forgot to mention!

I forgot to mention that Rick and I finally finished our adoption paperwork around the second week of July! I am very excited that hopefully...soon...we will be welcoming another baby into the family and Austin will be a big brother! I get so discouraged about all the hurdles we have to face as adoptive parents, but I know, with Austin, it was all worth it in the end and I know with this new baby it will be, too! Now, all we're waiting for is a birthmom to pick us from the domestic adoption pool...so... if anyone knows of someone making an adoption plan for her child, please tell her about us.

KEEP OUR ZOO!

I went to our beautiful Detroit zoo yesterday with Austin, my friend, Stacie, and her two kids, Hannah and Daniel. We had a wonderful time! It was almost magical in a way...watching the kids look at all the new and exciting animals they encountered and listening to them make animal sounds. Hannah and Austin even held hands while they walked around the zoo! We stopped and lingered over favorite animals and skipped other animals that really aren't our favorites...as we have memberships and can come anytime. The kids devoured their snacks and drinks as we walked. It was very hot, but there were many animals out.

As we were going to bed last night, Austin excitedly told me about the stingray that we had seen at the zoo. All of a sudden, he got this sad look on his face and started crying. I said, "why are you sad?" He said, "I miss the stingray, can we go see him now?" I explained that the zoo was closed now and we could go another day.

I am praying that the zoo proposal gets voted a "YES!" next week. Please vote yes and save our zoo. It is very precious to all of southeast Michigan. I grew up going to the zoo and hope and pray my kids will, too!

Love and Friendship

I had a dream about my (former) best friend last night. I put the word "former" in parenthesis because I am still trying to accept the fact that we are not in contact anymore and we are no longer friends...much less best friends. However, I still love and care for her so much and it still hurts that I haven't heard a word from her for 4 years!

In my dream, I saw her at a party for someone in her family. I don't remember who. It was just like old times. I mean, we talked and laughed and shared stories about our families. Also, she finally got to meet Austin.

This person was matron-of-honor in my wedding. I thought we would be best friends the rest of our lives. I loved her son and daughter like they were my own. They stayed at my house. I took them places and gave them tons of hugs and kisses. I miss them more than words can say...even more now that I have my own son because I wish they could have a friendship with Austin...even though they are about 10 years older than him.

Things went very wrong in our friendship and many cruel and hurtful things were said and I shouldn't feel bad because I have a group of such amazing friends who would do anything for me, but the one thing that I miss about Michelle is that she could make me LAUGH harder than anyone ever has in my entire life...even Rick.

I am counting my blessings today and I am so thankful I have Rick and Austin, but having a husband is still different than having a best friend...even though Rick really is my best friend. I know men don't understand the kinds of friendships women have. They are different than the friendships men have. It's hard to explain to a husband why you miss your best friend so much.

So, today I just want to pray for Michelle and her family and hope that they are doing well because I still love them and wish them the best and maybe one day if it is in God's plan we will connect again. Maybe when her kids are driving age in a couple years they will drive over and pay me a visit...that would be cool!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I just wanted to say hello and thank you to ALL the moms in my life..especially my own. She was and still IS the best mom anyone could ask for. She has the biggest heart and cares about people more than anyone I have ever met. She truly loves all her children and would do anything for them. Those of you who know her understand what I mean. She touches everyone who she has ever met. I don't know what I would do without her and I thank God every day that I was raised in her house because I can't imagine ever feeling more love than I did while I was growing up. She sacrificed for us and we always had all the things (material or not) that we needed.

I also thank God for the other moms in my life...my sisters, aunts, cousins, and friends. Through the years I learned so much from all of you. I learned from your successes and mistakes (hey, everyone makes them). It has made me a better mom to Austin because I take the good and the bad that I've seen from all of you and incorporate that into my parenting.

I thank God most of all because He obviously wanted me to be a mom or else Rick and I would not have adopted Austin. He gave me the best gift of all...the beautiful almost 3-year-old little boy that is sitting on my lap as I type this!

Caterpillar update!

Our caterpillars turned to butterflies yesterday! Yeah! They are too cool! They are beautiful monarch butterflies that love to eat the oranges that Austin set in their cage for them. One butterfly seems to be hogging the orange and eating it all while the other one seems to be afraid and hiding. L.O.L. Austin and I also got to see one of the butterflies "hatch" from it's cocoon. Its wing and legs were hanging out of the cocoon for a long time as he "hatched" out. We are enjoying watching these early signs of spring emerge from our own little corner of the world here in Michigan. Hopefully, we will get the let the butterflies free soon out in the beautiful spring weather. The lady who we bought the butterflies from said not to let them free until we have had consistent 70 degree weather. Hopefully...that will be soon!

New additions!!!

Hey everyone! Guess what? We have two new babies in the house! Two new caterpillar babies!!! L.O.L.!! Austin and I went to the mall the other day and they had a wonderful butterfuly display...a huge "house" full of butterflies! We got to hold some and watch them eat. It was wonderful! Austin was so amazed that "the butterflies eat oranges just like me!" He loved it. We at lunch there and walked around and then we had the chance to see the butterflies. They were also selling butterfly kits with caterpillars in them that we can buy and then watch turn into butterflies. The cool thing about the $8 that it cost to buy the kit is the money goes toward the Children's Miracle Network. I think it is so neat that the money that we paid to see a miracle will make another miracle happen! I'll let you know how it goes!

Spring Happiness

I just wanted to write to tell everyone how happy I am at the moment! God has blessed me in so many ways...beyond belief. I mean...how can I complain when I have the best husband and son in the world? I can't even put into words how wonderful they are! I love them so much! I love spending days and nights with them together... just the three of us.

I am also thankful that I have four brothers and sisters and two parents who are alive, healthy, and who would do anything for us in a moment's notice. God works miracles in your life when you're not even looking. I guess that's why I recovered from my open-heart surgery when I was six-weeks-old. I was meant to live this crazy life with Rick, Austin, and the rest of my family.

Oh, and did I forget to mention the amazing group of friends that I have had my entire life? They are the best! Growing up around such wonderful people has made me a better person. I learn lessons from them every day. They help me and I help them.

I also have a cool part-time (so I can stay home with Austin : ) ) teaching job that is filled with co-workers who are personable, friendly, and truly helpful to me every day I go into work. We all get along like a "family" and although we are teachers I think we learn something new from each other every day.

I truly enjoy and love my life and I wouldn't change anything for the world because even the negative experiences help in their own little ways.

Maybe spring being here soon is putting me in this mood, but I truly feel blessed. I realize that I shouldn't complain about the chores around the house, or climbing two sets of stairs to do the laundry because many people have it much worse than I have it.

Hey, we might even have a new little one by Christmas time, also...wouldn't that be another miracle? How cool!

laundry...there's a pile taller than me in my bedroom closet!!!

Our dryer broke last week! Have you ever had laundry with dryed up playdough, poop stains, and food stains just staring at you for days? I had that happen to me all week last week. The dryer had a smell coming from it that would have made Smokey the Bear grab a bucket and try to put the fire out! In comes nephew Keith...Thank God for him! Like a trooper, he took control and fixed the dryer. I know he saved me so much money and I am so thankful to him for putting a new motor in our dryer. I hope the pizza that we bought him was payment enough. I also hope that this is the last "crisis" for a while.

Christmas and such....

We have been having a ball around here lately! Our Christmas was spectacular! Austin is too spoiled for words! He received many gifts from Santa....too many to name here! He also received many remote control cars from relatives! It is okay, though, because now we can all play at the same time. He loves using the remote control and making the cars do "doughnuts" on the kitchen floor. Rick was on vacation all week long, so we did some chores that have been needing to be done for months. We also visited with many friends and family members.



We got a call from Rick's Aunt Inge in Germany last night, also. She was wishing us a very happy 2008. It was a total surprise that she called and it was very nice to hear her and Rick's cousin Martin's voice for the very first time.



The best gift I received this Christmas was beautiful card from Rick. Written on the bottom was, "I want to share our love with another child. Let's start the adoption paperwork!" I was so happy to read those words. I can't wait to have another baby in the house to love. We will most likely only have two and I don't want Austin to be too much older than the next child. I think he will be a wonderful big brother.



Next up...in a few weeks...the 2008 Detroit Autoshow...I know Rick has been looking forward to this since last year's show. Also, Austin is into monstertrucks and Monsterjam is coming to Ford Field. He is going to be so excited to see those trucks barreling over those cars!