We are approaching the one year anniversary of Collin's homecoming from Guatemala. Looking back on where I was one year ago is not a good memory. It was the beginning of the worst nightmare. Collin was so sick and this would have been the night that we took him to the first "hospital" where my mom and I counted the minutes as we spent the night in the garage full of screaming babies. It was horrible. This day started the bad dream that lasted 10 long days while I stared non stop at that baby we had all fallen in love with, not knowing if he was ever going to come home to us. All I could do was hold him and love him and try to let him know it would be okay he just had to get better so we could go home where we have real doctors and real hospitals.
I also have to think of how many great people we met along the way. People that touched our lives forever with their kindness. People that we will never forget no matter how far away we are. Without our Guatemalan angels we never would have made it through. We are eternally grateful to all of them.
Luckily, that bad dream came to an end and our baby Collin got to come home!! And, look at him now. I can't imagine not having him in our lives. The amount of joy he brings to our lives every day is infinite. Even when he is being a bad boy he is still my little pumpkin =*)
Our life has changed a great deal in the last year.Our living room is now a playroom, our house is in a perpetual state of disarray, and our pristine backyard is filled with more plastic toys than I ever knew existed. I count the days to the next seasonal baby consignment sale. I check out potty books at the library. When people ask how old Collin is I say 19 months instead of 1 1/2. I have a working knowledge of all things Backyardigans and am quickly re-familiarizing myself with an old friend, Sesame Street. Elmo might as well be mommy-he's VERY popular. And, I wouldn't change a thing!!
This has been a fantastic year for the Wilson's and I know the future will bring more fun and good times!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
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Guatoberfest Cruise 2009
My soapbox about the Advent Conspiracy
I came across this video on another blog. I have to admit I only looked at it for entertainment value. I assumed with a title like that, it had to be some wacko conspiracy theory and who doesn't need a good laugh. Suprisingly enough it really touched me and made me think. It didn't grab my interest because of it's religious value, because that's not really my thing. I am not the type of person that flaunts religion or believes in pushing your beliefs onto others. It touched me because of it's human value and because it shows me how quickly I forget.
When we were in Guatemala it was truly a life changing experience for a myriad of reasons, only one of which was bringing home a baby! We saw poverty that we could never imagine in this country. I remember thinking when I was there that despite all of the stress of the situation, I was more at peace than I had ever felt in my life. Among other things, there was no pressure to have more...there was nothing to have. People just lived their lives. Families worked together, lived together in cramped housing-if they had a roof over their heads at all-and they were happy! We were forced to enjoy eachother without our "creature comforts" and I loved it. I now remember hoping that once we got home, I would never lose that idea that we don't really need much at all. I realized our society makes us think we need more but we really don't. And after watching the video it makes me realize that I have failed miserably.
I had made up my mind that in order to honor my new found attitude and our sons heritage, we would sponsor a Guatemalan family every year so that they could have food and heat and their children could go to school-things we take for granted on a daily basis. For some reason I can never seem to find the money to do that- BUT- I can find the money to buy coffee every day, sometimes several times a day, Collin will see a room full of gifts on Christmas morning, I can go out to eat, I can do whatever I want for the most part. My priorities have gone right back to where they were before I experienced Guatemala and it makes me sad. That is the reason that I am posting the video in a permenant spot on the blog, so that I am constantly reminded, not only during Christmas but all year to give PRESENCE to my friends and family not PRESENTS and to give back to something that I feel very strongly about. I don't write this to push Guatemalan charity or any charity but to encourage anyone reading this to slow down and take a look at your life and see what means the most to you and see where it takes you.
When we were in Guatemala it was truly a life changing experience for a myriad of reasons, only one of which was bringing home a baby! We saw poverty that we could never imagine in this country. I remember thinking when I was there that despite all of the stress of the situation, I was more at peace than I had ever felt in my life. Among other things, there was no pressure to have more...there was nothing to have. People just lived their lives. Families worked together, lived together in cramped housing-if they had a roof over their heads at all-and they were happy! We were forced to enjoy eachother without our "creature comforts" and I loved it. I now remember hoping that once we got home, I would never lose that idea that we don't really need much at all. I realized our society makes us think we need more but we really don't. And after watching the video it makes me realize that I have failed miserably.
I had made up my mind that in order to honor my new found attitude and our sons heritage, we would sponsor a Guatemalan family every year so that they could have food and heat and their children could go to school-things we take for granted on a daily basis. For some reason I can never seem to find the money to do that- BUT- I can find the money to buy coffee every day, sometimes several times a day, Collin will see a room full of gifts on Christmas morning, I can go out to eat, I can do whatever I want for the most part. My priorities have gone right back to where they were before I experienced Guatemala and it makes me sad. That is the reason that I am posting the video in a permenant spot on the blog, so that I am constantly reminded, not only during Christmas but all year to give PRESENCE to my friends and family not PRESENTS and to give back to something that I feel very strongly about. I don't write this to push Guatemalan charity or any charity but to encourage anyone reading this to slow down and take a look at your life and see what means the most to you and see where it takes you.