Inspiration or Marketing, it's a thin line

Awhile ago, even before we had committed to adoption, we stumbled across a blog by a woman who is an adoptive mother of 2 and whose husband is an adoption caseworker. Because both of her adoptions are very open, she has guest posts by her two birthmothers. Some of her posts are fascinating to read. Anyway, on one of her posts she has an offer to adoptive couples.

As a staunch adoption advocate, she had been doing some presentations around her community and stumbled across 2 resources who said they would help spread the word about couples hoping to adopt. She has an open appeal for individuals to put together and send her a "press packet", if you will, and she will forward it on.

I have been reading and re-reading a talk given by a leader in our church about patience. His words keep coming into to my mind:

"...I learned that patience was far more than simply waiting for something to happen-patience required actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results didn't appear instantly or without effort.

There is an important concept here: patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means actively waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can-working, hoping, exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude; even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well."

-Pres. D. Uchtdorf, 2nd Counselor in First Presidency

So decided to do some math: blog + talk = our kit.

Ta-da!

I'm not a graphic designer. Nor a photographer. Nor a marketing expert. But here is what I put together. Let me know if you want our "press packet" to pass along to someone OR if you will just keep some of our pass along cards in your car, wallet, or office. We are in the process of getting our packets out into the community. If you'd keep some of our pass alongs it might be easier to just hand one over when a conversation inspires you.

Now if I can just muster the courage to hand these puppies out in all the random places Mrs R tells us we should.

Keepin' it real (ish)

So we have always had somewhat less than discriminating taste when it comes to certain lines of tv shows. In high school, college and when we were first married, we watched Real World (ah, Heather B, Puck, the cowboy...) and Road Rules (remember when they actually competed and didn't just get drunk?). As they went down the toilet and their B ratings quickly dropped well below an F, we decided to save what was left of our innocence and walked away.

For several years we haven't watched anything on MTV or VH1, but last year 16 and Pregnant caught our attention. Especially in light of our current adoption hopes it was a train wreck we could not walk away from. But you know, if I had a pregnant teenager, I would make them sit down to watch both seasons before making any decisions. It seemed pretty spot on. With that season ending, we needed a new train wreck. Insert Dad Camp. It's like 16 and Pregnant meets Real World and it is just depressing and yet sort of enlightening.

Who needs Hallmark specials when you can watch people whose lives in no way reflect your own and make you think, "I'll keep my own problems, thank you."

Hawlllaahhhh!!

Or should I say, "Challah!"
John said it best; "Put a onesie on that thing, it could be a baby!" Britt has been in town and we have been recipe swapping and it has been a delicious week thus far. This, however, might just push me to my limit.

"Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean!"

Jack told the school if the school scored 85% or higher on their SOL's (yep, that's right, that what they call them in VA...) he would shave his head bald. Well, the school pass rate was 89% in science, 89% in history, 91% in reading and 91% in math.

Normally a couple pictures suffice per post, but I really have to walk you through the whole experience for full effect.

He chose one student from each grade level to help with the buzz. This is him explaining his brain is just below the surface and how not to kill him. Gearing up
The kids were chanting, "Shave it off! Shave it off!" (doesn't he kind of look like 'Joe Dirt' in this one?)

Midway through he announced there was a teacher who had been asking for weeks for the honor of shaving off a sideburn (which are my favorite--it was most sad to watch those go. I asked him if he'd keep the burns and go bald on the rest. He thought that was a bad idea.) He called her up and the crowd went wild!

Then he dismissed the students for the final razor shaving and promised to visit each classroom when it was complete.

Thankfully, one of the PSA members is a professional stylist and agreed to both supervise and do the finishing touches.

(which included thinning out the brows, because it turns out with no hair, they were a bit thick)

Now he will have to remember to put on sunscreen for car pick up duty. And pickup some spray tan--that head is whhiittee!

This is how F felt about the whole thing...

When F first heard this was going down, he was livid. "How could dad do such a thing? This is ridiculous." Ahhh-the indignation of a 12 year old!

Bald is beautiful!

The first of his lasts

His last field day. His last day of music class. His last day at a school with a jungle gym. His last day with his dad for a principal. His last day in elementary school. His last day of innocence. Ok, that is probably a little extreme, but you get where I am going with this...

F is leaving elementary school friday and starting junior high next year. We had our first, wait for it...BAND meeting. He has to change for gym. He wants to take "zero" period (which is going to school BEFORE school really starts). Not sure what we are truly in for, but since he's excited, I guess we are too.

Last Friday was his last Field Day. It was so fun Jack was able to be his principal for his year of "lasts". Moment of silence for prepubescence please.

(ps-this is Jack competing in the obstacle course against a 6th grader. He won. Barely.)

Lauren would call them "little rich girl problems"

My house didn't burn down. I'm not scrounging for food in a trash can. My children are healthy. My husband and I actually like each other (most days). I'm alive. Compared to a lot of people in the world, I have it pretty great. I acknowledge that. To me, we will be considered "well to do" when I can go to Target and buy everything we need, a couple of things we want, and not worry about the price tag. And that lifestyle is just up the road a ways-I can almost see it. I don't need a mansion, "the" car, or to be a millionaire. Sometimes though, I just want money to burn. This is how I'd burn it if I had it this week. Starting at a very reasonable $45, the silver and wood finger cuff.

A little higher, we'd get the pounded silver charm bracelet, sans charms, at $108 Since I do run around a million places, and need to be on time, and the 13 watches I already own are not wraparound, I'd add this to my cart for only $198.

And really sealing the deal, and satisfying me completely would be the platinum Galahad necklace at a mere $415.

Or buying pretty much anything from my new favorite catalog: sundance jewelry

Oh Robert, you had me at Tibetan coral.