OMG!!

So today I thought MAY be the day I tell my mother??  She and her dear friend were in town to go to JC for weight loss - (Jenny Craig)...we were meeting my brother to eat lunch after.

I had already run this morning and had heard the awesome song by OAR "Shattered" - you must find it and listen to it NOW!!!  I LOVE IT.... it always makes me in a great mood and I thought OK when I see them today I am telling them.  

SO..... I pulled up to Whole Foods - jumped out of my car .....and OMG out of the corner of my eye I saw Tracy ...of the baby Levi from ET (that I have never meet but exchanged a few emails with) Tracy that lives here in Nash.  I walked right up to them in the parking lot and said "Hi I'm Mindy"....we have chatted a couple of times via email.  I am adopting from ET too....I recognize you guys from your blog.  And she was awesome....I met her 2 sons - of course that I knew from her blog as well!!  Levi is adorable!!  PS - his video is the FIRST video or blog or anything that I had seen from ET!!  That video set everything in motion....that video is the reason that we are where we are!!!!!!  So it was incredible!!  We talked for a sec...and then she asked me where I was in the process....I told her that we are almost ready to send in our paperwork but that I had not told my family yet.  And that I was meeting them inside for lunch. As I walked away telling her how thrilled I was to meet her (I think I said so.... Tracy if I did not it was because I was in AWE of the baby:)...I told her that it is just amazing how on this journey I keep getting so many different awesome signs that I am on the right path!!  Just amazing!!!  I mean what are the chances of running into them at WFs ....Nashville is a city of over a million!!

So inside it was a great lunch but the whole time I was quiet...which is NOT normal..I could not do it.  AGAIN I chickened out....I said nothing!!  There was plenty of opportune time but I didn't do it.  Couldn't pull the trigger!

My brother left and mom and Brenda and I went to the mall. 

They were asking me as they always do about weight loss and if they lifted weights would their skin tighten back up...(which the answer is NO)....only surgery will do that sorry.  

I then flippantly replied that is why no babies are coming out of my body..hehe - couldn't deal with that.  

My mom then says - "well you can just get you a Chinese baby...that is what our neighbors have done" (ps we are from the south..."get you a baby" is a normal saying (NOT))

I said nothing but thought wow - is she leading me or what???  What an easy way to tell her....but again I said nothing!!!  Not a freaking word!!  

Inside the store - I asked her - "who are these neighbors that have adopted from China?"

She told me and then followed it with.... "Oh Mindy they are sooo cute!!"

Again a great time to tell her....it was just she and I walking around a store...but guess what I said NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!

What is my deal?  What am I scared of? Well....I will tell you what....the reaction....that's what....the questioning of my judgement...the "skin color" questions....the "do you know what you are getting yourself into Mindy reaction.  I am just not ready to deal with it...not yet.

Stalking at Walmart

For those of you following our story sorry for not posting in weeks!

So yesterday we were at Wally World....ps my hubs hates it there and he feels like he has to shower immediately when he leaves.

We were walking towards the "Propel" isle when I spotted an ET couple with a little boy about 4 and a BABY GIRL in a carrier - so app. 8-10 months old!!!  

(If you had asked me to pick out a person from Ethiopia 6 months ago there would have been absolutelly no way I could have done this.) I started hitting b in the butt as hard as I could trying not to be noticed.  I basically screamed in his ear OMG look look there is an ET couple with a little girl!!!!!!  LOOK LOOK!!  SO he turns around and we see her - GORGEOUS!!!  Mocha skin, huge brown eyes, little pony tails...and she looked right at us.  So we followed them up and down several isles trying to remain inconspicuous.  The mom had high cheek bones and the husband has a chiseled jaw...an unbelievable looking couple! I was dying!!  Either I have not ever paid attention in my life (probably the case) or I have lived under a freakin rock...bc these people look like models!!

So I wanted soooo bad to talk to them to say something - we watched them get in line a few lines down from us....but were way to chicken to say a peep.  I would never want to offend anyone - "hey we are adopting an ET baby...just like yours..."  Yeah that would go over real well!!  We are dorks...so we said nothing did nothing.....just looked/stalked for a few minutes...looking all giddy and crazy at the old Walmart!!

All night and today we kept thinking about this awesome family living here in Nashville...and there beautiful kids!  I can't wait - we can't wait!!!!

Contemplating Life?!

I have always been one to think about the meaning of life.  Why are we here?  What is my purpose? What am I SUPPOSE to be doing?  Is this all there is?  

Since I was in college (over 10 years ago) - I have wondered these things.  Questioned these thoughts - prayed about them - talked to others about them - read books - listened to music looking for a sign of some sort - a voice.  The only voice as you all know if you have read my blog is the "shower" voice I heard a couple of months ago.  Other than that nothing - it seems that the answer is within myself somewhere.  Somewhere deep in there.

I was a teacher for 5 or so years. Then in the beauty industry for about 6 and now in real estate.  Well none of those really answered those questions.  They are all just jobs to me.  No real change except learning how to make a living and trying to be successful.  

So I keep searching - asking my questions in my head.  

I am so envious of those people out there that LOVE their jobs.  Enjoy the day to day.  Feel passion towards their employment.  How wonderful that would be.  I have of course had days here and there that have been fulfilling. Helping a student learn to read their first book, helping someone buy there first home, teaching someone how to take care of sun spots or deal with acne.  But I always come back to my questions....

What more can I do?  How can I make a difference?  

I am very lucky and very blessed with my life.  I am healthy, have an awesome husband and marriage, my parents are both alive and well.

I have tried in the past few months to be better with the environment.  I only use a water bottle that I can wash in the dishwasher instead of going through huge styrofoam cups or regular bottles.  I am now using organic household cleaners. I have been taking unused home goods and old clothes to Goodwill instead of just pitching them in the trash.  I am waaayyy cautious of turning off unused lights in my house and trying to conserve water as well - not only for bill purposes but trying to help do my small part.  

So for me I will continue on my search to peacefulness...and remind myself that I am one of the very lucky ones here!!

WOW what an incredible weekend!!

So Brad and I went to Gatlinburg Friday to stay in my brother's chalet that he recently bought.

WHAT a sight that was!! There was a car show there and let's just say it was NOT our cup of tea - to each his own. People sitting on the side of the road in folding chairs ...watching traffic I do not understand. The traffic was horrible and we could not find a decent half way healthy place to eat. I am not a fan of funnel cakes, fast food, or fried twinkies. Not a Starbucks - Sushi - or a veggie restaurant anywhere... I am a city chic - even though I am originally from a tiny town!!! So we went back to the chalet where we hung out in the jacuzzi - listened to nature and watched the stars. Now that was peaceful.

So Saturday morning we hopped back in our car and decided we had seen enough and we headed to Knoxville for the real reason we were even going out of town - the Ethiopain party.

We met Julie and her hubs Josh and Tracy and their incredible bundles of JOY for lunch - and it was unbelievable!! These babies were simply beautiful! I was speechless for a few minutes - I could not believe my blog friends had come to life!!

We all chatted and talked about adoption - family - the babies. It was such a blast!

I never have seen an Ethiopian child in person - so this was just wonderful - I also have really never seen my hubs hold or be around really small children. Our nieces and nephews are older so he never really held them as infants or toddlers. When I saw him cuddling Abel and Maya - it was precious!! At first he held Abel - and poor Abel looked uncomfortable... but then B got the hang of it. SOOOO CUTE!!

So at the restaurant - I had my camera ready to go - but the freakin batteries were dead. So no pics of that at all.

Then I had been dying to see Obligato - Julie's store so she graciously took Brad and I there. I was in love this store was the bomb diggity!! All of my fav brands!! Michael Stars, C&C California, Ella Moss - all of the comfy cottons that I adore!! Brad played with the adorable Maya the entire time!! When we got back in the car B said - Maya is awesome - her eyes are soo twinkiy!! He loves her and they soooo bonded!!

We then followed J and J and Maya to the party (after we got batteries for my cam). At this point I felt as if I had known Julie for YEARS and I instantly wanted her to move to Nash.

Back to the party - it was awesome - kids running around everywhere - again all of these blog faces that I had been staring at all of these months were coming to life. Gorgeous ET children and their loving families. They all welcomed us in and we all talked about where we were in the adoption process. There were about 5 little ET girls there - ranging from Maya to about 3 years old. All straight from the runways - little supermodels in process!!

We had out first taste of injera - and we saw what our lives will be like in the future!!

Bad news on the camera front - I got about 7 shots and then the shutter of my camera stopped opening! I was really bummed about this!! But I will post the ones I have.

Thank you to J and J - Tracy and the Hernandez family for making Brad and I feel sooo incredible welcome! FFL - friends for LIFE!!!!

Awesome new friend!!

I had lunch yesterday with Chantelle - an absolute sweetheart who adopted her daughter Bianca from Guatemala and is waiting for her Ethiopian daughter. We had an incredible time chatting about adoption - the worries the excitement - everything!

We clicked immediately - we are both open people with a love of fashion:)!! She was sooo easy to talk - I did not want to leave and show property. Check out her blog - BIG LOVE BLOG! I love making new friends!!

We are leaving in the am for Gatlinburg - my brother bought a chalet there and we are going to stay there for the weekend. The BIG news is that while we are there we are going to drive to Knoxville and meet up with some ET parents and children!! OMG - sooo excited - what should I wear??? I can't wait to see B's face with a bunch of kids running around...he gets nervous with tons of chidren!!

BOOOOO HISSSSS

Well my showing at my home just got cancelled!!!

Possible because it is raining.....??? maybe they will reschedule??

Good day!!

Well we have an interested party in our home!! YEAH!!!!

Also - Brad received some good news on his business selling as well!! YEAH!

Fingers crossed - maybe a great weekend!!

Plus I had a closing yesterday and received another contract on another listing....looks like the market s really picking up!!