Who I Am

Photo Credit:  Jill Heupel Photography (Edwardsville, IL)
 

Dear Reader,

Thanks for stopping by my blog.   I'm happy you are here!

Here's the random goodness you might want to know about me:

I'm a super-flawed Christian.  I have control issues.  I'm type A.  And nothing has rendered me more reliant on God than adoption and parenting.  

My husband is Superman.  We've been together 16 years, married for 11.  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.  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 cheesecakes are ah-mazing.

I've been on MSNBC.   In New York.  And it was crazy exciting.  And then I was on NPR and in ESSENCE magazine---and those were pretty awesome experiences, too.   

I coupon. 

I eat organic and 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 finally made my dream come true and wrote a book on a topic I'm crazy passionate about:  transracial adoption.

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 call myself Crazy.

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. 

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.  

My kids have sass, class, and Jesus.  

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.   We will be sending our kids to public school.    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 200 women: adoptive moms, foster moms, moms-to-be, biological moms, and adult adoptees.  They are my village.  

Steve and I were almost on House Hunters, but we backed out when we found out we'd have to take part in 50 hours of taping.  With multiple young kids in tow and packing up a house?  No way.

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

We have three open adoptions.  No family tree here.  It's an orchard, people.  And I really, really want to adopt again.  But we shall see...  

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.