Adoption Training

Yesterday was our latest adoptive parents training—this time, in the Nashville, Tennessee area. It’s usually been in Indianapolis, Indiana, or Louisville, Kentucky, but our agency is planning to open a new office in Nashville, so our agency director has had his area of responsibility increased while he prepares the area and trains a new director, down there.

As members of FSA (Families Supporting Adoption), we generally attend these conferences every six months, or so. The classes are always great, and the kids love hanging out and playing with the other attendees’ children. This time, we were also asked to participate in a session on grief and loss, which was really great: we discussed not only the grief and loss of infertility (which is an issue shared by most adoptive parents), but also the grief and loss experienced by both birthparents and adoptive parents, throughout the adoption process. Having been through it before, both we and Leah’s birthparents know it’s absolutely worth it, but sometimes the things that are most worth doing are also the hardest to do. (Ask any parent!) ;-)

On a personal note, I’m thrilled to be back home and finally have nothing in particular coming up, to take me away. After two weeks’ vacation in New Jersey and Maryland, a week working on site at a client’s office in Georgia, a long Saturday in Illinois, and now a weekend in Tennessee, I’ve probably traveled more in the last six weeks than in the last year before that! Of course, I suppose when “our” birthparents (whoever they may be) finally contact us to come pick up our new child, I’ll be right back on that car and/or plane, and absolutely ecstatic to do so. :-D

See Jeff and Anna Run

Jeff and I did a 5K this past Saturday. It was Jeff's first one, and he seemed to have fun. It was my second official one, and I was happy to see that my time was a little better than last time. We had hoped to do better, but we had several things working against us. Mainly, I'd been laid up much of the week with a horrific toothache. Thankfully, I was MUCH better by race day, but I had lost a lot of sleep earlier in the week. I just didn't have the stamina and energy I'd been enjoying in the weeks leading up to the toothache. The race was also held later in the day than Jeff and I tend to run, so the sun was higher in the sky. This made for one hot run! We're still proud that we finished, though, and it was a really fun and different thing to do as a couple. My sister, Becca, also ran, so it was fun hanging out with her before and after the race. She's been at this a lot longer than we have, so we didn't stick together during the race. Anyway, I hope this is the first in a long line of races Jeff and I do together.

It's The Little Things

Many times it is the little things that I find to be most special about the relationship I have with Jeff. A knowing look here, a finished sentence there (although, I'm usually accused of interrupting him!).

One of the things Jeff has done for me over the years is make me various mixes of music. They started off as mix tapes, but we've since moved on to CDs. ;-) One of these mix tapes was actually one of the first gifts he ever gave me when we were dating. We're now approaching 30 of these creative compilations, the most recent of which I just received a couple of weeks ago.

I appreciate how much thought he puts into these projects. It's not simply some of his favorite stuff thrown on a CD. Oh no; nothing of the like would ever satisfy Jeff's appetite for creativity and perfection. He painstakingly creates artwork for each CD, and the music itself adheres to some kind of theme. Recent examples include one on which each song represents a different genre and one on which each song is somehow related to the previous song. The latter was a fun one because I got to try to figure out how each one related to the previous.

Of course, I enjoy the music, and I enjoy getting presents, but the most significant part of it all is how much time and effort he puts into these mix CDs for little, old me. He loves making me smile and laugh. I honestly think some of the best moments in his life have been seeing my face the first time I see what he has made for me, and that makes me feel more loved than probably anything else in the universe.