A Cubs Fan Bleeds Teal

So the wait is starting to have an impact on Alana and I. But here is the cool thing about where we are. The time frame we are in right now means that we could get that call. Now more than ever!

There is a young lady out there who is going to make the most selfless decision she can. And in the end will connect my wife and I to her forever. Having the opportunity to raise her child through open adoption is so exciting! With the joy there is always pain. While we will never know the struggle facing that amazing woman, she will never know how eternally grateful we will be to have this gift.

I have been trying to learn more about Mom's that have completed an adoption plan. Their strength, sacrifice, and selflessness are so amazing. If allowed, we want to share their child's life with them. The more love and family, the better in my mind. At the same time, we understand privacy and will respect that decision as well.

I see this post today as one to focus on hope and the reality that soon is nearly here!

The online dictionary defines adversity as the following:

"The state of adverse conditions; state of misfortune or calamity; An event that is adverse; calamity."

While this is an accurate definition of the term, I tend to view things from a different light. Life in of itself for us humans is not easy. Some have it better than others, but we all seem to struggle from time to time. I feel like adversity is how we handle living our lives. Those challenges that present themselves.

Some people carry their daily burdens or crosses and one would never know they struggle. Life just moves forward. Others retreat and loose focus under the weight of conflict. I personally try to let that higher power, or as we Christians call The Holy Spirit, lead me to where I am supposed to go.

Friday morning, I finished an amazing book called, "The Shack." It has been out for a few years and it tells an amazing story of how one learns how to handle adversity. My family and friends who have patiently waited on my reading of that story didn't tell me anything about what was portrayed. I will also not "spill the beans" either. What I can tell you is if you find yourself doubting the world around you please take a read/listen.

Hopefully, there is a father to be or two that has found this blog. Yesterday (Dad's Day) can be melancholy for those of us waiting for a family. Life is definitely a fractal and there is beauty within that chaos. (Ok, so I slipped one reference from the book!!!) Enjoy that beauty today for what it is worth, and cherish your family and friends you have in this moment.

Please pray and/or send good thoughts to my Father-in-law who is currently having the stomach cancer he was diagnosed with over this weekend staged.

Besides being an awesome Metallica song, it has been a theme the last few years for me. It took nearly 18 months to land into another full time job once I lost mine in 2008. That break allowed me to learn a lot. Beyond how to live comfortably on a lot less loot, that time taught me patience. Patience mostly to know that the right opportunity will come along when it is supposed to.

When you look at the process of adoption and everything that comes along with it, there are many parallels. Replace the resume for an adoption profile and that head hunter with a facilitator and you have a very similar experience of waiting. Now waiting doesn't mean sitting idle. There is a lot of work to be done to find that perfect job or match. There are lowered expectations discovered along that long road as well.

But most of all, I found peace in living in the moment. I spent time volunteering at my church and hanging out with my retired Dad. Now that I am working full time again, I really value that time at rest. It seemed like forever then, but it was just a small blip. And when you are confronted with that "eternity," listening to others remind you it will happen is frustrating.

I am currently "reading" a book called, "The Shack." The theme presented at one point was that humans tend to live in the past and the future more than the present. If we do more living for now, we begin to appreciate what this time really is. My prayer for all of you "waiting" for something is to not only accept where you are but to cherish the present.

I am a sports fanatic!!!

I think part of that stems from my family. When I was a kid, our family always was headed to a ball game, or was supporting my sister or I when we played. And if we weren't at a game, one was always on TV. Football and baseball were the norm as a kid. As I grew older, I found my newest and most favorite love of all hockey. While growing up in Northern California, I was a fan of the 49ers and A's. In high school, we moved back to Wisconsin where my Mom's family lived. Friends and family influenced me to follow the Green Bay Packers and those lovable losers the Chicago Cubs. I still can remember my Uncle Eddie complaining about something that Don Zimmer did managing the Cubs. Now, it's me complaining about Lou's coaching abilities.

For me, it is the fact that I am competitive by nature. That, and I enjoy getting lost in a game or a season to ignore what life throws at me (temporarily). Also, it connects me with friends. Fantasy Football connects me with my local friends for some great times. I enjoy calling old friends that are back in Chicago and Wisconsin to talk about how the Cubs are doing. Lately, I am cheering on the Blackhawks as they play for a Stanley Cup with one of my college friends. Yes, even though they beat up on my favorite hockey team the San Jose Sharks!

I really enjoy technology.  I have already learned how to post on my Android phone.  There's an app for that!  I would say that it compliments my life versus ruling it.  My career has a lot to do with that.  I am what the education field calls an Assistive Technologist.  In laymens terms, I work with people with various disabilities to use technology to gain independence in their education and life.  I work for a local Community College and absolutely love my work.

If it is shiney, new, and not an iPad I probably own or have played with it.   Next, I will talk about my obsession with.sports.

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So the title of my first post actually comes from a t-shirt I once owned. I had the pleasure of attending the very first game played at AT&T Park in San Francisco. It was an exhibition game between the Giants and the Milwaukee Brewers.

And the shirt they sold at the game had the date of the game and the motto, "You'll Always Remember Your First Time." This is a verbose way explaining why I titled my first post this way. Thought it was fitting!

I try to weave sports and pop culture into my posts that relate to my life. Ask my darling wife, she will tell you that I have a movie quote or sports reference for just about everything that happens to us. Alana (the aforementioned darling wife)has her own blog linked to our website. I felt the need to step up and start one myself.

There is more to me than sports, there is also technology!!! Seriously, just like "Lanie's Ramblings," this blog is here to introduce some amazing people to who I am. Alana and I are journeying down the road of Domestic Open Adoption. I am hoping that some of Alana's followers who are also on our journey can share this with their husbands. And most importantly, this blog might be the first glimpse into my life for some courageous expectant mom out there. Everyone else is welcome to hop on as well.

So, thank you for reading and following this window into my world. I hope it is interesting and inspiring at the same time.