Halloween!

Here are those Halloween pictures I promised. They're a little late in coming, but they did make it on here. I also thought I would add some of our past pumpkin pictures in as well. I don't know what happened to one of our pumpkins for Halloween 2009. Oh well, enjoy.

John carving his pumpkin

Cassy carving John's pumpkin. Long story there.

The finished products

Light 'em up. Halloween 2011.

Pictures of pumpkins past. Halloween 2010

Halloween 2008

What's up?

Here's a little update on what is going on in our lives right now. The month of October just flew by. We didn't do much this month. In fact, I'm really not sure why this month went so fast because I can't think of anything that happened this month that would have made it go fast. John started his second block class and will soon be teaching in a high school up in Orem. He is super excited to teach. He is also working on his TWS (teacher work sample) and will finish that by the end of the semester. As for me, I haven't been doing much. I go to work, I come home, and I do nothing. It's kind of nice at times to not have to worry about any homework. This last week I went on a field trip with some fourth graders. We went to Discovery Gateway up in Salt Lake. It was a fun little children's museum and I would love to return with some younger kids. As for adoption, we haven't heard much, but thats ok. We celebrated Halloween and were so happy to see all the trick or treaters who came by. We love seeing the little ones in their costumes. I will post pictures of our pumpkin carving and the finished product soon.

Beautiful Heartbreak

I love this video. It kind of goes along with my last post.

Content

Many of you have been asking how things are going with adoption right now. We haven't been completely honest, because we don't want to tell everyone that we are going to get a baby and then have to tell them that we aren't. It's very similar to a miscarriage situation. Here is what's happening in our lives at the moment and a few deep thoughts.

We have been contacted by two people in the last two months concerning adoption. One was with a girl who wanted to place her baby for adoption. We got the contact in August and we were super excited to be having a baby in November. Unfortunately, she changed her mind and decided to keep the baby. We grieved, but now we are ready to move forward. Our other contact was from a family in Oregon who are trying to place a five and a six year old. We decided that this was not the opportunity that we were looking for. We did a lot of prayers and fasting to figure this out. There were many tears and a lot of things to think about.

After both of these experiences, I have been thinking a lot about the trials we are given while we are here on Earth. We are all given our own trials and they are fit just for us. No person is given a trial that they cannot overcome. I look at some trials that are given to people and I cannot fathom how to overcome them. I then watch them and how they endure their trials with grace and am amazed. We are given this trial for a reason. I don't know why, but God does. I am content with the trials that we are given. We can overcome them. I know that God loves me and has a plan for our family.

Update

I am a horrible blogger. Sometimes life gets so crazy that I forget that I have a blog to write on. I will try to be a little better in the future with it.

So here is what is happening in our lives. John's play goes up next week and we can't wait. It will be so nice to be home together without having to worry about what needs to be done with the play. I have enjoyed helping him with everything, but I am ready to have a calmer, less frazzled husband back.

As for me, I am working at Spring Creek Elementary. I am so grateful to have a job. I have been working in kindergarten, first grade, fifth grade, and third grade. I love working with the third graders. They are so much fun to be around and I love to see how much they have grown from second grade. That's the advantage to being an aide, you get to see the students growth from grade to grade because you get to work with the same students every year.

We're excited to continue forward in the adoption process. We are still waiting and praying that we will be able to grow our family. We need prayers as we continue forward. It has been a good thing, but at the same time it can be very hard. You never know what is going to happen from day to day.

Back to School

It's back to school time and boy are we ready, sort of. John goes back to school next week. He has a very busy semester filled with lots of learning. This will be his last semester before student teaching so he will be cramming in all his last minute classes. His MASK Club play goes up on September 22, so we are just finishing some of the little stuff. He is super excited. I started work at Spring Creek Elementary as a teacher aide yesterday. We have been testing reading. Nothing like coming back to school and taking a bunch of tests. Poor kids. I am also volunteering at the Utah Humane Society on top of work, kickboxing, working at the temple and stage managing for John's play. Nothing like being busy. I love it though. All is good here in the Whitehead household.

Poem

The Chosen Heart

Longing for a child to love,
I'd wish upon the stars above.
In my heart I always knew
A part of me was meant for you.

I think how happy we will be,
Once I adopt you, and you adopt me.

I dream of all the joy you'll bring,
Imagining even the littlest things.
The way it will feel to hold you tight,
And tuck you in every night.

The drawing on the refrigerator door,
And childhood toys across the floor.
The favorite stories read again and again,
And hours of games with make-believe friends.

The day you took my outstretched hand,
A journey ended, but our lives began.
Still mesmerized by your sweet face,
Still warmed inside by our first embrace.

I promised to give you a happy home,
And a loving family all your own.
A house you've now made complete,
With laughter, smiles, and tiny feet.

A parent is one who guides the way,
Know I will be there everyday.
Rest easy as each night you sleep,
A lifetime of love is yours to keep.

Longing for a child to love,
I'd wish upon the stars above.
In my heart I always knew,
A part of me belonged to you.

(c) 1997 Teri Harrison