Waiting Families Meeting and week 3

So, the running is going really well!  I have one more run this week and I will be done with week 3 of the C25K.   I was sick yesterday and recovering today so tomorrow I should be ready to get my last run done!!  I feel great and so proud of myself.  I have not given up, even with the leg cramps that I have been battling.  I do think they are getting better.  I only have to make sure that I drink enough water to float away and stretch really well after.  Only thing that I would like to see happen a lot faster is weight/inches disappearing!
On another note...the other night we went to a waiting families meeting at the adoption agency.  They have these meetings every 3 months or so to get waiting adoptive families together to talk about different topics.  This particular meeting was about openness in adoption.  I know that this sounds very scary to most people, it sounded scary to us too.  But as we listened to the 3 adoptive families that had come to speak, we realized what an amazing relationship can be formed.  We were scared about wether we wanted to increase our openness on our profile.  We stayed after the meeting and met with our case worker and talked to one of the families.  They helped us to realize that as long as we were open to more openness, we could discuss and negotiate with the birthmother about how much openness there would actually be.  After talking to our caseworker and this other adoptive couple we are very happy with our desicion to increase our openness.  This will hopefully increase our chances of being chosen by a birthmother.  Because, our profile was shown 3 more times in the last 2 months.  Maybe had we said we were willing to discuss more openness we may have been chosen.  But of course God has a plan and this was the path that we needed to take to be 100% comfortable with discussing more of an open adoption.  We will take it all one day at a time, start the relationship with the birthmother slow and see what evolves!!!

One more thing.....

So, I forgot to add this part to my earlier post.  I understand that this may embarrass him a little, but I am so proud of my brother and so happy for his support that I have to write this.  My youngest brother Christopher sent me a text yesterday to ask me a few questions about our adoption process.  He needed to know when we started looking for an agency.  He is doing a speech for one of his classes about how adoption is a better choice than abortion.  When I read his text, I couldn't have been prouder.  What a big topic to get up and talk about.  He has become such an amazingly loving and supportive young man.  Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that he is so grown up.  I can remember trying to teach him to say my name like it was yesterday.  Or, taking him to the movies and sitting in the very front row because that is what my little "stud" wanted!  I am just so happy to have his support and thankful that he is out there standing up and talking about what he believes in.  Not only that but he is out there spreading the word about adoption and his favorite waiting family.....

On my way to becoming a runner!

So I think that this blog is turning into me writing about more than the adoption.  I hope that you all don't mind!  If all I do is focus on how long this process feels or spend all my time waiting for that phone call, I think I might go insane.  I have recently started the couch to 5k program and I am loving it.  I am on week 2 of the program and I am so very proud of myself!  I never thought that i would be able to run or actually love doing it.  It has certainly helped me to let go and relax lately, at least the 30 minutes that I am running it does.  When I go out to run all I can focus on is breathing and getting through each interval.  I think that is why  I am loving it so much.  We have signed up for a 5k called the color run with my brother and sister-in-law in Grand Rapids, so it gives us something to work towards and look forward to.  I can't wait to be able to say that I ran a 5k!
As always....Thank you for your prayers and support.  Please keep it coming!  We need all that we can get!!!

Waiting, waiting, waiting....

So, we are at our 6 month mark.  We have had 3 views of our profile that we know of.  We are expecting an update from our caseworker this month and also attending a waiting families meeting.  Hopefully the waiting family meeting will give us some hope and encouragement.  Lately I have been having trouble staying positive.  I am feeling a little hopeless these days.  I know it will happen and all that but it's just how I am feeling. We need to get out and do stuff and keep ourselves busy.  Last weekend we went to Eastern Market and bought some flowers and plants. I spent the whole day Sunday working on transplanting flowers and planting new ones while Rick worked on the grass and driveway and sidewalks!  There are still a few things that we would like to change but it looks really great!   I have been trying to get myself motivated to start working out again.  I stopped and haven't been able to get myself interested again, but I am tired of feeling lazy and yucky.  I started the C25K program last night.  I know that a few of you have either completed or started this program as well.  It felt great to just run/walk outside and let it all out.  I am excited to continue with this program and I will keep you posted on everything!!!!