The Latest on Our Adoption Journey

Good morning!

Here's a little update as to where we are in our pursuit of Adoption #2:  It has been almost a year that we've been formally back on the list with our attorney.  He has had a couple of situations arise but nothing has panned out for us.  I am getting our paperwork together to work with an agency as well, and also planning to give our portfolio to another local attorney that a friend has used.  She has said that she hasn't had many prospective mothers lately though.  We have to get our home study updated, fingerprints done again, etc.!  Lots of paperwork!

We trust that God will build our family as he sees fit.  I remember talking with Dan the night we became engaged and we had such dreams for a big, rocking family.  But it may be just the three of us, or more, or not.  The first time we were not chosen by a birth mom, it was really hard for me.  But I think I needed to go through that, and I have learned more about myself as a result.  It made me sad and made me feel inadequate, but I ultimately realized that it was out of my control and that situation was just not the perfect fit that God has in mind for our family.  M was a perfect fit for our family, and God willing, there will be more children who will fit perfectly with us.

In any case, we are all sleeping too well in this house so we need a newborn around to shake things up.  =)  No matter what happens, I am truly grateful to entrust the building of my family to our Lord, and hopeful, and patient.

Happy Halloween!

How was your Halloween?

Our little snow leopard, with me trying to run out of the photo!

The last few years, I just haven't been big on Halloween.  It was fun to dress up in college and law school, but before this year, we always lived in condos or a busy street that no one really trick-or-treated on.  Plus I don't like all the skull and crossbones/ gory types of decorations that seems to be all over the place now!

We grew up in a very rural area so we never had very many trick or treaters come to our house, but I always loved putting up the silly little cartoonish decorations - we didn't do the scary stuff.  W did always have cute costumes and there is this great old home video that my parents have with my sisters jumping up and down dressed as a unicorn and a bumblebee and all of us acting like crazies.  Makes me laugh just to think about it!

But this year, we actually had more than 2 groups come by our house!  Pretty funny that we had to move to a small town in Idaho to have the traditional trick or treating experience!

Posing with our hedgehog friend that my mom sent!  M likes to pet him.

We took M over to our neighbor's house so he could say "boo" and they could see him in his cute little costume.  On our walks around the neighborhood, I taught him that if he sees a ghost, he has to yell "boo" so he has been getting a lot of practice.  Then we went back home and he loved watching people come to the door and waving bye to them.  It was fun.  I was kind of surprised that there were some big kids who came by the house - my friend says she just flat out tells them that "this should be your last year trick or treating."  Hah!  Harsh, huh?  

It was also fun to watch Dan keep telling the kids, hey take more, take one of each.  We were really committed to getting all of the candy out of the house!  He said his parents used to keep track of how many trick or treaters they had.  One year when I was growing up, we had a big Halloween party and my uncle turned one room into a haunted house and really went all out.  So I guess I do like Halloween after all!

I loved this explanation about Halloween on this website:  http://catholicicing.com/explaining-halloween-to-catholic-kids-how-it-goes-with-all-saints-day-or-all-hallows-eve/

I'm going to bookmark this to use when M is older!

I would love to hear about other fun Halloween traditions, please share!