Thursday, May 29, 2008

Remember Jim Caviezel?


He was the actor that portrayed Jesus in The Passion of The Christ.


Check out what he and his wife are up to:




Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Are you adopted???

This weekend we were with lots of people we didn't know previously. As I said in my post on Monday, Jacob was quite the celebrity. One afternoon all of the kids were playing. The kids were all older than Jacob (between 7-9 years old). One of the little girls asked me, "my mom says Jacob is adopted...is that true?" I replied that yes, he was adopted. They all nodded and as I walked away I heard them asking each other, "are you adopted?"



I am so grateful that Jacob will grow up in a world that accepts adoption. I remember when I was growing up, being adopted was viewed as negative. Many children were never told that they were adopted and found out in adulthood. How difficult that must be to deal with. I hope to always do the "right thing" when it comes to helping Jacob through the struggles in his life.



My baby already *knows* he is adopted. While we were waiting to bring him home from Guatemala a dear friend of mine who is adopted gave me the most wonderful gift. A little golden book called, A Blessing From Above. It's been our bedtime story since the day Jacob came home from Guatemala.



May God bless all of those that are touched by this wonderful gift called adoption.

Monday, May 26, 2008

What a great weekend!!


We're back.......we had a wonderful weekend. We were invited to spend the weekend on a friend's houseboat. Each morning we went fishing. Jacob loved the swimming pool. He got to swim with his daddy for the first time. We saw dolphins too! They were amazing..they would swim right on the side of the houseboat. Jacob would call them by saying..."here fishy, fishy".


The group we were with had lots of questions about Jacob and adoption. I was so saddened to report to them that Guatemala is closed right now. A few of the ladies did express an interest in joining me on a mission trip.


Oh, I almost forgot, daddy caught a really big redfish!!!
You can see more pictures from our trip on the slideshow above :) Enjoy

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Goin Fishin

We leave this afternoon for a long weekend of fishin!
See ya'll next week!

My heart is broken....praying for this family!

Daughter of Gospel Star Steven Curtis Chapman Hit, Killed by Car
Thursday, May 22, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The 5-year-old daughter of contemporary Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said.


The girl, Maria, was hit in a driveway on the family residence Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokesman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.


McPherson said no charges are expected.


"It looks like a tragic accident," she said.


She said several members of the Chapman family witnessed the accident, which happened in Williamson County just south of Nashville.


The brother apparently did not see the little girl, McPherson said. She did not have the name or exact age of the brother, only that he is an older teenager.


The girl died later at Vanderbilt Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Laurie Holloway said.
Chapman, originally from Paducah, Ky., and his wife have promoted international adoption and have three daughters from China, including Maria.


Chapman has won five Grammy awards and 51 Dove awards from the Gospel Music Association.


The singer's Web site said that Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, were persuaded by their oldest daughter to adopt a girl from China. The experience led the family to adopt two more children and create Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation and ministry to financially assist thousands of couples in adoption.


The Chapmans did missionary work at Chinese orphanages in 2006 and 2007, according to the Web site.
"After our first trip to China, my wife and I knew our lives were changing — our eyes and hearts were opening to how big God really is, and we have wanted to experience more of that," Chapman says on the Web site. "We've really wondered whether or not we should just go to China and stay there. But I don't think so. I believe God is saying, 'I want you to go, get your heart broken, your eyes opened, and then take this story back to the church in America and around the world."'


Chapman also has released a book about being a father entitled "Cinderella: The Love of Daddy and his Princess."

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Feeling a little better!


Still a little cranky.....




Nose is still runny......





















BUT FEELING BETTER!!!





Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Ugg....allergies


My sweet little baby is suffering the symptoms of a yucky allergy. He has been sneezing and coughing all day long. The worst part is that he gets so congested. He's a trooper though, singing, smiling and happy through it all.


I brought he and Max and Ruby (his favorite cartoon) and a portable dvd player to work with me this morning. He was such a good boy. He watched Max and Ruby, re-arranged my pens and pencils, and was quiet enough that I was able to work for about 3 hours.


He seemed to be feeling better tonight. I pray that he will be feeling much better tomorrow.


Maybe helping daddy with the yard work this weekend wasn't such a good idea :)


Saturday, May 17, 2008

True Love


When I asked why he was holding Jacob, daddy said, "well, because he wanted me to"

Mommys and Daddys

Almost everyday Jacob notices something new about his world. Lately he has been noticing families. Whenever he sees three together (people, animals, bugs...etc)he says, "daddy, mommy, baby". When he sees only two, he usually says, "baby misses daddy". So precious

I'm overwhelmed when I think of all of the precious children in this world that may never experience the love and stability of a family. Is there anything I can do about this? How, I am only one person?

Check out the red letters campaign website. I think this is a good place to start.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Catching up......up to now!

As I said yesterday, our adoption journey was 2 years ago!! It seems like we just picked up Jacob from Guatemala yesterday!!! That September day was one of the best of our lives. The feelings are indescribable. We had prepared so well for this day, yet it still seemed like a dream.

Once we were back in our hotel room alone with our son the reality that he was really ours began to set in. When we landed at home a few days later it was real, our new lives began. Jacob was 9 months old when he came home. Bonding was one of my main concerns, but we bonded as a family very easily. Sure, there were changes, MAJOR changes in our lives, but they were so very joyful. We spent time with Jacob seperately to facilitate his bonding to each of us individually. I was home with him for a week, then Charles was home with him for the next week. We did this for 6 weeks. I think, in retrospect, this was a very wise thing to do. Each day we would recount to each other the special things we experienced with our new son.

Jacob was perfectly healthy and on target for his age. He was a little small (only 17 pounds at 9 months old), but that is usually the case with Guatemalan children. He has grown stedily since then and is the same size as most 2 year olds. We are currently working on potty training, which has been a little bit of a challenge. Jacob hs breezed through all other milestones..teething, feeding himself, crawling, walking, big boy bed.

We marvel everyday in the joy this child brings to our lives.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Welcome



About me.....I am a very happily married Catholic. I have been married to the love of my life for about 6 years. In 2006 we adopted a precious baby boy from Guatemala. The process took 9 gut wrenching difficult months. But, it's just like they say, all of the pain was forgotten the moment we saw the face of our sweet baby boy.




My husband and I spend some of our time ministering to couples considering the Sacrament of Marriage in the Catholic church through Catholic Engaged Encounter. We really enjoy this ministry. I am also a religious education teacher. I am currently teaching Confirmation classes. We are very devoted to our faith and our family.




I am considering a mission trip to Guatemala. It is our hope to go on annual mission trips to Guatemala as a family in the future.


This picture is of our precious baby boy on the occasion of his Baptism on 10/01