Rooted in Trefoil to Rooted in Sand

Why is adoption expensive? I as k myself that all the time. Initially starting the proces s, I figured Tyler and I would be able to afford this as we go. We even decided to be pro active and get into hobbies tha t could h elp us bring in more mone y asi de from our 40 hour a week pay .  The more I looked at the agency fee s spreadsheet, the more I internally questioned myself that could we do actually afford to do this. So seriou sly, why is adoption do expensive?? Adoption is not for the parents, the number one reason is for the betterment of the child. The US and other countries over the years have tighten the requirements on adoption due to some going through the process to "buy" children for tra ffic king . Almost all of the expenses are for the paperwork to be proce ssed, translated , and assuring t hat each form meet s the strict requirement s. The child's safety is the most important thing in the entire process.  Each country is different in co...

WOW!!! Seriously! Last night, we finally made the decision to share our adventure on Facebook. The amount of positive support and love we received in what felt like a matter of minutes was so overwhelming. I can't tell you how blessed I am to receive such a response as I did last night. We are very excited about this journey. I honestly don't even know where to begin. Having spent two months of research and pretty much 30 years of being off and on curious about adoption, we finally get to become parents too! Some of you may have a lot of questions or just a little. . . I'll do my best to answer them in my blog posts. By all means, please email questions or comment on the posts too. I don't think this journey will warrant a daily post because the whole adoption process is drawn out over 24 months at max, but sometimes it can be less than that. ::fingers crossed:: So I'll just fill you in what we've been doing the past two months as we go into March. THE T...

I truly hate going out around town to shop for items. Since online shopping started I've been right at home, clicking away on my keyboard. I recommend Wayfair.com for all my gals who love a good steal/deal. Stay tuned to next week when our living room will be 75% finished in furnishing. Last thing we have to do is get a new couch - going the sectional route. I want our living room to be entertainment central. I love entertaining in our home.We just got our coffee table and it's absolutely gorgeous! Just the right type of rustic. So pretty. This weekend is filled with catching up on some serious cleaning. I'm so behind and Spring is right around the corner, along with the big 3-0! Any suggestions on what I should do for that? Give me your thoughts. In politics, twitter is a buzz daily. I'm so sick of social media and all the arguments. I've stayed away from Facebook, except to share my Instagram posts. I don't care to discuss politics with anyone b/c it...

**SPOILER ALERT** (Hopefully I do not give too much away) "In India, over 80,000 children go missing each year and there are over 11 million children living on the streets." After watching Lion, I literally cannot imagine living on the streets of India. Being lost for over 25years. If you have not seen Lion, I highly suggest it. A movie that touches on the feeling of not just actually being lost, but missing that part of you. I don't remember anything about India. I'm as American as I can possibly be, but some are not as lucky. As the movie portrays the real-life journey of Saroo(Sheru) Brierley and him being lost, adopted, lost, and finally searching for his old life; you can't help but feel every bit of sadness and uncertainty as the movie moves along. Its themes are universal. Everyone has a home, and everyone feels connected to it, no matter how far they travel. I too have felt that lost feeling from time to time in my life. The 'what ifs'. I...

How do I look my husband in the eye, and tell him “it’s ok if you want to deploy?”? Of course, I support my husband in all his endeavors, but lets back up 6yrs before I knew him. I watched a lot of my classmates enter into the military upon graduation. You could say my freshman year of high school was quite impactful in many of my friends decisions. 9/11 happened. It changed everything for us. The way we got out of bed every morning, weary of another attack. I knew older classmates that changed their college bound plans, to make the ultimate sacrifice. I’ve been blessed to be able to see them return to their families, and live out their future. Fast forward to meeting Tyler A. Schmidt and falling head over heels so fast, jumping straight into a long distance relationship for 10months, and then packing everything up to move in and start a life. I knew Tyler had previously deployed and while we were long distance, he was finishing up his service term……but I guess, you never really a...

Well tomorrow is inauguration day for our 45th president and I stand with so many people who have concerns and doubts of this incoming administration; but are hopeful for the best and those are my thoughts on the incoming administration. Let's be real, we're replacing an eloquent man with a crass, women-objectifying man that speaks before he thinks and tweets too much. Cest la' vie for four years. I hope we don't run our country into the ground. MOVING ON.....

Welcome back to a new beginning!! Tyler and I arrived home on Sunday around 10:30p. Not too shabby after a turbulent flight. I ended up falling asleep on the way home (figures). Let me just say 'thank you' to everyone I saw, spent time with, etc. It was so wonderful to see each of you! The hospitality that was shown towards Tyler and I was unbelievable. Maryland is truly home for me and it's always wonderful coming home. We had a whirlwind of a trip and you can see it all over my Instagram page...but I'll just post a smattering of photos here too. Enjoy. Headed home to MD.....Giant ornaments at Indy Airport