6 Days to 15 Years

Dreams Do Come True

Motor Mouth was born on Sunday, March 23. Motor Mouth was, and is, our little blessing. He is the answer to countless prayers by J and me and by those in our lives. Motor Mouth is a reminder that the answer to our prayers might be no because God's got an even better plan for us!!!

When Motor Mouth was born, the love that was poured out on us by our friends, Sunday School class, co-workers, family, neighbors, and new friends was overwhelming. To this day, I can name all of our wonderful people and tell you how great they were to us with kind words, visits, gifts, emotional support, and prayers when we couldn't pray for ourselves.

So many of our FB friends were pulled along on our infertility and adoption journey. And now, they get to see pics and hear stories about the child they prayed and believed would come into our lives.

“So I prophesied to my dead dreams like God told me to. And I commanded life to come into my heart's desire. And that inner dream God gave me lived and rose up fully manifested.” 
- Ezekiel 37 paraphrase

7 Days to 15 Years

The Day the World Fell Apart

It felt like we were in a courtroom and had been handed a death sentence. J held my hand as I sobbed uncontrollably while an infertility doc told us we would never have biological children. It was a death sentence for our dreams that included a family.

8 Days to 15 Years

Elope Already!

This post is in honor of my sister's birthday today. My sister visited us in Tulsa, helped me pick out my wedding dress and shoes, etc. She bought a bridesmaid dress that, as it so happened, cost more than my wedding dress...

The Monday she flew home, J and I looked at each other and decided to get married that Friday. She was not able to return for our wedding. Fortunately, she attends many weddings and dress up events so she was able to use that dress several times.

We eloped with a twist!

Our family knew we were getting married – we told our parents on the Wednesday and our siblings on the Thursday. J’s parents walked me “down the aisle” and we got married. It was just the minister, Orlando Juarez, and his wife, the camera guy, Shawn Mitchell, the photographer, a guy we found at Camera Gallery, and J’s parents. That was it. And it was perfect for us!

9 Days to 15 Years

Tradition

It is a tradition in my mother's family to write a letter to the girl's parents, asking for her hand in marriage. We still have the letter my grandfather wrote for my grandmother's hand in marriage. My dad wrote for my mom.

J wrote a letter, asking for my hand in marriage. He wrote it by himself. It was honest and eloquent. In true J fashion, he picked out the perfect stationary. When the letter was complete, he FedEx'd it to my parents in Canada.

My parents were very happy to receive the letter. They wrote a letter back and we were free to plan our wedding!

10 Days to 15 Years

Wedding Planning FAIL!!!


We were planning our wedding while driving around Texas, providing ground support for Js dad's helicopter crew. J's 17-year old sister was with us and went into a store while we waited in the vehicle.

As you know, J is an event and production force. We were ARGUING about some outrageous thing he wanted to incorporate (maybe building a gazebo by the pond or the rental of the grand piano that was to accompany the opera singers - and of course, he wanted a 12-ft grand...??!!). All we both remember is me yelling: "FINE!!! Do whatever the hell you want to! You're going to do it anyway!!!" - just as his innocent little sister got back in.

There was complete silence for the next hour. That is, until J got a SPEEDING TICKET!!!
(Anyone know the statute of limitations on an unpaid traffic ticket in Texas...?)

11 Days to 15 Years

Most Memorable...


One anniversary, J told me he had to stop by the chapel before we head to dinner b/c he had to finish set up for an event and could I help him. I often help so I didn't think twice. We get to the Grace Church Chapel and we walk in....

There is a light shining down on the most beautiful bouquet of red roses. (Still not clued in.) J says the flowers are for me. He proceeds to give me a box of Kleenex and says I'll need it. (So confused.)

All of a sudden, a movie starts playing on this huge screen with a montage of our lives together and with Motor Mouth. It was like being in a movie theatre with us as the feature film! I BAWLED!!!

12 Days to 15 Years

Divorce!!!

About 3 years ago, J and I were done!!! We were dividing up kids, dishes, and furniture. 

At one point, we looked at each other and said: "I'm so angry with you but I love you and you are my best friend and I can't imagine living without you."

13 Days to 15 Years

Separate Vacations!

On our third wedding anniversary we had just closed on our house. J and I were working at the same church. Our offices were just 15 ft from each other. We drove to and from work together, had lunch together, dinner together, socialized together - you get the idea. We were together a LOT! 

So….to surprise J, I arranged for him to travel to Missouri, where he went to Bible College and where a whole community of people that he loved were still living there. It gave me a chance to tackle some decorating tasks on our new home! We were both very happy and excited. But the people in Missouri thought that J and I were having marriage problems. LoL! Sigh. Nope. Just one of the most thoughtful gifts I could give him – friends and a less for him to decorate when he got back home.

14 Days to 15 Years

Never Say Never!!!

J has a business trip coming up in Florida – on our 15^th wedding anniversary!!! We decided to tack a family vacation on to the end of his trip. 

I said: “Oh look, we’ll be on a beach in Florida on our 15^th wedding anniversary. It’s NOT like we are going to renew our vows or anything.” 

To which J said: “Ohhhhh!!!! That’s PERFECT!” 

To which I said: “But YOU always said that we would NEVER renew our vows. Ever!” 

To which J’s eyes glazed over and the vow renewal planning began.

15 Days to 15 Years

15 Days to Our 15th Wedding Anniversary!

15 yrs ago we were planning our pending nuptials, working on immigration and traipsing through the countryside for J’s dad's company. 2/3 are repeating this year. Actually, 3/3 sort of. We are planning a family vacation to Florida (traipsing sans J’s dad or his company), working on making me a citizen finally, and planning on renewing our wedding vows!

Join me every day for a new installment, leading up to the Big Day!

Playing with iPad

Somehow these positions are more comfortable for iPad usage....

Self-Portrait

Mini Me drew a self-portrait. Ummm...

Quiet Seat Winner!

And the quiet seat prize goes to....Mini Me! For not talking for over 20 minutes in the car (while awake).

This one is STUBBORN!!! If you say it can't be done, she will prove it can be done. That trait will get her very far in life. And in a whole heap of trouble. But I think it's a trait worth nurturing.

God Will Provide

Recently I was told by a Christ follower that "God would provide" for their financial situation. This was said while "blessing" me with services that had been completed and that I had agreed to pay for. In fact, I was chasing this person down to get the money to them because they had not responded to my repeated texts to arrange payment pick up. In fact, I had hired this person because I knew there was a financial need.

Do I believe that God provides basic necessities and opportunities for people? Yes. Do I believe that God blesses people? Yes. Do I think it is our responsibility to act on that provision and those blessings? Absolutely yes.

It drives me crazy that someone in dire financial need would turn down money because "God will provide." God IS TRYING to provide for you by me PAYING YOU for YOUR SERVICES!!!

It reminds me of the story of the person caught in a flood zone. This person is stranded at their house. Water is rising rapidly. An army truck rolls by and they offer a ride. "No, thanks. I'm good. God will provide." A little later the guy is on the roof of his porch. A boat rolls by and they offer a ride. "No, thanks. I'm good. God will provide." The guy is now on his roof. The water is at the roof line. He's got maybe 4 feet before the water hits him. A helicopter flys by they and drop a harness for the guy. "No, thanks. I'm good. God will provide." Guy drowns and gets to Heaven. Says to God: "Father God, Why did you not save me from the raging waters." God shakes his head, rolls his eyes and says: "I tried, you idiot! I sent the Army truck and the boat and the helicopter. You were too foolish and stubborn to accept my help because it did not come in the way you expected it to."

I think we all need to work our butts off to accomplish our goals in life. Sometimes, regardless of how much we work, how much success we have, we might need help. The key is to be open and receptive to the help, even if it's not what we think the help should look like.

BFF in Da House!

I love it when my BFF comes to town!!! So much fun is had.

I Could Be An Alcoholic

I am amazed that I am not an alcoholic. By all rights, I should be. I don't even drink weekly. This little girl makes me want to run screaming to a bottle.

The first pic is my 8-yr old picking up papers that fell at a cafe.

The last pic is of my child DURING her PE class at school. Mini Me forgot to pack her PE shoes (yes, I told her to) so she had to sit out and read. She is IN the black milk crates.....reading.

God help us!

Traffic Deaths in Illinois 2014

221 traffic deaths in Illinois as of May 2, 2014.

I see these numbers increase almost daily. It is very disturbing to me. It represents 221 caskets in 4 short months. It represents 221 families feeling a tremendous loss. 221 lives cut short.

If we "only" had 50 traffic deaths in Illinois each month, that would be 600 deaths by year end. SIX HUNDRED!!! 600 parents without children, 600 children without parents.

Sadly, each year in Illinois we lose approx. 1,000 people due to traffic accidents. People like 26-yr old Laura LaPlante who was one month away from graduating with her law degree from the University of Chicago and then returning to her native Boston. LaPlante had a job at a Boston law firm lined up already. But for a drunk driver going the wrong way. I saw an interview with a family spokesperson. Laura had her act together. She was a planner. Her life was planned out and on target. But for a drunk driver.

In 2013 there were 992 traffic deaths. Up from 956 in 2012. The lowest number of traffic deaths since 1921 occurred in 2009, with 911. With 992 deaths in 2013, that averages to 2.7 people dying each and every day.

Do you know what the number one cause of traffic deaths is? Speed. I'm as guilty of this as the next person. We ALL need to slow it down. Slow and steady gets there. Alive.

Number two? Alcohol. Come on, people, how many times do we have to be told not to drink and drive?????

I don't have proof but distracted driving has to be up there as well. That's texting or Facebooking while driving. Taking pics. Dealing with children, dogs, or other occupants in a vehicle. Eating. Driving is serious business. Pay attention the whole time!!!!!!!!! It's not just about you. It's about the Laura LaPlantes out there that have their entire lives ahead of them. It's about you and me and the people we love and love us.

If I could singlehandedly keep traffic deaths in Illinois to a max 600, I would. I don't want 600 families torn apart. Let's all do our part.

Perfect Imperfect Plan

Yesterday, an amazing thing happened.

We were driving down a busy street (Roosevelt & Canal in Chicago) when J noticed that two women got into a taxi cab and left their Home Depot cart at the street corner. It caught his attention. He was appalled. Then J noticed that the ladies' purse was in the cart.

J pulled over to the curb. I hopped out, grabbed the purse, and got back in our vehicle. J sped off in pursuit of the red taxi!!!

I looked down at what I was holding. It was a brown leather Coach purse with the woman's cell phone sticking out. It was an extremely full purse, bulging, really.

We zipped in and out of traffic on Roosevelt. Just before Clark, we caught up to the taxi! J pulled alongside, honked excessively, and held up the bag. Finally, the woman opened her door and retrieved the bag. She told him she was from out of town. How awesome was that?!!!

REALLY AWESOME
It was really awesome because of what it took for US to be the ones right there at the right time.

Yesterday morning, Motor Mouth had a swim meet in a south suburb that Mini Me and I took him to. J was out of town on a retreat. After the meet, around 11 am, I headed to Roosevelt and Canal to pick up my allergy prescription. Just past my hwy exit, I thought I should get the dog.

We stayed home cleaning longer than planned. Then the kids and I went to lunch. I had planned to grab my meds THEN head to the burbs to pick up J. But J asked me to pick him up early at about 3:30 pm. So I did.

Only we took back streets. J took the uber scenic route. We even went to the wrong Ikea afterwards, and the lines were crazy long.

ALL of these things transpired to bring us to THAT moment to be in THAT spot and for J to notice the purse in the cart.

We often think about ourselves and wonder if we are walking in the path God has designed for us. How often do we wonder if we are in God's plan for someone else....?

My New Man

Our little dog, Wilson, loves to cuddle with me. This is him staring up at me!

Handicapped Swimmers

Motor Mouth presented his social studies fair exhibit on "Handicapped Swimmers." He did great! The kids had to choose a social issue, research it, write a paper on it, create a display board, and then present it. So proud of my boy!!!