cruising and Ohio-ing

Wow. We have had an amazing two weeks. We have been living out of suitcases, thus the reason I haven't blogged in a while. A few months ago, Dan and I decided that we needed to do something to celebrate our 5 year anniversery. We really never go on vacation; we travel it's pretty much just to see family. The last time we took a real vacation was our honeymoon. We were still working on our homestudy, so we figured it would take a long time before we adopted. This would be our last big hurrah before starting a family! So, we decided to book a cruise. There are very inexpensive cruises out of Charleston, and we had never done one before, so why not? Our friends dear Daniel and Katherine actually asked us to go and it was just the opportunity we had been looking for! What could be more fun than vacationing with your friends? Well then, as most of you know, Mia happened. What an outrageously wonderful surprise. Dan and I remembered we had a cruise booked, and thought oh crap, so much for that. We thought about it and said, you know, Mia will be almost two months, we might need the vacation, lets just do it! I'm so glad we did, we had an absolute blast. My sister Emily came down and watched Mia which was an amazing blessing. Other then Mia's grandparents, Emily is probably the only person I felt comfortable leaving her with!

The day we left, charleston was absolutely freezing!!

you can see the ravenel bridge behind us!

Ok well it was really like in the 40s, but to those of us who are used to the warm southern breezes, it sure felt freezing. The first night we all really felt the rocking and I thought I was going to fall over!  The first morning we went to breakfast-cafeteria style and I was saving our spot at a table. I literally felt my body swaying back and forth in my chair. But after a while we all got used to it and it wasn't so bad.

The first night on the ship we were all freezing so we threw style to the wind and bundled up in the warmest clothes we brought. I clearly did not pack appropriately, since most of my attire consisted of summer dresses and cute tops and skirts. Thankfully, our first full day at sea was a good bit warmer and we were able to enjoy walking around and exploring the ship.

We enjoyed a yummy outdoor lunch by the pool!

Our friend compared a cruise ship to a giant floating Golden Corral. I thought that was the most hilarious comparison but also so true! We chose to eat in the semi-fancy restaurant every night which always included a 3 course meal. You could literally order two of everything if you wanted to, and then get room service later that night. Now, how do they expect you to eat like that then try to squeeze into your bathing suit? That is just cruel! ;)

One of my favorite experiences was "formal night." Since Dan and I are not super-fancy people (I prefer maxi-dresses and flip-flops) we didn't bring crazily fancy clothes, just something we would wear to a more formal church (I can't really even say our church because Seacoast is so laid back!). A TON of people however opted for their finest attire which made our night all the more interesting. Women wore the equivalent of prom dresses and men wore tuxes. There was even a rental shop in case you forgot your tux or fancy handbag.  I wish I had taken pictures of some of them! Some women decided to accessorize with cleavage, and I thought really, do you want every man on this ship staring at your chest? I guess you do!

Ha! Well anyway the rest of the trip was a blast. We enjoyed the onboard entertainment, specifically the comedian. It felt like Showtime at the Apollo. The guy was just hilarious. People were literally fighting for seats.

Our favorite part of the trip was probably the Atlantis Resort, in Nassau, Bahamas. I had no idea a giant waterpark/aquarium could be SO fun!!

We found a secluded "adults only" lounge area on the ship and made a habit of watching the sunset in the hot tubs. Well, Daniel and Katherine made more of a habit then we did, Dan and I usually caught up on sleep in the late afternoon. The last day, Katherine and I spent the afternoon laying out and eventually moved to the hot tub where we enjoyed Mai Tai's and a gorgeous sunset!

So, to conclude the cruise tale, Yes, I would recommend going. It really is what you make of it. You can have as little or as much fun as you want! We opted for FUN! (and plenty of sleep!)

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was so so amazing. We had a wonderful time with my family (mine is in Ohio, Dan's is in CT where we will be heading for Christmas). It was almost surreal to be enjoying such precious time with our family and having a sweet baby girl with us. Every day I am more amazed by her and more blessed by her. She is so so cute and sweet I just can't seem to get enough of her! She changes so much on a seemingly daily basis. But the best change of all is...SHE IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!! thank the Lord!

We had a very full and eventful thanksgiving. My mom finally met Mia. I am so thankful for how well everything went. Without going into detail, our family has been through alot the past 2 years, and it was so nice for my mom to have a nice time with Mia.



My sister Emily and I dragged ourselves to Walmart at 9:30 on Thursday night. I know, we bought into the consumerism, but it was so worth it! We got 1 out of about 20 40" tvs for a ridiculous price. It was my dad's christmas present. He is the type of person who will never spend money on something for himself, so we sneakily got it for him! The funny thing was, he didn't even notice it and we had to point it out to him. He was like, "OH!!" Well it really was the best gift ever because the kids (my little brother and sister, Carmen and Chessie, respectively) had a blast playing the wii on the big screen. Ok, Dan had a blast too. ;)

Pretty awesome. who knew a wii could be so fun? Especially for a 28 year old!

Our favorite family tradition is going to the Pine Tree Barn to pick out a Christmas tree. There have been many miserably cold trips to this place, but we happend to go an a gloriously warm day. Its always a hilarious adventure.



On Sunday, we had a get together with close friends and family. My two best friends from home came with their significant others. I adore those girls and I am so grateful for our continued friendship through the years!

Me, Christine and Kristen :)

My Uncle Tom and Aunt Julie also came, and brought a good portion of their kids and grandkids. It was sooo nice to have them there, and needless to say, we had a full house!!

Uncle Tom, Aunt Julie and a very special dress

Faith, my cousin Shawn's daughter, and Chessie my sister comparing hair lengths

My cousin Jeanette also dropped by. So great to see her!!

All in all, we had an amazing time in Ohio. We are beyond thankful. God has chosen to bless us richly. My family has been through alot of heartache, and this visit was such a sweet time. Having Mia is bringing healing to our family in a way. God allows suffering, but he also offers redemption and joy. I am continually humbled by His grace.

Ok, sorry for the extremely long blog. Next blog-dedicated to Mia pictures!!

Mia's first shower

Here are the promised pics from Mia's first shower. It was so beautiful! This was a couple's drop-in shower. We were so blessed by everyone there! Mia was 2 1/2 weeks old in these pictures :)

My Hearts Cry

Human Trafficking.

We don't want to talk about it. We don't really want to hear about it. We don't even want to acknowledge its existence. Please, don't stop reading, I know this may not be the blog post you were expecting, but please, hear me out.

Unfortunately, human trafficking is very much real and very much exists today. We have grown up reading about slavery in the United States and are horrified that something like that happened. We are thankful that slavery no longer exists. The truth is, slavery continues to rear its ugly head through the entire world in the form of human trafficking; and even more specifically, sex trade. UNICEF estimates that almost 4 million individuals are trafficked each year. Even worse, they believe that 50% of these victims are children.  Yes, children. My heart aches even as I write this.

I have been drawn to this subject for many years, but recently God has put the fire in my heart to DO something. An organization that is near and dear to my heart, Compassion International, featured human trafficking in Brazil in their fall magazine. Below is a link that grabbed my heart-strings. Please, if you don't even read the rest of this blog, read this article.

http://www.compassion.com/magazine/prevent-child-abuse.htm

For those of you who do not really understand what human trafficking is, here is an exerpt from the article: 

Brazil is overtaking Thailand for numbers of trafficked children. UNICEF estimates that at least 250,000 children are currently forced into prostitution in Brazil, mostly in the northeastern part of the country.
“Sex tourism” in Brazil is a lucrative, booming economic industry. Organized sex tourism companies market tours for European and American men. Taxi drivers, hotel workers and pimps work together to organize meetings between adult predators and the boys and girls. Pimps get children high on crack, then offer the children’s tiny bodies to the men for a few dollars.

(For more on Compassion, follow the link on the side of this blog)

I hope you are as horrified and disgusted as I am. Every time I look at my sweet baby girl, I can't even imagine someone trying to hurt her like that. Children are so innocent, I grieve for those who have been forced into this evil business. Slavery is a violation of human rights, and each and every child deserves to have those rights. This stirring of injustice was rekindled in my heart a few weeks ago during a sermon on Jonah at Seacoast. The speaking pastor posed the question "What is God calling you to that you are running from?" He then went on to explain that his wife felt passionately about human trafficking and started a group at Seacoast that partners with the A21 Campaign. http://www.thea21campaign.org/. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I know that he was just giving an example, but this was my heart's cry!

I first felt strongly about this subject after a trip to Brazil in 2005 with my uncle to work at an orphanage. I learned while I was there that most of the children in the orphanage were not in fact orphans, but victims of sexual abuse. I began to learn more about human trafficking and the sex trade. Amazingly, God was able to use my experience as an abstinence educator to provide counseling and healing to these girls. Ever since then I have yearned to do more.

I don't know what this will look like for me, but I wanted to share this journey I am starting. After reading this, God may be tugging at your heart as well to help stop this horrific reality. Compassion and the A21 campaign have great resources for ways to get involved. I am excited to see how the Lord uses this in the future. If you were able to get through this blog, I appreciate your willingness to read all the way through.



My Hearts Cry

Human trafficking.

We don't want to talk about it. We don't want to acknowledge its existence. We don't want to think about it. The truth is, human trafficking is very much real and prevalent in today's society.

My Hearts Cry

Human Trafficking. No one wants to talk about. No one wants to acknowledge that it exists in the real world. Unfortunately, human trafficking is very real.

My heart's Cry

A couple of weeks ago, our church, Seacoast did a series on Jonah. One of the questions posed was "what is God calling you to that you are running from (or just haven't responded to)? The pastor that spoke mentioned that his wife has had a heart for human trafficking in the US and answered God's call by starting a group to fight against it.

We're still here!!

I have been the most terrible blogger in the world. Mia has become SO active and wants her momma every second of the day. Can you believe she is 6 weeks old? She has gotten so big, every day she looks bigger to me. She had a 4 week check-up appointment and was 9 lbs 3 oz. (and right in the 50th%ile!) She must be at least 10+ something now. A couple weeks ago I put away all of her newborn stuff, and I actually got teary. I cant believe that I was sad that my baby is no longer a newborn. Each stage is so wonderful, she gets cuter and more interactive every day.

So what have we been doing? Well, our pediatrician gave us some great suggestions for helping Mia get more regular and sleep for longer periods during the night. We really dont know what we are doing so it was really helpful! Shes now sleeping 4-5 hours at night instead of 2-3 hours, much to the relief of Dan and myself. I dont know when she will start "sleeping through the night" or if she will, but shes definitely on a good schedule! When she was a newborn, she could sleep anytime, anywhere. Now she wants to held constantly. Her favorite thing is to snuggle up on our chests on her belly and fall asleep. its super cute.

My friends at work threw us an amazing shower, I was overwhelmed by the love and generosity of my friends. I am so blessed to work with such amazing ladies! I didnt take any pictures but some friends did so I will post when I get them =).

We call Mia our little snuggle bear because she is just super cuddly. Without knowing this, my friend Elysia got her the PERFECT outfit.

Dan and I are determined to be "cool" parents. We bring Mia everywhere! We dont want to be trapped at home with her all the time and lose our relationships with our friends. So instead, we just bring her =). Its all about the timing, and as long as we time it right we can go anywhere (well except the movies, which we are sad about). A week or so ago, we went to Mexican with our good friends Ashley and Brandon, and they got to the restaurant before us, and when we got there, there wasnt room for a high chair to put the carseat on. Well, we had plenty of room underneath so we just stowed her under the table and she slept while we enjoyed a delicious meal! After we finished eating, Ashley wanted to play with her so we got her out. Our hispanic waiter came over to us with a hilarious look on his face and said "I did not know you have baby under table!" (in a heavy accent of course). We all burst out laughing at this.

Dan's mom came last week, actually, 2 weeks ago, for about 5 days(the days and weeks blur together!) We had such a great time! His mom was sooo helpful and did the 3am shifts with Mia which allowed us to be very well rested that week. She loves tea, so what better activity then to go to the Charleston Tea Plantation!

 Its obvious where Dan gets his height from ;)

 This picture is my dream come true. Nothing sexier than my husband carrying my daughter around!

 I love this little poster about the South. It was in the gift shop, everything is soo true!

We also visited Angel Oak, and Dan and I have never been there before!



And now for the GOOD NEWS!!!!....

Our Adoption will be finalized December 16th! We thought it wouldn't happen till January, but our amazing attorney found a loophole to get the court date approved before the 90 day waiting period.  This is so exciting for several reasons. Our baby girl will officially be a Burgess. She will get a new birth certificate, social security card, etc. She is already ours but it will be nice when it becomes official. Also, if our adoption is finalized before 2012, we will be eligible for the adoption tax credit this coming year, instead of waiting a full year. This will help us out financially, especially because Dan pays his taxes when we file since he is self-employed. Instead of paying a giant amount to the government in taxes we will hopefully get a refund!  This is all so clearly the work of the Lord, and we give Him the credit for everything. He knew in the beginning that Mia would be our daughter, He just waited for us to listen to His plan!!

Anyhow, my sweetie is crying, so I have to go. I will post more soon I promise =).