Updates

On the adoption front, all we need at this time is Greg's physical and application. Of course we still have a ton of stuff to do in the house before our home study. I have been giving Greg a hard time about "slowing down" our adoption process but he is working hard right now. Please pray for how I can help and encourage him.

Other big news is that I have my student teaching assignment. It's in a great school district in a new school. Several kids from our church go there and I'm already teasing them about "see you at lunch" :) I thought they were going to have a heart attack!

If all goes well my last day of work will be August 15Th. I am applying to school districts throughout the metroplex for substitute positions.

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to the man who....

...can fix anything

...always knows where North, South, East & West are

...went to every volleyball game I played and games I cheered at

...is tough as nails

...always calls back

...provides for his family

...is almost as stubborn as me

...is a fabulous father

...drinks coffee when it's 100 degrees

...can "cut a rug" for a white boy

...creates beautiful things with his hands

...gives the best hugs

...assured me of a safe childhood

...has the same crooked pinky fingers I do

...will make the greatest Grandpa

I love you, Dad!

Thank you for all you do for us. Our lives are better because you are in them.

-Brandi

Famous Adoptees, Adopters, and Birth Parents

I thought this was an interesting list... although it's not completely up-to-date... Madonna's not on it :) You can find links and read about each person in detail at http://celebrities.adoption.com/



Adopted Persons:


Andy Berlin - entrepreneur: chairman of Berlin Cameron & Partners

Anthony Williams - politician

Aristotle - philosopher

Art Linkletter - comedian

Bo Diddley - musician, performer

Buffy Sainte-Marie - musician, actress

Carl-Theodor Dreyer - Danish film director

Charlotte Anne Lopez - Miss Teen USA

Christina Crawford - author

Clarissa Pinkola Estes - author

Crazy Horse - Lakota war chief

Dan O'Brien - decathlete

Daunte Culpepper - football player

Dave Thomas - entrepreneur: founder of Wendy's

Debbie Harry - singer

D.M.C. - hip hop artist

Edgar Allan Poe - poet, writer

Edward Albee - playwright

Eleanor Roosevelt - First Lady

Eric Dickerson - athlete

Faith Daniels - news anchor

Faith Hill - country singer

Freddie Bartholomew - actor

George Washington Carver - inventor

Greg Louganis - athlete

James MacArthur - actor

James Michener - author

Jean Jacques Rousseau - philosopher

Jesse Jackson - minister

Jesus - adopted by Joseph the carpenter (Bible)

Jett Williams - country singer and author

Jim Palmer - athlete

John J. Audubon - naturalist

John Hancock - politician

John Lennon - musician

Langston Hughes - poet and writer

Larry Ellison - entrepreneur: chief executive of Oracle

Lee Majors - actor

Leo Tolstoy - writer

Les Brown - motivational speaker

Lynnette Cole - Miss USA 2000

Malcolm X - civil rights leader

Mark Acre - athlete

Matthew Laborteaux - actor

Melissa Gilbert - actress

Michael Reagan - author, talk show host

Moses - Biblical leader

Nancy Reagan - First Lady

Nat King Cole - singer

Nelson Mandela - politician

Patrick Labyorteaux - actor

Peter and Kitty Carruthers - figure skaters

President Gerald Ford - politician

President William Clinton - politician

Priscilla Presley - actress

Ray Liotta - actor

Reno - performance artist, comedian

Sarah McLachlan - singer

Scott Hamilton - figure skater

Sen. Paull H. Shin - politician

Sen. Robert Byrd - politician

Steve Jobs - entrepreneur: co-founder of Apple computer

Surya Bonaly - figure skater

Tim Green - football player/commentator

Tim McGraw - country singer

Tom Monaghan - entrepreneur

Tommy Davidson - comedian

Victoria Rowell - actress

Wilson Riles - educator



Birth Parents:


Andy Kaufman - actor

Clark Gable - actor

David Crosby - singer

Faith Ireland - judge

Hank Williams, Sr. - country music legend

Kate Mulgrew - actress

Joni Mitchell - singer

Roseanne Barr - actress

Mercedes Ruehl - actress

Strom Thurmond - politician


Adoptive Parents:



Al Roker - news anchor

Alfre Woodard - actress

Alexander the Great - King of Macedonia, 356-323 B.C.

Angelina Jolie - actress

Art Buchwald - comedian

Barbara Walters - journalist

Ben Stein - actor and game show host

Bette Davis - actress

Billy Bob Thornton - actor, writer, singer

Bob (and Delores) Hope - entertainer

Brooke Adams - actress

Burt Reynolds - actor

Calista Flockhart - actress

Cecil B. De Mille - film director

Charles Bronson - actor

Chelsea Noble - actress

Connie Chung - news anchor

Dale Evans - singer

Dan Marino - athlete

Dan Wilson - athlete

David E. Kelley - television producer

Diane Keaton - actress

Dianne Wiest - actress

Donna Mills - actress

Ed McMahon - entertainer

Edie Falco - actress

Erma Bombeck - author

Estelle Parsons - actress

Eve Arden - actress

Father George Clements - minister

Gail Sheehy - writer

Gary Merrill - actor

George Burns - comedian

George Lucas - film director

Gloria Swanson - actress

Gracie Allen - comedian

Harpo Marx - actor

Harry Belafonte - singer

Hedy Lamarr - actress

Helen Hayes - actress

Henry Fonda - actor

Hugh Jackman - actor

Isabella Rossellini - -actress

Jamie Lee Curtis - actress

Jane Fonda - actress

Jane Wyman - actress

Jann Wenner - publisher

Jill Ireland - actress

Jill Krementz - author

JoBeth Williams - actress

Joan Didion - author

Joan Fontaine - actress

John DeLorean - entrepreneur

John Denver - singer

John Gregory Dunne - author

Josephine Baker - singer and dancer

Judy Woodruff - news anchor

Julie Andrews - actress

Karen Grassle - actress

Karl Wallenda - acrobat

Kate Capshaw - actress

Kate Jackson - actress

Kirby Puckett - athlete

Kirk Cameron - actor

Kirstie Alley - actress

Kris Kristofferson - singer

Kurt Vonnegut - author

Linda Ronstadt - singer

Loni Anderson - actress

Louis Gossett, Jr - actor.

Magic Johnson - athlete

Marcia Wallace - actress

Marie Osmond - singer

Maury Povich - news anchor

Meg Ryan - actress

Mercedes Ruehl - actress

Mia Farrow - actress

Michelle Pfeiffer - actress

Natalie Williams - athlete

Nell Carter - entertainer

Nicole Kidman - actress

Oscar de la Renta - designer

Ozzy (and Sharon) Osbourne - musician

Parker Stevenson - actor

Patti LaBelle - singer

Paul Newman - actor

Paula Poundstone - comedian

Pearl Bailey - singer

Peter Falk - actor

President Ronald Reagan - politician

Regina Belle - singer

Richard King Mellon - financier

Robert Fulghum - writer

Rosie O'Donnell - actress

Roy Rogers - entertainer

Sally Jessy Raphaël - talk show host

Sammy Davis, Jr. - entertainer

Sen. Jesse Helms - politician

Sen. John McCain - politician

Sen. Lloyd Bentsen - politician

Sen. Paul Simon - politician

Sen. Paull H. Shin - politician

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson - Texas

Sharon Stone - actress

Sir Christopher Guest - actor

Stephen Spielberg - film director

Steven Curtis Chapman - Christian musician

Susan Ruttan - actress

Taurean Blacque - actor

Ted Danson - actor

Teri Garr - actress

Tom Cruise - actor

Valerie Harper - actress

Walt (and Lily) Disney - founder of Disneyland

William Delahunt - politician

Willie Mays - athlete

Dessert AND a Good Cause

If you've never had a Wendy's frosty, now is the time to try one. For every frosty purchased this Father's Day weekend, Wendy's is donating 50 cents to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. This foundation works to find families for children in foster care.

Supervised Childcare Requirement - Check!

How can you be scared of a face like this?

We spent 6-1/2 hours (1 more than we even needed!) yesterday with an incredible foster family. They had us over for BBQ and we even met some of their extended family. This foster family has two biological children, one with Muscular Dystrophy. They are licensed to be a therapeutic home (working with high need children) and request children with disabilities. They are fostering 7 and 4 year old brothers. The 7 year old had his toes removed from both feet before being taken from his biological mother. I don't know all the details, but I do know it wasn't an accident. As horrifying as that sounds, there are still more reasons these children were removed from their "home".

We all know these stories exist. It's another thing to hear these stories and meet these little heroes face-to-face. The boys are adorable and thriving in their foster home. The family showed us how they set up their home, how they set standards as soon as the boys came in, gave us tips on dealing with caseworkers and CPS, and basically just gave us a better idea over all of what to expect. We heard about the first year the boys were in the house, and experiences they had trying to settle the kids into their home: screaming, acting out, trying to regulate medication, dealing with court issues and family who "wanted" the boys, etc.

Foster families keep telling us to hang in there for the first year, then it will get better. It sounds like we'd better fasten our seat belts and get ready for a wild ride!

One thing that did come up is that one of the boys is VERY afraid of dogs. I hadn't thought about that being an issue, both of our great-nieces were afraid of our dogs but when we gradually introduced them it became a non-issue. However Maggie is huge and I can see how she would be intimidating. On the other hand, I will not send a child out of our home (in their eyes: rejection) over my dog. I love my dogs, it makes me feel sick to think about giving them up. My parents offered to keep Maggie for us if it ever becomes an issue.