Another Celebrity Adoption - Sandra Bullock

I'm totally in love with Sandra Bullock adopting too. Above is the picture of her People spread just after she adopted baby Louie. Just like Mariska, I've always loved Sandra Bullock. She's not your typical star, in that you don't see her out gallivanting, vying for media attention.

I know, I know. Stars don't live in our world. They decide to adopt and it seems like suddenly, they have a child. Not like the rest of us, who go through months and years of paperwork and waiting before we are finally matched somehow, some way. Regardless, I think it's inspiring.

I don't think I'll be doing any photo shoots after Robert and I adopt ... but you never know. ;)

Celebrity Adoption - Mariska Hargitay

I've always loved Mariska Hargitay. I just think she's so pretty! And now I have yet another reason to love her. She is an adoptive mother.

The above picture is from an article in More Magazine. (I'm convinced the editors of More have an affinity for adoption.) Apparently, she's now adopted a little boy as well. I'm ever so jealous ... she's pretty, successful and has now experienced two successful adoptions. Well, I can't be too hard on myself. Two out of three ain't bad.

Can't wait to post about our adoption on here when it happens! Still searching ...

Chalky's Playlist

Chalky's been into some R&B lately ... and a bit of down home funk. Check out his favorite playlist:

Fred's a little more mellow. Look for his playlist soon!

More Magazine - Adopting at 55

We've chosen independent domestic adoption, which means we are trying to find a girl or woman from the United States who would like to consider adoption for her child. Still, I love stories. And one of the more recent adoption stories I ran across was one about a lady named Joyce. At 55, she decided to adopt two sisters from Ethiopia. 

Their mother died of AIDS, and their father is HIV-positive but the girls are healthy. Says Joyce, "The choice I've made to adopt is one that few of my over-50 friends would make - and one that I wrestled with for more than a decade. I have no idea where I am headed or what my life will look like when I get there. I just know that once I put my arms around these two girls ... I'll be embarking on an adventure that's as challenging as launching a raft into Class 5 rapids but a lot longer lasting. Sink or swim, no turning back."

The article was published in the September 2010 issue of More Magazine. I cut it out and it is now housed in a folder that holds many articles about adoptions - both domestic and international.

I love the picture of the three of them on the table. The girls have left a continent to move to a place unfamiliar to them both - but there's no fear in their eyes. They're warriors, the three of them. 

Sun rays, Colors and Words

Frederick by Leo Lionni was one of my favorite children's books when I was a little girl. Frederick is a mouse who belongs to a colony of mice. During the summer and autumn months, all of the mice of the colony are gathering nuts and berries and grains to store away for the winter - all of them, that is, except Frederick. 

When the colony mice ask Frederick what he's doing, he replies that he's gathering sun rays, colors and words. As you can imagine, the other mice think Frederick has gone coo coo. 

Later, in the middle of winter, the mice of the colony have eaten up all their grain. The fruit is long gone and there are just a few nuts. It's then that Frederick the mouse begins to tell his brothers and sisters stories - stories of the sunshine and of the colors of summer and of words that were spoken during months when they were all together in the warmth. Frederick's stories warm the hearts of all the mice in the colony and they finally understand. 

I think of Frederick a lot during the winter months, especially during the month of January. On the coldest of cold days, it's often hard to find something that inspires a ray of sunshine into your day. On those days, I channel Frederick. After all, it only takes a moment to close your eyes and imagine the sunshine on a day in the middle of late summer when you and a loved one shared a moment. 

One of my favorite memories from this past summer is when my nieces and nephews all spent the night with me and Robert. We hung out at the house then went downtown to a local burger joint to enjoy massive cheeseburgers, monster shakes and jumbo onion rings and fries. Then we walked and walked downtown. It was hot and we were sweaty, but we were together, hanging out and acting goofy. Afterwards, we sat around in the living room and fought over which movies we wanted to watch. The next morning, we all got up and met Nana and Pop Pop for breakfast before they had to go home. 

What are your colors? What are your sun rays? What are your words?