Loving Life in Lake Tahoe

We love Lake Tahoe! I've been going there since I was about five years old, and when Jonathan and I moved up to Northern California in 2005, I couldn't wait to share it with him.

We visit Tahoe many times a year, mostly in the summer and winter, but we try and make a trip up in the spring and fall, as well. Every August, we go up with my dad and step mom and stay for about four days in Incline Village. Incline is on the Nevada side and is simply breathtaking. 

We look forward to this trip every year. It's pure relaxation. Lazy days on the private beach, soaking up the sun and playing on rafts in the water. Sometimes, we ride bikes, hike, or drive the scenic 72 miles around the lake, devouring the beauty each shore has to offer.

We were hoping that we would have a baby to bring with us this year. It's a perfect place for kids, and every year, we enjoy watching children of all ages building sand castles and playing with their parents in the water. Each year that we don't have our baby, we feel a twinge of sadness, but we try and remain optimistic and know that soon, we can join in on the family fun. 

We are truly blessed to live so close to the pristine mountains and serenity of Lake Tahoe. We can't wait to go back in winter to ski, snowboard, and snowshoe along lake trails. 

Being in nature, I'm always reminded of one of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"Do not go where the path may lead,

go instead where there is no path...

and leave a trail."

We don't have a path to follow in open adoption. There's no path; there is only unknown and sometimes, like a forest, it's dark and dense, and there seems to be no end in sight. But, other times, it's like Lake Tahoe. It's beautiful, vast, deep, and brimming with endless inlets and possibilities. We may not know where this adoption journey will take us, but I know we'll leave a remarkable trail. 

See you soon Lake Tahoe. Stay blue!

McCloud Condos (where we stay)

A stormy day at the Lake

Shan and J  

Beautiful Emerald Bay

Incline Village Private Beach

One of our water toys

Looking towards west shore

The Truckee Meadow

Enjoying our morning walk 

Panoramic view of the beach

Seagull doing a little dance

J hanging out on the "ski" chair

One of the geese patrol dogs, Sneakers

South Lake Tahoe Casinos

Painted sky through the trees

Daily view from our beach spot

All smiles at Emerald Bay

Patience is Not Only a Virtue...

...it's become our way of life.

Waiting is hard. Waiting for something you have no idea the time frame on is even harder. We have been in circulation for about 13 days. I know, it's not very long. And don't worry, I'm not going to say I'm tired of waiting for our baby already. But, I think I had this little hope that we'd be one of the lucky ones that gets picked immediately. 

I'm sure everyone who's going through adoption wishes for the same thing. We were so busy getting everything required done before we were in circulation, that it didn't seem like waiting. Now, that we are officially certified adoptive parents, the waiting seems quiet.

Others who've gone through adoption all give the same advice. Continue on with your life. Try and put the adoption in the back of your mind. Keep busy, focus on your partner, don't get bogged down in the waiting. Great advice, but it's not that easy. Everyday I wake up wondering if we'll get the call (or email) that will change our life. I pick up the phone to make sure it's still working, test our email, and check our google analytics. 

This waiting is going to be harder than I thought, but we'll manage. Patience has to become part of our normal routine. Patience has to be a way of life. We have no control over when we'll get picked. We have to trust that our baby is not quite ready for us yet. And that's okay. When you're ready Baby G, we are here, waiting. Patiently.

In Circulation!

We are SO very excited to announce that we're in circulation!!! 

This means that we are ready to adopt (well, as soon as we are lucky enough to be chosen by a birthmom!) We have completed our home study, lots and lots of paperwork, and the required training and reading. We are recognized as a certified adoptive/foster family.

It seems like it took us a long time, but it was only four months. That's pretty fast. Those who are further in the process, say that now, the waiting really begins. We have been so busy these past four months with getting into circulation, that now we have nothing to do, but wait.

I shouldn't say nothing to do. It's up to us to network and we are currently brainstorming ways to do that, without necessarily paying huge ad fees. You have to get creative and that's what we intend to do. So, if you see a woman out on a corner wearing a board advertising her family, it might be me! 

We want to give a HUGE thank you to Joanna at Our Chosen Child. She designed our birthparent letter for us, and her work is absolutely amazing. We didn't even really know what we wanted when we started working with her, and the end result brings tears to my eyes. It's so us. Joanna has adopted herself and she does design work for adoptive families. We cannot recommend her and Our Chosen Child enough. And our child will indeed be chosen, just like us.

Joanna: doesn't she look like the nicest person?

So, without further ado, here is our birthparent letter. This letter is so important. It's our marketing piece and face in the adoptive world. 

http://www.iheartadoption.org/sites/default/files/pdf/15591.pdf

So, wish us luck as we start the new chapter in our adoption process. We have no idea when our baby will come to us; we'll just just try to live life to the fullest and not stare at the phone. But, you never know. Any day, we may get the phone call that forever changes our lives.