Author: Conrad
-
Pine cones and pastries
The forest is my fatherWhere we walkAnd he taught meOf his FatherThe peace and the beautyReflected for usAs His cathedralWe pray as we walkTogether and aloneBut not really alone Like him I come to communeWith the world and with GodTo give up my problems To focus on the detailsAnd the big picture The distractions of life fadedThrough…
-
Missing our daughter
Being a Daddy is the best—and hardest—thing I’ve ever done. When we met Jackie for the first time, I truly felt that I had discovered my true calling. There is so much that I have to work on to be a better Daddy to Jackie, patience, namely, but it’s a challenge that I try to…
-
A New Bed
Before we met Jackie, we bought a convertible crib; one of those cribs that have an adjustable bed height and can be a junior bed. Well, Jackie already seems to be growing out of it, so we bought a full size twin with a proper mattress. She loves it, and says “Now I’m a Big…
-
Morning One
There was a tradition in my family growing up, that when we were visiting Grammy and Grampa, we would wake up early and sneak into their room to crawl into bed with them. Then we would spend a lazy morning giggling and chatting in bed. Since last night was the first official night that Jaclyn…
-
The Date
She comes home today! We got the call yesterday from her social worker that the court had finished the paperwork to have her move in with us permanently in view of the final adoption in three months (what a call to get on Thanksgiving!). One last drive to the foster family to pick her up…
-
Let’s Go Outside
We spent every day this weekend with Jaclyn and though we’re exhausted, it was a wonderful time of making memories and setting rhythms. She is such a bright child and full of energy. One of the things I think we’re most thankful for is her attitude toward playing; she’s not necessarily attached to any one…
-
The Next Step
Yesterday, we woke up excited to get our last in-home meeting out of the way and potentially bring Jaclyn home today for good. However, God had different plans for us. We received a call from the head social worker over coffee that our specific social worker would be too busy today to meet with us…
-
Bossa Nova & Banana Muffins
I love this process of becoming a father. It seems a bit unorthodox, or rather, jumping into the deep end of a pool you can’t see the bottom of… in winter, but I love it anyway. Every day I learn something new about my daughter. Yesterday, she ate three of the banana muffins I baked…
-
The Shifting Coffee Grounds of Our Life
I have this morning ritual. I’ve been curating it carefully for the last nine-and-a-half years, and I it’s become second nature to me now.
-
Rufus
I have always loved dogs—maybe not all dogs—but most of them. Over the years my family has had a couple of them, first Patrick when I was growing up, and then Cafe later on in California. They are a calming presence and can be great companions. During this process of readying ourselves for adopting a…
-
Time to think
Sometimes, if I open the window and close my eyes, the intermittent gusts of wind in this narrow valley remind me of the ocean. Spring has certainly arrived at Valea Chintaului, and we are enjoying every moment of it. Every day the grass gets greener, filling in our view from the bedroom. As much as…
-
Divergent
As a sort of follow-up to Vio’s post. One line reminded me of a conversation I had with some of the young people here. We are not a brainless river… and even the river can reshape it’s riverbed with force, determination and a little help. We went to go see “Insurgent” the other night with…