A Letter for Little People

Dear Future Adoptive Parents,

You don't know me, but I have a special message for you. I know you want to adopt a child. Maybe its because your parents did. Maybe its been your life dream. Maybe its because you can't have children of your own. But I have a reality check for you...

Children have feelings. Yes, that's right - feelings. You see, as you look through the websites and "shop" for a child, remember these children come with invisible baggage that you have to help them work through. Behind their smiling eyes are fears, anger, loneliness and even some hope. They so desperately need a home. They so desperately need a forever family. Even infants come with their own set of baggage that later will show up at your doorstep out of the blue. These children want to be connected to their past, no matter how horrible it was. Didn't YOU want to know where you came from? Didn't YOU want to try on your mom's old prom dress or see where YOUR dad was born? Well, so do adopted children.

So, when you find that "absolutely adorable" baby or child, that would just complete your family's circle of love, you better make sure its for forever. Because..THERE IS NO RETURN POLICY. This isn't Burger King. Its not "your way, right away". We aren't Macy's - there are no "store credits" or "partial refunds". You can't swap them out for another child because "they just don't fit" in your family.

So when you are thinking of adopting a child from China, Russia, Mexico or even the good old U.S of A...YOU CANNOT SEND THEM BACK!

Don't you realize that would only make it worse? What message are you sending? Do you think they will EVER trust another adoptive family when they say, "We will be your forever family" because guess what - didn't you say that to them too?!

Yes, I know this is all about you and what isn't working for you but if you can just imagine for one second of your life that the world does NOT revolve around you, maybe you would realize there is a "little person" who so desperately needs you. A "little person" YOU told would be part of your forever family. What are you going to tell them? That you were just joking?! That you changed your mind?! That "it's not you, it's me"?!

So, when your "honeymoon" is over with your adoptive child and they are telling you to "F" off or are smearing feces on the wall or are banging their head against the wall until they are bloody because they didn't get their way, what are you going to do? Wait -let me reword the question... What would you do if this child was your flesh and blood? Directly from the womb. Would you send them back to where they came from? Because I have to tell you, that would probably be really difficult to do....and probably not too comfortable.

In conclusion, adoptive parents, these "little people" DESERVE a home that YOU promised them. You are not a bad person. It's difficult. But there is help. Get counseling. Seek resources from your State. Join a support group. JUST DON'T GIVE UP. When these "little people" yell and scream and tell you they hate you, they really mean "Please don't leave me. I'm scared. I need to be loved. I need YOU."

And if all else fails, just remember... one day these little people will become big people just like you!

Sincerely,
Disgruntled Social Worker

Wanted: Adventurous Travel Partner

Hello friends and family..all three of you that read my blog :) Today is your lucky day! I have a proposition for you....

How would you like to go here with me?

Or here?

Maybe here?

I am trying to convince my husband to take me on a Mayan temple tour in Central America. My current tactics are not working. I mean who would pass up a vacation ziplining through the rainforest, canoing down a pirhana invested river, sleeping in bunglows with grass roofs and climbing really-high-maybe-nephite temples?! Awesome, huh? (I know!)

So I need a backup travel partner. Any takers?

P.S. Since there are only a few readers, we may have to have a cage match if more than one of you want to go.

I HEART NKOTB!

Anybody else excited about this?! I'm totally there!

A Little Piece of Heaven Coming Our Way!

That's right! We are getting a temple in Gilbert! It will be three miles from our home and we couldn't ask for more. Actually, they could have built it in the dirt lots our builder still has available..but that is another story for another day! This photo is of the Panama Temple. They speculate it will either look like this temple or a scaled down version of the San Diego temple. I'm just excited to FINALLY get a temple with a Moroni on top! I guess it is finally paying off to live in the middle of nowhere! A new mall, a new temple..what's next Gilbert?

Holy Canole!

So my husband has been talking non-stop about financial meetings he has been attending. I mean literally, non-stop. At dinner. In the carpool lane to and from work. Getting ready for bed. Laying in bed. In his sleep. (no joke. my husband is a sleep talker.) So finally one day I told him to "callate la jeta" which is spanish for "shut your face." It probably wasnt a nice way to say it but if he would have talked about mutual funds or the current return rate on a IRA one more time, I think I would have had to super glue his mouth shut. Literally.

You see, numbers dont turn me on. In fact, they have the opposite effect on me. Remember the student in high school that sat in the back of math class trying to be invisible? That was me. So, is it any wonder that when my husband said he wanted me to go to financial meetings with him I told him I'd rather run a marathon. In Arizona. In the dead of summer. With all my clothes on. Get the picture?

So being the good husband that he is, he called me out on it. He challenged me to go to two meetings with him and if I didnt like them, then he would never talk to me about finances again. So I thought I would give him a run for his money and told him I would go. The first meeting was so painful that I thought about backing out. But - a promise is a promise! So - last night I went to what I thought was my last meeting. AND I GOT HOOKED. It was one of those "holy moley" blow your mind crazy moments when everything comes together and you think "hey - i need to share this message with everyone!" I havent felt that way since my mission!! So as of today, I am training to become a financial adivsor. And if I can do it, anybody can!

Rachel Burneez

Terrence Burneez

I found this website from a friend's blog - I thought it was a cute idea. So if you ever wondered what Terrence and I would look like animated, wonder no more....

This Is The Reality Folks !

Things I Procrastinate:

1. Going to work in the morning
2. Painting my house (thus the multi-colored walls)
3. Sending letters and thank you notes
4. Doing laundry/dishes - in fact, any type of housework.
5. Writing in my journal/reading my scriptures (yes, I am aware I am going to burn...)
6. Working out
7. Blogging
8. Planning Singing Time for Sunday
9. Welcoming new neighbors to the neighborhood (a year later..)

Things I Don't Procrastinate:

1. Reading other people's blogs
2. Going home from work
3. Dreaming about renovations I would like to do to my home
4. Watching "The Office" episodes
5. Finding music to put on my blog (lame - I know!)
6. Thinking up baby names for the child we dont have.
7. Becoming a super rock star on Rock Band
8. Looking for good deals on Craigslist
9. Any chance to be outdoors and active (tennis, basketball - whatever!)

So now that I have confessed my sins - what are yours?!

I Fall In Love With Running. Again.

Yesterday a miracle happened. I fell in love with running, again. My love affair with running started when I was a sophomore in college. My best friend and I ran every night together and talked about..well everything college girls talk about (I'll spare you the details). Anyhoo, my friend eventually moved to California to go to dental school and I went on my mission. I have been dying to run with somebody for the longest time! Finally, I bit the bullet yesterday and went running on my own. AND I LOVED IT! So I am so excited to fall in love again - with running.

Tired of the Chub!

Ok, so Terbear and I have officially decided we are tired of being chubby! So, we have set up a plan to lose a total of fourty pounds together (twenty pounds a piece) by the end of summer. Largely, I think our weight gain started when we were engaged and hasnt stopped since! And I'm sure it doesnt help that we eat late at night since we dont get home until about 8pm each weeknight. At 8pm, who really wants to cook anyways? Anyhoo, I am so excited to start running again. It was my passion before my mission and I just got out of the habit of doing it. So if you see me on the road, dont run me over! (Although a comforting thought is that if I do get run over, it will more than likely be by a super nice,expensive car).

Yesterday Terbear and I were talking about our life on the way home and we decided we are the most boring people on the planet! I do have to admit, though, when you leave for work at 6am and get home at about 8pm, its hard to be motivated to do anything else but fall into bed! Man - I do have to say that I can better appreciate what single parents do for their families. I dont have any children, but I can't imagine working, keeping a house up and taking care of the kids. I can barely work full-time and keep my house up (which would explain why there is still paint tape on my half painted walls from a year ago - literally!). So kudos to all those single parents or working moms out there that know how to do it all and keep a smile on their face !! :)