tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9345399785411060052024-02-06T21:52:00.034-08:00Adoption : Raising SophieRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-71369737970252058852012-02-12T20:22:00.000-08:002012-02-12T20:22:37.215-08:00People ... just sayin'<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Well ... here I am again. I'm not to good at keeping this blog up am I? Well, I've got a lot going on and I forget to do this!! </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>But I have to share this story with you. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>We go every year to the beach with my parents and they have some "friends" they've met in the many years they've been going. Now the lady I'm going to tell you about is in this group of friends but obviously not a very close one. Okay here goes:</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>We go to a picnic at this particular place where they all gather to catch up on the years events for each other. We've been many times with this group, so I guess this is why this encounter took me by such shock! I just never know what to say when people say things to me (until after the fact) so anyway....</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>My husband was not with us on this particular trip he had to work and was coming down on the weekend, so he wasn't with us at this at this picnic. My mother, my grandfather, my daughter and I are sitting there minding our own business catching up with friends, and this lady, who is NOT new to this group, walks up. Keep in mind my daughter is now 3 1/2 yrs old at the time this happened. This lady has seen her at least three times (once a yr for the last 3 yrs). Okay, so she walks up to me at the table while pointing her finger at my daughter who is eating her lunch beside her grandmother and her great grandfather, and this lady says to me "Does she speak English?" (Now we are a Caucasian family, but not albinos, we've got a little Cherokee Indian in us, but my daughter is Hispanic/Caucasian) I look at this lady and I say "yes". </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>***What I should have said "NOPE"***</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>She says "Well there's some Spanish in there somewhere, where does it come from?" I say "She's adopted and her birth father is Hispanic" </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>***What I should have said is "The MILKMAN" And left it at that. ***</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I guess I'm just to honest and don't think to give people stupid answers when they clearly </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>deserve them. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I know so far this isn't too bad really, but the fact that we've seen this woman for three years in a row, and I know she's seen all of us together including my husband and knows my family....well she should have known. NOT that I mind telling anyone my daughter is adopted, or telling her story, but her last words really got to me ..... after a little further conversation with us..... nothing noteable I might add, she turns to leave but before she does she says </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"Well speaking Spanish ought to </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>come naturally to her."</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Idiot woman. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Fortunately my happy little girl was too busy chowing down on her SPAGHETTI that she didn't pay attention to this crazy woman!! </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Oh the crazy things people will say to you:</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Here's some doozies we've gotten:</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"Will you tell her about her REAL mom?"</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"REALLY...she knows she's adopted?"</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"So .. you're NOT her mother and father."</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I am sure there are more I'll come back and post them as I remember them or get new ones! LOL</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>If you've adopted and have got some good ones people have said to you please tell us in a comment what they were!</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I just wish people would think before they speak and how it will affect the people around them especially any children that may be around.</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioU-8kGhy8nPTESgGI7jk8ffet9CNO-W1hGe2znD4hWz96Mogg8A5j57gTn6avKypIQv7UlXlpSY86DV7rXmnDuLQNupNJET21AcjQdn1HvQJcUX7OlqOKAiLfWc4jNoYFiYHTOGp0BsQ/s1600/beachnov2011+173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioU-8kGhy8nPTESgGI7jk8ffet9CNO-W1hGe2znD4hWz96Mogg8A5j57gTn6avKypIQv7UlXlpSY86DV7rXmnDuLQNupNJET21AcjQdn1HvQJcUX7OlqOKAiLfWc4jNoYFiYHTOGp0BsQ/s320/beachnov2011+173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
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</i></b></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-62350486961884358432011-07-30T08:20:00.000-07:002011-07-30T08:20:33.192-07:00Wow! Someone said "IT"<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>You know it's going to happen, yet you really don't know what to say when it does. Someone says to your adopted child "I wish you would have stayed with your other mommy and never came here." </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>You kind of expect this kind of stuff on the playground at school, but in your very own home, by a child you love as your own? Well it happened, and I don't know if I handled correctly or not but I do know it broke my heart. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i> My daughter wasn't as affected by it as I was. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>The children I keep during the day are related to me, and I love them very much, which is why I suppose this hurt me so bad. They were told to clean up my daughter's bedroom before lunch was to be served. They had all been in there playing all morning, and I believe they had every toy in the floor. Well one of the children was so upset that now they had to clean up the mess they all made, she looked at my daughter and said "I wish you would have stayed with your other mommy and never came here." When I heard those words my head started spinning, "What did you just say?" I asked the child. Then she repeated to me what she had said. Shocked, I put my hands on her shoulders and asked her how she would feel if someone told her they didn't want her around? Of course I know she didn't really mean it, after all she was just thinking if my daughter weren't here she wouldn't have to clean her room. Little does she know she still would have been cleaning up any mess in any room they had made it in even if we had never adopted our daughter! But anyway, she knew she had messed up and told me it would hurt very bad if we told her she wasn't wanted around. I asked her would she like me to tell her "I wish you never would have been born into this family?" She said no that would be very mean. SO I reminded her that my daughter was born into this family also, just in a different way than she was. I also firmly reminded her to never say that again, to my daughter or to anyone for that matter.</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I guess this hit me so hard because it is one of my greatest fears, that my daughter will one day feel like she is not part of this "family" because she isn't biologically attached to us. That we could send her back. That we don't love her as much because she is adopted. That we too wish she would have stayed with her birth mommy. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Of course this will never happen, as she is our daughter in every sense of the word. We love her more than we could ever explain. She is the light of our lives. She will always be our precious baby.</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I just hope that she will understand this and be able to let things like this go without paying much attention to them. Like she did this time....I asked her did she hear what the other child had said? and she says to me "Yes mommy, she was talking about my other mommy, and that's okay mommy, I don't mind." So thank goodness she didn't really understand what the other child had said.</i></b></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-64859609354955518642011-06-22T13:17:00.000-07:002011-06-22T13:17:48.201-07:00Checking In:<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Okay time to make this blog what I meant for it to be in the first place! A place to come and read about our adoption experience and experiences we have raising our adopted daughter! I've added two tabs up top for you. One is about Open Adoption, one is about Questions you might expect from your agency or home study agency. More tabs to come with different topics soon! </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Please note these are OUR experiences and you may or may not have similar experiences. If you are just starting out with the adoption process I hope this blog can be a place where you can come and read about some things that may be worrying you, and hopefully put your mind at ease. I will periodically post about our own adopted daughter.(That's mostly what I've posted about in the past), however I really want to help couples who are considering adoption or are in the process see what they might can expect in the process. Please feel free to email me questions about adoption experiences that you want to share or have questions about. I will answer them if I can, or try to help you find an answer. I do not know everything about adoption, but I know how we felt during the process, and would like to help ease your mind if I can!</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I have also added two Face Book pages that I believe you should "like" and follow. They have really good posts on adoption and you can see that you are not alone! You can find them in the right hand sidebar, if you click the "LIKE" button it will take you to the actual face book page.</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I have lots of plans for this blog, so stay tuned for more, and share us with your friends & family! Please use the tweet, and share buttons to help people find us! </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>~ Becky</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
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</div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-69398650813404278782010-06-02T06:51:00.000-07:002010-10-21T10:31:15.417-07:00Our Veggie & Herb Plants<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXHTfvKkbTgSayamXeRTJVD4M8ErVqbC3gIYPBf4Syv5oFV7Cc9uLAtGDEZt_9xbiXd_m8UsAQMdl6x3GhEqc_uz2FFjvuj2roKhAXSm_rEKrA6onU7r2-U8AatAWv5rOuvJU7bK8I7s/s1600/plants+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXHTfvKkbTgSayamXeRTJVD4M8ErVqbC3gIYPBf4Syv5oFV7Cc9uLAtGDEZt_9xbiXd_m8UsAQMdl6x3GhEqc_uz2FFjvuj2roKhAXSm_rEKrA6onU7r2-U8AatAWv5rOuvJU7bK8I7s/s400/plants+007.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478186096613092338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuBNN-FUjZ3zU9nEvUrB7PRVInaw07kBCyy0TMg9u4IA0cw20ft7rcb0Gla5mqCotTfp1uslCQdQXInJbHZLC64GE0NhVMYJQadBbqc2QAXSdoSwZGE77IRFMbE-U8-Au_a8bHZnOECQ/s1600/plants+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuBNN-FUjZ3zU9nEvUrB7PRVInaw07kBCyy0TMg9u4IA0cw20ft7rcb0Gla5mqCotTfp1uslCQdQXInJbHZLC64GE0NhVMYJQadBbqc2QAXSdoSwZGE77IRFMbE-U8-Au_a8bHZnOECQ/s400/plants+004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478186091981662626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCY1LcsH5AZbBxIdl9uwV6tGxdwfaSIIRDmBj7lg0jMKz9R-Lvt4J2dM_dQHgNMSWSD_wH3TX9nWdZRCvvqQ7EXousHUJH3H3qO-0jEbQx8-iRBjGVcNsp1TXjnJ6M0fyCJrmcBj9Z9s/s1600/plants+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCY1LcsH5AZbBxIdl9uwV6tGxdwfaSIIRDmBj7lg0jMKz9R-Lvt4J2dM_dQHgNMSWSD_wH3TX9nWdZRCvvqQ7EXousHUJH3H3qO-0jEbQx8-iRBjGVcNsp1TXjnJ6M0fyCJrmcBj9Z9s/s400/plants+003.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478186077042463074" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_L_uFxd0QoWMLDCRnTgozmMZ8SOOzoc_2B83-q6HsZZsXhaYlrThX6moH1yavuWa4S5OWC_V_FgpVZb78qBksCKbVDJId_Q3ave3tjJtrX1U2AeaarWWsYYIq30uS9S0i2UkWaRSKfpY/s1600/plants+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_L_uFxd0QoWMLDCRnTgozmMZ8SOOzoc_2B83-q6HsZZsXhaYlrThX6moH1yavuWa4S5OWC_V_FgpVZb78qBksCKbVDJId_Q3ave3tjJtrX1U2AeaarWWsYYIq30uS9S0i2UkWaRSKfpY/s400/plants+002.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478186073391136370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWDBFUJB8w2yhwBJXUCI1sZGPJDiEnNFT99FYkSGoZt93O4NSTQX7A-NHZl8_ZHS_E2aDLk3rx9mt6p2nADeJ52TeqRfvNUyBNYfDdnzTPEVHPVEVOhR8aHFvQBZaL6ZUwqJ2-4P_LNA/s1600/plants+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWDBFUJB8w2yhwBJXUCI1sZGPJDiEnNFT99FYkSGoZt93O4NSTQX7A-NHZl8_ZHS_E2aDLk3rx9mt6p2nADeJ52TeqRfvNUyBNYfDdnzTPEVHPVEVOhR8aHFvQBZaL6ZUwqJ2-4P_LNA/s400/plants+001.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478186066304610738" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">O<i>h my gosh!!! Another month gone with no post. I know I said i was going to get more adoption information up here for anyone interested in the process of adopting through an agency. I haven't accomplished that yet, but I have to share our gardening adventure. I will get around to the adoption process!!</i></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><i>Well my last post was that we actually had plants from our seed plantings, you see this is significant for me, because I have never been interested in nor could I seem to get anything to grow!! Well....... My back deck is beginning to look like a JUNGLE....and for the first time in the five years we have lived here, I actually want to go sit on my deck, it's beginning to be the deck I envisioned when we built this house.</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><i>Not to mention that my daughter and my nieces are actually learning and seeing where vegetables come from. They are excited when we have a veggie to pluck and eat!!!</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><i>I'm getting into this container gardening so much I'm already planning next years crop, as we learn what does well, and what does not. I'm also REALLY getting into my herb garden, I want to learn so much more about herb gardening. For now we are reveling in the fact we actually grew something, and KEPT it alive!!!</i></span></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-27640629458655189162010-04-24T11:09:00.000-07:002010-04-24T11:22:58.397-07:00We have Plants!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3CgVxt8ZTMYLwFgxDkByKk_ZrtJbp4PX_MHjpVON5WAjBO3h2dAgceyTvC9ly_UPklwGoyn6yANHDR-HtdT0StZxAPr1GY_pKH1OF15tWeQ7zYck9YZyqWyOrn69dqA0VzoqWtZ7nmE/s1600/Easterapril2010+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3CgVxt8ZTMYLwFgxDkByKk_ZrtJbp4PX_MHjpVON5WAjBO3h2dAgceyTvC9ly_UPklwGoyn6yANHDR-HtdT0StZxAPr1GY_pKH1OF15tWeQ7zYck9YZyqWyOrn69dqA0VzoqWtZ7nmE/s400/Easterapril2010+002.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463771201789561394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Uja1jSkzznZ9yt9SVhlnNy17BlKq-Gzky5Dj9oRE022JZy8cwR8-y-w_2Po7TKB47wzKGnrxCw6XspO0jo58YpooXteF17dGjEHbkWJw2A3S6eB-TzLD4wkS-y-_xe-TIBUCrvX8iWc/s1600/Easterapril2010+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Uja1jSkzznZ9yt9SVhlnNy17BlKq-Gzky5Dj9oRE022JZy8cwR8-y-w_2Po7TKB47wzKGnrxCw6XspO0jo58YpooXteF17dGjEHbkWJw2A3S6eB-TzLD4wkS-y-_xe-TIBUCrvX8iWc/s400/Easterapril2010+007.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463770930849610210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vV52_1JCnVaaT3qU4MhlE3YXcIpBtvEzyiPrOlzkPue_UadiuQzdZkdISLGh6sHPv87WRK4tmyR_OQxssOBe_Fw17XpBqNFNn0VO5CPreH3qHOYp4v11-cpRTpGC0TRM_oC2sDIetVM/s1600/Easterapril2010+008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vV52_1JCnVaaT3qU4MhlE3YXcIpBtvEzyiPrOlzkPue_UadiuQzdZkdISLGh6sHPv87WRK4tmyR_OQxssOBe_Fw17XpBqNFNn0VO5CPreH3qHOYp4v11-cpRTpGC0TRM_oC2sDIetVM/s400/Easterapril2010+008.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463770717711893890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimX4b8twT_dZOCLUE5xP2CYhUi5VCKlWxLNQj77fkQFfhw-xtKlgOiWyLDtARimc84FaclgVM1NZJrl8N5qfRzF_OFqkAKcytQAQijiswemET06vFJGChZQrpbbP7Llyz2wWzt09Frs9c/s1600/Easterapril2010+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimX4b8twT_dZOCLUE5xP2CYhUi5VCKlWxLNQj77fkQFfhw-xtKlgOiWyLDtARimc84FaclgVM1NZJrl8N5qfRzF_OFqkAKcytQAQijiswemET06vFJGChZQrpbbP7Llyz2wWzt09Frs9c/s400/Easterapril2010+006.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463770487342590706" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i>Remember our seeds we planted....well some have grown quite a bit and are planted in all sorts of containers on our back deck. These are pictures of our plants while they were still in the house growing. I'll have pictures of the deck with our many containers in a few days. I have to show you how these seeds took off and grew. I know you say 'isn't that what they are supposed to do?" Well yes. However with me in charge of them that is quite a feat. Some sadly did not make it, but a whole lot of them did. I've never been any good at growing things, my grandmother once gave me a house plant, and says to me "if you kill this one ~ something is wrong with you ~ because it would grow in a pile of rocks." Well needless to say it did not grow in soil at my house. I'm very neglectful at watering, and feeding, and re~potting. Thank God my daughter can say "mommy I want to eat!!!" or cry when she was little, when she needed things. Just kidding I don't THINK I would have forgotten to feed her............</i></b></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i>Well here's the pics and I will post again soon, to show their progress. By the way my daughter absolutely LOVED helping me plant them in the bigger containers on the deck. I know she will be extremely excited when she can pluck off her very own ripe cherry tomato and eat it right off the vine!!! She loves tomatoes and cucumbers, and I'm hoping to instill a greater love of the other vegetables once she sees them growing and we can pluck them and eat them and WE GREW THEM!!!</i></b></span></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-24918870111641656862010-03-29T06:08:00.000-07:002010-04-23T06:02:49.114-07:00Easter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguIJwTnbQF9ageHHkUSBatYyeX1c7sjFn_uw3-5LTCyYHqGCYx7eProWTd_HiXP8u3tG8nIQNNAElph3XlO1sjpyORhw-oxx9Ql-dhS13xr4mlV9CtgH1VWwDYxigMNRkdcjvMiz8Lb0/s1600/Easterapril2010+038.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguIJwTnbQF9ageHHkUSBatYyeX1c7sjFn_uw3-5LTCyYHqGCYx7eProWTd_HiXP8u3tG8nIQNNAElph3XlO1sjpyORhw-oxx9Ql-dhS13xr4mlV9CtgH1VWwDYxigMNRkdcjvMiz8Lb0/s400/Easterapril2010+038.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463317535940768242" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oi0H7Tax_qaAhPEZWMaHr8Nv7T05AodrMeCEzxUCmqpGBvq15gCBJoExozt7rqr3Mmru99gryoZhNk5q6EQNnNeZRLQakdJaPXT7bbXLpLEog135n1Fvka_eWaSWl4jTBCkw9Q0CHDU/s1600/Easterapril2010+017.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oi0H7Tax_qaAhPEZWMaHr8Nv7T05AodrMeCEzxUCmqpGBvq15gCBJoExozt7rqr3Mmru99gryoZhNk5q6EQNnNeZRLQakdJaPXT7bbXLpLEog135n1Fvka_eWaSWl4jTBCkw9Q0CHDU/s400/Easterapril2010+017.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463317123756250802" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lPB9VevjUEtIVE6IXLeNE3DDN6HqCpfclsYeuh4HB8JBHNeyE4dimjeqnYuxUIIIcA53V-qUKm4KGlKBLbYjAdC97RTLVUA5mK33keeerXfFdxbU6dKoYfayP3A9rvZCM3uMnh_UtUI/s1600/Easterapril2010+015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lPB9VevjUEtIVE6IXLeNE3DDN6HqCpfclsYeuh4HB8JBHNeyE4dimjeqnYuxUIIIcA53V-qUKm4KGlKBLbYjAdC97RTLVUA5mK33keeerXfFdxbU6dKoYfayP3A9rvZCM3uMnh_UtUI/s400/Easterapril2010+015.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463316872984229042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGp2hSch8fyLIx_ZIYj0G8Hbu2J_YUqhcRkzeGwNKuraD2xK1nVEUkg54ZgiITOFUvjpsMlDPm8LHST-QCvvwnDfhlQojcoOfEfn2_CUTsBDKszY0F3tHA3FuXbd-XuX5FCXl2Y194dNY/s1600/Easterapril2010+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGp2hSch8fyLIx_ZIYj0G8Hbu2J_YUqhcRkzeGwNKuraD2xK1nVEUkg54ZgiITOFUvjpsMlDPm8LHST-QCvvwnDfhlQojcoOfEfn2_CUTsBDKszY0F3tHA3FuXbd-XuX5FCXl2Y194dNY/s400/Easterapril2010+009.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463316664440072770" /></a><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">Easter ~ here it is again. This will be our second Easter with our precious baby girl ~ only she is not such a baby anymore. She is a toddler moving on to an adult!! She is so grown up ~ she helps pick up her toys, she wipes up any thing she spills, she MUST go down the steps by herself, she MUST put on her boots by herself and all kinds of other things by herself. She is Miss independant. I love that and it's also a little sad. </span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">I was thinking last night about all the wonderful memories of Easter I have from my own childhood. I remember going to my grandmother's for Easter dinner, the whole family would come, we would get to hunt Easter eggs, and there were always a lot of kids to play with. Sometimes we would go to the beach with my Great Aunt & Uncle, and my grandparents, they had a little place at the beach, and we'd spend our Easter there. The Easter bunny always knew where to find us. Easter always evokes renewed hope and feelings of everything is going to be alright. It always sunny and happy in my memories!! The word Easter brings up visions of church, bright colors, and sunshine, and this wonderful feeling of Resurrection. Flowers and trees are blooming after a gloomy winter, and things seem new again. I want my daughter to have wonderful Easter memories like I do. However, I've got to create our own new traditions because my grandmother has passed away and my family is spreading out and getting thinner. I'll admit I probably went overboard on the Easter basket this year, but I have a weakness for bright colored anything and candy goodies.! Is it overkill if she gets a chocolate bunny, a chocolate cross, and a chocolate duck?? I'm asking you ~ how do I decide which one?? I can't...it's a major weakness of mine..... maybe I need therapy....I want EVERY color of flower suckers there are, I want EVERY color of egg there is to have........I know she probably wouldn't know the difference, but I would. I can't help myself.... I just love a colorful, happy, sunny, Easter basket filled with beautiful, colorful, delights. I love the feeling it creates when you first look at it. It's delight, surprise, and excitement of new things all wrapped into one. I know Easter isn't about the candy and colors ....it's about Jesus, and she will know that. But I want to know ....is it wrong to associate Jesus with new, exciting, colorful, wonderful, </span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">and family? I think not, you just have to make sure they understand that without Jesus ..... none of this would be possible. </span></em></strong>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-88337722908949398132010-03-18T12:58:00.000-07:002010-03-18T13:14:23.901-07:00Planting Time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnel2yj286_TNZuyvnTvJ-vvwTp_13IcalKcnrZYsAGjkhwUf95sJTLRFMLJp_Fox_Q0qNYxQKIQvqgVGxGsq831NGERwAOT66czbYIZRWtcbZfyHXGG2-NvxXOqZE3R3KKOHg7G-Obg/s1600-h/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+023.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450069391419175746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnel2yj286_TNZuyvnTvJ-vvwTp_13IcalKcnrZYsAGjkhwUf95sJTLRFMLJp_Fox_Q0qNYxQKIQvqgVGxGsq831NGERwAOT66czbYIZRWtcbZfyHXGG2-NvxXOqZE3R3KKOHg7G-Obg/s400/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+023.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKdxIcLI47w0DybvImqGGBzhdGWgA2X6dp03epjfTpAl67y2paNSxKDaC7LKhi-mpu_bv22feYxBqoc2PJhS1Y5JlUw8p7JIFcIDK5ympOXgxcvfL3AbOnXzzsTHQLHPxPJY5L716wmQ/s1600-h/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+015.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450069229405681298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKdxIcLI47w0DybvImqGGBzhdGWgA2X6dp03epjfTpAl67y2paNSxKDaC7LKhi-mpu_bv22feYxBqoc2PJhS1Y5JlUw8p7JIFcIDK5ympOXgxcvfL3AbOnXzzsTHQLHPxPJY5L716wmQ/s400/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+015.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3shbSyIWU995ERMwGpI6roBRI5AbKXTKedYve2Q7TUqlvvpBCBsAADpsEEKz4-HpMdjMiR_Jucoc-PS0nYAlktd08dSr0fTvH1uqbByXj80g-bgebY8W_hdxPrOY5xhRn7dt8S05IvMA/s1600-h/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+018.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450069023116646354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3shbSyIWU995ERMwGpI6roBRI5AbKXTKedYve2Q7TUqlvvpBCBsAADpsEEKz4-HpMdjMiR_Jucoc-PS0nYAlktd08dSr0fTvH1uqbByXj80g-bgebY8W_hdxPrOY5xhRn7dt8S05IvMA/s400/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+018.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1wWDSafyEHsVXkHpLRDUdJetk8ya-yKUdalNgsikp6DQdzbiQD_kNQ4PPJiK1h3Uxd181sGniMVIqYvN-sAsV-eg0mDQkDgRut764P6M0zBw1DJvWj3uZpZaC0bgi7GzX8RTzzoQt4Q/s1600-h/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+019.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450068829797322386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1wWDSafyEHsVXkHpLRDUdJetk8ya-yKUdalNgsikp6DQdzbiQD_kNQ4PPJiK1h3Uxd181sGniMVIqYvN-sAsV-eg0mDQkDgRut764P6M0zBw1DJvWj3uZpZaC0bgi7GzX8RTzzoQt4Q/s400/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+019.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2hMRDVE8RfGlCmI0Fj958IoDTi44XKn7uqk8pb7e3jVg8R-9BVeIMohMwN-loaAO2WXCFJRVeWn60Z_XirW7qtKjAwPsJsfSMENAUNhg-nPeimSyXpZCDX7dylILyK9gFhyphenhyphenfiQJU1c4/s1600-h/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+004.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450068624672414930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2hMRDVE8RfGlCmI0Fj958IoDTi44XKn7uqk8pb7e3jVg8R-9BVeIMohMwN-loaAO2WXCFJRVeWn60Z_XirW7qtKjAwPsJsfSMENAUNhg-nPeimSyXpZCDX7dylILyK9gFhyphenhyphenfiQJU1c4/s400/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+004.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoI43OBuYryupa0fMZOCJzX3RMrlitlVXe3KENp5RyMviaeK1mIUmlj0FxmJQ5cOcEVWqn1e8tkYy3avDq7zKFzhV9EWfYclU9vnq1AzeY0MDjZa5_Vbl4HajmWvBSbLgmNK_8nyHHZ3c/s1600-h/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+011.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450068383278370370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoI43OBuYryupa0fMZOCJzX3RMrlitlVXe3KENp5RyMviaeK1mIUmlj0FxmJQ5cOcEVWqn1e8tkYy3avDq7zKFzhV9EWfYclU9vnq1AzeY0MDjZa5_Vbl4HajmWvBSbLgmNK_8nyHHZ3c/s400/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+011.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0RMTMJhVwDg4Ll2q3KRgn8fpfRULKHOXSE-DTpq4um22XI5Fv6bJIDkIS5eHaTUCDEW9H8t6QnHC-IgCRh2qsP2OJIN6iLi3jYt51FGhHx_PD7I7ESUHJhZlMtBfbBzo7f-CVmT4HCQ/s1600-h/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+002.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 392px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450068207002389810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0RMTMJhVwDg4Ll2q3KRgn8fpfRULKHOXSE-DTpq4um22XI5Fv6bJIDkIS5eHaTUCDEW9H8t6QnHC-IgCRh2qsP2OJIN6iLi3jYt51FGhHx_PD7I7ESUHJhZlMtBfbBzo7f-CVmT4HCQ/s400/Planting+vegetable+seeds+3182010+002.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Today my niece, my daughter and I planted some vegetable seeds for our container garden, that we hope to start in a couple of weeks. Every year I say I'm going to do this, and this year we actually got it started. Now ~ wish me luck in getting them to grow!! My grandmother's green thumb I did not get, but I'm hoping with age and a little luck, I can do this!! One ~ I think a vegetable garden in containers will be gorgeous on our back deck, and give my nieces and my daughter a chance to see where the vegetables in the grocery store actually come from. When I was younger we had to help my dad in the garden and when I went to my cousins house I had to help them in the garden, something I never enjoyed!! I am now wanting to know how to can veggies, and learn more how to raise our own and have them through the winter through freezing and canning. We are also planting a large garden, but I really want a container garden on our back deck also. The way prices are going up in the grocery stores for fresh vegetables that usually rot within' a few days, I feel like this is something we need to take on!! Wish us luck and I will keep you informed of how our veggies grow!! </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-33990985634066445852010-02-02T19:03:00.000-08:002010-02-02T19:10:07.611-08:00Soap Giveaway!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8cVppm8YnZiQARO5kdUAvg_SQ9Q1sKFpglUOuJi-EKDKCRz0jCDzpvj2yBYahbx3Z-9rY4kktj6owyv_qzLpR-qpqYGJgn7oWFQBfp9gK7ysGLzlG7xJuM7RZzl_sz3BRUefxk9EXHk/s1600-h/RebeccasPrize.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 296px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433848842263792194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8cVppm8YnZiQARO5kdUAvg_SQ9Q1sKFpglUOuJi-EKDKCRz0jCDzpvj2yBYahbx3Z-9rY4kktj6owyv_qzLpR-qpqYGJgn7oWFQBfp9gK7ysGLzlG7xJuM7RZzl_sz3BRUefxk9EXHk/s400/RebeccasPrize.jpg" /></a><br /><div><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong> </div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong> </div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong> </div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong> </div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">Wow ! I can't wait to try the BIG SALT LICK BAR of soap created by Rebecca's Soaps. Ha ~ my name is Rebecca also, so I have to try it right? I'm hoping it will help my little girls few spots of eczema!! AND my extremely dry skin, due to my PCOS and diabetes!!! </span></em></strong></div><br /><div><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong></div><br /><div><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">Go here <a href="http://www.naturemanipulted.blogspot.com/">http://www.naturemanipulted.blogspot.com/</a> to get your chance to win a sampling of this soap!!</span></em></strong></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-10509300388396028682009-12-28T06:20:00.000-08:002009-12-28T06:30:24.894-08:00The New Year<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2trC3ktYD5Tx2X_tokSiuz5npyGgwLxxIPQuwJ_eUm9ac_5g0sv5zJEAdAnGq2SZAb_Eox_CgL90Y9OtN0eiViEydU_0O5NsFsuu9DMUJ53vFMl1jSuZ8C920U3dV0l7kSiktb34CY6w/s1600-h/Christmas2009+024.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420294228988964338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2trC3ktYD5Tx2X_tokSiuz5npyGgwLxxIPQuwJ_eUm9ac_5g0sv5zJEAdAnGq2SZAb_Eox_CgL90Y9OtN0eiViEydU_0O5NsFsuu9DMUJ53vFMl1jSuZ8C920U3dV0l7kSiktb34CY6w/s400/Christmas2009+024.jpg" /></a><br /><div><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Well, Christmas is over and the new year is about to start. I don't make new year resolutions, because I always end up breaking them. However there are some things I NEED to do different this year! I MUST get my diet and blood sugar under control. I don't want to be a burden to my baby girl one day. I MUST get busy on this blog, and provide you with the answers you need. I know those questions about adoption ! I hope to accomplish getting the actual forms and questions , procedures and so forth on here so that when you sign up for an adoption, maybe you won't be as lost as we were!!! I MUST get my jewelry business bringing in some steady income!! Okay, that's what I have planned. I'll have to check back here in a year and see how far I got! I would like to start a frequently asked questions section for this blog, so if you have any specific questions about adoption in general, please post them in a comment and I will begin answering and posting all questions, for everyone to see!!!</span></em></strong></div><br /><div><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span></em></strong></div><br /><div><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Hope your year is as wonderful as I FEEL like mine is going to be!!!</span></em></strong></div><br /><div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-1727533316101720692009-12-22T21:06:00.000-08:002009-12-22T21:48:27.235-08:00Christmas Joy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSPPnO6iwfpvhqvMdxlFCgU5d2THf4xxBv-G83StoJQZZnt2AMwwtHHgCD3iFov8uw_ETdNgUhT0DIBBccvuhemLUutaRbMwLCEuvjQ34MsNU592bZywFOAfD6Wt-UL4CsyClTA4hmCk/s1600-h/SophieChristmasPics09+023.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418304263240694978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSPPnO6iwfpvhqvMdxlFCgU5d2THf4xxBv-G83StoJQZZnt2AMwwtHHgCD3iFov8uw_ETdNgUhT0DIBBccvuhemLUutaRbMwLCEuvjQ34MsNU592bZywFOAfD6Wt-UL4CsyClTA4hmCk/s400/SophieChristmasPics09+023.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgP4YMqAvyPaLuZfv3BtAwk9e9Q_opTSNi1-7j41tVscoSVBCvoFjoHBoU6nWTQlQc_rpHCMqnp_aAS5gHHB8cvNkdOBSwSaHc7AAhckHMTCMpvlAmDPHT8DbRE11Ry-IWCNofzoxhYs/s1600-h/SophieChristmasPics09+016.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418303929559842322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgP4YMqAvyPaLuZfv3BtAwk9e9Q_opTSNi1-7j41tVscoSVBCvoFjoHBoU6nWTQlQc_rpHCMqnp_aAS5gHHB8cvNkdOBSwSaHc7AAhckHMTCMpvlAmDPHT8DbRE11Ry-IWCNofzoxhYs/s400/SophieChristmasPics09+016.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKruEUqBp_Mj6YPYAf0fMoVjhhKbkSvm-quhxEmqFF5kdn-h0wiR1J3cSE4C6uv1NcnYFzYQxOuXk1WYMXEtA4Gs3a_Gbx7oI-cWe0VGaEe_3bSYVNgN5rONwOdGNFGm4g9OSs0KeOgw/s1600-h/SophieChristmasPics09+001.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418303517336100210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKruEUqBp_Mj6YPYAf0fMoVjhhKbkSvm-quhxEmqFF5kdn-h0wiR1J3cSE4C6uv1NcnYFzYQxOuXk1WYMXEtA4Gs3a_Gbx7oI-cWe0VGaEe_3bSYVNgN5rONwOdGNFGm4g9OSs0KeOgw/s400/SophieChristmasPics09+001.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong><em>Oh my goodness where has the time gone? I can't believe I haven't blogged in over a month. </em></strong></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"></span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">Well the jewelry business has picked up considerably, actually it has been very busy. This along with getting ready for Christmas, and trying to get my house and my life back together after our kitchen fire, I guess I just haven't had time!!</span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"></span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">I am so VERY excited about this Christmas. One thing I can definitely say is that God is so good, and He always provides if you believe. We have had a hard time this year financially. I wondered where we'd get the money for Sophie's Christmas, and my jewelry business kicked it up, and paid for Sophie's Christmas. She is getting a dollhouse and I absolutely can not wait to play with her. I see some very important mommy & baby time coming up. She is so precious. She is becoming so independent and so FUNNY!! She makes faces at us to make us laugh, and her personality is the sweetest, most adorable, most helpful. If she spills something she immediately gets a "nakin" to wipe it up, if the phone rings she brings it to me, she tells her cousins they are "makin a mess" and helps me to pick it up, she takes her toys to her room, she is just so eager to be helpful. I want to buy her the world, give her everything, shower her with all the wonderful things life has to give, but the only thing she really needs is our love and to know God.</span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"></span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">We set up a nativity this year, and she is fascinated by the baby Jesus, she says "look mommy a baby, aawww is so koot" I know she doesn't get it yet, and I can't wait to teach her over the years what the nativity is and that this nativity was built by her papa and it was always in my grandparents for as long as I can remember, and now I get to carry on this tradition. I am so disappointed she won't get to meet my grandmother. My grandmother loved Christmas, and I want to instill the wonder and joy in Sophie that she instilled in me. </span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"></span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">I want her to know how much she means to us, and how she is the best Christmas present we ever got (even if she was born in January). I had forgotten a lot of the wonder and joy of Christmas until she came along. It's so easy to get caught up in the "gifting" part of the holiday, but I find myself wanting to teach her the true miracle of Christmas, and letting her know it's not about getting, but about giving, and doing for others, just as Jesus so selflessly gave for us. I want her to know she is our Christmas Joy, and she brought back to us the true meaning of giving.</span></em></strong></div></div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-8030448079377269442009-11-12T08:51:00.000-08:002009-11-12T09:24:24.760-08:00Love For My Daughter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUg9t9v3EsbD8llqIEebTRyX_2iCouClXyo7nuLaAjBIWeGk09xbLzFDTqGEwQYuzbHGl8MFjJJCRkkJYzAwtEktbFzz4lmDZtQ7XnSNyphievOz093jcbN8hyfGz9lFuldpkiC32OT6o/s1600-h/Roanoke+Trip+102409+049.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403269216784211074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUg9t9v3EsbD8llqIEebTRyX_2iCouClXyo7nuLaAjBIWeGk09xbLzFDTqGEwQYuzbHGl8MFjJJCRkkJYzAwtEktbFzz4lmDZtQ7XnSNyphievOz093jcbN8hyfGz9lFuldpkiC32OT6o/s400/Roanoke+Trip+102409+049.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQW3dq3lbkLgSKU9hEiEPRS3U80ccKFs1qBIcwg-u7aAauhbOPRdx68zU0UvdwCI9G_Pc_h9xnQnXhNwfxfPnKt1EhosNaelnqaKk2itxLYd9CWboJqzEwE5rpFE_Kfn9nqeZuyucnjpk/s1600-h/Roanoke+Trip+102409+003.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403268581695480338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQW3dq3lbkLgSKU9hEiEPRS3U80ccKFs1qBIcwg-u7aAauhbOPRdx68zU0UvdwCI9G_Pc_h9xnQnXhNwfxfPnKt1EhosNaelnqaKk2itxLYd9CWboJqzEwE5rpFE_Kfn9nqeZuyucnjpk/s400/Roanoke+Trip+102409+003.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">Wow ! It's almost been 15 days since I've blogged about things. I have been so busy with my jewelry business, the mess from my kitchen fire, my volunteer job, and taking care of my house and family, I often forget to blog. I don't have many followers yet, but this is my space to vent, reflect, and discuss (even if it is just with me ;) ) things going on in the life of my daughter and our family.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">Yesterday for some reason I got extremely worried about my daughter getting the swine flu, she has not received her flu shot yet I called to make the appt. but they were booked.....they told me to call back in a few weeks....what??? </span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">Anyway,</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">I got to thinking about all the things I love about her and I shared some of them on my personnel face book page, but I want to share them and more here. Here goes:</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">I love her personality, her heart, her attitude, her sweet little voice, her helpfulness, her thoughtfulness, the way she loves her daddy, the way she says "I love chou mama", I love the way she dances when we fix her chocolate milk, I love the way she loves kitty kitties, I love the way she asks for "chokit", I love the way she says "mama I wanna hold chou", I love when she puts those sweet little arms around my neck, I love how she plays tickle, tickle, I love when she sings, I love when she falls asleep in my arms, I love the way she loves her granny Gale and papa Ski, I love the way she says "looky, looky," when she sees something she likes, I love the she says pawpaw, I LOVE the way she laughs, I LOVE her with all my heart. I can't get enough of this precious Angel, God has given me to raise and protect. I could hold her until the cows come home EVERYDAY. </span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">If you are considering adoption, and one of your doubts is whether or not you will love your baby, I hope I can help take some of that worry off of your heart, I know those doubts, I know those worries, but let me tell you, even if I had carried this Angel under my heart for nine months, I do not know how I could possibly love her any more. She is my world, she is my heart, she is my life, she is the love of my life. This angel from God saved my soul from so much despair. This angel makes everyday worth getting up for. This angel has made me complete. This angel has brought my husband and I together closer than before, and I thought we were so close before. This angel has made my LIFE complete.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;"></span></em></strong></div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-89725407883653786492009-10-30T04:23:00.001-07:002009-10-30T04:50:50.472-07:00???? WHY ????<span style="font-size:130%;color:#330033;"><em><strong>The question why? My daughter who is not quite two years old yet, has started asking why? This blows me away I thought I had about a year more before this started? WHY?? I ask you. It is so adorable, she'll say "what's that?" I'll answer her. She says "Why?" That little sweet voice is the most precious thing I have ever heard!! Her little mind is exactly like a sponge...it's amazing to watch her soak up information and process it, you can almost see her little wheels turning. You can just about guess what's coming out of that sweet little mouth next. I guess the questions about her adoption and birth family won't be far behind. I guess it's time to have the "Adoption Talk" again. I don't want the words to be <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">unfamiliar</span> to her, I want this story to be her normal. I want her to know everything she wants to know. I do kind of wish I never had to tell her. I am not a person who likes change, and my fear is the understanding of adoption will change our relationship. I just want to make her little life as pain free as I can. If anyone has adopted out there or if you were adopted I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. I guess honesty is the best policy, but I do worry about the question "Why?" when she's asking me why her birth mom placed her for adoption. I just hope I can make this knowledge a part of her life and not something she is hurt by. Does that make sense?I love this little girl with all of my heart, and I want her to be so wrapped up in our love that being adopted will be no big deal. I know I have mentioned this before, I am so worried she will feel out of place and that she will resent us for taking her from her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">birth family</span>. She is one special little girl, and her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">birth family</span> are a very special group of people, and I have become "friends" with them in a way. We stay in contact through <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">face book</span> mainly, and they are very sweet people that I want my daughter to know. I just don't ever want her to hurt, or feel out of place, or feel like she wasn't wanted. I want to teach her God had a plan, and His plan was for her to be our daughter and since I couldn't have a baby, He chose another mommy to carry her for me, and give her to me after she was born. I honestly believe this. The circumstances that brought her to us are just too perfect not to be God's plan. I just have to be prepared for all those "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Whys</span>?"</strong></em></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-20844899038008309612009-10-27T17:47:00.000-07:002009-10-27T17:55:01.134-07:00GIVEAWAY<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19n4p57v46g4yhyugYnPw9ogvDSfishT8vtZnaB-N1SV3VawjwnW8Cn9PxnPewnheVWGGvY0wY-ZZXDI-99jK-CkQhj84a39Ty2Rs-nNIH579y_YpeOflqPN5fIrrzLWM7ifMlWYRImM/s1600-h/il_155x125_97538619.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 155px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397447271717730850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19n4p57v46g4yhyugYnPw9ogvDSfishT8vtZnaB-N1SV3VawjwnW8Cn9PxnPewnheVWGGvY0wY-ZZXDI-99jK-CkQhj84a39Ty2Rs-nNIH579y_YpeOflqPN5fIrrzLWM7ifMlWYRImM/s400/il_155x125_97538619.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rkUF5J1nT5jBhAv_3ZkkTUVRPNwi-ez2hK_oSRUPX_Mmq_6YiYVXsiNLroaUPdsxQSXdIzu9ZsDAJP3QK3givlbaiM7vLJRMIgJFdOjUXwcGjOPlGI_9MKL_4QTxMAWzgX5IOL6cLvw/s1600-h/il_155x125_97070729.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 155px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397447186151978450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rkUF5J1nT5jBhAv_3ZkkTUVRPNwi-ez2hK_oSRUPX_Mmq_6YiYVXsiNLroaUPdsxQSXdIzu9ZsDAJP3QK3givlbaiM7vLJRMIgJFdOjUXwcGjOPlGI_9MKL_4QTxMAWzgX5IOL6cLvw/s400/il_155x125_97070729.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehyz0LXGdPSaT5IUcstqxWSl4NaFHz3YPBphX6c4zuTLqNRWFKBqHQdCuETgg10bZwgxCIe5qZS1ohAd7CZwTkkcgC1Yif15mFKiBRxgGSSpmWcRe4TMlfhH_FXdJkhE0hbVu3IQD3e0/s1600-h/il_155x125_97062485.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 155px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397447114353742754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehyz0LXGdPSaT5IUcstqxWSl4NaFHz3YPBphX6c4zuTLqNRWFKBqHQdCuETgg10bZwgxCIe5qZS1ohAd7CZwTkkcgC1Yif15mFKiBRxgGSSpmWcRe4TMlfhH_FXdJkhE0hbVu3IQD3e0/s400/il_155x125_97062485.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#993399;"><em><strong>If you have children these cards are so darn cute! Also make great business cards!</strong></em></span></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#993399;"><em><strong></strong></em></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#993399;"><em><strong>Check out these social cards.<br /></strong></em></span></div><div><a href="http://www.socialcirclecards.etsy.com/">http://www.socialcirclecards.etsy.com/</a></div><div></div><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;color:#993399;">Amanda has teamed up with Handmade Success and is offering a chance to win a free set of these cards to whoever follows her directions on the blog</span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;color:#993399;"></span></em></strong></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.handmadesuccess.blogspot.com/">http://www.handmadesuccess.blogspot.com/</a></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#993399;"><strong><em>Go check it out!! Great way to advertise your blog also!!</em></strong></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-12166057441699952752009-10-23T07:38:00.000-07:002009-10-23T07:52:47.769-07:00My Party Girl<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRa7BTWi0LvHvK-y-ZWyBzcBkJ91HKI3zSw67KqHb7o8JZp5xIJHMBrOMH6XklE5h5QDsDlqKs6PHX0KKrW1JOgNQdFmPstiLgm92g2BSyoA0qPsBe4C4BxGCCSiE-_pAPDQ1Yp0roeao/s1600-h/Emmas+First+Birthday+82009+001.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395805661395744786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRa7BTWi0LvHvK-y-ZWyBzcBkJ91HKI3zSw67KqHb7o8JZp5xIJHMBrOMH6XklE5h5QDsDlqKs6PHX0KKrW1JOgNQdFmPstiLgm92g2BSyoA0qPsBe4C4BxGCCSiE-_pAPDQ1Yp0roeao/s400/Emmas+First+Birthday+82009+001.jpg" /></a><br /><div><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">Here is a picture of my girl at one of her cousin's birthday parties. I had to share this because I just LOVE these hair bows. If you have little girls in your families you need to check out this website. She has more than just cake hairbows....you will be delighted!</span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;"></span></em></strong> </div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;"><a href="http://www.goldilocksbarrettes.etsy.com/">www.goldilocksbarrettes.etsy.com</a></span></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;"></span></em></strong> </div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#993399;">This "cake" hair bow is her official birthday party hair accessory!!</span></em></strong></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-79720438345356899482009-10-11T18:27:00.001-07:002009-10-11T18:39:18.042-07:00Approaching Two<strong><em><span style="color:#ff6666;">Me & my daughter are very close.....but she is now approaching two yrs of age, and I can see subtle changes in her. She is starting to challenge my authority. If I correct her, ask her to do something, she just looks at me like yeah, and what are you going to do about it if I don't? I have put her in time out and she knows she is in trouble then, she'll hang her little head and say "Soshie in trouble" I'll tell her yes she is in trouble and it breaks her heart, and she'll start crying. Which in turn breaks my heart, now I fully understand what my parents meant when they said "this hurts me more than it does you". I used to think bunkass, that's poop!! But I so get it now. I know in life she is going to experience a lot of hurt, I never wanted to be a part of that. But little did I know this beautiful baby would challenge me the way she does. I know I have to correct her, make her pick up her toys, and behave....but why does it have to break her heart? I don't ever want her to experience any hurt, but I know this is a necessary part of life. I just hope she knows or will one day realize I only have her best interests at heart. It's like my Uncle always taught his children. Not everyone in this world loves you like I do, and everyone doesn't have to like you, so don't give them any reason to not like you right off the bat!! My grandmother always said, I'm here to your parent not your friend, to her children, but she was their friend. They just didn't see it that way until later in life. I want to instill this into my daughter early on in life, I know she probably won't "get it" until she has children of her own, like me. I hate breaking her heart by disciplining her, but I know it must be done for own good.</span></em></strong>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-82634547824361874832009-10-04T12:46:00.000-07:002009-10-04T13:04:39.117-07:00<strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Oh my gosh, I looked at my daughter yesterday and I swear she has sprouted overnight, yes I know all parents go through this. You have to understand this is my BABY, probably my ONLY BABY, it's not looking as though adoption is going to be in our future again unless we win the lottery! </span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">You know,......I had a dream before she was born that her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">birth mom</span> gave birth to a two year old, and I just kept saying NO I wanted a BABY, this can't be my baby......</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Well wide awake ~~~~~ here I am almost two years later and I have a baby approaching 2yrs of age. Where did that time go? I remember watching her being born, so I know she was once a tiny baby. I look at the pictures and it scares me...... I can't remember how it felt to hold that tiny baby, I can't remember how she looked unless I look at the pictures of her. I miss my BABY, yet I've got this beautiful 21 month old, that I know so well. </span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">She is napping at the moment and sometimes I just lay beside her and watch her tiny little chest rise and fall in such a peaceful <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">rhythm</span>, and it just puts my heart at peace. Sometimes she giggles in her sleep and it just warms my soul, sometimes she cries out and I reach out and pull her close and let her know mommy is here.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">I do still get to hold her ......when she wants me too, and ONLY if she wants me to (little miss <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">independent</span>) . I treasure these days when she is so clingy (far and few in between). I do stop what I am doing and hold this beautiful little girl as tight as she wants me to, because I know these beautiful days will pass also, and soon I'll be sending her off to school! Dishes, laundry, paying bills, doing the floors, cleaning .......all of that CAN wait it won't be going anywhere. My baby is going somewhere.... she's growing up, and that I don't want to miss, because I had to do the dishes!!!</span></em></strong>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-8499234783558983832009-09-07T11:21:00.000-07:002009-09-07T11:48:47.661-07:00The Homestudy : Part One<strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">If you are adopting and are wondering what is a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">home study</span> and what happens, I will be glad to share what I know with you.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">We did a domestic adoption so I can not say out of the country adoption <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">home studies</span> are the same. It depends on what the particular <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">country</span> wants to know about you.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">The agency that did our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">home study</span> has actually closed now, which makes me sad, they were absolutely wonderful to work with. The social worker they assigned us, was actually adopted herself, and she offered us some insight, on how to handle telling our daughter. She is a wonderful warm person.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">They sent us lots of papers to fill out. Tons of questions to answer. Most of which you have no idea you are going to be asked. I will list some of them here.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">How were you raised? How well do you get along with your parents now? As a teenager? How were you <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">disciplined</span>? Were you spanked, grounded, time outs, items taken away from you? They asked all kinds of questions about extended family and siblings. We were asked how we plan to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">discipline</span>, how we plan to tell our daughter she's adopted. How we felt about birth moms in general, did we think they were bad people for giving up their child? How do your parents get along? Now & when you were growing up. Worst time of your life, best time of your life, each and as a couple. They want stories from your childhood, young adulthood, and now. Etc, etc.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">They give you a thorough examination of your childhood, your life from birth until the point at which your hire them to do your <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">home study</span>. I will not lie it is invasive, and you are asked some questions that you have no idea how to answer, you are scared to tell the truth, and scared not to tell the truth. However, you will survive it, and you might learn something about yourself or your spouse in the process.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">The biggest thing that bothered us was how many times we were asked the same questions by everyone <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">involved</span> in our adoption process. We felt like a broken record, that was hard. You wonder why can't all these people share your information?</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">Our first visit with our social worker was actually very pleasant. We enjoyed talking with her so much, we didn't want her to leave. She was actually the first human face we had met <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">involved</span> in our adoption. She was full of answers and advice. She looked over our home , they do this to make sure you have a safe environment to raise a child. They are not looking for dirt or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">skeletons</span> in the closet, however I would <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">recommend</span> a clean house to show them. After her walk through we sat at the dining room table and just went over all of the questions we had been given to answer at an earlier date. She then asked some additional questions about our life, each and together. She then took her notes and wrote a story about us!! It was wonderful. </span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">Next Visit with her was after baby comes home!!</span></em></strong>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-59775383565982687292009-09-07T10:58:00.000-07:002009-09-07T11:20:19.004-07:00Just A Note....<strong><em><span style="color:#009900;">My daughter told me yesterday that she loved me. Which I knew she did, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">every time</span> she brings those little arms around my neck so tight and squeezes, it just warms me all over, but to hear her say it. AWESOME , whether or not she really understands it yet!!</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#009900;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#009900;">I am her disciplinarian I am mainly the one who is always telling her no, and popping her little chubby hands if she is into <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">mischief</span> and I've already told her no. I worried that she would not like me, and like her daddy and granny more than me because they let her get away with a lot more than I do. I am trying to teach my beautiful baby to pick up her toys, stay out of mommy's cabinets, and not to touch other people's things, not to do things that will hurt her, and to listen to mommy, because after all mommy knows best!! Not that her daddy or granny would let her get hurt, but she gets away with a lot more than I let her! Which I am learning from other people this is the natural order of things!!</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#009900;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#009900;">I see lots of children today who get away with everything because parents are so afraid to tell them "NO". All these new <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">politically</span> correct ways to correct your children. I watch children whose parents say "no', but don't follow through. The worst thing you can do to your child is make empty threats. You are teaching them you can't be trusted. If you won't follow through on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">discipline</span>, then you won't follow through on much else. Children quickly figure this out. I never make a threat or promise I don't keep. I follow through no matter what. I want my daughter to know when I say something I mean it. That goes for rewards also. I want her to know she can trust mommy no matter what. Hopefully creating this bond now will help in her tween & teen years. I want her to know that she can trust me & come to me her problems.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#009900;"></span></em></strong>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-25985949246191490412009-08-22T19:39:00.000-07:002009-08-22T20:03:08.803-07:00First Adoption talk<em><span style="color:#ff6666;">Well, the other day my beautiful daughter and I were in her "new Room" lounging on her new purple bean bag, her with her kitty and her pap pap in her mouth, me just there. I started off our conversation. "Sophie, you know you are adopted." She turns her tiny head towards me and says "<span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">uh</span> huh" (which is her new favorite word, and answer to most questions)..I say to her "that means <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">someone</span> else carried you in her tummy under her heart for mommy, because mommy can't carry babies, did you know that?" again she turns her sweet tiny head to me and says "<span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">uh</span> huh" I continue to tell her that I love her just as if I had carried her in my tummy, under my heart for 9 months. Again she says "<span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">uh</span> huh" I go on to tell her where she was born, who carried her for mommy, and how she became part of our family. It went very well I think. Even though she doesn't really understand what I was saying I figure by the time she does understand I will have my "adoption" conversation down pat. One of my biggest fears is that one day she will feel lonely and out of place. So I keep reading on how to how to help her understand that adoption is a decision made out of love and not one of abandonment. I was extremely scared of "open adoption", but now I am so happy we decided it would be okay. I love her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">birth mom</span> and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">birth family</span>, and I want her to know them, love them, and have them in her life.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ff6666;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ff6666;">It is my opinion that an open adoption and knowing your birth story, will keep the fantasy of "One day my "real parents" are going to come and get me" away. She will know why she was placed for adoption into our family, and she will know by who. She will understand we are mom & dad and will always be here for her no matter what and that we love her so much, and that she has another family who also cares about her.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ff6666;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ff6666;">So as I end our conversation I tell her "We'll have this conversation many times, and mommy will always tell you what you want to know, okay baby?' She turns her tiny head towards me and says "Okay baby."</span></em>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-64882093018647546572009-07-23T05:39:00.000-07:002009-07-23T05:59:29.571-07:00The Desire Never Goes Away<span style="color:#000066;">Just a quick note today...someone I know just had a baby. While it no longer haunts me like it used to, I do still get that pang in my heart. The baby looks just like her, and I look at this baby and all floods back, no one will ever say to me "she looks just like you" I just get looks like I don't know if i should ask or not ? Did you cheat on your husband or is this your child, or is she adopted? I always get the question, where did all that dark hair come from? As much as I love my daughter, I do still hurt that I will never experience pregnancy, and morning sickness, I will never experience giving birth, and I will never hear someone say "<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Aw</span> how cute she looks just like you!" My husband says it is something I have to let to go, but he'll never get how deep the desire is to procreate and you want to give birth to something that spectacular. Men only have the desire to spread their seed, and we have the deep desire to carry a child of our own. I know some say I have it great I have a beautiful daughter and I didn't have to go through 9 months of sickness and bloating. Well I do have the most beautiful daughter, and I did go through a of "stuff" to get her, stuff you will never understand unless you go through it! So be careful pregnant mommies not to complain about those pregnancy pains because you might be talking to someone who would give their left arm to be having those same pregnancy pains! I am truly happy for my friends and family who can birth their children, really I am. I just want them to realize what a miracle it truly is.</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-3929811364742495452009-07-17T14:35:00.000-07:002009-07-17T15:12:03.596-07:00When I fell In Love<strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">Our beautiful daughter was born on Jan. 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span>, and that's the day I fell head over heels in love. Everyone kept telling me you will love the baby just as though you gave birth to it, and I kept saying of course I would. But I did worry about what if I don't? What if I can't handle raising a baby. I've always thought I would be a good mother, but how do you really know? My grandmother raised several of her brother & sisters children and she assured me I would love this baby just as if I had given birth to it. She had literally raised many children that she eventually had to let go back home and some back to an orphanage, she wanted to keep them all . She was a wonderful woman and perhaps I got my love for children from her. She was warm and loving, and just always there for you. (My mom is just as wonderful). </span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">Anyway I did wonder would I love this baby or would I want to give it back? We didn't know the sex of the baby until she was born. So we hadn't decided on a name, and didn't really have an attachment formed. I mean I loved this baby beginning a long time before we were ever matched with a birth mom, but I think I loved the idea of having my very own bundle of joy. I loved my brother's babies like they were my own, I kept them during the day and we had formed some tight bonds, I treated them as if they were my own, (and still do), So I felt like I knew what I would feel for this baby. Well I am here to tell you, I really had no idea!</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">I did love her from the moment we were matched with her birth mom, it was odd, I was afraid to get my heart all involved, but the further we got into things, I found myself daydreaming about the day I could my hold my baby. We finally bought a crib, and nursery furniture, sort of afraid we had jumped the gun, because we didn't know if this birth mom would change her mind. At this point we were at her mercy. I mean I could understand if she would've changed her mind, but I prayed very hard she would not. We were matched with her in September 2007, she picked us. WOW! Someone picked us!! The first time I was scared she had changed her mind was when she decided to move back home to CA. Well God can answer more than one "wish" at a time. I have always wanted to drive to CA, plus I WILL NOT fly! I cried for three days when she moved back to CA. I was scared her family would talk her into keeping her ! I was scared we wouldn't get there before the baby was born (make sure there are provisions in place for this) After the initial shock and freaking out wore off, I got excited about driving to across country, after all I have always wanted to do this!!</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">Back to my baby's birthday! I got to be in the room when she was born.....when she came popping out I cried "It's a girl" we would have loved any baby but we all secretly wanted a girl! (God really knows what he is doing you better believe it!!) They <span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">placed </span> her up on the birth mom's chest and I was right there at her shoulder and I thought looking at the baby "Oh no ..what have I done....I don't want to do this....I don't want a baby..." then that beautiful baby opened her eyes and blinked up at me...and IT WAS ALL OVER.....I WAS IN LOVE...HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE!!!</span></em></strong>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-5249502999830363102009-07-03T13:40:00.000-07:002009-07-10T20:39:17.106-07:00The Birth: A Day at The Hospital<span style="color:#ff6600;">Finally the day we've been waiting for !! We arrive at the hospital Friday morning January 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span></span>, 2008. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">birth mom</span></span> is being induced this morning. Our adoption counselor</span><span style="color:#ff9900;"> </span><span style="color:#ff6600;">asked us if we needed her there. She would come, but only if we felt we needed her. Well never doing this before we didn't know to say yes, so to keep her from driving 4 hours to be with us, we said no. BIG mistake. The waiting room was fine before the birth of our baby, but after she was born we began to experience yet something else we never expected and were never advised about. We knew the hospital had the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">birth mom's</span> plan & requests for the birth. We could be in the room but above her head. She wanted to hold the baby by herself first. We could name her. We could dress her. Etc., Etc. The hospital did confirm having this and we went through proving who we were, the adoptive parents, we talked to the hospital social worker, yet, no one advised the nurses of the nursery. There was absolutely no <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">protocol</span> for what was to happen after the baby was born. They did let me go in while they bathed the baby and did all the newborn stuff they do to babies. Then they swaddled her and said they were taking her to the mom for her to feed her. What? I am the mom, and I will feed her, her first bottle. No we have to take her to her mom. I AM HER MOM. So we made a phone to our adoption counselor for advice, and she talked to the head nurse and let her know the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">birth mom</span> was not to handle baby, was not to feed, change, or hold the baby much if at all. They didn't want her making emotional ties with the baby to let the adoptive parents do all of that. Well that led to making the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">birth mom</span> angry. So neither of us had been prepared for the hospital time. The nurses finally let us sit in their storage room so we could hold our new baby girl and they even let my mom come back with us. They did let me feed her, her first bottle, but I had to fight to do that. Finally I talked to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">birth mom</span> and she didn't want the baby to stay in the nursery all night, so she offered me to stay with her in the room with the baby, so that is what I did. That night we talked a lot and I got to know more about her. Turns out that this was her second adoption placement, and she knew what she could handle and what she wanted to handle. I am so glad I got to spend that time with her. I have wonderful things to tell my daughter about her biological mom. After talking with the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">birth mom</span> that night, I knew she knew exactly what she wanted and all my fears of her changing her mind dissolved. She was confident in her choice of parents, yes I asked, now that you have met us, do you have any <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">reservations</span>, do you feel like you made the right choice? She made me feel completely at ease and let me be the mother to our baby. After this time with her I have a completely new respect for her, and dare I say love for her.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So before you go to the hospital to be there for the birth of your baby, make sure you have <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">representation</span> there to handle the nurses. They don't do adoptions everyday and they really didn't know what to do. It was awkward for them not to take the baby to spend all the time with the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">birth mom</span>. See if the hospital can make some sort of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">accommodations</span> for you to spend with your baby, maybe even if you have to pay to stay in a room of your own. Just so if you have family there, they will have somewhere to hang out, where they can visit with the baby also, without everyone crowding the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">birth mom</span>. She may not want everyone around her cuddling and cooing over the baby she is giving up. Or be sure to discuss all of this with her beforehand, so everyone knows what to do at the hospital.</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934539978541106005.post-47652532965399912052009-07-02T11:07:00.000-07:002009-07-02T11:45:40.647-07:00The Best Worst Day of My LifeYes, it's a crazy first title, for this blog. You see I'm starting my daughter's adoption story. I'm beginning sort of in the middle of our adoption process, because I want you to know what I never thought of, first. Does that make sense? Maybe not but here goes our story.<br /><br />Meeting the birthfamily at a place like "Chucky Cheese" this will be our last visit with them before we head home all the way across the Unidted States. See we've already been here a month our new baby born only two weeks ago. We got to take her home (to the hotel) the day after her birth, she has been with us from her small beginning. Her "birthfamily" would come to visit, a wonderful family I might add, we got to be very friendly with them, we even went to church with them one Sunday. <br /><br />Okay so two children in the birthfamily come with the birthmom and birthgrandmother. The children are playing games, and we're all passing the baby girl around for everyone to hold. A very nice pizza meal we had together. Okay time to load up and head back to the hotel, we must pack and get ready to go home to the other side of the United States. Then it hits me......haven't even thought of this...I've been so excited about finally having the baby of our dreams. It crosses my mind....HOW can I take this baby from the person who carried her under heart for 9 months? How can I take this beautiful baby girl from a family who loves her too? How can I take this baby of theirs so far across the world.......almost felt like we'd be a planet away from these people who brought this beautiful baby into the world. I started to tear up, the birthmom says to me "don't cry" and all I can think is how can I walk away with this baby? You know all along I had been worried what if she changes her mind? What if the family talks her into keeping her? Never once did I wonder how I would take walking away with someone's heart. NOT ONE of the adoption professionals I had talked to and been working with ever even mentioned this. I was a mess the rest of the night, the birthmother was calm and at peace with her decission to hand her child to us to raise and love. Not that I doubted we could raise this beautiful baby with all the love in our hearts, it was imagining how I would feel if I was letting my baby go with these strangers to be raised. Will they love her like me? Will they take extra special care of my baby? Will they tell her who I am? Being infertile and not able to birth a baby, I can't imagine giving my baby up. But this birthmom is the most amazing person I have ever met. (Not that I didn't wonder on several occassions that she would change her mind...more on that later) Not once did she let me see her cry, I don't know if she ever did. Not once did she falter in her decission and not once did she make me feel bad. She knew this baby girl needed a mom , dad, and a home with no regrets. She must have felt the love we have for this beautiful baby girl.<br /><br />If you are thinking of adopting please consider how you will feel walking away with someone's heart. I'm not trying to discourage you at all. I'm just letting you know it can hit you pretty hard, when the time comes. I would have liked someone to talk to me about the feelings that come over you when you say "goodbye" to the birthfamily, and take your little bundle home. I wish I would have been prepared. As wonderful as bringing my baby home to a family that already loves her so much, I am still taking her away from one that loves her also. How did I come to terms with it? Well I'm not sure I have yet. I still wonder is our love as warm as that womb was when she was growing inside her birthmom's tummy?Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15445414197857963064noreply@blogger.com0