Monday, July 19, 2010

Do Something!

I feel like I have little control over what happens in the world.  I am not a great leader of a big company or organization.  I don't create policy or laws.  I am just an average housewife, in an average neighborhood, in an average size town in Texas. What can I really do to make a difference in any one's life long term?  I try to think seriously about that question often and one topic I keep coming back to is adoption.  Scripture gives us clear instructions when it come to widows and orphans- make a difference in their lives long term!  How can I do that?  I don't know all the answers to that question.  Honestly there is a part of me that is a little scared to dig too deep into the issue.  I am afraid God will call me to adopt 17 children.  Right now I am wondering if/when we should even have 2!  But while God and I are discussing how I can be obedient to him in this area I still want to do something.  I don't have to adopt 17 children today to make a difference today.  One way I can make a difference is by spending my dollars in places that make a difference in the lives of orphans.  One place I spend money is on running races.  Now, I don't spend a lot compared to some, but I did sign up for at least 2 big races a year.  They usually cost $50-$100.  Where does that money go?  Often it goes to a "good cause", but sometimes it goes back to the race.  I have decided that I want to do races that not only benefit a "good cause" but benefit causes that are close to my heart.  I just want to think critically about where I am spending my racing dollars.  That doesn't mean I won't do some races that are just for fun, but I just want to think about it before I spend.  

This process has led me and my hubby to decided not to do the San Antonio Rock N' Roll Half Marathon as we have done the past two years, but instead to do the Chosen: Marathon for Adoption Half Marathon.  It is the goal of the race directors that all money raised by the race goes directly to families who are in the adoption process.  A process that can be very costly to families.  I am excited to be running for such a great cause- a cause that is close to my heart.  Who knows.  Maybe one day I will be of the families who will benefit from the run. 

My training has started.  I want to take a short video each week to mark my progress and give a short update.  Look for those soon.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

A Toddler Lives Here!

Our little girl turned one recently! Can you believe it? It gave me a chance to reflect on the year that has passed. I realized that I have not shared the story of her birth. The reason is that all four people who read my blog were there or have heard it already, but MGM may want to read it some day, so here goes!

Dear MGM,

Your BIRTHday was a very special day in the lives of your mommy and daddy, as well as the rest of the family. You mommy had a wonderful pregnancy. She was never sick and was able to workout all the way until the very end. She was healthy and felt beautiful pregnant. She traveled to Indonesia, taught school, and planned and directed camp. I think camp may be what did her in, though, because you were not due until July 13, but you come on June 28. Here's how it happened.

On June 26 camp was over and your Aunt Andi was picking up Julianna from our house. Julianna had come to stay with us for the week so she could go to camp. I told Aunt Andi I felt like you might be ready to come, but I wasn't sure. I called my doctor to see if she thought it might be time for you to be born, but she was out of town visiting her family, so she asked me to go to the hospital so they could check and see if you were ready to be born. That made me a little nervous because Daddy had gone out of town. He was doing a big triathlon on Sunday morning in Lubbock. I wanted to go with him, but Dr. Grimes said I shouldn't go unless I was okay with you being born in Lubbock. Lubbock was a long way from your Grandma, Grandpa, Bella, and Papa D, so I decided to stay here. When I called Daddy to tell him I was going to the hospital to let them check on you he stopped in Brownwood in case he needed to turn around and come home. After several hours of checking the nurses and doctor at the hospital said you were not ready yet and I should go home. They did tell me to try to rest a bit because it wouldn't be long an becoming a mommy takes lots of energy.

Aunt Andi, Julianna, and Melody went home that night, but then on Saturday they returned to help me get ready for your arrival because they were going to be in Florida on your due date seeing Uncle Jason, who had been in Iraqi for 6 months. All Saturday we baked, cleaned, and hung up the decorations for your room. We all went to bed Saturday night tired. I was going to start resting up for your arrival starting Sunday. I was going to take naps and read books. I was going to take it easy, but God had other plans.

About 3am on Sunday morning I my tummy started hurting a little bit. I thought it was strange, but I went back to sleep. Soon my tummy was kind of hurting a little bit every 10 minutes. I knew that meant you might be ready to be born, but it also might mean you were not quite ready yet, so I didn't know what to do. I decided I should pack a bag to go to the hospital just in case. I didn't know if I should call your daddy or not. He was about to start his big race. I knew I had just a little bit of time to catch him before he started. Once the race started it would be very hard to get in touch with him. I prayed and ask God to help me know if it was time for daddy to come home or if he could do his race. I was trying to listen and see what God said when Aunt Andi woke up and asked me how I was feeling. Just then you let us know you were ready to be born really soon because my water broke. I called Daddy and told him to come home quick.

Daddy had just taken his bike down off the bike rack of the car when I called. He put the bike back on the car and asked the man parking cars if they could stop the flow of traffic and let him drive out because his baby was on the way! Jason had ridden with Daddy to Lubbock so he drove Daddy to the airport where Daddy got on a plane and flew into Austin in time for your birth. We are so thankful for cell phones and airplanes!

While Daddy was going to the airport I called Aunt Jackie to say you were on your way. It was very early in the morning and you know "Aunt Jackie" doesn't do early mornings well, but she was awake after I said you were on your way! She came over to watch Julianna and Melody while Aunt Andi and I went to the hospital.

Once we arrived at the hospital the nurses checked to see if everything was going well. It was! You were going to be born soon! I wanted to try to have you without taking any medication because I wanted you and I to both be as alert as possible when the special moment we had been waiting more than 9 months for finally came, so when the nurses tried to give me medicine to speed up your birth I said no. God has been allowing babies to come into the world a long time without medicine, so I didn't think I needed it since everything was going so well.

Not long after getting settled into our room at the hospital people came to visit, Grandma, Bella, G.G. Moore. I was not really in a visiting mood. I was having contractions and though they were not bad yet I did not want to host a party in my room with people taking pictures! Having a baby is not your prettiest moment. They stayed until your daddy arrived from Lubbock. Then I had everyone but Aunt Andi and Daddy leave.

The next several hours were full of hard work, but Aunt Andi and Daddy helped me relax and as best I could enjoy the process of your arrival. I even fell asleep once! Soon I felt like it was time for you to be born. I told Daddy. He went and told the nurse, but she wasn't sure that was the case, because if it was time for you to be born that would be really fast. But when the doctor passed by she checked on us and sure enough it was time!

You surprised the hospital staff with how quickly you wanted to be born so they had to hurry and get everything ready. They got everything ready and here you came! You were beautiful! A gift from God! The doctor handed you to me and you began to nurse, but soon you stopped. The lights were still dim in the room so I couldn't see you very well. I said to Daddy, "She is either slepping or not breathing." He could tell by the little light we had that you had turned grey, so we called the nurses and they said you had stopped breathing. That made Mommy's heart skip a lot of beats. They quickly started working on you to make sure you were okay. You were fine. Sometimes brand new babies can't do too much at once and you were trying to suck, swallow, and breathe. You just forgot to breathe!

They whisked you off to the nursery at to do some more checking and make sure everything was fine. Daddy and everyone else went with you. I was left alone. I missed you terribly while you were gone, even though it was just for a little while.

Soon we were all back together, you, me and Daddy, starting our happy lives together now as a family of 3! We love you MGM. We are so glad you that you arrived one year ago to change our lives forever.

There is more to this story that has to do with insurance, dogs, and your Daddy sleeping in a parking lot, but we will save it for another time.

Then 6/28/09
Now 6/28/10