Ten years ago today I said "I do" to my best friend. We were just kids then, only 19, committing to spend the rest of our lives together. Wow, how 10 years can FLY past. And what an adventure it has been!
I don't really remember where I thought I'd be 10 years ago. We always wanted kids and we always wanted to adopt. But I don't know if I ever imagined we would have two sweet beautiful little girls and be in the process (OK very early process) of adopting from Ethiopia.
We've survived ups and downs, our families have seen births and deaths, we survived those early college years, and added jobs and skills to our resumes. We have moved 4 times and have bought, well, a few cars...and we made it through the "up-all-night" phase with two precious baby girls.
We have plans, BIG plans for our future and for our family. And we can't wait to see what this amazing journey holds for us.
We celebrated the big 10 by sending the kids to my moms for the weekend while we worked on the house - refinishing cabinets, replacing floors, and building custom tiled sinks. And we are still recouping (so is the house). And as much fun as it was painting cabinets, there was one small part of my weekend that made my heart skip. At the end of day one, Shawn told me he missed the girls. He missed their sweet cuddly side, and the crazy meltdown tantrums. He said "our lives were so lame before we had kids". And he is so right. If you are a wife and a mom, you know that there is just nothing you love more about your husband than the way he loves your babies!
So many of the things that we thought mattered 10 years ago just don't matter anymore. Late nights out have been replaced with bedtime stories and lullabies. Private vacations for 2 have been replaced with family vacations for 4. Designer clothes have been replaced with whatever is on sale at Walmart. Dinners out have been replaced with happy meals. And a somewhat organized home (hey, I said somewhat) has been replaced with a trail of scattered toys and sticky messes. And as much as I would love to be the mom who has it all together and keeps a spotless house, I just thank God for these little blessings he has given me to clean up after. Because well, life was so lame before THIS!
Happy Anniversary babe! I can't wait to bring one more sticky little face into our family!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Simply Live - Mother's Day Challenge
I have a Mother's Day challenge for all of my wonderful readers! But first I have to share this amazing story with you....
Today I was introduced to the Wiederholt family's blog here. The Wiederholt's have 4 boys at home and are adopting two children from Uganda. The children are both infected with HIV. One of them is not responding to the HIV treatment available in Uganda and needs medical help immediately! But the Wiederholt's can't bring these kiddos home until they raise $25,000. Let me remind everyone that HIV is not at all what it was in the 80's. Doctors know tons about HIV now and people with HIV are able to live normal lives with the right treatment. These children have hearts, minds, and souls that just need love - and the right medical care. These parents are in fear of what may happen with this child if they don't bring him home soon. The only thing standing in their way is a big chunk of cash....
So here's the Mother's Day challege:
Live simply so others can simply live. That's powerful huh? Especially when children are dying because they don't have the right medical treatment. This week I ask that you give up something in honor of your mother and make a donation to the Wiederholt family. Donations can be made via the paypal button on their page here. Let's give Momma Wiederholt the best Mother's Day gift ever! And after you make your donation, comment below with what you love most about your mother. People, I expect to see lots of comments here!!!! LIVE SIMPLY - give up the fast food, the shopping spree, etc, then donate the money you would have spent so that the Wiederholt's son can SIMPLY LIVE.
Mom, I love your compassionate heart, and I especially love that you gave a piece of that to me!
Today I was introduced to the Wiederholt family's blog here. The Wiederholt's have 4 boys at home and are adopting two children from Uganda. The children are both infected with HIV. One of them is not responding to the HIV treatment available in Uganda and needs medical help immediately! But the Wiederholt's can't bring these kiddos home until they raise $25,000. Let me remind everyone that HIV is not at all what it was in the 80's. Doctors know tons about HIV now and people with HIV are able to live normal lives with the right treatment. These children have hearts, minds, and souls that just need love - and the right medical care. These parents are in fear of what may happen with this child if they don't bring him home soon. The only thing standing in their way is a big chunk of cash....
So here's the Mother's Day challege:
Live simply so others can simply live. That's powerful huh? Especially when children are dying because they don't have the right medical treatment. This week I ask that you give up something in honor of your mother and make a donation to the Wiederholt family. Donations can be made via the paypal button on their page here. Let's give Momma Wiederholt the best Mother's Day gift ever! And after you make your donation, comment below with what you love most about your mother. People, I expect to see lots of comments here!!!! LIVE SIMPLY - give up the fast food, the shopping spree, etc, then donate the money you would have spent so that the Wiederholt's son can SIMPLY LIVE.
Mom, I love your compassionate heart, and I especially love that you gave a piece of that to me!
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