There is no rest for the weary. And I am weary. :)
I have been on summer "break" for 2 weeks now. I had 2 meetings at work already, and a full week of an Educational Leadership class for my Principal and Director of Instruction license. Today I sat to down to finish some homework and have the rest of this week before kicking it in to summer school gear next week.
Josh is going to a county camp program this summer 4 hours per day. It is wonderful to have some routine for him. They pick him up and drop him off at home. He is also enjoying a new hobby of magnet fishing with his friends. He gets to ride in the 4th of July parade with a friend of his - that will be fun.
Chris is working at a golf course for the summer, so he gets some part time hours while he isn't driving school bus.
We will be spending a few days up north in August and celebrating Josh's 11th birthday.
Life doesn't slow down, does it? My lazy days are few and far between.
Monday, June 24, 2019
Monday, March 11, 2019
worst blogger ever
Over 3 years since my last post - gosh!! I can't promise to do better in the future...but here's an update...
in May of 2018, we moved to a beautiful new home in a small town just north of where we were living before. This house is perfect for us, and we love our neighborhood.
Chris is still driving school bus and is looking for some seasonal work to keep him busy for the summer. He enjoys being the "neighborhood dad" and loves having lots of kids over to play in the pool and in the basement, where he has sectioned off an area for Josh. He has some good friends he likes to play video games with on the weekends.
I am still teaching 4th grade. This fall I will be starting work on my principal and director of instruction licensure, in hopes of being out of the classroom in the next 5 years. I love singing on the worship team at church, and have a few close friends I love to be with. I also recently earned my red belt in karate.
Josh is in 4th grade and attends a charter school in Madison designed to help meet some of his unique needs. We are so blessed to have a team of professionals working with us to help him be successful.
in May of 2018, we moved to a beautiful new home in a small town just north of where we were living before. This house is perfect for us, and we love our neighborhood.
Chris is still driving school bus and is looking for some seasonal work to keep him busy for the summer. He enjoys being the "neighborhood dad" and loves having lots of kids over to play in the pool and in the basement, where he has sectioned off an area for Josh. He has some good friends he likes to play video games with on the weekends.
I am still teaching 4th grade. This fall I will be starting work on my principal and director of instruction licensure, in hopes of being out of the classroom in the next 5 years. I love singing on the worship team at church, and have a few close friends I love to be with. I also recently earned my red belt in karate.
Josh is in 4th grade and attends a charter school in Madison designed to help meet some of his unique needs. We are so blessed to have a team of professionals working with us to help him be successful.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
2016 update
Time flies by so fast...it's hard to believe it is already 2016.
Here's a few things to report...
CHRIS - is past another knee replacement, and on to bigger and better things. He started a new job recently driving school bus and seems much happier than before. He looks forward to a relatively pain free year.
RACHEL - I continue working hard at my job teaching 4th grade. I was blessed to have a student teacher this first semester - which is a lot of work, but very rewarding. I also adore singing on our worship team at church and helping out in other areas. I started karate this October and am testing for my gold belt this week.
JOSHUA - we made it past a rough patch at the beginning of this school year. He is doing much better now in 1st grade with all of the support and help that he receives. We still struggle some regulating his behavior (ADHD) and anxiety needs, but God helps us everyday. He is a rascal - but a sweetheart as well.
IN OTHER NEWS - not much is going on. 2015 was a rough year for us, as Chris was off work for the last 4 months of the year. We had a few health scares as well, and have been learning how to manage Joshua's mental health and medical needs.
We still hope for another baby to come to our family this year. Our adoption profile is being shown next week and we hope that it might result in a match for us. I can't help but dream a bit whenever I know our profile will be shown, even though the chances are small. There are 25 waiting couples at our agency, and every one of us wants a baby just as badly. We trust God for His perfect will and timing. In the meantime....a quote from one of my favorite characters:
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| Estelle Schiek Photography |
Here's a few things to report...
CHRIS - is past another knee replacement, and on to bigger and better things. He started a new job recently driving school bus and seems much happier than before. He looks forward to a relatively pain free year.
RACHEL - I continue working hard at my job teaching 4th grade. I was blessed to have a student teacher this first semester - which is a lot of work, but very rewarding. I also adore singing on our worship team at church and helping out in other areas. I started karate this October and am testing for my gold belt this week.
JOSHUA - we made it past a rough patch at the beginning of this school year. He is doing much better now in 1st grade with all of the support and help that he receives. We still struggle some regulating his behavior (ADHD) and anxiety needs, but God helps us everyday. He is a rascal - but a sweetheart as well.
IN OTHER NEWS - not much is going on. 2015 was a rough year for us, as Chris was off work for the last 4 months of the year. We had a few health scares as well, and have been learning how to manage Joshua's mental health and medical needs.
We still hope for another baby to come to our family this year. Our adoption profile is being shown next week and we hope that it might result in a match for us. I can't help but dream a bit whenever I know our profile will be shown, even though the chances are small. There are 25 waiting couples at our agency, and every one of us wants a baby just as badly. We trust God for His perfect will and timing. In the meantime....a quote from one of my favorite characters:
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Easter
I haven't written in a while. Life is so busy, time just gets away from me. We find ourselves approaching Easter tomorrow. I'm in a bit of a funk, I think. This is the time last year that we first learned of Carolyn and I've been thinking about her a lot lately. Josh is doing well, but we've been having a few struggles. Work is very busy and other activities are pressing me for time. I feel quite overwhelmed much of the time.
I think Jesus must have been overwhelmed at the cross. If you've seen The Passion of the Christ, then you have a small idea of what it must have been like. I watched it last night and was reminded anew of how suffering was heaped upon his shoulders, one thing after another. And yet - He overcame. And because He overcame, I have hope. Hope that my funk will not last forever. Hope that there is another baby for our family. Hope that Josh will turn out all right in the end. Hope that for all of my striving and strain, there is peace on the other side.
In Christ alone my hope is found. He is risen!
I think Jesus must have been overwhelmed at the cross. If you've seen The Passion of the Christ, then you have a small idea of what it must have been like. I watched it last night and was reminded anew of how suffering was heaped upon his shoulders, one thing after another. And yet - He overcame. And because He overcame, I have hope. Hope that my funk will not last forever. Hope that there is another baby for our family. Hope that Josh will turn out all right in the end. Hope that for all of my striving and strain, there is peace on the other side.
In Christ alone my hope is found. He is risen!
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Honesty
I recently visited a new place. It wasn't planned, and I hope to never go there again. It's the place of anger and bitterness. I've spent the last month or so locked in a battle of wills against myself. All those pieces of me that I usually keep well tucked away have been rearing their ugly heads. I think that's what anger and bitterness do - they shove everything else out so they can take over.
"God, this was a bad decision. You did the wrong thing. I don't see any good in this situation - for anyone, us, Carolyn, her birth parents..." I finally said it...finally told God how I really feel. I told Him how mad I was at Him, how I didn't believe Him when He said he worked for my good. I told Him I was having a hard time trusting Him.
He heard me. That I know for sure. He heard. And He is love. He loves me.
The battle I've been fighting? It's not over. I still don't understand. I'm still not sure why. I still feel angry...but I don't think I'm living in anger anymore. I chose this weekend to let the anger go. I placed this situation - the cause of my sorrow and heartache - in a chair, looked at it, and then chose to watch it walk away.
Remember in the movie the Neverending Story - when the horse sinks into the Swamps of Sadness? He lets the sorrow overtake him and gets stuck and ends up dying in the swamp. Carolyn is always in my thoughts... I wish I knew she was ok. Truth is, from the few things I have heard, there is cause for concern. And that makes it harder. Harder to trust that He has things under control.
I've never been in a place like this before. I've always been able to see hope in the midst of despair and see how the situation was for the good. This one has changed me. There is something changed in my relationship with God. A distance. I don't like it and I'm trying to find my way back.
"God, this was a bad decision. You did the wrong thing. I don't see any good in this situation - for anyone, us, Carolyn, her birth parents..." I finally said it...finally told God how I really feel. I told Him how mad I was at Him, how I didn't believe Him when He said he worked for my good. I told Him I was having a hard time trusting Him.
He heard me. That I know for sure. He heard. And He is love. He loves me.
The battle I've been fighting? It's not over. I still don't understand. I'm still not sure why. I still feel angry...but I don't think I'm living in anger anymore. I chose this weekend to let the anger go. I placed this situation - the cause of my sorrow and heartache - in a chair, looked at it, and then chose to watch it walk away.
Remember in the movie the Neverending Story - when the horse sinks into the Swamps of Sadness? He lets the sorrow overtake him and gets stuck and ends up dying in the swamp. Carolyn is always in my thoughts... I wish I knew she was ok. Truth is, from the few things I have heard, there is cause for concern. And that makes it harder. Harder to trust that He has things under control.
I've never been in a place like this before. I've always been able to see hope in the midst of despair and see how the situation was for the good. This one has changed me. There is something changed in my relationship with God. A distance. I don't like it and I'm trying to find my way back.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Next steps
After much deliberation and prayer, Chris and I have decided to keep our home study and license open and apply for domestic infant adoption with our adoption agency. We had a taste of what it would be like to have 2 kids, and Josh was such a wonderful big brother. We really didn't feel like things were over and the door was still open.
So - with the remaining money in the account that was earmarked for Carolyn, and the refund from the unused attorney funds, we had exactly enough to pay the rest of the agency fees to become a "waiting family". What this means is our information, including pictures, is on file with the agency, and when expecting moms come to the agency to make an adoption plan, they may look at our profile and perhaps choose to meet us and have us parent their baby. It's the same process we went through with Josh. Lots of uncertainty, but we believe this is what God is calling us to do right now.
I am in the process of applying for adoption grants, as there is another large sum due upon placement of a child in our home, which could really be anywhere from now until 2 years from now. Adoption grants will help us gather that money together so we are ready when we need it. We are also working on our profile information which is what moms will see when they are looking to choose a family.
Please continue to pray for us - these are big decisions with long term effects. We want to do what God is calling us to and honor Him with our family and our lives. We still love and miss baby Carolyn - but are confident that God is holding her close.
So - with the remaining money in the account that was earmarked for Carolyn, and the refund from the unused attorney funds, we had exactly enough to pay the rest of the agency fees to become a "waiting family". What this means is our information, including pictures, is on file with the agency, and when expecting moms come to the agency to make an adoption plan, they may look at our profile and perhaps choose to meet us and have us parent their baby. It's the same process we went through with Josh. Lots of uncertainty, but we believe this is what God is calling us to do right now.
I am in the process of applying for adoption grants, as there is another large sum due upon placement of a child in our home, which could really be anywhere from now until 2 years from now. Adoption grants will help us gather that money together so we are ready when we need it. We are also working on our profile information which is what moms will see when they are looking to choose a family.
Please continue to pray for us - these are big decisions with long term effects. We want to do what God is calling us to and honor Him with our family and our lives. We still love and miss baby Carolyn - but are confident that God is holding her close.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
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