Mr. Skunk

It started out like any other errand-running day. Only today I was feeling a little grouchy, wishing I could be somewhere warm and sunny. I rushed through my appointments, errands and grocery shopping, intent on getting myself home before the winter storm kicked in. Little did I know that I was about to meet someone who would change my outlook for the entire day. 

My cart was overloaded with food for my hungry chicklets. I was led to a newly opened checkout lane and was thinking that it must be my lucky day. It was as I was starting to unload my seemingly endless amount of items onto the conveyor belt that he rolled in behind me. I barely noticed him as I continued to unload. Several of my items did not ring up with the sale price, so I asked the clerk to remove them because I didn't want to hold up the other people in line. He spoke from behind me with a chipper voice, announcing "I'm not in a hurry, I have all day." I turned around to see an older man in a motorized cart smiling at me. He was wearing a thick furry hat that looked like it was made from the remains of some local critter. It was the kind of hat that would make you stand out in a crowd. I reminded him that there was a winter storm warning in effect and that the sooner we got home, the better. Then I told him that I liked his hat. "Is that mink?," I asked him.  He just smiled, shook his head and said "You will never guess." Now I have never been a big fan of the guessing game, so i just shrugged my shoulders and gave him the "I give up?" look. He said, "Wellllll......my last name is spelled S-K-U-N-K!"   "NO!" I shrieked. "Yep", he says, "3 skunks, cost me a hundred and thirty dollars for this hat. Had it for over 30 years and it has traveled all over the country with me." By then I was practically giddy with excitement because I knew my kids would get a huge bang out of my story about a guy with a skunk hat. Knowing that having proof would only add more fun to my story, I asked the old man if I could take a picture of his hat. Of course he said yes, with his eyes twinkling. I took the pic and continued with checkout, all the while laughing and visiting with the old man. As I was getting ready to leave, I thanked him for the picture and wished him a safe trip home. I wheeled my heavy cart through the parking lot, oblivious to the wind and snow that was blowing all around me. I had forgotten all about the hum-ho dreaded task of unloading and putting away all of the groceries. Instead, I had a spring in my step, a smile on my face and a childlike giggle inside of me. All because of a sweet old man. A sweet old man with a skunk hat and a great sense of humor. As I drove home through the winter storm I continued to think about the man , smiling to myself and pondering what it was about him that was so special. Was it his smile, the twinkle in his eyes, or the way his face lit up when he told me he was a retired naval officer?  Was it the way he chuckled when he described how his new hat arrived with not even the slightest foul smell, much to his disappointment, as he was looking forward to the reaction of others when he wore the hat?  I decided that there were so many things that I liked about this man; his charisma, his passion for life, his spunk, his laid-back no-hurry attitude, and his ability to completely turn someone's day around for the better.

It wasn't until today that it became crystal clear to me that this was no random encounter. I was out for a walk, trudging through the slushy roads and sidewalks, thinking again about how this weather was really starting to get old. Suddenly the smiling face of the man I met yesterday flashed in my mind. In that instant I realized that God put this man in my checkout lane yesterday to remind me of all the things that I should be more thankful for.  To remind me that there is no need for complaining.  And to remind me that patience and a sense of humor is always appreciated by others. Mr. Skunk, you have no idea of the lasting impression that you made on me. I can only share this story with others, in hopes of inspiring others as you have inspired me.

Ain't he just the cutest?

Your Own

Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting with a few very special people in my life who I don’t get to see often or spend much time with.  As we were visiting, the subject of having children came up.  My friend, who is just starting to think about her biological clock, was asked when she might start having babies.  She very clearly replied that she really has no interest in being pregnant or carrying a child, and that she would much rather adopt.  Immediately following her comment, my other friend started to say “Oh Valerie (I’ve changed the names to protect the privacy of the people involved), you want to have your……..” and she stopped.  Clearly, she was going to say “You want to have your own child.”

At the time, I didn’t respond, but now I wish I would have because I believe positive adoption launguage is an educational process.  I have heard this comment made often, and every time I hear it, it evokes strong feelings.    I know in my heart that people mean well and are not trying to be hurtful, but  it still annoys me every time I hear it.  What concerns me most is not my feelings, but my daughter’s feelings. Even though she and I have discussed this very important topic, I still can’t help but think she would feel sad if she heard someone she knows make that comment.

As an adoptive mother, I know it is my responsibility to help educate people about adoption.  With that being said, I want to make it VERY CLEAR that an adopted child IS YOUR OWN CHILD.  And unless you have adopted a child, or are a close family member of an adopted child, you will never completely understand this.  I know exactly what it feels like to carry, deliver and hold your birth child in your arms.  I also know exactly what if feels like to wait for what feels like an eternity and then finally meet and hold your adopted child in your arms.  Both are huge blessings.  Both are amazing.  And all of them are “my children.”  You don’t love them differently, you don’t care for them differently and you don’t treat them differently.  There is NO difference.  Period.   So family members, friends and acquaintances, on behalf of my family and all families with adopted children, I ask for your support in choosing your words carefully and using positive adoption language when referring to adoption or an adopted child.  :)

A Complaint from the Laundry Queen

As I face the mountains of dirty clothes in my laundry room

I can’t help but feel like it is a thankless, never-ending, never-see-the-bottom kind of job.

Some days, I can’t help but feel like laundry is all I ever do.

I know this is not true, but if our washer and dryer could speak, I am pretty sure it would scream “1-800-OVERUSE and ABUSE!”

Since it is my nature to always try to look at both sides of a situation

I am pondering the group of people who make all this dirty laundry.

And even though the never-ending piles of laundry can some days discourage me

Today I was suddenly struck with a new, powerful thought.

Having piles of laundry made by Dan, Noah, Nicholas, Evan and Megan means that they are here……. at home……with me. 

Not in the hospital, not away at college,  not  too sick to dirty their clothes, and not in Heaven, where there are no need for clothes. 

THEY are here, WITH ME, happily getting dirty.  Now THAT is something to be thankful for!

And because of the intensity of the way this thought process struck me

I am fairly certain that God planted this in my head.  In fact, I know HE did.

So today I am feeling quite lucky to be working on mountains of laundry made by my favorite people in the world.

But tomorrow, it is entirely possible that I may forget.  And I might complain.   If I do, could someone please remind me about the benefits of having dirty laundry?????

Birthday Girls

Here is another one of my favorite girls in the world!

 I was lucky enough to be born on her birthday.

Happy Birthday Mom, I love you!!!

Religious Liberty

This homily sums it all up!

The Birthday Girl

My favorite girl in the world has just turned 5!

She loves sharing her birthday with her dad.

And…..Grandma & Grandpa were home for her birthday this year.

Hey - big brother Evan, whatever you do, don't smile for the camera!  J



“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground.  Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world a better place than when you found it.”

-Wilfred Peterson

This, my friends, is the attitude is takes

To become an adoptive parent.

Don’t think too much about it.

Just follow your heart

And do it.

Your rewards will be many.

Sunshine on Valentine's Day

It is this time of year, and on gray, cold, gloomy days like today that I often ask myself why I live here.  Spring, summer and warm, sunny days seem like an eternity away.  I long to escape somewhere warm with white, sandy beaches and turquoise water.  It is days like today that I have to remind myself why I live here.  And all it takes is to start thinking about my family and friends who live near.  All of you who bring so much sunshine into my day.  It is then that I realize, that even though I long to live somewhere warm,  I can’t imagine living anywhere else -  because then I would be missing out on the wonderful moments with all of you.  So bring on the cold, gloomy days – my heart and life is warm and sunny because I am surrounded by so many people that I am crazy about!  So, thanks for being the sunshine in my life!  Happy Valentines Day!

A Marvelous Muffin Recipe

Best Ever Banana

Blueberry Muffins

1 pt. blueberries, rinsed and dusted with flour

1-2 ripe bananas, chopped

1 c. chopped pecans, optional

1c. whole wheat flour

1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 c. instant oatmeal, optional

Preheat oven to 350  degrees.  Carefully combine all ingredients.  Batter will be thick.  Scoop batter into muffin pan lined with cupcake holders.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

These babies are sooo good, the best muffin recipe I've found.  Love that they have some nutritional ingredients also.  No complaints from my kids, they devour them all quickly!  And your house will smell delicious.........

No Favorites Here!

We are eating breakfast one morning

and I ask Evan to help his sister with the syrup for her pancakes. 

He pours the syrup and says

"There you go Megan, am I your favorite brother in the whole world?" 

Megan hesitates only for a second then says "NO!" 

This can't be good, I'm thinking to myself. 

Evan quickly replies with a "Who is your favorite brother then?" 

I'm trying to figure out which older brother she is going to name,

and nearly fall to the floor in shock when she says

"All my brothers are my favorite!" 

VERY good answer Megan, but not the one I was expecting. 

Wow, she really does love all her brothers and

Wow, they actually do listen to me once in awhile!  :)

Here she is with all of her favorite boys..............

Easily Entertained

This is what they do to entertain themselves

on long road trips!

Our Fourth Christmas Together

It's hard to believe that this was our 4th Christmas with Megan.  Sure, the time is flying by so fast that some weeks I'm not even sure what day it is, but mostly, it feels like she has been a part of our family forever.  And I still vividly recall that magical New Year's Eve day 4 years ago when she flew (literally, on a jumbo jet) home to become a part of our family.  My life was forever changed the moment my eyes locked in on that face of hers.

Now, she's four years old and she thinks she's 14.  She yells at her brothers, runs around the neighborhood playing with her friends and thinks she's smarter than her mom and dad (I'll give her that one!).  She doesn't want to go to bed at night and she doesn't want me to get older because "old people die."  Her favorite foods are candy, chocolate and candy canes! And she can easily put away 20 candy canes at a christmas party. No kidding, she just eats them one right after another!  I think the proof is evident in these holiday photos...................

Notice the red candy cane and the red lips?

That was probably her 14th one. 

Keep in mind, sugar makes her act wild.........

Look what happens when we try to take a nice family photo?

Nice red tongue Megan! 

And check out her leg.  She can't even hold it straight!

That's our sweet little princess alright (buzzed up on sugar)!!!!!

Better luck next year!

I NEED HELP!

Dear Lord…………………..

I need your help today to remember to be more patient and loving with my family.

I need your help today to remain focused on the really important things that need to be accomplished.

I need your help today to remember to invite you into my heart and my life.

I need your help today to become a better Catholic and a better example.

I need your help today to listen and say “yes” to what you ask of me.

I need your help today to forgive and not hold grudges.

I need your help today to become a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, neighbor and friend. 

I need your help today to become a better listener to each of my children.

I need your help today to remember that my ultimate goal should be leading my family to eternal salvation.

DEAR LORD, these things are not easy…………….. I NEED HELP!!!!  And if I don’t listen, please feel free to Knock me over the Head with a 2 x 4!  :)

Double Rainbows

Double Rainbows are

A sense of new beginnings

A reminder that life is precious

A feeling of peace in a turbulent world

A splash of warm colors on a gray misty day

An excuse to run shamelessly in the rain towards the pot of gold

A sense of happiness when the struggles of life can get you down

A feeling of hope for a drowning soul

A reminder of where there is dark, there is light

A sign from God that He is watching over us

And that everything is going to be

Okay

Photograph provided by the very talented Melissa at Melissa Norick Photography

There Is No Perfect Child

So, even though we have fallen head over heels, blissfully in love with our adopted child and she adjusted very quickly to her new home and family – I think it is very important to point out (especially for parents considering adoption) that no child is perfect.   Really folks!   For all of Megan’s  many, many remarkable qualities, she still  does things like any child would do – she throws tantrums, she fights with her brothers,  she tells me she doesn’t like me when she’s mad at me,  she’s stubborn – you get the idea.  No child ever comes home perfect.  No child ever born is perfect.   I just want to be clear because I know sometimes when I talk about Megan,  I tend to put her on a pedestal.  (And I probably glow.)

 Well……..she is the best thing that has ever happened to our family……. and she is our angel, but she is not perfect.........

See, total angel, no attitide what.so.ever.

They Never Cease to Amaze Me

One minute they are fighting like cats and dogs............

And the next, they are two peas in a pod.

My Latest Obsession

I must admit that I do have a few interesting (okay, freakish) obsessions, one of which that I feel compelled to write about.   (Deep Breath – okay, here I go) “I am totally and completely obsessed with spinach.”   C-R-R-A-Z-Y  ain’t it?   I can’t get enough of the green stuff!  Not frozen.  Not canned.  Fresh and organic and in the biggest container I can find.  I would probably buy it by the truckload if I could.  And then with great pleasure I chop it up finely and add it to every possible dish I can think of.  Soups, casseroles, omelets,  tacos,  sloppy joes, even on pizza.   E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.  And it’s because I am totally convinced that spinach is a SUPER food – I think it is just what our bodies need to fight off all of the toxins in our world. 

My son Nicholas thinks my obsession with spinach is totally ridiculous and he likes to debate with me about the benefits of the green stuff.  I tell him spinach is one of the best things he can put in his body.   He tells me he would rather eat leaves from a tree.  Really Nicholas?????  Anyway……I’m as proud as a peacock because my other 3 angels kids now eat it completely complaint free – and no, I’m not even exaggerating!  J  Nicholas, on the other hand, will continue to be a hard sell.  (There always has to be at least one to give me grief!)   No worries though, this girl will not be giving up on the spinach battle any time soon – after all, I’m pretty much obsessed!

She's So Lucky

She’s so lucky, they say

But they have it so wrong.

I am so lucky

We are so lucky

The world is so lucky

To have Her

In it.

She is not the Lucky One

Nor is the One

Who made the ultimate sacrifice

for Her.

We will always be the lucky ones

And no day will ever go by

That we won’t be thankful

For Her.

She has a big sister..............

Who is VERY special to us!

We feel blessed to have these 2 amazing girls in our lives!

Korean Bulgogi

 

Marinade

3 Tbsp chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)

¼ c soy sauce

4 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp fresh ginger

1 Asian pear (I use any type of pear) –peeled, grated

1 Tbsp Japanese rice wine (mirin)

1 Tbsp sesame oil

3 green onions, finely chopped  (including white part)

1 tsp pepper

1 small sweet onion, grated

Meat

2 lbs. beef very thinly sliced

Preparation:

Prepare Bulgogi marinade ingredients.

If beef is not sliced, slice into thin, finger-length strips (if you freeze the beef for 15 minutes, it will be easier to slice).

If you can, ask the butcher at the meat counter to slice for you in very thin strips. Korean and/or Asian grocery stores will often have meat for Bulgogi pre-sliced for sale.

Mix marinade into meat with hands or chopsticks, making sure all the meat is covered.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. For tougher cuts, the more hours, the better. You can also freeze the uncooked marinated beef in small amounts for later use.

Grill, broil, or stir fry the beef until well-done and carmelized on the outside.

Serve with brown rice, lettuce leaves, and fresh cilantro or green onions.