Placing your child is not "giving up"

For the longest time, and even today, people referring to adoption as "giving up" a child. Deciding on adoption for your child is far from giving up. This article from American Adoptions, tells how deciding on adoption is not giving up, but choosing a life you imagined for your child. Please take a few minutes to read their article.

A year later

We can't believe it's already been a year since a fire destroyed the office where Chris had his business. We can still remember that night watching the office burn; the smells, sounds,  and sights are still vivid in our minds.

A week after the fire, we got to go into the building to see what could be retrieved. Besides a few small items, everything was destroyed. It was a somber day as we walked through the building with boots and hardhats, stepping on water-soaked carpets, feeling water drip on our backs from the water-logged ceiling, and seeing how the drywall was turned to mush. We were all overwhelmed and saddened by the loss, but thankful that no one was hurt.

For the past year, the owner of the building had been busy rebuilding it. Today was the first time that I've been back in the building for a year. What an amazing change! It was a happy moment to see the building back and even better than before! New walls, floors, doors, ceilings, carpet, and paint, and it is beautiful!

Now, we are heading to the furniture store now to pick out new furniture for Chris' office. We are so excited about this new phase of his business. Thanks to everyone for the prayers and thanks to the members of the community, who jumped in and helped us get setup in a new temporary office.

We celebrated the life of Gramps yesterday

On July 5th, we lost a great man. Edward Anderson aka "Gramps." He was Chris' grandfather; his mom's dad. Gramps was an amazing man who touched so many people's lives in a positive way. He was a talented artist and musician. Though I only knew him a short time, he warmly welcomed me into the family and always had a smile fo me.

The funeral was amazing and emotional. So many people showed up to show their love and we had a huge choir of his students, family, and friends who all sang to celebrate Gramps' life. We are so thankful to have had him in touch our life.

The one wish we had about Gramps that didn't come true is that we hoped we would have had a new family member before his passing.  However, we know that he and Nana are watching from above and praying for us.  We love and miss you both.

Please pray for Gramps

Please say a prayer for Chris' grandfather, who we all loving refer to as "Gramps." He lives in assisted living and is 98 years old. The staff found him passed out on the floor of his room last night, and he was transported to the hospital. The doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia. I understand that it was touch and go during the night. He is currently stable, but unresponsive. We are getting ready to head to the hospital to see him. Pneumonia is such a hard condition to recover from for someone his age. Please pray for healing for him. Thank you!

Why yes, we do spoil our dogs

We allow the dogs on the furniture, and they take full advantage of it.

The play is coming along nicely!

Yes, I'm in another play. This time it's Cinderella, and I'm the evil stepmother! I'm so loving it! Though I'm the oldest actor, the rest of the cast, who are young college students and many of them have worked together on other plays) have made me feel a part of the team.

The long days are a challenge sometimes as I started my new job on the same day play rehearsals started. Getting to work at 7:30 a.m., working all day followed by rehearsal until 8:00 p.m. makes for some long days. But it's worth it, and it is only for a few more weeks.

As for my new job, I'm enjoying it and starting to settle it. I still have a lot to learn about the project I'm working on, but the team immediately made me feel welcomed and solicited my input on different things. It's also unique in that for the last 10 years, I've been an editor and writer for environmental engineer; now I'm in the technology field.  It's nice to have a challenge again.

And for the adoption front, we finished our re-certification last month, so things have quieted down again. We keep praying and reaching out to people and groups who know about adoption and can give us ideas, encouragement, and suggestions. Chris and I still feel strongly that we will have a young one placed with us, so we haven't lost faith.

Positive Things are Happening

I started my temporary job today in Evans. It's a commute, but the people are really nice. They have put me in charge of getting a farmers market for the city up and running.

I have really dived into acting. I auditioned for Cinderella with Front Range Community College and got the part of the Evil Stepmother. Mwaa haa haa haa! I'm super excited. I also had an audition Saturday for OpenStage Theatre. This was a hard audition because it was my first ever singing audition. Ok, I'll be honest, I was so nervous that my singing was horrible. My chest was so tight that I couldn't get a breath to support my voice. It took me all day to get over it, but Chris was so supportive telling me that it was to be expected being my first time doing a singing audition. However, I guess my monologue was good because I got selected for a callback. Yea! So, that was unexpected and helped ease my humiliation from my sour singing. My callback is on Sunday.

I asked my husband if he thought I was silly for auditioning and acting. He told me that he thought it was great. He is such a great support. I also just got an email from one of the directors from Jubilee Players asking if I would lead the sketch group. This would involve teaching others acting, directing smaller plays, and working on improve. I'm excited about it, but undecided as accepting this  opportunity would mean that I could not be in the next big production. I'll have to pray on this.

My phone interview with a government contracted company went really well, too. In fact, I have my in-person interview with them tomorrow. I have to bring a writing sample and do an editing test tomorrow. I'm trying not be nervous, and just enjoy the experience.

Our home inspection to be re-certified as adoptive parents is on Thursday. We have been waiting for a little over the year now for a placement and keep praying to God that it is His will that we get to adopt and add a little one to our family.

Lost? Ask for help

I've been listening to KLOVE radio consistently since the beginning of January, and I've heard this song by Sidewalk Prophets a quite a few times. The song is titled, "Help Me Find It." I finally started really listening to the words and they really rang true as a prayer to God. I For anyone who is going through a tough time and finding it difficult to pray for direction to God, take a few minutes, listen to this song and use it as a prayer if you find it is appropriate for you.

I thought I would post the lyrics (thanks to azlyrics.com) also.

I don’t know where to go from here
It all used to seem so clear
I’m finding I can’t do this on my own

I don’t know where to go from here
As long as I know that You are near
I’m done fighting
I’m finally letting go

I will trust in You
You’ve never failed before
I will trust in You

[Chorus:]
If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can you help me find it
Can you help me find it

I’m giving You fear and You give faith
I'm giving you doubt
You give me grace
For every step I’ve never been alone

Even when it hurts, You’ll have Your way
Even in the valley I will say
With every breath
You’ve never let me go

I will wait for You
You’ve never failed before
I will wait for You

[Chorus]

I lift my empty hands (come fill me up again)
Have Your way my King (I give my all to You)
I lift my eyes again (Was blind but now I see)
‘Cause You are all I need

[Chorus]

We all go through tough times, everyone is fighting a battle. All we can do is keep the faith, trust God, and let go.

God bless,
Christel

I've missed reading books

Prior to the last few years, I used to read a lot. I was always reading whenever and wherever I could; prior bed, in the car waiting for the train to finish crossing the road, at the doctor's office, outside when the weather was nice. However, it seems life got in the way, and I let my reading time take a backseat.

A few weeks ago, I started reading "Divergent" by Veronica Roth. I got through Chapter 8, then got busy with this thing we call "life." But I've been doing my on-call job this week filling in for the campus manager, so I've had actual lunch time, and I decided to start reading the book again.

I have to say that I've realized how much I miss reading, as I have totally got into this book. I remember how much I like the way books pull me into their stories, and I lose track of the world around me. My visualization of the events being told is so vivid that I can almost smell, see, and feel the world of the story, and I start to feel like a quiet character of the tale.

I need to remember this feeling more and instead of going online and looking at Pinterest and Facebook, I need to pick up a book, read, and get pulled into another world for a short time.

Christel

Where does the time go?

Wow! It's already the end of February! My apologies for being lax in writing a post. I know many of you are wondering what is going with us.

During the holiday season, we were asked quite often by family and friends about our status on adopting. This showed us how many people we know who care about us and hope we get a match. Well, the answer to that question is that things are pretty quiet.

In January, we attended the annual meeting for waiting families with our adoption agency. During this meeting, the agency staff reviewed the adoption process, new regulations, updated fee schedules, and information on the waiting phase. It was nice to see some of the families we saw at this meeting last year, and bitter-sweet to note the families that were abscent because their dream of adopting finally became a reality. To all those families we say, "Congratulations! We are so happy for you!"

So basically, we are still waiting and praying for the right match. This is also bitter-sweet for us because, as much as we would like a baby, we know a birthmom is struggling with the decision to parent or place her baby. We are praying for those birthmoms, too.

Chris' birthday was in December and as part of his present, his mom found some of the baby clothes she had kept from when her kids were tiny. The clothes are so precious, and it was such a thoughtful gesture. It is wonderful to have something like that handed down to us that we can use once we get a baby placed with us. For now, we put those items in a safe place, along with a few other items we've collected.

I am now in a play with our church, and I am so excited! Rehearsals have been fun, and it's been nice to meet other people in our church. The play is called, "Sacrifice of Love," and we perform it on April 11 at our church. It is a modern day parable of the preaching of Jesus, his prosecution, death, and resurrection. The main character's name is Jason Carpenter who symbolizes Jesus. I think it is going to be a moving and beautiful play.

So inbetween the twice a week rehearsals, I am doing a little bit of work as an on-call professional for a local college, and I continue volunteering. This past weekend, I continued my training with American Red Cross by attending the disaster logistics training.

Chris is still staying busy at his office and working at the hospital. Additionally, we are getting ready for dog show season, so he has been spending time getting the dogs' coats in shape. Oh, and Hanna had a litter of puppies in November, so they have been keeping us really busy. Below is a picture of Strider with one of the puppies. This just melts my heart!

 

Nick went back to college this semester and I think he is liking it. He has additionally been going to a ton of concerts in Denver and has a couple of trips planned for concerts in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. He is so independent!

 

Ok, I will end the post at that for now, so you don't feel like you are reading a book. Please keep us in your prayers and we are doing the same for you.

 

Take care,

Christel