Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Stop Me in My Tracks…

Yesterday I was completely frustrated. I had been working as fast as I could to get some projects done in the yard, snapped a sprinkler head, and little Austin was following me around rattling off a thousand questions a minute.

Finally in frustration I turned to him and said, “Austin, why are you asking daddy so many questions?”

Daddy, I’m asking you questions because I love you.” was the matter-of-fact reply.

I was struck.

Maybe instead of acting like I know everything and always being in a rush I should thank my Heavenly Father for a wonderful family and start asking him more questions.

It gives new insight to Austin’s famous phrase, “So what’s your question?

A Serious Question

My heart has been heavy as I just read a story about an unplanned pregnancy and I had to take a minute to be serious…

Obviously, we have become a poster family for adoption. It’s no secret in our home. We can’t even begin to tell people how much we have been blessed with incredible children, wonderful birth mothers and fathers, and amazing birth families.

Our lives have been enriched by the life-long relationships we have built with our birth mothers; these incredible women are our personal heroes. I personally can’t get over their selflessness, and in light of all that adoption can be I also can’t help but wonder…

Why is abortion seemingly so easy and adoption so hard?

Okay, let me take a step back; I know abortion really isn’t an easy decision but that’s just my point. Abortion can leave permanent psychological and emotional scars; it’s the debate over the quality of the life of the mother and what really is human life. Abortion is all the other emotionally charged issues that divide society wrapped into one lightning rod issue; but my question to those considering it- why not adoption?

I’ve been fortunate to know and love both those who have placed children for adoption and those who have had abortions; I wouldn’t pretend to think that either decision was ever easy. Rest assured in both cases there is significant and real loss; but in my limited scope, the purposes of both fulfill similar hopes. Both with adoption and abortion the birth mother can rebuild and grow despite an unplanned pregnancy, and both options are built exclusively on the women’s right to choose.

I certainly don’t claim to know or understand why someone would choose one or the other, and I wouldn’t love anyone less either way. Certainly, only an all knowing God can judge the human soul. All I know is that one of my greatest dreams in life was to be a father and I will be forever in debt to two incredible women who used their inalienable right to choose to choose adoption.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

You just won a drink from the firehose!










Can anyone pass up a trip to the fire station? Not when your three and there is a possibility of shooting water from a high powered hose! Thanks to the heroes at the Chubbuck City Fire Department for keeping us safe and showing us around on a fun Saturday!

Monday, May 26, 2008

Memorial Day...

We played hard today and were able to visit a couple of graves here in Pocatello before the rain really fell down on us. It's great to be so close to family...even if their on the other side :)

Lest we forget-

Adolph and Betha Teichert, and Lorenzo and Chloa Bailey (both are Scott's great-great-grandparents and are buried in the Pocatello city cemetery.