How incredible people touch & shape our lives

I have been so fortunate over the past five years to find myself by meeting the girl of my dreams, but just as lucky was I to meet her family.  Over this time, I have learned more about myself, grown as an individual, and gotten more confidence & love because of Lauren and her family.  

From Cowles to Thomsons, Waddells to Kuzmanovichs, everyone has become an important person in my life now, that I am so thankful for.  One person in particular was Dick Thomson.  I will never forget meeting him and Sandy for the first time as just a guy looking to marry their Niece.  Nerves were running high with me because meeting prospective new family members can be scary and intimidating, but what I got from both Dick & Sandy were handshakes and hugs, as if they had already known me for years.  They instantly made me feel a part of the family, and help illustrate the love and caring that helped make me know the family I was marrying into was so special and I'm so proud to be a part of it.

Throughout this past year, Lauren and I have had our own personal struggles, and battling hard to get on the adoption list.  The support we have gotten from family has been incredible, and one of our biggest supporters was the person going through the toughest battle of all, Uncle Dick.  When we saw him at any time this year, he always wanted to know how we were, and how the adoption process was going.  His courage and strength in what he was going through, made Lauren and I both put an amazing perspective on life.  Even when Dick was in pain, he always cared about others and how they were doing.

The incredible courage & fortitude that I have seen in this entire family has made me even more inspired to have our own child and have them be part of it.  With the love support of people like Dick and Sandy, this adoption process has been easier on us, and finding out that we have been accepted (on the adoption list) I feel is because of their support.

There are some incredible people that we meet that touch and shape our lives, and I know that Dick Thomson for me has been one of those people. I will always remember him, as he will keep a close place in my heart.  He is one person who has helped me be a better man, and will make me a better father.  We all love you and miss you.


- Jason

LOVE

The home study is complete and we will be officially approved by the end of the week.When we went to the adoption seminar at the end of June, we were told that the home study would be long and hard.  Well it didn't feel like that all. Probably because we have had some perspective this summer.

There is an amazing man in this world that I am not sure how I will live without. My heart aches for my family and for all that know him. My childhood is filled with memories of him and he has made my world a better place. He made me feel like I was something special. I hope that I can do for my nieces and nephews as he has done for me. He means the world to me.

No matter what my life throws my way with infertility and adoption, I have learned, LIFE it self is what matters most. The little things. The smiles and the eye winks. Holding hands with your loved one, making someone smile on their worst day.

It is the love you share each and every day. That is what makes this life special. You made it special for me!

I love you Uncle Dick!

Lauren

Announcement

This is the video we showed to our family last year when we announced we were expecting through adoption. Almost a year later we will be on the list.

Video coming soon!!

There are so many....

There are so many fun things that we want to do with our child I thought I would share a  few.

I totally forgot.....

I totally forgot I was expecting. I was talking to a friends today about a playpen she had in her living room and thought it would be great for when her grand daughter came over. Then realised it would be great for me when Icome over cause I am expecting too.

Although we have started the baby's room I still can't bring myself to by some of the stuff we need. Like bottles and such.

We are so sure we will have placement by xmas that it feels like we are running out of time!

Where's the excitement?

Where is the excitement? Is that really how you spell excitement? hmm, weird ok back to what I was blogging about. This is hard. This process. It is slow and you need to keep your own motivation going. Like in the post about my belly not growing, I spoke about me wanting the same treatment as other expectant moms. Well that will never happen. I know this. It feels weird buying stuff for a baby that no one can see only Jason and I can really feel its presence. Its hard to stay focused, not get discouraged with the wait, paper work and the waiting. It has been 2 mos and by the time we are on the list 3mos. What is the rest of the time going to feel like. When you can see something so clear, and want something so bad and live without it and put your hopes, dreams and trust into the universe and wait for it to answer you. 

I know is the deepest depths of my heart that it will happen, but do I have the strength. I ask myself that everyday. I know that this will be worth it, worth something when I see my baby for the first time and hold its little body in my arms that everything, the waiting, the patience, the fight was worth every moment of struggle. 

The past couple of days have been hard, been locked up in my studio doing tons or art and have had a lot of time to think. Jason has been working his ass off and I have been mostly alone. Which I love until my mind wanders and gets lost in the what ifs. Not good. 

But after my days of solitude I came out with answers. Women who can carry children use the 9 months to create a life. To nurture that life and get ready to create a person. So I will do the same. Just different of course. I will learn and be healthy, I will take classes, starting with my first one tomorrow at 930am. Fatzap is what they call it. Since my surgery I have had my life flipped upside down and my pain gone, I can eat foods that I couldn't before. I am no longer in pain and feel that exercise will be just what I need to pass the time. Wish me luck. This is the first time I am doing this without a friend and in a class where I know no one. This is me making a choice to change for my child. 

It will keep me focused on something and not just the adoption. It will keep me motivated on both journeys and sane at the same time.

-Lauren

DONE

Tonight we got our Home Study draft. We are done visits, and our social worker Kathy has already completed the first draft of our 18 page report. We just read over and corrected any mistakes that we saw.
We are a couple of weeks away, from getting on the list but we are as close as we have ever been to becoming parents.