAGRc/tmDZCmgIxXA/IMG_4822_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="477" height="714"></a></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-5099128204481677162013-03-25T00:59:00.001-04:002013-03-26T21:15:47.608-04:00Instant Mom: My interview with Nia Vardalos and book review of her new book about adoption<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCiRHyGhhASsbPYnmc0JHH0jon7vEwt_RoROA9Xq0EdrsBBoevdenmqonLbqPUd7Uf8jhk5T0y0LvuAX5Cji-Q-1IgI1LjEsQrV323a0Pj9Ai0xvTrdZvmMZHta-YPzxIboguIPe__N9o/s1600-h/instant-mom6.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="instant mom" border="0" alt="instant mom" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Vld5Dw9IZBM/UU_ZqF-mVsI/AAAAAAAAGPE/iAwy1TQ5vLI/instant-mom_thumb4.png?imgmax=800" width="353" height="533"></a></p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="left"><strong><em>Instant Mom.</em></strong> </p> <p align="left">That’s how it feels when you are waiting to adopt and you get the call that you have been matched with expectant parents, when you hold your son or daughter and look into their eyes, or when you carry your new baby into your home for the very first time. That’s how it feels, I would imagine, whether you adopt or give birth. </p> <p align="left"><u><strong>Instant Mom</strong></u> is also the title of a new book by actress/director/author Nia Vardalos that is being released April 2, 2013. Nia writes about her journey through her struggles with infertility, to her exploration of various adoption avenues, and ultimately to the adoption of her daughter through the U.S. foster care system.</p> <p align="left">Our friends, Barb and John, recently became parents through adoption as well. Barb and I were talking about an excerpt from Nia’s book that was recently featured in Adoptive Families magazine. After both of us mentioned that we were excited to read <u><strong>Instant Mom</strong></u>, I found Nia’s Facebook page and started reading her posts. One of the posts mentioned that she was looking for mom bloggers, dad bloggers, parenting bloggers, and parenting sites to review an advance copy of her book on their blogs. As I read the comments, I noticed that one of the bloggers asked if she could interview Nia as well. I posted a link to my blog and commented that I would love to participate. I emailed the contact person, and I somehow I got up the nerve to ask if it would be possible to interview Nia as well! </p> <p align="left">In her book, Nia writes about a moment when she was doing her one-woman stage production of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” She recalls how her favorite actor, Tom Hanks, was sitting in the front row of the theater waiting to watch her performance. She was overwhelmed and excited, to say the least. She decided that “in 75 minutes I could either be really proud of myself or really mad at myself…it was my choice. I was in control.” I felt like that in that moment – that I could either be bold and request an interview or be reluctant and wonder what would have happened “if only” I had worked up the nerve. I was told that a book was on its way to my home and that, yes, I could definitely set up an interview!</p> <p align="left"><strong>My heart was pounding!</strong></p> <p align="left">The book arrived on Monday, and I read late into the night (after all of the normal things we had to do like dinner, bath, and bedtime for Zoe.) I reluctantly went to bed somewhere around 2:00 a.m. and continued to read when I could over the next two days. I finished the book Wednesday evening. And Wednesday night around 11:30pm I checked my messages and found an email from Nia Vardalos’ contact who asked me if I was available to interview Nia at 10:30am PST on Friday, March 22nd. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Um…yes!!!!!</strong></p> <p align="left">I was beyond excited/nervous/and squealing with joy about this interview! I’ll get back to that in just a bit, but first, here’s my review of Nia’s book, <strong><u>Instant Mom</u></strong>.</p> <p align="left"><strong>THE REVIEW</strong></p> <p align="left"><em>“We’ve been waiting a long time for someone like you.”</em> That’s what the social workers said to Nia Vardalos when she asked them why she hadn’t been aware of all of the children that are in foster care awaiting adoption. The foster care system needed an advocate – someone who could promote and discuss foster care adoption in a positive light. They found that advocate in Nia. In addition to her writing, she is also the National Adoption Day spokesperson and she continues to speak out about the children that are in our foster care system.</p> <p align="left">Nia draws you into her story from the very beginning as she writes about her infertility struggles during the filming of her movies. She uses her films as a timeline to guide the reader through the book but also to explain where she was in her professional vs. private life. I found it very easy to relate to the frustrations of going through infertility treatments and the determination to continue month after month. I know the heartbreak of when yet another cycle fails, but I also know the hope (like Nia) that the next one will be the cycle that ends with a positive test result. </p> <p align="left">After much time going through infertility treatments, Nia and her husband, actor Ian Gomez, made the decision to explore adoption. She writes about their research on domestic adoption, private adoption, international adoption, and the use of facilitators and how they pursued many of those different avenues. They continued to wait to be matched. After taking time to grieve and a break from the waiting, ultimately they decide to pursue adoption from the American foster care system.</p> <p align="left">The story unfolds as Nia describes the process of foster care adoption and the steps that led them to their almost 3 year old daughter. Nia’s sense of humor is present throughout the book (I laughed out loud many times), but what comes across even more than that is her heart – her story is so meaningful because she writes with such honesty. I cried as she described meeting her daughter for the very first time. Tears fell again as I read about their Adoption Day, the day they finalized their daughter’s adoption in court. She includes the heartbreaking moments right alongside the joyous ones. As an adoptive mom, I can relate to the moments we have in common – the moment we got “the call” that we were matched, the moment we saw our child for the very first time, the moment we held our daughter in our arms and just let the weight of her sink into them. The moments that just felt right and like they were meant to be all along.</p> <p align="left">This is not just a story about adoption, though; it’s a story about hope and longing and finding joy in what you were looking for…it’s a story about not giving up and about finding contentment. Adoptive parents will be able to relate to the adoption storyline, but other parents and readers without children will find that they can connect to Nia’s story on many other levels as well. </p> <p align="left">Nia and her husband have been very private about their personal life but decided that a book like this could really help others who are considering adopting a child. Not only does she share their experiences; she also shares the information she learned along the way. The back of the book includes in appendix filled with information on all types of adoption.</p> <p align="left">I was very excited to read this book because my husband, Steve, and I have wanted to learn more about the foster care system and how it works. I have always liked Nia’s movies as well, and just knew that I would love her writing style. I was excited to read how her daughter found them and how they found her. It has given me a lot to consider and a lot to think about – not just about adoption but about finding happiness and contentment in different ways. If you are looking for a book to make you laugh and cry and feel happiness and hope, you will want to read Nia’s book.</p> <p align="left">You can learn more here: <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Instant-Mom-Nia-Vardalos?isbn=9780062231833&HCHP=TB_Instant+Mom">Harper Collins/Instant Mom by Nia Vardalos</a> or check out her Facebook page here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/NiaVardalosOfficial?fref=ts">Nia Vardalos</a></p> <p align="left">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p> <p align="left"><strong>THE INTERVIEW</strong></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-24_zbHzTL7Q/UU_ZqXHXePI/AAAAAAAAGPM/5jwTIAZgm7M/s1600-h/IMG_4745%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4745" border="0" alt="IMG_4745" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uhN_07djhe4/UU_Zqxjh-OI/AAAAAAAAGPU/BTtUfoAiuGQ/IMG_4745_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="716" height="477"></a></p> <p align="left"><em>At 1:35pm on Friday, March 23, I had the honor of interviewing Nia. She called me and we talked for about 20 minutes about her new book and adoption-related questions. I was so extremely excited about the opportunity to speak with her! Here is my interview:</em></p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> I wanted to tell you that I got the book Monday. I read until 2 am and couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore and then read more the next night and finished it. Then I started re-reading it again last night, and I just love your book.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Thank you so much. Thank you.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> It’s wonderful. My husband and I – we went through infertility ourselves, and we became parents through adoption, too, and we have a 3 year old named Zoe. Just reading your story brought back so much – the memories of what we went through, and the memory of how fantastic it was to get “the call.” I could just relate to quite a bit of it, so I wanted to thank you so much for writing it.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Thank you. I am finding that people who have been through it are relating to it, but that also people who don’t even want to be parents are seeing it as a story of hope and that’s so interesting because you actually don’t really know how you come across until you hear what people, you know, peoples’ reflections, so it’s interesting to me.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Oh, sure, it definitely is. I know I’ve already told so many people in my family…well, my sisters have already told me they are next in line to borrow the book, and my mom is ready to read it, everybody…I think it’s great if you’ve been touched by adoption or not, a lot of people are going to want to read it. </p> <p align="left">***<a href="https://soundcloud.com/stevewendyadopt/why-nia-chose-adoption">Click here to listen to Nia explain why she chose foster adoption</a></p> <p align="left">My first question was when you decided that you were going to move away from going through treatment and start towards adoption, you ultimately decided to go through foster adoption and that’s how your daughter came to you. How did you know at that moment that that’s what you wanted to do - that you wanted to do foster care?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> I honestly think that for each person you know, sort of that quiet voice inside you what’s right for you. It’s the same way that when we were in high school and some kids just naturally gravitated towards playing basketball…and I was in theater class. We know what feels like a natural fit, and I see it now with my own daughter with what she is gravitating to and not. For some strange reason, when I talked with that facilitator and heard about U.S. Foster Care and that there were older children and that they were legally free, you know I asked all of the typical questions…like wait, wait, I said someone could be placed with me and then reunited with their birth family and she said no. And I said ‘what?’ That was a very interesting moment for me because it felt right. And that’s what I’m trying to say with offering the back of the book with the 25 or so pages of how to adopt. Anywhere that you think your child might be…some people have always had a fascination with Japan and then end up going there. Why? Why is it? So I think we’re supposed to just listen to these little messages we’re getting…</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Listen to our heart – which way you’re being pulled…</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yes.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> When you talked about going through the foster care system, you talked about how you used a Foster Family Agency, too. I don’t really know a lot about that, but my husband and I are actually considering doing foster adoption for our next adoption. I thought that was really interesting. Could you tell us how did using that kind of agency help you?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> It was absolutely the thing that sped the process along. It was so incredible how I was swimming around lost and that’s what I’m hoping this book offers to people who just go ‘Wait, I don’t know… I don’t know what’s credible. I’m reading things on the internet. I don’t know what is a real site or what could lure me to a place that’s not right. All these phrases, all of these terms I don’t understand.” That’s what the foster social care workers did for me. They sat me down, answered all my questions: What’s a home study? What’s a home study worker? Are you accredited? What’s your educational background? You know, just all these questions that I asked of them, and they patiently explained the process to me and then it all made sense. As I say, I believed them. They said, “You <em>will </em>be a mother within this year.” I was like, “uh-huh.” </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> That’s amazing. I think it’s great that there are agencies like that, that can help because it’s so overwhelming when you start and you read books or research online but you can get very easily overwhelmed by the amount of information or lack of information.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yes, yes, I tried to speak sort of in terms of if you are just picking this book up for the first time, just thinking about adoption for the first time, I tried to speak in terms that – you know, what I didn’t understand but sometimes I go back and I explain again what the difference is between a private agency and an adoption agency because it’s confusing. It is. But what I love about Foster Family Agencies, which again sounds like Foster Agencies, confusing, it’s a free service. In every state. All of you have to do is do an internet search on ‘foster family agency’ and yours will come up in your state. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> That’s great. My next question has to do with after becoming a parent. What is one of your favorite moments of being a new parent? </p> <p align="left">***<a href="https://soundcloud.com/stevewendyadopt/nias-favorite-moment-of-being">Click here to listen to Nia explain her favorite moment of being a new parent</a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> I’m going to say the sense of purpose I feel every day. I used to wake up and think of various things that I had to get written or interviews I was going to do and none of that even enters my mind now. First thing I think of is her. What did she eat? How was last night? How did she sleep? How much time do we have before school? You know, just everything. What is she into? Should I bring up that thing she told me about last night that’s bothering her at school? Everything. It’s the sense of purpose that’s so fun. She’s just this really interesting creature that is right beside me, usually naked. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Is she eight now? Or nine?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Eight</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> It’s wonderful, too, how every different age is, how they change, and how their personality changes and how funny they are…I don’t know…it’s great. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> I’ll bet Zoe is like you and your husband, right?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> You know, we have kooky senses of humor, and yeah, she’s got that. She’s very goofy and silly and she’s wonderful. I can’t imagine life without her. </p> <p align="left"><em>(Nia’s dog barked a few times in the background here. I don’t know why exactly, but I thought that was pretty cool…I’m guessing she was calling from her home.)</em></p> <p align="left">I know in your book you talked about how before your daughter arrived, you dreamed of her. You thought about her and you kind of saw a picture of her. Can you talk a little bit about that?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> I worried, well, not worried, but I thought ‘Oh boy, I’m going to put this in and then everyone is going to think that I’m a “wacktress” for the rest of my life.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy</strong>: No!</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> No? But I did. I really did. I don’t know why but even when they told me of the ethnic background of certain children, I would be open to it, sounds great, even if they showed me a picture and they didn’t have blonde streaks in their hair, I’d say ‘yup, that sounds great’, let’s investigate if that child is legally free…and I can’t explain I kept having the dream and I never connected that I was looking for <em>that</em> child until I saw <em>that</em> child.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Aw…that’s so amazing.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> It’s crazy.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy</strong>: In the part of the book where you talked about how the social worker asked you and your husband what type of child are you hoping to adopt and he mentioned bringing home a daughter as well, that had me getting so teary-eyed, too, you know? Just that you both had that image…it’s just pretty amazing. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> It’s so strange. Yes, I think he, I think men in general, try to sort of hold emotions at bay and it’s not a criticism. It’s an observation in the way that they are raised. Even the most loving, sensitive, attentive ones like my husband have been socialized to be men . I think sometimes that they think that things if they are going to be difficult or painful they sort of not think about them. Whereas with women, we tend to take things out and examine them…and re-examine them.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Yes…</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> That’s indicated with a breakup, a guy just never wants to talk again…</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Right.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> But the woman is like, “Let’s talk…what happened?” </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Right!</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> And I think that that was surprising to me because it indicated to me that Ian had been thinking about it and he saw a little girl.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Aw…it’s wonderful! When you talked about adopting and the possibility of adopting, too, I know you are really close with your family from everything that I read in your book. They were excited I’m sure…were they very supportive along the way? How did they react?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> They had varying degrees of reaction based on how much information I was telling them, but they were always supportive. I said to my mom, “You know, we’re on the waiting list for China, and that might work” and she said, “Oh I hope so!” And just didn’t miss a beat. Nothing. Nothing. She didn’t say, “Well, I heard that China is closing their doors and it’s difficult” or she just never nay-sayed anything I told her. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> That’s wonderful to have that kind of a support system.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yes. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Do you talk with [your daughter] about her adoption or does she bring it up to you?</p> <p align="left">***<a href="https://soundcloud.com/stevewendyadopt/nia-talks-about-adoption-with">Click here to hear Nia talk about discussing adoption with her daughter</a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> She does not bring it up, and I read in a book that <em>I</em> should bring it up. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> I wondered if you do…</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> I do. I do. And not always . Not every day. But something for example, we had a fish. He died. His name was Nemo. And we got another fish, and his name is Nemo 2. And so, I said to her, “Hey, do you think maybe you had a fish when you lived with your birth family?” And she said immediately, “Yes, I did!” and I’m sure she doesn’t remember if she did, but it was her way of yes, ending what I was saying, and my way of acknowledging she’s the same person in the same life, and she is now with us. This is her home and she said, “I did and so that was Nemo 1.” And I said, “Okay, so the fish who died was Nemo 2.” So she just came to the conclusion by herself, “So this is Nemo 3.” I said “Okay, great.” But that’s my way of bringing it up and then occasionally we’ll grieve it, we’ll talk about, but she doesn’t have a picture of them, and I don’t know their names and things like that. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Oh, okay.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> She knows that the file is sealed until we’re all ready to learn about it. We’re just really honest with her. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Sure, I think that’s the best way to go about it so that there aren’t surprises when they are older. You know, it’s just always been a part of their story and who they are. Something I have been thinking about, and Zoe is – she’s 3 so she’s in preschool – but your daughter is in elementary school now, I’m sure…have you had to do projects like family trees and things like that?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yes.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> How do you handle that when that comes up?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia</strong>: That’s so interesting because obviously that’s not in the book (end of sentence removed…possible spoiler,) but we have had the most interesting experience with that because the school asked us to bring in baby pictures and we don’t have them…just little things like that, so we addressed it. We just went to school and told them. They were great about it and then [she] had to present herself in a…it’s called the “Star of the Week” where you talk about your life and - we had - she had her earliest pictures with us and her Adoption Day and she flat out told the class, just by herself. “This is my Adoption Day. I lived with another family first. This is my real mom and dad.” So it was just through discussion with her and her teachers that it worked. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Well, it’s good that you can talk to them about it and work out something that’s going to work for everyone– because every family is different. It’s good that they were willing to work with that, too. Kind of along those lines of school and friends and things like that, in our circle of friends, we have several people we know who have adopted, too, and so we get together with them and it’s great for us to talk and it’s also great for our daughter to have friends who were adopted as well. Do you have that in your circle of friends?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yes, in the extended circle but not in the Core.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy</strong>: Oh, okay, I wondered about that. If they were people that you could talk to if you had concerns or your daughter could, that kind of thing? But it sounds like maybe they’re not as close by?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yes, one of her – as you know Kathy Najimy and Dan Finnerty – are really close and Dan’s adopted.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Oh, that’s right, I remember that from the book.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yeah, he talks to her about it a lot, and it’s really great. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Aw, that’s very great. You wrote a little bit in the book about how when the media touches on about adoption it’s sometimes or more often can be negative or maybe [there can be]misconceptions about it, and I think writing books like yours is a great way to stop those misconceptions or change the impression people have. Is there anything else that you can think of that as an adoption community – parents, obviously adoptees, birthparents – how can we change negative stories or negative misconceptions? </p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> I think that’s exactly what my goal was – to try to dispel the myth and to counter the negative stories with the positive ones that I have seen with my own eyes. That’s what I was hoping to do with the book, just get it out there so that next time there is a negative story, they’ll have to say, “<em>However</em>, in Nia Vardalos’ book, she points out…” to give a point-counterpoint right there to stop scaring people away from adoption.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> I think that’s great because it’s hard when you start and you are trying to get information and you’ll hear great stories but then you’ll hear one story that is so incredibly sad or so scary to you. You want there to be those positive stories out there so that people know that side of it.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yes! Yes, exactly.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> I wanted to ask you, too, about what advice you would give to someone who wanted to write about their own adoption experience because it’s something in the back of my mind that I’ve thought about but, you know, how hard was it for you? How did you decide what to share and what not to share? </p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Oh, it was very hard for me. It was terrifying and yet exhilerating, and yet I feel that it is the body of work that I’ve written that I’m the most proud of. It definitely surpasses the My Big Fat Greek Wedding screenplay, Connie and Carla, even getting a happy gay story out there…No, it still is the best thing I think that has ever come out of me because it’s from my heart and it’s truthful and it’s as fearless as I’ve ever been. So I would say again don’t tell anyone you’re doing it. Don’t listen to the nay-sayers. Just sit down and write. And I think anyone wanting to write about it, you’ll be surprised how it will come out of you It’s cathartic.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> When you were writing, what was the best thing you found about writing your book?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> That I was able to put it behind me, finally. I had had a pretty melancholy day, and then I would close the computer, walk out of my office, go pick up my daughter, and be fine. Be absolutely fine. It was, I think, a way of finally closing that – metaphor – chapter.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Along the way, was there anybody who – well, I don’t know how much you shared about how you were writing it – but I wondered if there was anybody who didn’t want you to write the book? </p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> No, I didn’t tell very many people that I had a book deal, so I rarely talk about things as I’m writing them. That’s one thing. But the main thing I did with this book was only Ian and one of my representatives read it. I waited until it was printed to give it to anybody because I wanted to write unfettered by concern, critique, anything. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> That makes sense.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yes, I just wanted it to be a pure idea like My Big Fat Greek Wedding was. I wrote and then sold it. But that’s not how it’s done these days. Like I have a movie at Paramount. I told them the idea, they paid me, and now I’m writing it. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Oh, okay.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yeah, it’s different. Already they’ve given me their thoughts. Ooh, I like this scene. I’m not sure about this character. But that’s there perogative. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Oh, and by the way I will retweet your story, but can you avoid any spoilers in it like my daughter’s name or anything like that?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Sure, sure! </p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia</strong>: Great, and then send it to me. I’m trying to be more attentive to Twitter during this time and then I’ll try and re-tweet it.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy</strong>: Okay.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Do you think that you’ll ever do a movie about your story?</p> <p align="left">***<a href="https://soundcloud.com/stevewendyadopt/possible-movie-and-book-tour">Click here to listen to Nia discuss the possibility of a movie and her book tour</a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> We’ve been approached! </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Oh, that’s wonderful!</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yeah! I don’t mean the real we, my manager at Paradigm and my manager, Scott, [got] a couple of calls because the reviews have been so good so far that all of a sudden people are like, “What’s this book?” So, yeah! </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> That’s wonderful!</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> I’m open to it. We’ll see…I think it makes a better book.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> That’s great. That’s fantastic. Congratulations!</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Thanks.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> The only other thing I wanted to say was…Do you have a book tour that you are planning as well?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Yes, it’s a HEAVY book tour. It is New York, New Jersey, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Greensboro…it’s all over the place. And Los Angeles. Where are you?</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> I’m outside of Detroit, Michigan.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Okay, I’m not sure if we’re going there this leg or the next leg, but I’ll let you know. I’m going to post the book tour dates very soon as soon as they’re solidified. I have to go because I have to start a live interview at 11:00am. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> Well, okay, good luck with it and good luck with the book – it’s fantastic and thank you so much for your time! </p> <p align="left"><strong>Nia:</strong> Oh, thank you so so much for getting the word out – it’s lovely to speak with you.</p> <p align="left"><strong>Wendy:</strong> You, too. Thank you!</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left"><strong><em>Being given the opportunity to read Instant Mom, review it, and speak with Nia Vardalos has really inspired me, and I hope that she inspires you, too!</em></strong></p> <p align="left"><strong><font size="3">Please leave a comment and let me know how you found my blog/link and tell me about your connection to adoption! Thanks so much!</font></strong></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-30254952691792520202013-03-22T01:16:00.001-04:002013-03-22T01:16:45.209-04:00Recent pictures<p>I will post more very soon – I promise! Things have been a little hectic this past week or so. Just wanted to share a couple pictures I took of Zoe earlier today. I am amazed at how much she seems to have grown over the last few weeks? Months? She is truly a little girl now…not a toddler anymore, that’s for sure. I told her that she was not allowed to smile at all for these pictures, which of course she thought was hysterical. She kept saying, “Tell me no smile!” and then she would break out in a huge grin. </p> <p>So happy to be her mommy. So very happy.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NDsMGYNlbfk/UUvpMHgh8zI/AAAAAAAAGNw/Gv0cRVUkW6o/s1600-h/IMG_4726%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4726" border="0" alt="IMG_4726" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-P7lchKiFYD8/UUvpMrQBKxI/AAAAAAAAGN4/q3Fz16-xADg/IMG_4726_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="722" height="542"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghufnsBN-P4zlm0i6S-cDD3V0__tAZQ16AYX_gGXZJwK_hqiWcB7P9WODAjwSgAV6eQIuF-6AY3pvRtSfmzqg9siZpCnKBrK4OQ9pfT_ZUhc_znXzF_VVkjlydIA2a6O1cCTQToQ4P-NJa/s1600-h/IMG_4727%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4727" border="0" alt="IMG_4727" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-TWgY8lyCS5s/UUvpN7Ly7_I/AAAAAAAAGOI/MD3ZEvhXIos/IMG_4727_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="721" height="541"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DqWmK1Urk7A/UUvpOJQbSRI/AAAAAAAAGOQ/5zUZcxR3xBQ/s1600-h/IMG_4730%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4730" border="0" alt="IMG_4730" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KuD3o0VhhTc/UUvpOpbbr2I/AAAAAAAAGOY/kE6JZ4UH-To/IMG_4730_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="719" height="539"></a></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-52496728688676095062013-02-25T09:52:00.001-05:002013-02-25T09:52:32.537-05:00A visit with Aunt Di<p>A couple of months before Christmas, our friend, Chris, called us and asked if he could give our friend Diane (his wife) a trip out to see us for her Christmas gift. We were very excited because it has been a while since we saw her, and it’s definitely been a little while since her last trip here. Zoe was very excited to see her Aunt Di (and so were we!)</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uyDyRYvN5is/USt6kROOPbI/AAAAAAAAGL8/_5D1qav9WpU/s1600-h/IMG_4468%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4468" border="0" alt="IMG_4468" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-7BZs2iiZr6Y/USt6kznpDDI/AAAAAAAAGMA/fGMMQiNj9lw/IMG_4468_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="447" height="671"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUBjWYxgWQ56M_0Hahj4qY2Y5PRHrYQmTv_SqoFeXM8UkiGq-0bKA-82df_CBH0NrZuvVJCqgpp-yBLvTOlg49TKMFkqQZhhfo47PV2RCbhDtL95lZntjPUXb0-aeHDipy0J-t9dTevXU/s1600-h/IMG_4469%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4469" border="0" alt="IMG_4469" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mJKJngxaKp8/USt6mVOhsVI/AAAAAAAAGMU/ziF_bP1ZU3c/IMG_4469_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="674" height="450"></a></p> <p>We spent last weekend hanging out, catching up, and sharing stories. My parents came over on Saturday to stay with Zoe while just the three of us went out to dinner. We visited a new place on Sunday called The Robot Garage. They have open play time and workshops for kids and adults. Their shop is filled with Lego toys, robotic equipment, and other building toys. It was a lot of fun and definitely a place we’ll go back to visit.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fSVjnUQVRmw/USt6nFnpZ0I/AAAAAAAAGMc/hAll7C5xDgc/s1600-h/IMG_4478%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4478" border="0" alt="IMG_4478" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wgaoh5gGw-8/USt6n_g-aKI/AAAAAAAAGMk/mdYLCm9gsZQ/IMG_4478_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="672" height="504"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KEBZPgJHMZ0/USt6ocTe7WI/AAAAAAAAGMs/3_yUBPkTB4g/s1600-h/IMG_4481%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4481" border="0" alt="IMG_4481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOY2yuw8X2ZJhm09G8HjNgtRLQG3pwt9_1ZHvZ5pym6jQxyHlD5udGSz27QqYL82EEjSGDrBeUt0PQRURWUH4TCOk-VU7JHhnq4f_yxedgY-7AjfwY74Pdcij_kTcdxnWMLkTSBPSPEBeO/?imgmax=800" width="672" height="504"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XLCrjwcYnsQ/USt6pv31RbI/AAAAAAAAGM8/ioUS30tjuDg/s1600-h/IMG_4493%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4493" border="0" alt="IMG_4493" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-o6UqopeBiMk/USt6p0sw0_I/AAAAAAAAGNE/m0wqpX4wt-4/IMG_4493_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="668" height="445"></a></p> <p>I had to share this…a Vincent Van Gogh portrait in Lego! Wow…I know I was impressed!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-J-5o4Kl6KSE/USt6rOlRN3I/AAAAAAAAGNM/9mR3z-8uhpY/s1600-h/IMG_4482%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4482" border="0" alt="IMG_4482" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XU-47rrdEdg/USt6r0iIaZI/AAAAAAAAGNU/uT5wccusKSs/IMG_4482_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="454" height="680"></a></p> <p>This past week and weekend weren’t anywhere near that much fun…Steve had a very hard week at work. Thursday morning our water heater decided to die and flooded our laundry room. Thursday night I smelled gas as I was trying to clean things up and we had to contact the gas company. They shut things off for us and did find a small leak, so it’s good I called. We had a company come out to fix our water heater on Friday, so now we are all good.</p> <p>It was very strange, though…two years ago – almost to the day – was when our furnace died (it’s in the same room as the water heater.) We had 11 inches of snow that day. Friday – the day we got the heater fixed – we had somewhere around 3 or 4 inches to shovel. And two years ago was when Steve started having a hard time catching his breath and that led to his surgery a couple weeks later. We called the company that fixed our furnace and they came out and fixed the water heater. They remembered that Steve had been at the doctor for tests while they were putting in the new heater. They asked how he was feeling which was really nice. It was an odd feeling, though…similar situations….I told Steve that NO ONE was allowed to get sick or have any health problems this time around! </p> <p>I’m so grateful that he’s doing so great and has recovered after the surgery as well as he has.</p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326955301275353097.post-75810437807311142782013-02-14T14:12:00.001-05:002013-02-14T14:12:11.256-05:00Where have I been?<p>I guess I’ve missing from action for a while. We have had a lot going on here, I guess. I have been sort of keeping up with reading blogs, but I haven’t been keeping up on my own. </p> <p>Let’s see…in my last post I mentioned that Zoe’s birth grandparents and her uncle were moving. They were able to visit the weekend before the big move, so we were happy to get to see them. We spent some time at their house and then had lunch together. They suggested we go to a restaurant that wasn’t really close to them, but it was convenient for a shopping trip they needed to do after lunch. We followed them and as we pulled up in the parking lot, I realized it was the same restaurant Steve and I ate dinner at the day Zoe was born and when we met for the first time. It was definitely a feeling of deja-vu but sort of full-cirle, too since this time we were together. The only thing that could have made it even more perfect was if her birthmom had been able to be with us, too. We had a great lunch (although Zoe was definitely acting a bit shy and she was tired.) After hugs in the parking lot, we drove down the street to show Zoe the hospital she was born at. And yes, I took pictures of her in front of the sign. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Esi2peqlC3M/UR025BYaNyI/AAAAAAAAGIw/2oNH9FMota0/s1600-h/IMG_4040%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4040" border="0" alt="IMG_4040" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0LPOIkYSpMg/UR025sAEOlI/AAAAAAAAGI4/EcLNIf5DsSE/IMG_4040_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="690" height="460"></a></p> <p align="center"><em>A picture of artwork Zoe made for them. It’s cropped a lot to delete their names for privacy.</em></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbQuREukiYwaX60YqFrqOWWg3lQCoaqnBQQ2lTvvRML-ho0FgaYZ5MF4bXX_E50AXx-frjbVGpv9WIK9GwgwKi1uMzIK9wyasFQlna9pZVJpOIFOZFR5kt80kk9hkoACJM1vxIDCyYx0q/s1600-h/IMG_4059%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4059" border="0" alt="IMG_4059" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-PnDquk1lWLM/UR026licC9I/AAAAAAAAGJI/s2WdHaSg-js/IMG_4059_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="688" height="516"></a></p> <p align="center"><em>Tired out from the drive</em></p> <p>We have had busy days at preschool and visits with my family. We have had a fair bit of snow like most of the country. It’s given Zoe a lot of time to practice her shoveling skills! It’s been nice, too, because she’s helped me help out some of the neighbors with their shoveling, too. She likes to be a big helper.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZtZu5McBe9E/UR027RbG2_I/AAAAAAAAGJQ/ddZA2OEW4uc/s1600-h/IMG_4333%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="//" border="0" alt="//" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pYDKAhyoxJFq9b4BNxQvPZfyCVifJ4rRuUbJw9KJo914hB3gTZEQDqGn1ZuqT7tQJFTOCeI2zFP1ayj7JxFRDBbq9Wjf_PNFysKmpQh7ddwsjUughN2kVb7LA3LzYsrlYJpzwlY0NSRv/?imgmax=800" width="513" height="771"></a></p> <p>She’s developed a really big interest in anything space-related over the last month. We have made many trips to the library to help out with that!</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFcFyBd1qAcfvYRoVeFzwcjmsIdQIgZgyLZX0fw95lJfjSZxVLj1nqDHmv4UaNRoUiOHw0x5MsDfx9YVM0XxXqykmaW5vG0h8B7jj6W8ihRckNHnE2xvJSQwN5vBq8W14AY6sevsxXfnL/s1600-h/IMG_4317%25255B14%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4317" border="0" alt="IMG_4317" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KhujatppfDY/UR029DjZa5I/AAAAAAAAGJo/XXU18XdL0PA/IMG_4317_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="720" height="541"></a></p> <p>For the past month she has been super excited for Valentine’s Day. We started a countdown calendar (which will now have to become a countdown for Easter.) She helped hang hearts all over our windows and decorate with lots of pictures.</p> <p>She made some Valentine gifts and got those in the mail.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rrxEJRAlwE8/UR029sCwmjI/AAAAAAAAGJw/BN2Uk9B5IYE/s1600-h/IMG_4309%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4309" border="0" alt="IMG_4309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdnJt3dJSiPkQRtLgNlSm0QwTC-Hg726yfftW2ekd8QGz20OeuOUxbxhpXLjdyE0iuccfMP0utAW6Cz-V4d07bFnA59BzXY-wxhwdu1Ohatbe_9EVNpIGvfLQoSdKq-la4qU3SORmyibw/?imgmax=800" width="723" height="542"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGPeZYTmJsbLxn6Ycp5OE_H9cwNQzTmLD1MXYSzZzfRdMlFUTM2j9vHh913bfnWcwcmCZiZ3YrIsUJnzFlyuCdVD-bl3e2AjDIbxzNbdYBb4vTSmwKRgs-7sEmg0NSVkXj1M-I5n_MTye/s1600-h/IMG_4276%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4276" border="0" alt="IMG_4276" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-FXpRTKKtr6E/UR02_El9lQI/AAAAAAAAGKI/bbeyGi7JZIg/IMG_4276_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="591" height="787"></a></p> <p align="center"><em>modeling the necklace she made for Z, her birthmom</em></p> <p align="left">She was excited about the Valentine mail she received over the last week, including a special gift from Mom-Mom Cheryl, Aunt Tracy, and her birthmom, Z.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWCRaKMLBlXp9Sre5BZH08XsqpI8b03hfuhJFqiGZWdOMIwttWfdpvb9A9p8D3KmC7G5iXwILMpRf3fiFPpdASIBCWILk05fsfN812iD5uc5rrdlZ00tyDmELR6MVMvq6IFljeZIX7wF_/s1600-h/IMG_4430%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4430" border="0" alt="IMG_4430" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-QR1Ya_p5ywI/UR03ASaMzCI/AAAAAAAAGKU/reJGNJ6GUqc/IMG_4430_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="728" height="546"></a></p> <p align="center"><em>posing with “Valentine,” her new bear from Z</em></p> <p align="left">She spent a night at Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Janice’s this week while I spent the day at the hospital with a cousin who was having surgery. She’s doing well. </p> <p align="left">Zoe developed a cough over the weekend and it went to just-when-she-laid-down kind of cough to a much more frequent cough. Tuesday night was really rough, so she ended up staying home from preschool and missing her Valentine’s party. I felt so bad (I still remember missing my Kindergarten Valentine’s party when I had eye surgery.) The last thing I wanted was for her to miss it, but she was coughing so much and really needed to rest. </p> <p align="left">We stopped at her school today and picked up her Valentine’s from her buddies. </p> <p align="left">This was what Zoe gave her friends and family:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yRzXsfZuNW4/UR03A-DPoyI/AAAAAAAAGKc/ZjqLGfWCEbI/s1600-h/IMG_4324%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4324" border="0" alt="IMG_4324" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-v1I77zI7Z3o/UR03Beg4fBI/AAAAAAAAGKk/7GE_6W5S7Wg/IMG_4324_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="553" height="737"></a></p> <p>And finally, a picture from today. Still a bit under-the-weather but hopefully on the mend. Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GMCrc68QJEI/UR03B0fVb-I/AAAAAAAAGKs/I-o6N3dwnZQ/s1600-h/IMG_4456%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_4456" border="0" alt="IMG_4456" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DNA5NPQTYNk/UR03CjzzhDI/AAAAAAAAGK0/IpDmdpr-IbQ/IMG_4456_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="565" height="846"></a></p> Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13530698884712393184noreply@blogger.com2