tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15556594756370065062024-02-18T22:07:22.857-06:00We Love St. Patrick's DayAdam and Shelli's adoption blogwelovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-5662644272416310652016-03-01T18:50:00.001-06:002016-03-01T18:50:44.237-06:00You Can Stop Telling Us That We Will Get Pregnant NowI don't know how many times we've heard people say that we'll get pregnant now that we've adopted. They know someone or someone they know knows someone because it "happens all the time". It doesn't happen all of the time. In fact it only happens in less than 4% of couples who have adopted.<br />
Our 1% chance of getting pregnant, that was given to us by our first IVF doctor because he didn't want to say zero, is officially 0% It doesn't really bother me when people tell me I'll get pregnant after adoption, but it leads to an awkward reply. Like that would be great (after Tucker) to oh no, I hope not (after Miles).<br />
So now you don't have to say it, and I don't have to come up with a witty reply. I had a hysterectomy today. My endometriosis became too much, and I was putting off the inevitable by waiting. While we are completely satisfied with our family, and don't want to lose our man-to-man defense we have now, it still makes me sad. The finality of a hysterectomy, and knowing that it really is 100% impossible to get pregnant now. I knew I would never get pregnant and now I really know I'll never be pregnant. It's hard to explain being sad over the loss of fertility when I'm so happy with our boys, but just knowing that my fertility is really, forever gone feels like dealing with trying to accept it in the first place. I know this feeling won't last forever. My surgery was for the best and comes with some advantages. Thank you all for your love and support. Please forgive any grammatical errors. I'll blame the pain meds.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee4AGnT7Y5WqhHH9_jAm32I_-gF_WSZTf5rKxnef5u985S92F8QTVzGrD6Q5P8HwjgaD1lwZdqH9KHDoKl-nFRilqQS_KPr9LSjSS7gLLE5E8dicLdY10xecD7tPs-95Zta0u_jVQAw96/s1600/IMG_8890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee4AGnT7Y5WqhHH9_jAm32I_-gF_WSZTf5rKxnef5u985S92F8QTVzGrD6Q5P8HwjgaD1lwZdqH9KHDoKl-nFRilqQS_KPr9LSjSS7gLLE5E8dicLdY10xecD7tPs-95Zta0u_jVQAw96/s320/IMG_8890.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam putting my socks on for me before surgery. He's a great nurse!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-25713883044620717132015-08-29T12:55:00.001-05:002017-05-01T13:57:45.810-05:00The rest of our first adoption story...<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's time to share more of
the details of our adoption story... the rest of the story of our first son's
adoption. I doubt that I will be able to capture the true emotions of this
experience in words, but I'm going to try. I typically keep my posts short.
This one is going to be long, so be warned. To respect and protect the privacy
of our birth family, and son I won't share every detail, but most of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">March 2013 our 3rd and
final failed IVF. April 2013 we chose our adoption facilitator, June we paid all
of our fees and were technically "live" with them. However, our adoption
profile was not complete until September of 2013, and that's what gets mailed
to expectant mothers to chose from. We did a lot of things to pass the time
during our wait. Wintertime was the toughest to get through, but we managed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Late January we began
talking to someone that was interested in potentially placing with us, which
motivated us to start preparing the baby's room. We started with furniture, and
a few small things that we felt we would need with a newborn. She ultimately
chose another couple, which was painful, but OK. We just wanted her to do what
was right for her, and to have peace with her decision. We still talk to her
from time to time, and she and the baby she lovingly placed are doing well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">February
24, 2014, we got the call! An expectant mother in Rhode Island had chosen us and only us! She and her husband had two children and weren't able to
financially take care of a third. At approximately 8 weeks pregnant, when they
could've gone another route, they chose adoption and us! When we matched,
she was only 16 weeks pregnant, which meant we would be matched for 24 weeks.
That is a very long time in the adoption world. She and I began texting almost
daily getting to know each other. She would need help with living expenses, her
husband was laid off, and she stayed at home with her other children. It is
very common to assist the expectant mother with expenses during her pregnancy,
but what isn't common is a TX/RI adoption. I called the adoption agency here in
TX that did our home study to let them know the exciting news about our match.
Let's just say they were more concerned than excited. We spent a lot of time
praying about it, and we felt like God wouldn't have presented us with this
match if we weren't supposed to move forward with it, so that's what we did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first step was trying
to figure out how to handle the logistics of the adoption. Would we follow TX
law or RI law? Sounds easy enough to figure out, but it took our two attorneys
almost two weeks to figure it out. In the meantime we weren't able to begin
helping the family out with expenses because it all has to go through an agency
per TX law and an attorney per RI law... This was a challenging time because we
wanted to help them, and they desperately needed it, but our hands were tied.
If you know me, you know I'm a helper and fixer. It was extremely difficult for
me to want to be able to help them as much as possible, but be slowed down by
the legal process. We ultimately decided to go with Texas law because it was
more favorable to us, legally. Once that was figured out, the help with living
expenses started being taken care of by our TX adoption agency. Many people
ask, so I'll tell you that the money is/was paid directly to the bill
collectors, not the family. There were several times during the
pregnancy where things came up requiring additional help, and we weren't able
to send them any money or gift cards, but we could send them things that were
donated. Thanks to all of you that helped by donating things. The generosity of
others is such a humbling thing. This was extremely taxing on me emotionally.
Coming from a background where I didn't always have the money to make ends
meet, and personally knowing how scary that is, to then be in a position where
I can and want to help, but I'm not allowed to was heart wrenching. I lost a
lot of sleep and prayed many prayers over this throughout the 24 weeks. TX law
required that she have a social worker assist her with making sure her needs
were met, and she set her up with WIC, food banks, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">March 11, 2014 she had an
18 week ultrasound after which I got a text with a picture of the ultrasound
that said Shelli, here is your baby boy! Melt my heart. She mailed us the
physical pictures which is so nice to have. She's so sweet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When we initially matched,
the expectant mother felt it would be easier on her if she didn't meet us or
see the baby. She initially changed her mind about meeting us, and later
changed her mind about seeing the baby.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In July, our adoption
facilitator called the hospital to let them know about her adoption plan. The
hospital's policy didn't match with the expectant mother's desires. There was a
small possibility that we wouldn't be able to see him until the paperwork was
signed at 48 hours according to TX law. Then he would be given to the social
worker for discharge where she would then give him to us outside of the hospital.
Crazy, right? Did you just hear the roller coaster come crashing down? Well,
after lots of tears, prayers, phone calls, and emails between our TX agency, RI
social worker, RI attorney, and hospital risk management, they agreed to loosen
up a bit. We still didn't know what we would and wouldn't be allowed to do
while we were in the hospital. Talk about scary!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the end of July we were
reminded that our initial home study was about to expire and we had to update
it ASAP, yikes. More paperwork, fingerprints, personal references, and another
home visit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Good news came at the very
end of July. The hospital agreed to let us see him, we would most likely have
to be with him in the hospital's nursery, but that's better than nothing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">On August 6th, two days
before due date, the doctor decided to schedule an induction for Wednesday,
8/13 if he didn't come on his own before that. We decided to fly up together on
Saturday so we would be close in case she went into labor. I lived in Maine for
a couple years in elementary school, so I decided to take Adam up there to see
it while we were in the area. It was a fun, last minute trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">On Monday evening we went
out to eat with the whole birth family. It was very exciting to finally meet
all of them in person. They are really nice people and we had a good time.
Wednesday morning we gave her a ride to the hospital. She and I hung out in her
room waiting. They started her induction at 8:30, she got her epidural at 9:00,
and her water was broken at 10:40. We chatted and watched TV. We rented a
semi-scary movie, she loves scary movies, and I'm kind of too scared to watch
them. LOL Her epidural needed to be increased a few times to cover some extra
pain she was having. At around 4:00 she was 6 cm. At 4:30 she was feeling pressure,
and was at 9cm. For some reason the doctor thought this was an appropriate time
to go to her office across the street? She started feeling like it was time to
push, she was feeling a lot of pain, but they wouldn't give her any more
medicine through her epidural. The doctor finally came back and pushing
started, then he was born about 8 minutes later at 1648.
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It moved really fast. She
was in a severe amount of pain, and no words can describe watching someone go
through that so YOU(I) can be a mother! I get emotional just thinking about it
again. I prayed for her, I tried to help her; I did my best to coach her
through it, and tell her how strong and amazing she was. She was crying, the
doctor would look at me with such a sweet smile, and I would have to look away
because it took all of my human strength to not cry. I wanted to be strong for
her. I felt that if I cried, it wouldn't help her, and I wanted to do whatever
I could for her. She is a hero to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Adam had been waiting in
the waiting room, and he was able to go meet our son in the nursery while I
stayed with her until she was feeling better. Then I went and joined my husband
with our son! Words can't describe what that felt like. The best I can do is
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is where God's amazing
presence really became real. The nurses and hospital staff were beyond amazing
to us and to the expectant mother. It could not have gone any better. It was
truly an awesome experience. Like I said, they not only took care of us, they
took exceptional care of her. After the initial, albeit short-lived reaction of
"how can she do that", the staff quickly figured out that we were
very close to each other and that she was doing this out of love for her child!
Such. Brave. Love!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We spent some more time with
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big hug because I knew that was most likely the last time I would see her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We left the hospital with
him and went to the home of the daughter of a CRNA we worked with in St. Louis.
Yep, we stayed with people we had never met, and it was amazing! They were
great, and it was so nice to stay in a home and not a hotel! They felt more
like old friends than strangers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Friday night, big night for
us. This is when she can legally sign the paperwork that legally places him for
adoption. She's gonna sign, right? Of course she is, but we'll just be glad
when she has? but, she's going to? 5:30, no word, 6:30, no word... 7pm attorney
finally calls, they signed. The next day she texted me to say that she knew
they were doing the best thing for him and that we were going to be
great parents. She asked how he was doing and for some pictures of him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then on the following
Saturday she started saying she was sad and they really missed him, it was harder
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feelings and the feelings of being a new mom whose husband is back at work so
she is getting up with him around the clock and the house is getting messy
everything feels out of control. She is making inappropriate posts and comments
on Facebook, so I decided to tell her we couldn't be Facebook friends
anymore. I was having to screen and think about everything I posted and what
she would say about it, and how it would make her feel, and that just wasn't
how I wanted it to be. This is just a small example of the ups and downs and
unexpected emotions we faced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">On labor day weekend it
happened, she changed her mind and wanted him back. Of course she can't get him
back. But knowing that she felt that way was heartbreaking. She
was offered counseling several times throughout the process, but refused
it each time. She decided to take a break from us for a while and we went about
a week without talking. Then we were talking again more often, and she
seemed to be doing much better. Most of the conversation was about Tucker and
how he was doing with a few comments about how they were struggling or
needed something, but didn't specifically ask for anything. She asked for a lot
of things and help throughout her pregnancy. Her expenses were covered for six
weeks post pregnancy and we were now past that point. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was almost Halloween
time and I asked her what her children were going to be for Halloween to which
she replied they couldn't afford costumes. I asked her what they wanted to
be so I could send costumes. She told me what they wanted and then asked if I
could send money for food. I said no, I'm not going to help you with living
expenses any more, (I told her that before) but I would like to do nice things
from time to time. She said she was angry about that, but that I could send the
costumes. This led to her asking if I was going to send Christmas presents and
of course I was. So she began to send me their entire Christmas list, and
asked me if I could help them get more gifts through local resources as well as
our church. We did what we could, and actually got them set up to get help from
several resources. They opted not to follow through with most of
them because it required a walk in the rain or a bus ride (they don't have
a car) to pick up their free Thanksgiving meal. I did some
creative shopping and was able to come up with several nice gifts for them
on their wish lists. I mailed it on 12/7/14 so it would have plenty of
time to make it there. Except it never made it there...
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This made both of us very
upset. She said some mean and hurtful things out of pain, and I couldn't
resend her the gifts. We had a heated discussion over my role and
responsibility to them. I reached out to our TX adoption agency worker to
help explain things to her as well. She again told her not to ask us for
anything again and not to speak negatively. I felt it necessary to tell her
that I wouldn't buy anything for her or her family again. Things were much better
for a while. I did receive a few negative texts and texts hinting at
asking for things, and I explained to her that those were examples of the kinds
of texts she wasn't supposed to send anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I sent her a picture of
Tucker and his new teeth. This was the first time I sent her a picture without
her asking for one. She replied telling me she was busy with her life and her
kids. The next day, January 17th, she wanted me to send her something. I tried
to ignore it, but she kept texting. I then reminded her that I told her I
wasn't sending her anything again. She said she made a mistake choosing us. I
then told her that I would no longer be talking to her and I would send letters
and pictures through the TX adoption agency. I never wanted to close things off.
It was a last resort way to deal with a toxic situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Things stayed quiet. Miles
was born. I mailed her pictures and a letter when Tucker was six months. Then
on March 4th, when I was beginning to think that I had seen, heard, or
experienced all things adoption I received an email. At 11:48 AM she emailed
saying that things were tough with Tucker's biological brother and they were
placing him for adoption... WHAT?!? Wow. That's about all it said. Did she want
us to adopt him? Was she serious? Was her husband on board? Did we want to
adopt him? Can we adopt him?
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">How would it work? Can we
afford it? Talk about a shock! Yes, she wanted us to adopt him so he could be
with his brother and she knew he would have a good home. Yes, she was serious.
Yes, her husband was on board. Yes, we wanted to adopt him, and no, we didn't.
It would work similar to a newborn adoption including an ICPC wait. No, we
can't afford it, but we could make it happen. There would be no money for
living assistance. That only applies to pregnancies. Oh wait; at 5pm they
changed their minds. They will get him help... Whew. Wow, that was
overwhelming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">March 11th we finalized
Tucker's adoption!!! Yay, it's official, no more visits or reports from the
social worker. We have a birth certificate and can apply for a social security
card! Oh happy day. Well, it was actually a little anticlimactic. We got
to the Dallas juvenile courthouse about 8am and waited for our turn.
We were in front of the judge for all of 5 minutes while the attorney read
some paperwork and we answered yes to some questions. The judge never even
looked up at us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As mother's day approached
I really wanted to open things back up with Tucker's birth mother. After all,
she carried him for nine months, chose life, and chose us! I sent her a text,
and things have been much better since then. One of the nice things about open
adoption was being able to ask about family medical history when Tucker needed
ear tubes. She did feel left out of his birthday celebration when I didn't mention
them on his birthday chalkboard. I apologized and showed her the other ways I
included them in the celebration. We talk about once or twice a week and she
always tells me to tell Tucker how much they love him, and I love that! He will
always know how much he is loved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">With all that has happened
with our two adoptions, you can probably understand why I have been so
quiet on our blog. I don't know how you are going to react to the details of
our story, but I have felt pulled to share it for a while now and it has taken
me months to write it! It was a difficult experience that we handled the best
and most loving way we could. Thanks for being part of our story. We love each
other and our sons very much and couldn't imagine life any other way. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELr3fmWYdjzxPwn_ZVPtb1JnBnrdFfpFRDSVxp4a7hUtLOpRi9Hkko5Dg5NgtGEy0zLdR-_1-08m7vfvhetPmeLQxpJYAlV9RLYuYo7V-qWIvLPex3Gt7QcW2zdgRaX9mLdoBQLy9I2xZ/s1600/2181-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELr3fmWYdjzxPwn_ZVPtb1JnBnrdFfpFRDSVxp4a7hUtLOpRi9Hkko5Dg5NgtGEy0zLdR-_1-08m7vfvhetPmeLQxpJYAlV9RLYuYo7V-qWIvLPex3Gt7QcW2zdgRaX9mLdoBQLy9I2xZ/s400/2181-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">So Worth It!</td></tr>
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welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-60246273244556204052015-02-07T09:01:00.001-06:002017-05-01T09:07:58.327-05:00Miracle of AdoptionBecoming parents a second time is miraculous for us. Adoption is as much of a miracle as conceiving naturally. When Adam and I decided to have a family we knew we wanted more than one child. We believe that there is no other relationship in this world like that with your sibling and we wanted that for our child(ren). When we decided to "<a href="http://welovestpatricksday.blogspot.com/2013/10/adoption-is-not-easy.html" target="_blank">just adopt</a>" our plan was to go through the process twice.<br />
If you know us and speak to us regularly then you have some idea of the struggles we have faced along our journey. This has been one of the most difficult things we have ever been through in our lives. It is really hard to put it into words, so I'm not going to try.<br />
We matched with our first son's birth mother in February of 2014. He was due in August, so it was a very long match/ wait. Around May or June of 2014 we decided that we were not going to adopt again, and we shared this news with friends and close family. We already decided we wouldn't use our adoption facilitator again, and we just couldn't see going through the whole process of home studies, background checks, selecting an agency or attorney to work with, creating another profile, and then waiting and then the match...<br />
So, how is it that I am sitting here with our second son? It is without a doubt a miracle. God had a plan all along. I have made several "adoption" friends that I met through this blog and in adoption groups on Facebook. One of those friends lives in Houston, TX and adopted twins last March. Last July (one month before our first son was born) she mentioned to our adoption group that the attorney she worked with was looking for adoptive parents to match with some expectant mothers (EM) she was working with. I normally didn't read these posts because we were matched and not going to adopt again. For some unknown reason I read her post, not only did I read it, but I talked to Adam about an EM that was due in March. We reached out to my friend for more information and found out that the EM was the birth mother to her adopted twins and she was helping her find adoptive parents for her next child. They wanted a couple close enough so that the twins and the new baby could have a relationship since they are 100% full biological siblings. My friend was excited that we were interested, she shared our profile with her, and the EM thought we were a great fit! So, here we are in Florida just off of I95 again (our first son was born near I95 in Rhode Island) for our second son! God is good!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxf2gLQz76Up134nlp5wApPBm8ad7B2C58Vvv76X1b-28YuMWeWje6F0Eonr6T7E794LqUDuRzJU3odaAt76j-m2qlLUQiV4j7ZBF_TVZxrGkxA-Z2uO5lOFmUnNcNEdrf8_NOV2OOy9S/s1600/IMG_1684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxf2gLQz76Up134nlp5wApPBm8ad7B2C58Vvv76X1b-28YuMWeWje6F0Eonr6T7E794LqUDuRzJU3odaAt76j-m2qlLUQiV4j7ZBF_TVZxrGkxA-Z2uO5lOFmUnNcNEdrf8_NOV2OOy9S/s1600/IMG_1684.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-65645787885957389772014-11-18T20:57:00.000-06:002017-05-01T09:03:16.553-05:00Ultrasound Painting <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://rubysueportraits.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Ultrasound painting</a>:</div>
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Before our son's due date I asked friends, family, and strangers on Facebook for tips on how to save money on a hotel and rental car for our stay in Rhode Island. The response was overwhelming, and extremely helpful. </div>
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The most surprising response was when Jim, a former co-worker, messaged me on Facebook to say that he reached out to his daughter who lived in RI, and she said we were more than welcome to stay with her. She and her husband had a finished basement at our disposal, and had hosted several people before. If they were crazy enough to make the offer, we were crazy enough to take them up on it! We showed up on Monday afternoon and quickly settled in. Chris and Jessalyn were amazing hosts. It was more like staying with old friends than people we had never met before. We still keep in touch, and hope to see them again someday. </div>
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Chris and Jessalyn are both pretty amazing people. Chris works in collegiate ministry, and has a very dynamic personality that makes you feel immediately at ease with him. Like an old friend... Jessalyn is an extremely talented artist. We saw a commissioned drawing of a young couple while we were there, and it was absolutely incredible! She is also an extremely talented painter. She had the idea to paint her daughter's ultrasound as a way to preserve it. That is not something I would've ever thought of, and I'm thankful she did. She painted our son's ultrasound, and it looks amazing! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReOgJN_FytVI-haa9hUQlCVTIGE2fd3yhvc9FQ_0NtxhI6JQ-t1wZ1gU6U7FYG2HKoJ1t6fXrpnJi6M0nDuwJ-zkC_f2urGC0KP7Y442VLYgxWhKZkWg_0BZyTc5Fnd28Rwfe9ceS4nps/s1600/photo-15+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReOgJN_FytVI-haa9hUQlCVTIGE2fd3yhvc9FQ_0NtxhI6JQ-t1wZ1gU6U7FYG2HKoJ1t6fXrpnJi6M0nDuwJ-zkC_f2urGC0KP7Y442VLYgxWhKZkWg_0BZyTc5Fnd28Rwfe9ceS4nps/s1600/photo-15+.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ultrasound pic she used</td></tr>
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Check out her website <a href="http://rubysueportraits.wordpress.com/" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">RubySue Portraits</a>. She is also on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rubysueportraits" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://instagram.com/rubysueportraits" target="_blank" wrc_done="true">Instagram</a><span class="wrc_icon wrc13" rating="{"icon":"green3-16.png","rating":1,"weight":3,"flags":{"shopping":null,"social":null,"news":null,"it":null,"corporate":null,"pornography":null,"violence":null,"gambling":null,"drugs":null,"illegal":null}}"></span></div>
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Order yours today in time for Christmas. They make great gifts for so many people on your list! </div>
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Jessalyn says "For some, this is the very first portrait, and for others this is the only portrait." She also says that she loves being a part of something as miraculous as life in the womb. </div>
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I may not have carried our son in my womb, but I have loved him since then! I will always cherish this painting and as an adoptive momma, I feel especially blessed to have it! Thanks Jessalyn!</div>
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update: She actually painted both ultrasounds! I just couldn't show both at the time I wrote this blog because we hadn't announced our second match yet. I love our paintings!</div>
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welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-54121598809383524652014-10-15T08:54:00.000-05:002017-05-01T08:58:30.208-05:00Nurse Thank Yous...<div class="MsoNormal">
I got the idea to make thank you goodie bags for the nurses
from Pinterest. I thought it would be a great idea for our situation. Our son was
born at a small hospital that didnāt do many adoptions. The hospitalās risk
management was hesitant to tell us what all we would be allowed to do.
Ultimately itās the nurses who decide what you can do, so I thought it wouldnāt
hurt to kiss up a little bit.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I kept the gifts small and simple since we would be flying
with them. I made six of them. They had hand sanitizer, chapstick, chocolates,
a cute fingernail file, and gum. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had a great experience at the hospital, and all of the
nurses and the doctor that delivered our son were thrilled with their gift
bags. We also took them donut holes for breakfast one morning. The nicer we
were to them, the nicer they were to our Birth Mother and us! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_l1U0D5JW1g9l4VsbE2l46qHgQnGeXQbioh8XU3Dmby3jOx37LDV-YSZrMNpXcs-14X7TeXjzKbHp6HpoVV5Qr9_aLPfH2vNwdtanXiy7utSCsiBQvTDGzOtx5q7xudsn8IWJTy2j5DI/s1600/IMG_0103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_l1U0D5JW1g9l4VsbE2l46qHgQnGeXQbioh8XU3Dmby3jOx37LDV-YSZrMNpXcs-14X7TeXjzKbHp6HpoVV5Qr9_aLPfH2vNwdtanXiy7utSCsiBQvTDGzOtx5q7xudsn8IWJTy2j5DI/s1600/IMG_0103.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got the adorable Thank You notes made from my friend
Kristen at <a href="http://www.jkadoptionlove.com/" target="_blank">Adoption Love</a>. She can make them for you, too! <o:p></o:p></div>
welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-71693904283465072912014-10-15T08:38:00.000-05:002017-05-01T08:57:31.103-05:00Adoption Love Link-up: Humanity in adoption<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Neucha; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How, if at all, has adoption changed your view of humanity (for good or bad)?</span></b><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As I have mentioned before I didnāt know much, and was quite
naĆÆve to the adoption process when we started. Iām not one to do much sitting
around and waiting, so I quickly started reaching out and finding others who
were on the adoption journey. I was also hoping that getting our name and
adoption desires out there would expedite the process. It didnāt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the process of reaching out, I have come across all kinds
of people on different sides of the adoption triad. Each of them have plenty of
opinions about adoption, and most of them donāt mind sharing. I love that,
because it has forced me to evaluate my thoughts and opinions on topics I
otherwise wouldnāt have known to consider. Itās been mostly good, but there are
some opinions that can hurt your feelings if you let them. You just have to
remember that we arenāt the same, and we have different backgrounds. We arenāt
all going to agree and thatās all right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Humanity is humanity no matter the situation, and I am
always surprised by it whether itās good or bad. I have experienced the good
and the bad several times along or journey, but overall it hasnāt changed my
outlook on humanity, just expanded it. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-38757171258122780952014-08-20T21:07:00.001-05:002014-08-20T21:07:35.892-05:00Adoption Love Blog Link-Up Post: IntroMy friend at Adoption Love (we met through our blogs almost a year ago, see post <a href="http://welovestpatricksday.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-do-passionate-and-loyal-war.html" target="_blank">here</a>) has started an <a href="http://www.jkadoptionlove.com/p/adoption-love-link-up.html" target="_blank">Adoption Love Link-Up</a> to expand our adoption community and spread the good word of adoption. The first topic is:<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Unkempt; font-size: 16px;">How did you become part of the adoption world and where is your family at in their journey? </span><br />
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My blog about why we chose adoption can be found <a href="http://welovestpatricksday.blogspot.com/2013/08/why-we-chose-adoption.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
As for where we are...<br />
My husband is currently feeding our newly placed son while I write this during our wait to clear ICPC so we can head home as a family of three! I am still in shock that we are at this stage, and I am just letting it all soak in and enjoying it as much as possible. I am taking notes and look forward to sharing our journey to get our son with all of you soon!<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Unkempt; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-3015560131210362052014-08-06T20:59:00.000-05:002017-05-01T08:53:09.539-05:00August 8thAugust 8th is the due date of the baby boy that the expectant mother (EM) we are matched with is carrying. It is also the day I started this blog with <a href="http://welovestpatricksday.blogspot.com/2013/08/welcome-to-our-blog.html" target="_blank">my first blog post</a>. We had no idea when or how we would be matched, and how ironic that he is due on the same day I started a blog to share our adoption hopes, dreams, and journey!<br />
I was at work when I got the call telling us about the EM we were eventually matched with. It was all I could do to calmly listen to everything our adoption facilitator had to say. Thankfully I was smart enough to take notes! That night an email was shared between our EM and myself, and we have been texting almost daily ever since. Getting to know each other and our hopes for the baby she is carrying. She is a very sweet and loving woman who cares for this baby a great deal. She chose adoption when she was only 8 weeks pregnant and could've gone another route. Her bravery is nothing short of heroic!<br />
We thank God for her and pray that she has a smooth labor, delivery, and healing.<br />
Thank you all for your caring and support!<br />
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<br />welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-67376473370860848592014-07-09T20:25:00.000-05:002017-05-01T08:52:05.696-05:00We're matched!!! Baby boy due August 8th!We got THE CALL an expectant mother chose us! Since then we've been setting up our legal team and other necessary logistics. We have our California facilitator, Texas agency, TX attorney, TX social worker, Rhode Island attorney and RI social worker! Our adoption will be semi-open and we have been getting to know this very nice, loving, and sweet expectant mother we are matched with. She lives in Rhode Island and that is where her baby boy will be born. I will be there with her during delivery and Adam and I will leave the hospital with him when he is discharged. She can't sign the paperwork releasing him to us until at least 48 hours after he is born. That is the plan, but you know how the best laid plans go... Anything can happen, but we have faith that things will work out for the best. After he is discharged from the hospital we will have to wait for RI and TX to clear us which is called ICPC (Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children) in the adoption world. This process can take up to 14 days after he is born then we can fly home! He'll be 10-14 days old when he has his first plane ride?!? We will definitely be booking a non-stop flight to get home as fast as possible!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , "tahoma" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Please pray for the expectant mother, the baby, and us as we navigate this delicate and miraculous situation. Thanks for all of your support!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , "tahoma" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
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welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-41500768017668049402014-05-25T21:34:00.000-05:002017-05-01T08:47:12.522-05:00Bareboat sailing day 8: British Virgin Islands, BVI, returning the boat to Horizon at Nanny Cay<br />
It's the morning of our last day on the boat and it's been raining all night. I woke Adam up in the middle of the night because it was raining really hard and we needed to close all the windows. He must have forgotten where he was because he sat straight up and hit his head on the underside of the cockpit. I made him sleep on that side, because that's the side he sleeps on at home. He shared his opinions about that and then rolled over and went back to sleep. I managed to get the windows closed, and it was still raining hard when we woke up.<br />
<br />
Maria's flight was early that morning, and we waited as long as we could to allow the weather to clear enough to take her over to the dock in the dinghy. While waiting, we were listening to the weather station on the radio. Since we were so close to Puerto Rico they give the weather report in spanish and english, so Maria was translating for us. The forecast didn't sound good, but the weather cleared and we were able to get Maria dropped off and return to the boat. More heavy rains came, and we continued to listen to the weather report. We needed to cover about 4 nautical miles today to get the boat back to Nanny Cay by noon. The original plan was for me to sail the boat as the helmsman the whole way, but with all of the rain that was out of the question.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rain ahead and Beef Island on the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not only was the forecast for more rain with a small craft advisory, but also winds of 18-20 knots and 4-6 foot waves with a northern swell. The boat had to be turned in by noon. We waited as long as we could and even made ourselves some more bacon, egg, and cheese english muffins.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving in the pouring rain</td></tr>
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At 8:30 AM it sounded like the last of the rain had cleared. We decided it was time to make the trip. We head out, and starting out it's not bad at all. Not as rough as the day before, but it feels like it takes us about 2 hours to get around Beef Island and into the channel. Our fuel gauge hasn't worked this entire trip, and we have no idea if we have enough fuel to motor all the way back. Half way around Beef Island, we see the rain, heading straight for us. Of course we didn't pack any wet weather gear, so I made Adam wear his hoodie because it was chilly and would keep him a little dry. I rode on the steps heading into the cabin protected from the rain. I figured it didn't make sense for both of us to get hypothermia. The boating was rough in the rain, but not too bad. We finally made it into the channel and the rain clears. That's when the swells and the waves showed up. Our 35' monohull is all over the place, right rail in the water, then the left, then the right, and so on. The waves were moving faster than us and we were pseudo surfing them. I was never so glad to have a 10,000lb keel on a boat in my life. I headed down below and got life jackets, not because I thought we would capsize, but we were rolling so much, that I was concerned one of us could go overboard. It wouldn't be easy to tread water in those 6' waves. Meanwhile not one, but two Catamarans blow past us. One of them is under sail! Yes, sailing in the rain and rough waves like it's nothing! The other catamaran motored past us, and looked like they were barely moved by the rough seas, meanwhile I'm thinking <i>if we die today, at least we will die on the last day of our vacation and not the first. </i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nanny Cay Marina</td></tr>
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Then we see it, a harbor full of masts, Nanny Cay! Hallelujah! We just might make it. We have settled into a nice groove with the waves, and they aren't as high as they were. We were heading down wind and decided to let out the jib and try to get there a little faster. I was able to set up the furler and jib sheet so I could reach both from the same spot an let out the jib myself. As we approached Nanny Cay I set out to getting the lines and fenders ready for docking the boat at the fuel dock on the starboard (right) side. We pulled in the jib, and motored up to that dock like pros! Then they wanted us to dock on the port (left) side. Adam had to turn around in the narrow marina while I am quickly untying and moving all of our lines and fenders. Good thing I was a pro at bowline knots by then! We refilled the water and fuel on the boat, and we still had over half a tank left which would've been nice to know... We called Horizon Yacht Charter and an employee came and drove the boat over to the Horizon docks which are extremely narrow. Of course he spun the boat around and backed it into the narrow space like it was nothing.<br />
It felt good to be on solid ground. It was like a totally different environment inside the marina. The sun was now out, and the winds were lighter. You couldn't tell the water was rough at all. It was almost like that trip had never happened.<br />
We checked into the hotel, and headed to the beach where we did a little swimming, and mostly spent the afternoon relaxing under a palm tree. We saw a large group of people that were dressed very nicely headed our way. It was a church and they were there for a baptism. It was pretty neat to watch, but we felt a little underdressed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the beach at Nanny Cay</td></tr>
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<br />welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-73610866511490731812014-05-20T07:48:00.000-05:002017-05-01T08:12:53.558-05:00Bareboat sailing day 7: British Virgin Islands, BVI, Trellis Bay, TortolaIt's time to head all the way from White Bay, JVD to Trellis Bay, Beef Island. The time has flown by, but it's been an amazing trip. The forecast is calling for high winds and heavy seas. We had originally planned to sail on the outside of the channel around Scrub Island to Beef Island, but we changed our minds after we heard the weather forecast.<br />
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We motored from Jost Van Dyke to the channel where we started sailing with two reefs in the sails. Maria and I aren't big fans of heeling so far over that the rail is in the waterā¦ So we took it nice and easy for a few hours. We weren't covering much ground, so I used more of my ASA 105 skills and determined that we were only going about 2 nautical miles an hour towards our destination. In the BVI they want you to be moored or anchored by 1630 if you are bareboat sailing. We were sailing into the wind so we were zig-zagging inside the channel on a close haul at about 4 knots, which wouldn't get us to Trellis Bay by 4:30pm. We then reluctantly fired up the motor and made it to Trellis bay at about 4:00. It was a pretty nice ride, a little rough with the northern swells that began rolling in. Our sea turtle friend came by to say Hi.<br />
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We went to The Last Resort at Trellis Bay for some appetizers, then we checked out the shopping. There are art shops with some interesting local artwork, and the biggest hammock I've ever seen. We went back to the boat to get in some more time on the floaties. Then we had tacos on the boat, and one last night of fish watching by flashlight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trellis Bay</td></tr>
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welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-53518262287143355782014-05-18T21:03:00.000-05:002017-05-01T08:11:11.454-05:00Bareboat sailing day 6: British Virgin Islands, BVI, White Bay, JVD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love waking up to a beautiful island morning! Today the plan is to just make a quick run over to White Bay, home of Ivan's and Soggy Dollar Bar, so we have more time for snorkeling and relaxing. Plus, this is a popular destination for ferries full of tourists from cruise ships and other Virgin Islands. We head over first thing in the morning, and there was only one mooring ball open. Awesome! We head out for more snorkeling, and my underwater camera quit workingā¦ The snorkeling was the most amazing snorkeling of the entire trip. We saw stingrays, beautiful coral, and a rainbow of fish.<br />
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We had our wraps for lunch on the boat then we rode the dinghy to Foxy's at Great Harbor. We saw a real pirate ship on the way, and spent some time relaxing in the hammocks. Next was a dinghy ride to the beach (there is no dinghy dock) at White Bay to spend some time at Ivan's and Soggy Dollar Bar. Ivan's has expanded some since we were there last. They just added a building that they serve some pretty amazing barbecue out of. We headed over to Soggy Dollar Bar, and it was packed! The only place in the Islands where we had to wait in line. It's become quite the tourist attraction.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan's</td></tr>
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We went back to the boat and spent some time in our floaties before we cleaned up and headed back to Ivan's for the barbecue dinner. It's not easy to take off on a dinghy from the beach, but we managed to make it work. (<a href="http://welovestpatricksday.blogspot.com/2014/05/bareboat-sailing-day-3-british-virgin.html" target="_blank">Refer to my previous warning about the dinghy</a>)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mic at Soggy Dollar Bar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail from Soggy Dollar Bar to Ivan's</td></tr>
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Soggy Dollar Bar is where the famous <i>Painkiller </i>drink was created. It's named Soggy Dollar Bar because of the soggy state of dollars used to pay for drinks after patrons swim ashore from an anchored vessel. Ivan's Stress Free Bar is Kenny Chesney's favorite, and it is not uncommon to spot him there. The Virgin Islands have inspired a few of his songs.<br />
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You'll need your <a href="http://www.cruisingguides.com/products/drinking-and-eating-mans-guide-bvi-4th-edition" target="_blank">Eating and Drinking Guide</a> at all three of these stops.<br />
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welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-83491863170775780862014-05-16T09:30:00.000-05:002017-05-01T08:00:50.932-05:00Bareboat sailing day 5: British Virgin Islands, BVI, Soper's hole, Diamond Cay JVDThe morning of day 5, we wake up, reorganize, and straighten up the boat. After our breakfast of bacon, egg, and cheese english muffins made on the stove, we sailed from The Bight to Soper's hole on Tortola. It's a fun place to do some shopping and eat lunch at the famous Pusser's. It's very good, but on the pricey side. We restocked at the grocery store, and then set off for Diamond Cay and the Bubbly Pool on Jost Van Dyke!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pusser's at Soper's Hole</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside of Foxy's Taboo</td></tr>
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After a smooth sail, we motor in to Diamond Cay only to discover that there are no mooring balls open (binoculars help when you are looking for an open mooring ball). We don't trust our anchoring skills enough to do it without our instructorā¦ So, we decide to head over to White Bay. As we are motoring out of the bay, I take one more look at the mooring field and I see a boat coming out. After a quick check with the binos, I see an open mooring ball! Yay. We were able to turn around and grab it. Lesson learnedā¦ get to Diamond Cay early, or hang around to see if someone leaves. There are only 10 mooring balls in this bay, and it's a popular stop because of the Bubbly Pool. It's also a challenging bay to anchor in.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinghy rescue</td></tr>
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While we were settling in, and getting ready for our trip to the bubbly pool, Adam noticed a dinghy with about 8 people paddling towards their catamaran. He and Maria jumped in the dinghy to go help them out. They were relieved to see them, and appreciated the help.<br />
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A sea turtle came up next to our boat to say Hi. I just love them. We headed off to the bubbly pool! When the trail makes it's first left turn, if you go straight, and then up you will see some very pretty views. We made it to the bubbly pool past the poisonous trees. It was much more bubbly this time! We found another trail to the right of the bubbly pool that provided some of the best views so far. On the way back we stopped in at Foxy's Taboo for our <a href="http://www.cruisingguides.com/products/drinking-and-eating-mans-guide-bvi-4th-edition" target="_blank">Eating and Drinking Guide Drinks</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mangrove tree on the way to the Bubbly Pool</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">above the Bubbly Pool</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bubbly Pool!</td></tr>
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Next we headed out to do some snorkeling. It was a bit far of a swim for me, so when Adam took off from the boat, Maria and I headed towards the shore in the dinghy. When I hit the bottom with the motor (oops) I decided we should probably just anchor it :-) We met up with Adam who had just seen a nurse shark and we all did some snorkeling. Another one of my favorite things to do, then we spent some more time in our floaties. <br />
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Dinner was hamburgers on the grill. It almost fell off and we had to deal with a grill full of hot coals that was barely hanging on and threatening to dump it's dangerous contents down the side of the boat and into the water. After searching, we finally found where the toolkit was. Next time, I'll be sure to bring a multitool or two. By this time the sun was long gone. Time to break out the flashlight, and check out who is swimming under our boat. There were a ton of Tarpon under there, which is a little creepy because their eyes glow orange when you shine the light on them. Then the nurse shark swam by. That was really cool, and made for some interesting home videos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-7FeUXHaeasrFJDlOkeUkgofBQ86jgd94IFw23RytrwSZ8-YYBySQLMLApzSQq-J_d9OaIzu28kzMmyNR9fiV3veSJumHw95mJW-qdRfOYOyOfDtvjt2rrvTxizR-xJGjwuZUpxd_I7N/s1600/IMG_9104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-7FeUXHaeasrFJDlOkeUkgofBQ86jgd94IFw23RytrwSZ8-YYBySQLMLApzSQq-J_d9OaIzu28kzMmyNR9fiV3veSJumHw95mJW-qdRfOYOyOfDtvjt2rrvTxizR-xJGjwuZUpxd_I7N/s1600/IMG_9104.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Fishing"</td></tr>
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<br />welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-36958200390406559842014-05-15T09:30:00.000-05:002017-05-01T07:57:02.787-05:00Bareboat sailing day 4: British Virgin Islands, BVI, The Bight, Norman IslandDuring the night our breeze booster fell into the water. No big deal, it's only 13 feet down to the bottom, I got this, right? uh wrongā¦ I tried four times to swim to the bottom with my snorkel and fins on and couldn't get close. Julian wakes up and jumps in with goggles swims over to the breeze booster, down to the bottom, grabs it and swims straight back! Did I mention that he is 68 years old and getting a hip replacement later this year? I really need to work out more! Julian saved the day, and this is his last day with us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pirate's Bight 2014</td></tr>
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We set out on a quick sail across the channel to Nanny Cay Marina to drop him off then on to my favorite stop, The Bight! We are on our own! Since our last trip to the BVIs, Pirates Bight the restaurant and bar, burnt down after a spontaneous combustion from the materials they used to refinish the floors. Nobody lives on Norman Island, they only go there for work. The restaurant was a total loss and was completely rebuilt. The old one had a college bar feel to it with an old swing in the back and a jumbo sized jenga. The new one is very elegant and much more of a country club feel than the beach club vibe it once had. Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely beautiful and I will go back, it just isn't the laid back, relaxing island hang out that I prefer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pirate's Bight 2012</td></tr>
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We finally broke out our class 6 PFDs*, our sit n floats! That's probably my favorite thing to do. Just chill in the water and take in the amazing views.<br />
*when our instructor saw these he said you brought your own personal floatation devices? Without missing a beat Maria called them our Class 6 PFDs! Haha I think they are just recommended by the ASA, but they should be required.<br />
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No visit to The Bight is complete without a stop at Willy T's, a floating restaurant. It can get a little crazy on this boat, but it's all good fun. They have the best fish n' chips in the BVI!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willy T's 2012</td></tr>
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<br />welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-49710621833469609692014-05-14T09:30:00.000-05:002017-05-01T07:55:17.129-05:00Bareboat sailing day 3: British Virgin Islands, BVI Deadman's Bay, Peter IslandEarly in the morning, we looked for the hiking trail that goes between BEYC and Biras Creek Resort. We didn't find it, but we were able to see some amazing views from the staircases that go up to some of the villas. We later found out that they are past the pool to the left with a sign pointing you in the right direction. We'll try again on our next trip.<br />
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Maria sailed us all the way to the Baths. The Baths are a beautiful formation of gigantic granite rock boulders. We anchored, ate some wraps for lunch, and rode the dinghy to the rope tie off point about 75 yards from beach. We then had to swim ashore (not an easy task) to be able to explore the trails among the granite rocks and then ascend to the top of the island where the view is amazing! After the long swim, the hiking was a breeze!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIBgS0yLFNuksfhbcrGITYfWJT25zyWgLgGx-MSSoge91CXBtryUvdPbFB7YPzz9vBPqxXm5WTUUqQ-5cC4BMXY4Hj0UpsDkq-_lxO8raiC_SxGan5ZIDO5y1sYgyLvlh9mLxPquvGwh8/s1600/IMGP0189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIBgS0yLFNuksfhbcrGITYfWJT25zyWgLgGx-MSSoge91CXBtryUvdPbFB7YPzz9vBPqxXm5WTUUqQ-5cC4BMXY4Hj0UpsDkq-_lxO8raiC_SxGan5ZIDO5y1sYgyLvlh9mLxPquvGwh8/s1600/IMGP0189.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful granite rock formations</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlsyVoq2xNBBK3ljX70iUGH6KfTviHqIyyBgLwEIcbsC2IAkig8nYQUtTxlgayNdSS9cFyNl0TyYL7qKCIwJvVB_Opkgnerf5xVluzzGC04E4DDnUJoRS7mSS9lBbD9zWFyPgZts_BYyk/s1600/IMGP0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlsyVoq2xNBBK3ljX70iUGH6KfTviHqIyyBgLwEIcbsC2IAkig8nYQUtTxlgayNdSS9cFyNl0TyYL7qKCIwJvVB_Opkgnerf5xVluzzGC04E4DDnUJoRS7mSS9lBbD9zWFyPgZts_BYyk/s1600/IMGP0190.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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You aren't allowed to overnight at the Baths because it is a National Park. So, after we finished our exploring and sight seeing we sailed over to Deadman's Bay on Peter Island. There are no moorings here, so it is anchor only. It was on a very pretty beach with a five-star resort on the island. A small marina was in the next bay. We took the dinghy over to resupply our ice. We had to buy more everyday, it even melted in the refrigerator on the boat. We had a very up close encounter with a sea turtle! He was checking out the vegetation in the marina. Dinner was grilled chicken, baked beans, and corn on the boat. We shined a light into the water and saw a few tarpon fish with their orange, glowing eyes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeXx4f4c4uD1NOwSaNwWGEKZNwhu8OgcbUdDPIPniEqIwdpDHvps0tG7BN1rj8fGLaHItV2SwfR3WLeDe-Xd59_1vKeRhR4F0qTnM0MxyOc3BV6jfxyXNAIZ7AIKsWFisv1Ub7AZ3Dc1b/s1600/IMGP0192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeXx4f4c4uD1NOwSaNwWGEKZNwhu8OgcbUdDPIPniEqIwdpDHvps0tG7BN1rj8fGLaHItV2SwfR3WLeDe-Xd59_1vKeRhR4F0qTnM0MxyOc3BV6jfxyXNAIZ7AIKsWFisv1Ub7AZ3Dc1b/s1600/IMGP0192.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from the top of the baths</td></tr>
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We spent some time getting to know more about our very interesting sailing instructor Julian Putley, Author. In addition to spending two years sailing around the world he has also written several caribbean fiction and non-fiction books. His most popular book is <u>The Drinking & Eating Guide to the B.V.I.</u> He told us to buy it on our first day because it is full of drinking and eating deals at many of the bars and restaurants. It was easy to find because it is sold at every gift shop in the islands or you can purchase it <a href="http://www.cruisingguides.com/products/drinking-and-eating-mans-guide-bvi-4th-edition" target="_blank">here</a>. Then he told us to look at the author page! He autographed our copies for us. I must warn you that using this book can lead to a face plant front flip into the dinghy, or at least that's what I hear.<br />
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Deadman's Bay is named so because "folklore has it that the infamous pirate Blackbeard marooned fifteen men on the cay with nothing but a bottle of rum. Some apparently tried to swim the half mile to Peter Island's eastern cove but didn't make it." Julian Putley, "The Virgins' Treasure Isle," the story of the daring piracy and subsequent burying of it on Norman Island in the BVI.<br />
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welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-8566309791230724902014-05-13T09:32:00.000-05:002014-05-13T13:31:16.847-05:00Bareboat sailing day 2: British Virgin Islands, BVI North Sound, Virgin Gorda<div>
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We decided to put our ASA 105 (coastal navigation) skills to the test and plan our route from Trellis Bay, Tortola to North Sound, Virgin Gorda. We set sail in the morning and anchored for lunch at Long Bay, then continued around Mosquito Island to North Sound where we practiced docking the boat different ways, and practiced picking up mooring balls. We called Bitter End Yacht Club on the radio to make dinner reservations once we were within range. After we were safely anchored for the night we went to Saba Rock to enjoy their amazing views. The Toucans and Parrots that used to be there have been moved because they were being harassed by some guests :-( </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhox-lslLXddSwCX6B0w5BWyhi1lv1CoJ5f31Z7rp29PyILLEeOOn_Qz5PYRhBTCAVksbcxC8OnnTKoGtrvwb7PTOP6Nk56FEKTK9Btu-KrkIrYbyLsXDG4A7a2X4C04-mnk6LQJDxb6Ft/s1600/IMGP0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhox-lslLXddSwCX6B0w5BWyhi1lv1CoJ5f31Z7rp29PyILLEeOOn_Qz5PYRhBTCAVksbcxC8OnnTKoGtrvwb7PTOP6Nk56FEKTK9Btu-KrkIrYbyLsXDG4A7a2X4C04-mnk6LQJDxb6Ft/s1600/IMGP0149.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a>We returned to the boat to clean up for dinner. The shower in the head wasn't the best, so we all used the shower on the transom until we discovered that it was really difficult to control the temperature. It would get so hot that it would scald you! We then started using gallon water jugs that we filled up in the galley because the temperature was more reliable. Dinner at Bitter End Yacht Club was amazing! We ate at a table right next to the water. We watched the sunset, and we all had a great evening. </div>
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Another very successful day!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saba Rock/ BEYC</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKG5p2MJfqmhDVTw6WT8fPhe6jmhyqr1So1QgCKLFkL3oPpIiGt2VWLfkP6fsucX9hyphenhyphenA_8C_whsUUGXJDO3quqfImooAmFVwVccKixaqQId-HN-3agnUfQDPOK4NgcnIOP78oN22pv2WOG/s1600/IMG_8868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKG5p2MJfqmhDVTw6WT8fPhe6jmhyqr1So1QgCKLFkL3oPpIiGt2VWLfkP6fsucX9hyphenhyphenA_8C_whsUUGXJDO3quqfImooAmFVwVccKixaqQId-HN-3agnUfQDPOK4NgcnIOP78oN22pv2WOG/s1600/IMG_8868.JPG" height="226" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our instructor, Julian Putley</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6UQ7t9JsuzjZInrR1hvokXtUVIs_ox0hCOjDVy27VQQgsyYDRDn2nKB03PHFzmOSlxKmrKi_Ek0mN0JgupCmCjOfHIzH6elNMEHXSRppuJWPGwuUbvN2HeVpRJdjhzymKMOqvDpOyNx2/s1600/IMGP0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6UQ7t9JsuzjZInrR1hvokXtUVIs_ox0hCOjDVy27VQQgsyYDRDn2nKB03PHFzmOSlxKmrKi_Ek0mN0JgupCmCjOfHIzH6elNMEHXSRppuJWPGwuUbvN2HeVpRJdjhzymKMOqvDpOyNx2/s1600/IMGP0004.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ASA 105 Coastal Navigation homework in February</td></tr>
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welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-49234076282302398072014-05-12T09:32:00.000-05:002014-05-12T09:32:35.973-05:00Bareboat sailing day 1: British Virgin Islands, BVI Marina CayWe flew to and spent the night in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Friday. We had an amazing dinner and took a late night stroll on the beach. I would love to go back and spend more time in Puerto Rico, it was gorgeous. Very early Saturday morning we arrive at the airport via cab. He drops us off at American Airlines, but our flight was on Cape Air. After walking about a mile we managed to get checked in for our flight on a Cessna 402! I put my scopolamine patch on the night before so I'd be ready in case things got bumpy. It was a beautiful flight with amazing scenery, and surprisingly smooth.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXzcAUExztNPBrph3k5ZUTzNh8ZzhGMQ12n9-hDP9Y8NknLw2tpBBWtXHnffBjkUmc-RM9LDf9m7bAqrP7NQPatdzSufV0hfNtz0CelCQH83UHV1pzcp-MWKjGDPMiQAzUGlOAvPR7-SN/s1600/IMGP0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXzcAUExztNPBrph3k5ZUTzNh8ZzhGMQ12n9-hDP9Y8NknLw2tpBBWtXHnffBjkUmc-RM9LDf9m7bAqrP7NQPatdzSufV0hfNtz0CelCQH83UHV1pzcp-MWKjGDPMiQAzUGlOAvPR7-SN/s1600/IMGP0113.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 9 passenger plane!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzcMyemalZw-IfIpvyvbcwNZc9X0aiY4Ixx3A5NMba-TxuRdDH0PS8nK4CidLombS1mngabQYp6BJC8Fu1ifC850XviRjXOkjCRxdg44vcvcLmaostOA-z5Go9wjQgcATwa9jlFG9x-sy/s1600/IMGP0125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzcMyemalZw-IfIpvyvbcwNZc9X0aiY4Ixx3A5NMba-TxuRdDH0PS8nK4CidLombS1mngabQYp6BJC8Fu1ifC850XviRjXOkjCRxdg44vcvcLmaostOA-z5Go9wjQgcATwa9jlFG9x-sy/s1600/IMGP0125.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a>We made it to Beef Island Airport on Tortola, BVI, but one bag didn't. No biggie, because we were picking up our friend from the airport that eveningā¦ The cab that we ordered through our charter was waiting for us, and after an exciting 40 minute cab ride on the wrong side of the road we arrived at Horizon Yacht Charter at Nanny Cay Marina! It was just as pretty as we remembered. We checked in with Horizon, completed more paperwork, paid the rest of our money, and picked up the "boat phone". The boat wasn't ready yet, so we took a stroll through the marina to the beach to wait. Forty-five minutes later we were on our boat, "Shortcut" a Bovaria 35 foot monohull.<br />
Our instructor, Julian arrived while we were unpacking. He was an older gentleman originally from England who had been teaching sailing for over 30 years and spent two years sailing around the world. Now he's on our boat certifying us in ASA 104? Wow, we were excited to have someone with so much to teach us.<br />
After our provisioning (groceries we ordered ahead of time) showed up three hours late we were finally off sailing! Our first destination was Trellis Bay to pick up Maria. We motor sailed to make up time, and made it there in about two and a half hours. We anchored in the bay, took the dinghy, and made it to the airport in time to be there when Maria came out of security! We grabbed our bag, headed back to the boat and motored over to Marina Cay where we anchored for our first night. We got in some snorkeling, but the water was pretty cloudy. We cooked spaghetti on the boat and then went to shore to check out the live music.<br />
A very successful first day!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCAbHFASSFSRo-fciiRyC-JLfuP_hsbN_ce4KVxH6n6ed2octKpuHifGSQ4ytfrUA3PesHty45NtAGhSLF4AXnVZwc2REq3bkw1HMeU5lrccTYnp_ppOm91i-kQ0mw0-glZ17DPNikn9k/s1600/IMGP0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCAbHFASSFSRo-fciiRyC-JLfuP_hsbN_ce4KVxH6n6ed2octKpuHifGSQ4ytfrUA3PesHty45NtAGhSLF4AXnVZwc2REq3bkw1HMeU5lrccTYnp_ppOm91i-kQ0mw0-glZ17DPNikn9k/s1600/IMGP0136.JPG" height="180" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A live conch shell</td></tr>
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welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-76137657849867652732014-04-22T14:50:00.001-05:002017-04-30T20:46:41.420-05:00Mothers choose adoption out of love...If she wasn't choosing adoption, we would never become parentsā¦<br />
When we tell you that we are matched with an expectant mother, please do not get upset if we don't answer all of your questions. Out of respect for our future child(ren), there are some things that will forever be between her, us, and our child.<br />
You will ask us why she is placing, and then you will likely judge her for it. How can she give up her kid, doesn't she know how to prevent a pregnancy, etc? I don't blame you. I thought the same things when I was trying to get pregnant. I can't get pregnant and this woman is just giving her child away. How can she do that? It obvisouly hadn't occurred to me that if she didn't choose adoption, then some people would never become parents. Fast forward to accepting my inability to ever carry my own child. Now the only way for ME to become a mom is for someone to chose adoption. I am now embarrassed to admit my initial feelings, and I regret my original, uneducated thoughts of women who chose adoption for their children. I was only thinking of my own pain and suffering with my inability to get pregnant. I now cringe every time I hear the phrase "giving up a child" children are NOT given up in adoption. They are lovingly placed for adoption by an expectant mother and/or father who want their child to have what they don't feel they are able to provide. There are many reasons that adoption is chosen, but whatever the reason, remember that they could have chosen abortion. Instead, they chose life.<br />
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Remember that when people choose adoption they are:<br />
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<li>putting the child's needs before their own by placing their child with a family that can give them things they can't</li>
<li>making a positive choice and blessing someone by making them a family</li>
<li>giving them more not giving them up</li>
<li>being strong enough to plan ahead for the child's future</li>
<li>telling the adoptive parents that they trust them enough to care for their precious baby </li>
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welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-63860858624133071472014-04-14T00:00:00.000-05:002014-04-14T00:00:12.759-05:00Happy Birthday, Adam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I made my first poppy seed cake today because it's Adam's favorite. As I've said before I love birthdays, especially other people's. I can't wait to do special things for my child(ren)'s birthdays! I also can't wait to help them do special things for their daddy's birthday. Adam was such a cute little guy, and I know he is going to be a great daddy!</div>
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<br />welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-40741605543540521642014-03-24T13:39:00.001-05:002017-04-30T20:43:54.237-05:00Registering for baby gifts when you are adoptingWhen I was struggling with infertility and trying to get pregnant, I avoided the baby section of stores as much as possible. The last place I wanted to go was a baby store! Now that we are adopting and will have a baby, I actually like going.<br />
I've mentioned before how much I have looked forward to a baby shower. Now that we are adopting, when do we have it? Before the baby is born, after the baby is born, after we are "matched", etc. Some adoptive parents have one after they become "paper pregnant", some never have one, some have one after they or matched, or after the baby is born. We haven't decided when we are going to have a baby shower yet. While we were getting some things ready in our baby's room, we also completed our baby registries.<br />
We haven't picked out a theme, and we tried to stay gender neutral. I didn't think that registering for gender neutral stuff was fun because boy and girl specific items were cuter. I don't know how people don't find out the gender of the baby. I would want to know just for the purpose of registering for fun, gender specific stuff! I have a new respect for those that wait to find out the baby's gender.<br />
I started the baby registry process online, and it didn't take long for me to be stumped by the process. question number four or fiveā¦ When are you due? How do I answer that? I'm not pregnant, so I'm not due. We don't know when our baby will be born. I decided on 12/31/14 because I feel like it will happen for us in 2014, and it actually let me say that I was due in 10 months! Ha. I left the baby shower details blank. We registered for several things online, but I really wanted to go to a baby store and scan things with the gun! That just sounded like a ton of fun to me, and it was. After we got past the awkward moment at the registry desk when they ask when you are due while looking at your obviously not pregnant belly. They all seemed to handle it well when we told them we were adopting.<br />
Babies R Us was the only place that had an option to select that you are adopting. There is even an adoption registry checklist! Target was the only one that had adoption related children's book available (online only) to register for. Buy Buy Baby and Walmart didn't have anything related to adoption on their choices. We got the sample bag from every place but Walmart, and they all had nursing supplies, lotion for your growing belly, and other pregnancy related items. I donated them to someone that could use it and kept the free pacifier, diaper rash ointment, diaper, etc.<br />
Now that we are registered we just have to decide when we feel it will be right for us to have some baby showers! We can't wait to get together with friends and family to celebrate this next stage of our lives. We will have coed baby showers without the traditional baby shower games. It will be more about hanging out and enjoying our friends and family.<br />
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Update:</div>
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Since writing this post, I learned that you can register on Amazon. How did I not know this?!? I love Amazon! You don't have to pick a due date, or provide any details about your shower. Also, there are many more items available to register for. They have a helpful adoption registry checklist, too. People can take things off of your registry when purchased even if they didn't purchase the item through Amazon which helps cut down on duplicates. </div>
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welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-64168171054611180302014-03-17T18:45:00.001-05:002017-04-30T20:39:35.628-05:00My dad will never get to see me be a mom<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I was a daddy's girl! Where he went, I went whether he liked it or not. If he was mowing, I was mowing, if he was fishing, I was fishing, if he was cutting down a tree, I was, well, I'd run and hide (no telling where that thing would land), then I'd be right there with him piling up the wood. That was until my parents divorced when we were 12, and things changed. My dad wasn't perfect, nobody is. </div>
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He was diagnosed with <a href="http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Huntington%27s+chorea" target="_blank">Huntington's chorea</a> 10 years ago. He handled it very bravely. It is a horrible disease that I wouldn't wish on anyone! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixa-i2kD9AUa7_Sik6jLVOccRgy3YJVPTrygQOJ2KticdwmoHZC0_PF1fp0SKiSvPjWsdY66M9lEtyaqioVvIe_56lBxSmE9SUEqbBtrzrgWtfOz_9s3Uf7RESFAeM-0-5y9ULMKKOddW/s1600/dad+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixa-i2kD9AUa7_Sik6jLVOccRgy3YJVPTrygQOJ2KticdwmoHZC0_PF1fp0SKiSvPjWsdY66M9lEtyaqioVvIe_56lBxSmE9SUEqbBtrzrgWtfOz_9s3Uf7RESFAeM-0-5y9ULMKKOddW/s1600/dad+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 1st snowman! Don't laugh, we lived in Louisiana. We didn't know what we were doing. haha</td></tr>
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My dad loved to tell stories, and he was good at it. He had a way of telling the story that recreated it for you. It was like he was seeing it play out in his mind while he was telling it. The problem was he liked to tell the same stories over and over and over! One of his favorites was about the time I caught a cat with a catfish! Yep, you read that right, I caught a cat with a catfish, and I wasn't happy about it. I was about 5 years old fishing in our pond, I got a bite and was a little excited when I was reeling it in. The little catfish I had on my line went flying into the air, and our cat happened to be near by and grabbed it! She took off with it while I'm standing there in shock wondering what to do. I quickly decided to reel it back in which caused the cat to tumble down the hill she was running up! It was very funny and we have shared many laughs about that story. We certainly did some crazy things together! He also liked to tell the story about knee boarding behind a horse in a creek in Missouri. That was a whole lot of fun! He would leave out the part about me stepping on a broken beer bottle. I was about 13 years old my foot was bleeding profusely and I was probably crying. He picked me up, threw me over his shoulder and carried me up an embankment and out of the creek to take care of my bleeding foot. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have my daddy's green eyes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDIAT-OqtzfE397KXwgXAC9DRjg2_xKfwC24L8n9j6TGxq_W4n_2zQYty7rMdI0vgMhzFhwBqj2aokRHJDNyhGOI3o3nd-1d6VHabkf_hvM8jQtDvWopUH0BjSSUT7xG_nxe0jDKOTa-m/s1600/dad+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDIAT-OqtzfE397KXwgXAC9DRjg2_xKfwC24L8n9j6TGxq_W4n_2zQYty7rMdI0vgMhzFhwBqj2aokRHJDNyhGOI3o3nd-1d6VHabkf_hvM8jQtDvWopUH0BjSSUT7xG_nxe0jDKOTa-m/s1600/dad+2.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wendi and Dad skiing together</td></tr>
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He was a kind hearted man, but he could have one heck of a temper. Not that we ever did anything to bring that out in him when we were young! Our bus driver never called him to tell him that his three were the worst three on the bus. That definitely never happened. He was an amazing water skier, and he taught us to ski very early. My twin, Wendi was able to get up on her own when we were five! I didn't get the hang of it until we were about seven. I don't have many pictures of my dad because they were lost during hurricane Katrina along with everything else of his. The picture of me shooting the gun with my dad was taken just before the hurricane. He decided to bring me the guns he would want to hand down to me after he was diagnosed with Huntington's and PTSD. I'm so glad he did that, because they would've been lost as well. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvI33mILhh-t7AgXcPcUjlvD4H2JfDieLDl1MfZKlfXA35lf1KisqXs29Jr0VCo7f3Xi8zE_2J6zWMmgsLLS0zqTz51KtS1cqhgl0Y6DUwOs2SRi4CIFPAMgoqO-MkqpiJSLGJgsjbv7qh/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-08+at+7.54.37+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvI33mILhh-t7AgXcPcUjlvD4H2JfDieLDl1MfZKlfXA35lf1KisqXs29Jr0VCo7f3Xi8zE_2J6zWMmgsLLS0zqTz51KtS1cqhgl0Y6DUwOs2SRi4CIFPAMgoqO-MkqpiJSLGJgsjbv7qh/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-08+at+7.54.37+AM.png" width="320" /></a>My dad served our country in the US Navy during Vietnam. I don't know much about that time, because he didn't talk about it. He did share some stories with me after I got home from Iraq. He has friends from that time in the Navy that just simply tell me that they owe my dad their life. That they were young, and he saved them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS10vFzEDGzd7HIyvDNTHUWTA1Mx7TrvYGQodjYRRN_0LOzrYyEUXapH_evnPuqiD_mtw1lANV0OJ0y0BlfCBPb9BKuvE4NnK5JSsMUMOQ0BMLZ-EuDxD8CPZOSWb7zN6R_X9Xg8wyGngQ/s1600/IMG_8800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS10vFzEDGzd7HIyvDNTHUWTA1Mx7TrvYGQodjYRRN_0LOzrYyEUXapH_evnPuqiD_mtw1lANV0OJ0y0BlfCBPb9BKuvE4NnK5JSsMUMOQ0BMLZ-EuDxD8CPZOSWb7zN6R_X9Xg8wyGngQ/s1600/IMG_8800.JPG" width="320" /></a>Since he donated his body to science in the hopes of furthering the research of Huntington's disease, there was not casket or funeral home involved. I wanted my dad to have the military honors he earned. So we held a memorial service for him at Chalmette Battlefield where a Navy honor guard provided him with those honors. I now have his folded flag as a tribute to him and his selfless service. I am thankful for the Navy for providing him with those honors. They did not do the gun salute at my request. That would've been too much for me, and the battlefield wouldn't allow it. They did provide a bugler to play Taps, and folded the flag which was primarily what I wanted for my dad. There is an interesting story to the history of Taps click <a href="http://corregidor.org/chs_villenueva/taps.htm" target="_blank">here</a> to read it. </div>
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I've known my father was dying for years now, but I still can't believe he's gone. He suffered tremendously, especially at the end. I know he is in a better place now. He was able to build a strong relationship with God and believed in the grace provided to us through Jesus Christ when he died on the cross for our sins. I take comfort in this knowledge. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+4&version=NIV" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 4:13-18</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZj8w20jOX2WKjBt-xSfSyTjcLc7x9TqU1bOlvubB5WAdfjxEzPLNA_TCYIDVDPToQcsU5D_BqTfFNoHTiAZ54nQe-jv_ekyeoOL5_PcekVhax4v0fCjb6xjCjBOWFpMzeENQyh0VmU9kC/s1600/IMG_8813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZj8w20jOX2WKjBt-xSfSyTjcLc7x9TqU1bOlvubB5WAdfjxEzPLNA_TCYIDVDPToQcsU5D_BqTfFNoHTiAZ54nQe-jv_ekyeoOL5_PcekVhax4v0fCjb6xjCjBOWFpMzeENQyh0VmU9kC/s1600/IMG_8813.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dAz3sLUrUM_-I9lv7WK3mx8G783yO0p-PxfoZan-SvmfI4i_wW6Rgj0UWN23NCmm7J6IaoT5BZIva0W6Inam0WJ40cCHI5GciDdoKdnDR74Gfg2ahJ_NJ6-NiATaPGQbRwmd5Au8gJfG/s1600/DSC00427+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dAz3sLUrUM_-I9lv7WK3mx8G783yO0p-PxfoZan-SvmfI4i_wW6Rgj0UWN23NCmm7J6IaoT5BZIva0W6Inam0WJ40cCHI5GciDdoKdnDR74Gfg2ahJ_NJ6-NiATaPGQbRwmd5Au8gJfG/s1600/DSC00427+2.JPG" width="320" /></a>welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-7818279256415904132014-03-13T09:11:00.002-05:002014-03-13T09:11:36.408-05:00We Love St. Patrick's Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpZ87pDKWQZ7jBQXtRquF-sEsgoPjma1oSE5Q3bjrq9nkQLhR7tKqQ72VdFp7oqsSrgwI305ePV1TJV3w7_jmy3srd-MzJg6sXh7VLFqgQ-ypn5VsjdD4B86ouWFXMa71czxX6ANvdL5m/s1600/Image-1+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpZ87pDKWQZ7jBQXtRquF-sEsgoPjma1oSE5Q3bjrq9nkQLhR7tKqQ72VdFp7oqsSrgwI305ePV1TJV3w7_jmy3srd-MzJg6sXh7VLFqgQ-ypn5VsjdD4B86ouWFXMa71czxX6ANvdL5m/s1600/Image-1+copy.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the St. Pat's Parade on the day of our wedding!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our wedding anniversary is St. Patrick's Day. We haven't been particularly big fans of the day, but when we were choosing a date to get married, It was on a Saturday, and one of our first dates was to the St. Louis St. Patrick's Day parade. It sounded like a fun day to get married, so that's what we did! When I decided to start a blog about us, I wanted a name that fit us, and would work for any situation. I didn't want it to be just about our adoption journey, so that's how I came up with the name We Love St. Patrick's Day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am glad I chose that name for several reasons. I didn't realize at the time that there are all kinds of haters out there including people that hate adoption for different personal reasons. These people will seek out adoption blogs for the purpose of harassing the author. Our blog is more difficult to find because of the name. One unexpected, but very welcome outcome of the name we chose has been how St. Patrick's Day and the color green have become our "thing". I love it when someone tells me about a really cute St. Patrick's day thing they saw and thought of me when they did. Also, people have given us St. Patrick's Day themed gifts. Which is incredibly thoughtful, and we absolutely love!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2gV9uYqNouauXH8moUX4IVePjK9XaRCtnY17hzslXj9FoW-XoNlV_dpLwwB_mYHeGbreCGUypbwDm1pDOw9yYGd4BryPj93vysWrd7x2sau233YQj3jzKNfvRBlz89J2RQiRRPaZtCcl/s1600/photo-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2gV9uYqNouauXH8moUX4IVePjK9XaRCtnY17hzslXj9FoW-XoNlV_dpLwwB_mYHeGbreCGUypbwDm1pDOw9yYGd4BryPj93vysWrd7x2sau233YQj3jzKNfvRBlz89J2RQiRRPaZtCcl/s1600/photo-9.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clover earrings from hubby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFNmOJKo32zRgsgkn1jfry3fIoWYRxH8cKEohEuHOupuuPLvmmtaLU-4EfodHSij9D_l4G37A6ztxK22Y7UB8PBuyYzKodkhcIwqIqSVp0LIgfKPrp8OH9RHRFld5qlJa44cQwIAS9iK-/s1600/IMG_8746.JPG" height="200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="192" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chevron clover from sis-in-law, it looks great in the baby's room!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7E4EgsR3U1Ahyw3aIaLZcIkQry5W2u2304UU4EiBkRG13bpS_zGC9hGiBXdBD8djLhpJFpiPaiwwJnoZXaPxLjCdBqUvk1ovWBKR_zaD_zHDS1e7aZybLupjmkZI3FJgeOduVbNAyvNP/s1600/IMG_8747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7E4EgsR3U1Ahyw3aIaLZcIkQry5W2u2304UU4EiBkRG13bpS_zGC9hGiBXdBD8djLhpJFpiPaiwwJnoZXaPxLjCdBqUvk1ovWBKR_zaD_zHDS1e7aZybLupjmkZI3FJgeOduVbNAyvNP/s1600/IMG_8747.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sweater crocheted by our very talented friend with a clover button</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODWkRssm2IXddodJW323hjC4sql-CqCmf3GyvF1DuAmPvJrtwDkeE4RM_RCapl0CdM_6N9kgMoOVzkid29xfsY61VGiNrbRtoN7OATHCGgv9xHPwPT_dpJjJT1gdm7-DxV4vIaVch_mWa/s1600/IMG_8752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODWkRssm2IXddodJW323hjC4sql-CqCmf3GyvF1DuAmPvJrtwDkeE4RM_RCapl0CdM_6N9kgMoOVzkid29xfsY61VGiNrbRtoN7OATHCGgv9xHPwPT_dpJjJT1gdm7-DxV4vIaVch_mWa/s1600/IMG_8752.JPG" height="201" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clover bandanas for the whole family from my good friend that wears them a lot! Very sweet and thoughtful!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJqg_-6NvHQKE9H_lEN8Cv1xzJ8xiGXVbxTGFU87UrPpinsKZCgFc-IFV49WQg6Mc5vuwx4t1zutupUBzrTmhBQAMruncn-DOctOEn6JbsBXAtO44_KT4DbpTgm7J2-Sh6hRCD786Ou78/s1600/IMG_8760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJqg_-6NvHQKE9H_lEN8Cv1xzJ8xiGXVbxTGFU87UrPpinsKZCgFc-IFV49WQg6Mc5vuwx4t1zutupUBzrTmhBQAMruncn-DOctOEn6JbsBXAtO44_KT4DbpTgm7J2-Sh6hRCD786Ou78/s1600/IMG_8760.JPG" height="175" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">clover dress from mom-in-law</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihM-n6Ful7_D13SkTzU0Lu4wUuUmc3OFJBMb5A3Q6EHVEw0kNUO9wf0Gx0AvVh3-lM5PSbrFsWYE8Va0ezm-KClb66K7-Z0eB1memR2IKsqz8Yg1Fs_saAaUz-Zi1egT3KU_yQIYPZeqkd/s1600/IMG_8762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihM-n6Ful7_D13SkTzU0Lu4wUuUmc3OFJBMb5A3Q6EHVEw0kNUO9wf0Gx0AvVh3-lM5PSbrFsWYE8Va0ezm-KClb66K7-Z0eB1memR2IKsqz8Yg1Fs_saAaUz-Zi1egT3KU_yQIYPZeqkd/s1600/IMG_8762.JPG" height="161" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">adorable St. Pat's onesie!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFNmOJKo32zRgsgkn1jfry3fIoWYRxH8cKEohEuHOupuuPLvmmtaLU-4EfodHSij9D_l4G37A6ztxK22Y7UB8PBuyYzKodkhcIwqIqSVp0LIgfKPrp8OH9RHRFld5qlJa44cQwIAS9iK-/s1600/IMG_8746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"> </a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6l1lWHEve35unfbHz2hKeKDGnD5WCapOTmMKPMUXOvc_3SDnB6rRg8NBXoO6mhuw_TXmgVJdNTxdmmyUiuSDnO0KRVORl1YO_Hd_LVevdtFuXtertDi17B_hwSBH62laWhSlqxKty_loR/s1600/IMG_8757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6l1lWHEve35unfbHz2hKeKDGnD5WCapOTmMKPMUXOvc_3SDnB6rRg8NBXoO6mhuw_TXmgVJdNTxdmmyUiuSDnO0KRVORl1YO_Hd_LVevdtFuXtertDi17B_hwSBH62laWhSlqxKty_loR/s1600/IMG_8757.JPG" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A running headband from my running friend!</td></tr>
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<br />welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-5907950749696645232014-02-27T17:52:00.003-06:002014-02-27T17:52:56.188-06:00Preparing the baby's room<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Spring is going to be busy for us with <a href="http://welovestpatricksday.blogspot.com/2013/12/sailing-british-virgin-islands-best.html" target="_blank">sailing lessons</a>, visiting family, and military reserve commitments. We have been feeling nudged to begin preparing some things for our future baby's arrival, so we figured we would work on it before we get really busy. We don't have much yet, but it has been fun to buy furniture and work with what we have. There isn't a "theme" yet, but we tried to stay gender neutral and play around with colors. The orange crib is my favorite and turned out pretty amazing. Adam did a great job painting it which was challenging in this Texas wind! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6t4SHgoVZgNtjq0yCcReaXmPGmD6J4KWdu5nF37mLZff7ASRKaneYABSoSu0pHcpGTLWukl-d62VaB4SoE2UCsqoIuy-jBxTv0-5F2zAXqjT92FqCE6gl6e3zwHqkW6UWmgo5jpRHmqXF/s1600/IMG_8728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6t4SHgoVZgNtjq0yCcReaXmPGmD6J4KWdu5nF37mLZff7ASRKaneYABSoSu0pHcpGTLWukl-d62VaB4SoE2UCsqoIuy-jBxTv0-5F2zAXqjT92FqCE6gl6e3zwHqkW6UWmgo5jpRHmqXF/s1600/IMG_8728.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOz07H5tWEbxzhCMSHwcSlV60g-DrKGZn76DMieWIPXqQ4uXC-sBhCQILkMxItUmCG-8_NgGq_xVvVSbOnSoK6W1XQFLI7SdmF5RPQHvuaNzLq4BnwdM_MIV6b4SCGO-9LIOc1JT2c3RQ/s1600/IMG_8712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOz07H5tWEbxzhCMSHwcSlV60g-DrKGZn76DMieWIPXqQ4uXC-sBhCQILkMxItUmCG-8_NgGq_xVvVSbOnSoK6W1XQFLI7SdmF5RPQHvuaNzLq4BnwdM_MIV6b4SCGO-9LIOc1JT2c3RQ/s1600/IMG_8712.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blue wall makes the room look so much bigger! It was our favorite paint color from our house in St. Louis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Ok4RM8K0ao3GTki1w7rxOUgR8UbZUzpxwSMDQn31sjUp6nRMkNgkd4MB0q07Zf_PBo_wb8Xx6f6xRCp_QFn-U5YKHB-ZboeyRo1X0mvYiOUjR7GOM38umDi42qvU5vna6IR86lkE7vhZ/s1600/IMG_8700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Ok4RM8K0ao3GTki1w7rxOUgR8UbZUzpxwSMDQn31sjUp6nRMkNgkd4MB0q07Zf_PBo_wb8Xx6f6xRCp_QFn-U5YKHB-ZboeyRo1X0mvYiOUjR7GOM38umDi42qvU5vna6IR86lkE7vhZ/s1600/IMG_8700.jpg" height="168" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We couldn't resist picking up one of these while registering!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiZByU2ZAHPpYlOiXV6I7LPoRxGntwKir5bm2VsFNRl9Amxf04_AtsqII9Gi9nLXTDkGC9Zahyphenhyphencdz0Q5Ss4oehq48nKnPGcIEOih2rYohwoQKgy9ajDFgyIsZCxyP5TTbX3IoWjtXI8Wq/s1600/IMG_8701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiZByU2ZAHPpYlOiXV6I7LPoRxGntwKir5bm2VsFNRl9Amxf04_AtsqII9Gi9nLXTDkGC9Zahyphenhyphencdz0Q5Ss4oehq48nKnPGcIEOih2rYohwoQKgy9ajDFgyIsZCxyP5TTbX3IoWjtXI8Wq/s1600/IMG_8701.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam's favorite book & a story about adoption</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqx0ysLCyW9WQpFy3M2vEg6MMaICNYSdy_BrtCRLaYvI_aOt-MsYZ3akBoFwYm72CGR70DfVtglqNYWvyRAGNhy54QwTJYKB6wOfK8s0kaR_p2hZBdfI8t4OZ_PjB7dvH94NF_LbXpdKK/s1600/IMG_8714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqx0ysLCyW9WQpFy3M2vEg6MMaICNYSdy_BrtCRLaYvI_aOt-MsYZ3akBoFwYm72CGR70DfVtglqNYWvyRAGNhy54QwTJYKB6wOfK8s0kaR_p2hZBdfI8t4OZ_PjB7dvH94NF_LbXpdKK/s1600/IMG_8714.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7OsGQfNJheHGfZu64jwQBXNNBga7ekdSN3scy2NQq3TdtMfnLM1_cGrBmZx8SqI5KM3rqnybygADeA_rCsctRLAZtxwadO_gvUEassY5R7sWyCApQrTupc_AEQ-hQnm6ITenrzqre_tk/s1600/IMG_8715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7OsGQfNJheHGfZu64jwQBXNNBga7ekdSN3scy2NQq3TdtMfnLM1_cGrBmZx8SqI5KM3rqnybygADeA_rCsctRLAZtxwadO_gvUEassY5R7sWyCApQrTupc_AEQ-hQnm6ITenrzqre_tk/s1600/IMG_8715.jpg" height="320" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
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After rearranging the furniture several times, and putting it back where it started, the <a href="http://welovestpatricksday.blogspot.com/2013/12/nesting-sort-of.html" target="_blank">Eli Young Band lyrics painting</a> I did stayed in it's original spot. Adam insists on displaying the mustachifer he ordered. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVuAgElZzD3dguxyH_CbhUfelKhpPSMvS8X9NGq7R1ZPGVpiB1TWLdzQpq8NHP7u75W6iGGqaQKQ3UlI3R0Uu0FnrZbBTGymr6RY0vrpQ2AS1xu3APrN5jHL-3MZgodSi7EfUF-Ho0sag/s1600/IMG_8724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVuAgElZzD3dguxyH_CbhUfelKhpPSMvS8X9NGq7R1ZPGVpiB1TWLdzQpq8NHP7u75W6iGGqaQKQ3UlI3R0Uu0FnrZbBTGymr6RY0vrpQ2AS1xu3APrN5jHL-3MZgodSi7EfUF-Ho0sag/s1600/IMG_8724.jpg" height="270" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our very talented friend, Maria crocheted this for us. It's so cute, and I can't wait to see it on our baby!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We don't know for sure how long it will be until we change our first of many diapers in this room, but we have had more fun than expected setting up our baby's room.</span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfe9MZ_EfpRRt91qv0FzIkQ38trgBE81ydfYhXKs9UGfVy6mpWXpP6VDoJMoJdwT1nfiH1C1Q1-4qmKcQCqtTTQtB_cA3RUOJV0_qKnTBl-zEq4qHI5-eBVyhW-RqzaA4HwSUEPHUvsCj/s1600/IMG_8717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfe9MZ_EfpRRt91qv0FzIkQ38trgBE81ydfYhXKs9UGfVy6mpWXpP6VDoJMoJdwT1nfiH1C1Q1-4qmKcQCqtTTQtB_cA3RUOJV0_qKnTBl-zEq4qHI5-eBVyhW-RqzaA4HwSUEPHUvsCj/s1600/IMG_8717.JPG" height="198" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't leave out the picture of the Razorback sock monkey!</td></tr>
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<br />welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-63977149084468933282014-02-13T11:40:00.000-06:002014-02-13T11:40:27.056-06:00Birthday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLAkjaP7I2Nph5kp-YZwbsuNK_VBCmtpFD0bw77U26NYgiCPUzDtXHqV0vpOtP8XmV6QlynGSjTGGstdavdrLBy7TVGtt8Yog47iZs-FZL3G9wJXir5kCthkAUJceOOrVAinY8oysTE18/s1600/Shelli+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLAkjaP7I2Nph5kp-YZwbsuNK_VBCmtpFD0bw77U26NYgiCPUzDtXHqV0vpOtP8XmV6QlynGSjTGGstdavdrLBy7TVGtt8Yog47iZs-FZL3G9wJXir5kCthkAUJceOOrVAinY8oysTE18/s1600/Shelli+1.jpg" height="320" width="314" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQsd5rvrYmaA_env9siHV9gymHQPL1ngGeXZaR7reswQNVLBjqsKgwyEmJduVagYQsqLt-LDunV1uHBfj1Im9Y0NRz0suL9ESlxiJNqICmfheclWCebIecna2Ck5SegM6SJ82FQne_BK3/s1600/Shelli+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQsd5rvrYmaA_env9siHV9gymHQPL1ngGeXZaR7reswQNVLBjqsKgwyEmJduVagYQsqLt-LDunV1uHBfj1Im9Y0NRz0suL9ESlxiJNqICmfheclWCebIecna2Ck5SegM6SJ82FQne_BK3/s1600/Shelli+3.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></div>
I had a birthday this week. I love birthdays, especially other people's! It's a great way to celebrate the people you love individually. Or two on the same day as in my case since I'm a twin. We are fraternal, and don't look anything alike. I love being a twin. Growing up with a sibling born on the same day as you creates a bond like no other. My mom made sure we always had our own birthday cakes.<br />
I can't wait to be a mom and celebrate my child's birthday! I really look forward to making it a special day for him/her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAajXGot6lH46BAoVkF-wvK2EJVxcDu3A80gthZYvswFr-UHnRNiyRbC6dfwKH8F3nPWdjHAUHLA0EtcdD4XGG0rAGqtweqDONB8bQ_4exurfeVNV27198eiIFMvP9IoKCf3rSGWmkRML/s1600/Shelli+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAajXGot6lH46BAoVkF-wvK2EJVxcDu3A80gthZYvswFr-UHnRNiyRbC6dfwKH8F3nPWdjHAUHLA0EtcdD4XGG0rAGqtweqDONB8bQ_4exurfeVNV27198eiIFMvP9IoKCf3rSGWmkRML/s1600/Shelli+2.jpg" height="320" width="309" /></a></div>
welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1555659475637006506.post-70050551447431044902014-02-02T14:53:00.000-06:002014-02-02T14:53:27.050-06:00Peace and acceptance<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfirxuuQLsXGKfMHzIaXlHUmnCUn8ygV1w0RkTQoPbesZbxlo65tNQrK7azmkEl4OGzxrl0vzVtWJUl3df3HYyioyhgdgZKyvfBJCShYFRQ_kRkg_NrViVyEXFSnpKqNFSULTzmgmfmWx/s1600/photo-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfirxuuQLsXGKfMHzIaXlHUmnCUn8ygV1w0RkTQoPbesZbxlo65tNQrK7azmkEl4OGzxrl0vzVtWJUl3df3HYyioyhgdgZKyvfBJCShYFRQ_kRkg_NrViVyEXFSnpKqNFSULTzmgmfmWx/s1600/photo-7.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adam and I have spent countless hours discussing and praying about our jouney to parenthood. We are fortunate enough to be in a place where we are at peace with our path. Yes, there are concerns, but what we mostly feel at this point is peace. We accept where our journey is leading us. We trust that God has his hand in it, and it will all work out. Having this peace and being in a place of acceptance is very freeing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYByFvW6KNpSrh32iD9K3oRbXUir5o5_wifRq8Ggz2-qdgdSwx145stIHPh6iKuAGduSOjlNUChlwZwSZQ60onmAf6cVBu5MHfiLtzRMFXCLWGvZKKbdrM5IFf8Yhi49SpBjQHsDohlL-a/s1600/photo-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYByFvW6KNpSrh32iD9K3oRbXUir5o5_wifRq8Ggz2-qdgdSwx145stIHPh6iKuAGduSOjlNUChlwZwSZQ60onmAf6cVBu5MHfiLtzRMFXCLWGvZKKbdrM5IFf8Yhi49SpBjQHsDohlL-a/s1600/photo-4.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>It is our prayer that all people involved on all sides of adoption are able to find peace with their journey. It's not an easy one. When we get matched with someone we want to know that she is making the best decision she can for herself. Even if that decision doesn't involve us becoming the child's parents. We are truly OK with that because we ultimately want what's best for everyone involved, especially the expectant mother. We pray that she is able to have peace with her decision, and know that she did what was right for her and her baby. </div>
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<br />welovestpatricksdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060925532936513108noreply@blogger.com0