Monday, August 13, 2012

Our Favorite Adoption Video

Children singing and dancing... 

 Really, I think there is nothing any cuter than watching kids perform (and even more so when they don't perform exactly as they are supposed to- as any parent of a kindergarten child will tell you). If you read our post yesterday, you will recall I had mentioned as we were watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics that one of the songs performed last night reminded me of a recent video a friend of mine shared with me from You Tube. The video captures a really amazing family that has adopted from China several times and are getting ready to adopt again. 

In this video they re-wrote the lyrics to 'Dynamite', a song that you might recognize from last night's performances during the closing ceremonies, and used it to announce their upcoming adoption to friends and family. I don't know who this family is other than the little bit I could gather from some of their comments from friends and family, but what I do know is that they posted the most incredible video on YouTube and once my friend passed it along to me, I couldn't help but share it.  You will absolutely love their creativity and I promise you will be inspired by what you see.  It is stories and videos like this that encourage both me and my co-workers to continue to do the work that we do.

As you watch the video, you will see that this family has adopted several children from China with various medical needs (limb differences, vision loss, etc.) and are getting ready to adopt two more.

So sit back and enjoy this video and be ready to smile until your face hurts.
(in a good way of course) 




Sunday, August 12, 2012

An Olympic Farewell- Inspirational Stories


Tonight marks the end of the summer Olympics in London. As with every Olympics, I always hate to see it come to an end; however, it is always amazing to look back to so many incredible moments and stories that otherwise we would have never seen or heard about.  As we watched part of the closing ceremonies, we were reminded of so many athletes that we saw in this year's games that had overcome great difficulties in their lives to get to where they were today. 

Probably one of the most inspiring stories that came out of this year's games was the story of South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee running on carbon fiber blades. Pistorius had both legs amputated as an infant due to a congenital condition in which he was born without fibulas and wasn’t supposed to be able to even stand. However, years later, we are all witnesses to an incredible athlete who after years of encouragement from his mother, never gave up and was granted permission to run in the 2012 London Olympics. 

If you watched him race, you couldn't help but be inspired by his determination.

Photo- Getty Images |  by Michael Steele

One of the best photos that emerged from Twitter during the Olympics was of Pistorius and a little girl. This was such a precious photo where he was encouraging another young child with a similar condition.

author unknown

Not only was Pistorius noted during the Olympics, but another inspiring young woman in this year's games was a Polish table tennis player by the name of Natalia Partyka. Natalia was born without a right hand and forearm, and was also given the privilege of competing for the first time in this year's Olympic Games. 
Associated Press|  Photo by Sergei Grits

Story after story were shared of athletes that could have let life's challenges stop them, but didn't. Rather than allowing a loss to define who they were, instead, they chose to take life's challenges and face them head on.  

These stories above reminded me of a video that a friend of mine passed along to me the other week of an adoptive family (neither of us know who they are, but their video was on YouTube and we both fell in love with it). They have adopted a number of children with medical needs from the waiting children program in China (one in particular with missing limbs). I'll share this video and a little more tomorrow, but it will certainly inspire you. I promise it will be worth waiting for. 

(**Spoiler alert-- this family's video was shot to their re-make of one of the songs in tonight's closing ceremonies at the Olympics-- I promise you'll want to watch this video more than once. =) More on this video and story coming tomorrow. 

Enjoy the last bit of your weekend! 











Tuesday, August 7, 2012

A Sticky Note Day

I decided to write today's post based on a comment from Nate this week. It made me laugh yesterday and ironically, I thought it was more than applicable to my day today. 

There are two little words that I have come to love:  

Sticky Notes.  

(a.k.a. - Post It Notes as created by 3M) While some of you might have a list of all of the famous people you would want to meet-- I think I'd like to meet the person who designed sticky notes. I would like to thank them. It was an idea birthed in a brilliant mind and I really wish I had thought of it. 

(and Nate agrees)  

If we had created and patented stickies, we probably would have been on a beautiful white sandy beach today, lounging in a hammock tied between two palm trees, listening to turquoise waves lapping nearby- all while sipping on sweet tea (yes, I'm a southern girl and therefore this scene must involve sweet tea). However, neither Nate nor I created sticky notes so instead we both sat in offices in adjustable chairs on wheels. (this is where I insert that even though we both enjoy our jobs, who wouldn't trade some of those crazy days at work for the life of someone who can kick back on the beach anytime they want while their invention pays their salary-- don't judge- you know you were thinking the same thing too!)  

However, since I didn't create these fun little tools, instead I will have to resort to just using these incredible little pieces of paper to organize my life. (or in my spare time I may sit on the couch with Nate and think up an invention so we can be on Shark Tank and become entrepreneurs like the sticky note man) 

Today was definitely a sticky note day. My desk at work was evidence of this very fact.  I will be honest that I just might have an obsession with sticky notes, since they come in every color, design, and style imaginable. If you have organizational OCD like I do (at least that's what I call it since I love to organize things) you clearly understand why sticky notes are the greatest invention on earth-- 

Period.  

How did we make it through life before them?  I use them for lists, to categorizing things, to leave notes for people, to make my grocery list, or to bookmark a page in the latest book that I'm reading. Oh the many uses of sticky notes. That is why today, I felt so accomplished after several days of an increasing number of "stickies" that included lists of things to review, people to contact, topics for meeting discussions, projects to complete and my general "TO DO LIST", I was able to start peeling them off one by one signifying the completion of many tasks. You might say my stickies had gotten a little out of control in the last week and were plastered all over my notepad and desk to the point where Nate was questioning if I was starting to wallpaper my desk with stickies. (Trust me, I know that I'm not the only one-- I've seen some of your desks too and I know there is method to your madness as well when it comes to sticky notes.)

So, if you are like me and like things to be neatly organized and also love the feeling of "checking off your lists", sticky notes by far are nothing short of perfection. Not only can you mark through items, but you can pull those stickies off one by one and visually feel such a sense of accomplishment, much more than just writing one long list on a sheet of paper and scratching through each item completed. (or at least that's what I've come to conclude in my mind)  

So, all of you "Post it Note" companies out there, you can contact me later and pay me for my free advertisement for your wonderful product. =)  On that note- I'll leave you with this funny video on You Tube that both Nate and I died laughing at when it first came out on TV-- you'll understand why when you see it because it involves both football and post it notes (which might possibly be the perfect combination for some people- or at least in our marriage it is). 



**Mental Note: This is what you do NOT do to someone who organizes their life with sticky notes.**

Sunday, August 5, 2012

A Crazy Weekend- Part II


If you are just now checking out this post, but sure to read yesterday's post 'A Crazy Weekend- Part I' to get the context of this past week and our adventures on Friday and Saturday. As I had noted yesterday, Nate and I were staying with my grandma this weekend and this story picks up where it left off yesterday so be sure to read that post first before reading below) 

...I looked at my alarm and realized I could still slip in a few more minutes of sleep as I knew my alarm would be going off for that oh so exciting early morning grocery shopping trip fairly soon. I had just started to nod off when all of the sudden I hear a loud tapping on the door and my name being called repeatedly (apparently grandma was afraid I would not be up in time to get ready and get to the grocery store so was making sure I was up). Before I know it, the door suddenly flings open and she pops her head in to make sure I am awake (never mind that Nate is peacefully sleeping at this point) and she proceeds to make sure that I know what time it is (<-- insert here that I still had PLENTY of time to get ready to go to the grocery store...haha)  As if all of this wasn't funny enough, she had not yet put in her hearing aid so I'm having to yell all of this back and forth while Nate is (or rather was) sleeping beside me.  Of course, he wakes up to all of the madness and asks "what in the world is going on"?  


You might be smiling and laughing at this story right now, but I was not smiling and laughing Saturday morning before 7am as there is nothing worse to me than being abruptly woken up when you are in that "sweet zone" of drifting off to sleep (ok, so I certainly realize there really are far worse things in the world, but go with this thought for the moment) or having to carry on a somewhat coherent conversation early in the morning.(which I am certainly not good at)  At this point, I just gave up and got up and got ready to head to the grocery story.  Might I also add that the entire time that I'm getting ready in the bathroom, I can hear grandma rattling her keys in the living room knowing full well that she is sitting on the edge of her recliner, purse in hand, watching the second hand on her wall clock tick by. 
Honestly, I'm in the bathroom just trying to hold my laughter in. 

I'm happy to report that our grocery run (aside from me being slightly zombie-like) was successful. Thankfully, the rest of the day was slightly less eventful- aside from her kindly telling Nate that I was being "bossy" about how she needs to make sure she's eating, drinking and taking her medicine, etc. Of course, Nate just laughs and agrees with her (thank you, Nate, for being a supportive husband and siding with grandma) =)

Though it's always hard to see your grandparents getting older, I'm very thankful to have two wonderful godly grandmas still living and appreciate my wonderful husband who endured a crazy weekend at grandmas with a smile.

....So what did Nate and I learn this weekend:

1. You never know what might happen at grandma's
2.  There is never a dull moment at grandma's
3.  Be prepared for anything. (this includes being ready to jump out of the window in case of a fire) 

Saturday, August 4, 2012

A Crazy Weekend -Part I

Have you ever seen what I call the "spinning plate act" at a circus, you know- the one where a woman  has to run back and forth between the long, thin rods with plates balanced on the top of each rod trying to make sure each one keeps spinning properly and doesn't fall off and shatter on the floor?

If you know what I'm talking about, this would give you a slight visual of my life right now or at least how it is going to look for the next 8 weeks.  (more on these things later...)  Let me start by saying that I'm certainly not complaining at all, as each of these "plates" in my life right now are all wonderful things, but I have to say that it's been a while since so many important things were taking place all at the same time and in such a short span of time.  I apologize and have to say that this is also the reason I have not posted for more than half of this week. We certainly plan to post daily on the blog when able, but this week it just wasn't possible for us as every hour was practically planned out and well, we are both Olympic fans and chose to take some evenings to just unwind from work and enjoy "The Games".

I decided that I would share a hilarious story from Friday and Saturday of this week. Follow with me on this as you need to have the full context to better understand why this was so humorous. On Friday, I found out that one of my Grandmas was having what our family has now come to call a "weak spell" where she wakes up extremely weak and shaky and can't hardly walk around. I won't go into all that relates to this other than to say when this occurs, someone tries to take care of her and stay around to make sure she's eating properly, staying hydrated, etc. We see the biggest difference when we know she's eating properly, staying hydrated and taking her medication. Over the last year or so we have started to see a change in her ability to remember things and we have also experienced this with my other Grandmother, so are very familiar with many of the things that go with dementia, Alzheimer's, etc. I could certainly share more details on this, but we have recently started incorporating some things to help her and are blessed to have a number of wonderful people who live near her who are very helpful on a weekly basis and who call daily to check in on her.

On Friday night we were spending the night with her and please understand that one of the funniest challenges I discovered after marrying Nate, was that a tall 6'2'' man doesn't always fit in every bed when we travel and last night was no exception. Staying at Grandma's with Nate is always funny, as the spare bedroom is a small room with lots of furniture to navigate around.  (this is code for "be careful if you have go get up in the night to use the bathroom")  The spare room has a double bed with a footboard which just doesn't work so well for a tall guy. Before we went to bed, I had left a note for her telling her that I wanted to go grocery shopping with her in the morning. (as she was determined she was going to do this early this early Saturday morning if she was feeling better) You must understand that this means grocery shopping at 6:45am or 7am with Grandma, because you WILL go when she wants to go or you WILL get left behind. Saturday is generally my only day to sleep in so committing to grocery shop at the crack of dawn on a Saturday was a painful thought to me, not to mention that I am NOT a morning person at all, especially on a Saturday.  (note: Earlier in the evening I had gone through her fridge and cabinets and determined she was out of a number of things and probably didn't realize it and wanted to make sure to buy things that I knew she would eat and hopefully fix for lunches and dinners, etc.)

Fast forward to 5am.  Nate had gotten out of bed and you must understand that my Grandma's spare bedroom has a very funny doorknob that isn't the easiest to open when it's locked. So that was just the start to what would become a really crazy start to our morning.  At this point in the story, Nate is fighting the door that just wouldn't open and waking me up to ask how to get out of the room and proceeded to tell me that if there were a fire we would both die because we couldn't get out. I was half out of it as I hadn't slept well at all during the night sharing this little bed with Nate. I explained as best as possible (still half asleep) how to get out of the room and then finally just decided to get up to help him open the door. Of course, this would be the moment that he figures it out and "breaks free" from the room, so I jump back in bed and start to fall to sleep. 

Roughly half an hour later I woke up and was so hot and couldn't figure out what in the world was wrong and thought "Did I come down with something in the night, am I sick?" and began battling the covers since I was sweating. ( I later found out that Grandma had turned the AC up in the night and the thermostat read "80 degrees" so no wonder I was dying with covers on!)  At this point, I looked at my alarm and realized I could still slip in a few more minutes of sleep as I knew my alarm would be going off for that exciting early morning shopping trip fairly soon.

If you are curious to find out what happened next, you'll have to read tomorrow's post where I will share the rest of this story...it gets even better so be sure to check it out!