2014...

2014...this has to be "our year". At least that is what I am telling myself!  We are hoping that we find our baby this year, and that he/she will find us.  But in the meantime we have so much to be thankful for.  Mady, our families, our home, and health.  We learned a lot in 2013.  Some lessons that I hope we never have to learn again, but they have made us stronger.  We can make it through what ever comes our way.  I hope and pray that those babies that were soooo close to coming into our home are givin the world. I hope that are loved and cherished.  We ask that you still pass our info along to anybody that might help us get to where we want to be, a family of 4 ( or more would be AWESOME).  And that you cherish the little ones in your life, you are very fortunate to have them.  On the plus side, we will look for a baby when we are on vacation, in HAWAII!!!  Bring on 2014 because this has to be the year:)

What's new ...

Sorry we have been missing for a while now. We are still looking for a little person to join our family.  I remember writing the first post for this blog.  We had just finished up some training and I wrote how people had been waiting for years to adopt, and I felt so bad for them and their families.  We are approaching our 2 year mark:( never did I think that it would take this long.  It has been a long two years.  I like to believe that we have grown  and learned a thing or two over the past couple of years.  We have learned to not take ONE single thing or day for granted.  We are very blessed, we have a wonderful daughter, fabulous family and friends, and all the "things" that we need.  But our hearts are still missing something, our arms ache to hold a baby, part of our home is empty.
Over the past couple of months we have came so close to welcoming a baby into our home a couple of times, but for whatever reason it has yet to be our time.  Right now we are healing from a VERY painful failed placement. Our hearts break for anyone who has had this experience.  We had the bags packed.  We had the tickets bought.  We had the baby shower.  We had a name.  We were ready, we had prepared for 3 months, done the paper work told our family and friends. We were ready.  Unfortunately in the end we were left without the baby. We were and still are broken. A part of us died that day.  We loved him. So while we are picking up the pieces and trying to help our daughter understand. We pray everyday for OUR baby to find us. We have to move on, and look forward, even though sometimes it just easier to sit on the couch crying wondering why.  That's not how we were raised, trials and heartache happen and with each passing day we get stronger. Each day we are closer to finding them.  We are looking and we need to help of our family and friends.  Please if you know of any situation, pass along our information.  We love you.

SOOOO....

still nothing is going on for us in the adoption front.  Wow I can say I didn't think it would take THIS long.  They say it can but honestly I didn't believe them.  On the days where I get sad and depressed about it I just look and Mady and I know the reason it's taking so long is because God isn't sending us A baby.  He will send us OUR baby, just as he did with Mady.  That baby will be perfect in every way.  For some reason we have to wait but in the meantime I need to just enjoy every day with Mady.  She is growing up so fast and I really like this stage.  We laugh a lot!  So to keep myself optimistic I have to remind myself that soon, soon our perfect little baby will join our family.  Mady already has the babies ( yes she thinks we are getting 2 boys and 2 girls ) names picked, and there rooms, and she knows what things they will like to eat.  She is also just waiting...

Update...

Well unfortunately we have nothing to update on, except we are now approved with an agency in Utah as well as LDS family services.  So hopefully we find our baby soon:). This new agency still says the wait is about 9-12 months but I guess we will see.  And again if you know of any possible situations please tell them about us!

Things I've Learned...

Things I've Learned

 

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles 3 things: A rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas trees lights.

 

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same as making a "life."

 

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

 

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.  You need to be able to throw something back.

 

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you.  But, if you focus on you family, your friends, and the needs of others, your work and doing the best you can, happiness will find you.

 

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

 

I've learned the everyday, you should reach out and touch someone.  People love that human touch-holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

 

People will forget what you said...people will forget what you did...but people will never forget how you made them feel.

2013...

"Already in my heart, someday in our arms."
I saw this quote on the one and only Pinterest (LOVE that website) and it really hit home.  When you go through something as infertility/adoption you truly love the child that is going to come to your home long before you actually get to hold them in your arms.  The problem is that it sucks waiting to get to meet them.  We pray and pray every night that a little miracle will join our family.  And that we will be ready when the opportunity come up. 
I have never really been one that reads Horoscopes but for some reason I read my 2013 overview and I am extremely hopeful! It says its the year of fabulous expansion of sweetness and love galore.  So listen up 2013,  DO NOT LET ME DOWN!!!  Please be our year...please give Mady a sibling,  she needs one in a really bad way. Please give us a baby to hold and raise and take care of.  So I guess if I have to say my actual New Years resolution's they would be:

• Lose the 10 lbs I have been wanting to for the last 5 years ( problem is, I don't do anything to help this.  So they will be there next year I am sure of it.)
• Be more positive
• Don't feel sorry for us.  Yes Infertility is hell but, it lead us to Mady and I wouldn't change it for the world and it will lead us to our next child.  It is a nasty blessing.  Nevertheless, a blessing.  And our situation could be so much worse.
• Enjoy the little things more. 

I was going to upload a couple of Holiday photos but surprise, it won't let me right now.  So this will be a picture-less post. We hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season, we did.  We were very blessed to get to spend it with our families and loved ones.  Christmas has always been special to me but when your kids are old enough for it it really kind of rocks!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!  We love this time of year.  We are very blessed and extremely fortunate.  We would just like to wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and a very Merry Christmas.  May you be blessed!

Happy Holidays!

We just wanted to wish you all a very Happy holiday season.  I love this time of year, the lights, the music, the smells, the shopping, the family parties, the giving, the service, Holly (our elf on the shelf), the snow-when we get it, and most of all the spirit that we get to feel when we remember the true reason of Christmas.  It truly is a wonderful and magical time of year.
Oh yeah and we are still partially patiently waiting for a very special gift.  Hopefully this will be the last year that Mady gets WAY too many presents, because she will have someone to share them with!  She will be THE BEST SISTER ever.  I know she tells me every day :)

Thankful...

On good ol' Facebook everybody posts everyday something they are thankful for, but me.  I like it but it seems like all of the answers are the same, don't be offended. But I do love this time of year.  I love that Halloween is over ( least favorite holiday). I love the change in the weather and the leaves.  I love all of the family parties and get togethers.  I love ALL of Christmas time and decorating for it.  And I love Thanksgiving. I have ALOT to be thankful for.  So here is my list:

Our family

MADY

Our home and the things in it

Our friends

The fact that Pat has a job and he loves what he does and that he can NEVER be fired

Our health

Those who sacrifice to keep us safe

Skype

Our community and country

The fact that we can give gifts to those in need during the holiday season

Our trials

Our church and the leaders

Doctors and medicine that are continuing to try and help us grow our family

Mady's birth mother...

And her mother

 Cell phones so that I can talk to my sister all day, everyday

That Mady LOVES LOVES LOVES all of her Papa's and Grandma's

That we got the opportunity to take Mady along with the extended family to Disneyland.

On the days that I have myself a little pity party wondering why me I need to remember all of these things that I have I realize that I have a WONDERFUL life.  I just hope that we can all enjoy the up coming holiday season and be safe and healthy with our loved ones.  We are still waiting for a special connection with somebody and pray that you will all come into our lives soon.



Yep...

we are still here and still just waiting. WAITING for someone to feel a connection with us.  To be blessed with a tiny little newborn that will be loved more than imagined.  To have a relationship with a wonderful birth family, one that only a small hand full of people on this earth have GET to have.  To LOVE a complete stranger for the AMAZING opportunity they give to us.  To be super tired because I was up feeding and cuddling.  To have little onesies that have spit up on them. To not buy baby clothes and in the back of my mind wonder if it was a waste of money.  BUT... in the MEAN TIME  I will continue to explain to Mady that we are waiting for Jesus to send us a baby before we buy diapers, and bottles, and binkies.  I will hold babies of family and friends and cuddle them as much as possible and tell myslef soon, soon it will be our turn. I will kiss and hug and tickle Mady. Laugh at her dancing. Count down the days until she can be the greatest big sister EVER.  And be SO very GRATEFUL for her and the BLESSING that she is in our lives. Think about her wonnderful birth mom that gave us something that we couldn't give ourselves.  In the mean time we will just be happy with the lives we live and the blessings we have, we are fortunate.  We will just keep waiting...

House Pictures

Sorry I could not get this to turn right, the kitchen.

Our bedroom

Formal living room

The babies room, just waiting to paint it either blue or pink:)

Mady's room

The view on our back patio.

Our Home... without picutres:(

They have changed blogger on me and it won't let me put pictures up.  I am working on it.  If anybody knows how PLEASE leave me a comment.  HELP!

4th of July

We are hoping that you all had a great 4th of July.  We did:) We spent the holiday at the rodeo, parade, playing softball, and just hanging out with family.  Thank you to all who have served so we can have freedoms we have.

May...

AHHH!!!! I have tried this 4 times now and it keeps deleting it so no pictures this time. May was filled with boxes and Boxes and BOXES! We are finally settled into our new home and are LOVING IT! Now we just need to get sod and we will be set. I never thought I would be so excited to have to mow the lawn:) That's pretty much all that had been going on, still just waiting...

A day at the zoo

This was an awesome day, went to the zoo, went to lunch and hung out with family.  Mady LOVES the zoo and could spend the entire day there! 

Thoughts...

We spent the last weekend finishing up the last of our adoption classes.  It's always so nice to hear other people's stories and meet more people like us.  There were couples in there that had been on the list 2, 3,4, and 5 years.  Our heart broke for them.  All we could think is how we hoped that wouldn't be us, but in the back of your mind you know it is a reality.  We have been approved for 3 months or so now, and I (Rachel) get so discouraged everyday when I check the e-mail and nothing is there.  It makes me realize how fortunate we might be.  We were the first time:)
  After hearing speakers talk about adoption it just makes us realize how much we want a baby right now.  Also that infertility has been and blessing, at times a hard one, but probably one of our greatest.  It gave us a wonderful, full of life, beautiful girl that makes us smile everyday! We do know that it will happen when it's right.  Everything just seems to fall into place.  So for now, we (again, me, Rachel) just have to be patient, and wait for our sweet, perfect little baby to find us. 

YAY...

We're offical!! We are now approved to adopt through LDS services. To visit our page go to itsaboutlove.org, spread the word!

Hey there

Dear Friends,
Thanks for checking us out. You can check out the buttons on the top of the page to learn more about us.
We are excited to have our little family grow. We hope that everyone involved with find peace and comfort in this journey. We will let you know when we are officially on the approved list with LDS family services and our profile is up and going.
Please direct any possible birthmothers/birthfathers our way. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks again,
Love the Olsen's