As you'll notice, I've changed my background to some pictures of my honeymoon in Colorado. On the left (that's <--------------- side) are pictures of My husband and I at different placed we visits. On the right (that's ------------> side) are pictures of places we saw. You'll also notice one of him on the left and one of me on the right where we're doing a silly pose. This is us imitating a statue that we saw the the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. I think we definitely have Olympic potential!!
I loved creating this new background and walking down memory lane as I reminisced about our wonderful trip. If you've never been to Manitou Springs, CO, BOOK YOUR NEXT VACATION FOR THERE! They have a cute downtown area that you can spend hours walking through the trendy and bohemian gift shops. You can also ride the Cog Railway up to the summit of Pike Peak and look out over the eastern plains of the US that inspired Katherine Bates to write America the Beautiful. After leaving Manitou, take the scenic drive around Denver, through the Mountain Passes to Estes Park and spend some time around that area. The Rocky Mountain National Park is there for you to stroll through as well as a wonderful resort style hotel called Della Terra (check out my links next to this post for their main website). I promise it's worth the time and money to expeince this wonderful part of the USA!!!
Love, Mrs. M.
Tuesday, March 29
Tuesday, March 22
Friday, March 18
One more thought...
I also got my hairs cut yesterday!! Here's what it's lookin like!!
Disregard the large pink flower, Claire got tired of it and I didn't have another hand to hold it, so I wore it!
Love, Mrs. M.
Disregard the large pink flower, Claire got tired of it and I didn't have another hand to hold it, so I wore it!
Love, Mrs. M.
Thoughts on today
Today, my husband and I went out with my sister, brother in law and niece. We went to take some pictures of her for her 1st birthday. I can't believe she turns one in a month!!! This year has flown by. While we were out, my sis made the comment about my husband and I not being on facebook but blogging instead. I said something to the effect of Yeah, but it's not like anyone reads/comments on it. My brother in law said that he thought I might get offended if people were to comment on my life. I am not sure what gives him (and maybe you) the impression that I don't want comments. But let me be very clear: I LOVE reading your thoughts on my thoughts! That's why I often ask questions in my posts, hoping that you will comment. I know I'm pretty verbose in my blog, and that it might be hard to stick it out and read the full thing, but I still enjoying reading your thoughts! So, I hope this gives you the permission you need to comment on my life and know that I will not be offended!!
On a much lighter note, here are a few of the pictures from today! I tell you right now, I had the best time taking her pictures today!!! Isn't she precious???
Love, Mrs. M.
On a much lighter note, here are a few of the pictures from today! I tell you right now, I had the best time taking her pictures today!!! Isn't she precious???
Love, Mrs. M.
Friday, March 11
Thoughts on moving on...
How do you know when it’s time to move on from a situation, whatever it may be? Whether it’s a friendship that continues to discourage and disappoint you, a job that Is not quite meeting your expectations, or a hobby that is not worth while: how can you determine if you’re restless because God’s trying to do something bigger or if you’re restless because Satan’s trying to stop you from doing something big? This is such a fine line.
I feel very strongly that I am supposed to start Grad school this summer. But, is this the right time to do this? I mean, I’m working full time and I generally enjoy my job. However, is it feasible/realistic to work full time plus go to Grad school full time? I thought it was, then I had lunch with a girl who is currently going to UTA and all she could talk about is how hard it is and how she doesn’t know how I’m going to do it working full time. I mean, what am I supposed to say to that? And here comes the question: Is God showing me, through her, that this is not the right time for me to start or is Satan trying to distract and discourage me because he knows I’m onto something big?
If you have a word of encouragement or a scripture that you think might be applicable to this, please share. I could really use something right about now…
Love, Mrs. M.
Thursday, March 3
Thoughts on my Niece!
I got to spend the afternoon with my beautiful 10 1/2 month old niece. We went for a walk from my apt. to the city park. Here are some pictures from out day.
I love spending days with her!
Love, Mrs. M.
I love spending days with her!
Love, Mrs. M.
Wednesday, March 2
Thoughts on Adoption Stories
I am an adoption case manager. I have quite a few "soap box" topics that can get me riled up when it comes to this topic (just ask my husband). One of the ones that I perhaps have the strongest opinion about is letting a child decide who knows their story. I am a STRONG believer that it is not my right to tell your life story. It is your decision who knows, when they know, and how much they know. I was recently reading a blog of a friend who is in the process of adopting and they were sharing some very personal information on a child. It really ignited a passion in me. Then, today, I received an e-mail about an article that was written for a magazine called "Adoptive Families" that deals with this very topic.
I couldn't believe that this would happen. After all, you wouldn't randomly knock on someone's door and ask them to tell you about their private traumas and personal struggles. We were advised to say, "That is private information," or "That is my child's story to tell when he/she is ready," or "None of your business." I have used all of these responses.
Not a week goes by during which I am not asked if my children's parents are dead, if they are orphans, whether they are "related," if they are "mine," whether they suffered starvation or abuse, and how long they were in an orphanage. I am asked all these questions and more, and, while I have grown weary of them, I try not to be offended. I know that my children's stories are compelling. Mine is, as well. Most people don't adopt three children from Ethiopia at the same time. And we are a sight because we are a multiracial family.
While I believe that educating people, enlarging the circle, rather than closing it, is ultimately best for the world, I am secretive about my children's personal stories. Intimacies are for close friends and close relatives, and, even then, there are boundaries. I have found that, at least for now, there is no way to tell my own story without breaking promises that I made when I decided to adopt my children. Telling strangers about their origins, their histories, their relationship to each other, and how we "got them" is not obligatory. Stories belong to those who live them. I usually say what they told us to say in Adoption 101: There are many children who need homes in Ethiopia, and each of them has a different story.
But there are stories I am willing to share.
Ethiopia carries a lot of baggage—poverty, orphans, AIDS—you will see all of this if you travel there. My husband took beautiful, heart-wrenching photographs while we were there, but I'm not sure that the world needs to see more of them. Maybe that's why I talk about the beauty of Ethiopia that no one knows about. You have a good conversation, you are kind, you share a bit about your life, you show you are a good person, and someone wants to give you what little food there is, to hand-feed you. It is an act of love and one of the most meaningful gifts a person can give to another person. This is what I experienced first-hand.
I will also tell you that my eldest daughter has warmth in her eyes. You can feel it when she smiles. At 10 years old, she says that she wants to be a writer, like her mom. Maybe one day she will write the stories of her life.
As every mom does, I promised to protect all of my children—I guard their lives, their pasts, and their futures. It is my most important obligation. So I'll be cagey, secretive, boring. But my children happily show up to birthday parties, soccer games, and campouts. They can stand on their own, and they are happy to engage and make people fall in love with them. After that happens, curiously, people stop asking to know their story.
If you are considering adoption or have adopted, I hope this encourages you to look at your child's story in a different way. If you a member of the adoption triad, I hope this helps you see how some adoptive families feel about their child's history. My supervisor is all about us educating those around us about the intricacies of adoption. It truly is a different culture all in itself.
Love, Mrs. M.
Everyone wants to know the story of how we adopted three children from Ethiopia. But do I have a right not to tell it, being on the front line, looking as I do, a Caucasian mom with three African kiddos? May I take my children to the grocery store or the library without announcing where they came from, or my own history? I think, yes.
The word "story" has come into play many times since we began our adoption journey. When we started exploring interracial adoption, we were told by other parents that we would be shocked at how often people would ask about our children's backgrounds, effectively, their life stories.
The word "story" has come into play many times since we began our adoption journey. When we started exploring interracial adoption, we were told by other parents that we would be shocked at how often people would ask about our children's backgrounds, effectively, their life stories.
| "Telling strangers about my children's origins, their histories, and how we 'got them' is not obligatory. Stories belong to those who live them." |
Not a week goes by during which I am not asked if my children's parents are dead, if they are orphans, whether they are "related," if they are "mine," whether they suffered starvation or abuse, and how long they were in an orphanage. I am asked all these questions and more, and, while I have grown weary of them, I try not to be offended. I know that my children's stories are compelling. Mine is, as well. Most people don't adopt three children from Ethiopia at the same time. And we are a sight because we are a multiracial family.
While I believe that educating people, enlarging the circle, rather than closing it, is ultimately best for the world, I am secretive about my children's personal stories. Intimacies are for close friends and close relatives, and, even then, there are boundaries. I have found that, at least for now, there is no way to tell my own story without breaking promises that I made when I decided to adopt my children. Telling strangers about their origins, their histories, their relationship to each other, and how we "got them" is not obligatory. Stories belong to those who live them. I usually say what they told us to say in Adoption 101: There are many children who need homes in Ethiopia, and each of them has a different story.
But there are stories I am willing to share.
Ethiopia carries a lot of baggage—poverty, orphans, AIDS—you will see all of this if you travel there. My husband took beautiful, heart-wrenching photographs while we were there, but I'm not sure that the world needs to see more of them. Maybe that's why I talk about the beauty of Ethiopia that no one knows about. You have a good conversation, you are kind, you share a bit about your life, you show you are a good person, and someone wants to give you what little food there is, to hand-feed you. It is an act of love and one of the most meaningful gifts a person can give to another person. This is what I experienced first-hand.
I will also tell you that my eldest daughter has warmth in her eyes. You can feel it when she smiles. At 10 years old, she says that she wants to be a writer, like her mom. Maybe one day she will write the stories of her life.
As every mom does, I promised to protect all of my children—I guard their lives, their pasts, and their futures. It is my most important obligation. So I'll be cagey, secretive, boring. But my children happily show up to birthday parties, soccer games, and campouts. They can stand on their own, and they are happy to engage and make people fall in love with them. After that happens, curiously, people stop asking to know their story.
If you are considering adoption or have adopted, I hope this encourages you to look at your child's story in a different way. If you a member of the adoption triad, I hope this helps you see how some adoptive families feel about their child's history. My supervisor is all about us educating those around us about the intricacies of adoption. It truly is a different culture all in itself.
Love, Mrs. M.
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