Then and Now

We sure love this puppy!

Pumpkin Seeds

I Like to decorate with pumpkins through Thanksgiving. So, the day after thanksgiving this year we got rid of our pumpkin, but not before we made some roasted pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin seeds are actually quite nutritious. They are rich in amino acids, high in protein and full of zinc. They also have a bit of fiber if eaten with the shell on.
First you clean the seeds out of the pumpkin and rinse them off. Once they are all clean, you can put them on a baking sheet and dry them in the oven at 300* for about 10 minutes.

Once they have been dried, that is when you add the seasoning. What ever seasonings you like, we just happened to use my Mom's recipe, she made them each year when I was little after we carved our pumpkins for Halloween.

1/2 T worchestershire sauce
1/2 T butter (we used olive oil)
1/2 T Garlic Salt

(the original recipe actually calls for garlic salt, seasonal salt, and celery salt, but I think that is a little much, so we just used some garlic salt for some salty flavor)

We also added about 1 Tablespoon of water as well.

I just poured the seasoning mixture on the pans with the dried pumpkin seeds and mixed them there.

Then we baked them for another 45 minutes, I would however say to only do about 35-40 mins, since ours ended up a little more 'burnt' then I would have liked! ha!

Also, this is what Phil thought of having the pumpkin in the house, rather than on the front porch.

Our Thanksgiving

Famillies Supporting Adoption

On our sidebar, there is a button that will lead you to an awesome site!



In their profile, it states, "Families Supporting Adoption is an organization sponsored by LDS Family Services which advocates a positive view of adoption and provides support to birth parents, adoptive families and all friends of adoption."

This site is filled with facts, articles, links to other adoption websites, stories, examples of adoption, tid-bits to help those that are hoping to adopt, a section that is especially dedicated to birth parents, links to the local FSA Chapters in other areas, and so much more.

This site is an awesome resource and we love it because of it's ability to advocate a positive view of adoption.

Go Cougars!

One of the many perks of Cal's job is that we got tickets to the BYU game!

As soon as we got there we were treated to a lunch in the Cougar Club Tent.
They served us plenty of great eats including a chocolate and a caramel fountain.

It was such a chilly day, but it was so fun to get to sit and enjoy the game and the atmosphere at the stadium.

We played Airforce and we won.




We had such a fun Saturday afternoon enjoying the chilly fall air, the delicious food, the awesome seats we had, and of course the win!

It's about Love

When we started telling people, and even now when we tell people that we are hoping to adopt, they have questions.

They wonder how it works, when will we get a baby, how will we get a baby, what is the process like, what about open adoption, what agency are we working with, will the baby come from Utah, etc.

When we started this process we had the same questions. We wondered the exact same things that we get asked now.

We love to talk about adoption, and we love to answer any questions too.

On the It's about Love website, there is a really neat section that explains things beautifully. This section of the website is kind of geared toward Birth Mothers and Birth Families.

I especially love the section on the Positive language of Adoption.

There are very common misconceptions about adoption, and this section helps dispell some of the myths, and explains how adoptions usually happen now.

I love that there are places like this available, and that they are so accessible and that they are so informative.

There are so many other sections on this website that answer many questions. It is so neat to just look around.

One of the things that we have learned throughout this process is that there is so much to learn, and there is always a place to find an answer.

Phil Loves Basketball

Most days of the week Cal plays baskball in the mornings, but on Thursday Nights he plays basketball in the evening.

He loves it.

He was headed out the door today and left his basketball behind.

Phil waited patiently by the door to see if he was going to come back and get it.

The second he realized that Cal wasn't coming back for a while, that basketball was all his!



I don't think Cal is going to be getting it back anytime soon!

'Little Jack'

We were just reminiscing about 'little Jack'. We came across these pictures and had a fun conversation about Jack's first words and how he said them with that darling inflection in his voice. We talked about how little he is in these pictures, and how big he is now.

We sure miss this guy.
And his little brother.
And his Mom.
And his Dad.

Patiently

This summer while attending an Adoption Conference, we heard mention of an Adoption CD entitled Chosen, it is filled with 'songs of hope' that are 'inspired by Adoption'. We bought it as we left the conference and I have listened to it almost every day since.

One of my favorite songs on this CD is entitled Patiently. I love the words and the music is so beautiful.

Sometimes it is hard to stop wondering, and thinking, and wishing.

Sometimes, it is hard to be patient.

But you know what?

Heavenly Father has a plan. And all we can do is trust in the timing of his plan.

And be patient.

Patiently
Words and Music by Tyler Castleton and Staci Peters

Pacing in the cell of my expectations
I wring my hands and count the sands of time.
So many things I thought would be
Haven't found their way to me
Still I believe
One day I'll see

All that's been promised
All Heaven offers
Everything I could ever need
If not today
Then surely tomorrow
If I can keep the faith
If only I can wait
Patiently

Step by step I'm climbing up this mountain
Some days I fight just to hold my ground.
Two steps forward, one step back
I can't lose time, and I can't lose track
Of the perfect plan
Of Who I am

All that's been promised
All Heaven offers
Everything I could ever need
If not today then surely tomorrow
If I can keep the faith
If only I can wait

For things to run their course
The timing is the Lord's and only
He knows what's in store
And all that's been promised
All heaven offers
Everything I could ever need
If not today then surely tomorrow
If I can keep the faith,
If only I can wait

For all that's been promised
All Heaven offers
Everything I could ever need.

National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month.

We have strong testimonies of adoption and want to share a few adoption-esque thoughts, quotes, songs, info, etc. throughout the month.

We love adoption.

One of the best ways that Cal and I like to describe how adoption makes us feel is peaceful.

After months and months of feeling helpless, I remember the extreme peace that came over us when we made our decision to adopt.

Peace. Pure and simple, peace.

Although our little family is still Cal and I, and we have not been part of an adoption story yet, we still have such a love for this process, and will be sharing our love for adoption throughout this month.

Simply Beautiful

Saturday brought such lovely weather and beautiful colors.

So we packed up a lunch and headed over to the picnic tables at Bridal Veil Falls.



It was Simply Beautiful.

10 years ago today...

I remember what I said to you when I asked you.

I remember how you answered me, and waited behind the bushes in my front yard to see my response, and then how you asked me if I was going to invite you in, or not, to have a peanut butter and jam sandwich.

I remember how when I got to your house to pick you up, you were just wearing a tank top, waiting to put on your shirt that matched mine.

I remember how you smelled that night, because it was the same cologne that I kept for you while you were in Honduras. I would sneak a smell every once in a while, just to reminisce.

I remember how you grabbed the handle of the car when I almost wrecked us because just a couple weekends earlier, you had gotten in a little fender bender.

I remember how you opened my door for me, every time.

I remember that smile...and those eyes.

I remember how you danced. Oh, how you dance.

I remember your sincereness and how I knew my feelings for you before this date even happened.

I remember how I felt safe and secure and so trusing the whole night I was with you.

I remember how I wanted so bad for you to give me a kiss that night, but you were such a gentleman and left me with the sweetest hug in the world.

And with that hug, I knew.

I just knew.

Help Me W.A.N.D.A.

Help! Help! Me W.A.N.D.A.!

Our phones have a GPS system. It really is such a neat feature and we actually use it. A lot.

W.A.N.D.A. as 'she' is called has helped us reach many destinations. All we have to do is type in the location, either the address or the name, and she finds it for us, and then tells us step by step how to get there.

She is the kind of 'gal' that interrupts the conversation, and in her all knowing voice announces to, "proceed .5 miles and turn left", or "You are now off track" and then immediately announces that you need to "Make a 'U' turn", and as soon as your 'U' turn has been completed, she happily announces that 'you are now on track'.

'She' knows where everything is.

In fact, the very first time we used W.A.N.D.A., she really saved us. We were up in SLC for the day, watching Jack while Aly was really sick and in the hospital. Cal, Jack and I all got in the car and were headed to McDonalds, Jack's choice. He wanted a McDonalds that had a play place. Easy enough we thought, they are all over the place, and don't all of them have a play place?

Nope. Not all of them.

Ol' W.A.N.D.A. took us to at least three McDonald's that did not have a play place. Three. I was so happy that she knew where more than three were. This is when she got her name. Cal named her. We decided that since she had such a big role in that day, and especially that outing, that she needed a name.

Her name? Well, Cal says he was acting like a politician and inventing the acronym first, then searching for words that fit with it, when he came up with this...

Worldwide And National Directional Assistant.

The other night, we were headed off to watch T.J.'s football game. After stopping for hot coco and a snack, we were on our way. I let W.A.N.D.A. know where we were going and as soon as she got the info, she was letting us know to 'veer left to enter the freeway'.

We exited just as she instructed and headed down a long, dark, cold and scary road. Just as I was starting to question W.A.N.D.A.'s instructions, Cal said, "Do you think that W.A.N.D.A. is going to take us out to an empty field and hurt us?" Ha!

We both agreed that even if that is where she was leading us, we would probably follow her every direction to get us out to that empty field!

She ended up taking us straight to the game, no pit stops, and no scary, dark, empty fields. I am so glad that she got us there, becuase you know what?

We were there to see T.J. make the very last tackle of the game. All. By. himself.

And

Because this is what Cal looked like as we watched that game.


Thank you W.A.N.D.A.!
Thank, Thank you W.A.N.D.A!

Whisked Away

For Me, it all started on a Friday Morning.

Cal told me that he might be coming home late that evening from work. He knew that he had some work coming in to the office that might keep him, and warned me that if he had a new batch of information coming in that he might be late. I was thoroughly disapponted and was preparing for an evening while Cal was at work.

Mid way through the day, I got a text, it was my Handsome letting me know that he did in fact get his information, and would in fact be working late. I was even more disappointed.

Right then and there I gave myself a little pep-talk. When Cal got his job, we knew that during his busy season, he would have some later working nights. Nights where he might not be home for a couple hours after his regular arrival, so, I was just telling myself that it was just the beginning of the busy season and that there would be a couple more nights like this before the years end.

During my pep-talk, I realized another thing...It had been a rushed morning, and I totally forgot to pack Cal a lunch. I shot back a text about how sorry I was that I forgot to get him a lunch that morning and now he was going to be there for dinner. I had planned that I would get dinner after work and make a visit to his office so that he could at least have a nice dinner, and then get back to work.

No sooner than I pressed send on my phone did I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and there was my Handsome. Standing in my cubicle telling me to get my things and we would be on our way.

What?

I was thinking that maybe he decided to just come drop by because he knew that I would be disappointed and sad. I was thinking maybe he just decided to come see me and we could go to lunch and then head back to work.

I finished a few things on my work list for the day and we were off. We got in the car, leaving our other car at my office and headed out for a day of shopping. After visiting several stores, we were hungry and ended up at my favorite, Costa Vida. After I thoroughly enjoyed my fish tacos, and Cal his pork burrito, we were trying to decide where to head to next.

Cal opted to go back to my office to get our other car. As soon as we got there and I got in our other car, I got another text from Cal, it said, "check your calendar".

Our calendars on our phones sync together. Each time Cal enters something, it adds it to my calendar and visa versa. I opened my calendar and it said at 4:00 Check into the Inn at Snowbird. At this point I was following behind My Handsome, I called him on the phone and while talking, he was looking through his rear view mirror, telling me that we were heading to Snowbird to stay the night.

Cal had plans for Phil to be taken care of by my sisters, so we headed home to pack an overnight bag, say bye to the pup, and we were heading up Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Our ride up was beautiful! It started raining the second we got in the canyon, which so happened to be turning all shades of reds, oranges and yellows! It was absolutely perfect.



As soon as we reached The Inn, we headed up to our room to be able to see the view of the thunderstorm better. This was the thunderstorm of all thunderstorms!

Our room had a balcony and there we sat, watching the bright light of the lightening and at almost the exact same second the lightening hit, listening to the claps of the thunder. It was amazing! It was so beautiful, the smells of autumn, the fresh rain, the colors, everything, it was absolutely lovely.


Seriously though, is this not the most beautiful view ever? Our room was right on the edge of the mountain and it was gorgeous!

After the rain slowed down a bit and the sun started to peak out, there was a beautiful rainbow making it's way across the mountain!


Our night consisted of a fancy dinner out, a surprise around every corner, something tucked here, and wrapped up and placed there, relaxing on the balcony watching the stars, snuggled up in a blanket, and drinking hot coco and cider.

While nestled up to Cal's neck, watching shooting stars, listening to a little Jack Johnson, sipping my hot coco, I was thinking that it was perfect. What a perfect day. Then Cal said, "Don't you feel like you are in some type of utopia?" Yes, I do Handsome! Yes. I. do!

Our next morning was full of even more surprises. A fancy breakfast out on a patio, and a lift ride up to the top of Snowbird.





I came to find out that it all started for Cal about a month before when he started to plan how he was going to whisk me away.

It was such a beautiful weekend. One that I loved every second of, one that I will always look back on with such great memories of how Cal planned, kept secret, and then took me into the mountains so that we could just enjoy each other and get away from the world. It was like we were in our own Utopia.

And it was, our own Utopia.

Tug-of-War

Sometimes things get crazy around here!

Especially when Phil wants to play tug-of-war with a toy that he just won't quite let go of!

Work Party List

Today My Grandma turned 81 years old.

It was also her 61st Wedding Anniversary.

Her Birthday wish was a little list.
Written on her 'Work Party List' were things like:

Move the vanity down stairs.
Fix the bolt on the chest
Edge the lawn
Pick the apples on the tree
Hang up Grandpa's Hats

You know, little things that she wanted done.

We all took the opportunity to finish her 'Work Party List' for her Birthday Wish.





After the list was completed and our BBQ was devoured, we gathered around our Grandma and sang her a Happy Birthday Song, complete with harmony!


She blew out the candles on her homemade chocolate cake, and we all enjoyed it with homemade vanilla ice cream.



Happy 81st Birthday Grandma!

Saturday Photos and Feelings

Letting Love Lead

A few weekends ago, Cal and I had the opportunity to attend the 2009 Families Supporting Adoption National Conference, entitled 'Letting Love Lead'.

It was such a neat experience that I told Cal that it would take me a couple of days to wrap my head around everything that I heard and learned.

When Cal and I started down the road of Infertility, we did a lot of research. We wanted to know everything we could know about what we were involved with. We spent many hours trying to learn everything we could, we researched with books, asked lots and lots of questions to our doctors, and researched online. We wanted to know the most up to date medical information and medications and learn all we could about what we might be going through.

We feel the same way about Adoption. As soon as we started down this road, we started researching. We want to know all we can and have our minds and our hearts opened. We talk with people, ask questions, visit websites, learn about adoption laws, go to conferences, attended required 'training classes', and pray, a lot.

While attending this conference I was moments away from tears most of the first day.

I once heard it said that you 'gain a testimony of adoption', and Cal and I both agree that through this continual learning process we have done just that, and will continue to do so.

There were numerous classes that we got to choose from and attend. The topics ranged from 'Adoptive Parenting' to 'Adoption Advocacy: Sharing your Passion for Adoption' to 'Coping with a failed placement', and there were even some birth parent panels.

With so many different situations and obstacles that can happen with adoption, we feel that it is so important for us to stay informed, and attending these conferences is such a great way to do just that.

Most of what I learned at the conference are things that I want to keep nestled in my head and heart, and conversations and thoughts that are much too special to me to share with anyone but Cal. I do, however, feel that it is super important for me to share one thing that I really, really loved from the conference, and that Cal and I feel is so important for others to understand about our journey in adopting.

One of my favorite quotes was from the Keynote speaker, Troy Dunn, he said, "It is through sacrifice that we bring joy into each others lives."

Although Cal and I have not been chosen by a birth mom yet, we pray for 'Our Birth Mom' every single day. We pray that she knows that we love her. We know that it is through her sacrifice that we will have the joy of a child.

It is by her letting her heart and love lead her to the decision to place her child, that will bring us the joy of having a child, and let us give that child the opportunity to be with a forever family.

It is because of her.

And for that, we will be forever grateful.

There were moments in the conference that I will always remember.
It was such a neat experience learning new and interesting things about adoption, something that we have become very passionate about.

I love having the feeling of gratitude that I get when I think of how our babies are going to come to us. They will be brought into our lives from another Mother. One who is sacrificing part of her heart and is giving us part of her. One who is going to unselfishly make the decision of sacrifice to bring us joy.

What an amazing gift.

We will always remember this, and be grateful for the sacrifice that is going to be made for us.

Today

On what would be your 49th Birthday.

We want you to know that we love you, and we miss you. So much.

Shotgun

I love when this pup gets to ride shotgun.


He does not like to hang his head out the window and let his ears blow in the wind.

Nope!

He just likes to sit back and enjoy the ride right there in his seat!

Our conversation over dinner...

Tonight, while I enjoyed my halibut and Cal enjoyed his burger, our dinner conversation went a little something like this...

Cal said, "I miss our nephews!"

I said, "Me too!"

Now, seriously, are these not the most darling little faces, hands, and smiles you have ever seen?

We are missing these little guys so much!

Here

The other night as Cal and I left the Provo Temple, I was feeling completely overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed with Gratitude.

As Cal and I walked hand in hand to the car and stopped to snap a couple photos, I was so grateful for being 'here' in my life, with him.

For a while I have been thinking about being 'here', 'here' at this point of our lives. I have been thinking of the past, how it got us to where we are now...'here'.

A couple nights before we went to the temple, I heard a song. A song that in certain places really had me almost in tears. I stopped what I was doing, and just listened. It was late at night, and I wrote down the name of the song and who was singing it so that I could look it up the next day.

It was entitled Here by Rascal Flatts.

The words in this song seem so profound to me.

And I wouldn't change a thing
I'd walk right back through the rain
Back to every broken heart
On the day that it was breakin'
And I'd relive all the years
And be thankful for the tears
I've cried with every stumbled step
That led to you and got me here, right here

It's amazing what I let my heart go through
To get me where it got me
In this moment here with you
And it passed me by
God knows how many times
I was so caught up in holding
What I never thought I'd find
I know now, there's a million roads
I had to take
To get me in your arms that way

Maybe it is my many thoughts about being at this point in our lives.

The point where we feel our family of two is finally moving in the right direction to becoming a family of three.

Maybe it is the fact that I am so, so grateful for where we are.

Maybe it is thinking of how we got 'here', to where we are.

Maybe it was leaving the temple, hand in hand with my Handsome.

But I was reminded again how exciting it is to me, and how much I love being here in my life, with my Handsome.

I love thinking of our future and what it might hold. What kind of special little spirits will come into our lives, and who will bring them there. I love wondering what they will look like, how they will act, thinking of the time that we will get to be parents. I love thinking that although our family might not be biological, it will be eternal.

But you know what? You know why I love it 'here'?

I love it because I am with Cal. I am doing it all with him. He shares my exact same thoughts, and feelings.

But most of all, I love being him and me. I love our life. I also love all the things that happened to get us 'here'. Because without those things, without all the things that have happened, we would not be 'here'. We would not understand the importance of the temple, and of loving each other with everything that we are.

Like the song said, 'I wouldn't change a thing'.

Because it got us 'here'.

And I love 'here'.

26 on the 26th

Happy 26th Birthday Handsome!
I love you with everything that I am.

Not Enough

Apparently, one bone at a time is not enough.


Phil rarely chooses only one bone from his toy baskets!

Silly Puppy!

We're...

(If you haven't seen the skit from SNL that the picture above is from, then sorry--both because it doesn't make much sense to you, and because you've missed a hilarious bit.)

The good news is that we've been approved by LDSFS. This means that we can be chosen by a birth mom. We are so excited to be done with all the paperwork and red tape. We don't know how long it will take for us to finally be chosen, but we are totally pumped that at least it's a possibility now.

You can check out our online profile here.

Instead of just a "waiting game", we are going to be as proactive as possible. One of the best ways to do this is to get the word out.

So, we want everyone we know, to tell everyone they know, that we're adopting.

We added a new button to our sidebar that is directly linked to our Adoption Profile.

We have felt so blessed as we have moved through this process and we know that we are on the right path for us to be able to grow our little family.