ABOUT RACHEL

Dear Sugar,

Thank you for stopping by.  I'm happy you are here!

Here's some random sweetness you may want to know about me:

I'm a super-flawed Christian.  I have control issues.  I'm type A.  But nothing has rendered me more reliant on God than adoption and parenthood.  I need Him, desperately, especially His relentless love and grace.

My husband is Superman.  We've been together 19 years, married for 14.  He's a Tom Cruise look alike...but I'm going more with Christian Bale who is slightly less strange than Tom Cruise.

I'm crazy-awesome at Just Dance on XBOX.   I sometimes pretend I'm a pro-dancer...in my living room, dancing beside my crew of kids.   If we aren't dancing in the living room, we are dancing in the kitchen, or seat-dancing in our minivan.  I can make even the Hokey-Pokey look hot.  

I'm a type 1 diabetic with an incurable sweet tooth.  Lethal combination.   I bake every other day.  My house always smells like warm cookies.  Baking is my therapy.    My almond-chocolate-oat cookie bars are ah-mazing.  I was diagnosed in 2006 while in a state called DKA (aka:  death-path).   Today, I manage my disease with an insulin pump, a continuous glucose monitor, exercise, and a (mostly) healthy diet.  

My adoption and health experiences have been shared on MSNBC, NPR, CBS, CNN, Yahoo News, Today Parents, My Brown Baby, Babble, Scary Mommy, in Essence magazine, Huff Post, Huff Post Live, abcnews.com, on The Happy Hour (with Jamie Ivey), and many more.  

I coupon at Target.  And as sad-mommyish as this sounds, it is true:  I get a huge thrill out of couponing.

I eat organic and mostly-vegetarian. 

I enjoy organizing and getting rid of stuff. 

I taught English part-time at a university for eight years before becoming a mostly-stay-at-home-mom.   I miss my students and colleagues, because they were adults.  Now I spend my days using words like "potty" and "make good choices."  

I've published five books, and I have more in-the-works. Because mothering four kids isn't time-consuming enough...

I'm very hot-natured and terrified of snakes.  I can't stand procrastination and the victim-mentality.

My dad calls me Rachie-Baby.   My friends call me Rach.  

I live in the best town.  Great food, nice people, excellent schools, and several grocery stores.  And a nice Target.  Priorities.  

I often spend the entire day in my workout clothes with my hair in a Kimmy Gibbler style ponytail. 

Christmas is the best.  I love getting presents.  I love giving presents.  I have an awesome collection of Black Santas. And yes, Santa can be Black.  

Our house has an art room for our kids.  It was supposed to be a dining room.  It's really cool to say, "The art room." 

I'm crushed that The Office is over.   I think saying "that's what she said" is hysterically funny.

I'm getting crunchier and greener every day.   I'm for attachment parenting, though I'm not very good at it. I love the idea of yoga.  I actually do yoga about twice a year.   I bet you're impressed.

The words "outlet mall" makes me shiver in excitement.  

I adore pumpkin-anything.  And soy-vanilla lattes from Starbucks are amazing.  So are cheese fries, funnel cakes, Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownies.   I told you.  I like sugar.  

I facilitate an adoption support group of over 400 St. Louis-area women: adoptive moms, foster moms, moms-to-be, biological moms, birth moms, siblings of adoptees, and adult adoptees.  They are my village.  

I do not like movie theaters.  The seats smell funny.  Too many previews.  No bathroom breaks.   And the 1,000,000 calorie popcorn is too tempting.

I don't know anything about the Kardashians.   I'm not even sure I spelled their last name correctly...

We have four open adoptions.  No family tree here.  It's an orchard, people.   

I write.  A lot.  Here, there.  

I rock a minivan. 

I don't have any tats, though my Pinterest board might suggest otherwise.  

I rarely wear much makeup or do my hair.  I just don't have the time or the interest. 

I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up...

but in the meantime, I'll keep writing.

Finally, I adore my readers.  ADORE.  You are brilliant and wise and thoughtful.  Your stories inspire me.  Your questions push me to learn.   Thank you for being you.  

Can we connect?  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest. Surely you're obsessed with these like I am?