A bump in the road

I've been thinking lately that this whole journey thing through life is a little tricky.  There are unexplained stops along the way and detours when you least expect them.  There are also those annoying potholes and speed bumps that just plain slow you down.  I seem to have hit one of them.

About 2 weeks ago, I woke up morning morning and my feet were numb.  It was a little strange, but I figured it would go away.  I like to curl up when I sit on the couch, so my feet often fall asleep.  No big deal, I thought.  It was a little strange that it didn't go away.  As the days went on, the numbness traveled up my legs to my middle.  By Friday it was more than just a little annoying.  I was scared, so I went to the doctor.  She said there were several possibilities for my "weird nerve thing".  She said I would need a MRI to figure out the source of this numbness.  I got scheduled for one the following Wednesday.  The MRI scans showed that there were lesions in places in my brain that are typical of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  She said that I would need an appointment with a neurologist to get an official diagnosis.  That was a scary thought.  What a rotten week!  Most definitely a bump in the journey.

I went to the neurologist this past Monday and he told me that it was MS.  My physical exam was "unremarkable"  meaning that I can still balance, walk, and move my muscles just fine.  I just can't feel them.  He also showed me my MRI images.  It's kinda cool to see what is in your head.  I've never seen my brain before.  :)  I'm a bit of a science nerd I suppose.  Anyway, the lesions show up as white places in the MRI scan.  It was interesting to see what was in there.  I can already hear the comments from my family about my brain.  But there is proof that I do actually have one!  It just isn't working quite right at the moment.

They did a regular scan of my brain and then added dye to my blood in order to "light up" the active lesions that are in there.  When the active spots are identified, the treatment can be figured out.  Unfortunately, there were not active spots that lit up.  According to the doctor, that means that the active lesions are father down my spinal cord.  So, its back to the MRI tube for another scan.  This is not exactly how I wanted to spend my Christmas Break, but I suppose I do have some free time coming up next week.  Hopefully the doctor's office will call soon to let me know when the appointment is.  Then I will know what the treatment will be.  It most likely will be medication of some sort.

So for now, I just keep waiting.   It seems to be a theme lately.  Waiting for a call that will change my path. So, I guess I am learning to be patient.  I must need some more practice at waiting.  At this rate, I'm gonna be a pro!

*** Update - I go for the follow-up MRI on Monday afternoon.  Merry Christmas to me!
I could make a new verse of the song about the 2 front teeth! "All I want for Christmas is a MRI scan, a MRI scan, a MRI scan...."   To be followed by "All I want for Christmas is some pills to take..."  Kinda catchy, don't you think?  :)

Thankfulness in a rough season

Thanksgiving. It's a great time to make a list of the things you are thankful for when remembering the past year.  I like to think of it as a reflective sort of holiday.  Similar to New Year's Eve in the way you reevaluate the past year and think about all the things that have happened in your life.  So here is my list as I reflect today.

My Adoption Thankful list

1. God is faithful and provides for us.
2. We were approved a a waiting family for a child.
3. My husband is amazing.  He continues to support and love when even when I'm not that lovable. He is getting as antsy as I am about waiting.  That is reassuring.
4. I have a lovely family that gives me support always in many different ways,
5. I have a crazy puppy dog that loves me even though he is getting older and has slowed down for the most part. My fur baby will always be the first child but not the only child much longer.
6. We received a large grant to help towards our adoption. 
7. I am surviving the wait so far although it is not without occasional tears and temper tantrums.
8. I have been able to sell jewelry to help support widows in Africa AND our adoption at the same time!  What a blessing to help and be helped simultaneously.
9. Many people have donated to our adoption and that has been huge.  
10. The nursery is patched and almost ready to paint.  
11. And best of all, I have a wonderful child out there waiting for me too.

I suppose there are more that I can't remember at this exact moment, but there is plenty to be thankful for in my life.  I sometimes have trouble seeing it, but it is still there.  What about you?  What are you thankful for in your season of life?  There are more things to be thankful for than you can even imagine.  Even though or maybe I should say especially when it doesn't seem like it at the moment.  Trust me.

Just keep swimming...

I have had several questions lately about our adoption.  Although I a grateful that people are excited for us and care about us, it is a double edged sword some days.  I love the idea of adoption and I know in my head that it is exactly what we need to do and where we need to be right now.  It's just convincing my heart that it is worth waiting for some days.  I know I sound like a whiny little girl right now - actually that was my Halloween costume - complete with the pigtails on either side of my head. Oh dear... maybe it stuck!
It seems that everyone that I know is pregnant currently.  I know that cannot possibly be true, but my mind seems to go there some days.  I also know that some of my friends that really are the ones who are pregnant have been through their own struggles in their journey.  I just seems that it is the easier way to go.  Before you get all grumpy with me, as someone who has never been and will most likely never be pregnant, just hear me out.  From my limited understanding of pregnancy, there are physical signs that you are expecting.

• You get sick - that does not sound like a highlight to me!   
• Your "baby bump" starts showing  - that would be kinda weird and kinda cool at the same time.
• You get comments from strangers asking about your little one - that would be encouraging most days.
• You get patted on the bump by strangers - that would be annoying and an invasion of my personal space.
• You feel the movements of the little one as they grow and try to expand - that would be amazing.
• You have doctor's appointments with ultrasounds that show the life inside of you - that would be amazing as well.
• You feel little one kicking against your ribs - that would hurt, but still be a reminder of the little one inside you.
• You have a limited amount of time (9 months) to expect the wait to last - that would be a blessing.  

Now consider my situation.

• The only reason I am sick is that my students green runny noses gave me a sinus infection.
• My "bump" is shrinking since I joined Weight Watchers and I feel great.
• I get questions about the process, but most people don't say anything.  Some days that is actually a good thing.  
• I don't get patted on the tummy - that is fine by me.  :)
• I don't feel anything moving inside of me to remind me that someone is growing and changing.
• I go to the doctor to get antibiotics, a new glasses prescription, and a flu shot.  Not quite the same.
• I don't get kicked from the inside.  That is a plus.  :)  However, I don't have a reminder that someone is changing and growing literally right under my nose.
• I have been waiting since April.  That is only 6 months, but I'm not really keeping track ;)

So basically, I have no "proof" that anything is happening and it is driving me a little crazy.  I know that there is a baby out there who needs me and that we need.  I know there is a plan, but this waiting with no reminders really stinks.

I really need to remember Dory's line in Finding Nemo  "Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming,"

However, I do feel the need to change it a little.  "Just keep trusting, Just keep hoping, Just keep praying, dreaming, waiting."

Does Color matter in my adoption process?

This was actually an essay contest that I entered where I had to answer this question about color. They choose winners on November 1st as a celebration of National Adoption Month.  I'm hoping to win something, but even if I don't it was fun to write anyway.  :0)  I also figured out how to add a follow with email button on the right side, so feel free to add your email address if you want to know when I update.  I was hoping to post more often, but then school started.  I think I'm out of the daze that it adds to life for the first few weeks.  Anyway, here's my answer to the question about color in adoption.  Enjoy!


                Does color matter in my adoption process?

        I was reading a poem at school the other day with my students that had an interesting take on color. 

            Colors

My skin is a sort of brownish

Pinkish yellowish white.

My eyes are greyish blueish green,

But I’m told they look orange in the night.

My hair is reddish blondish brown,

But silver when it’s wet.

And all the colors I am inside

Have not been invented yet.

            ~ Shel Silverstein

Where the Sidewalk Ends, 1974

            As an elementary teacher, I have always enjoyed Shel Silverstien’s poetry because usually his poems are hilarious, and the kids love it when they know we are going to read something of his.  I was not familiar with this one, but I immediately connected to the idea that “all the colors I am inside/Have not been invented yet.”  I believe that every child is unique and important and filled with colors the world has not yet experienced the beauty of yet. 

            So does color matter in adoption?  I think that you can look at that question in two different ways.  From my perspective as an adoptive parent, I will love my child no matter their color – white, brown, black, or blue!  Although adopting a Smurf could be a little tricky. 

            Some of my friends have adopted children from different countries, and their children have a different skin tone than they do. The parents have been asked strange and sometimes rude questions from usually well-meaning people. Since the difference in skin color is usually obvious and the first thing people see, I suppose those questions are to be expected.  However, my friends have chosen to use them as an opening to explain adoption to those who don’t seem to recognize families are not created or defined by skin color alone. 

            In our adoption journey, we have also experienced some strange and sometimes rude questions from my well-meaning friends.  One person even asked, “What if you get a black kid?” I don’t remember exactly how I answered that day, but I realized then that there is a lot of misinformation out there about adoption in general.  Since adoption forms families through joy, love, and sacrifice, I choose to see those questions as a gateway to help educate others who haven’t experienced the part of adoption that is so much deeper than skin color alone.     

            The other way that you can think about the color question has to do with the culture that is often indicated by the skin color.  I think that each culture in our world is unique and deserves to be respected and celebrated.  I also know that no one in the whole world has skin tones – white, brown, black, yellow, orange, or pink - that match the crayons in my Crayola box.  

            When I was growing up, I remember being frustrated when I had to draw a self-portrait.  I couldn’t figure out which color to use for my skin.  I wasn’t as ‘white’ as that white crayon or as ‘brown’ as the brown one.  I also knew that I was definitely not in any way the same as that ‘orange’ one!  I know that I am not the only child that had issues with finding the perfect ‘skin color’ crayon in my box of eight crayons.   I remember being excited when I got a box of twenty-four crayons because it included a ‘peach’ color that was pretty close.  It is interesting to note that my ‘peach’ crayon was originally named ‘flesh’.  It was renamed by Binney-Smith, the maker of Crayola products, in 1962, during the Civil Rights movement. 

   

         In 1992, Binney-Smith responded again to the skin tone crayon dilemma experienced by teachers and students by creating a box of the eight Multicultural crayons.  It includes the colors that most closely resemble skin tones - apricot, black, burnt sienna, mahogany, peach, sepia, tan, and white.  Although these colors already existed, they were only included in the larger crayon box sets.  These colors also come in markers, colored pencils, and paint.  However, even this action hasn’t been without controversy.  Accused of “redefining the rainbow” by some people, I think this was a step in the right direction.  It recognizes and celebrates that people come in different colors.  

            I am a teacher at a school where about 90% of students and teachers do not have the same skin tone as I do.  It was a little strange to get used to because I have fair skin, blue eyes, and light brown hair.  Each day in classrooms and hallways I see dark brown skin, dark brown eyes, and dark brown hair.  It was summed up best by a new student with a very fair complexion, green eyes, and reddish hair who moved to our school from out of state.  When she was asked how her first days were going, she responded, “Good. (long pause) Everyone here is pretty dark.”  When she was asked if that bothered her, the response continues to blow us away.  She said, “Not really.  People are people.”  What a refreshing attitude spoken by a ten year old in a new situation that didn’t quite match what she was used to seeing. 

            So does color matter in adoption?  I suppose I would like to restate that question to say ‘should color matter in adoption’?  I think that it is sad to say that color is the only thing that some people see.  It shouldn’t matter in any relationship in life.  I think it presents different challenges and opportunities for celebration for families created through adoption, but as that 10 year old said, “people are people.”  To her, and to me as well, that is the bottom line.  People are people.  We are each uniquely created and filled with colors that have not been invented yet. 

Silverstein, S. (1974).  Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York, New York: Harper-Collins Children’s Books.

Wikipedia Contributors. (2014). List of Crayola crayon colors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Crayola_crayon_colors&oldid=623424074

Wow. Just Wow.

If there is one thing about this adoption journey I've learned so far, it humbles you in ways you never expected.  In being open for those following our journey, I have learned some interesting things.  Some are hard, some are crazy, some are funny, but most have been just plain humbling.   Here are some examples that have happened to me lately.

Apparently, I am a good writer.  :)  I have had several people tell me that.  I never started this little glimpse into my life as a way to practice my writing skills, but it is kinda cool that people like my writing.  I'm not fishing for compliments by the way.  I was just shocked, surprised, and humbled that something I had written basically for myself and my own sanity has apparently been enjoyed by others and touched them as well.

When you post a request for help, people respond.  I do realize that is the reason for asking for help, but sometimes I don't think I really expected others to do it.  It is amazingly humbling to pull up the list of donors to our fund and see the names of people that you didn't expect to give.  We did realize going in that it was a bit of a long shot attempt to raise money from our friends for our adoption, but we were awarded the opportunity and decided it couldn't hurt to ask.  The list included the expected donors (our parents - thank you mom & dad and mom & dad), but there are other names on there that we didn't expect.  People that I have worked with at different schools, people that I went to high school with, people that I work with in the gift shop, friends of our family, and the list goes on!  It is humbling to be blessed with money from people.

When you have a garage sale, you never know who will come to purchase your "treasures".  We were able to have 3 sales so far.  We cleaned out the room that will be the nursery and found some treasures.  My aunt gave me some clothes that she couldn't wear anymore to sell.  A friend that teaches at my school was moving and gave me some things to sell and keep the money.  Many people came and shopped.  A friend's mom brought a carload of things for us to sell.  Some people even asked if I would accept a higher price than was marked.  It took me a few minutes to get what she was asking.  Most people had been asking if I would take a lower price, not a higher one.  It was a little confusing at first.  Other random shoppers saw the sign I had made that stated all proceeds would go to our adoption fund.  One lady read the sign, turned around and continued to shop.  When she was finished, she told me she had to go back and find some more things since she knew what the sale was for.  I have no idea who that lady was, but that was amazing and very cool.


Friends are an important part of our lives.  You never know how you have touched others until there is a situation where encouragement and prayers are needed.  That has become overwhelmingly clear these past few months.  There have been text messages, phone calls, hugs, prayers, tears, checks, and the list goes on.  It is incredibly humbling to be on the receiving end of all those wonderful things.

Basically, I have figured out that life is funny and you never really know how others will respond until you say there is a need.  I guess honesty is the best policy as the saying goes.  Thank you for being my friends and helping in so many different ways.  :)

Adoption: The Strange Combination of Losses and Gains

It's a strange thing, this adoption process.  People react in various ways when you tell them you are expecting through adoption and it is going to be an open adoption.  These are some of the things that we have experienced so far.  I suppose there will be others, but we are just starting out.

Some people are excited and ask what you need and where are you registered for gifts right away.  Others are leery of the whole thing and have more questions for you than support at first.  Some even have asked what's wrong that you can't have kids.  Is it you or him?  While these are not always the most wonderful conversations, they happen too.

I suppose since adoption has long been a "secret" thing where women were shamed when they became pregnant before they were married and whisked away to a expecting mothers home or some such secret location, it really shouldn't be a shock that there are a lot of questions that follow such an announcement.

I do know that in the end, open adoption is really about a strange combination of loss and gain for each member of the adoption triad.  (For those not acquainted with such language, that means the child, the birth family, and the adoptive family.)   :)

The child loses the birth family, but gains an adoptive family.

The birth family loses the child, but gains a better situation for that child than they feel able to provide at the time of birth.

The adoptive family loses the chance to have a biological child or "a mini me", but gains the chance to have a family of their own.

Open adoption is one way that has been created to help each member of this triad handle these losses.   There will be some form of contact between the child and the birth family.  What that looks like depends on what the adults  are most comfortable doing.  At the very least, yearly supervised visits at the Bethany Offices will happen.  It usually includes pictures and possibly other meetings or birthday parties.  We don't know all the details yet, but are willing to do what is best for the child.

As a teacher, I have always tried to do what is best for the children in my class.  As a parent, I realize that the child will be the center of my universe and needs to be given the chance to know where they came from.  The whole story and all the participants in that story.  If that means sending pictures, I will do that.  If that means meetings in the park, I will do that too.  The bottom line is the child is the most important part of the story and needs to be taken care of physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.

There is a vast amount of research that shows it is a positive thing for the child's well-being to know the birth family.  In the past, children of adoption sometimes were not told anything about their story.  Only when they turned 18 were documents and information shared.  Now I don't know about you, but my emotional intelligence at age 18 may have been a little suspect.  :)  If you didn't know you were adopted and suddenly found out you had a whole other family you knew nothing about, what would you do?  That is another reason openness in adoption is good to have when possible.  Before you get upset with me, I do realize that there are many situations that lead to the adoption of a child.  I know that for a wide variety of reasons openness is not always the best for the safety and well-being of the child and the adoptive family for that matter.  However in our situation, openness is essential.


 

Lifesong for Orphans

 

          As most of you know, we are excited to be adopting an infant from the United States.  We have been officially approved as a “Waiting Family” as of April 2014.  We are excited to grow our family in this way!  Just to explain our journey in a little bit more detail, this is how the process works through Bethany Christian Services.  Although they are a national ministry, the office in Rapid City works with expectant mothers in western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming.  Bethany works in two separate ways; by ministering to expectant parents and their needs and by ministering to families like ours who are unable to have biological children.  When the birthparents come to the conclusion that they are going to be unable to parent their child, they are shown profile books of families waiting to adopt.  When the birthparents select a waiting family as a possible match, they will meet to make sure everyone is comfortable.  This is an important step since research has shown that it is in the best interest of the child to have contact with the birthparents if at all possible. At the very least, the child needs to be told about the adoption as a part of their life story and not a secret to be ashamed of which unfortunately how adoption used to be treated. 

            We know that the complete process, from jumping in the waiting pool to finalizing the adoption, takes on average about 18 months and ends up costing about $20,000.  Since we don’t have all of that money in savings at the current moment, we are continuing to trust in the plan that God has continued to show us throughout this adoption process.  We were able to pay the initial $8000, and continue to be amazed and humbled by some things that have “just happened” to bless us including a promotion for Ryan, a newer car with low miles  for Julie, and a very successful rummage sale.  We know that God has already laid out all of the details and will continue to provide, but sometimes it is hard to trust in the middle of the need since our next big hurdle is raising the remaining funds. 

            We are humbly asking for your help in a couple of different ways.  Please prayerfully consider coming alongside us in one of the following ways.

·         Pray for us as we wait and trust, for the birthparents as they make difficult decisions, and for our child who is already greatly loved.

·         Consider investing in us financially. You can make a tax-deductible donation to help cover the remaining $12,000 adoption expenses.  Our goal date is August 27, but funds will be accepted towards our adoption until our child is in our home and/or our adoption is complete.  You can give either by check or online.

To Give by Check:       Please make checks payable to Lifesong for Orphans. 

In the memo please note your gift preference with 4607 Dunham         

        

        Please mail checks to:             Lifesong for Orphans

                                                            PO Box 40

                                                         Gridley, IL 61744

    

    Lifesong has been blessed with a partner that underwrites all US administrative and fund-raising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to our adoption!

To Give Online:         1. Go to www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate

                                   2. Select Give to an Adoptive Family

                                   3. Complete online form and fill in Family Account Number (4607) &

                                                Family Name Fields (Dunham)

          

      *Please note that PayPal will charge an administrative fee (2.9% + $.30 USD per transaction).

                    Your donation will be decreased by the amount of this fee.

      In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit organization. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use. Individual donations of $250 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $250 will gladly be sent upon request. Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization.

       

           Thank you for investing in us and the Kingdom through prayer and finances—it will be an investment with an eternal return! Please continue to pray that this entire process will glorify God and fulfill His purposes.

                                                                     

 

Waiting in the Pool,

Ryan, Julie, and Max

                       

And now we wait...

Well, we have officially been approved to adopt as of April 20, 2014.  That is the good news!  The tricky part of that statement comes when you add in the factor that now we are in the "waiting pool" to be chosen by the birth mom.  I know that is a good thing, but it also means that we have only been officially waiting to be chosen for almost 3 months now.  Only 3 months???  That's it???!!!

I read somewhere that to the adoptive family, the time spent waiting is so much longer that the official time according to the calendar.  We have been waiting for most of our married lives it seems.  To narrow it down in the actual dates somehow seems to minimize the time when the longing has been there for so much longer than that small period of time on the calendar.  It's tricky to understand all the components of "the wait".

On one hand, you can't plan exactly when you will be a parent.  When things occur through natural processes, there is a pretty specific 9 month window of waiting in most cases.  You see the baby on the ultrasound and the doctor lets you know when to expect certain things.  There are even books that lay out "the wait" and what to expect when.  I've looked and have yet to find one that explains "the wait" when you are adopting.  According to Bethany Christian Services, the wait can last up to 18 months.  Now, I'm not a math person, literacy is my thing, but I'm pretty sure that is twice as long.  :)  However, it could also be tomorrow!  That really throws planners like me for a loop.

I have always liked to have things pretty planned out and most of my life revolves around a school year time line.  I suppose that is because I have been in school since I was 5.  That is  pretty substantial portion of my life!  I'd figure out the actual number, but then there is that whole math thing again.

I suppose that is the whole point of waiting ~ to get me to rely on Someone else's timeline.  He knows the best plan anyway.  It's just hard to just sit and wait.  I like to do things.  I also like to finish things.  It's a weird sort of limbo I guess.  Our new normal anyway, for now at least.
 

Online Profile! :)

We have been put on the Bethany website as of earlier today!  :)  

Here is a link to us...

Ryan and Julie

So far, so good...   :)

Profile Album Finished!

I have been working hard on this album that shows our life story as a couple.  It was fun to do, but now we just keep waiting.  Our home study is almost finished. It is a 14 page document about everything!  It's overwhelming to see your life condensed into one document.  Anyway, one more step done.  Now we just keep waiting.  :)

Profile album



What do you think?

And Baby Makes 3

I'm thinking that the subject title possibly got your attention...    Although this is technically a Christmas letter that seems to have gotten lost in the mail for a few months, I thought I'd better send it now before it is next Christmas!  Like the man at the post office said when I bought stamps and sent off my fingerprints to the FBI, "I don't judge. I just sell stamps."  But I'm getting ahead of myself. 

After almost 16 years of marriage, years of longing, several struggles physically, emotionally, financially, prayer, fingerprints sent to the state and FBI, filling out what seems to have been an entire ream of paper work, we are in the final home study interviews with Bethany Christian Services to adopt an infant domestically!  :)  Although it has been a long time coming, we feel that God has led us here on purpose and His timing is always the best even if it really doesn't seem like it along the way.  

We are trusting that our baby is out there - possibly not even born yet - waiting for us too. That is a crazy thought!  Although we are so close and have been anticipating this moment for so long, everything seems to be happening quickly all of a sudden.  It's kinda weird.  Possibly the new normal?  There is a crib that Ryan got on clearance at ShopKo - one of the perks of having a job at a retail store - that is now sitting in the box in the dining room waiting to be put together when the nursery is painted.  There is also a Pack and Play waiting to be used (also on clearance).  Fabric purchased for a baby blanket that is waiting to be sewn together.  A tub of frog decor that is waiting to go in the nursery courtesy of Julie's former classroom and student gifts.  And paint waiting to get put on the walls that will make the room look lovely.  There is a lot of waiting going on!!!  And praying, and wondering, and more waiting. 

But then there is the craziness of life that happens.  School is in the middle of the year and this seems to be when teachers and kids get a little out of sorts and grumpy.  My cute little 1999 VW Beetle that I have loved forever now has 120,000 miles on it and seems to need to go to the shop on a monthly basis for something.  Ryan may be getting a promotion to salary and an assistant store manager position in Sturgis (20 miles away). And Max can't figure out how to navigate the mess as we are painting and fixing cracks and remodeling from the ground shifting under our house causing me to see cloud through the roof.  Literally.  It was a little weird that morning.  It's okay now, but there has been a lot of stress.  All of that to say, we are still here!  :)  Just trying to keep going. One of the final upcoming things is our home study interview IN OUR HOME!!!  YIKES!!!  Although it looks much better now than it did a few months ago!  

I hope that all is well with you and your families.  We enjoyed getting cards letters and emails from all of you.  Thank you.  I did find it interesting that the older generation was the one that chose email.  Who would have figured that one?  We would ask you to keep us in prayer as we continue on this journey.  Also if you know of a young lady who needs to give her baby up for adoption from your church, friend of a friend, friend's grandchild, etc, please let us know.  If we are able to find a birthmother on our own, we would not have to pay part of the adoption fee which is large.  However, we know that God didn't bring us this far to let us fail. Hopefully, we will be able to send a similar message soon that has a picture of our little family and the subject of this email will be true.  Max could argue that it should say "and baby makes 4" but he isn't usually that articulate.  

Ryan, Julie, Max, and the baby

PS> If you happen to win the lottery or the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, keep us in mind!  

PPS>  If I forgot anyone, please send this on to them. Thank you

Before...

More floor cracks

  

The "Skylight" 

Corner by the desk

crack in the floor

During...

The wall we built

  

Cracks in the concrete slab

Patching cracks in the dining room

The wall closer to done

Living in the dining room for a bit

  

Our new wall painted and done

The fish tank in the kitchen for a little bit 

      

After...   

The rest of Julie's little room

The fish tank's real home

Living room now

Desk corner from before

 

The New, Beautiful front door

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

It's a strange title.  I know.  There was talk at church this fall of not having a Christmas program because there wasn't anyone to be in charge.  That really bothered me.  So of my favorite memories of Christmas involve being in the program at church.  It may have had something to do with the fact my parents were usually the ones in charge.  I was a duck, a donkey, and some other things I can't quite remember anymore.  I knew that it was coming very quickly and I didn't want there not to be a program, so I volunteered to be in charge along with my friend Lisa.  We have worked together before on VBS and worship team and we think a lot alike.  She had done the Christmas program before and knew "the ropes" to show this newbie.  Although I've been the Vacation Bible School Director at church, a Sunday School teacher, a church pianist, a VBS worker, and several other things, I had never tackled the Christmas Program.  We decided that we would combine 2 different programs.  One that catered to the older kids (grades 1-5) that she would be in charge of and the other would feature the smaller kids (ages 2-5) that I would be in charge of.  There were a total of 40 kids or so pretty evenly distributed.  It seemed like a great plan.  

 We met in November to pick our programs. Lisa chose Sing a Song of Christmas which had parts for the older kids and classic carols for most of the songs.  I found a great little program called Mary had a Little Lamb - That's my story and I'm sticking to it!  The main character, Rachel the shepherd, was in Bethlehem that night and she insists throughout the program that Mary had a lamb that night.  Even though the rest of the cast tries to tell her it was a baby, she insists that it was The Lamb and she wouldn't take no for an answer.  There were little well known songs that used Christmas words to tell the story.  For example, "Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb.  Mary had a little lamb, born in Bethlehem." Another of their favorites was "The hay in the stable goes crunch, crunch, crunch... All through the night.  The cow in the stable goes moo, moo, moo..." 

I know from my experience teaching kids that if you take something, like a well known melody, and put new words with it, they learn it pretty quick. Actually, that also goes back to my theory on teaching in general, but that is a story for another day. We began learning our songs and were excited about the costumes.  Especially about the costumes.  Who doesn't like to dress up?  They got to choose who they wanted to be and it went pretty good.  Except for one little 3 year old.  She was bound and determined to be a unicorn.    Now, I'm pretty sure that there was not a unicorn in the Christmas story.  :)  She however had a different viewpoint.  It's a little tricky to reason with a 3 year old!  Especially when there are a lot of tears and crying involved.  The rest of us colored pictures that matched our characters and made a bulletin board.  It was pretty cool looking.

During the next week's practice, my little unicorn still hadn't given up on her choice of character.  I did find our after talking with her mom that the plastic sheep in her grandma's nativity had been chewed on by the dog and therefore had a little piece sticking up that resembled a horn and that was her unicorn.  It was in the Christmas story after all!  Well, her version of the story anyway.  I finally told her as we were practicing that if she wanted to have a costume for the program she could choose a sheep, an angel, or else she wouldn't have a costume.  I also told her that she could tell me later what her decision was.  After we went to find all the costumes, she chose to be a sheep.  It turned out pretty cute.  

Overall, the program was a success!  I got to add Rachel the shepherd to my list of Christmas program roles.  That was a new one for me.  The little kids in costume are always good for a surprise or two.  Lots of pictures were taken and ooohs and aaaahhs shared by the crowd.  The unicorn/lamb even decided to go on stage before the rest of us, but that was okay.  It was a great program and fun was had by all.  After all, as Rachel the shepherd would say, "Mary had a little LAMB!  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!"