Check yes or no

Do you remember when you were in Jr. High and notes would be passed around the classroom that read something like this: "will you go with me ,yes or no, circle one"? And everyone in the room knew who the kids were that would participate in the passing of the note and who would not. I (sorry, mom) was a passer, and in many cases, the person for whom said note was intended. Funny thing is, there was always a name on the outside of the piece of paper so we would know who it went to, but the person who wrote it didn't put THEIR name on it because if it got taken up, they didn't want to be the one getting in trouble. I think there were times when I actually walked out of classrooms wondering who I said 'yes' to.

Ahhh.....true love.

Anyway, what sent me down this memory lane was a text that Aaron received this Sunday in church. He was sitting beside me and pulled out his phone because it had vibrated. The text read "Please tell me who you like, please, please. I promise I won't tell anyone." He showed me the text and I didn't recognize the number at the top so I asked him who it was. He told me the girls name, and then POINTED TO WHERE SHE WAS SITTING IN THE CHURCH BUILDING. OK, so we passed notes in church sometimes as kids, and I guess this is the modern-day note passing, but still, I was shocked. And even though I was upset that he had even given this girl his number, much less getting texts from her during church, I had to smile a little bit because of the fact that she said that she wouldn't tell anyone if he would just tell her, but there she sat, amongst several of her little girlfriends, passing her phone around and giggling about what she wrote, right in front of Aaron.

Oh, to be 10 again.

After church, I made him text the girl back in a text that went something like 'my mom won't let me text you anymore so please delete my number'. I know. I'm so mean. But from what I understand, it's my job as a mother, and I intend on doing it well.

If this is 35, I feel bad for 40 year olds

Of all of the birthday's I've had in my 35 years of being here, there are 2 that really stand out. And it's not exactly in a good way. Oh, I remember having some fun birthday's. There were several at the Rolling Thunder skating rink where I was the coolest kid at Hubbard school because I got to ride in the big skate and be pushed around the rink. And there was the boy/girl party my mom regretted letting me have in 6th grade because of an unfortunate incident with a few boys and some raw eggs. I couldn't help that. My mom had 3 boys of her own, she should've known things like that would happen.

My 16th birthday was a bad day. Really bad. March 22, 1992. We were on spring break and we had gone on a ski trip with our church. I'm not going to go into it all, but I will say that that was the day that I realized why some cliffs are marked with a sign that has a big X on it. And why you should NEVER move the sign out of the way so that you can get some air coming off that cliff. Oh, I got air. But when I came to, I was hyperventilating, so technically I guess you would say I lost air. Anyway, Craig had to stay with me at ski patrol because my dad was no where to be found on the mountain and my mom was not even ON the mountain. I remember lying (ok, I say laying, but I know lying is correct. Or I think it is) on my back with my hands up in the air like I was still holding my ski poles. My fingers wouldn't move. I don't remember all the details, but I remember it not being good. And it was the first time I actually wondered if I had died and this is what death was like.

Fast-forward 19 years to today. March 22, 2011. Also not a good day. Although I didn't think I was dying, so I guess not as bad as 1992, but it's fresh on my mind, so it FEELS worse. So I passed my stone Sunday, but I haven't felt good at all since, and I'm really hurting today. Passing another? I don't know. What I do know is that I spent 3 hours this afternoon at the doctor's office. After peeing in a cup, having blood drawn, and getting yet, another x-ray, I found out that they really can't find anything. Umm.. HELLO!! Keep looking because I know something's not right! She came in after she got my blood results and asked if I ate out much. I was like, "are you really going to judge me at a time like this?!" Ok, I didn't say it, but I sure thought it loud enough. Anyway, she went on to say that my liver function is just a little elevated, which could be the beginning of Hepatitis A. And what was my first question? "DO YOU DIE FROM THAT!?" Apparently you don't. And she doesn't even think that's what it is. It's just a possibility. And I guess people that eat out a lot are more at risk of catching it. So is this my sign to cook at home more?

Anyway. After losing it as politely as possible to the receptionist about people that came in after me getting called before me (oh yes, I was THAT woman today), and having a crying meltdown because of pain while waiting on my blood tests, and being asked for the 10th time in the past week if there is any chance I might be pregnant, I now sit at home tonight, alone, wishing I felt good enough to be at the movies with my husband and boys. But I don't. So I think I'll take a narcotic and go to bed. Hoping tomorrow will be a better day.

Alaina

Alaina is here! Or, at least some of her is here. She doesn't measure as big as she measured on the CT scan, so I'm afraid there may be more to come. But this is probably most of her. The dress I made her was too big because I made it based on how big she FELT, not how big she measured. And she FELT like she was a good 10-pounder. I was sure the doctor was mistaken, but apparently he knew what he was talking about. Austin is proud of his new sister. He said she looks just like a deer track.

And I think he's right. She really does. :)

Four-wheelin

And this is what we did Saturday afternoon. Riding 4-wheelers at Caswell's along with my brother, Craig, and my nephew, Kaleb, was so much fun! Caswell's is a place you can take your ATV's and just ride to your hearts content. It is one of Aaron's favorite things to do, and I'm so glad that it's something that we can do together that we all enjoy.

Austin and Robbie



Austin on a sandy beach

Aaron enjoying the water

Robbie and I

Kaleb and Robbie

Aaron

I came to realize that Craig enjoys getting himself into situations that are not easy to get out of, but it made the day a lot more fun!

Kaleb stepped in with his massive 4-wheeler and saved the day.

Aaron just couldn't stay out of the water. Much like his Uncle Craig. :)



Austin took turns riding with Robbie, Craig, and myself, depending on who was doing what he wanted to do at the time.



I'm so very thankful that I am not too much of a girlie girl to not get out and enjoy things like this with my boys. I would've missed out on so much fun with them yesterday if I hadn't gone out there. I think that's one of the many reasons God put me in a family with 3 older brothers. He knew I would someday have 2 boys of my own that would be asking their mom if she would go out and ride 4-wheelers with them.

And after all of that shaking around I did at the ATV park, STILL no Alaina.

Soccer Time!

Today marked the beginning of our spring soccer games. I LOVE that my boys play soccer. When Aaron first wanted to get into it a few years ago, Robbie and I were not really happy about it. He had played baseball since he was 4, and his last year of playing he was selected to be on the all-stars team. He was just a natural. But unfortunately he didn't like it much. Since he has started soccer, we have all grown to love the sport. Aaron is just as good at soccer as he was baseball, and I feel it's a much more laid back sport than baseball. After hearing the stories my baseball mom friends tell, I'm proud to be a soccer mom!

This is Austin's first year to play, and Robbie and I are the coaches. I know. What were we thinking?!  He has a team of 6 boys, ranging from age 4 to age 6. We have had a few practices going into the game today, but we didn't have a clue what to expect from our first game.


Robbie took this of us just before the games



My boys- ready to play ball!



Austin with his teammates, Thomas and Jaiden



Austin's game turned out to be so much fun this morning! We actually won the game and Robbie and I had a blast coaching it! All of those little kids running around not really knowing what they are supposed to do is SO CUTE! So even though we didn't really want to, I'm so glad that we ended up getting to coach his team this year. I really think we enjoyed the game more than the parents that were sitting on the sidelines today because we were up running with the kids and cheering them on the entire time! So fun!

This was during Aaron's game. He's waiting on the ball to come to him.

Aaron has basically been on the same team for a few years now. He has an AWESOME coach and a great group of kids to play with. His team was undefeated last fall! Today the game ended in a tie, 2-2. They have several new boys that have not played before, but it was a good game to watch. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy soccer?

Austin had a blast playing with a little girl he knew during Aaron's game. :)

So this was our Saturday morning. We were out at the soccer fields for over 3 hours this morning. You would think we would be worn out after all of that, but our day was just getting started! Saturday afternoon is going to get its own post...soon to come!

And no, I still haven't had the pleasure of meeting little Miss Alaina. :(

This momma's got a rock that doesn't want to roll

I have an announcement...I'M HAVING A GIRL! Ok, that was just mean. But I am having a kidney stone, and I've seen her on a CT scan, and she looks like a girl to me, so that's what we're going to go with. She made herself known Tuesday afternoon and seems to be very happy with where she is, because after drinking about 20 water bottles and a few Sonic Rt. 44 cherry limeade's, she still hasn't moved much. Without even discussing it with Robbie, I've named her Alaina. Which means rock. Which is what she is. I think I'm going to make a few dresses for her and maybe even a little hat. Because apparently she likes warmth since she WON'T COME OUT. Maybe if she knows she has a hat and a dress waiting on her, she'll be a little more willing to face the world.

I'll let y'all know all about her after the delivery. But in the meantime, I sit here looking at these signs that Aaron posted all around my living room.

So long Sugar

We had to say goodbye to one of our puppies today. About a year ago, Aaron talked me into getting 2 puppies, Sugar and Salty, from my brother. And even though they spent a lot of time fighting each other, they loved each other so much. They did EVERYTHING together. If one would take off running, so would the other. If one decided to eat, so would the other. If one jumped up on you, so would the other. They have gotten bad recently about chasing my car as I'm driving down my driveway. Today, Sugar decided he wasn't just going to follow me, he was going to cut across the grass and get in front of me. Well, I didn't see him until he was already in front of me, and I hit him. And he didn't live through it. I really hate it for Salty, because you can tell he doesn't have a clue what to do without his best friend. I just feel horrible about it.

So if you're wondering why you can't find any dog treats at Walmart tonight, now you know why. I have guilt. Even though I think Salty would rather have Sugar back instead of all the dog treats in the world. But that's the best I can do right now.

I took this picture right after we got them last spring.



I took this picture earlier this week of them sleeping. I thought it was so sweet that Sugar had his head resting on Salty.



Found on the side of the road

Most people that have known me for any amount of time know that I am adopted. And if you know my brother, Craig, then you may believe that I was found on the side of the road as a baby (his story on this is very convincing!). Most people even know that I know my birthmother. But this area of my life is the one that is most often asked about, so I thought I would share my story.

My birthmother, Sherry, gave birth to me when she was very young. She wouldn't have been able to give me the life that she wanted for me, so she put me up for adoption. ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR THE HAPPINESS OF YOUR CHILD. So from the hospital, I went to foster care where I lived with Richard and Avon Adams for a month. The first month of my life my name was Joy Adams. From what I understand, I was the first baby the Adam's fostered, and they went on to foster kids for 15-20 years after that!

My parents got me one month and 2 days after I was born. I think that they always told me that I was adopted, so it wasn't like a "hey, you know how you thought we were your birth parents, WELL, WE'RE NOT" kind of thing! They always told me that my birth mother was very young when she had me and loved me very much but couldn't keep me. I understood and was very thankful for the parents God chose for me.

Getting into my teenage years I remember walking around the mall and thinking, 'that woman looks like me, she could be my mom'. I didn't feel like I was missing out by not knowing, but I was naturally curious about where I came from. When I was little I LOVED Olivia-Newton John and I thought I sang just like her (HA!!), so I was pretty sure she was my birth mother! Oh, and several people told me that I looked like Sarah Jessica Parker, so I was sure that she was my sister! So imagine my disappointment when I met my birth mother and she wasn't even famous! (haha)

My parents always told me that we could start trying to find my birth mother when I turned 18. I didn't understand their reasoning for that then, but I certainly do now. So after I turned 18, the search was on! We contacted the adoption agency from where I came.   Because it was a closed adoption, we couldn't meet unless both sides went to the agency and said that if the other wanted to meet, they did too. My parents and I made a trip to the agency in Dallas and while we were there we found out that my birth mother had been in a year before that saying that she wanted to meet if I did. They were able to give me lots of non-identifying information about her and her family, and even a few pictures. OK, seeing pictures of my birth mother, COOLEST THING EVER!! And I found out I had 2 sisters, which was also very exciting because I had always wanted sisters. The agency contacted my birth mother after that visit, and she agreed to meet me! They gave us each others phone numbers and we were able to talk a few times before we met, which was really neat, but talk about being nervous about a phone call!!

The day we met was the day after my senior prom. My parents and I went in for a required hour of counseling at the agency before they were supposed to get there. So we're sitting there doing our counseling and I start hearing voices outside the door! I knew it was her. The woman I'd been wanting to see my whole life was on the other side of the door, and I don't think I heard another word that was said in that room until the words "are you ready to meet your birth mother?" was said.

Wow, this post is long! Sorry.

So we went out into the lobby area and all hugged and said hello. It wasn't like Oprah's surprise reunions where people are crying and shaking and about to pass out. It was so much to take in at the time, it was almost just shock. Sherry's husband accepted me as if I were his own. I love him for that. He could have SO easily told her that he didn't want all of this to happen. Marty, you're my hero for letting this happen. We left the adoption agency and followed them to their house in Mesquite where we looked at family scrapbooks and several people stopped in to meet me. I really enjoyed getting to meet my little sisters, Reva and Melissa, too. They were just as excited about getting a big sister as I was about getting 2 little sisters.It was a long day. It was a good day.

A question I get a lot is "how do your mom and dad feel about Marty and Sherry?" My answer is that they were awesome through the entire process. They understood me wanting to know, and it was never a question of them trying to step in and raise me because I was already 18. I owe them a HUGE thank you for allowing me to do this. It affected my life in only a positive way.

So where are we now? We are friends. Really good friends. We only get to see each other a few times a year, but we keep in touch pretty regularly and see each other as often as possible. We can talk and laugh for hours on end. We really have the best time when we get together. My kids are lucky to have 3 sets of grandparents. And my husband is lucky to have 2 sets of in-laws. :) 

I do know who my birth father is and I have met him and talked to him a few times. He is my friend on facebook, but we don't really keep up with each other.  He is married and has 2 sons. I hope that someday maybe we can be closer, but for now, this is where we are.

So if my brother, Craig, ever tells you that I was found on the side of the road, you'll know the real story...

                                                        


Sherry and I last year



Reva, myself, and Melissa

 

My very first blog post

Earlier this evening I made a comment on facebook that I was thinking of starting a blog, which is something I've considered for years but just never got around to. I guess posting it was the push I needed because here I sit, only 2 hours later, with my own blog set up and ready to go. And somehow I was able to do it without having to wake my husband up to help. Which is really not saying anything about me, but tons about how easy blogspot makes it. My goal with the blog is to have an online scrapbook of things that happen and pictures that go along with it, which I'm afraid will be boring to most, but maybe I'll have some family and friends that will check in every once in a while.

Around the same time I made the facebook post earlier, Robbie asked me to wash a load of socks. OK, who washes just a load of socks? If I'm going to wash some socks, you better believe that there is going to be a lot more than just some socks in that load. So I decided I would just go ahead and do all of the laundry tonight and here it is, almost midnight, and I'm waiting on my dryer to stop so I can get my third load out of the washer and into the dryer.

Wow. Has my first blog post really just turned into a post about socks and laundry? This blog thing may get stopped before it even gets started.

Anyway, in the midst of setting up the blog, doing the laundry, giving Austin medicine to 'make the sneezes go away', and realizing that there was one more sock that did not make the cut on tonight's laundry because I failed to look under Aaron's backpack, I've been thinking about getting out of facebook altogether. I've been on it for about 2 years now, but sometimes I feel like it consumes too much of my time. Since I have it on my phone, I carry it everywhere with me, and I check it often. Too often. I enjoy keeping up with people that I don't get to see regularly, but really, why do I feel the need to know who posted what as soon as it gets posted? Yes, it's that bad. Maybe just deleting it from my phone would do the trick. I would be forced to actually sit down at my computer to check it, which is something that rarely happens. OK, that just came to me while I was typing, but I think maybe that's what I'll do. I'll delete it from my phone. Maybe. Someday.

Thanks for reading my first blog post that didn't get any deeper than socks and facebook. I'll try to do better next time, but no promises.