We are so excited about our adoption journey. It has taken us a little time to get all of our paperwork submitted, but we are excited to finally have our paperwork submitted and our home study approved! You can view our family adoption profile by clicking on the picture of Brandon and me on the right side bar! So now the real waiting begins for us, but we have prayed about this and we know that this is how we are supposed to grow our family.
Thanks for all your thoughts, ,prayers, and support!
Love, Brandon Shannell & Erika
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saturday, November 20, 2010
My Grandmother
I have been thinking about my grandma a lot this week. What an amazing woman she is. She was married to my grandpa at a very young age and after having six children, my grandpa died when her youngest child was in his early teenage years and 3 of her children were still in the home. This was a time when most women didn't work outside of the home. I never knew my grandpa in this life - he passed away before I was born. Grandma never remarried.
My grandma has an amazing testimony of the Savior and the gospel. I never questioned this. She shared her feelings with her children, grandchildren, and friends often. She is an amazing example - she served others and served in the temple for many many years.
She is an amazing mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She came to every one of my choir concerts, soccer games, birthday parties, and other events. I was wrapping birthday gifts for Erika on Tuesday and I remembered a Christmas I spent with my grandma when she taught me to wrap gifts. I remember sleep overs at her house, going to movies, seeing the Phantom of the Opera together, traveling to Missouri to visit family, she visited when I was sick or in the hospital, and we shared so many wonderful visits with each other. One time while visiting Missouri, we went to six-flags and Grandma went with me on the Bat ride - WOW! She was so afraid. She never learned to swim and she never pierced her ears - I think she was afraid of those things.
Grandma is very smart with her money. She never buys extravagant things and uses things until they wear out. I walked through her house this week and noticed that most of her wall hangings are the same ones that she had when I was little - and probably well before that. She has toys in the play room that he children played with when they were kids and my daughter loves to go to "Grams' to play with the toys! She loved to travel and always would bring all the grand kids home a spoon as a souvenir. When she traveled she would visit nearby temples and she had a wall where she would hang pictures of all the temples she visited - there are many. She also has her whole life documented in scrapbooks and journals all of her life experiences.
As I thought about my grandma this past week I first thought that I must have been her favorite grandchild, then I thought about all the other grandchildren and I know she was there for all of their events too - I am sure that each one of her 20 grandchildren each know that they are her favorite grandchild. It takes a very special person to make everyone feel that important.
I was able to visit my grandma on Wednesday - hopefully I will get to go see her again tomorrow. Possibly for the last time as she just had a massive stroke and we were told she will only have about a week with us here on earth. What a blessing it is to be able to tell her I love her and tell her good-bye.
Grandma, I love you! Thank you for the memories, for the example, for the friendship, and for the love you shared with me. You are my hero! I am so thankful for the time that we had together here and I know that I will see you again on the other side. I am thankful that Erika was able to know you and share experiences with you - she will remember your example throughout her life. I am proud to call you grandma and I will miss you and look forward to the day that we will meet again!
My grandma has an amazing testimony of the Savior and the gospel. I never questioned this. She shared her feelings with her children, grandchildren, and friends often. She is an amazing example - she served others and served in the temple for many many years.
She is an amazing mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She came to every one of my choir concerts, soccer games, birthday parties, and other events. I was wrapping birthday gifts for Erika on Tuesday and I remembered a Christmas I spent with my grandma when she taught me to wrap gifts. I remember sleep overs at her house, going to movies, seeing the Phantom of the Opera together, traveling to Missouri to visit family, she visited when I was sick or in the hospital, and we shared so many wonderful visits with each other. One time while visiting Missouri, we went to six-flags and Grandma went with me on the Bat ride - WOW! She was so afraid. She never learned to swim and she never pierced her ears - I think she was afraid of those things.
Grandma is very smart with her money. She never buys extravagant things and uses things until they wear out. I walked through her house this week and noticed that most of her wall hangings are the same ones that she had when I was little - and probably well before that. She has toys in the play room that he children played with when they were kids and my daughter loves to go to "Grams' to play with the toys! She loved to travel and always would bring all the grand kids home a spoon as a souvenir. When she traveled she would visit nearby temples and she had a wall where she would hang pictures of all the temples she visited - there are many. She also has her whole life documented in scrapbooks and journals all of her life experiences.
As I thought about my grandma this past week I first thought that I must have been her favorite grandchild, then I thought about all the other grandchildren and I know she was there for all of their events too - I am sure that each one of her 20 grandchildren each know that they are her favorite grandchild. It takes a very special person to make everyone feel that important.
I was able to visit my grandma on Wednesday - hopefully I will get to go see her again tomorrow. Possibly for the last time as she just had a massive stroke and we were told she will only have about a week with us here on earth. What a blessing it is to be able to tell her I love her and tell her good-bye.
Grandma, I love you! Thank you for the memories, for the example, for the friendship, and for the love you shared with me. You are my hero! I am so thankful for the time that we had together here and I know that I will see you again on the other side. I am thankful that Erika was able to know you and share experiences with you - she will remember your example throughout her life. I am proud to call you grandma and I will miss you and look forward to the day that we will meet again!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Adoption
Brandon are working on our paperwork and classes so that we can adopt and grow our family. We are super excited! The couple that teaches our adoption classes have adopted two kids and it has been fun to talk with them and discuss and learn about all the aspects of adoption.
Two weeks ago we had a panel of birth mothers come and talk with us about their experiences placing their babies for adoption. It was interesting to hear from them - they bore a strong testimony of how they knew that they did the right thing and that they knew that the families that they placed with were the right families for their babies. I enjoyed talking with them and learning about how they finally came to the realization that they were going to place their baby and how they picked the family and finally how they had the strength and courage to place. What amazing people they are!
It is strange, once you decide to adopt and you think about everyone you know there are a ton of people that I know who have adopted, have been adopted, or have placed a child for adoption.
We know that the best resource we have to adopt is our network of friends and family. If anyone knows someone who is looking to place a baby or child, please keep our family in mind. I started an adoption blog (it is almost finished - I am going to try and finish it up tomorrow!) You are welcome to refer people to it if you know of any adoption opportunities. The address is http://www.brandonandshannelladopting.blogspot.com/
Thanks for all your help and prayers!
Two weeks ago we had a panel of birth mothers come and talk with us about their experiences placing their babies for adoption. It was interesting to hear from them - they bore a strong testimony of how they knew that they did the right thing and that they knew that the families that they placed with were the right families for their babies. I enjoyed talking with them and learning about how they finally came to the realization that they were going to place their baby and how they picked the family and finally how they had the strength and courage to place. What amazing people they are!
It is strange, once you decide to adopt and you think about everyone you know there are a ton of people that I know who have adopted, have been adopted, or have placed a child for adoption.
We know that the best resource we have to adopt is our network of friends and family. If anyone knows someone who is looking to place a baby or child, please keep our family in mind. I started an adoption blog (it is almost finished - I am going to try and finish it up tomorrow!) You are welcome to refer people to it if you know of any adoption opportunities. The address is http://www.brandonandshannelladopting.blogspot.com/
Thanks for all your help and prayers!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
GPS...in my leg?
So, I saw this article about a week ago talking about Obama's health care bill and how some say (I am not saying it does or it doesn't, but some say it does...) that it will require Americans to get a micro-chip in order to track medical treatment. (I was however surprised to learn that some people have already had them put in their kids - REALLY??) Anyway, I have been doing some homework and looking in to this to see if there is truth to it. (Those of you who know me know that I would not be for this at all!)
So I go to the doctor yesterday and he is telling me about this new service that they offer where you can send a text to your doctor to get prescriptions refilled or ask questions - stuff like that. He asked me if I wanted to sign up. (Have you ever left a message for a doctor? Of course I wanted to sign up!) Then he cautions me to be careful about what I text as this information will be added to my file and kept on record FOREVER! I make a comment (in my joking tone) about oh is this so the government can track when I need a refill? And he replies (in a serious tone) about how they don't need to read my text messages because of the GPS chip that they put in my leg during my surgery in December....didn't they tell you? Oh, they must have...it's pretty standard now...you had to sign a form agreeing to it...
My face must have been worth a thousand words. I say "WHAT?? That needs to come out NOW!" Then he starts laughing and says I can't believe that you believed me. Seriously, he got me good! I love my doctor and I am sure he is still laughing!
Now I am left wondering how soon it is before it is standard procedure...and I am thinking that it is sad that I actually did believe him - this should be unbelievable. Unfortunately, it isn't!
So I go to the doctor yesterday and he is telling me about this new service that they offer where you can send a text to your doctor to get prescriptions refilled or ask questions - stuff like that. He asked me if I wanted to sign up. (Have you ever left a message for a doctor? Of course I wanted to sign up!) Then he cautions me to be careful about what I text as this information will be added to my file and kept on record FOREVER! I make a comment (in my joking tone) about oh is this so the government can track when I need a refill? And he replies (in a serious tone) about how they don't need to read my text messages because of the GPS chip that they put in my leg during my surgery in December....didn't they tell you? Oh, they must have...it's pretty standard now...you had to sign a form agreeing to it...
My face must have been worth a thousand words. I say "WHAT?? That needs to come out NOW!" Then he starts laughing and says I can't believe that you believed me. Seriously, he got me good! I love my doctor and I am sure he is still laughing!
Now I am left wondering how soon it is before it is standard procedure...and I am thinking that it is sad that I actually did believe him - this should be unbelievable. Unfortunately, it isn't!
Friday, April 30, 2010
This is me planning sharing time....
I am struggling with planning sharing time so I am in the mode where you do anything but plan sharing time...sigh! I even did the dishes...and mopped the floors....well you get the picture.
Our family went to see "How to Train a Dragon" tonight. It was pretty cute. The first ten minutes were challenging for Erika. She kept saying, "This isn't a kids show - it's too scary!" In the end she loved it. I thought it was good and it had a couple of really good messages. That is about the best review that movies get from me anymore. I know that we were a little slow to go see it, but I have started waiting until I know that the movie gets some good reviews by friends and family.
Last night the primary presidency went to the temple together. I really enjoyed going as a group. I am going to say that it wasn't the most spiritual visit I have ever had at the temple, but it was nice to go as a presidency. I learned a lot about the women in the presidency. My favorite part was cute Carrie Hanni she picked a name that was like 28 letters long and challenging to pronounce (we have all been there.) Carrie saw the name and said, "She needs her work done too!" Then she traded the name she had for this name. Now if I had the name I would have spelled it, but Carrie pronounced it every time. She is amazing! I had some great learning moments. I am glad we went. I was so surprised by how busy the temple was. What a blessing! I went to the Washington DC temple in February and when I pulled in the parking lot I wondered if I should have called ahead and made an apointment. I know that there are temples where you have to do that. We really are blessed in Utah to have so many temples. I hear that the Ogden temple is the busiest temple in the world - it sure felt like it last night.
Work is going great, but I am so busy!! It is almost overwhelming. I enjoy the new challenges and opportunities, but I feel like I have a whole new job and I don't know what I am doing most of the time. Good thing I have an amazing boss and a great team to help me out with everything.
One other good news is that my sister Hilary is off chemo and cancer free!! What great news. She had her graduation appointment the week and they told her that she can stop taking her chemo pill and she doesn't have to go to the doctor again unitl August. I know that our family has learned so much through this experience. In so many ways we have been able to see the blessings of Heavenly Father.
So I guess I should get to work on sharing time and get to bed!
Our family went to see "How to Train a Dragon" tonight. It was pretty cute. The first ten minutes were challenging for Erika. She kept saying, "This isn't a kids show - it's too scary!" In the end she loved it. I thought it was good and it had a couple of really good messages. That is about the best review that movies get from me anymore. I know that we were a little slow to go see it, but I have started waiting until I know that the movie gets some good reviews by friends and family.
Last night the primary presidency went to the temple together. I really enjoyed going as a group. I am going to say that it wasn't the most spiritual visit I have ever had at the temple, but it was nice to go as a presidency. I learned a lot about the women in the presidency. My favorite part was cute Carrie Hanni she picked a name that was like 28 letters long and challenging to pronounce (we have all been there.) Carrie saw the name and said, "She needs her work done too!" Then she traded the name she had for this name. Now if I had the name I would have spelled it, but Carrie pronounced it every time. She is amazing! I had some great learning moments. I am glad we went. I was so surprised by how busy the temple was. What a blessing! I went to the Washington DC temple in February and when I pulled in the parking lot I wondered if I should have called ahead and made an apointment. I know that there are temples where you have to do that. We really are blessed in Utah to have so many temples. I hear that the Ogden temple is the busiest temple in the world - it sure felt like it last night.
Work is going great, but I am so busy!! It is almost overwhelming. I enjoy the new challenges and opportunities, but I feel like I have a whole new job and I don't know what I am doing most of the time. Good thing I have an amazing boss and a great team to help me out with everything.
One other good news is that my sister Hilary is off chemo and cancer free!! What great news. She had her graduation appointment the week and they told her that she can stop taking her chemo pill and she doesn't have to go to the doctor again unitl August. I know that our family has learned so much through this experience. In so many ways we have been able to see the blessings of Heavenly Father.
So I guess I should get to work on sharing time and get to bed!
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