My Eyes

(ICLWers:  You can read my ICLW post here.)

The other evening during church, I was reading my Bible and absentmindedly rubbed my left eye as I continued to follow along.  I was astounded to discover that, with only my right eye, the words were completely blurry!

I have always known that my right eye was worse than my left.  I wear glasses, and have since I was about 15 (yikes, that's half my life!), for my astigmatism.  But somewhere along the line, my right eye must have been getting progressively worse while my left eye stayed the same!  I don't know how I only noticed now! 

In the last couple days I've been regularly covering one eye and than the other and reading things and various distances (always with my glasses on).  I am shocked at how bad my right eye is.  I am near-sighted, and the fact that even things close up (like my Bible) are blurry with only my right eye (wearing glasses) is maybe what surprises me the most.  I am used to being able to read close-up very, very well.

Well, it has been four years since I've had my eyes checked and gotten new glasses.  So I will be doing that again soon.  Hubby says I can go for an appointment and get new glasses as soon as the money from selling our land comes in, which should hopefully be in October.

Which brings me to, do I want to get new frames or stick with the frames I have?  I think I want new ones, because a) I like change and b) it's been four years since I got these!  I honestly have no idea what's in style anymore for glasses frames.  Do any of you?  I mean, I've seen the teenagers wearing glasses that look like they're from the 80's/90's (you know, the ones that cover half your face) but I'm 30.  What frames are in style for a 30-year-old female, who usually dresses casual but occasionally likes to dress up?  I never wear contacts or go without glasses so they have to be something that go with anything.

Ah well, I will have to look around the stores when I go get my eyes checked.  Most important is probably finding something that will work with the shape of my face, and of course price will come into play.

I am really looking forward to getting new glasses (sight-wise) and we're hoping this will eases some of the muscle tension pain I have in my shoulders and neck!  And maybe I'll get less headaches, too, if those muscle problems ease up!

September ICLW

Hi, and welcome to my blog, newcomers and regular readers both :)

This is only my second time doing ICLW.  My first time was in July, and I really liked it.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, click here.

So this is the spot where I give a synopsis of our journey.  But I don't know what to write.  Because I still haven't decided what I do and do not feel comfortable sharing.  (I should clarify:  I am, for the most part, comfortable sharing my complete story with those I don't personally know, but a lot more uncomfortable sharing with those I could easily run into the next time I'm in the grocery store or at a family gathering!)

I will say this:  There are a number of significant reasons that have come together concluding in the result of us ADOPTING!

We are not approved yet and are still in the stage of getting paperwork ready and finding money.

Feel free to click around and read more.  Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Anne

Went to a funeral by myself today.  It was for my best friend's sister (I think I mentioned her in this post). 

I have so many emotions going through me right now. 

The last time I had been to a funeral at that specific church was for my childhood best friend's sister's funeral, who also died of cancer...the last time I had been to any funeral was my grandpa's, 10 years ago...the last time I had stepped into any church building for any reason has been a number of years, too...although I still meet with other Believers.

Anne was a pilot.  My hubby is a pilot, too.  For some reason any of the aviation-related stuff (pictures, stories, etc) really got to me.  And guess who forgot to bring Kleenex!  During PMS yet, too!

When we were out in the church graveyard after the service, I heard a plane coming.  I looked up and they had 2 planes come over, circle once, then come over again and do the missing man formation, where one plane splits off.  I hadn't cried much before, but that one got me.  That formation always gets me whenever I see it.

Gave my friend a few big hugs.  She's so special.  Her and her siblings were so brave to go up front during the service and share their memories of Anne.

I ended up not staying for the reception.  Ended up talking to a few pilots outside and then headed home. 

Here is a poem that means a lot to aviators.  You can read the history of it here.

"High Flight"

 Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
 And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
 Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
 of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
 You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
 High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
 I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
 My eager craft through footless halls of air....

 Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
 I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
 Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
 And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
 The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
 - Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

 

John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Subdivision Approved!

Finally!  Our subdivision was approved today!  Hubby & I are ecstatic and hugely relieved.

We have 5 acres and have been working on subdividing it into two 2.5 acre lots (one with the house on it and one without).

We first looked into subdividing about 4 years ago.  A LOT of various things went wrong.  We kept pursuing.  More things went wrong.  It has now been about 1 1/2 years since our most recent attempt.

People have wondered why we didn't just quit trying and just sell the whole lot as one.  There's a lot I don't understand, but I do know this - we will get a lot more for 2 lots and we need the money to pay down debt and to ADOPT!!!

Along the way I often felt like shaking all these government people who stood in our way and saying "don't you realize you're keeping us from our baby??"  But God's timing is best, even if I can't always see that from my spot on planet earth.

The lot without the house has already sold (subject to subdivision) a while ago (in fact, it sold only 4 days after we put it up for sale) so that is excellent.  We just have to wait about a month for more mumbo-jumbo I don't understand and then is possession date.  It will be interesting seeing a house go up next to us, if we are here that long.

Our house will be going up for sale very soon!  Aaaah!  We've never done anything like this before.  We have been working like INSANITY for the last number of weeks getting our house ready and it still feels like there is so much to do.  Our porch is just about finished out and it looks fantastic.  My mom and brother came over yesterday to help with odd jobs around the yard (because my husband works long days and has so much to do) which was wonderful of them.

So happy today :)

Real Mom

So I had the following conversation with my 8-year-old niece C the other day.  She sprung it on me out of the blue, as kids seem to do.  It was at the supper table with other family members listening.

Niece:  Do you think your kids will know that you're not their real mom?

Me (I said everything gently):  But I will be their real mom.

Niece:  No, like their real mom.

Me (extending my arm to her):  Pinch me.  I am real.  I will be their real mom.

Niece (brief pause while she thinks hard):  No, will they know you're not the one who gave birth to them!

Me:  Yes, they will know.  I'll be their real mom, and they will know that they have a birth mom, and hopefully they will even know her.

So?  How do you think I handled it?  I'd especially like the opinions of other people in the adoptive world.  This is not the first time she's sprung a conversation like this on me, and somehow I don't think it'll be the last.