Back to normal...for a minute!

We went to our new library the other day--it's so nice to have a library just 5 minutes away! O. chose this little book all on her own. It's really cute!

Well, I have to say...whew!!! I am so relieved to be done with the last couple of weeks and so is my sweet family who have lived through the chaos while I have been CONSUMED with preparing for the adoption conference and the enrichment night presentation! And then to throw in that crazy root canal AND Scott was on his annual trip to D.C. with his students for a week. HOLY COW!! Life is getting back to normal. The adoption conference was GREAT! I don't know if we did great... I was an absolute nervous wreck (now, there's a shocker!) When we were driving over there I told Scott that I thought I was going to puke which I really wasn't my stomach was just turning and he, who never gets nervous about ANYTHING, looked at me and told me to get a grip cause I was making him nervous. It turned out great, we taught a class about birth parent meetings and it was just so fun to remember and share our experiences with a great group of couples who are going through the process either for the first time or some were on their second time around. We learned that many couples who adopt here don't get the opportunity to meet the babies birth parents and that made me sad. To those who have not had the experience it may be a little hard to understand why this is such a blessing to know these incredible birth parents to see and feel and experience the deep love that they have for their children. Adoption has taught me so much. In the beginning of our second class, two couples told us that they had both adopted one child but neither had met the birth parents and I expressed that I was sorry that they had not had this experience. Another gentlemen (who had not adopted any children yet) asked why this was sad, he said "isn't it better to just have a clean break?" He totally caught me off guard. I told him that I hoped through the experiences we would share that he might understand why we felt so strongly about these sweet meetings. That question has stuck in my head, and I didn't get a chance to speak with him after the class. I just hope he and his wife and everyone who was there have the chance to meet these amazing people and then I know for sure he'll understand why we cherish these memorable moments. I am so thankful that I can tell T. and O. with tender conviction how deeply their birth parents loved and will love them forever, I heard it, I saw it and I experienced it. If there's one thing the Lord has merciful taught Scott and I through our life is experiences is that those you call family are never too large in number. To see the excitement in T. and O.'s faces when we tell them how many people love them is priceless!

The health presentation went okay. As usual I obsessed and researched and read way more than I would have used in a 5 hour presentation, and I only had 20 minutes! If one good thing came from all of the prep work I was reminded that I really need to be more focused on making even better food choices and I've got to to better at EXERCISING--which I love, but I have let the busyness of regular life push it aside--no excuse!

Scott had a great time in D.C. and it's such a fabulous learning experience for the kids. He also was able to meet with one of his former professors, who he has known for years, who is now one of our Senators which he really enjoyed. What he hopes the kids gleaned from their meeting is that even though they are from different political parties, she taught him a great deal about the political process and he tried to emphasize to them that debate is an integral part of the process but you can't debate without a sound arguement. Scott also was able to hang out with one of his buddies from his college days which he thoroughly enjoyed.

He visited Mt. Vernon this year which he thoroughly enjoyed. Would that all of our presidents had the integrity, humility, and reverence for God as did George Washington!

He was also very moved by their visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.