So it is Thursday song day again and I have selected "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts. I have loved this song ever since I heard it the first time on the radio. There is just something about it that always gets to me. It has a lot of meanings to me. First off I had a few bad relationships, not bad in the sense of abusive, just not good overall before I met my husband so that was definitely a broken road I went down. After all, one of my ex boyfriends is a happily committed gay man so that tells you things were a little off.
I also more recently when listening to this song, think it pertains a lot to our pending adoption. We went down a very broken road of infertility and pushed through that . Last summer was beautiful and terrible all at the same time with the twins we hoped to adopt so in a way that was a broken road leading us to our precious little one in Ethiopia.
I truly believe the words of this song that everything is part of a grander plan and I just need to get there. I also believe that there is only one person in my life who completely understands what this whole things has been like and that is my husband. We hit the broken road together and he picked me up so we can get to the grander plan and our beautiful baby. Scroll down to the end of the song for the latest update :)
"Bless The Broken Road"
I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.
WE MOVED UP A SPOT!!! YEAH! We are now #69 on the unofficial list.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
My poor couch :(
Well, this will be a really random post but I am frustrated. So last year after the TERRIBLE summer we had we decided on the probably the worst day of my life so far to treat ourselves to some new furniture. We bought a leather sofa and love seat and had them special ordered in the leather color we wanted. It took almost 13 weeks for us to get this furniture. Regardless we love it and it was worth the cost.
So today I noticed 2 lavender-esque spots on the couch, one on the seat and one of the arm. After much thinking and a call to my hubby we determined that the stain had to have come from our dog Badger. You see we put flea and tick medicine on the boys last night since I just gave them a bath. Sebastian got the Frontline Plus and Badger got this new medicine called Promeris. Badger was recently in the vets office and we saw a new vet and she recommended this medicine since Badger is having some type of skin issue. Well, we got one tube of this Promeris stuff and there were no warnings what so ever that it could stain furniture. Let me tell you, I have dog hair looking marks on my furniture. We are 99.9% sure it was from Badger's medicine and not Sebastian's as we have used Frontline for years and have used it since we have had the furniture and haven't had any issues.
To top it off this medicine SMELLS!!! We were warned about that but as he is sitting next to me as I write this he still smells almost 21 hours later.
Anyway, back to the couch, when we purchased the furniture we also purchased the leather protection warranty. This warranty covers human and pet stains within reason and some rips, tears, etc. I decided to call the company to see if by chance this stain would be covered. A very nice man politely explained that this type of stain/bleaching would not be covered. I actually think that this man felt bad for me. He wished me luck and hoped I could get some resolution.
I have tried cleaning it twice to no avail. I really don't think it is that bad. It is just a couch. I am upset though as if I had known I would have covered the couch with a blanket. I am going to call my vet and complain and I am going to call the Promeris company and lodge a complaint. I have no expectations that this will get me anything, that isn't why I am calling. I am calling to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. One thing is for sure, I will NEVER buy Promeris again.
So today I noticed 2 lavender-esque spots on the couch, one on the seat and one of the arm. After much thinking and a call to my hubby we determined that the stain had to have come from our dog Badger. You see we put flea and tick medicine on the boys last night since I just gave them a bath. Sebastian got the Frontline Plus and Badger got this new medicine called Promeris. Badger was recently in the vets office and we saw a new vet and she recommended this medicine since Badger is having some type of skin issue. Well, we got one tube of this Promeris stuff and there were no warnings what so ever that it could stain furniture. Let me tell you, I have dog hair looking marks on my furniture. We are 99.9% sure it was from Badger's medicine and not Sebastian's as we have used Frontline for years and have used it since we have had the furniture and haven't had any issues.
To top it off this medicine SMELLS!!! We were warned about that but as he is sitting next to me as I write this he still smells almost 21 hours later.
Anyway, back to the couch, when we purchased the furniture we also purchased the leather protection warranty. This warranty covers human and pet stains within reason and some rips, tears, etc. I decided to call the company to see if by chance this stain would be covered. A very nice man politely explained that this type of stain/bleaching would not be covered. I actually think that this man felt bad for me. He wished me luck and hoped I could get some resolution.
I have tried cleaning it twice to no avail. I really don't think it is that bad. It is just a couch. I am upset though as if I had known I would have covered the couch with a blanket. I am going to call my vet and complain and I am going to call the Promeris company and lodge a complaint. I have no expectations that this will get me anything, that isn't why I am calling. I am calling to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. One thing is for sure, I will NEVER buy Promeris again.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Wrestling with reality
I was thinking this morning how different my life is than what I pictured at age 16. As I am rapidly approaching age 32 I thought wow, I need to look at my life a little and come to terms with some things that will be in my future.
At 16, if you asked me what I wanted my life to look like as a grown up, this is what I would have said. I would be married by 25, have a house with a picket fence, a good job, a couple of dogs, a great husband and have 2 or 3 children. I would take tropical vacations or trips to Europe and I would live in sunny CA most likely in the San Francisco Bay Area. I would basically live in this little bubble of my comfort zone.
Well at almost 32 here is the reality. I got married at 23 to a wonderful man, have a great house in a great neighborhood in WI, have a decent job, 2 crazy pugs and the kids are a work in progress. I left my comfort zone and moved to the Midwest far from my hometown, my best friend, my job and everything that was familiar. I now live close to both my in laws and my parents in the 'burbs'. As for vacations, we travel to CA when we can and yeah that is about it. We took one tropical vacation for our honeymoon and other than that we drive to visit friends in IL, IA and this summer we are going to Michigan. Our next big adventure will be to Africa. Now the reality of my life is different than my expectations at age 16 but that is okay. It took me a few years to get over the ideal life I created in my head and realize that while different, my life is pretty awesome and I really do have an ideal life.
Here is where I wrestle with reality. Never in a million years would I have thought of travelling to Africa and much less Ethiopia. Now, I can't wait to be in Ethiopia to hold my precious baby. Never did I think I would adopt children but as the years passed, something just clicked inside and this feels so right. I am meant to be doing this even though the waiting gets tough it is what I am supposed to be doing. I now consider myself officially expecting. No I am not pregnant per say but hopefully in the next 9-10months I will be holding my beautiful baby. So yes, I am expecting.
Now, if you ask my husband I am the world's worst traveller so this trip half way around the world will be interesting. I am not a patient person and I hate lines so things like customs and waiting for my Visa in Ethiopia will be trying. I also know that I will have a VERY hard time dealing with the children begging on the streets. I know that I will buy food vouchers to hand out but what I will do when I don't have enough, I don't know. I am a little scared that my emotions will get the best of me. In my head I know that I will have done what I could but my heart is going to be telling me to do more. This is something I am going to have to address and realize that I can't fix it. I know that. So I am trying to take each thing in stride and I have worked on being more patient through this adoption process. I had to, I have no control which is hard for me but I had to let go and hand the process over and just wait. I have learned a lot about myself and I know that I can do this. I can wait in lines and deal with flight delays anything it takes to get to my precious little one.
Reality changes. You can't control everything. As much as I would like to control everything, there are just some things I don't get a say in. At 16, that wasn't an option. I was going to be in charge and everything was going to fall into place just like I wanted it to. I basically set myself up to be disappointed. That is why when things in my life didn't go as planned it was hard for me to deal with. I wanted everything to be perfect and that just isn't realistic. When some of my younger friends say I want to do this by age this and have kids by age this, I try to tell them not to set them selves up. If those things are meant to happen in that timeline great but if not then you will be disappointed.
So while I am wrestling with my new reality and future travels I am holding on to one expectation. That expectation is that our little one will be the perfect addition to our family no matter what.
At 16, if you asked me what I wanted my life to look like as a grown up, this is what I would have said. I would be married by 25, have a house with a picket fence, a good job, a couple of dogs, a great husband and have 2 or 3 children. I would take tropical vacations or trips to Europe and I would live in sunny CA most likely in the San Francisco Bay Area. I would basically live in this little bubble of my comfort zone.
Well at almost 32 here is the reality. I got married at 23 to a wonderful man, have a great house in a great neighborhood in WI, have a decent job, 2 crazy pugs and the kids are a work in progress. I left my comfort zone and moved to the Midwest far from my hometown, my best friend, my job and everything that was familiar. I now live close to both my in laws and my parents in the 'burbs'. As for vacations, we travel to CA when we can and yeah that is about it. We took one tropical vacation for our honeymoon and other than that we drive to visit friends in IL, IA and this summer we are going to Michigan. Our next big adventure will be to Africa. Now the reality of my life is different than my expectations at age 16 but that is okay. It took me a few years to get over the ideal life I created in my head and realize that while different, my life is pretty awesome and I really do have an ideal life.
Here is where I wrestle with reality. Never in a million years would I have thought of travelling to Africa and much less Ethiopia. Now, I can't wait to be in Ethiopia to hold my precious baby. Never did I think I would adopt children but as the years passed, something just clicked inside and this feels so right. I am meant to be doing this even though the waiting gets tough it is what I am supposed to be doing. I now consider myself officially expecting. No I am not pregnant per say but hopefully in the next 9-10months I will be holding my beautiful baby. So yes, I am expecting.
Now, if you ask my husband I am the world's worst traveller so this trip half way around the world will be interesting. I am not a patient person and I hate lines so things like customs and waiting for my Visa in Ethiopia will be trying. I also know that I will have a VERY hard time dealing with the children begging on the streets. I know that I will buy food vouchers to hand out but what I will do when I don't have enough, I don't know. I am a little scared that my emotions will get the best of me. In my head I know that I will have done what I could but my heart is going to be telling me to do more. This is something I am going to have to address and realize that I can't fix it. I know that. So I am trying to take each thing in stride and I have worked on being more patient through this adoption process. I had to, I have no control which is hard for me but I had to let go and hand the process over and just wait. I have learned a lot about myself and I know that I can do this. I can wait in lines and deal with flight delays anything it takes to get to my precious little one.
Reality changes. You can't control everything. As much as I would like to control everything, there are just some things I don't get a say in. At 16, that wasn't an option. I was going to be in charge and everything was going to fall into place just like I wanted it to. I basically set myself up to be disappointed. That is why when things in my life didn't go as planned it was hard for me to deal with. I wanted everything to be perfect and that just isn't realistic. When some of my younger friends say I want to do this by age this and have kids by age this, I try to tell them not to set them selves up. If those things are meant to happen in that timeline great but if not then you will be disappointed.
So while I am wrestling with my new reality and future travels I am holding on to one expectation. That expectation is that our little one will be the perfect addition to our family no matter what.
Monday, May 12, 2008
First Mother's Day gift
As promised a few days ago, I would tell you all about my latest gift from my Secret Pal. Below is a picture.
It is 2 tins one for me and one for hopefully my child's birth family. In the card my Secret Pal said in honor of Mother's Day for me and for my child's birth mom she wanted to give us these gifts. The tins are to be used to make hand prints of our child to have as a keepsake. We can leave one at home and bring one with us to Ethiopia.
It is 2 tins one for me and one for hopefully my child's birth family. In the card my Secret Pal said in honor of Mother's Day for me and for my child's birth mom she wanted to give us these gifts. The tins are to be used to make hand prints of our child to have as a keepsake. We can leave one at home and bring one with us to Ethiopia.
Once we meet our baby we can take their hand print and bring this tin with us on the trip to Hossana to hopefully meet members of our child's birth family. I thought this was a truly touching gift. I really appreciate the thought that went behind this gift not only was my Secret Pal thinking of me but also of my child's birth family. That is so sweet.
Again, this gift came at a good time. I had a really rough couple of days at work having worked 20 plus hours in two days so to come home and see this was awesome. It was my first official Mother's Day gift and I couldn't have asked for a more thoughtful gift so thanks again Secret Pal for adding sunshine to my day.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
A tribute to 2 very special Mom's
Happy Mother's Day!
I am dedicating this post to the 2 mom's in my life, my own mother and my mother in law. Each of them are special in their own way.
To my dear Mother:
It is so hard to put in to words how truly wonderful you have been throughout my life. Sure I made mistakes as did you but one thing I always knew is that when I needed my Mom, you would always be there for me. I am so grateful to have had that growing up as not everyone is that fortunate.
As we transitioned from Mom and Daughter to Best Friends, you were my rock. You are hands down the strongest woman I know. You have tackled so much in your life and you always keep your head held high and your shoulder there for the rest of us to cry on. I don't know how you do it. In fact when I have hit low spots in my life I look to you as the example. If you where in my shoes what would you do. That philosophy hasn't failed me yet. And I apologize if this makes you cry, but there is one day in particular that stands out as the day you became more than just my mom. The day of Aunt Fran's funeral, at the church when I leaned over and told you it was okay for you to cry was the day I felt I had something more to offer you than just being your daughter. I will never forget that day because I felt I could finally offer you what you have always given me. A warm hug and a shoulder to cry on when you needed it the most.
Mom, I love you and I want to say thank you. Thank you for making me the woman I am today and hopefully the mother I will be very soon.
And to my Mother in Law:
I feel so truly blessed to be a part of your family. From the first day we met almost 12 years ago, you have been nothing but wonderful. I showed up at your house and immediately felt welcomed with a hug and a warm smile.
I feel so fortunate to have married into a truly wonderful family. I look at you and your compassion and kindness in awe. It takes a special woman to give so much of herself for others in need. I just love that and have taken so much from that. I have been called in to action for causes that I am passionate about because I see how one person's love and support can make a difference. I thank you for that.
You give the best hugs and I want to thank you for being the most amazing mother in law. I don't know how I got so lucky but I am truly blessed to have you (and your son) in my life.
These two women are very important to me and I wanted to dedicate this post to them. Happy Mother's Day! And to add to the joy of the day, we are now #70 on the unofficial list. So we have moved up another spot. YEAH!
I am dedicating this post to the 2 mom's in my life, my own mother and my mother in law. Each of them are special in their own way.
To my dear Mother:
It is so hard to put in to words how truly wonderful you have been throughout my life. Sure I made mistakes as did you but one thing I always knew is that when I needed my Mom, you would always be there for me. I am so grateful to have had that growing up as not everyone is that fortunate.
As we transitioned from Mom and Daughter to Best Friends, you were my rock. You are hands down the strongest woman I know. You have tackled so much in your life and you always keep your head held high and your shoulder there for the rest of us to cry on. I don't know how you do it. In fact when I have hit low spots in my life I look to you as the example. If you where in my shoes what would you do. That philosophy hasn't failed me yet. And I apologize if this makes you cry, but there is one day in particular that stands out as the day you became more than just my mom. The day of Aunt Fran's funeral, at the church when I leaned over and told you it was okay for you to cry was the day I felt I had something more to offer you than just being your daughter. I will never forget that day because I felt I could finally offer you what you have always given me. A warm hug and a shoulder to cry on when you needed it the most.
Mom, I love you and I want to say thank you. Thank you for making me the woman I am today and hopefully the mother I will be very soon.
And to my Mother in Law:
I feel so truly blessed to be a part of your family. From the first day we met almost 12 years ago, you have been nothing but wonderful. I showed up at your house and immediately felt welcomed with a hug and a warm smile.
I feel so fortunate to have married into a truly wonderful family. I look at you and your compassion and kindness in awe. It takes a special woman to give so much of herself for others in need. I just love that and have taken so much from that. I have been called in to action for causes that I am passionate about because I see how one person's love and support can make a difference. I thank you for that.
You give the best hugs and I want to thank you for being the most amazing mother in law. I don't know how I got so lucky but I am truly blessed to have you (and your son) in my life.
These two women are very important to me and I wanted to dedicate this post to them. Happy Mother's Day! And to add to the joy of the day, we are now #70 on the unofficial list. So we have moved up another spot. YEAH!
Friday, May 9, 2008
WE MADE A DIFFERENCE!!
Well, if you read my last post and saw how upset I was there has been progress.
http://www.americasfavoritemom.com/mothers-day-2008/static/semiFinalists
They have now changed the Non Mom Mom category to Adopting Mom. At least something happened. I am still upset that it took 100's of emails for NBC to get a brain and realize how insensitive they were but progress is progress.
Hopefully, we sent a message that you don't mess with adoptive moms. We are some of the strongest women I know. You go Girls!
http://www.americasfavoritemom.com/mothers-day-2008/static/semiFinalists
They have now changed the Non Mom Mom category to Adopting Mom. At least something happened. I am still upset that it took 100's of emails for NBC to get a brain and realize how insensitive they were but progress is progress.
Hopefully, we sent a message that you don't mess with adoptive moms. We are some of the strongest women I know. You go Girls!
Non Mom Mom
I was originally going to share with you all my latest Secret Pal gift and I will later but for now I am too angry and need to vent.
NBC is airing a show on Sunday called America's Favorite Mom. Nice idea, there are different categories of Mom's including the military mom, the working mom, the single mom, the chairman of everything mom and my all time favorite the non Mom Mom. How is that possible to be a Non Mom???
Well to top it off one of the finalists in the Non Mom category is an adoptive Mom. This is how they describe her:
She was an adopted child who is now mom to her own daughter, plus six adopted children who started life as "meth babies".
I was in shock. We have had a good week on the forum with lots of court dates, travel dates, and referrals so I logged on today hoping for more good news to find out about this show. I have already emailed NBC twice and Teleflora, the major sponsor of the show.
Here is a link to the show: http://www.americasfavoritemom.com/mothers-day-2008/static/semiFinalists
And here is the email address if you feel the need to complain as did a bunch of us:
mailto:support@americasfavoritemom.com
I am not typically the type of person to let things get to me but as Mother's Day approaches and I am still waiting for my baby, I was offended. I am aware that I don't have the right to not be offended in life and I usually don't get offended easily but this ticked me off.
How am I less of a Mom? I will be doing all the same things my Mother did for me so why isn't that seen as worthy of the title of just Mom on this show. Does that mean that Hallmark will now make a Non Mom Mother's Day card? Is that what we want our adopted children to feel, that we aren't actually Mom's??
I am sorry to babble about this but the one thing I want more than anything is this world is to be a mom and NBC somehow feels that Mom isn't the right title for women like me. We are Non Mom Moms which hurts.
I know to my child I will be Mom and to my family and friends I will be Mom but for a major TV network to be so insensitive is just crazy. We are in the year 2008, can't we recognize that families are formed in other ways besides giving birth to children? I didn't think that was a new concept but apparently, the powers that be at NBC have been sleeping in a cave and haven't realized that progress has happened.
NBC is airing a show on Sunday called America's Favorite Mom. Nice idea, there are different categories of Mom's including the military mom, the working mom, the single mom, the chairman of everything mom and my all time favorite the non Mom Mom. How is that possible to be a Non Mom???
Well to top it off one of the finalists in the Non Mom category is an adoptive Mom. This is how they describe her:
She was an adopted child who is now mom to her own daughter, plus six adopted children who started life as "meth babies".
I was in shock. We have had a good week on the forum with lots of court dates, travel dates, and referrals so I logged on today hoping for more good news to find out about this show. I have already emailed NBC twice and Teleflora, the major sponsor of the show.
Here is a link to the show: http://www.americasfavoritemom.com/mothers-day-2008/static/semiFinalists
And here is the email address if you feel the need to complain as did a bunch of us:
mailto:support@americasfavoritemom.com
I am not typically the type of person to let things get to me but as Mother's Day approaches and I am still waiting for my baby, I was offended. I am aware that I don't have the right to not be offended in life and I usually don't get offended easily but this ticked me off.
How am I less of a Mom? I will be doing all the same things my Mother did for me so why isn't that seen as worthy of the title of just Mom on this show. Does that mean that Hallmark will now make a Non Mom Mother's Day card? Is that what we want our adopted children to feel, that we aren't actually Mom's??
I am sorry to babble about this but the one thing I want more than anything is this world is to be a mom and NBC somehow feels that Mom isn't the right title for women like me. We are Non Mom Moms which hurts.
I know to my child I will be Mom and to my family and friends I will be Mom but for a major TV network to be so insensitive is just crazy. We are in the year 2008, can't we recognize that families are formed in other ways besides giving birth to children? I didn't think that was a new concept but apparently, the powers that be at NBC have been sleeping in a cave and haven't realized that progress has happened.
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