Adopt A New Beginning

Last night, David and I took part in an information seminar at one of the local adoption agencies, A New Beginning, here in Boise.  WOW!  I'm almost at a loss for words... only, its me, so not really.

It is hard to put into words exactly how excited I am to be a mom, and I think David is going to be the most amazing father- so much so that there aren't enough words in the English language to describe it!  I love that adoption is on the table for us now, although, I'm not going to pretend that the element of the unknown also makes me a bit nervous.

I think I'd be more comfortable if a stork could just drop a healthy little baby boy or girl off on our doorstep in a basket and say to us, "This is your child," and we could be done with it. Fortunately for the children involved in that scenario, that's not how it happens, if it was there would be a lot children in homes that didn't deserve them.

The experience at the agency information seminar was definitely a good one, albeit somewhat foreign to me.  A New Beginning is a very thorough agency which David and I both liked.  They ask a lot of their potential parents, insisting they attend seminars, classes and support groups, before, during and after the adoption, which we think is a positive thing for everyone involved, especially the kids.

Surprisingly, although the idea of adopting is exciting to me, sitting there, I suddenly felt somewhat overwhelmed by the process of it.  I'm sure the programs the agency have in place would be helpful in alleviating those feelings.  But I was so sure of what we were doing going into the seminar, that I was not prepared to feel that way after the information session.

When the woman leading the seminar asked if anyone had questions I was, of course, the first person to speak up, and I kept going until David whispered to me to let other people have a chance to ask questions too (smile), but I ended up getting in a few additional questions before the end because questions just kept popping up and I could help myself (wink)!  What can I say... I wanted to make sure my questions got asked before they slipped my mind!

There are many different types of adoption, however, The Domestic Infant Adoption Program was really the only program that David and I were comfortable pursuing before we went into the session, and that was re-affirmed while we were there.  We figure, if we can't physically create the child ourselves, we'd at least want to be there from the first second we're allowed to bond and give the child all of our love.

Also, what the information session made me realize, at least after sleeping on it, was that I think if we can find a way to afford it, I'd prefer surrogacy over adoption for the simple element of control you have over the process.  God, I sound like a control freak!  But with such a huge decision in our lives, I feel like wanting some control isn't such a bad thing.

It's not because I would love an adopted child any less than a child we created, but because of all the variables involved in adoption that make the uncertainty almost overwhelming.  However, I also know that I can safely say that if I was given a baby tomorrow, any baby, I would love it as my own and be no less happy than if I gave birth to it myself.  

Such a quandary.  I think that I am going to have to do some serious soul searching and prayer before we continue on this journey.  All children are a gift.  I just want to make surely sure we are going in the right direction before we move ahead...  

Falling off the wagon... and jumping right back on again

How was your New Year's Eve?  Ours was great.  We went to this fabulous Indian restaurant here in Boise called Taj Mahal.  It may have been the best Indian food I've ever had... and I love me some good Indian Food!  The only thing is, I fell of the wagon.  The SCD wagon that is.

I did so well over Thanksgiving and Christmas (especially with all the helpful and delicious SCD foods my mother-in-law made for me), I thought I was in the clear.  But alas, its amazing what fresh spicy shrimp coconut curry served with freshly made naan bread and rice will do to a person.  We savored every last bite.  It was heaven!  And combined with the interesting conversation we struck up with the father and son (both named Richard) and the next table and the conversation we had with the owner of the restaurant, Sohail, we had the most delightful night we could have imagined.

I've been paying the price for my bad eating habits ever since, however.  Although I'm not back in a serious UC flare, I have been a bit more uncomfortable (bloated and gurgly), and I've been getting up again in the night.  And I am having to start over with my perfect eating record from scratch.

It was surprisingly easy to jump back into my Specific Carbohydrate Diet rhythm immediately the next day, and I've been good ever since.  Man, even though I knowingly ate the "illegal" foods, I'm pretty bummed that my food cravings overcame my willpower.  I thought I was stronger than that.  I was getting really down on myself about it yesterday.

My nutritionist told me to look at it as a growing pain or a bump in the road, and not to get too worked up about it, it happens to the best of us... so that's what I've decided to do.  I can certainly say, no one is perfect, especially me.

Have you had times in your life where temptation got the best of you?  How did you handle it?  I'd love to hear from you!

Rabbit Rabbit!

Happy New Year!

May 2012 be your best year yet!

A Year in Review

It amazes me that today is the last day of 2011.  Where has the time gone?!  Last night David and I went to see the movie, The Way. It is a delightful film about walking the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain.  Well, its about more than just that, but it centers around The Camino.  David's father, Damaso, who is originally from Madrid, Spain told us about the movie while we were in Charlotte for Christmas, and when I noticed it was playing in Boise, I made sure David and I checked it out as soon as possible.  Anyway, seeing the film was the perfect way to close the year and give us both inspiration for our dreams for 2012.

2011 was a year of sickness for both David and I, but especially for me- from the Swine Flu last January where I fainted and fell through the shower door and I had to get 5 staples in my head, to David's ACL and micro-fracture surgery, to kidney stones, and the flare up of Ulcerative Colitis I've been dealing with, to David having bronchitis in September and the stomach flu on our last day in Charlotte... it was a mess of a year for us.  So our number one goal for 2012 is to do everything we possibly can to have a healthy year(s) ahead.

I've found a doctor in the New York who is doing some very promising research on Ulcerative Colitis, and he has agreed to take me on as a patient.  The success rates of his mentor/colleague in Sydney, Australia are 90%, and I am a good candidate for the treatment, so wish me luck!  The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is definitely helping, combined with the antibiotics (Xifaxin) and probiotics (Florastor) I'm taking to combat the imbalance in my gut. 

David has done a great job rehabbing his knee, and as he continues to heal, we are looking forward to getting back on the slopes for a great year of skiing (weather permitting- snow, please snow!)  We're both trying to get into better shape... who isn't after all that rich holiday food?!  And our goals of getting to the gym and to hot yoga are at the top of the list.

This year has also been filled with great little travel adventures.  We started the year by going to San Francisco for a few days last January.  We made a bunch of trips to McCall, Idaho for skiing, camping, and playing with friends and it's one of our all time favorite places to be so we feel very lucky its so close.  We also took a trip to Leavenworth, WA over Memorial Day weekend.  It's the most charming little Bavarian town in a very beautiful and lush part of the Northwest.  I took a week to visit the midwest: my family in Wisconsin, where my dad and I won the father-daughter golf tournament at his golf club, Iowa to see David's sister and family, and then on to Chicago to attended the wedding of my dear high school friend, Maren Baker in June.  David took a trip up to Montana and Yellowstone in July, (which I was supposed to go on as well, but sadly those darn kidney stones kept me home.)  In September, David surprised me with a trip to Portland, OR for my birthday.  We had a blast watching the season opener Boise State game against Georgia with a crowd full of BSU Alumni and supporters at The Grand Central Bowl.  And we finished our year of adventures with a trip to Charlotte to visit David's family.  Man looking back, we were very busy!

Our goal for 2012 is more of the same.  However, we'd also like to make sure we fit in some international travel as well.  Although we can't find two months to walk the Camino de Santiago this year, we might be able to find 10 days or so to bike it.  We'd also like to get up to British Columbia and the San Juan Islands to do some kayaking this summer.  Neither of us have been to that part of the Northwest, and we are dying to check it out.

David and I would also like to spend more time with both of our families, but because we live so far from everyone, its hard to fit both sides into one year, but we are going to do our very best to make that happen.  We have a standing invite to all friends and family to come visit us too... our door is open if you feel up for an Idaho adventure!  The start of our travel this year will be a trip to Portland for some post holiday shopping without sales tax... win-win for good deals.  I can't wait!  We're also planning to check out the Portland museums and possibly attend the symphony for a well rounded cultural experience.

With the economy the way it is, David and I are trying to pay off all of our debts including our mortgage as quickly as possible so that we can pay for everything in cash from then on.  We're close to having only house debt, and its a very empowering feeling.  Cash flow can sometimes be an issue, but its amazing how many things people spend money on that they simply don't need... and we're all culprits of this behavior.  Our goal for 2012 is to be as close to debt free as we can be, and we're working really hard to get there.

My personal goal is to procrastinate less.  I've been working on several projects over the past year, and I want to get them all finished.  I've also gotten back into writing again, which I haven't done much of since college (10 years ago... where has that time gone... oye!) and I'm trying hard to focus my attention on finishing the various writing projects I've started.  I know I have a best seller in there somewhere!  But it all comes down to procrastination.  I have the ability to do great things... now I just have to do them.  What are your techniques to avoid procrastination?  I'd love to hear them!

Our final goal is the most important one to me: to start a family.  We are currently exploring all options for starting a family, including attending an adoption seminar next week, and looking more closely at finding a potential gestational surrogate willing to carry a baby for me at a cost we could afford (an angel carrier (no fee- angels require only the cost of the medical expenses involved in pregnancy) would answer my prayers!).  I'm also continuing to work on curing the Ulcerative Colitis I have so that I could possibly one day have a healthy pregnancy of my own.  Having just come from a big family Christmas in Charlotte, I'm craving a baby now more than ever.  Our families and friends make our world, and both David and I are very excited to have a family of our own.  No matter how annoyed or angry you get at your family, there is something so healing about the bond and kinship in family, I find it almost magical.

Guess who?!

The thing I can most definitely say about looking back on 2011, is that we are so grateful.  We have an abundance of goodness in our lives and I couldn't feel more thankful if I tried.  We have amazing family, friends, neighbors, a cool-albeit eccentric dog, great jobs, a very nice house, and most of all, each other.  If I were to say one thing about 2011 its that it is easy to look back upon the year with 20/20 vision and notice all the flaws, but to see all the goodness that comes from each moment and decision of our lives is a lot harder, but its certainly worth doing.  I'm even grateful for this darn Ulcerative Colitis... it's made me a much more compassionate person.  I'm aware of others more than I ever was before, and if I'd never had to deal with the pain and embarrassment its brought me, I'm not sure I would have ever felt the kind of compassion for others its also given me, and that is a gift.

I hope you have a fun New Year's Eve where ever you plan to spend it.  Be safe and I look forward to seeing you next year!

XOX
Anabel

Birthday Boy!

Today is a special day in our household, because today is my wonderful husband David's birthday.  

Happy Birthday Lovie!  

photo by Krakora Studios

I have a few special things planned to make his day especially wonderful... and I hope you'll all join me in wishing the love of my life a happy happy happy birthday!  

Home

Hello Everyone!

This evening David and I made it safely home from a wonderful trip to Charlotte, NC to celebrate the Christmas Holiday with the Lopez family.  My in-laws went all out for Christmas, and we really had a great time catching up with everyone.  Plus, my mom was there too, so I had such fun snuggling with my mommy on Christmas.

The only hiccup in the entire trip was the 24 hour stomach bug that the entire family came down with on the last day.  It definitely put a damper on the final day's festivities, but it was a minor flaw in an otherwise wonderful trip.  My two sister-in-laws and I were the only ones not effected by the bug... cross your fingers it stays that way!

When we are with family, David and I both wish there was a way we could move Boise closer to Madison, Boston, DC, St. Louis, Charlotte, Dubuque, etc. so that we could see each other on a more regular basis.  We're lucky to have such a nice group of people to belong to!  But we're torn, because we love everything about our western lifestyle, so we don't want to leave here, but maybe we can somehow convince everyone to move out west?!  Portland could be a good compromise to Charlotte, St. Louis, Boston, and DC, no?!  And Madison and Dubuque could possibly compare to Boise, right?!  I know, I know, I'm just dreaming!

Anyway, as I'm sure you'll all agree that no matter how great any trip you go on is, coming home is always so nice!  Our little Linus Lopez was over the moon to see us walk through the door (even when we made him wear his Christmas antlers!), and everything seemed so calm and steady the minute we set foot on Boise soil.  I love coming home!

Since we've been singing this song from the minute we stepped off the plane in Boise, I thought I would share it will you all.


We hope you all had a lovely Christmas and have a (safe and) Happy New Year!

Best Christmas Cookies ever... and they're SCD approved!

Hello All!

Last night I made the most delicious cookies I think I've ever had... and they are completely SCD approved, which makes them even better!  My wonderful husband thought they were so delicious he arranged them all on a plate for me and told me to take a picture of them and post the recipe on my blog.  So, I've taken his advice... I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

I took a recipe for "Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies" found on Elana's Pantry, and altered it a wee bit to make it SCD approved.  Here's what I came up with:

SCD Snickerdoodles

2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter or ghee
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup honey
Cinnamon to taste

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
3. Mix wet ingredients into dry... let the mixture sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes
4. Form ½-inch 1-inch balls and press onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
5. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes or until golden brown
6. Cool before removing them from the parchment paper.
7. Either sprinkle cinnamon on top of each cookie, or put the cookies in a paper bag and cinnamon and shake.
8. Remove and serve.

Makes 24 cookies

As a side note, I've been following the SCD program now since the beginning of November, and although I'm not having perfect results, I'm feeling so much better over all.  And I'm able to do things like go for a hike with out panicking and jumping into a bush, and even get through my hot yoga classes (although I'm still not able to do all the poses, but I'm working toward it!)  But either way, better is better, and if following this diet for only a month and a half has made me feel this good, I can't wait to see how well I do in six months!  Bon Appetite!