I’m one of those girls who never wins anything…I usually manage second place at best. But I have won!!

Allie at Meant to Be awarded me an Honest Scrap Award. I am humbled and grateful all at the same time! I am new to this whole thing, so please forgive if I can’t figure out how to post things :).

Anyway…I started this blog for two reasons. One, I was lonely. Loneliness is so cruel, especially when in real life I am surrounded by people who love me and that I love. But this adoption/infertility thing is soul sucking, and I felt so alone. So I started blogging in hopes someone would connect with me and I wouldn’t feel so very alone. DONE. Two, I wanted to keep a journal of our journey for multiple reasons.

So here are the rules:
There are three rules for this award:
First, link back to the person who gave you the award (see above)
Second, give the award to 10 other bloggers.
Third, list 10 honest things about yourself.

1) Allie – Thank you!!! I read your blog because you are one of the first ones I found AND because I feel an affinity toward you 🙂

2) Ten Other Bloggers? Wow – this is hard. My laptop crashed, taking with it all of my bookmarks. But I will try my best!

i) Melba seems like a sister to me. I love her honesty and her willingness to share every bit of her life. She also was the first blogger to link to me and send others my way. She played a HUGE part in alleviating my loneliness. I hope I can meet her on a trip to Detroit some day.

ii) Rebekah gives me great hope. I spent one whole Saturday reading every post she had written. I cannot believe how her faith mirrors mine. She is an inspiration.

iii) Erica gives me pure joy. I love that she has jumped into this match with L with both feet. She is trusting God to protect her heart and she is teaching me to enjoy this fear-filled journey.

iv) Wendy had already adopted, and I love her honesty about being a mommy. She wrote a letter to the herself of a year ago that I read the day before our match. I printed it and carry it around with me as a reminder to be hopeful and grateful for every day.

v) I just discovered BP from Melba’s list. However, from what I have read, she is a persistent woman who is not afraid to push for what she wants. She does it with grace and dignity. I admire that.

vi) I’m not sure how I discovered Denver Jen, but I am rejoicing with her over their recent move and their match. She just has a good head on her shoulders and she always seems so optimistic.

vii) H is waiting with a positive and hopeful heart and focuses on everything good. I need that kind of reminder, as there are times I want to wallow in the scariness and self-pity part of this journey. I am grateful for her reminders to watch my attitude!

viii) RB is living every adoptive parents’ nightmare, with a second failed match. Her latest post contains the warning that it is negative and a self-serving pity party. I say to RB, “GO FOR IT,” because it helps others to know the honest things she is feeling. My prayers go out to her.

ix) Debbie has adopted transracially, and I love her honest take on all the challenges she faces. I hope I can approach our adoption with the grace and love she exhibits.

x) I don’t really have a tenth…but if you read me and I failed to link to you, a thousand apologies. But hey, post a shameless plug for your own blog in my comments section 🙂

3) Ten honest things about myself:

i) I get migraines and live in fear of the first day I have a migraine AND a screaming baby.

ii) I have emetiphobia – I am petrified of vomit: my own and everyone else’s. Can’t read about it or watch it on television. I’ve already assigned vomit duty to Keith.

iii) I love iced green teas from Starbucks.

iv) I hate coffee – even from Starbucks.

v) I love to fish and camp and be outdoors.

vi) I worry. About everything. Way too much. But this whole process is slowly curing me of that.

vii) Even if I cry when I find out you are pregnant, and secretly I am insanely jealous, I will rejoice with you like nobody else.

viii) I need to loose like 30 pounds.

ix) I have two dogs and one cat. And I’m afraid our puppy will bite our baby and we’ll have to get rid of her. The puppy, I mean!

x) I love Jesus and I wish He would come to me in the flesh and take me out for tea and answer ALL my questions. Faith is HARD!!!!!!!! Anyone who tells you differently is lying.