Travis and Megan

Our life...updated!

2011-12-23T22:18:00.000-08:00

So here's the update that I know you've been waiting for...

Little Man's birth mom decided to fight the judge's discussion. So, we have to wait until January 17th for a hearing/trial. In the end, the judge has the final say and it's not likely that he will be changing him mind anything soon. We should be able to finalize our adoption end of January/first of February.

We have had a crazy couple of weeks. We have been trying to get ready for Christmas. It is so different/exciting when there's a 5 year old around. It really reminds you of the magic of Christmas. So on top of getting ready for Christmas, we got a phone call on December 13 at 4:00 pm from Little Man's case worker. We learned that his 4 month old half brother was being removed and they were looking for a placement for him, and they try to keep siblings together, so we were the first call. Of course we said yes and he was brought to our house at 6:30 that evening. Talk about a whirlwind! At this point, it is a temporary placement. We are waiting on a court ordered paternity test that will take place next week. The alleged birth father is Native American, which changes everything. We have been told that alleged birth father's mother has been contacted and she has said that she is willing to take Baby Boy. We would love to keep him, but it is not likely. I'm sad for Little Man that he will not be able to be be raised with his biological siblings, but I am grateful that he has this time to spend with Baby Boy.

It is so crazy having a little one around. We are exhausted, but it is so awesome. When I rock him to sleep in the middle of the night, I can't help but think about how happy I am. It is crazy to think that this time last year, a family was a Christmas wish that seemed so out of reach. But here we are today, with two little ones in our care. Be it temporary or permanent, we are blessed by the sweet spirits that have come into our home.

I can't help but think about one of my favorite quotes about adoption:

"I have slept with a baby on my chest. I've kissed boo boos and mended broken hearts. I have been puked on, peed on, and spent sleepless nights in the rocking chair. I wouldn't have it any other way. I did not carry this child in my body, but when I look in the mirror, I see a MOM, and there is no greater honor or blessing!!"

I am finally mom...

Thank you all for your countless prayers and thoughts on our behalf. We are so blessed to have such an amazing support network around us. We have the best friends and family. We love you all!

The big day

2011-11-07T16:51:00.000-08:00

The big day is almost here. We are so nervous and want to see everything come to an end and finally be able to finalize Little Man's adoption. We have a gut feeling that his birth mom is going to try to appeal the judge's decision. Also, Little Man's case worker has said some things that have lead us to believe that we are right. Please pray for us this week. But, more importantly, pray for Little Man and his birth mom. We are hoping that her heart will be softened and that we will be able to move forward with our lives.

Our Little Man

2011-10-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

So, here's the update...
The judge has ruled that Little Man's birth mom will lose her rights and he will be able to be adopted. We are so excited, but we still have to wait and see what happens next. On November 10, we have court. Birth mom can give up her rights or appeal the judges decision; if that were to happen, there would be a trial. It would just drag things out longer and the outcome would most likely be the same. Now were just waiting, as usual...I guess we should be really good at that by now.

Please keep us in your prayers, especially on November 10.

I took some Fall pictures of Little Man. I can't wait until the adoption is final so that we can finally share his face with the world.

2011-09-06T17:19:00.000-07:00

I have never seen or read anything that described our journey so well.

I hope that by watching this, you can briefly experience our trial...

Follow this link: Tears and Hope

Craziness

2011-07-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy couple of months. Little man is still living with us and we are still in love. It has been so interesting learning to parent a four year old. I've never had a newborn, but it seems like there is a little margin for error, but with a four year old, you got to have your stuff together. You have to be consistent...you can't be wishy-washy because he'll see right through it. Four year olds like to test and push all of your button. He wants to make sure that you are 100% positive that you're in this for the long haul. No matter how naughty he gets, he wants to make sure that you're not going to send him back.

We have gotten attached and I think that the feeling is mutual. A few weeks ago, my sister was watching him while I was out of town. She was telling her son to do some thing. This is the conversion that followed.

Little man: "Why did you tell him to do that?"
Marlee "Because I'm his mom."
My brother-in-law:"Like how Travis and Megan are your mom and dad."
Little man: "I like my dad."
My sister: "What is your dad's name?"
Little man: "Travis, you know Travis, right?"

When she told me this story, I seriously thought I was going to cry right there in the middle of Winco. I don't know what we'll do if we don't get to adopt him. We'll cross that bridge when/if we get there. It just amazes me that such a little guy can affect you so much. I will never be the same.

Please continue to pray for us that everything will work out.

Love you all!

Happy news...

2011-05-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, we received a call about a little 4 year old boy. They said that he has some special needs, but felt that he would do well in our home. I was so scared and nervous, but said that I would talk to Travis about it. I was thinking that we probably would not take him, but Travis felt very strongly that we at least go meet him. So, we went to meet him on April 27. We arrived at the shelter where he was living and told them that we were there to meet this little guy. We signed in and then they went to get him. Our hearts were pounding and our stomaches were in knots. The door opened and in walked the most adorable little guy. Blond hair, big blue eyes, long eye lashes. He hid behind the ladies legs and they led us to a room so that we could interact with him. He was very anxious and nervous and tried to run away within the first 5 minutes. They suggested that we go outside, because he may do better. We played with him on the playground for about 30 minutes. We told the therapist that we needed to talk about everything and would let them know what we decided. As we were driving home, we both knew that he needed to be in our lives. We then started seeing him everyday after that; taking him to dinner, day visits to our house, and eventually, an over-night visit that turned into him not leaving. He has been with us for a week and we are loving it. It is amazing how some one so little can impact your life so much. For right now, we don't know if we will be able to adopt him, we're hopeful, but we do know that he is suppose to be with us-even if it is for just a short time.

Disappointing...

2011-04-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that Travis and I were being considered to foster/adopt two little girls. Well, they selected another family. So, now we wait, again. We are hopeful that parenthood is just around the corner.

In other news, we had a yard sale this past weekend, and turns out, we ROCKED it. We raised just under $1600, and I got a sweet sunburn on my neck, ears, and face. Not too shabby for a couple days work! Thank you to everyone who came out and supported us. We love you all and are so gratefully to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family!

Yard Sale

2011-04-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

We're doing another

Adoption Benefit Yard Sale

Friday, April 22
Saturday April 23

starting at 9ish and going to about 3ish on both days.

Let me know if you have anything that you would like to donate.

It will be held at 3063 S. Hadwen Drive (6580 W.)

Please stop by and see what you can't live without!

On Friday, my aunt will be there to personalized fleece blankets.
On Friday and Saturday, my sister will be there to do Feather Hair Extentions.

We will also have goodies for sale.

Thanks for all your support!

Are we there yet?

2011-04-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hopefully soon!

So, as of last Thursday, we are on the active foster family list. That means, that we could get a call any day and our lives could change forever. I hope that we don't have to wait too long, but I guess we have no other choice.

Life has been...well, interesting lately. Nothing major has happened, I just feel like I am in a weird place. I don't know how to describe; I just feel off. I am finding thing that have never challenged me in the past becoming difficult for me. I almost feel like something great is in the works and Satan is doing everything in his power to break me. I am trying to be more diligent at the things that I am suppose to be doing, i.e. studying the scriptures, praying, temple attendance, etc.

He will not break me!

We are still an active adoptive family through LDS Family Services. We haven't heard much from them. I think that fewer birth mothers are placing their babies with adoptive families. It has become so excepted by the world for a young girl to parent her child. I could not imagine being a young, single mom. It would be so difficult. Through our adoptive training classes, we have learned that a young woman who decides to parent their child is less likely to finish high school or any higher education and less likely to marry. I'm not trying to make it seem like the decision is an easy one, and I could never imagine placing my baby with another family. I guess, in the end, the decision needs to be what is best for the baby. I would hope that any young girl who is in this situation remembers to get on her knees and ask for her Father in Heaven to guide her to make the right decision.

Please remember us if you hear of any
situations that may lead to adoption.

We are really eager to build our eternal family.

Thanks for the love and support!

Finally...

2011-03-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

We are officially lisenced foster care parents. Now, we get to wait. Nothing new to us.

Travis' grandfather passed away on Thursday, March 17, 2011. He was a sweet man and he will be missed. My first memory of Grandpa Great was a week or so after Travis and I started dating. We were in the kitchen making a treat to take to a party and Grandpa Great came in and Travis introduced us. Grandpa Great said "Welcome to the family!" Travis just about died, but I thought it was sweet. I am so blessed for the few short years that I got to know him. He was an amazing man!

Almost there...

2011-02-28T18:02:00.000-08:00

We just found out that we'll be doing our home study and safety inspection for foster care on Thursday! We're so excited...almost there. I was hoping that the process would go a lot faster than it has, but oh well, we're getting there.

We don't know if anything is going to become of doing the foster care, but at least we have opened the door. When we met with our LDS Family Services case worker last month, she said that she felt that if you open as many doors as possible, Heavenly Father will see your willingness, and you will be blessed. I believe it too. I know that the Lord has an awesome plan for us, and one day, we'll be able to understand it.

I am planning on doing another Adoption Yard Sale sometime this spring...Hopefully, late March-early April. Our last one was such a success (thanks to KP), and I hope that this one does just as well. If you have anything that you would like to donate, let me know and I'll be around to collect items the week before the sale.

There is nothing else new in our life right now. We're just plugging away, taking it a day at a time.

Thanks again for all the love and support that we have felt from all those around us.

No excuses...really

2011-01-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

I'm really not good at this...why can't I ever find time to update this more often?

So, here's what has been going on in our lives the past 2 months:

Travis graduated!!! He earned his associates through SLCC is past December. Next step, transfer to the University of Utah to study business. Hopefully he will be able to start in the Fall. I'm as so proud of him. He really had a difficult time, mainly with his math classes, but he kept pushing like a champ!

I got a new calling. I am the Miamaid Advisor. I absolutely LOVE it. The girls are amazing and the leaders are the best! I am having a blast and am so grateful to be serving in our ward. It has been fun to get to know the girls and the other women that I am serving with. They are an amazing group of women and I am so privileged to serve with them.

Other news, we finished our Foster Care Pre-service Training Classes. We did 2 classes a week for 4 weeks for 4 hours each night. It was a crazy/busy time, but so amazing. I didn't think that I would enjoy the classes, but they were awesome. I learned so much. Some nights were really overwhelming, particularly when we were talking about abuse and other hard topics, but we are still cautiously optimistic that this is a door we need to open. We just have a few more things to do and then we will be licensed. Hopefully everything will be done in 3-4 weeks. We are so excited for this next step in our lives.

We have a new member of the family. My sister had an adorable baby boy on December 13th. I got to spend some time with her other kiddo while she was in the hospital with baby. It was a lot of fun to be with Quinton for a few days. It is so fun to have Dominic part of the family!

Finally, we had a wonderful holiday season. It was awesome to spend time with family and just be. I got 2 weeks off work, which was really nice and needed! We are so blessed to be close to both of our families and get to spend so much time with them.

Thanks again for all the thought and prayers on our behalf!

We love you all!

Really???

2010-11-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

What the heck is my problem? Why do I always wait so long to update?

So, here's what is going on in our lives. Travis is well into his last semester at Salt Lake Community College. He will be graduating in December with his associates in general studies. We are hoping that he will be excepted into the University of Utah's business program. Hopefully, he will be able to start that sooner, rather than later. He is taking 4 classes this semester and seems to be doing okay. I am so proud of him. I can't imagine going back to school after taking a huge break like he did.

As for me, this school year is under way. It has been an emotional roller coaster. I have had many ups and downs throughout the past 9-10 weeks. Sometimes I really struggle with my job. It takes a huge emotional toll on someone. I adore my students. They are amazing and make everything worth it in the end. I guess I just struggle with all the other stuff...the politics, the paperwork, blah, blah, blah. Good thing I've got great little kiddos that make me smile!

As I posted last, one of my friends hosted an Adoption Benefit Yard Sale for Travis and me. I am so grateful to have such amazing people in my life. We had many people donate some great stuff and many people that attended the yard sale and purchase things, or just donate money to us. We made close to $1000.00! Crazy! It is defiantly nice to add that to our adoption fund.

As far as adoption goes, we're still just waiting. As far as we know, there has been no activity on our profile. Our case worker says that people are looking, but just not selecting us. So, we have been looking at some alternative options. Since we don't have $25,000.00, our options are somewhat limited. We have been talking about doing the foster/adopt program through the states Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS). After much discussion, thought, and prayer, we have decided to go forward with becoming lisenced to have foster children come into our home. We will start taking classes in December. We have to take 8 classes over the course of 4 weeks. It will be a sacrific to attend all 32 hours of training, but we are hopeful that we will have the desired outcome. It will most likely take some time to have a placement, just because we are interested in the 0-5 years old range, which is the most requested, and because we both work. We are hoping that the right child is out there for us. We have even talked about taking sibling groups. This way we could get 2-3 kiddos at the same time. Please keep us in your prayers as we venture through this new step! Love you all!

Benefit Yard Sale...

2010-10-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends,
One of my friends is hosting a Adoption Benefit Yard Sale for Travis and me! Here's the info:

Where: Balmoral Community grassy area (about 5800 west and 2800 south)
When: Friday, October 15, 8:00am to 2:00 pm & Saturday, October 16, 8:00 am to 11:00 am.

Please come and purchase some gently loved items and support our adoption.

Thanks so much for all the love!

We're alive...

2010-09-13T16:29:00.001-07:00

More to come, I promise!

I'm so lame

2010-06-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Seriously!!! Why do I let so much time go by before updating this? What is my problem? I don't really feel like too much has happened lately, but let me update.

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!!!

Thank goodness. I was getting so burnt! I love my students, but I was done. Now, I just have 9 more days of summer school and I'm 100% free! Fortunately, summer school is only 3 hours a day-4 days a week for 4 weeks. Plus, I only have about half of the kids, which is really nice.

Travis got a promotion at work!

He is now a team lead. It came with a raise and a schedule change. He now works from 9:30am to 6:00pm. It has been an adjustment having him not come home until later, but he is happy and loving the change and added responsibility. I am so proud of him and his accomplishments.

I'm still plugging along and doing my part for Girls Camp. It has been fun, but stressful be part of the planning process. I know that the Lord has had His hand in the planning, because things are just falling into place. When deciding on a theme, the camp director and I came up with the same theme without even discussing it...totally inspired! Also, our budget is pretty limited and we didn't think we would be able to do shirts or any other extra goodies, but we found shirts that were normally $4.99 on sale for $1.99. What a blessing! Our stake owns a screen printer that we will be able to print our shirts for pretty cheap. We are doing an Army theme camp and wanted dog tags for the girls, but everything we found was really out of our price range, until I found some that were a dollar a piece. Just watching everything fall into place is a testiment to me that the Lord knows us and even little things like Girls Camp is important to Him. I am so grateful to be part of the miracles that are happening for our little ward.

I have recently started studying the Conference April 2010 Edition of the Ensign. It is amazing to me how so much of what was taught is applicable to my personal life. I obviously did not listen very well during each session, because I am learning so much as I study each day. One talk that has really made an impression is President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk from the Priesthood session entitled "Continue in Patience."

He said:

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

That's what I need to do...endure well!

We love you all and are so grateful for your continued prayers and support!

I couldn't have said it better...

2010-05-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

Always Wishing....

2010-05-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

I am always wishing that I were better at this posting thing. I keep telling myself I need to be more consistant than I am. I guess I just don't think that much is going on that needs to be reported to whoever it is out there is reading this. Sometimes I wonder if a blog is even worth it... am I just putting random thoughts out into the world? But then I think that it has become somewhat therapeutic. I am able to get my thoughts out there and spend some time processing the events in my life...so even if no one is reading, this is for me. I have so much to learn and I think that it all starts by looking internally and finding out what I can teach myself...

Update on life...
Travis is almost done with this semester of school. His final is on Monday. He is doing well and I am so proud of the dedication that he has shown to better himself. He only has 3 or so classes left and he will be done with his associates in general studies. Then begins the process of deciding what is next. The current plan is business school at the University of Utah, but as with everything, that is subject to change.

As for me, I'm just plugging along. School is almost out---THANK GOODNESS!!! I am ready for summer. It has been a fairly easy year. My students are great, for the most part. I will miss the ones that are moving on, but I am ready for some changes.

I was recently called to be the Young Women's Assistant Camp Director. I am so excited and look forward to all the fun and hard work. I have loved getting to know the girls while helping with the Young Women's sports program, and look forward to getting to know them better.

About six weeks ago, Travis had to take me to the emergency room in the middle of the night. I was having chest pains that had started the day prior. I thought it was just heartburn, so I was taking Tums like they were going out of style. The pains gradually got worse as the day went on and it increasingly difficult to breath. We were at some friends' house playing games when I reached my breaking point. I just couldn't take it anymore. I was short of breath and in the most pain I have ever experienced in my life. Travis rushed me to the hospital and we got there shortly after midnight. They checked everything over and knew I wasn't having a heart attack or anything too serious. The doctor decided to start me on blood thinners as a prevenative measure, just in case it was a blood clot. I was taken back for CT scan and after several hours they found that I had fluid on the outside of my lungs and diagnosed me with pleurisy, which according to webmd.com is: swelling (inflammation) of the thin layers of tissue (pleura) covering the lungs and the chest wall. They prescribed me some ibuprofen and sent us on our way. It took me about 3-5 days to feel 100%. It was a really scary experience and I am grateful that it turned out to not be very serious.

Adoption update: Nothing. I have so many mixed emotions regarding our place in life. Sometimes I really am okay with our situation, or that is atleast what I like to tell myself. There are other times that I become so angry, but most of the time I am just sad. I worry that we may never get to experience to joys of parenthood in this life. I am trying to remain faithful and strengthen my testimony through this trial. There is obviously something that I need to learn through this experience, but what, I don't know. It is challenging to see everyone around us become pregnant and pretend to be okay. I am honestly happy and excited for all those who are able to have child, any child is a miracle, but am sad for our situation. I don't want to be one of those people that others feel they have to tip toe around. So, please continue to get pregnant and share your joy and your children with us.

We love you all and appreciate all the love and prayers on our behalf.

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions

shall be but a small moment."

D&C 121: 7

2010-03-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

I always say that I'm going to be better at this and post more often, but it always works out to be about a month between posts.

Not much is going on in our lives right now. Just the same old stuff. Travis is pluggin' along and school and I'm going crazy at work. Daylight Savings is so hard on my students. They were so cranky this week. We had lots of fun behaviors! Finally on Wednesday afternoon, I was so tired that I put a movie in. It gave me a few minutes of quiet.

Travis just got done with church basketball. They did pretty well, and Travis had fun. I've been playing with the women and we went to region. We played last night and unfortunatly lost, but we play again tomorrow morning. Hopefully we do well.

I've been coaching the young women in our ward. It has been fun/challenging. I want so badly for them to do well and, bless their hearts they try so hard, but just don't win. It's not all about winning, but I would like them to gain some confidence. They do have fun, and that's what counts.

We have been having so much fun babysitting our nephew, Quinton. He is getting so big! It is so awesome watching him learn and grow. We are able to watch him Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays while his parents work. He is so stinkin' cute!!!

Not much is going on with our adoption...We are still just waiting. Please remember that if you know anyone that is considering placing their baby for adoption to refer them to our profile, blog, and/or email. Also, if you would like some pass along cards, please email me your address and we'll get some out to you asap!

Thank you for all your love and support!

Adoption Pass Along Cards and an Update...

2010-02-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

We need your help! We recently got pass along cards printed and need help distibuting them. If you would like to help, please email me your address and I'll get a couple to you.

Update on our life:

The past two weeks have been an emotional roller coaster, and to be honest, I am exhausted! We began looking a getting an adoption loan. We found out that our health insurance will give us $4,000.00 after placement, and Travis will receive a employee adoption benefit for $2,000.00. Plus, the adoption tas credit for 2010 is $12,170.00. Incase you are bad at math, that is $18,170.00!!! This does not include the child tax credit, which is another $1,000.00. All of this would make an adoption loan do-able. We are still approved through LDS Family services, but we have been looking at other private agencies that would help us get a baby faster. Going through another agency would cost us a minimum of $23,500.00, which sounds like a lot, but once we get the $19,170.00 back, it really would not be that much out of pocket.
The problem that we soon realized is that getting a loan would be a lot harder than we thought. Because we bought our house before the market crashed, the value of our home has been affected, we are not able to get a home equity loan. We could get a personal loan, which means we wouldn't have to have any collateral, but the interest rate would be around 11%. The repayment time would be 36 months, but we would be able to have 80% payed off in a year or less. Anyway, that would make our payments around $800.00 per month. And unfortunately, we just don't have the extra $800.00 per month to cover the cost of a loan and the added cost of having a child.
I hope that this all makes sense and I'm not just rambling...

Moral of the story:
The only thing that is standing in the way of us being parents is money. That hit me pretty hard this past weekend. I am having a difficult time coming to terms with our situation. I thought that I was in a good place, but I guess I'm not. I have spent the past few days trying to figure out ways that we can earn the money to fund our adoption. I have decided that I would like to create a foundation. The foundation would raise money to aid couples that need help, but may not qualify for other assistance. I also want to create adoption merchandise (t-shirts, key chains, bracelets, necklaces, etc.).

I am planning on writing a book about our adoption experience. I would like to include others' stories. I am always going to the library looking for a book about the emotional side of adoption, but there is nothing there. I know that I feel better about some of the things I'm going through, if I know that someone else has felt the same way. I feel that there needs to be a book that talks about the emotional side of adoption. If you or anyone you know are affected by adoption and would like to contribute to this project please email me.

Thank you for your love and support...

2010-01-10T17:17:00.001-08:00

I am horrible at this...

2010-01-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

Really, I am always so behind at updating the blog...

So much has happened since my last post.

I took some of my students to see the Nutcracker at Capitol Theater. It was fun, crazy and stressful, but the kids seem to enjoy it. I also had my Winter recess from school. It was a much needed break and I was so grateful that it had finally arrived. Our whole school moved to a brand new building. It is so nice. The kids have adjusted well and things are almost back to normal.

During Christmas break, my family went to Zoo Lights at the Utah Hogle Zoo. It was freezing, but surprisingly fun. I didn't expect much, but I really enjoyed myself.

Christmas was fantastic...We are always so spoiled. I love being able to pick out gifts for others and seeing their reaction. The best part of the season is being with family and friends. It's always sad to see the end of the season, but kind of nice to get back to everyday life.

We haven't heard anything more about our adoption process. We're still just waiting. Sometimes it is hard, but we are continuely reminding ourselves that Heavenly Father knows us and the pure desires of our hearts and we will be blessed with children one day. We just have to be patient...

Where has the month gone?

2009-11-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

Seriously, the month of November has just flown by. I can't believe how quickly Thanksgiving came this year.

Let me take a minute to recap on everything that has been going on...

First, my birthday pasted. We had everyone (Travis's and my family)over for cake and ice cream. They surprised me with a new camera, which I LOVE!!! It was pretty funny, Travis wrapped up his dad's old 35 mm camera and had me open it. I was all sorts of confused until I looked over and saw Melissa taking pictures with a brand new Sony Cybershot. It was a very thoughful gift. I have wanted a camera for a long time. It is small enough that I can carry it in my purse. It's awesome!!!

We spent Halloween with my family. We went out to my brother and sister-in-law's house. It was fun to see the kids get so excited about dressing up. Gavin dressed up as a vampire, Bre was a witch, and Quinton was a dragon. They were so cute and it was a lot of fun to spend time with the fam...
We decided to get a Nintendo Wii for Christmas. It came about a week ago and of course we weren't about to wait for Christmas...so, we have been playing it every day. It is so much fun. What a great family game system. I recommend it to everyone!!!

We were able to spend Thanksgiving with both families. We had dinner with Travis's family and dessert with mine. We had my family over to our house. We just hung out and played Wii.

I am so grateful for this time of year. It reminds me of all the blessings I have in my life.

Thank you all for all you love and support. I hope the season is will find you healthy and happy!

Update...

2009-10-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, I really didn't mean for a month to go by before I posted again.

What's new...

School is underway. We are on week 8. Most of my students have gotten the routine down and things are going great. We still have our challenges, but over all I'm excited about the way things are going. My students are so funny. One of my kiddos thinks that the words to "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black-Eyed Peas are "I gotta girlfriend." It's pretty cute to listen to him belt it at the top of his lungs. Another one of my kids always says "Oh, my goodness, gracious, Heavenly Father." I laugh, but have to remind her that we're not praying at school. The good times/days definiatly outway the hard moments.

Travis is still trucking along at his math class. He seems to be enjoying it, mostly. He just doesn't like doing the homework. Who can blame him? He recently went to the doctor and was told that his eye is looking awesome. He says that he can almost see as well out the right eye without a prescription as he does out his left one with a prescription. He won't even know what to do when he can see so well. We are excited about his progress and hope he will be able to get a prescription soon.

This summer I planted 2 tomato plants, hoping to be able to have lots of fresh tomatoes for BLTs. Well, the first 2 plants I bought were eaten by Lexi within the first 30 minutes of being outside. I then went and got 2 more plants. We blocked them off with chicken wire. We soon got several tomatoes. This July when we went on vacation, my brother stayed with the dogs, and when we got home, ALL of my tomatoes were eaten...red and green. The plants continued to flower and, as you can see from the picture, our harvest was bountiful...okay, not really, but it was great attempt.
I'm hoping to one day have raised gardens with a fence to protect the garden from the dogs.

We are still waiting to hear anything about our adoption. We are still hopeful that it will happen soon. Please continue to pray for us and if you hear of anyone that may be considering adoption, refer them to our blog or email... travis.megan@hotmail.com

We love you all and appreciate your support!

Okay, so it's September...

2009-09-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Man, I feel like I just posted something, but turns out, it's been a while.

Update...
School started 3 weeks ago. I have great students, mostly. They each have their challenges, but for the most part I think it will be an awesome year. There have been more good day than bad days. I have 8 students ranging in ability. They are all so funny and it has been fun to get to know each of their personalities.

Travis also started school again. He is taking another math class this semester. He complains that he doesn't like it, but he is doing a great job. He is such a dedicated student. I am so proud of him.

Another month has gone by and nothing has changed with our adoption situation. We are still just waiting. 6 months down...

Thanks for you love, support, and prayers.

We're Back...

2009-08-05T11:00:00.001-07:00

We just go back from beautiful Redfish Lake, Idaho. It was so much fun. The weather was perfect! We left on Sunday, July 26 and got home Saturday, August 1. It was awesome. We meet up with Travis's brother, Seth and his family Sunday night. We slept on the river, which is about 45 minutes or so away from Redfish. We drove up to the lake on Monday morning and had to wait around for a little bit, because the campsite did not open until noon. So while waiting, we walked to the visiters center, which was closed and we also walked to the lodge/general store. When we were able to go into the campsite, we quickly set up camp and then hit the beach. Our niece, Olivia and I played in the sand for a while and built a swimming pool. It turned out looking like a big hole and didn't hold much water, but Olivia and I had a great time building it. We then tried fishing for minnows. Olivia had a big purple rope that she was hoping the minnows would bite. It didn't work, obviously, but it sure was cute watching her! Olivia and I became buddies and she was glued to my hip for the first couple days. It was a lot of fun hanging out with her.
Wednesday brought more family and excitement. Grandma and Grandpa Great came Wednesday afternoon. It is so good to see them and spend time with them. I was soon replaced as Olivia's buddy by Grandpa Great. Olivia loves Grandpa Great! On Thursday morning, Grandpa Great was in his camper by himself and Olivia said, "Grandpa Great looks lonely, I'm going to eat breakfast with him." It was so sweet!
Wednesday also brought Tashy, Sissa, and G-Jo. It was good to have the whole family together.
We spent the next fews day, hanging out in camp or on the beach. We walked to the lodge/general store daily for ice cream. We rode bikes and just enjoyed being together.

It was a lot of fun, but it was nice to get home. We missed the dogs so much and it was good to see them again. When we got home, we noticed that Lexi had some pretty bad wax build up in one of her ears, so I took her to the vet. Come to find out, she had a pretty bad ear infection. The vet said that it was the worst one that she had ever seen. She was put on antibiotics, a topical cream, and we have to wash her ears once a day with a special solution. She also received a steroid shot that helps with the itching. They said that it could be an environmental allergy that is causing it, and we should plan on washing her ears at least once a week for the rest of her life. It will be a pain, but if it keeps her healthy, we'll do it.

I return to work in 2 weeks...Where did the summer go? I can't believe that it is almost over. I am excited to get the year going and meet my new students. Hopefully, this will be a good year.

Still nothing with our adoption. We are still just waiting. Thanks for all you love and support!

Pass Along Cards

2009-07-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

We recently had Pass Along Cards printed. Basically, they are business cards that have our profile link and our email address on them. We are planning on sending these out to our family and friends for them to distribute to those that they know. This is a way for our story to get out there. I was talking to our case worker a couple weeks ago and she said that a birth mother came in with a pass along card and decided to place her baby with that couple. If you are interested in receiving a few of our cards, please email or post your address and I'll get them out to you asap.

Thanks again for you love and support.

Catching up...

2009-07-02T18:43:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that it has been so long since I have posted last...Where does the time go? I guess that I haven't written for a while, because it doesn't seem like there is much to write about.

The main things that have happened since I wrote last:
1. School's out for the summer! Ü I only have one more week of summer school and then I am completely free until the end of August.
2. Travis's vision has had a huge improvement. He went from 20/2200 (basically blind in his right eye) to 20/50. He is amazed at all that he can see.
3. We may or may not be able to go on our annual family vacation to Idaho. We are still waiting to see if Travis's supervisor is going to okay the time off. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
4. We dog-sat for my brother last weekend. They have a little shitzu maltese mix named Chubbs. He is only about 5-7 pounds and was obsessed with Lexi, who is about 55 pounds. He followed her everywhere. It was pretty funny. At first, Lexi seemed really irritated, but by the end of the weekend she acted like she enjoyed having him around.
5. We have decided that we are going to have to completely redo our yard. We thought that we might be able to save it, but after talking to our neighbors, we learned that the previous owners did not put in a sprinkling seems for five years. The weeds would grow taller than the fence at times and when they decided to move they mowed down the weeds, put the sprinklers in and layed sod on top of the weeds. It is so frustrated, because now we have to fix a problem that could have been handled when the yard was first put in. The joy of buying a previously-owned home.
6. We purchased new furniture for our front room.
We were using my sister's furniture while they were living with my parents. They recently moved into their own apartment and we decide that we should go get some stuff of our own. The sales guy at RC Willey really wanted to make the sale and I was able to talk him down on prices, so we go a screaming deal.
7. We have reached the 3 month mark on being approved for adoption. It has been a very difficult 3 months, but we're surviving. I was able to speak with our caseworker today and we are now able to see the statistics on our profile. It as been viewed over 300 times. Our caseworker did say that our profile is having good activity and is being viewed by lots of birth mothers and other caseworkers.

I guess that we have been a lot busier than I thought...

Looking back...

2009-05-24T20:55:00.001-07:00

Catching up!

2009-05-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a few weeks since I posted last, so I thought I would take a minute to update...

Travis had his cornea transplant about 2 weeks ago. It went well and the doctor says that it appears to be healing well. Travis has already noticed an improvement in his vision. He went back to work last week. He says that he is having a difficult time there because it is hard to stare at a computer screen all day, but he is adjusting.

As for me, I am so excited to see the school year winding down. I took all of my 8th graders files to the high schools this past week...that is a sign that it really is almost over. It has been a very difficult year and it will be nice to have a few weeks off. I start ESY (basically summer school) with my students on June 15 and go until July 9. It is only 3 hours a day/4 days a weeks, so it's not too bad.

As far as our adoption goes, nothing has changed. The past few weeks have been really hard on me. Travis is so strong. I ask him often if he ever gets discouraged about the whole situation. He says he does, but he is really good about being strong for me. It sometimes feels like it is never going to happen. It is frustrating because my whole life all I have ever wanted is to be a mom. I know we haven't been waiting very long, and that there are couples that wait much longer, but I am not, nor have I ever been a patient person. When I decide I want something, I want it now. I am just trying to figure out what Heavenly Father is trying to teach us and what we can gain from this trial. We continue to pray and have faith that it will happen and take it one day at a time.

Tomorrow is Travis and my 3rd Anniversary. It is crazy to think about it. It seems like we have been together so much longer. It feels like he has always been in my life. He is my best friend and I love him so much!

Nothing new...

2009-05-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

There is really nothing new to report as far as our adoption goes.

This is a portion of one of my favorite books, "Today Is Your Day" by Dr. Seuss, it kind of explains where we are at

The Waiting Place......
for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come,
or the rain to go or the phone to ring,
or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

We are defiantly just waiting...

Everything else in our lives are going well. Travis is excited to see the end of the semester. He has his final tomorrow and will be off for the summer. He is going in for surgery on Friday to have a cornea transplant in his right eye. He is looking forward to being able to see a little better, but not so excited to have surgery. It should go well, though.

I am looking forward to summer break. I love my students, but I am ready for this school year to be over. It has been very stressful, not just because of my students, but because of everything that has been going on in our lives.

We are so excited for what the future holds for us! Hopefully soon we will have a new addition. We appreciate all the countless prayers that have been said in our behalf. We love you all!

Travis's Birthday

2009-04-16T16:24:00.001-07:00

Travis is 28 today. We are having our families come over for cake and ice cream. I am so grateful for Travis. He is such a wonderful husband. I'm grateful that he honors his priesthood. A few weeks ago, I was having a difficult day, and Travis was able to give me a blessing of comfort. It really helped and I am so glad that Travis has made the choices in his life that allows him to have the priesthood. I am so thankful that we will be able to be together forever. He is so good to me and I love him very much!

No New News

2009-04-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Nothing has changed. We are still just waiting. We have heard of a few situations that may be benefical for us, but nothing has been confirmed. I feel that at this point, we are in a good spot. We are still living our lives in hopes that it will happen quickly, but we still have to continue on.

Approved...for real

2009-03-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

We received official word on Thursday, that we are approved for adoption. Our profile has been published and birth parents are able to start viewing it. We are so excited and now all we can do is wait. We are going to continue to get our names and story out there and hopefully we will have a new addition to our family soon. If you would like to check out our profile or know anyone that is considering placing their baby for adopt please refer them to our profile:

https://beta.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/22586199/ourMessage.jsf

We love you all and are so thankful for all your love and support.

Approved...

2009-03-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

well, not yet, but soon. We received word yesterday that our case will be presented to the adoption board on Monday, March 9. We are so excited and are hoping that all goes well. Our case worker said that she doesn't think there is any reason that we won't be approved. Please keep us in your prayers.

Where did the time go?

2009-02-26T20:42:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that so much time has gone by since I wrote anything. Last weekend, Travis and I went to our adoption training class. It was really good. It was overwhelming/discouraging to see how many couples where trying to adopt. It made me question if we will ever get a baby. I realize that is Satan discouraging me. He is doing everything in his power to destroy the family. I know that we will have kids, it's just a matter of when. We have already been so blessed and I know that Heavenly Father won't deny us this blessing.

At the training, they had 3 panels; couple who have adopted, adults who were adopted, and birth parents who have placed their babies for adoption. It was really eye-opening. Having the birth parents come and talk about their stories was amazing. I don't know if I was being nieve or what, but see them and listening to them made it all connect. In order for us to have a baby, someone has to, for lack of a better word, lose a baby. I can't even begin to imagine the courage that it takes to reach this decision. I know when we finally are selected, there will be special place in my heart for our birth mother.

We should find out in the next week or so if we are approved and then it's just waiting. We wait to be picked. We hope that we won't have to wait too long, but we have prepared ourselves for long haul.

Thank you to all our family and friends for your love and support. This would be a much tougher journey without you...

More to come

A new addition

2009-02-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

We got a new dog!!! She is so adorable. Her name is Lexi and she has so much energy. I forgot how hyper they are when they are young. She is a one year old pit bull. Cameron is adjusting well and actually seems to really enjoy having her here. Lexi is crazy and we love her. She is afraid of the stairs and did not like the hallway at first. It took her several hours before she would even attempt to go down the hall. I found her on KSL classified. We weren't really looking to get another dog, but I was just browsing to see what there was. I found a picture of this adorable puppy and decided to call on her. Turns out that one of the kids in the family developed severe allergies and the family was no longer able to keep Lexi. She had a great home and they took really good care of her and were sad to see her go. Lucky for us, we have her! It is going to take some time to adjust, but I think it will be a great situation for everyone.

2009-02-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

I feel like I always get on here and say that there is nothing new going on...which is seems to be true most of the time. Today is not much different. I have started to have the nervous-exciting feelings that come along with a baby. Sometimes I panic and worry that we may not be able to provide for a child. Other times I get so excited that I can hardly stand it. I really hope that we get chosen soon, but know that it's in the Lord's hands and we will be blessed with a child when the time is right.

No news

2009-01-26T19:49:00.000-08:00

You know what they say...no news is good news. Not much has happened in the past week. We're just pluggin' along.

Today was the first day of the 2nd semester at school...that means I'm half-way done with this school year. I am so ready for summer break! This has been a very difficult year. I don't know if it's because of the kids or because of all the stress that has been going on in our personal lives. Probably it is a combination of both. My students are great...most of the time. There are moments that I really wonder why I got into Special Ed. It is rewarding, but so draining. I think finding out that we can't have kids has added to the stress this year. I don't think I have cried so much in my life as I have the past few months. All of this will be worth it though...one day, hopefully soon, we will be choosen by a birthmother and we will able to add to our family.

More to come...

So close!

2009-01-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

It's true...we are so close to being approved for adoption. We had our home study this past week. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was surprised how easy and quickly it went. Our case worker and the director of adoptions came to our house and asked a few questions about it. They then walked through and that was it. They had us show them where things were like the CO2 and fire detectors, the fire extinguisher, the gun, and the lock box. We had to go buy a few things to the we could pass the home study. We had to purchase a trigger lock for Travis's shotgun and a lock box for the ammo. They also gave suggestions for child-proofing the house at a later date, things like putting a cabinet lock on our cleaning products and a child gate on the stairs. It seems like a lot of things to do, but it will be worth it and I think that our willingness to get it done shows how dedicated we are to the process. Our case worker keeps telling us that we are on top of things and getting everything done fast, and we just tell her that we really want a child and want to be approved as quickly as possible. Our adoption training course is in just a few weeks, so after we attend that our case is presented to the board and then we should be approved. And then...we wait to be selected. We are hoping that we won't have to wait too long, but we are prepared for the long haul. We will wait as long as we have to to start our family. We are so grateful to be surrounded by such great family and friends. They are our strength and have provide more comfort and love then we could have even imagined. We love you all!

Adoption News

2009-01-09T21:34:00.000-08:00

Well, things are moving along. Travis had his interview with our case worker this last week. Then we have our home study this next Thursday. All we have left is turning in a few more documents and attending the adoption training classes. The classes are Febuary 20 and 21. Then after that, our application is presented to the board and then we should be approved. I can't believe how quickly things are moving along. Not to much longer and then the waiting game will start. After we have been approved the next step is to wait and hope that our profile is shown to lots of birthparents or try to get our names out there so that people know we are adopting. That is where you come in. If you know anyone that is considering placing their baby for adoption please direct them to our blog. As I mentioned in a previous post, 33% of adoptions facilitated by LDS Family Services are direct adoptions, meaning the adoptive parents find the birth parents or vice versa. Any help spending our names and story would be greatly appreciated.

I want to also take this opportunity to thank our families and friends for all their love and support through this process. It has been very difficult, I am so grateful that we have such wonderful people that surround us, building us up. Travis and I have truly been blessed.

Happy Holidays

2009-01-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe how fast the holiday season has come and gone... We had an awesome Christmas and were completely spoiled by our families. I found a Superman cardboard cut-out for Travis and he loved it, and as you can see by the picture, he couldn't stop smiling! Travis's family came to our house Christmas morning. We had breakfast together and then started opening presents. Olivia was a lot of fun to watch. She was so excited about everything. Everyone got great stuff...lots of multiples, but it was still so much fun.

We went to my parents house in the afternoon. It was crazy. We were going to just open one present and then eat and then finish opening presents after lunch, but the kids, Gavin and Bre, were so into it, so we just kept going until there was nothing under the tree. We spent the rest of the day just hanging out and eating. We got out the traditional Christmas puzzle and started to work on it. It's a tough one and I gave up pretty quick.

We were spent New Year's Eve at the traditional party with some of Travis's high school friends. It was a lot of fun. We ate and did a white elephant exchange (Travis got an amazing vase that is in the shape of a bust...I just have to figure out where I'm going to put it), played Wii, and mostly just got caught up on everyone's lives. It's crazy when you only see everyone every couple of months how much changes. The kids are growing up so fast. Even though, Travis has been out of school for almost 10 years, his buddies are as tight as ever. I first met everyone at the New Year's Eve party 3 years ago and they have excepted me with open arms, and I have become close to many of Travis's friends. It has been a crazy holiday season, but I'm sad to see it come to an end.

Our adoption is moving along. I had my individual interview this week. I meet with my case worker and another case worker and we talked about my life, my marriage, and many other things. The next step is for Travis to have his interview and then the home study. Then we just need to get some paper work done and attend the Adoption Training classes, then we should be approved. And then we just wait...hopefully we won't have to wait too long, but we'll wait as long as we need to. More to come!

Long time...

2008-12-17T16:55:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I have written anything...it's crazy how fast the time goes. Not much has changed, we're just busy trying to get ready for Christmas. I love shopping for others and anticipating their reactions. I love the joy that Christmas brings. It's crazy to think that Christmas will be here in a week! I'm so excited to spend time with family and friends.

Festival of Trees

2008-12-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

This week I went with my family to the opening night of Festival of Trees. My mom has donated a tree for the past few years. We have made it a tradition to go together and go out to dinner before or after. It is defiantely a good way to get everyone in the Christmas spirit. I was also able to take my students to see the trees on Friday. I thought that they would enjoy it more than they did, but it still was a fun and successful field trip. They did like to listen to the music and a couple of them got a glimpse of Santa. It was long day, but worth it. When I got home, I just crashed.

2008-12-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

It is finally the Christmas season. We bought a new tree on Friday...I actually braved "Black Friday" to get it. I know, every once and a while I get a crazy idea. It wasn't so bad, though. Marlee and I first went to Lowe's to see if they still had the tree that I wanted, but they were all gone. We then decided to go to Wal-mart. The parking lot was packed. We decided to park on the street to avoid the mess. It took me a few minutes to decide on a tree, but once I did, we got out as quickly as possible. We got there at around 6:30 am and I was home and back in bed by 8:00 am. Later, after we had taken a nap we ran to Sam's Club because they had some ornaments that I wanted, but they were all gone, so I found some silver ornaments. I also found some ribbon that I love. It is brown with silver trim. I found a cute star at the Quilted Bear. I wasn't able to find a tree skirt that I liked so I went to the fabric store and made one myself. I think it turned out pretty well.

Travis spend Saturday putting lights on the house. He did a great job! I love seeing all the lights. I remember as a little girl going with my dad and grandpa on Christmas Eve to see Christmas lights while my mom and grandma got all the last minute Christmas things finished. Decorations are such a small part of the season, but defiantly bring the Spirit of Christmas.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T15:09:00.001-08:00

I am so grateful that it is Thanksgiving. I love this time of year, for the most part. I was able to go shopping with my mom and sister today and it is so awesome to feel the holiday spirit everywhere you go. Some places are crazy, everyone is trying to get all their holiday goodies and sometimes they aren't very nice, but for the most part people are nicer around this time of year. I wish that everyone would carry the spirit of Christmas year round.

We met with our case worker yesterday. She is very nice and helpful. I am super excited about everything, but I am also nervous and overwhelmed. I just want to make sure that we do things right and that we don't screw it up somehow. Part of me is scared that they might say the we can't we approved for adoption because of some crazy reason...I don't know what could cause us to be denied, but I'm still stressed about it. I guess that this is something that I have wanted for so long that I just want everything to go smoothly.

New pictures...

2008-11-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

I know that I just posted something yesterday, but Travis and I got some new pictures taken a few weeks ago and I just got them back today and I'm excited to share them. Thanks, KP, for taking our pictures...you are a rock star!

We have decided not to get a new dog...as much as I want one, we just feel that with all that is going on in our crazy lives right now, it's just not the right time. Maybe one day, after we know what is going on with the whole adoption situation.

Another day...

2008-11-23T18:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't really have much to write today. Not much has changed in our lives over the past few days. We did go to Petsmart on Saturday and found a dog that we are considering adopting. He is a beautiful 1 1/2 year old baby boy! He is so sweet. We introduce him to Cameron and for the most part they did really well. I would image that it would get better with time. We are not sure though if adopting him at this point in our lives is an option. Mostly, Travis is nervous because he did not grow up having dogs, where I grew up with multiple dogs and often other animals, including rabbits, fish, lizards, and hamsters. I think that he would make a great addition to our family, but ultimately we need to come to a decision together.

As far as adopting a human baby, not much has changed. Travis did receive a message from our case worker to set up our intake interview, but has been unable to get hold of her due to her part-time employment status. Hopefully, we'll hear from her tomorrow or the sometime this week.

Update...

2008-11-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

Not much has changed over the last few days. I am finally feeling better and Travis is looking forward to the end of the semester. I know that he needs a break from school. We're excited for the upcoming holidays. This is the best time of year. It is so much fun to be surrounded by our families. It is crazy and hectic, but we love it. I'm so glad that we were able to find a home that is close to our families. It is really awesome to have such a great support network and to be able to maintain good relationships with our families. We are really lucky to have such great families that we can call friends!

It finally all caught up with me...

2008-11-13T05:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I think all the stress that I have been feeling from work and everything else has finally caught up with me. I have had a cold for the last few days. I think my body has been telling me to slow down for a few weeks, but I haven't been listening...now it's forcing me to slow down!

There is no new news on the adoption front. I know that our references have been contacted and so I would assume that we will hear from the agency soon. I have been thinking about something that we were told in the adoption orientation a few weeks ago. They said that about 33% of the adoptions that LDS Family Services facilitates are considered what they call "Direct Adoption." This mean that the adoptive family finds the birth parents or vice versa. I have been thinking about this, and I think that this is the primary reason I started the blog...to get our story and faces out there. Also, for all those who read this, if you know of anyone that is considering placing their child for adoption, please refer them to our blog...

Starting out...

2008-11-07T21:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I am not very good at writing, but I felt that this would be a good way to express the thoughts and feelings that I am experiencing at this time in my life, and to allow everyone to come along for the ride!

Let me start at the beginning,

Some of you know that Travis and I have been trying to have a baby for the last year and a half. After meeting with many doctors, specialist included, we found out on October 21th, that the only way that we could be able to have a baby is by doing in virto fertilization, which is something that we are not comfortable with at this point in our lives. We have decided to apply for adoption. I know that children will come to our home regardless of the way and I'm so excited/scared for what the future holds. I know that this is going to be a long process, but it will be worth it.

We went to an adoption orientation through LDS Family Services last week, and we feel that this is the best option for us right now. We turned our application in on Wednesday and we are so excited to see what the future holds for us.