So sad!

Yesterday I spoke with the agency that we will most likely use and I was telling them that we were in a holding pattern bc of the sale of our home and my husband's company.

She told me that it was a good idea to wait until our house sells and we are in our new home bc we will not be able to do our home study until then.

We had already decided that no matter what happened with these 2 issues - we were going to make an announcement at Christmas time and start the whole process. It looks like that will not be the case.

Good news....got my new passport yesterday!!

Please let this house sell soon!!!

Shout Out!!

I wanted to tell my 2 new blog friends a huge thank you!!

First Chantelle- wow do we have so many things in common. Not only are we originally from close to the same area :) but our thoughts are so on target with one another. I can see a budding friendship especially with our obsession with ET!!

Then there is my dear new blog friend Liz! Thank you thank you thank you - for all of your great info on ET adoption! Your openness and honesty is much appreciated. Thank you for taking time out of your day to answer all of my crazy questions!! It was a pleasure talking with you!

I wish these 2 ladies lived closer to me so we could have lunch or coffee. What terrific people are out there so ready to discuss adoption!

I am off to the dentist for 2 crowns....ouch!

Cloudy Monday

Well the obsession continues...I have found more blogs to follow/stalk.

I really don't have anything to post - still waiting to sell my house - we have reduced it again so possible that will make a difference. Our business is still in the process of being sold. Sure wish one would sell.

I do have a closing next week so that is great!!

A new scare for me on adopting.
I read on a blog or site or somewhere that there is not a way to know for sure(if a child is younger than 1 year) if the child has Hepatitis (I believe B or C)...I think A is the one you get for food. According to this specific site - it said that children under 1 will be tested for Hep B or C but that there is no way to know if they are positive for this or not.

Would love to know anyones thoughts or knowledge on this. Has anyone ever heard of a child coming home from Ethiopia with Hep b or c?

Coincidences to Adoption???? I think NOT!!

Since this has all happened to us and the AHA moments...I have had several coincidences that remind me that I am on the right path.

I would say one of the first is the story of the Lost Boys Olympic runner - Lopez Lomong. What an inspirational story that I have repeated to so many co-workers and friends over the past 4-5 months. Being a runner - my ears always perk up when hearing anything about running. He is an amazing athlete with a huge heart! That was probably the first time I really had a conscious thought of Africa that really made such an impact.

I had 2 this week from the same person - my sister in law. While working out with her and our trainer - she tells me that her sister is traveling with her husband (a gynecologist) and their 2 children to Kenya. I was like...really....wow? Trying not to sound too crazy.. I couldn't believe it. How amazing! Again remember no one knows of this adoption except for my husband and our neighbor! NOBODY! So I dove right in - asking her a thousand questions. Why are they going? When?
They are staying for a month while her husband helps to deliver babies and assist in any other way he can. Amazing.
Then after our workout was finished....she and I were in the ladies locker room and we were talking to our mother in law (yes we all work out together)...we were talking about attitude and staying positive - complaining - etc. I told them both that when

I turned 35 I told my own mother that I had decided from that day forward to only surround myself with positive people that support and love me..no more negativity or "gossipy" friends.
My sister in law then said..."oh you should visit this website that a client of mine just shared with me".....
Sure what is it?? thinkhappystuff.com
What a great idea....so simply. Just have happy thoughts!

I left the gym and of course totally forgot the about it.
A few days passed and I had to text my sister in law about something else and she sent me a response and then the website again (without me asking). I thought oh yeah - I need to look at this.

So again I forgot.

While at work yesterday - suddenly it came in my mind....so I went to the site.
While scrolling down - viewing t shirts, mugs, and the cute store....I went on the who we are page and the non-profits page. Well low and behold...there was the product developer with all of her adopted children! And links to all of the non-profits she supports!!! "African Leadership" - "Blood Water Mission" and the Steven Curtis Chapman organization to assist parents with the financial part of adopting. OK!! WOW!! Was I suppose to read this site or what?!? I immediately emailed the developer and shared with her how incredible her site is!!

What's the Hold Up????

Well - I think that even though I have all my docs in order .....I am still so nervous about actually sending in the application.

There are 2 BIG reasons that I haven't ....

1. We are trying to sell our house and I would really prefer to have this done before bringing a baby in our lives. We live about 45 minutes away from the "city" - we built a lovely home but it takes us about 45 minutes to get to work....therefore we are on the market.

2. We are also trying to sell one of my hubs businesses...and WOW is this an undertaking!

Those 2 reasons financially would make things easier as well....

And I guess the other reason is just plan nerves!! I don't make decisions easily and even though I think I am ready for this....am I really???

Rough day on the job!

Pic of my beauty Frye!!

Well my closing went great! All of my worrying for nothing - as usual. I came home early and collapsed on the couch with the babies - Bambi, Lucy and Frye....my little hairy angels. They are great sleepers.

And now for the rest of our story....and the other AHA moment!!!

I sit here watching this cursor flash back at me.....could this be silent Thursday for me? Or it is bc I slept about 3 hours thinking on my real estate closing?

Maybe I am mentally preparing myself for sleepless nights and late night feedings?
Keeping in mind that absolutely NONE of my family or friends (except for Apes) knows of any of this adoption....wow what a tough secret to keep. So I really only talk to Brad about this.

I made an appointment with our priest the sweetest most holiest man that I know - that also married Brad and I - Father Mike. I thought that perhaps he could give us some insight and possible calm a few my fears. More than fears..let's call them terrors!!

Brad and I met there at the church. Brad has never been one to really open up - I mean #1 he's a guy and #2 he just doesn't.

But when we stepped foot into Father Mike's office - Brad just started chatting up a storm. I sat back quietly listening to him. He was telling him that he had always heard that this is how it happens(the whole motherhood thing)....just one day you wake up and boom you are ready. He continued telling him that it was not the Ethiopian part - really just the parenting part that made him nervous. How we have both been so into completing ourselves and being our selfish selves for SOOOO long that he worried about this.

How we have such a strong marriage that he does not want to ruin that. How his friends that have kids complain a lot - how it changes marriage even good ones.

Just to hear him say that we have a good marriage is awesome - again he really does not talk about this sort of stuff. I know we are tight and have an awesome marriage but man it is a comforting feeling to hear that from the man you adore!!

So Father Mike began by telling us that it makes him incredible happy to know how well we are doing. He did our pre-marital counseling and those were some LONG days!!

He told us that it is such a generous gift that we are offering a child and that he thinks we would be great parents. Imagining with us the child at age 25 sitting next to us hearing this story - our story. OK that is powerful!! He also told us that it would change our marriage and that we would experience a different kind of love for each other and for the child.

I of course started to cry...telling him the "shower story" asking him if it was really GOD telling me this. He assured me that God speaks to people in many different ways and this was my way. I told him that this had never happened before. Bawling and sniffing....Brad then said - when she told me this story Father Mike - "well you just don't really question something like this"....and Father Mike said- Brad you are right - you just don't.

YEAH!!!!! The moment I had been waiting for - the AHA for my hubs!!! YEAH!!!!!!!

And so that was it - Brad knew now in his heart as well that this was not going away - not a phase that I was going through - that this was a journey that we were going to take together.

So funny - Father Mike asked about the timeline for Ethiopian and when we would really be getting our baby....Brad goes - man that makes me nervous and get goosebumps!!

I assured them both that we had most likely over a year - so plenty of time to prepare:)!!

OK more on how we got to this place....

After emailing at least 40 other families..thank you all for answering ALL my questions!:)....

Brad never really said much about any of this - like I said before he just let me go on doing my thing. Listening to me ramble on about blogs and babies and Ethiopia.

I got books from the library read them all, called references, read more blogs, called more agencies. One agency stood out to me - they answered all of my questions - very quickly answered all emails (which I LOVE).

I then started to go down the list of "what to do" - paperwork that is. I started to mark off as much of this in advance as I could being that it is a slow time in real estate right now - I had some time to do this.

I got a new drivers license, ss card, met with our priest (for his blessing), mailed off my passport info. Sent in a pre-application letter.

I didn't want to be over-whelmed with paperwork so I wanted to get a head start on all of this. All the while still talking incessantly with my husband about this and what he was thinking.

There were a couple of Aha moments for me.....but again I really never felt he was completely on board.

ONE HUGE "AHA" MOMENT!!!

So while showering (best place to do some good old thinking) I prayed....I said in my head "God is this what I am suppose to be....and before I could get the word "doing" out of my thoughts...God said to me "YES THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO BE DOING"....I had my eyes closed washing my hair and I immediately opened my eyes and was in SHOCK!! What just happened - was that really GOD speaking to me - telling me that this is what I suppose to be doing?? OK - so you really don't question GOD - so I just finished showering and knew that this was exactly what I was suppose to be doing! This was it - no more questioning!! I must tell Brad what just happened but how do you tell your husband or anyone that you just had a conversation with GOD??

2 days passed and this kept going over and over in my head....I am not very religious. I am one that prays every now and then but really only when something bad is happening to me (I know not very good)....

So on a Friday (the day of my 35th birthday party)...I decided while B and I were eating lunch I would tell him about what happened to me. We were at our fav restaurant and talking about adoption. I told him - "if you are not on board and really questioning this please let me know - so that I can put the brakes on (like I could do this) but I wanted to give him that option. He said "I am trying to figure this out...Mindy you really never wanted to have kids....and I just want to make sure that you know what you are doing"....I started to feel the tears coming....he continued.."I just don't know if I can do this".

Well when you ask someone for the truth sometimes the truth hurts!!!

So through tears I told him the "shower" story....I thought well he is either going to think I have lost my mind or he will understand. He just stared at me - not really saying anything. I think he was in absolute shock. His wife just told him that she heard a voice in the freakin shower!!!

SO I left it at that....my birthday came and went....and I just pressed on.

GO USA!!!

This is my friend T and my mom - back in the day T was in the Olympics for skiing!

I LOVE the Olympics!! I have been following Dara Torres's career for years! She's is my idol! Every time I run- I channel her energy - trying to make it one more mile. AT 35 running is getting harder and harder!! I always think - OK Dara is 41 and KICKING some serious butt so keep moving Mindy!!

Day One of Our Blog!!

Today is the first day of our blog!! I have been thinking about doing one since I discovered that this was the path that we were going down. Here's how it happened....

On the Fourth of July - Brad and I were going to have dinner at the "Club" with my in laws. He was watching golf before we left and there were a few Asian girls playing(forgive me I am clueless on Golf and can't remember their names). He was schooling me telling me how great they were playing and that they were so focused. I said (out of the blue)...wow wouldn't it be nice to have a child that could support us through golf. HEHE...joke joke....we should adopt a baby from China. All joking...they would be able to make us "some cash"....again all jokes.

Not thinking a thing about it - we went to dinner. I love my in laws and we sat having nice conversation - chatting looking at how beautiful the golf course was etc. I noticed a bunch of kids playing - they were being really noisy and not listening at all to their parents - several were jumping and tearing up the greens - my mother in law was about to have a fit about it - again I am clueless and really didn't notice that they were messing up the grass. I turned around in my chair an d saw the sweetest little Asian girl - playing by herself - being so good listening to everything her mom was saying. I said to Brad - "see there's our little girl - being an angel." On the drive home I said to him - all extremely innocent chit chat - we should adopt a baby from China - I asked him - I wonder what it would be like - I wonder how much it is?? All of those questions...neither of us had a clue.

When we got home - I went up to my office and did a yahoo search about China adoption - after a few minutes I yelled down to Brad and told him it was about $25,000! I could not believe it....then after reading more and more....and more....I found out that the waiting list for Chinese children is 4 years and sometimes longer. This whole time Brad is watching tv and not really paying a bit of attention to what I am saying. I continued to search - agencies - I found several on Ethiopia adoption. I started seeing how unbelievable gorgeous these sweet children were. About 3 hours later - finally I went to bed.

The next day - we had a meeting with our financial planner. I remembered getting a Christmas card from him - with his wife and 2 children on it - one being a beautiful Asian little girl. 1:00 could not come quick enough - I had a ton of questions for Tom and could not wait to talk to him, He told Brad and I that they only had to wait for about a year and a half for their child and it was a huge blessing in their lives.

So that began our search...(MY OBSESSION)....

I then remembered that my friend and neighbor April had told me that her friend Kristy (We Love Our Lucy) - was adopting from Ethiopia. Not wanting ANYONE to know what was going on - I told her that there was a lady at the gym wanting to know about adoption. About a day or so into this....Apes (April) said to me - are you thinking about adoption?? Not being a good liar I said YES! But really it was just me - Brad was not on board with this at all. He is a great husband and soooo supportive that he just lets me go on my crazy ideas. Never judging or being negative EVER!!

So now that my full blown obsession was in over drive....I had adoption applications coming through the mail, reading as many blogs as I could (working somewhere in between)....looking at all of the possibilities. Researching each country and their options. I loved the idea of China but I don't think that I could wait 4 years ......

So I relatively quickly narrowed my search on Ethiopia. It just seemed to fit - that was it - my decision was made...(now I just had to convince my husband;).