Adoption Paperwork and Memories

Our adoption paperwork/process is set up into five sections. We finished sections 1 and 2 fairly quickly and started on section 3. Section 3 is made up of paperwork (again) and some online forms that ask about family and background, etc. We finished the paperwork portion and started on the online stuff two weeks ago. Some of the questions are very straight forward and some take some definite thought.

We finished the online portion today. It was interesting to think about the answers and reminisce about times past. One of the questions was something about sharing any special experiences or memories. Of course our temple marriage was at the top of the list. After almost 13 years of marriage, how do you pick a few experiences and memories of the many we have had?! We each finished our sections and started talking about some of our memories. One that Robert reminded me of goes as follows:

We were on the third day of our honeymoon and decided to go canoeing. Since we were renting a house on a private beach, the river that we were going to canoe on lead to the ocean. So we rented the canoe and started out. The current was strongly pushing us out to the ocean and we paddled upriver. Robert is more adventurous and wanted to paddle in the middle of the river so we could have a better view of the fish, shores and what was ahead. I am less adventurous and wanted to be near the beach, so I could jump out and grab sand if something went wrong! And, I don't like to be on or in water that I cannot see the bottom. So, we are canoeing, Robert in front and me behind. He kept paddling out to the middle and I would paddle back to shore. We spent the whole trip up river doing zig-zags to the shore and back to the middle, to the shore and back.

As in an marriage, it take some time to get used to your partner and their idiosyncrasies. It also takes some time to find the middle ground and compromise. We stopped at our destination, drew hearts in the sand and took some pictures of each of us near our heart that said "I love you!". After finding our middle ground, the canoe ride back was much less work and much more fun.

That was one of our first experiences learning about compromise and working together as a married couple, we have a lot more! So again I ask, 'how do you pick a few experiences to share when you have SO many to choose from?!'

A new calling and an old mission

Emergency preparedness is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. One of the many reasons we moved to the country is to enhance our ability to be self sufficient; and in doing so we will be better prepared for emergencies and disasters that may be coming our way. I was honored to speak sacrament on the importance of emergency preparedness and how we as individuals and families can be prepared. I learned so much more about preparedness during the preparation of my talk and felt compelled to really start working on some of the things on my list. I updated our 2010 goals to include emergency preparedness.

The following week I was called as the Ward Dry Pack Canning Specialist; how perfect is that?! Now I get to work on our food supply each month; no excuses!

If you are unsure if this is something you should be doing, check out this pamphlet that is put out by the church. It will help you get an idea of why food storage is necessary and how to start. I ask that you read and ponder the message from the first Presidency contained in the pamphlet that states:
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to “prepare every needful thing” (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others.
We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.
We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve.
We realize that some of you may not have financial resources or space for such storage. Some of you may be prohibited by law from storing large amounts of food. We encourage you to store as much as circumstances allow.
May the Lord bless you in your home storage efforts.
The First Presidency

I know that I am not alone in needing to finish my year supply of food and other emergency essentials. I have attached a few of my favorite links to get you started. When you have a spare moment or two, take some time to just browse the sites - become aware of what is available and what you will need. There are several great spreadsheets that will automatically calculate what you need and how much for the number of people in your family - If you need one, let me know and I can email you a copy of the one I use (it is the best); in the mean time I will try to figure out how to post it on the blog (don't hold your breath!).

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/start-here/
http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,1706-1,00.html
http://beprepared.com/

It is best to start with a goal of 3 months - - then work up to a year. That way, in an emergency, you will have everything you need for 3 months and won't be living off your year supply of wheat and only wheat (yuck!)

If you don't have the money right now to start on food, you are not off the hook! As we are working on our adoption paperwork, we are having to provide documentation of almost everything. Since we have moved several times, I have most of the paperwork in one place. While it is not organized, it is all together in one folder in my 'records' drawer in the office. During this process of adoption, we are making copies, and putting them into our Grab-and-Go Binder, we are also making scanned copies to a CD AND a USB drive. Three copies? Really?! I feel confident that you can never have too many copies of important things, and they should be stored in different places.

Grab-and-Go Binder
What the heck is a Grab-and-Go Binder, you ask? A Grab-and-Go Binder is a vital part of any family preparedness plan, and is one of the first things you should put together. This binder will contain all of your most critical information in one place for any type emergency, even if it’s just a quick trip to the ER.

For this project you’ll need a 1″ three-ring binder, a set of tabbed dividers, paper protectors and a copy machine. The binder you create will be unique to your family, but here are some suggestions to get you started.

Label a divider for each of the following sections, and then begin inserting copies of your documents.

Financial Documents
1. copies of the fronts and backs of debit/credit cards
2. copies of house and vehicle titles and registrations
3. copy of your will or living trust
4. names, addresses and phone numbers of all banks
5. other important documents related to employment and/or a family business
6. copies of your insurance policies (life, health, auto, homeowners, etc.)
7. copies of tax papers
8. copies of retirement plans

Personal Documents
1. names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of relatives and close friends
2. copies of:
* marriage license
* temple sealing certificate
* birth certificates
* drivers licenses
* CCW permits
* pet vaccine records
* passports
* Social Security cards
* Fingerprint cards for each family member
3. a list of firearm serial numbers
4. legal documents pertaining to child custody or adoption
5. recent photos of each family member and each pet
6. color photos of your house and each room in the house
7. photos of anything of particular value
8. military documents
9. diplomas and transcripts
10. appraisals
11. copies of funeral/mortuary plots and plans
12. real estate documents

Medical Documents
1. copy of health insurance cards
2. a list of blood types for each family member
3. names, addresses and phone numbers of all doctors
4. medical histories of each family member
5. immunization records
6. a list of current prescriptions, dosage, and pharmacy contact information

With your finished Grab-and-Go Binder, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your family can focus on a quick evacuation without trying to retrieve scattered family records.

What to do with the originals? It’s probably best to keep them in a fireproof safe or a safety deposit box. Also, be sure at least two other trusted people have access to that box in case you become incapacitated.

Good luck getting started and let me know if you need help! We will eventually have all of this posted on our website; eventually.

The Refiner of Silver

This journey of grief and healing is a private journey; a mountain that I must climb to find true healing and acceptance. Strange as it may sound, I find comfort in knowing that the hill is mine, and only mine to climb. I get to do it at my pace, however I see fit.

Some days I walk through a sunlit forest path. The walking is easy and my burden is light. I know I have traveled far but I am not weary from the journey. The sun warms my skin and the shade cools my brow. I am comforted in knowing that we will see our dear babies again someday; I find sweet joy in the confidence that somewhere out there, our next baby awaits his or her turn to come into our arms, that his or her mother is making choices that will allow that to happen.


On other days I stand surrounded by the mists of despair and look up to the top of the mountain; the things I have yet to feel and overcome; the path that must be followed to be able to embrace our awaiting child with open arms and hearts, and the path seems too much to bear. I feel unworthy and unable to continue. It is these times that I try to remember a few things.



1. The Spirit has guided us to this path toward adoption. We feel the Spirit prompting us each step of the way.

2. He holds us in the palm of his hand, we are not forgotten. He is aware of each thought, each hope and each second of despair. He knows me perfectly and He loves me perfectly. I feel His concern and awareness of me on such an intimate level.

3. Elder Maxwell said it best: "To go to the very edge is possible, of course, only when we believe in an omniscient and omnipotent God. When we understand that all things are present before His eyes and that He knows all things past, present, and future, then we can trust ourselves to Him as we clearly could not to a less than omniscient god who is off somewhere in the firmament doing further research."


Our Missionaries came for dinner last week and Elder Horner shared the following story.
The Refiner of Silver

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire.

If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my reflection in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His reflection in you.