Hello God, what do you have planned for me? ~ Part 1

As I reflect on my journey and begin sharing the news that I am indeed adopting a little girl from Uganda, I feel I must share the back story. It didn't happen overnight. It began as an idea I thought for sure was way to big for me. All the while, God was preparing me to embrace the idea and pursue it like I do everything else in my life!

In early April 2012 I was newly unemployed and unsure of what to do with myself. I had money saved for my long awaited and much anticipated December 2012 trip to Africa, but I had free time NOW. So like any crazy motivated person I changed the trip. I got the yellow fever shot (required a minimum of two weeks before entering the country of Uganda) in the nick of time and filled out all the paperwork. On April 24 I traveled for hours and hours across the pond until I arrived in the beautiful lush countryside of Jinja, Uganda. I fell in love with many little brown faces and thought of ways to bring at least one home with me. (I kid. But not really!)

Hello God, what do you have planned for me?

May 2012 brought the second half of the Africa trip and we traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I fell in love with more little brown faces, but still couldn't figure out a way to bring one home with me. I traveled home feeling all out of sorts, for many reasons, but knew I would travel back to Africa again someday. Then the J-O-B search began. To nanny or not to nanny; that was the question. I love kids, the pay and schedule really worked for me. For 3 1/2 years I got paid to be with children. I played, camped, went to museums, amusement parks, restaurants, little people clothes shopping, sports practice, Dr. appointments, and did school pick up and drop off. I had playdates, napped, ate breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner and an evening dessert! I loved this job, but something was changing in me. I started thinking about dressing up, working with adults, and utilizing my organizational skills. On May 29, my newest nephew Quinn Clinton came into the world! Oh how I love little babies!

Hello God, what do you have planned for me?

June/July 2012 continued the J-O-B search. I sent A LOT of resumes. I worked temp nanny jobs and kept telling myself a job would find me after I visited Joy and Randall in Bulgaria. Which is where I traveled from June 27 to July 11. I crossed the pond for the second time in 2012, this time landing in Sophia, Bulgaria. For the next 13 days, Joy, Randall and I traveled, lounged, conversed, pondered the meaning of life, took in some great sites and ate DELICIOUS food! We took a cruise from Athens, Greece to several islands, including Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, Patmos, and Mykonos! Joy and I would be sunning ourselves on the deck of the ship and just blurt out "we're on a cruise ship island hopping in Greece!" We had such a wonderful trip. We traveled back through Melnik, Bulgaria, where the food, wine, and scenery were AMAZING! The quality time spent with two of my very best friends will be treasured forever!

In the quiet moments on this trip I would say "Self, what are you going to do next? You have been given amazing opportunities, what is in your bigger picture, something that is bigger than you?" To which Self tried listening for that still, small voice and replied,

Hello God, what do you have planned for me?

August 2012 passed with a flurry of activity. I watched two of my great friends, Aaron and Bekah, vow to spend the rest of their lives together. I went water skiing for the first time since I was 12. I was still searching for a J-O-B. I was getting restless and pondering my bigger picture, something bigger than myself.

Hello God, what do you have planned for me?

September 2012. It started like any other September. Kids go back to school, schedules shift to accommodate and the days get shorter. Except I wasn't a student, or working with kids, or really working much at all. Restless. Pondering my bigger picture. Something bigger than myself. On Tuesday Sept. 10 I was contacted by my friend's husband and offered a job. A job that required dressing up, working with adults, and utilizing my organizational skills. The job was in Maine and the only catch was that it didn't technically start until January when they opened the firm. I accepted the job and asked out loud,

Hello God, what do you have planned for me?

To which He answered on the very next day. A friend had some temp work at his medical device company doing testing on products for the FDA. It was decent pay, decent hours, 5 minutes from my house and projected to last about 3 months. I accepted the job and said out loud,

"Thank You God for your plans for me!" I'm sure He giggled because He was not done with me yet. This was only a small part of that 'something bigger than myself'. That something bigger had been in my heart and on my mind since April.

Adoption.

Uganda.

A little girl.

Somehow, as I was unemployed and seeking a job working with adults, not children, God created a great big desire to pursue becoming a mother through international adoption. I researched, got paperwork, and made the decision to start the home study process as soon as I moved to Maine.

October/November/December flew by with start up law firm tasks and my silly (but they tell me very important none the less) product testing job. I washed the same 6 pieces of a caddy/case over 200 times. It was a 100+ minute process that included me washing it and then placing it in a dishwasher type device. I enjoyed my time with the company and appreciate the opportunity it gave me while I transitioned. I was in constant contact with the three partners and several vendors. I took adoption classes, renewed my passport, got my people to write me recommendation letters, wrote my autobiography and saved money for the first step.


January-April 2013 coming soon!

Camping

This is the scene from Saturday. We slept in the tent with our new LLBean sleeping bags and Thomas the Train/Dora lanterns on Friday night. I was awoken at 5:50AM to a bright sun and two children eager to embrace the day! The children rode/fought who would drive the Gator for hours. They rode their bikes too, caught frogs, searched for snakes, played in my Dad's bus turned motor home, and made s'mores! Matthew even went to my nephew Issac's t-ball game. I had some tired and dirty kids when we left after 14 hours of playing.

Maine Cherubs meet Massachuseets Cherubs

And for a moment, they shared a couch for Nanny Tarsha/Aunt Tarsha/Tosha to snap a picture! (Even if half of them were hiding their face or trying to get down.)
The children all played together nicely (for the most part). They got up extremely early and made us all laugh several times throughout our stay. A certain someone had to be informed about guests and etiquette and a certain guest must have been listening! The children were playing upstairs and we could hear them downstairs. We heard some banter and then heard Matthew say, "I am your guest and you need to be nice to me!" We figured he was right and they should move on. A few minutes later Matthew came half way down the stairs, and peered through the rails. "That girl is being rude to me!" He forgot their names a few times, but he sure didn't want to leave. He asked me "When can we come back Tarsha? Let's come back on your next day off!"

We played outside in the snow and Isaac shared his snowboard with this little guy who has been eager to get a ride on one!

The girl got her hair curled and was able to utilize Hannah's flower girl dresses. She looked gorgeous but I didn't get a picture. :(

Introducing all my cherubs was a great experience and I look forward to bringing them back for more fun. Thank you Tanya for being such a great hostess!

My Adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express!

When it seems the magic slipped away...

We find it all again on Christmas Day.

Believe in what your heart is saying,

Hear the melody that's playing,

There's no time to waste,

There so much to celebrate.

Believe in what you feel inside,

Give your dreams the wings to fly.

You have everything you need, if you just believe.

~Believe, Josh Groban

My nephew Drew... he used his imagination and had a great time!

Tanya, Ryan, Hannah and Drew

Tracy and Ben Trina and Rob
Tricia, Issac and Matt (Liam (1) is missing)

Hannah and I

The ConductorThe Assistant Conductor...he punched the kids names in their tickets!

We had cookies and hot cocoa, saw Santa and used our imaginations! I gave Santa the notes Matthew and Aliya wrote for him, (more on that later) and even sat on St. Nick's lap myself! Merry Christmas Everyone!

5am Part II

I went to Maine for a Job Fair (class project) on Tuesday night and then had regular class Wednesday night. I always jump at the chance to spend a few minutes with the ones I love, so I went to Tanya's house ASAP after the job fair ended. I found Drew waiting for me in the window. He was at the door by the time I got to it and I got some much needed LOVE!! He was chatting up a storm and checking out what I brought. I had some candy from the Job Fair and I couldn't say no! This is the difference between the children I nanny for and those little cherubs back in Maine. I can give them candy and gum, because that is part of my job as an Aunt, especially one who lives away now! :) We spent some time together and then I opted for an early bedtime, knowing what the Smith household is like BRIGHT and EARLY. My babies didn't let me down either. I woke at 5:30am, which is practically sleeping in for their house, but early for me none the less. I had two children all over me with lots to say. We ate breakfast, colored pictures and had our showers. Then I took Hannah and Drew to breakfast with Papa (my Dad). Turns out there was some construction next door and Drew spent the entire time standing in the window watching a bucket loader and dump truck clear a space. This couldn't have been planned any better. Hannah tried one bite of her pancakes and said with a puckered up nose, "These are not like my mothers." Did I make her eat them? No, of course not! This is another job an Aunt from away gets to do, throw some of the rules out the window. I ate them and shut my mouth! :)
Then as we left, Papa and I used all of our quarters to buy the kids a ball, sport stickers (after all it was Team Spirit day at school) and gum from the machines! Yes, a big gumball from the gumball machine at 8am! It was great! I laughed right out loud when I loaded these children into the car to deliver them to daycare and school with gum in their mouths! I cannot do this with the children I nanny for and I so enjoy doing them for my very special niece and nephew. I didn't get to see my 2 other special nephews, but I do get next Friday with them!

Elizabeth Gilbert Talk

So I didn't get any pictures or my book signed by Elizabeth, but I had a grand time listening to her speak! She is very witty and well articulated. She told stories about the process of writing and the creative writer within and then answered questions. I found out she married the Brazilian guy whom she met and wrote about in Eat, Pray, Love. This was my favorite part, next to Matt being one of about 4 guys in the audience of course! There were about 3,000 people, which mainly consisted of women ranging in age from 30 to 60, with a few men sprinkled in. Even Elizabeth made mention of the few men in the audience and thanked them! LOL...this made me feel like a million bucks - the girl who got a guy to come with her - but it might have made Matt a bit uncomfortable. One woman asked him if he had a brother and told me I was lucky. I replied with a big smile, "He sent me the book so I invited him to see her." He blushed and wanted to disappear! Thanks for sending me Elizabeth Gilbert's books and for coming with me to see her Matt!

I am home in Maine today working on my Literature Review. I have class at 5:30pm so I am at school working hard...or is it hardly working? I got to have lunch with Allison's men! Thanks Mike D. for lunch and Mike R. for bringing Damon to see me!! I love that little man!!

Back to Massachusetts tonight after class...

5am is VERY Early! And its still VERY dark out!

This weekend I played nanny to my niece Hannah (5) and nephew Drew (2), my sister Tanya's children. My brother-by-law Ryan is a star employee and was being recognized at an award dinner in Boston! They went down for 2 nights and I stayed with the children at their house.
Let me tell you a little bit about Tanya and Ryan's children - they get up VERY early! It was 4:57am on Saturday morning when I heard the pitter patter of little feet come to my bed. "I'mhungeeIwantminiwheats." When I didn't respond right away, (but instead tried to bring him into bed with me to cuddle, in the hopes of catching a few more minutes of warmth and quiet) he felt the need to repeat himself a little louder right in my face. "ImhungeeaunttarshyIwantminiwheats!"
So mini wheats it was at 5am and we were out of the house by 7! We went to Turner to let Allison's dogs out, went to Walmart (at Drew's request), went to Hannah's field hockey practice, and got new tires on my car, all by 11am. This was very exciting for Drew because he loves anything tools/cars related, and this being a combination of both - very intriguing!
We met Dave and Jaimee (1 of my 2 best friends) and my Mom at Wallingford's Apple Orchard in Auburn. These pictures depict the scenery there Saturday afternoon. Drew dislikes the camera (his mom is the paparazzi) so he refuses to look and Hannah was being silly. There was a festival going on with pony rides and face painting. Drew could have cared less about the ponies or face painting, the tractor that brings you into the orchard captured his attention and he wanted to be near it ASAP. Apple cider, apple dumplings, donuts to die for - who needs 'em when you have a tractor at the Apple Orchard?
My Mom made me a birthday cake and brought it to the orchard. Thank you Mom! That was sweet! Thank you Jaimee for my beautiful bracelet! I see more of those in my future...a few girls I know loved it!
Drew let me sleep until 5:30 this morning. He was generous with that extra 30 minutes. :) I am one sleepy Aunt, but so happy to have spent the weekend with some of my favorite little (and big) people! I received many nice gifts and birthday wishes from my family and friends. I feel very blessed to be happy and healthy at the beginning of my 27th year and to have such AMAZING people in my life.

Dear God,
THANK YOU for the blessings that you bestow upon me each and every day, starting with my health, my family and my friends that care for and so much about me. Thank you for my job, my car (with no car payment so I can afford the gas), my cell phone (that keeps me in touch with all my people) and for the opportunity to pay back student loans because it means I had the chance to go to college. Thank you for the little people you placed in my life to teach me and put a smile on my face, even at 5am. Thank you for the opportunities I have to look forward to in the coming year and I know you'll be there through the storms.
Please be with my sister Tricia as she starts her new job this week and with my sister Tracy and brother-by-law Ben as they pack their stuff and move closer to me. Please be near me Lord this week as I travel.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Bull Riding Experience

White Water Rafting - Kennebec River

I went to Jackman with my sister Tracy, brother-in-law Ben and a bunch of the Corey clan. It was an amazing weekend with yummy food and lots of adventures and naps of course, can't forget naps. :) We went on a VERY fast boat ride, played polish ping pong and even had a mini church service at the camp. Then Monday brough the big adventure, White Water Rafting!! It was so awesome! The weather was great, the water was warm, we had great guides and the water was flowing nicely! This was my third time going and it was by far the best. I didn't fall out at all but I did get jostled around a bit thru one hole. I rode the bull, (the front of the raft) for a while and that was great!
Thanks Ben and Tracy for inviting me to join you and thanks Nate for the great ride!