Fall Leaves

There are three beautiful red leaved trees that I pass several times a day when driving in our neighborhood. They are stunning to look at and truly the most beautiful amongst an abundance of foliage in our mature tree lined neighborhood.

Each year, I promise myself I am going to take a photograph of them to savor all year long. Life gets busy and then the red leaves are scattered on the ground beneath its trunk....too late for a picture.

When I saw the three trees nearly bare and over exposed today, a bittersweetness came to me. It is a sign of another season nearing its end and the preparation for a new season.

I LOVE fall, so to see it on its way out brings a tad bit of melancholy to my day, yet knowing our next season celebrates our savior's birth brings hope and promise once again!

Giving Thanks!!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and for this I give thanks!!!

Thankful for such a beautiful day here in California!

Thankful Justin got to spend Thanksgiving with Joe in Georgia!

Thankful for my sister coming down to spend a pre-Thanksgiving slumber party with us!

Thankful for my other sister or should I say my brother-n-law fixing our Thanksgiving meal today.

Thankful that this time last year, Robert and I were able to be thankful for our new son in Changsha China while we celebrated with Peking Duck instead of turkey!!!

Thankful that we have another son waiting for us in China!

Thankful for my Savior who has set me free!

Thankful for my family and friends who love me just the way I am!

Divine Appointment

Do you believe in divine appointment?

Do you believe that people are placed in our paths at the exact moment that we are ready to receive what they have to offer?

I believe that Jean was on the Great Wall of China at the exact moment I was on it so we could support one another through our adoptions.

I believe that Linn's journey to Isaiah led the path for me to contact her and to this wonderful friendship that we now have.

I believe my dear friend who continuously emailed regarding why I was not blogging was convicted to do so.

I believe that God divinely appointed Bryson to have his specific aide not just for Bryson, but also for me.

I believe going to the Revolve Tour with Lauren today was not just about she and I having our girl time worshipping our God together, but to put me next to a woman whose heart's desire is to adopt.

I believe today after the Revolve Tour receiving a sweet email from another parent who also attended only happened because He revealed pieces of our hearts to one another today.

I believe that the phone call I received during the Revolve Tour was perfect timing for what has been on my heart lately.

Divine appointments indeed,

but now it is my responsibility to

act.

Thankful Thursday!

Thankful for the little whisper in my ear as I was walking in the bike lane last night that told me to get on the sidewalk. Within 10 seconds of me getting out of the bike lane, a woman in a minivan talking on her cell phone came over into the lane. Thank you God for your protection!

Thankful for the excitement in the air in our home with Kevin's scholarship. It has been so much fun!

Thankful that my dad took Kevin to get his brakes fixed, then to college, picked him up again to go get his car and then paid for the brake job! Thanks Grandpa!

Thankful for the hurricane, now friend, that came through my life!

Thankful that we have Gio's fingerprint appt for next week!

Giving Thanks!

Kevin Signing for His Full Ride to UNR!!

Officially part of the Wolf Pack!

I am over the top excited for this sweet child of mine. He is incredibly driven and focused when it comes to his game of golf. He has earned himself a full ride scholarship to University Nevada Reno where he will start this next August.

Love you! Love you! Love you!!!!!!

Blogging Laryngitis

There are no words for me to share at this point in time. Thanks for emails, phone calls and texts. Nothing wrong, just needing a break from the blogging world.

Adoption Controversy Series Issue # Four

Thankful Thursday!

So very very thankful for my dinner with Jean and Katie on Monday. It replenished my spirit and my love for adoption and friends who feel the same!!!! It was just too much fun for me to even describe!!!

Very thankful for my dinner date with Justin last night. He took me out to sushi for my birthday as he as been out of town forever and is leaving again in the morning until Thanksgiving! I felt like I was having dinner with a celebrity and had to pinch myself reminding myself that he is NO celebrity he's my son!

Thankful that Matt has made it home for his two week leave during his 13 month deployment. They came over with our granddaughter the day he got home. Very nice to have him here.

Thankful we received our notice from the US immigration that they will be sending us our fingerprint appt soon for Gio. Things are moving along nicely.

Giving Thanks!

Adoption Controversy Series Issue # Three

Link to last topic and links to original at end of post.

Aren't you just contributing to the problem of orphans in these countries that take large sums of money from you to adopt your child? and/or How much did they cost?

Well, let's see I just wrote a check to our own government for $910 for our immigration approval for Gio. That does not include all the other incidental fees I have paid to various government agencies to be able to adopt our third child in three years! I can look at that as corruption or I can look at it as hopefully money being used to prevent corruption with our adoptions.

Do I believe that adoption fees are outrageous and unjust? Yes!

Do I believe that whenever money exchanges human hands, especially cash in foreign countries that corruption is a high risk? Yes!

Do I believe that safeguards need to be in place to prevent corruption? Yes!

Do I believe that orphanages and foster care systems need money in order to better meet the needs of the children? Yes!

I also know.............

I will never forget Robert's response to me when we were in the process of adopting Marissa and I was concerned about the cost involved with the adoption. He looked me in the eye and said, "All the circumstances regarding how much it costs to adopt her do not matter, what matters is a three year old girl needs a family. She does not care about the money or all the circumstances involved with why she needs a mommy and a daddy. She just wants to have a family."

Now I remember when I was going through all my adoption paperwork as a young adult, I came across the receipt from the county where my parents adopted me. They had to pay the county at that time $500, which was a lot of money back in 1892! In my young adult mind, I felt sold to the highest bidder. I am not going to lie, it did bother me. I cried tears over it for many days. It was part of my adoption grieving process. But once I understood in a more mature mind, I accepted it and have never given it credence again. It is all about education, which is why I am doing this series.

Ending this topic on a note that puts this all into perspective, I often struggle in our affluent community when I see Hummers with large luxury boats towing behind or extravagant homes or large sums of money spent on certain body enhancements. I look at many of these things and say to myself,

"I would much rather invest my money in the life of a child/orphan that will only get better with time, instead of material things of this world that wear out and lose their appeal almost as quickly as it came!"

In response to this anonymous comment...

Yesterday Anonymous D commented on this blog post from a few weeks ago.

Dear Sally, You seem like a lovely person. The world needs more people like you. But to be a good person does not mean you have to believe all that docrine. Blind faith in the teachings of men with unfounded claims can be unhealthy. To have personal integrity is to scrutinise what one is asked to believe. Especialy ancient religious texts written by the small time cult leaders of the time. With Love. D.

Anonymous D, truly I appreciate your respectful disagreement. And while I LOVE comments and even different opinions, my blog is not a place where I am going to expend energy defending MY FAITH! My blog was created as stated in it's title to express my life and my desire in hopefully an unpretentious way about how my life has been dramatically changed once I was purchased by the blood of Jesus.

Many who knew me before I surrendered it over to Him, would have told you I had a great life as it was. Many good friends don't even know when this change happened in me because in many ways I am the very same person I was prior to truly becoming sold on Jesus, but my perception on life, my desire to serve, my ability to live peacefully on this earth has dramatically changed!

So what if I am wrong? What if all I have believed is an ancient myth as you speak?

Then my time on earth has been well spent making a difference in the lives of others. And when I take my last breath then I too will just go where you are going, where ever that is.

OR

Since Christ is the way, the truth and the life......

Not only will my time on earth have been well spent leaving an indelible mark on a few lives and I will be better equipped to handle earthly matters, but.....

I will also have eternity with all of those who believe like me.

For additional clarity, many of my friends are not Christians or at least not practicing Christians. They are good people, just as I try to be. I have NEVER believed that "to be a good person does not mean you have to believe all that doctrine". I just choose to believe because it works for my life here on earth and thereafter. It is not through good works that you shall have eternal life, but through faith. I choose to have faith, my choice, my life, my desire.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thankful Thursday

Thankful for Justin's passion and being able to live it out!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/33429562#33429562

Thankful I am his mama and got to watch him on Naitonal TV today!

Thankful Linny, an hour ahead of us, got to set the stage for me in such a fun way-- texting me all the way to work!!

Thankful for the beautiful flowers Joe had sent for my birthday with a really funny endearing card that only his mama could appreciate!

Thankful for doctors who have Marissa and Bryson's best interest at stake.

Thankful for my mom watching Marissa today and for mopping my kitchen floor and cleaning my stove.

It was cute. She cornered me this morning (and I knew instantly what she was going to talk to me about) saying, "I heard from your sister that Bryson is going to need more medical testing and you know Sally, Marissa is sick a lot with her asthma. Do you really think you should pursue Gio?"

Oh my dear mom, who is just worried about her own daughter, bless you!!

So when I got home to a cleaner house I told her, "Mom, you had it all wrong this morning. I should adopt a lot more kids who are sick often and then I would have a really clean house!"

Giving Thanks!

Today Show FInally!! Edited with link

Here is the link!! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/33429562#33429562

Justin will be on the Today Show tomorrow October 22!! Set your tivo's tonight!!!

Have fun watching my sweet son!! He is SOOOOOO nervous about it!!! (In a good way)

Marissa

Marissa is still running a high temp of 103, not the 105.4 stuff like yesterday though. Her lungs are sounding worse today, trying so hard to hold off on the prednisone without getting her to a point when recovery will be so much harder and longer because we didn't start sooner. Giving her lots of breathing treatments trying to keep those lungs open. She had her third dose of T*miflu tonight. Hoping that will be the turning point for her.

Here is my sweet girl quarantined to our bedroom. I moved her mattress next to our bed. It's so cute Bryson knows he can't go in so he stands outside the door talking to her and telling her he loves her!!

Quarantine life is not so bad when you are served all your meals on a tray in bed and your mom is giving you soda to get you to drink more!!

Note her friend, Tami Flu on the tray in front of her cup!

I am using plastic spoons and throwing them out as soon as she is done, taking no chances here with the others getting it.

Off to bed to pray over my precious sick girl!

Edited: Marissa had a great night and is fever free this morning!! She is up coloring and giving orders. She must be better!! Off to work, it is papa's turn today!

To Flu Shot...Or Not continues!!

After my post on To Flu Shot or Not, I vacilatiated about getting any flu shot for Marissa until the phone rang at work today then I was wishing we had at least done the regular flu shot for her.

The school called at 1pm today saying she had a temp of 103. By 5pm, with mortin, tylenol and in a tepid bath she was burning up at 105.4. The doctor sent us immediately to urgent care where she got started on T*miflu and a supply of prednisone. We are hoping the T*miflu will kick in before the asthma gets worse at night and may be able to prevent starting the prednisone altogether. Just thankful that we have a good team of doctors who know Marissa's asthma and acted so promptly. Thankful for praying friends that covered her in prayer as we were in urgent care.

It shall be pajama day tomorrow...can't wait!

Adoption Controversy Series Issue # Two

How does her "real" mother feel about feel about giving him/her up for adoption?

I have been asked this and a multitude of questions about my children's "real" parents. I gently remind people (with a shocked looked on my face at the question) that I am the real mother, good bad or otherwise. I usually rephrase the question like this "You mean what does her "birthmother" feel about the adoption?" Then I will go on to say that I am sure the decision was not one made easily and a lot of love went into the decision.

I recently read a blog where an adoptive mother met some of her own birth family and used the terms "real" brother and "real" mother on her blog. I know this mom is a great mom and wasn't thinking her wording through, but using words like "real" when labeling birth parents or birth family can have huge consequences on the adoptee or other adoptees in your life; like your own children through adoptions. Trust me, just because you are not talking about "their" specific adoption, every adoptee hears themselves in adoption stories.

I know growing up, I heard "real mother" a lot and in fact just the other day at work someone referred to my birth mother as my real mother and I had to correct them. For me, it almost devalues my mom who raised me and loved me the best she could. I find myself protective of her when I hear people use the term "real" now that I am an adult and mother myself. I do believe it has implications on my life hearing that over and over, like my adoptive family is not my real family.

So just keeping it real, my opinion on this issue is to be careful of little ears that hear words you may use describing adoptions. Be an educator to those who have not adopted so they do not continue to use words that may seem innocuous, but really are hurtful to adoptees and often times birthparents.

Link to original thread,

Go here for the first question.