National Adoption Week - Monday

In honor of National Adoption Week, I am celebrating.

Today I celebrate my friends who have added members to their family through the gift of adoption. I am particularly happy for (1) my friends whose son joined their family within the past two weeks, (2) friends whose son entered their family just over 2 months ago, (3) and friends who will be traveling to get their son from China within the next 2 months.

We are still waiting for word on our own child(ren) who will join our home through adoption. However, we wait with HOPE.

During our adoption journey, I have met many parents with children who were born into their families in LOVE, not through their biological bodies. I can think of 6 such familes, just in my church, and there are so many more colleagues, aquaintances, friends, and even strangers that have shared their stories with me and offered encouragement. I celebrate all of you today!!

If you don't mind sharing in comments, I (and other readers) would love for you to share something special about your children and their "gotcha day".

n.b. I heard on the radio this morning that it was National Adoption Week. Evidently this is true in the UK. In the US, November is Adoption Awareness Month, and National Adoption Day is on November 20. I shall celebrate this week nonetheless!

It's RAINing, it's POURing

You know the old adage, "When it rains, it pours,"? Well, I really feel like it's pouring.

The clutter monster is alive and well in my living room, kitchen, and piano studio. I have a SMALL sense of relief that paper clutter in my bedroom is minimal, and it is non-existent in the dining room. Later this evening it will be time to get out the medication and load up some pill boxes for MIL and FIL, so the dining room will have some whirlwind moments shortly.

There is a 6-ft-long hole in our office/guestroom wall. A little pipe had to be fixed (it drains from the A/C). The water that dripped from this little pipe into the actual wall probably dripped for a month, maybe two, on and off; it took us that long to figure out what was going on! A moldy baseboard, wet drywall, and wet insulation were removed not quite 2 weeks ago, and wet carpet was untacked and folded back to reveal wet padding & moldy tack strips. The studs were wet & dark, and once they dried, we could see some mold. The mold man said last week that we have a mold issue, but it's a small one and it shouldn't be difficult to fix. The adjuster from our HO insurance said that it was a maintenance issue, not a "sudden & accidental loss", therefore we are totally on our own with mold remediation and repair expenses. I am NOT happy that we had to wait a week for an adjuster to come out, only to hear that they won't help. Unfortunately for the adjuster, this whole thing is very emotional for me, as I want our house to be PERFECTLY READY FOR A BABY, and it is not that way right now. I did a lot of crying this afternoon (while he was here and after he left). I am REALLY hoping to have all remediation and repairs DONE by Sept 24, but I don't know how exactly that's going to happen.

Wednesday was a frustrating day with the in-laws during their visit to the doctor, but I did keep my composure. I am still flabbergasted that my MIL actually LIED to her server in the dining room at the retirement home about her diabetes last week, just so she could get a "regular" dessert. What?!?!? Silver-lining is that she confessed (AFTER she ate it, mind you) because she didn't want to get the server in trouble. She laid this on us on Sunday. At the doctor, I asked her about a medication that she self-administers one evening a week, without our supervision, only to have her tell me that she quit using it 3 WEEKS AGO. ?!?!?!?!?! There was more; I'll spare you the long version, but I was definitely feeling the strain.

To top it off, about an hour ago I drove by the library to return some books, rolled down my window to drop them in the book drop, and upon pressing the UP button heard a crackling metal/glass sound. The window stayed down. Needless to say, I will be shopping around Tuesday to see how much it costs to get a regulator replaced these days.... I spent a half hour pulling the window most-of-the-way-up and jamming stuff in the edges to keep it from falling all the way down again.

[sigh]

I am thankful that there is no rain in the forecast this weekend.
I am thankful that David was not planning to take my car on his trip tomorrow to see his Noles play and that his plans are not disrupted.
I am thankful that loving friends have already invited me over to eat and watch the Gators.
I am thankful that we already passed our home study for the adoption.
I am thankful that I already know a mechanic (or 2!) that I trust.
I am thankful that MIL only has 1 DR appt in the coming week and I'll have time to get the car fixed.
I am thankful that MIL and FIL are in reasonably good health, physically, even though their mental health is in a certain state of decline.
I am thankful that PATIENCE is a fruit of the Spirit.
I am thankful that David earned extra money this summer and that some of it will be in his paycheck at the end of Sept, because we'll need it!!
I am thankful that the mold problem is small and can be fixed in a day or 2.
I am thankful that we will not be home-bound without electricity enduring the wind & rain of a giant hurricane (as we were on Labor Day weekend 2004).
I am thankful that in spite of the frustrations around me, I can depend on the provision and love of my Father God, who supplies my needs, even my need to vent through this blog.

Full Day!

It's 9:10, and I just finished the dishes. Looking back, it has been a full day!

6:30 - wake-up
7:00-7:30 walk with the hubby for exercise
8:00 DR appt with MIL
9:00 MIL back home
9:30-11:30 Ladies Bible Study!! (dropped off Rx for MIL on the way there)
11:30 errands at library, Home Depot & grocery store (picked up MIL's Rx on the way home)
2:00 put away groceries, start a load of laundry, accept a phone call from a fellow piano teacher
3:00 end phone call, start dishwasher, eat a little lunch, get ready for piano lessons
3:15-6:30 piano lessons (hubby took MIL's Rx to her - thank you!)
6:30 made dinner without using anything prepared from a box (unusual for me!!)
7:25 served steak dinner with smashed potatoes, mushrooms & onions, and steamed squash yum!
8:00 unload dishwasher & wash dinner dishes
9:10 write this blog!

The clothes are tumbling in the dryer, waiting for me to hang them up. Once they are done, I am off to BED. It HAS been a full day.

Imagining how much longer this list will be when I have a baby to care for... and still wanting to go there. God is gracious!

Nursery update

The nursery now has a crib! It's a 2001 model, mission style. I did some research and found there was a safety recall related to the drop-side. I was able to order some latches to fix the problem, so now baby has a safe and comfy crib, which is also sporting casters and a new mattress. We had fun putting it together... together!

This crib was GIVEN to us through a dear friend. THANK YOU SHELLY!! The lady who gave it to me also included a dust ruffle and bumper. The bumper is a deep red/yellow-gold plaid, and the bumper has a pale blue background with animals playing various musical instruments! SO cute, and appropriate considering the musical nature of the baby's adoptive mama, in my opinion.

Artwork is also being framed for baby's nursery. So far the color scheme is deep primary colors (yellow-gold, gator blue, and red [not to be confused with garnet]). I am playing it safe and trying to keep it neutral, with regard to the baby's gender AND to colleges to whom we are loyal.

Unfortunately, the nursery is still full of bookcases (5 of them...). I am still looking for a carpenter or handyman who can build a single shelf high on the wall around the perimeter of the guest-room/office so we can store at least one bookcase worth of books OFF of the floor! If you know someone who is up for the job, DO tell me. Book relocation will be a chore, when the time comes, but I don't want to do that part until we can get this shelf-thing OUT of my brain and UP ON THE WALL.

You are My Strength

"You Are My Strength" by Hillsong United has been like my personal theme song for the past... 6 weeks or more. I learned it at choir rehearsal (yay choir!!) and we sing it at church every now and then.

The Lord has truly been my strength and my hope; he has lifted me up when I've felt low, or when I've been tired. The breadth of his love and faithfulness amaze me, and He IS unfailing love personified. I find myself singing this song very VERY often.



Note: The first 30 seconds or so of THIS recording is a digiridoo solo or something... We haven't included that part in the worship service at church yet.