Our Impossible Adoption Story
If you're looking for the unbelievable account of how "impossible" became "done" in 5 business days, start here.
One Year Later
Dear Dad,
Can you believe it? It’s been a year since you’ve been gone. If someone corrected me, showed me how I was reading the calendar wrong, and pointed out that’s really only been a month, I would believe him. It feels more like a month.
Except that the baby isn’t a baby anymore.
I know you see, but sometimes I wish you were here to hold him. He’s so funny and he’s so smart. And already so much like you.
His hands remind me of you – wide fingernails and palms. He definitely doesn’t get that from his father. He’s going to have your hands, and I hope every time he notices their strength he remembers stories that we’ll tell him about you.
And he’s got the dog whisperer gene. He loves dogs and they love him. Just last week we were out walking, and two big golden retrievers came charging their fence as we passed. Playfully – I know these dogs – but still barking and jumping and moving really fast. He squealed his excitement and ran toward the fence. He has no fear. Read more…
Hold My Hand
We went for a walk before dinner yesterday.
This kid loves to be outside. It doesn’t seem to matter what the weather. Cold? Raining? Fell in a mud puddle? Who cares. It’s never time to go inside.
I love the way he explores. He’s very thorough. He’ll traverse the same line of frozen snow a dozen times – back and forth, back and forth – and then suddenly move on. He’ll climb the same step and scurry down the same slope again and again, and then turn on a dime to head in another direction.
And when he needs help, he just reaches up and waits for someone to take his hand.
He doesn’t even look up most of the time. He watches what he’s doing, watches his feet usually, and just waits – hand stretched wide above his head.
When we left the back door he reached up for help going down the two big steps. At the end of the short sidewalk he reached up again for help going down the big step to the driveway. Curbs, snow piles, uneven terrain of mud and wet leaves mashed together – his tiny red mitten would appear above his head.
And then, as we walked down a quiet side street, the mitten popped up again. Read more…
February Through the iPhone
I’m sure it’s obvious by now that I’m having a hard time keeping up with the pace of life these days. We’re half-way through March? Come on.
To be perfectly honest, I was tired last night as I edited photos and dropped them into a grid. I wasn’t really looking for a theme, not really, but the concept of age kept popping up as I flipped through February. Even as I type it, I’m not sure what that means.
But there it is. Babies on one end, seniors on the other. Blocks for the former. Cake for the later, and an old man being reborn somewhere in the middle which is the only place that should be. I suppose. Ancient words on old paper that are now just a decorative shell for the new seedling breaking open inside.
If February was about age, what did we learn? Read more…
Whole Food Vegan Checking In
Four days left of our 10-day food experiment, and I’m really not counting. It’s pretty great. I can see keeping this up.
Husband might need a meat vacation on Day 11 before we kick it back in, but that’s okay.
Some thoughts and revelations:
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1. This is not cheaper.
Hamburger costs more than carrots, but it takes more carrots. We’re hungry more often, but I think that’s okay ’cause we’re eating small, healthy meals instead of big nasty ones.
(We’ve also discussed turning the entire backyard into a vegetable garden, and installing UV lights in the basement for the winter months.)
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2. I have things in my kitchen I didn’t even know existed.
Nutritional yeast? Our local grocer does not carry nutritional yeast, not even in the healthy food half-isle. And I’m pretty sure that raw honey is what fell from the sky when Moses wandered in the desert.
Also, if you ever try this, nutritional yeast tastes nothing like cheese. Read more…
On Cancer and Food
Ya. We watched it.
And yesterday was Day 1 of a 10-day trial of a whole foods/vegan diet. We’re trying it. We’ll see.
I covet your prayers.
And your recipes.
Bear with me if I get a little cranky. Asking Husband to stop eating meat, and me to stop eating refined sugar at the same time could be asking for trouble. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Part of me is leery because I know there are always two sides, and documentaries are rarely – if ever – completely unbiased. I know.
We’re testing the waters.
Spits and Wiggles 