Four New Haitian-Americans Joined Their Forever Families This Week!

Welcome To America!  We know that 2010 Will Bring Home Many Of Your Friends!

Lise Home In New Mexico!

 

Erickson and Lovekender Home In Kentucky!

 

Lovely Home in Wyoming!

 

 MORELSON'S LETTER TO SANTA!

YOU HAVE TO VIEW THIS IT'S JUST TOO DARN SWEET!  THANK YOU STEPHANIE FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AFTER VISITING WITH OUR GUY EARLIER THIS MONTH!

http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d544d794d5459334f544a384e7a59324e4451324d513d3d0d0a&sb=1

Sean Tuohy, Michael Oher and Leigh Anne Tuohy

The Tuohy's are the family depicted in The Blindside released this week.  They are played by Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron.  

As an adoptive mom to be of a son of African heritage I read all of the hype centered around this movie based on the book The Blindside: Evolution of the Game, by Michael Lewis.  I'll begin by saying I didn't think I would like the movie, I figured along w/ plenty of others that it would carry a "tone."  That tone being one of "Only white people w/ money of the do gooder sect could possibly turn around and "save" a black boy from the wrong side of town."  Well that is ultimately what happened!  Whether you like it or not, Michael Oher is partly who he is today thanks to the Tuohy's.  Reality isn't always what we want it to be or wish it weren't!  Yes the movie comes across as very touchy feely, and I'm sure that not every single thing in the movie is absolutely 100% accurate down to each word, hug and look.  Yet in every single article or interview I've read when Michael himself is asked about the book and movie he agrees w/ everything that has been published or portrayed with the exception of his IQ.  If that is the only piece that is up for debate than I would say both Mr. Lewis and Hollywood have done an admirable job! 

Michael Oher was brought into this world under conditions that no child should ever have to know.  Born to a crack addicted mother of 13 who wasn't even sure who his father was at the time, he ended up living in many different foster homes, staying with whatever friend would take him in at the time or being left to find a warm floor to sleep on.  

My thoughts on the film are it can a teachable moment.  Let's not make it out to be a slam on the black community in the sense that they can't "save" their own.  In Michael's case he happened to be part of an immediate community that really was incapable of intervening.  That certainly doesn't mean that all members of the black community are unable or unwilling to adopt, foster or offer help to black children in need.  I don't think that the movie left people believing that is the case.  There are bad seeds in every walk of life.  People of all color, race and religion are capable of doing wrong by their children.  We have all heard of many cases where the black community has stepped  in and raised other people's children.  In Michael's case this just wasn't one of them, it's that simple.  The Tuohy's stepped up, saw a child of this world in need and did what it takes to make him successful!  That's where the teachable moment comes in:  when you see another fellow human being in need, and you have the means to meet those needs and your heart is in the right place, irregardless of color, religion, society's norms, etc.. you need to go for it.  It's no more complex than that.  A human being is a human being, and we all have far more in common than we do not in common.  


I have done a ton of reading on trans racial adoption and realize there are a mountain of things to be aware of.  I would never be so naive to think that as a white mother I can solely arm my black son with all that he needs as a black male in today's world.  In Michael's case his basic needs were not even being met, we can not fool ourselves into thinking that we can continue to ignore the fact that this is the case for millions of children world wide.  First let's give the world's children a safe, loving home, three nutrional meals a day, a predicatable routine, a solid education and an arsenal of extended community members that can help foster the child's whole being.  When that is being done on a large scale that's when we can pick and choose the homes these children in need go to, that's when we can really worry about whether a black family vs. a white family is best for any particular child.  Meanwhile we don't have the right to decide that a black child or hispanic child or asian child is better off being raised in a abusive home, foster home or orphanage because a family that shares the same skin color or cultural identity isn't stepping forward to raise them properly!  Nor should we worry about "saving face" of those that are abusing, neglecting, or in anyway harming the total well being of a child because it's politically incorrect or potentially damaging to a particular group of people.  


Watch the movie, enjoy the success that Michael finds and realize that the Tuohy's have learned much more from Michael than he will ever learn from them! 

Here is Morelson's November Smilebox.  He is getting SO big!  Our boy needs to come home!

http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d5449304e5459794d6a42384d6a45324e5451314e44673d0d0a&sb=1

Winter Fun Has Begun!  First big storm hit October 28-29th.

IT'S OFFICIALLY A NO SCHOOL DAY!  THAT'S RIGHT IT'S ONLY OCTOBER 28TH AND OUR FIRST SNOW DAY HAS BEEN DECLARED!  SOMETHING TELLS ME WE ARE IN FOR A LONG WINTER!  

 

I look outside my window
and what do I see?

Six inches of fluffy snow
waiting just for me.

School is cancelled for one day.
Buses cannot run.

That’s ok with me because
I’ll have lots of fun.

I grab my boots, coat, and hat.
I run, jump and play.

Scoop it. Toss it. Crackle. Crunch.
Snow Day! Snow Day! Yeah!

We awoke to snow on Saturday morning here in Denver! This was the scene in our front yard. A scarecrow and pumpkins sporting winter's white is typical, but always a sad reality that fall isn't a season we get to have around for very long :(

Capitalism!

It doesn't matter where you stand politically or if you have a stand at all, this movie is a must see! You have to realize that we are in a mess as a country, we the people allowed and created this mess and the time has come that we the people play clean up!

The definition of capitalism:

Economic system characterized by the following: private property ownership exists; individuals and companies are allowed to compete for their own economic gain; and free market forces determine the prices of goods and services. Such a system is based on the premise of separating the state and business activities. Capitalists believe that markets are efficient and should thus function without interference, and the role of the state is to regulate and protect.

Here is the deal folks we have ALL allowed capitalism to run a muck! The idea is great! Create a free market, promote healthy competition, and sit back and reap the rewards of our hard work and ingenuity! Sadly that is only happening for the top 1% of our population. Did you know that those on the very top have more wealth then the combined worth of the rest of the 99% of us? This isn't because they are SO smart and have worked SO much harder than us, it's because they have pulled the wool right over our eyes and we have become defenseless against them thanks to the twisted interests of the good ol' U. S. of A!

Our government is not doing what is said above, they are not "regulating and protecting" they have fed us to the lions! It's been happening for a very long time now, and it will continue to happen until we let them know under no circumstances are we going to allow it to continue. We can do this you know, afterall we do live in a democratic nation right? Oh, wait a minute we actually live in a "bought" union one where money equals power and the more power one has the more they want so they use more money to "buy" more power and it goes on and on and on!

Our politicians are owned and operated by corporations! The key to unlocking this ownership is to have total and I mean 100% set in stone campaign finance reform! The days of a presidential candidate taking millions of dollars from puppeteers needs to stop. You know the old saying "he who has the gold makes the rule!" By allowing our politicians to be bought and therefore controlled by these corporate Goliath's, because let's face it, that's exactly what is happening, we have opened our entire country and all it's citizen to their way or the highway!

This movie is not about putting fear where there is none. You honestly can't watch this movie and not question what you are hearing, it's impossible unless you simply can't think for yourself!

The sad truth is none and I do mean NONE of our political leaders are above the ugliness of this blood sucking game! I voted for Obama and to this day I really, really like the guy! I still feel that he has the potential of doing some good. I'll even go so far as to say that I bet he wishes he hadn't had to be a sell out to get where he is, but the truth is he wouldn't be president if that were the case. If Obabam hadn't taken the mulitple millions of dollars so easily placed into his hands by people such as Goldman Sachs for instance he would be back in the windy city today singing the blues with the rest of the folks sad about not getting the 2016 olympics!

You can't take money like that from corporations and not be expected to play their game, that is the simple truth folks. Money = votes = power. It's certainly not a complex formula! We have dealt the corporations that run this country, yea, the same ones that ran the economy into the toilet due to NO REGULATIONS OR PROTECTION A "FULL HOUSE!" They are gloating that CAPITALISM has allowed them to mascarade an army of unethical, immoral behaviors that if anyone of us were to behave in the same manner we would be utterly ashamed of ourselves!

Please watch the movie. Don't watch it without question, do question, question every last bit of it! Do your homework, read, research, seek the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth! I can promise you it won't be pretty. It's embarrassing what we have allowed this great nation to become. We are loathed around the world becasue we don't know when to leave well enough alone. We can't educate our children good enough to compete in a global market and we can't provide quality healthcare for millions of our own people. But we can produce a free market where the top 1% control and manipulate the other 99% of us all in the name of CAPITALISM!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MORELSON!

WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH! WE ARE SO SAD THAT WE COULD NOT BE TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THIS YEAR. WE CAN'T WAIT TO GIVE YOU A HUGE PARTY NEXT YEAR WHERE YOU WILL BE HOME WITH US FOREVER! YOU ARE SUCH A SWEET BOY, OUR HEARTS ACHE FOR YOU! WE ARE SENDING YOU HUGE HUGS AND KISSES! HANG IN THERE BABY WE ARE COMING FOR YOU THE DAY THAT VISA IS ISSUED!!!!

JWAYE ZANIVESE, MWEN REN MEN OU!!!!!!!!!

Our September Pictures from Haiti have arrived! See Morelson during his birthday month, a few of his buddies and Marie the orphanage director all dressed up for a Haitian wedding! It appears as if the barber had just visited, the boys have NO hair!

I just got off the phone with my very best friend of 28 years now! We met and quickly became best buddies at the ripe old age of 13! We've been through a lot together! First loves and all those that followed, crazy high school antics, both getting married way too young, living worlds apart and still trying to stay connected, giving birth, parenting, adoption, divorce, re-marriage, the death of my mother and now today the death of her father.

Losing a parent is never easy no matter their age, circumstances, having warning or it being sudden. I lost my mom 19 years ago at the incredibly young age of 40! She had a heart attack in her sleep. She did have a damaged heart as we found out three years prior. We were told all was good- do this and this and this and you'll live a full life. She did all of those things and more and we still lost her.

My dear friend's dad was taken by ambulance from the doctor's office 6 days ago and lost his life today surrounded by his wife and four children. He was 72 and had lived a full life. This doesn't ease the pain though when it's your dad, husband, brother, grandfather. It hurts and you struggle and question and worry and then learn to cope.

Karla and I discussed why it is that you can't take a "pass" on the life going on around you when something like this takes place. It just doesn't work that way. She still has two children to care for, a full time high pressure job to deal with, a depressed, uninvolved ex husband and a mourning mother and siblings. As the oldest child she has always been the take charge one, and now she again will take charge as they go to the funeral home tomorrow morning.

I love you Karla and I hope you find the strength and courage to carry your head high as you always have! I'll miss your dad and his sense of humor! I sometimes miss the young ladies we were growing up around him. You know those silly, idealistic girls who just knew that they would find their knight in shining armor and your dad that just sat and listened probably both laughing and yet hoping all of our dreams would come true!

Rest in Peace Bill!

Many thoughts on many things!

My many thoughts on a variety of things......

Lately my brain has been a whirlwind! I have had thoughts all over the map. These various thoughts take me from my sweet beautiful Brielle turning 18 last month all the way to why such the ridiculous fuss over our president talking to school kids? Then there is the EVER looming & all consuming Haiti thoughts! Like when will Morelson finally get home, or is he really coming home, or how much of a delay will we encounter with this year's hurricane season?

My list of random thoughts in NO particular order whatsoever!

1. Why do we still have such an enormous military presence in the middle east?

2. Why do Preschoolers ramble on about meaningless things that are completely and totally off topic even when politely asked to stop and save it for later?

3. Why did a friend of my daughter's say that she couldn't wear anything with the
peace sign because it's "a broken cross?"

4. Why did I think it was a great idea to get a dog?

5. Why do some people find Jay Leno funny? And are there really enough of
these people to support a prime time show?

6. Why do I say I'm not snooty or judgmental and then have a hard time being
around people that aren't like me?

7. Is Sarah Palin REALLY going to get the Republican nomination in 2012?

8. Could I survive in Haiti for a month, 3 months, a year, two years or longer?

9. Would my kids honestly say that I'm a great mom if they knew I wouldn't ever
hear their answer?

10. Am I completely capable, deserving and all around strong enough to bring a
child into my life and expect him to call me his mother? How does one
possibly prepare for such an awesome undertaking?

Today my kids and thousands of others went back to school! Our two oldest are both at the same college this year! Tyler is majoring in education and Brielle in nursing. Lacey started the 8th grade at a very non-traditional school this year. Her new school focuses on experiential learning. We are very excited for her as traditional school wasn't her cup of tea! Now she will be given the opportunity to travel all over the world as part of her studies while addressing all areas of growth and learning! Our youngest is of course still in Haiti. It was sad today as I watched the Kindergarten parents drop off their children right across from my classroom, I was supposed to be one of those parents! Morelson should have been taken to the store with a school supply list in hand, excited to fill the cart with crayons, glue and a new backpack! Instead he continues to wait for us at his orphanage. I know he doesn't really know anything different, but this boy was taken to the orphanage over 3 years ago and as only left for a total of about 18 days during our four visits to Haiti! He doesn't have school outside of the orphanage to look forward to each day, or trips to the park, ice cream store, or museum. He remains within the same four walls day in and day out, waiting for these people that have told him are his forever family. It puts things in perspective doesn't it? I complain when the line at Starbucks is too long, or they get my order wrong at the restaurant or my favorite tv show doesn't air due to a news special.

The biggest lessons we learn don't come from those taught at school. Of course school is valuable, as knowledge is power, but Morelson has taught all of us more than we could have ever imagined and he hasn't even stepped foot in our house!

We love you sweetheart, miss you and ache for you. What a happy day when you are standing at that classroom door, backpack on and smiling that Haitian smile as your mommy is crying with joy!

WOW! We just received our first Granny Bin monthly picture report for Morelson, I know I am seriously bias, but is this boy handsome or what?

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

AFTERBIRTH FOR DINNER. YES I AM DISTURBED.

As I was laying in bed this morning, my husband was drinking his morning coffee, eating his weekday bowl of cereal and reading the grossest thing under the sun! What's worse is that before leaving our home for a week of out of town business he decides to share this disgusting article with me as I enjoy having the bed to myself!

SO............ Here goes I'm now passing the grossness on to you all!

The July 13th, 2009 issue of Time Magazine as seen here, contains possibly the nastiest thing I have ever heard of! Maybe this is not news to all of you, but it is to me. I consider myself fairly forward thinking and moving, I am totally okay with most "hip" ideas even if they are too hip for me, I figure they are bound to sit right with someone out there! But this is just weird! So weird in fact that when I Goggled it guess who's name came up? No, not Michael Jackson (good guess though) go with your second strangest person... Tom Cruise!

Here goes- the author of the article Joel Stein explains how his wife Cassandra fills him in on the fact that she will be keeping her placenta, placing it on ice, having it delivered to her house and later cooked up and turned into pills! I am SOOOO not kidding, this is true, it's in Time Magazine folks, not The Enquirer, and it's being said by a reputable journalist that writes weekly for this well respected publication!

For $275 Joel and his wife have a woman in their home cooking up the placenta, freeze drying it and then turning it into capsules that are said to ward off postpartum depression and increase milk supply! He goes on to say that "placenta lady" got into cooking placenta after taking a Chinese medicine course and has "prepared" two dozen placentas this year! Some of the 120 pills that come of this "placenta lady" states could even be frozen and used by Cassandra during menopause!

The next day "placenta lady" pulls off a beautiful placenta presentation for the new parents complete with a pretty glass jar, a card, a CD full of lullabies and a satin pouch containing a part of their son's umbilical cord!

I'm ALL for curbing postpartum depression, even increasing milk supply, and of course warding off the horrors of menopause! Yikes, I guess I am not hip enough to do it this way however; and am now SO thankful that my fourth and final child comes to me through the beauty of adoption and not with a placenta attached that I might get talked into eating!! GROSS!!

Children living with no clean drinking water or sewer system!

Ladies selling mud pies to those needing ANYTHING in order to stay alive!

MANY HAITIANS DIE WHEN THEIR BOAT SINKS TRYING TO MAKE IT TO A MORE PROMISING LAND!

Sadly many Haitians lost their lives trying to put the pictures you see above behind them! You can see the story and video here! This post isn't to depress you, or guilt you into helping, it's simply to make you aware. Aware of the fact that millions of people in Haiti every single day live with EXTREME poverty, poverty that is impossible for most of us to wrap our brains around. The kind of poverty that sends you to bed hungry, that doesn't allow for medical care, that keeps your children from becoming educated and strips you of any kind of human dignity!

The people that lost their fight for survival on that boat were simply trying to find hope. The kind of hope that would bring them work. Work where they could make enough money to feed their family and possibly give their children a chance for a better future. The hope that maybe they too could go see a doctor when they are sick, or live in a home that provides shelter from the elements. And maybe they even DREAM BIG, something like the picture below. Maybe they dream about having a piece of something we all have. A safe home, food on our table, educated children and hope for a bright future!

IF ONLY THEY TOO COULD HAVE THIS! IF ONLY!

ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY!

PUTTING THE SECRETS OF SIMPLICITY TO WORK!

As some of you may remember I am working on simplifying my life. I blogged a while back about how Target is a strange "fix" for me. I go there, get a Starbucks, grab a cart and begin loading it with needless items for some kind of unhealthy and unexplainable "high." I've been reading Secrets of Simplicity and actually put some of my training into action today! My friend Kendra told me how she started going to Target w/ cash only, no debit cards, credit cards, or checks in sight! I tried it for myself today, and low and behold, I'm still here to talk about it! It didn't send me to an early grave, or even give me near the anxiety I had anticipated.

I left my house with my list, my list contained only 5 items. Part of me did really debate if it were worth going to Target for only 5 items. After some thought about having to actually wash the dishes by hand if I didn't get dishwasher detergent I quickly decided a trip was most definitely in order!

I CAN'T lie, I did get a Starbucks, I actually didn't even tell my self I wouldn't since there is only SO much one trying to recover shop- aholic can pull of at any one time!! But I did leave my house w/o a debit card, or check book (we do NOT use credit cards, and haven't for more than a year now!) I stood in line for my coffee and thought about how quick my trip to the store was going to be today. I also realized I didn't even need a cart! That was a strange feeling to me, as I am very accustomed to getting the cart, moving slowly through the aisles and loading various non essentials into it. I grabbed a basket for what I believe really has to be the first time! It could not have taken me more than 7 minutes to get my 5 items and be standing in line. Goodness, I think I had only taken a sip or two of my coffee. Another "aaahhh" moment came over me! If I continue to go to Target w/ a list, and only cash to spend, why would I waste my money and precious calories on a Starbucks coffee? I don't even get the satisfaction of drinking it so, so slowly as I ponder what foolish item to put into my cart next??

I CAN NOW GO TO TARGET WITHOUT GETTING A COFFEE! People this is huge!

THANK YOU KENDRA! Now that I have blogged this, I must keep it up, here is hoping Target trip #2 w/ cash goes as well as trip #1!

Read more about CNN's Black in America 2. CNN will present tonight & tomorrow night it's second part to the documentary done by Soledad O'Brien on being black in America.

I encourage you all to tune in, as "this is not programming for black Americans, this is programming for all Americans!"

There are ill's in today's society from disease, to lack of education, to marital woes, to crime. And while these things are disproportionately experienced by black's in America, they are by NO means a uniquely black problem. These are all very real American problems!

While this programming focuses on blacks, I hope that we can all see our roles in changing the direction of America. It's yet another reminder that we are truly in this together, as we are ALL American's and regardless of our skin color, we need to present a united front. No matter where we came from or how we got to where we are, or where we still need to go, the fight to conquer today's issues needs to remain "all American!" It's clear to most of us already and if it isn't this documentary will help you see that life in America has certainly not been fair or easy for black's. But life in America is changing for ALL of us, and those of us that are from the white privileged set are now realizing what so many others have already known for so long! There is of course no easy answer, but uniting, rather than continuing to separate has to be more right than wrong!

Crested Butte, Colorado is laidback, rugged and simply beautiful!

We just got back from spending a few glorious days in Crested Butte. According to us there is no better place in the entire state! Crested Butte which is located in the South Central Rockies remains one of the most historically authentic and captivating ski/summer fun towns in Colorado! The small downtown which is a national historic district just oozes charm, with not a single chain store in sight! The number of excellent restaurants is very disproportionate to it's population! While here we always enjoy a few "bests!" The best pizza, the best coffee, the best views, the best outdoor exercise and the VERY BEST OF ALL.. the best nothing to do; but soak it all up!!!

Yes the town does get it's influx of "I have way too much money and I want everyone to know it" type, but somehow they just can't take away from the "I love nature, insanely hard mountain bike trails, restaurants with weird themes, yet great beer & living life to it's fullest type!! The Butte is hip and hippie all rolled into one outstanding package of glorious beauty and acceptance! We love Crested Butte in the winter for it's amazing skiing on a mountain that has something to offer all types of abilities, that never seems to be over crowded or infused with the fur wearing type. We love the snow, more snow and "oh my gosh it's snowing again" factor! We love Crested Butte in the summer for it's bike trails, hiking trails, incredibly warm, with only a light breeze, no bugs in sight evenings. In general we just love the fact that the locals ride their single speed "townies" everywhere. They ride them in the rain, the snow, the sunshine of course and to pick up several lattes for friends from Camp 4 Coffee! We love the idea of allowing our kids to "roam" the town. Really there is nothing that could go very wrong in this place. Hand them some money, or better yet just let them tell the folks at Camp 4 Coffee that mom and dad will be by later to settle up for the hot chocolates they ordered (yes you can really do that here!) It's an all American small town with a heartbeat and zest for life big enough to keep any world traveler happy, engaged, full on good food & drinks and certainly plotting to do it all again!

HERE IS THE PILE OF THE 125 PIECES OF CLOTHING THAT I CLEARED FROM MY CLOSET TODAY!

This chore was on my list of summer tasks! I got around to tackling it today. It was kind of fun really. Brielle helped me and her and I laughed about some of my "What not to wear" fashion choices! She made me try jeans on, and then I had to hear how really NONE of them were "right!" I also heard a lot of "I remember when Tyler and I used to laugh every time you wore that!" Or, "how come you used to wear your jeans so high, I didn't even know they made jeans that could go that high!" It feels like I got rid of the majority of my wardrobe, of course according to the 17 year old helping me that needed to be the case!

But as I was loading the pile into three large lawn bags I realized I felt a huge sense of relief! This lovely warm feeling come over me, the knowledge that I will no longer need to walk into my closet and find myself completely overwhelmed with what to put on! I NEVER like what I have anyways, so now that I have a much smaller pool to choose from, I won't have to hate as many things!

We've all read those wonderful fashion articles or even seen on Oprah how you really only need 10 basic pieces of clothing in your closet. Click here if you are truly interested in how to turn your dysfunctional closet into a functional one! According to that article I could have at least 32 seperate outfits w/ those 10 items. Now what more does a girl need? Of course I won't wear the black suit, or black dress, but yeah that has to leave me at least 20 outfits, or am I allowed to swap those items out for something more "me?"

And People Stil Think That Racism Is No Longer A Problem!

SUMMER FUN! I GUESS IT ISN'T FOR EVERYONE!

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pool-Boots-Kids-Who-Might-Change-the-Complexion.html

Some of you may have already seen this else where on the web. But in case you haven't run across this gross injustice thought I would post it here.

It's pretty obvious that when the pool was booked for the day camp, the manager "assumed" the children would be white. I would also venture to guess that the non minority children swimming that day at the pool would have accepted their peers w/o question. It seems it was a parent that didn't like the "complexion" change!

Congrats to a fellow adopting family

We are so happy for our fellow adopting family at http://5frozenchamorros.blogspot.com/ they are on their way today to bring home their precious boy from our orphanage in Haiti! We can't wait to see the homecoming pictures! They have waited a very long time for this day, and we are all hoping that his brother will be on his way VERY soon!

IS SHE A QUITTER? "YOU BETCHA!"

Sarah Palin announced she was quitting her job as Alaska's Governor the end of the month. In yet another rambling and confusing speech, where she gave multiple analogies that make no sense what so ever she said she was leaving her post due to a "higher calling."

YIKES! I'm scared we will be seeing the Sarah Palin show on Fox, right after Huckabee!

Is it really a "higher calling" she seeks? Or is she possibly running from the 15 separate ethics complaints that have been filed against her and her office?

This woman scares me much more than the non-stop Michael Jackson clips we have been subjected to. If given the choice between listening to Sarah Palin speak or watching scenes from the Thriller video over and over again, I say bring on the corpse!

I'm not into slamming Sarah Palin because it's "in" or because she is an ultra-conservative Republican and I am not. I think she is a hard working mother, she loves her children even when they make tough mistakes and I believe she does love our country. But I find her to be completly laking intelligence and character.

Sarah, since you love sport analogies so much, I'll use one on you. You can't change the game if you get out of it! Please do us all a favor & don't come off the bench, stay home in Wasilla, raise your family and attend as many hockey games as possible. Oh, yeah, maybe kill a moose or two while you are at it!

IN NEED OF SURGERY!

Our poor old beautiful ash tree is infested with bark beetles! The tree surgeons are now telling us it must have surgery! The downer is that we can't operate until next year. I guess we have to treat the tree first w/ some special fertilizers both this fall and next spring. Then once the tree is out of "shock" and is more stabilized we can go ahead with the surgery to rid it of it's poor dying branches. Meanwhile the neighbors have to live with the eye sore it has become for a whole year! We are just thankful the tree can be saved. It provides us with much needed shade in the heat of summer and some lovely tranquility for our "in the works" front patio area! They told us since Colorado has basically been in a drought now for 10 years, this made for a perfect nest for the oh so gross bark beetles. Guess it takes a while for their work to become evident.

This June was the wettest June on record for Denver since 1892! We actually have mosquitoes here, we NEVER have them, thank goodness! I'm not thinking this means we are actually out of the drought, but it's a step in the right direction for all of the old beautiful trees in our neighborhood!

I was reading a recent post on the party of five blog and couldn't believe what I read! Fellow Haitian boys (home from Haiti since they were 8 months old) Kyle and Owen who just turned five in May went to the doctor for their annual well check. Kyle is 3'10" and 52 lbs. & Owen is 3'11.5" and 50 lbs. That puts these boys over the 95 percentile on the growth charts!

Our handsome boy who was 5 1/2 when we last saw him in April, stood only 3 ft. 7" and weighed in at just 33 lbs. This puts him at the barely 5th percentile.

I know the twins have been with their family for 4 years, with good nutrition, health care and tons of love, but wow they are huge in comparison! I sure hope home cooked meals, Dr. Aiken's attention and loads of love can give Morelson a much needed boost in growth!

It will most likely be amazing to see the transformation that first year I am sure. I've complained about buying too much for him w/ the thought that he'll out grow it all before he can wear it. I now hope my fears come true! Let's get you here and put some meat on those boys small fry!

We are thinking about you baby, you had two friends come home to Texas today. Their mom just posted on how amazing it is to see them sleeping in their beds. Just the thought of seeing you here in your bed, is so incredibly warming to me! It's those thoughts that continue to carry us through. I hope you enjoyed your recent care package, maybe we'll get a picture of you receiving it. I know how wonderful you are at sharing, I'm hoping that you left some of those cashews for your own tummy!

I am on a new kick to simplify my life! So what is the first thing I do, go out and buy a book titled Secrets of Simplicity. Ironic isn't it? The biggest goal I've set for myself is to simplify by way of not spending!

I've had the book for well over a week now and honestly it has inspired me. I still think practicing yoga has played a big role as well. I'm a spender through and through! And old habits die hard! I have however seen myself begin this transformation. Here is the silly, embarrassing, hard to put into print truth. I spend money on the dumbest things! Seriously, dumb crap! I'm a spender with a routine I've decided. By this I mean I have these strange rituals. 1. I go to Target. 2. I grab a cart. 3. I stand in line at the Starbucks. 4. I wander the store thinking about what I can possibly justify putting into my cart. 5. I then put items into the cart that I will probably use but not sure when. Mind you these aren't really "fun" things, more like shaving cream or a kitchen towel. 6. I checkout and leave.

This will happen again the next day, and the next and the next! WHY??? Why would a fairly confident, usually motivated, have plenty of things to do to keep her busy woman do this? I don't know if I'll ever know the why, I'm sure there is some deep rooted, ugly reason to the madness that can't possibly work it's way out without professional help or something! But, YEAH, I have my book and the beginnings of a real desire to change, maybe that will be enough. So maybe this week I won't roam Target aimlessly, I won't go to Starbucks daily or even twice daily, OUCH! Don't tell my husband about that one please! I won't buy stuff for Morelson that he'll never fit into by the time he gets here, and I won't continue to add to my stock pile of dish soap and ranch dressing. Oh I almost forgot, I also have an out of control need to eat out, and buy multiple colors of the same shirt that I really like that happens to be on sale! Okay, maybe that will have to come next week. I'm sure the shrink I don't have would tell me to take baby steps! Wish me well, I'm sure it's going to be a long work in progress.

Reality TV, UMH....... It's only TV viewing for millions, but harsh reality for this family of 10!

Many of you will find this post to be silly, after all it's only a TV show right? I find it to be so much more. Jon and Kate declared last night on their show that they will divorce after 10 years of marriage and 8 children! Maybe she was just too mean? Maybe he cheated? Maybe the fame went to her head? Maybe he was not motivated enough? Maybe she enjoyed her time away promoting the show a little too much? Maybe he had one too many drinks while out?

Maybe..Maybe.. Just Maybe..They were two people who fell in love many years ago, ended up with 8 children and no real way to support them, found out that our society is full of barracudas when it comes to reality TV and dove in head first!

I'm not saying it is "our" fault that Jon and Kate are divorcing. But man we sure can eat these people up and then spit them right back out! And all of this in the name of entertainment, you have to admit, something just doesn't sit right with that!

Yes, they made their bed, they chose to be players in this ugly game of reality TV. I have to say I don't blame them, and no I don't feel that the kids are being exploited, that's nonsense! This game has allowed them some freedoms and flexibility that we are all envious of I'm sure. No it's not all about money, but to quote Dr. Phil, "let's get real here" money is and always would be a huge factor when raising 8 children! No the kids don't have to live in a beautiful house, or wear a new outfit from Gymboree daily, or go on vacation, or have music lessons, or get braces, or go to college. But if I were them and I could "play" this game for awhile and bring these extras to my family and not have the stress of full time employment and wonder where the next round of 8 pairs of shoes are possibly coming from I would do it too!

Would they have divorced without the show? I think it's highly likely the answer is yes. And just what would that look like? It certainly wouldn't have afforded them the luxury of keeping that sprawling house w/ acres of land for the kids to roam. A real "home" base for them. It's mom and dad that will have to come and go and share in their time and responsibilities of their 8 kids, but the kids stay put, in their home, w/ all of their "stuff" a blanket of security in their now forever changed world! Lucky they are not, but fortunate enough to have these added comforts to help ease the hurt. As a once divorced mom of three little ones (glad it wasn't 8!) I would have "played" that game to offer my kids those kind of comforts in a heartbeat!

Lacey's sweet "little" find!

Lacey could not have been happier on Friday when she discovered that Pac Sun now had in stock skinny jeans! But they didn't not only have skinny jeans, they actually had skinny jeans in a size 00! This is HUGE ; well if anything that little can be huge! Lacey has been traumatized by the fact that her dear old mom is still having to buy her jeans at The Gap! In my own defense The Gap's jeans fit her well, and I find them "cute." Yeah, that's the problem no 13 year old wants "cute" jeans! I liked going into The Gap and picking out the little girl's 12 slims and calling it good. In Lacey defense however; this scenario has been happening for far too long now! She has been determined to find "real" jeans that she can actuallly manage to keep up. Her day has finally come, Pac Sun has pulled through for her! In all honesty, they are still a bit big, and the skinny on her isn't as skinny as the maker had in mind. But they do stay up, they are in style, and they aren't "cute!" They are Sweet and skinny, oh sooo skinny! If only mom had this "problem" as well!
Enjoy your skinny jeans Lacey!

Dear Dad,

It was truly a joy spending a few days with you this week. I can't believe that we have allowed so much time to go by. There just isn't an excuse good enough for that. So much has happened through the years & losing mom was so difficult on us all in very different ways. I think so often of all the things I wish I could tell her, show here, share with her even after all of these years. My heart is overwhelmingly heavy when I think of her never seeing any of the kids. Not knowing how much Brielle looks like her, or how Lacey would love to hear her sing or how Tyler would appreciate her gentle gestures of kindness. How much I would love to have her look at the pictures of Haiti with us and listen to our stories of our visits with Morelson.

But dad; we have you and are so thankful for that. The memories you hold onto and share with such pride are worth mountains to us. We love you, enjoy you, appreciate you and look so forward to never allowing this crazy amount of time to build between us. Happy Father's Day Dad! Don't change we really do like: the never ending stories, the infectious laugh, your inability to say the letter "r," the fact that you are insanely technologically challenged, your love of baseball and respect for hard work.

But most importantly, the piece of you that I cherish most is the immense love and sincere wishes of hope and success I see you carry in your heart for all of us!! That is what matters dad, and that is what you have!

WE LOVE YOU!

Singing the Adoption Blues!

Some days are so much easier than others! This has not been an easy day. A fellow adopting family who are the parents of two boys from our orphanage were supposed to be granted the visa for one of their boys today. Yes, only one of the two was even given the shot at a visa today, and he didn't get it! I guess it's a long complicated story as to why, yet again there had to be ANOTHER set back!

One has to wonder just how many set backs a person can take before completely losing it?? You begin this process with such hope and amazement and it slowly becomes a daily struggle to hang on to all of that hope! Yet hope is all we have! All of us that are adopting from Haiti of course feel that our children are no where else, our kids are in Haiti, they sit there day after long day waiting and wondering why in the world it is taken us so long to bring them to their forever families. We first met Morelson 15 months ago, and as long as I live, I will NEVER, EVER forget that horrible, pleading, heartbreaking, earth shattering cry that he let out when we had to say goodbye to him. He was ready to go home with us right then are there! It was hands down the hardest thing I had ever done to say goodbye to him on that hot, humid & oh so loud Haitian street! I remember Marie, the orphanage director saying to us "don't cry, your turn will come."
Will it? Really? When? As each new family suffers a set back, as our file continues to sit in that black hole they refer to as IBESR for moving on a year now, just when will our turn come? As Morelson continues to grow and develop without the loving aid of his family, I ponder what is he really thinking? How could he possibly know that we think of him multiple times each and every day, that I have already cried so many tears over the fact that he'll miss the first day of Kindergarten that we so "hopefully" signed him up for! That his 6th birthday will soon be here, and he won't! That when we sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and try to remember all of the things we are thankful for he won't be here to look over at! It hurts, and yes on day's like today I'm feeling sorry for myself.

I hope that Morelson is happy today! I hope that he stayed busy with his "siblings" at the Orphanage, that he got to ride the bike the boys all seem to love, and that he goes to bed tonight will a full tummy and a warm heart full of thoughts of his family coming for him! A fellow adopting mom is on her way to Haiti today and she is bringing our guy a care package. My next few days will be filled with the picture of his beaming smile as he gets the goodie bag. He'll find his favorites: M&M's, salted cashews, a chocolate brownie cliff bar, a toy prism, a matchbox car and a picture of the mama and papa that miss him all the way to the moon and back!

MWEN REN MEN OU CHERIE!

The Boys Of Summer Are Back!




Our Colorado Rockies Won Their 10th In A Row Last Night!







The Rockies under new management are hoping to salvage what's left of the season. With 10 wins in a row I'd say it's a decent start!

Clint Hurdle was a really nice guy and is an awesome advocate for children with Prader Willi Syndrome, but just not well suited for being the manager of a major league baseball franchise! Here's hoping our new main man, Jim Tracy can continue to get our boys to perform!

My dad is coming from out of state and we'll all be going to the game on Thursday. I'm really looking forward to a warm summer day, a cold beverage, a not so good for me ball park frank, a good game of ball and most importantly the company of my FAMILY! TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL PARK!