Thank you, Gibbs!

I'm an NCIS fan and just finished watching the episode when Palmer and his wife were going to be parents through adoption. However, after the birth of the baby, the birth mother decided to parent. Palmer and his wife were devastated of course. The talk Gibbs gave to Palmer was really inspiring.

Thanks for the smack, Gibbs! I'm ready to keeping fighting for expanding our family!

Our garden

We have a small garden. And by garden, I mean two large tractor tires filled with soil and packed with plants. We are growing squash, herbs, tomatoes, and peppers. We also have a small grape vine, planted last year, that is taking off.

This morning, I finally discovered what has been gnawing at our grape vine. This little sphinx caterpillar.

I also found a beautiful spiderweb that has caught some pollen from the pumpkin plants.

Here is also one of the few pumpkins that we'll harvest this fall. 

Maybe we'll be sharing this pumpkin with our own little "pumpkin!"

A Miracle for Another

ABC.com recently posted an article about a couple who was blessed with a "surprise baby." In our agency, that means a baby that birth mom decided to place with adoptive parents) at the time of her baby's birth. Such a wonderful surprise for any parent waiting for that call.

You can read the full article here: http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/adoptive-parents-meet-newborn-daughter/story?id=32709612

You can read the Olson's journey on their website: http://olsonfamilyadoption.com/about/.

Blessings!
Christel and Chris

Birthday Surprise

Chris and my sister, Vicky, decided to vandalize my van today. I love them for helping me feel so special for my birthday. I got lots of hunks while driving around today.

Separation of Church and State

http://www.npr.org/2015/06/30/418776102/some-texas-county-clerks-delay-licenses-for-same-sex-marriages

Here we go; my two cents:

Some American people demand that there be clear separation of church and state (no prayers in school, no bibles to swear upon in the courts, etc.).

The government (aka the state), not the church, issues marriage licenses. As such, people can get married without a religious ceremony.

County clerks, who issue marriage licenses, work for the government (aka the state).

Since people demand that there is a clear separation of church and state, religion cannot play a role in whether or not they issue marriage licenses.

If county clerks are opposed to issuing marriage licenses to certain couples because of their personal religious belief, they owe it to the American people to ensure separation of church and state by stepping down from their elected or appointed position.

Yes, I'm a sucker.

My husband called me a sucker. But, I'm ok with that because he said it with love and a bit of pride.

A few weeks ago, Chris and I had to attend our annual adoptive parenting training with our adoption agency. After the training, Chris surprised me with an overnight getaway to Denver. It was a much needed mini trip.

We stayed at a very nice hotel, enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, and were able to sleep in a bit. The next morning after breakfast, we decided to walk around downtown Denver. It was a beautiful, sunny day, but still very chilly.

Shortly after leaving the hotel, we were approached by a man who was obviously a transient; evident by his large backpack, old, dirty clothes, and slightly haggard appearance. As he approached us, he asked us a favor. He asked to not judge him by his outward appearance and apologized for being dirty, but he asked us take one moment to listen to him.

We both said, "Sure," and stopped and listened to his story. As a young kid, he was in the foster program, but eventually "aged out" of the system before finding a forever family. He's spent his life trying to find his way and struggling at times. As he told his story, my heart was breaking for him.

You see, my grandparents fostered over 150 kids. I heard the stories of the kids who were forced into the foster system, many through no fault of their own. My grandparents had love in their hearts for these kids who had endured so much in the short time they had been on this earth. Grandma and grandpa tried to do right by these kids, help them when possible, and guide them everyday they lived in their house. Many of the kids they fostered are still in contact with my grandma (my grandpa past a couple of years ago).

As I continued to hear the brief story of the man in front us, he asked if we could help him to be able to stay in a warm place that night. He told us how much money he needed and said anything would help. I looked at Chris, but I already knew what I was going to do.

Since we didn't have any cash on us, we proceeded to the corner convenience store to get some cash. As we walked, Chris looked at me and said with a smile,"You're a sucker, you know." I said, "I know" and smiled back at him.

I know so many people will walk by a homeless person and not give them money let alone look at them. They think, "If I give them money, they'll just spend it on drugs or alcohol." Maybe so, but are we the ones who should judge those who have come on hard times? What if their need for money is sincere to help them get on their feet? I feel it is our responsibility to help each other when we can. If the needy end up spending the money we give them on drugs and alcohol, so be it. We can only try to help them.

We met the man outside the store, and I handed him the money. I said, "It's not exactly the amount you need, but it is a good start." He thanked us profusely and shook Chris' hand. As he shook my hand, I asked him his name. He said "William." A slight chill went through me at the name; my grandpa's name is William. I said, "I'll say a prayer for you. Take care of yourself" and gave him a hug.

As William walked away, I had a feeling that my grandpa was smiling down on me a bit. And seeing my husband smile at me with pride and love, should tell you why I'm ok with my husband calling me a sucker.

Goal Accomplished!

I started the year off right by finishing my event planner courses and getting my "Professional Event Planner" certificate!