Truvy's Place

Hi Elaine, if we can count your daughter we can up the adoptee number! How's Christmas going? Good question. At church I'm trying to convince everyone that we are in a season of preparation and don't have to be totally decorated for Christmas on the first Sunday of Advent. On the other hand, I will have to try to convince them to keep the decorations up until after January 2, since we will still be celebrating Christmas in the church. On the other hand, at home I am not worried about decorations at all. (If/when I put them up the dogs will probably eat them) I am trying to get Christmas presents organized for the whole crew. My bson and his family have moved to TN so I need to get their presents organized and in the mail. I currently have 11 grandchildren to buy for altogether. I'm doing most of my shopping on line and am gradually accumulating presents. (The gift-wrapping needs to start soon.) I think my Christmas may be a quiet one. I can't face a 6hour drive on Christmas Day so I won't see any of my children that day. They are in NJ and I have 2 services Christmas Eve and 2 more the day after Christmas. We might go to my sister's. (3 hours down and back not 6 hours total travel.) What's happening with the rest of you?

Mil!! So good to see you!!! Congrats on the new baby Elaine!!! Wow!!!! We are all decorated for Christmas and all of our kids advent calendars are up.... And our elf on the shelf is in place. Whew!!! They have 3 different kinds of advent calendars... And they love counting down the days til Christmas. Miss izzy us super fun this year!!!! She is 2.5 and in awe Of christmas. It's soooo much fun!! I guess I woke up this thread because I miss the discussions we used to have.... I miss all the amazig women who hung out here and shared differring opinions... With respect and love. I learned so much here and grew. The forums seemed to have changed since I first came here in 2003. They seem polarized between birthmoms and adoptive moms. It seems as though battle lines have been drawn... And honestly, I don't get it. And I need to have a safe place to share with people I trust... To explore adoption ... To continue to learn and grow .... Anyone with me?

I was so surprised to see this thread activated. We used to have such a great time here. Lots of great discussions. I don't know how much I can be here before Christmas. I work retail now, so lots and lots of hours. Plus I've barely started my Christmas shopping! Can I scream 'help'??? My best time to be here would probably be late at night when I'm trying to unwind, lol. Things have been up and down around here. My reunion hit 9 yrs. this summer and we're still doing well. My twin grandsons are now 11 1/2 yrs. old! Hard to believe. I don't remember exactly where we were when this thread was active, but my bson is now divorced and I'm hoping and praying he's going to marry his girlfriend SOON. Time will tell, lol. My daughter Miranda is 24 and got married in August of 2008. It was a beautiful wedding - a day we'll never forget. My youngest, Michael is 21. He needs your prayers. He's drifting, has no direction in life and has been getting into some trouble. He's avoided jail so far, but if things don't change, it'll be in his future. Just can't get through to that kid. He's still living at home, but if he doesn't change his ways, I don't see that lasting much longer either. I love that kid, but he's definitely tried our patience in the last few years. Please pray for this lost child. Well, more later. I've got to scoot to work. The mall isn't closing till 10pm now, so it'll be a late night. Plus we got our first real snow last night with more supposedly on the way. Fun, fun. I'll check back with you guys tonight! :)

Julie, I'm with you. Maybe Truvvy's place could work as that safe place for now. Ok - all anger shall be left at the door!

Amen, Kathy! Mil.. I am adding your son to my prayer list! I am so glad you are willing to pop In when you can... I need someone else who juggles two hats in This adoption world.

Well hello ladies....so nice to see peoples from the past. Hope all is well with everyone. MIL....Having walked in your shoes, know exactly the turmoil you face. Positive thoughts and Prayerd sent your way. Julie....wonderful seeing you!! EMAIL ME, IF YOU WANT TO "TALK" hugs! k"

Hello kat! How are things in your neck of the woods??! I do want to talk... I have so many different thi gs running thru my mind... I will try to narrow it down!

Sitting here crying over a lifetime movie.... The Christmas Shoes.

I am here too. Several of the "old Gang" are on Facebook. I see Deb from Florida there. She got married in the last year or so. I am 7 1/2 years into reunion. It is very comfortable. The last time I took a trip to Cape Cod to see my son & his family was a year ago. I was on my way to a wedding in NYC & stopped there for maybe 5 days. I need to go again. They aren't able to travel as they have a handicapped daughter. Recently we got away from calling & were settling for a few sentences on Facebook. I find that not adequate, so I called & we had a big conversation. I won't have too much time between now & Christmas. Only one daughter is coming home this year. Hope you are all well. xxo

Lynda!!!! Hello!! I am so glad you stopped by!!! It is heartwarming to hear that both you and Mil are still in reunion.... Just wonderful!!! I haven't thought to look for old friends on facebook... Probably because I never knew many "real" names!! Please stay with us here... We all faded away.... I miss the connection we had... And the wisdom... And insight of my old forum friends. I've been busy finding myself and muddling through the multiple dimensions of adoption... And I just don't think I ever could have gotten here I am without my old forum friends. J

I learned so much from the forums when I was searching for my son. I used to read them, late at night, dying to grasp any information at all, crying all the while! There were so many issues that I didn't even know existed. My friends here really helped my through the intense emotions that finding him brought to the fore. Amazing. I will always be grateful.

I had a nice talk with D on the cell as I was driving home from a hospital visit this afternoon. The call only dropped once which is amazing... I usually lose calls at least twice as I go over the mountains from Harrisburg to Williamstown. (I think it's God's joke - for the last 37 years I've lived in the Appalachian mountains of PA. When I was seeking a new call 2-3 years ago, where did I end up? Still in the mountains... just a different part of the state.) How does the season of Christmas affect the rest of you? I love the "stuff" I do at church, but much of it is a down time for me, it seems. This year none of my Children will be home for Christmas, so I guess it will just be DH and me. I'm trying to gather up the energy to get a tree and do so decorating. I'm going to cut down drastically on the cookies I make. (At least that's what I'm saying now, LOL.) My 16 yr old grandson won't be here this year. From the time he was very little he has loved Christmas trees and for quite a few years, he and his grandfather did the tree shopping and he did most of the decorating.

lol... i love those mountains!!! it is definitely a blessing that you only dropped the call once!! we lost our first son on December 2, 1998.... and our second on December 27, 2004.... So, with Christmas... comes the anniversary of those significant losses... but... for me... i have had little ones in the house for the last twenty years! and so, i can honestly say, that i love Christmas... and although, there can be a cloud here and there... Christmas, to me, is mostly sunny!! I love making Christmas special for the little ones.... I love making the house pretty... and watching the awe and excitement light up their faces... I love wrapping gifts in pretty bows... and watching the choo choo train chug around the base of the tree... we have a little elf named Albert. Albert hangs out with us during the day, and flies home at night to give Santa a report!! The next morning... the children wake up excited to find Albert sitting in a new spot to watch them all day! The middle two are onto Albert.... and are kind enough to play with the baby for a few seconds in the morning, if Albert forgot to move.... And the baby gets soooo excited to find Albert!!! I have a 20 year old away at the university... and there is something magical about moving to the next phase of life... and it warms my heart that she loves coming "home".... that she will cuddle up on the chair next to mine, wrapped in a blanket.... and talk to me for hours... I love the traditions we have built into our Christmas celebration... and now, I marvel at how those will be passed down to our future grandchildren some day... Straddling the gap between a toddler and a college student is really an enjoyable challenge.... i think having the baby helps me not feel the melancholy of the oldest moving on in life... you know? I really get lots of joy as I watch my oldest move into the next phase... and the next day... go to the toddlers Christmas program... This year... as the preschoolers toddled in to sing their songs... there was the usual chorus of "hi mama!" ... "hi daddy!"... as each child spotted their parents... I was sitting towards the front... and it took Iz a while to spot me.... as they all assembled, getting ready to sing... her little face lit up and she broke into a huge a grin as she spotted me... with a great big smile, she shouted out... "I'm poopy!!" Christmas is often a time of longing for the loved ones we have lost... a time when the lack of their presence in our lives is intensified.... but somewhere along the way.... i stopped longing for what i do not have... and became wholly present to the amazing loved ones i do have!! i often think of my life as a complete miracle... and for me... Christmas is a time of huge gratitude for that miracle....

I think we lost everyone with the holidays! It's been crazy. My mom turned 90 this past August and starting in October she really has been going downhill. she was in the hospital for about 10 days, getting out 2 days before christmas. She went to my sister's house (she had been living alone) and 3 days after christmas she went back in the hospital. She stayed there until this past Monday. She was on a regular floor and then in their short-term rehab. We thought she was going to another sister's house, but that ended up not happening. Monday she was transferred to a long term rehab department in a nursing home. She picked the nursing home as her older sister has been a resident there for some time and my mom volunteered there for a number of years. So many of the staff came in to see her when she got there - so she has many friends there. We were rather disappointed that it came to that - but it is what it is. It's hard to see her in such poor shape. She ready to go home to her Lord. I hope he takes her soon. So that's what I've been busy with lately. It has me rather depressed, but I'm trying to get past that. It's my bson Randy's birthday tomorrow. He'll be 37! Hard to believe he's that old already. I'm still so appreciative to be part of his life. We're really enjoying each other. I couldn't be happier with that part of my life. I have something that I'm going to need to discuss with you guys in the near future, but so far I haven't really had time to process it yet. But I'll really need you guy's perspective and opinions. Take care and I hope everyone's still around!

Hi MIL, I think I'm still around and alive... Today would have been my mother's 81st brithday. She's been dead almost 15 years, so I used to spend the day with my Dad. Christmas was quiet. We were invited at the last minute to a parishioner's home and had fun watching some of the grandkids open their gifts which was fun. I'm planning to visit my bson in Febuary. I haven't seen them since they moved to TN in June.