One rainy, snowy, cold weekend...

I know- two posts in one weekend? CRAZY! But I wanted to share the starfish and our lazy weekend... So- we have enjoyed spending time inside and just getting stuff done... Like making chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast- YUM!

Cleo "helped" change the sheets on the bed- yes that is her sticking out from under the sheet. She would race around the bed and dive on the air-pillows in the sheets as I was trying to put them on. Lets just say it took a long time to get the bed made that day!

Since it was so cold and rainy/snowy our poor little puppy was feeling pretty cold, so we gave him his favorite blanky and he stayed curled up on the back of the chair like that for a few hours! Oh- and the white on his ear is mentioned further down...

I also set out to start re-painting the windowsills, door frames and trim. When I started scrubbing them down for our up-coming home inspection (I really doubt they will care about our moulding looking a little dingy but it was a good excuse for me to go cleaning crazy!) I noticed that there were some spots that were in need of fresh paint. Lucky for me we happened to have some in the garage from another project. So I set out with my sand paper and paintbrush. I wish I had a good picture of Jack and Cleo- they both have paint on them! Jack has one white ear, eyebrows, and whiskers. Cleo also has some white "hi lights" in her side and her whiskers. :)

So that is our lazy weekend of yummy food, little projects, some movies and wishing for spring... hope you all enjoyed the snow! Personally we are suffering from some spring fever and wishing for temperatures above freezing...

The Starfish

I have always loved the story about the star fish, I heard it when I was younger- it touched me and changed the way I thought about things. The past few years it has taken on a little different meaning to me... I know I am just a "drop in the bucket" compared to all the other people in the world and all the amazing leaders and people who volunteer their entire lives to make a difference in the world, but I hope that when I am out and about each day I can touch someone around me and make their life a little brighter, a little easier. Anyways- just a thought! Some days are pretty challenging and I feel pretty blessed that I managed to roll myself out of bed and take a shower! So, for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about with this star fish story here it is- there are a bunch of different versions but this is one I like :) (oh- and I wish I could take credit for this picture but I found it on Google...)

There was once a man who was on vacation on the coast. One evening he decided to take a midnight stroll down the deserted beach. There was a full moon and down the beach he could make out what appeared to be a boy who would scurry around, pick something up and throw it back into the ocean. As the man drew closer to the boy he could see that the beach was littered with starfish. As he reached the boy he asked him what he was doing. The boy explained that with each full moon the high tide would wash the star fish so far up the beach that they were destined to die the next day in the hot sun. The man responded that there mush be thousands of miles of beach and millions of stranded starfish- how much difference did this one boy hope to make? The boy pondered the question for a moment, looked back at the starfish in his hand, and tossed it as hard as he could back into the life-giving sea and answered, "It made a difference to that one."

I hope as we all come to a stranded starfish in our life we can toss it into the ocean and make a difference.

Live happy, live healthy and remember you are loved!

Kira and Aaron

And we are up and running...

Okay, so here we go! We have spent the past 2+ years hoping, dreaming, wishing for a family and now we are one step closer. Just a few more hoops to jump through and we should be approved as an adoptive couple! We are so excited for our journey to parenthood.

The two previous posts are information we received from a friend who has been a wonderful support to us in our journey so far. I found both rather informative and thought we should share.

Keep tuned in here for updates on our journey and more information about us!

Live happy, live healthy, remember you are loved!

Kira and Aaron

Adoption Myths

Adoption Myths:

Most birth mothers who place their babies for adoption are teenagers.

Most birth mothers who choose adoption are in their early twenties, although women of all ages make this decision.

Birth parents who place their babies for adoption are abandoning their responsibility and taking the “easy way out”

There is no easy way out of unplanned pregnancy, any options involves emotional pain. Most birth mothers who do not choose abortion make the choice to initially parent their babies. Those who choose adoption do so after taking some time to carefully consider their options and the best interests of their child. Adoption is a courageous, loving choice which shows that the birth mother takes seriously the responsibility to be a parent.

An adoptive parent cannot love a child as much as a biological one

Love is not based on biology. Many loving relationships are between individuals who are not related to each other, such as husbands and wives. The love of a parent comes from preparing for a child and selflessly nurturing and caring for that child.

A birth mother can reclaim her child after adoption

Once a birth mother’s rights have been terminated, she cannot reclaim her child. Cases of birth parents obtaining custody after adoption are extremely rare and are exaggerated by the media.

After a child has been placed, a birth mother cannot have any contact with the child

Adoption practices have changed over the years. Today most birth mothers have some contact with their children. Arrangements are agreed upon by the birth mother and the adoptive parents and are based upon the needs and desires of all concerned.

Children who were adopted are more likely to have physical or emotional challenges

It is impossible to predict how any child will turn out, whether biological or adopted. Generally, children who were adopted as infants are as emotionally healthy as children who were not adopted. Children who were adopted when older may have challenges resulting from adverse conditions in their early lives, such as neglect, abuse, or lack of attachment. These challenges do not result from the adoption itself.

Birth mothers never recover from the emotional pain of placing a child for adoption.

Birth mothers who choose adoption go through a grieving process, which is a healthy way of dealing with loss. But most birth mothers also report finding peace in the knowledge that they did all in their power to provide the best life possible for their child. They find that experience gives them the strength and confidence to face other challenges throughout their lives.

Positive Adoption Language

Positive Adoption Language

The way we talk and the words we choose- say a lot about what we think and value. When we use positive adoption language, we say that adoption is a way to build a family in the same way that birth is a way to build a family.

Positive adoption language can stop the spread of misconceptions. By using positive adoption language, we educate others about adoption. We choose emotionally “correct” words over emotion-laden words. We speak and write in positive adoption language with the hopes of impacting others so that this language will someday become the norm.

Choose the following, positive adoption language instead of negative terms that help perpetuate the myth that adoption is second best. By using positive adoption language, you will reflect the true nature of adoption, free of innuendo.

                                Positive Language                             Negative Language

                                Birth parent                                         real parent

                                Biological parent                                natural parent

                                Birth child                                           own child

                                My child                                              adopted child

                                Born to unmarried parents                 illegitimate

                                Terminate parental rights                  give up

                                Make an adoption plan                      give away

                                To parent                                            to keep

                                Waiting child                                      adoptable child

                                Making contact with                           reunion

                                Parent                                                 adoptive parent

                                Search                                                 track down parents

                                Child placed for adoption                   unwanted child

                                Court termination                               child taken away

                                Child with special needs                    handicapped child

                                Was adopted                                      is adopted

                                Two years behind in development      retarded

                                Divorced                                              broken marriage

                                Separated from parents                       deserted or abandoned