I'm Giving Up My Shoe Budget For Something Much, Much Better

Howdy Y'all!

Most of you know that we are going through the adoption process - and this week was a BIG week for us. We have been activated for about 10 months - which means our profile is out there where potential birth moms can view it.  Over the past 10 months, I have tried not to think about it too often because waiting can be so hard.

Back in December, our specialist that we have been working with at the agency told us about a birth mom that was interested in us, but that she was higher than our budget.  We said we would be interested and were told they would send out a social worker to visit with her to make sure she was committed to an adoption plan.

Fast forward to Tuesday of this week - I was kind of getting discouraged because we were getting to the end of January and I thought maybe the birth mom had changed her mind so I send an email to our specialist just to inquire if they made contact with her or if she had changed her mind.  When we received the email back which stated that they had made contact and another person from the agency would be contacting us about a match!  Tony and I both got excited - this is what we had been waiting for.

On Wednesday, I was at work - and it was BUSY!  I was on the phone with one of my co-workers discussing work of all things when my cell phone started ringing.  I didn't recognize the number (and it was a local number) so I wasn't anticipating it to be about the adoption since they are based out of Kansas City. As I listened to the voicemail that was left, Lara was explaining to me that she wanted to get in touch with us about a match and to call her back.  Now, I felt it was becoming more and more real.  When I say I was BUSY on Wednesday, I really mean that I was BUSY.  But, how do I not stop everything that I was doing and return this phone call.  We learned on Wednesday that our birth mom was due on March 12th - this is only 6 weeks away!!!  Nerves kick in - and I am not sure that I heard another word that Lara said after she got started.

That afternoon, she sent us over the cost of the adoption and the medical records for our birth mom.  We reviewed them Wednesday night and decided this is the baby for us.  We got all the paperwork signed and notarized on Thursday and today we wired the funds to the agency.

Today, I asked if they knew the gender of the baby - and it is a GIRL.  So, my shoe budget, which helps me buys lots and lots of shoes each year, has now been slashed - and I couldn't be more thrilled about it.  I can't wait to fill up the closet, the drawers, buy enough bows to last a lifetime.

Sometimes it is still hard to believe that in less than seven weeks time, Tony and I will be traveling to upstate New York to pick up a precious baby girl that we can call our own.  Her name will be Kinley Aline Poll - Kinley is a name my best friend Laura had picked out for her baby girl - but, God has blessed her with two boys - so she is letting me use the name.  Aline is a family name that has been in the family for 3 generations and Kinley will be the 4th.

I love that I will be able to shower this little baby with tons of love just like my parents did for me when they adopted me and took me home from the hospital at 2 days old.  They were great role models of how to treat an adopted child - which is no differently at all.  I always felt the same as my brother and sister - and never different.  While Kinley won't have anything to compare to, she will be loved no less than a biological child.

We love her already - and can't wait to meet her in March.

Toodles!

Food Oddities

Howdy Y'all!

I know that I have shared before about my pickiness when it comes to food...however, this one is about something completely different.

Do you have foods and/or drinks that you only have at certain places or certain times?  Well, here are a few of my examples:

• Ginger Ale: I really love Ginger Ale, but I ONLY drink it on airplanes.  And, what I love the most is that my friend Rhonda is exactly the same way!  I thought I was the only crazy person.

• Chicken in a Biscuit Crackers:  I really do love the way these days, but I haven't had them in years and years and years.  Ya know why...because, I only ate them at church camp and I have been there since I was in college.  Maybe I need to go to Pineywoods again so I can get a taste of those yummy crackers again.

• Laffy Taffy Sticks (preferably Banana):  When I drive back to Arkansas from Texas (and only on the journey back), I have to stop and get two Laffy Taffy Sticks.  Am I a weirdo?

On another food note - when I eat chips, I have my favorites that I have to eat last.  No, my favorite has nothing to do with the flavor of chip or the kind of chip...my favorite kind of chip is a folded chip.  I don't know why they are so special...I just love them!

Seriously, doesn't this picture look tasty??  Look at all those folded chips in there.

Next time you eat one of these items, hopefully you think about how silly I am.  :)

Toodles!

Memories of a Great Man...

As many of you all know - my granddad, Louis Gene Cooper, passed away on Saturday morning.  Luckily, I already had plans to be in Texas this weekend to celebrate the upcoming birth of Kenley Vasek, my college roommate's daughter, so I was able to spend Thursday night and most of Friday at the hospital with him and the rest of his family.  As sad as it was to see him dying, it was nice getting together with my grandmother, his 5 daughters and most of his 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren and sharing the memories that we have of him.

I love how my granddad always greeting me (or any of the grandchildren) with "Hey Gal" or "Look Who the Cat Drug In".  However, as long as I can remember he has been hard of hearing - so, when you answered him, he always said, "Huh?"  I loved how it was standard...but, we got used to it and we just had to remember to talk a little (or a lot) louder.  :)

My granddad ALWAYS carried around change in his pocket...and he loved to rattle his change in his pocket.  You always knew when he was in the room because of the sound that he made with that change.  Probably because my grandmother was around him 24/7, this sound would get on her nerves and she would always say, "Gene, stop rattling the change."

He loved to play 42 (dominos), he would play with my dad and uncles after the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.  He was an amazing dominos player - and his team would usually win.  I was lucky enough to learn how to play 42 and was able to play with him at least once.

Granddaddy was also a country Baptist preacher - and he officiated one of my cousins weddings.  He started praying during the wedding, then realized he had missed a song that was going to be sang, so he stopped in the middle of his prayer.  We all kind of giggled and laughed - and those are the kind of memories that we all loved about him.

He was really a great man and was loved by many.  He will certainly be missed - but, we all know that he is in a better place now.  As my niece Hailey said, "Why are you all sad?  We ARE going to see Granddad again in Heaven."

Love you granddad.