Mary's momcation

For my birthday, my bestest bud got me the most out-of-this-this-world-amazing gift! Tickets to me all-time favorite band: MUMFORD AND SONS!! My somewhat obsessive interest in Mumford and Sons is kind of complicated. I might go into it in more detail one of these days, but suffice to say their music strikes a chord deep within my soul. So not only am I blessed with an amazing friend who would buy tickets, but she also understood that attending the concert would be a really big deal for me! Awesomely awesome!

Even now, two days later, I am breathless at the memory of the concert! Breathless, speechless, and completely grateful for the fantastic outpouring of energy Mumford and Sons put into their performance. Marcus danced around the stage, spinning is circles with his guitar while Ben jumped up and down as he pounded on his keyboard. Winston made sweet love to his banjo (watch a recording of them playing live--you'll understand), and Ted closed his eyes as he brought it all together with the bass. It was obvious they were having a ball playing for us. They were feeding off our energy, we were feeding off theirs, and it all mixed into a night of singing, dancing, screaming, and jumping. It was all I had hoped for and so much more!




I bought over-priced merchandise:

I laughed . . .

I cried . . . (my eyes out . . . all the way through this one . . .)

. . . and left the next day feeling utterly blessed, uplifted, and completely awed:

I wish I had the words to describe it all to you. Powerful, fantastic, splendid, soulful, gripping, heart-wrenching . . . all these are true, but still don't capture the exact experience.

Friends

I would like to take tonight to thank the many friends who have seen me through this adoption journey. We all continue to travel together, even after all these years (Yes, YEARS). Some have brought babies home, some have been chosen by a birthmom and are awaiting the day their little one comes home, some of us are still waiting. And a few have placed their little ones with other families. Our bonds of friendship have been forged through pain, loss, hope, despair, and joy. Adoption has a way of doing that . . . Adoption is hard. It can be painful. But, as my sister reminded me yesterday, it's all about the love, y'all. Loving ourselves, loving each other, loving our kids. I've often said adoption is like a condensed sample of life. We need to love and support each other in our lives, even if we aren't affected by adoption. Imagine how far a little love and understanding can go in each of our families or communities! 

Anyway! Climbing down off my soap box now. Just remember . . . you're not alone . . . none of us is, if you think about it . . . not really . . . not ever.

We are home again. Funerals are never fun, but we did have a good visit with Andy's family. It is so nice to be back home and back into our routine.

So, what's new with us? Let's see...

Lizzie lost two teeth last month. I can't believe my little girl is old enough to lose teeth! She thought it was great fun.

Nate is playing Y basketball, and having soooo much fun! He loves playing any sport, but basketball and soccer have been faves lately. It's so fun to watch him, too! He is so much...himself...when he plays.

It's registration time at school and I'm faced with the yearly "I can't believe he/she will be in [insert grade]!" I can't believe Lizzie is finishing Kindergarten and heading into first grade (WAAAAAA!), and it boggles my mind that Nate will be in 4th grade. WOW! The time goes by so quickly...

I am both scared and excited about my upcoming class and career change. I'm taking a phlebotomy course, for those who haven't heard yet. I VANT TO TAKE YOUR BLOOOOD! Yep, I'll be running around jabbing needles in arms and poking fingers all day. Awesome, right? Certainly not where I saw myself at *cough cough* years old, but...you know what? Life doesn't always turn out the way you plan. Industries rise and fall (RIP newspapers), the economy crumbles and grows, life's tide ebbs and flows, and you adjust. So, even though I didn't see myself here, now that I AM here...I'm excited and nervous and wondering what's next. Dancing in the rain.

And we're still hoping a birthmom chooses us. As time wears on, the chances dwindle...but we still hope.

Support

One the most amazing things about the adoption world is the people you meet who help and support you along the way. Strangers become your best friends, the ones you vent to, laugh with, cheer for. I have been blessed with a great bunch of ladies who have been my support these past several years. And you know what? I am so glad I could support them, too! I love feeling useful. I'm glad that my knowledge or insight could help someone along their adoption journey.

I think so many of us are prone to say, "No really, I've got it. I don't need help." But, have you considered how much others WANT to help? I know I rarely do. I hold people off at arm's length, even as they say, "I want to help." It wasn't until a friend interrupted my usual, "No, I'm okay," with "Mary! LET me help!" that I realized or appreciated that people don't just offer their help, support, advice, etc. to be polite. They do it because they love you and want to help. They cannot stand by and watch you go through the hardships you face without offering to watch the kids, make a meal, haul your junk to Montana from Wyoming in their horse trailrr (true story).

And so, this is a big THANK YOU! Not only to those to support me, but to those who ALLOW me to support them. Thank you for the honor of being in your lives and trusting me with your heartaches and your joys. It truly means more than you will know.