6 years a bit early

So Marshall reminded me that I jumped the gun on a couple of dates and that things happened in our sixth year and not the fifth. Marshall graduated and started his masters in our sixth year of marriage not the fifth. Sorry.

In the past year we have been working hard together. We have a plan to add to our family and we are trying to do everything possible to make that happen. We have sent letters to all our family explaining our situation and why we are adopting. We include several pass along cards in each letter to help get the word out.

I have become an excellent blogger (at least better than I was before). I am working hard to make it easier for someone to get to know us better and have simple questions asked and answered. I have kept 2 blogs until this week I actually started a food/recipe related blog.

We are planning a nice family trip for the end of May and beginning of June. This will be our first Family Vacation. We are going to Canada to see my (Brittany’s) paternal grandmother and extended family. But I have wanted to take a trip for a while and have worked hard to save and plan for this Vacation.

Back in June we had a very large Yard Sale in hopes to help fund our adoption. We sold a bunch of things and took a ton more to the DI. But it did 2 things got the word out that we were adopting and helped us earn some money.

We took a couple of family pictures in this past year. One in March and the other in December, Marshall and I didn’t change much. That has been fun.

Marshall’s brother and his wife had a baby in the past year and Libby is just fascinated with him. She calls him “Buddy” she wants him to come play with her but doesn’t understand that he is not big enough to do that. I give it 3 more months and he will be running after the kids at grandma’s house.

This year on top of saving for adoption we wanted to be out of debt. We know it will take several years to pay off our house so this was all our other debt. We were able to pay off my car, buy Marshall a commuter car, sell Marshall’s truck and my car and buy an Envoy. We paid cash for the envoy and by downsizing and cutting back to two vehicles we were able to get rid of car debt all together. We don’t believe in using Credit Cards in our everyday purchasing so there was not CC debt to pay off. It does make me feel good to know that all we have left is our home and that is something we plan to work hard to pay off early.

I have come to the conclusion that my life just can’t have a five year plan. It can have a 20 year, and 30 year, a 1 year. I find it interesting that ever since I was a child even that if I tried to plan more than a year the Lord thinks my plans are not in his plan so they always get changed. Funny thing is I hate change! You would think by now I would have gotten used to it but… no. I guess its just one of those things that I need to learn. SO in my learning experience called life, I am trying to enjoy more, the time I have with my daughter. Children grow so quickly and I only have a few short years to spend this quality time with her and I am trying to make the most of that time.

I have spent the better part of a year Hoping and Praying that the lord will send me a baby. I somehow forgot that he already had. I am taking the opportunity to have special moments with just the two of us that is something that hopefully she will remember. Marshall is taking her on walks, on bike rides, to the park, to a ball game, we needed a reminder and somehow it came. I am just glad for the still small voice that whispered “take the moment and make it memorable”

So on that note I am grateful for the opportunity I have to be a mom! It may seem to be a crazy job; some days are full, some not so much. But there are those moments when you look at your child and thank God that he blessed you. Because I know how many hearts ache for that feeling, because I am one of them. But I know that the lord has a plan ahead and he sees the big picture where I cannot. I just have to put my faith I him. I have to close my eyes and open my heart.