Adoption Update | Summer

Two Thousand Fifteen.

That's what is emblazoned in white letters on the front of my bright pink monthly planner. (I totally scored it in the $1 section at Target!)

At the beginning of each month, I open up this calendar and jot down my blog post goals. On the left page, I write down the number of blog posts I want to write for The Life and Times of Jennie Rose (my original blog). On the right page, I note how many posts I want to write for jennie’s journey (my new Wordpress blog). Then, I jot down post title ideas and/or topic ideas. 

In May, I wrote four suggestions on the left hand page:

1. Currently
2. Adoption Update | Spring
3. Documenting Your Every Day 
4. Motherly Love

May came and went and I had written numbers 3 & 4 only.

There was no adoption update that month.

Or the next month.

Or the month thereafter.

Why?

Well, the truth is, I kept crossing it out, and moving it to the next month because I didn’t know quite what to say. I was procrastinating big time because I didn’t have anything really exciting to share. No "We've matched with a birth mother!" or "Our baby girl is due in _______!"

  

But there has been a little bit of activity behind-the-scenes, if you will...

At one point, we were one of three families being considered by a birth mother. (We were originally one of five, so when we learned that there were only three families left, we were ecstatic!) But then the birth mother suddenly stopped coming to her appointments at the agency, and ultimately never chose a family.

And then there was a call from our attorney about a birth mother on the East Coast, and we said we were interested, but the birth mother decided she wanted an adoptive family from the state in which she lives. 

We also have two birth mothers following us on Adoptimist, but neither one has reached out to us via phone or email. 

In the past few weeks, it became clear that I couldn't continue to put off the adoption update. (My last adoption update was published in March.) Numerous people kept asking me the same question over and over: Any news yet?  You know, on the adoption?

And each time I would tell them no, I'd see a look of disappointment and sadness on their faces.

And believe me, I feel the same way…times about five or six. 

As hard as it is to field the same question over and over again, I know in my heart that you -- our family and friends and neighbors -- are asking because you genuinely care.

I know these inquiries are made with love and concern.

You’re clearly rooting for us. (And that is just so darn cool.) You want to see us achieve our dream. You want to witness us love a little girl like we love and cherish our not-so-little-anymore boy. 

And for that, I’m so grateful. So thankful.

I’m also thankful that you’re still sending up prayers for us. Thankful that you’re thinking good thoughts. Thankful that you’re continuing to spread the word about our adoption dream by sharing our video with friends and family, giving our pass along cards to nurses or doctors you know, and tacking up cards on community bulletin boards. (By the way, if you know of any college students who would be willing to post a few of our pass along cards on campus bulletin boards, please email me at brianandjennieadopt@gmail.com.)

As for me, I, too, will keep praying and waiting and remaining hopeful.

I'll keep cherishing the time I have with our 3 1/2-year-old son who loves to wear boots every single day of the year -- regardless of the weather -- and play at a local indoor playground where socks are required, but shoes must go into the cubbies. 

Speaking of shoes, I’ll keep buying adorable baby shoes (I swear this little girl is going to have more shoes than I do!) and decorating the nursery little by little.

And I'll keep visualizing myself holding our baby girl for the first time. Fighting back the tears like I did when Noah was first placed in my arms.

For I truly believe these words written by William Arthur Ward, "If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you dream it, you can become it." 

 

Road Trip to Oregon

This past summer, Brian, Noah, Zoey and I traveled to Bandon, Oregon to spend a few days with Brian's family. 

It was a fun trip, filled with laughter and beach play and picnics and animal park adventures and deep breaths and hugs and jelly beadz and fresh seafood and warm sand and boat rides and more deep breaths and bubbles and chats about traveling in France, essential oils, and the joys and challenges of raising young kiddos.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip. (All photos were taken with my Canon 5D Mark III.)

Riding on a seesaw for the first time

Noah liked it.

And so did Zoey.

The merry-go-round was also a hit.

But it's way more fun when cousins jump aboard.

This is, perhaps, my favorite shot. Zoey's reaction is priceless!

Playing with depth-of-field. (Thanks for being a very patient model, Hailey!)

Brian and his sister, Lori

Brian and his mom

Visiting the West Coast Game Park Safari

A total hands-on experience, unlike any other animal park we've visited.

 
Thanks for looking!

2013 Summer List Update

Swim Lessons | Summer 2013

Even though summer isn't officially over, most kids are back in school, so it's time to share an update to my 2013 Summer List.

In case you missed my original list, I'm posting it here, along with a few thoughts about each activity.

1| Jump into swimming lessons | Noah really likes being in water, but he wasn't sure what to make of swim lessons.  Sure, being with mom and dad, singing songs, and playing with toys was fun, but he wasn't too keen on kicking his legs, scooping with his hands, or blowing bubbles.  Still, it was a good experience, and a few weeks after swim lessons, Noah started kicking his legs and blowing bubbles in the bathtub.  Smile. 
 
2| Spend a day at the zoo | We didn't make it to the zoo this summer, but we have free passes that are good through the end of 2013.  

3| Visit the children's museum | We planned an outing to the children's museum, but then learned they are closed on Mondays.  Plan B: A visit to BusyKidz, a little city for little ones, where Noah shopped for groceries, dined in a restaurant, vacuumed the carpet, and donned a fire helmet.    

4| Go camping | We went on a 2-night camping trip in May, but haven't been back out since.  Right now, the thought of not sleeping for several nights doesn't interest Brian or me, so we're taking a lot of day trips.  Smile.    

5| Play in the yard and at the park | Check and check!  Lately, we've been playing indoors more, though, due to the smoke from the American Fire.

6| Go for a hike | We completed several hikes this summer, including a 6.6 mile hike that borders a nearby country club.  It was quite a hike--with a whopping 24 switchbacks at one point. Brian and I were sore the next day, but we couldn't have asked for better weather or better company, and it was neat getting to check out some million dollar homes. Noah was a trooper, hanging out in the backpack for the 3-hour ride. He said "house" and "horse" and "water"--and towards the very end, "all done." 

7| Spend time with family + friends | Great times.  

8| Attend a county fair | We had fun at the Nevada County Fair. 

9| Visit a local farm stand | We bought fresh fruit and veggies from a new farm, just five minutes down the road.  I love supporting local farmers! 

10| Attend an open gym session at a local gymnastics center | We take Noah nearly every week to an open gym session, and he loves it.

11| Visit the library | We've checked out several batches of board books from the library.  Last week, we found an oversized Goodnight Moon board book and Noah enjoys reading it every night before bed.  
 
12| Complete Assignment #3 for my writing class | I submitted Assignment #3, a completely revised article about geocaching, and received positive feedback from my instructor.  

13| Create a photo wall in our family room | Almost done.  All of the photos are framed and ready to be hung.  I'll post a picture when it is finished.   

14| Sign up for a photography class or workshop | On Saturday, I attended a studio lighting workshop, where I learned more about the lighting options available for my mini-studio.

What have you been up to this summer? 

Outdoor Toddler Play Ideas

Whoa, this summer has flown by!

I can't believe it's already the last week of July.

It's been a fun one--with lots of time spent playing outside with Noah.    

When the Karreman family visited us in June, I snapped this shot of Courtney, Sammy and Noah drawing with chalk on our driveway.  Wetting the asphalt with water prior to applying the chalk  makes the colors so much more vivid.  Love it!

In addition to chalk play, here's what we've been up to outside:

• "Painting" with water | I bought a pack of four cheap paintbrushes at Michael's.  Noah loves "painting" the house, the rocks, the chairs with water.  Thanks, Aunt Susie, for this great idea!

• Blowing bubbles | Always a winner in Noah's book. 
  

• Playing in the sandbox | I also keep a set of sand toys in the car for trips to the park.

• Splashing in the kiddie pool | I threw a couple of plastic cups in the pool, so Noah can scoop up the water and pour it out, usually on himself. 

• Playing with sponge balls | They are super easy to make.  I bought the sponges at Dollar Tree, cut them into thirds and fastened them together with a zip tie.  Here's a short video about how to create your own sponge balls.

• Coloring on grocery bags with crayons

• Watching lizards do push-ups

• Throwing and hitting balls

• Walking to the mailbox and newspaper bin.

• Swinging 

• Playing with the hose | Noah likes it when I spray the hose, so he can run underneath the water. 

• Riding a trike or bike

• Reading in the hammock | Bath books work great for outdoor reading.  I found a handful of bath books in the $1 bins at Target.   
  

• Making music with wind chimes | We visited Grandma Harless earlier this month, and Noah loved playing with her large wind chimes.  Seeing Noah enjoying the wind chimes, reminded me that we have a few wind chimes hanging from our deck.         

• Running through the sprinklers

• Hiking

• Watering the plants with a watering can

• Playing a "guitar" | It's easy to make your own guitar.  You just need a box.  A shoebox works well, but if you don't have one, pick one up at Dollar Tree like I did. 

Remove the top and add some rubber bands.  Voila, you have a guitar.


And, of course, we couldn't leave Dollar Tree without a new car and truck.  Vroom, vroom! 

Parents of Toddlers: What other outdoor activities would you add to the list?

More Family Fun

After writing about our visit with Brian's sister and her family, it occurred to me that I started--but never finished--a blog post about spending time with my family on Saturday, June 8.

When my sister, Katie and her fiancee, Preston, flew out from Texas and my niece, McKayla, flew up from Southern California, we all gathered at our house in the foothills. 

I took a handful of photos, but not nearly as many as I usually do.  That afternoon, I was busy watching Noah, chatting, eating, glowing (sounds nicer than sweating...smile), and making sure everyone was staying hydrated.  (It was nearly 110 degrees that day!)   

Here are a few photos from that day:

 McKayla playing cornhole with Preston, Brian and my dad.

 Katie, mom and me.

 

Noah (17 months) and McKayla (11 years) joined us.  Thanks to Preston for snapping the two photos above.

My mom took this photo of McKayla and me.  I love when a family member or friend asks me, "Would you like me to take a picture of you with _________?"  I usually say, "Yes, please," and enthusiastically hand over my camera.  

Because my blog serves as a journal for me, I want to include a few more details about the day here:

WHO WAS THERE |  Katie, Preston, McKayla, Mom, Dad, Susie, Grandpa, Noah, Brian and me.  We missed seeing Nichole and Zoey.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT | The heat!  Katie and Preston's upcoming wedding.  What words Noah is saying now.  Susie's recent trip to Mexico.  Our camping trip.  How refreshingly cool it felt being inside.  The dips--clam dip and hot artichoke dip.   

WHAT WE ATE | Steak, sweet potatoes, salad, and Hawaiian sweet rolls.  Lemon bundt cake and Reese's peanut butter Rice Krispie treats for dessert.  A big thanks to Brian who barbequed the delicious steak and made the excellent sweet potatoes--and to my mom for bringing an appetizer, a salad, and a dessert.

WHAT WE DID/PLAYED | Played ladder ball and cornhole.  Splashed in the kiddie pool.  Laughed.  Hung out in the hammock.  Stood near the misters.

WHAT WE MADE | When I write "we," I mean McKayla.  She crafted a gorgeous "summer" greeting card, complete with sand paper.  

THE TABLESCAPE | I finally bought two nice white tablecloths at Target.  I also splurged on new placemats (circles in various blue shades), added a few candles, and my mom and dad brought us a vase with three gorgeous hydrangea flowers from their front yard.  Simple and lovely--just the way I like it.

 What fun activities have you and your family been partaking in this summer?  

My Summer List



Resort at Squaw Creek | June 2013

With summer officially here, it's time to share my {2013} summer list.   

1| Jump into swimming lessons.

2| Spend a day at the zoo.

3| Visit the children's museum.

4| Go camping.

5| Play in the yard and at the park.

6| Go for a hike.

7| Spend time with family + friends.

8| Attend a county fair.

9| Visit a local farm stand. 

10| Attend an open gym session at a local gymnastics center.

11| Visit the library. 
 
12| Complete Assignment #3 for my writing class.

13| Create a photo wall in our family room.  

14| Sign up for a photography class or workshop. 

What is on {your} summer list?  

Welcome, June!

Before I discuss all that I love about June, I want to first address a housekeeping item. 

Yesterday, a post from way back in 2008 entitled Mr. and Mrs. Jason Muse was published on my blog.  I apologize for any confusion; it was completely and utterly “user error.”  Ironically, we just saw Jason and Stef this weekend and they are doing well. 

Now, back to the subject of this post: June.

June is (and always has been) one of my favorite months.

Why?

It's a time for celebration! 

Every June, I celebrate getting just a little bit older.  And hopefully a little bit wiser. 

I also celebrate my two sisters' birthdays as well as Father's Day. 

In addition, it's the month when we celebrate the accomplishments of high school and college graduates.  Congrats to my cousin, Thomas, and our former neighbor, Ryan, who are both graduating from high school this month.  

And last, but not least, we officially welcome the season of summer.  

What will you be celebrating this month?

J

P.S. The photograph above was taken on a celebratory day in May: Mother's Day.  (Brian was so sweet to cook breakfast for me!)

Beautiful North Carolina

Since arriving in Asheville, North Carolina on Monday, we've toured the Biltmore House (and gardens), climbed up to the top of Chimney Rock (which afforded us spectacular views of the mountains), and meandered along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway.

Even though I've only seen a small portion of North Carolina, I'm blown away by its beauty.

And the food here is wonderful, too. Yesterday, we dined at a fabulous BBQ joint; tonight, we ate at Cracker Barrel. You know you're in the South when your hotel's free breakfast includes biscuits and gravy. I'm hoping my jeans fit when I don them for the airplane ride home a week from now. :-)

Tomorrow, we're on the road again (for about 7 hours) heading to Williamsburg, Virginia.

Hugs,
J

On the Banks of the River

This week, during spring break, I'm taking time to get caught up on some once-started, but never-completed blog posts.

Like this one, which contains photographs taken last summer on the banks of the Bear River.


When the temperature soars, we love to take the dogs down to the river, which is just five minutes from our house.


The funny thing is that Lucy, our purebred Lab, doesn't like water much.


She'll wade in if there's a tennis ball to catch, but swimming is another thing all together.


In fact, if the tennis ball drifts too far out into the river, she refuses to fetch it.

And she's a retriever!

By the way, in the picture above, Lucy slowly stepped toward the ball and grabbed it before it could sail further down the river.

Thank goodness, because I wasn't going in after it. :-)


Summer is just around the corner, and I can't wait to spend family time on the river banks, shooting additional silhouette pictures.

J

Fun at the Fair Layout

In August, Brian and I visited the Nevada County Fair. While ambling around the wooded grounds, I spotted a group of photo booths...and you know how much I {love} photo booths. After coaxing Brian into one, we posed for four snapshots. (Color photo booths were also available, but I opted for black and white pictures. Why? Well, it's cheaper and I just love their old-fashioned look.)

Since then, I've been eager to create a home for this special strip of images.


This layout features papers, stickers, and embellishments from the September Scrapbook Circle kit. The only thing I had to pull from my existing scrapbooking stash was a piece of 12 x 12 black card stock.


Aren't these papers whimsical and fun?! I love their bright and cheerful colors and patterns. But using so many different patterned papers together made me nervous. I threw caution to the wind, however, and just went for it.


I love the stark contrast between the colorful patterned papers and the black and white photographs. Hopefully, it aids in drawing your eye right to the strip of images.


The scrapbook page above from Scrapbooks Etc. Page Planner magazine provided the framework for my layout. With it as my inspiration and the kit supplies at the ready, I quickly and easily created this "Fun at the Fair" scrapbook page.

J