My Babies

I have been thinking about our adoption journey a lot lately. Hubby and I have always felt (and have been told by adoption professionals) that we have experienced the full gamet of experiences in our adoption journey. We have experienced a great deal of pain and loss, but in the end were blessed beyond belief. We have always hoped that our story would inspire and encourage those who are going through the journey and/or experiencing such losses.

We have always been fiercely private people, but adoption (and the homestudy process!) pretty much strips you of any form of privacy. You are completely exposed and vulnerable AND being judged... it is a very uncomfortable place to be. I remember telling hubby I would feel less exposed if I had just walked down the street naked in front of my neighbors. Sounds drastic, but it is how I felt - it is not an easy process.

A few weeks ago Hubby was contacted by a reporter who had heard about our adoption story and wanted to do a story on our family. "UGH!", was my initial thought. Just what we need, MORE people in our business knowing our entire life story. But, then, as we talked about it, we realized that this was a chance for us to encourage those "out there" going through the adoption process. To show them that there CAN be happy endings at the end of a long and painful journey. We agreed to be interviewed for the story.

A reporter came to the house to interview us about our adoption story and we spent about 3 hours with them telling them about the "ups & downs" of adoption. You NEVER forget what you felt while waiting for your children... how painful the holidays are (especially Mothers Day!) or what you felt in those stinging moments (or days) of loss. Even the reporter was in tears with us at one point, as we talked about losing our daughter. We had no idea what direction the reporter was going to go with the story, but told her that it was important to us that it be encouraging for those reading it. After the interview, we kept thinking about all of the possible ways it could go so wrong...or what we hoped would or wouldn't be in the article... UGH!

As many times as we have talked about our adoption story, it never becomes any less emotional for us. It takes us right back to those moments and those feelings. I think that is why I haven't really gotten into the nitty-gritty of how our children came to find us here on this blog, yet. I need to mentally prepare myself to be overwhelmed with emotion for a bit when I do sit down to write it. It is an emotional story, but one I am going to write soon. :)

Oh, I forgot to mention, the first line of the article about our family started out:

"Faith loves being a mommy. She's got that glow so many new mothers have.
You can see it, just past the slightly tired eyes as she laughs with the
toddlers crawling on her lap, competing for her attention. Her babies..."

MY BABIES. I just love seeing it in black & white!!!! In days past I would have likely been a bit bothered by the "tired eyes" remark, but now I feel like it is a confirmation of being a good mom. And being a mom. The most amazing, exhausting and overwhelming-in-every-way thing I have ever done. Something I wasn't sure would ever happen. I LOVE BEING A MOMMY!!!!

FUN VIDEO!

WOW - so the last month has absolutely flown by wayyyyyyy too fast! I still can't believe it is August. I keep wanting to write "July" on everything. Crazy. I've been working on my other 'blog' from scratch. It won't be a "Blogger" style blog, since we already own the domain name for our other family blog and, since it has a pretty steep learning curve, it is taking longer to launch then planned. Oh well. LOL In the meantime, here is a fun video that will make you smile! I came across it when I was surfing the web about 2am, unable to sleep. I LOVE this video and I hope it makes you smile too. :) I'm in my best and oldest friend's wedding in September - I hope it is as fun & memorable as this one! :) Happy Wednesday!!

101 Things - An Introduction

Lately I have been thinking a lot about getting more organized and de-cluttered in general. I think part of it is the fact that the "First Year Fog" is finally lifting. (Now things are just crazy everyday!)

I have always been one of those people who wants to do everything and to "see the world." If there are things I have wanted to do, but they weren't immediately possible for whatever reason, I have often said "Add that to the list of things to do before I die." I'm sure I'm not the only person who has done that, or movies like "Bucket List" probably wouldn't be popular.

I've often thought about taking the time to write the list down, but never got around to it or if I did, I couldn't think of more than one or two things to add to the list.

I recently came across a website called Day Zero. It is a basically a project driven website in which you create a list of 101 specific tasks, things or projects to complete within 1001 days. (Which is the equivalent of approximately 2.75 years.) I find it highly inspiring and motivating to actually write down all of the things I say and think I want to do, to have a "deadline" and be able to check things off a list. (This website also keeps it in a location I can't lose the list!)

Yes, I'm a list person. I find it highly satisfying to cross things off my list. Usually there are more things on my list than I can complete in one day, but I still make them. Now that I'm a Mommy, too, I'm more likely to forget things if they aren't written down, so it's a win-win situation. :)

So, I am currently working on a paper copy of my list of 101 Things in 1001 Days. It is fun to think about, but hard to come up with 101 things. I've decided I am also going to actually start my "Things to do before I die" list also. (Perhaps that will be one of the 101 things!) I'm still trying to decide how much I want to put "out there" with this blog, but maybe I'll post my list here once it is complete and I have a full 101 things.

Here is a description and guidelines for creating your list, taken directly from the Day Zero website:

Creating your own 1001 Day Project

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either
measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching
(ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising
and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

The website even has code in which you post a countdown of your 1001 days on your website or blog. For more information on the Day Zero Project, check out the website by clicking here.

Are you a list-maker? How do you keep track of all of your "to-do's"? Does anyone else find this to be an exciting idea and are you willing to come up with your own 101 things?