Our Circle Isn't Complete

A Little Fun With The Puppy

2012-02-05T22:21:00.002-07:00

Troy is so good with our new puppy. He has so much fun playing with him and teaching him little tricks. He's an even better dad. You should see him with a baby. My grandpa once commented that he didn't think there was a more tender father than Troy. He's probably right.

Lessons I Have Learned From Running

2012-01-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the past two years, I have become "a runner." Now I'm giggling because I don't feel like a runner. In fact, this picture often comes to mind when ever I say, "I am a runner."

But, regardless of what I probably look like, the fact of the matter is, I run. I run five miles twice a week, and on Saturdays I run anywhere between eight and ten. I have completed a half marathon (not by choice remember, but hey, I finished!) I have trained my body to endure runs, I spend too much money on running shoes, I spend my free time at Runner's Corner, and many of my conversations, Facebook statuses, and Google searches center on running. So even though I will not be entering the Olympics anytime soon, I suppose I can be classified as "a runner." (Insert another giggle...)

Running is most definitely a mental game. Of course it's a lot of physical too, but nobody in their right mind pushes their lungs to feel like they are going to explode and their legs to feel like led, just because it is fun. Most days I do it just to prove that I can and when it's over I feel like I have accomplished something worthwhile. I have pushed myself to do something hard, and I like the feeling of knowing, "I can do hard things."

Besides that fantastic life lesson, running has also taught me some other good things. For example, if I focus on the cracks and the bumps, and the road right at my feet, the run is harder. It feels like it will never end. But, if I look ahead at the big picture, focus on the next mile marker, pay attention to the sky or the mountains, and the beautiful scenery that surrounds me, the run passes by and is over before I know it. I often tell Troy that I "need to get outside of my head," meaning, I need to focus on things outside of myself and suddenly, I hardly notice that I'm even running. My legs don't hurt, my breathing isn't as labored. The journey doesn't seem so hard. Our trials in life can be looked at in a similar fashion. If all we focus on are the hurt, the bumps in the road, and the negative thoughts in our heads, the trials seem long and arduous. But if we can "get outside our heads," focus on the beauty that surrounds us, and see the big picture, the pain eases. It is still there, we just don't notice it as much because we aren't focused on it.

Another lesson I have learned, which goes along with the lesson I just talked about, is this: If I know that I am going to run ten miles that day, and can visualize the course before I run it, I am more likely to have a better run. I can see the hills, I can see the long straightaways, I can see the turns and the mile markers, and I can see myself at the end, I enjoy my run more. Just like life, if I am attempting something difficult, can foresee the obstacles, and still see myself succeeding, I am more likely to push through the hard spots.

I have also learned that it is more fun to run when I have a partner who runs a little faster than me. I run faster and have more motivation and endurance. I want to keep up. I want to finish. It's good to be with people who make me want to be better.

I have also learned that when I am comfortable, it is time to push a little harder. When three miles became relatively easy, it was time to try for five. I couldn't progress if I didn't challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone.

Also, you can't wait for perfect conditions to arise before you are willing to venture out. You will never go if you wait for those. They rarely come. You just have to go. No matter what.

There are people all the time who tell me that I am "crazy" or that they couldn't ever run like I do. What they don't realize is that with time, patience, and dedication, they could. They just have to want to. Like most things in life, it starts with the desire, and then requires taking the first step. Soon the momentum will carry you to do great things, and the best part is, you'll still be smiling at the finish line!

Loved This Quote

2012-01-23T23:26:00.002-07:00

"There is something that is called prayer trading, and we're going to trade prayers with somebody. Somewhere out there is a girl praying for a good family for her baby. We are going to pray for a good tummy with a baby in it, and we are going to answer each others' prayers."

-- Troy Dunn

How We Spent New Year's Eve

2012-01-01T20:53:00.003-07:00

We have lots of babies in the family. This is how Troy and I spent our New Year's Eve. We have to get our baby fix somehow! Aren't they the cutest little girls ever?

Our New Puppy

2012-01-01T20:37:00.002-07:00

Today is the first day of January in the new year of 2012... We started off this year with a bang! We got ourselves a puppy. Oh holy moly- a puppy! Ever since we have been married, Troy has wanted a dog and I have always said, "no." Of course I was busy with babies and diapers and toys all over the house and didn't need something else to take care of, but Troy kept talking about the dog we would someday own. I would simply roll my eyes and say, "If you get me a house with a back yard, you can get your dog," (but let's be honest, I didn't really mean it.)

Troy would always say, "When I was a kid and wanted a puppy, my parents always said no. I couldn't wait to grow up and be the dad so I could be the one who made the decision and NOW I am the dad and you are still telling me no!"

I kind of felt bad. But only kind of. Not enough to do anything about it. Until today. After ten years, I finally relented and agreed that we could get a small dog. We thought we might get a Shih Tzu since they are cute little dogs who don't shed, but we also really liked Yorkies, so we were looking at those too. Then I came across a darling little Shorkie on KSL. He is a mix between a Shih Tzu and a Yorkie- the best of both worlds! The owners had bought him impulsively on Christmas and had paid $600 for him, but upon bringing him home, they realized they had made a mistake (especially since their apartment building didn't allow pets- oops!) So, they listed him for $250 and we snagged him up!

I'll admit, I'm smitten by him. He is so sweet and tiny. He almost has to sit in the food bowl in order to reach the food. He's about the size of a guinea pig and won't grow bigger than six pounds. He isn't exactly the baby I was hoping for, but I guess for now he'll be little and let me snuggle him. That's what I need for the time being.

Introducing... Bauer

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-04T16:32:00.002-07:00

The holidays are here! It is hard to believe another year has passed. Last year as I put away all our Christmas decorations, I came upon our last, unused stocking. We had purchased it in advance, along with a stocking for Brevyn and a stocking for Landon. Little did we know that we would not be able to have that fifth child. Every year since Landon was born, I have seen that stocking sitting at the bottom of the box and it makes me feel sad. There is one more child meant to come into our home and that stocking is just waiting to be used.

This year I decided to hang it. It is a reminder of who we are waiting for. It is a reminder that miracles happen. We are just waiting for ours to come.

Watch Me on TV

2011-11-14T09:11:00.003-07:00

The episode of The Generations Project, that I filmed this past summer, will be shown tonight on BYUtv at 8:30 MST. You can also watch it online here. Just click on the episode called "Rachel." I am really hoping that somehow this will help connect us with a birth mother. Of course that wasn't my intention for doing the show. I'm just hoping it will be an added benefit! Enjoy!

This Road...

2011-10-08T10:06:00.003-06:00

This adoption road is long and hard and mostly discouraging. Some days I am ready to give up, but I have to remind myself that in the end it will be worth it. We pray for our baby and his/her birth mother every day (even though we don't know them yet.) They say patience is a virtue and by the end of this process, I am expecting to be very virtuous! ;)

Our Awesome Summer

2011-09-07T10:08:00.001-06:00

We really did have an awesome summer. The kids filmed clips for the Church History Museum, I filmed a television show. We went horseback riding, hiked the Y, visited Grandma and Yellowstone, had two birthdays (Kamryn turned 10 and Landon turned 4,) ran a half marathon, and then spent ten days in California with my family... Whew! You can bet that the summer flew by!

California was nothing short of fantastic! The week after I finished filming, we hopped in the car and drove nine hours to my sister Patrice's house in Southern California. It is a new house and so we were excited to see it. Their back yard is amazing and we spent most of our time in the beautiful swimming pool.
We spent one fun day at the beach, playing in the waves, digging in the sand, and watching the surfers.
We spent a morning at The Great Park, where we took a hot air balloon ride, played football, soccer, and rode the carousel.
And if all that wasn't fun enough, after four days at the house, we got back in the car and drove out to Big River, California to spend the rest of the week at a river house with my mom, my sisters, brothers, their spouses and children. We spent the week in the pool, on the boat, wake-surfing, riding the jet skis, fishing off the dock, playing games, eating delicious food, and laughing... a lot.

There is nothing better than being with family. It was the perfect way to end our summer. We can't wait to do it again soon!

Playing Catch Up

2011-08-02T10:27:00.001-06:00

This television thing took over my life for a while, but believe it or not, we actually had LOTS of other things going on this summer (and more to come!) So, I'm totally back-tracking in order to log all of the fun we have had.

Let's start with the wedding in May. On May 23rd, Troy's youngest sister, Marissa, married one awesome guy named Bruce. We were so excited to finally have him as part of our family. The wedding and the reception took place at Sleepy Ridge Golf Course and with a lot of contributions from family, it was absolutely beautiful! My contribution was the flowers. With the help of my sweet friend Mindy, and my fantastic sister in law, Katrina, we made the bridal bouquet, the boutonnieres, the corsages, and the bouquets for the bridesmaids and flower girls. I was very pleased with how they turned out.

We had a blast at the reception playing in the photo booth they provided and eating crepes made to taste. Of course you can't have a reception in this family without dancing, and so after stuffing ourselves silly with food, we danced off the calories. It was a fantastic night!

Hiking the Y, Tin Foil Dinners, and Horseback Riding

2011-08-02T10:24:00.002-06:00

During the month of June, we had our good friends, Sam, Sadie, and baby Madison, visiting from Colorado Springs. We spent some fun time with them including a hike to the "Y" and a night of tinfoil dinners in Provo Canyon.

The next weekend, we took a trip to Orangeville, Utah for Marissa and Bruce's second reception. Bruce's family lives on a ranch, and so we spent the day riding horses. You'll notice that Landon isn't in many of these pictures, it's because he was afraid of the horses. He promised that next time he would give it a try...

Amdist The Madness

2011-08-02T09:21:00.008-06:00

What a totally fun and crazy summer we have had. Not only have we taken some fun trips, but we have had two birthdays, Rachel filmed an episode of a television show called The Generations Project, which included her singing a solo in the Salt Lake City Tabernacle, driving a car on the sidewalk, and eventually running a half marathon. And yet, even though our Summer has been full, we still feel that hole, where someone is missing! Here are a few pictures of the madness!

Yellowstone Trip

2011-07-17T17:30:00.005-06:00

We went to visit Rachel's mom for the weekend in Idaho. We took the kids to Yellowstone and then to a preserve for bears and wolves. The kids got to participate in a program at the preserve called Keeper Kids. While the bears were removed from their outside inclosure, the kids got to go in to the inclosure and hide food. Then the kids left, and the bears came back to find the food. The kids thought it was so much fun!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-06-30T09:03:00.001-06:00

For Troy's birthday, Addy made him a cute card with a poem on it.

"My Dad is so strong like the seven seas. He makes everything better.

My Dad is so nice, and when I see him, my heart fills with joy.

My old fisherman is so kind to me. He makes my heartbeat sound like the seven seas.

I love you so much, no one can doubt. I love you so with all my heart."

Prepared For This...

2011-06-13T15:46:00.002-06:00

When I was a little girl my mother used to rock me to sleep in our old, green, wooden rocking chair. She would sing songs to me until I fell asleep, but every so often the songs would be interrupted by my two year old self, asking questions. Once while we were rocking, I stopped my mom and asked her if she ever heard of a woman who had a baby and couldn't take care of it, if we could find a way for me to have it. Did I mention that I was two? At the time, my mother just chuckled and told me that it was impossible.

Well, that idea has been in my mind and in my heart ever since. When I was in Second Grade, I concocted a plan to adopt a baby. Even though I was eight, I just knew that I was mature enough to begin raising a child of my own. I started looking up adoption agencies in the phone book and writing letters asking if I could adopt a baby from them. Luckily, I don't think any of those letters were ever mailed- since that would have been kind of embarrassing (and cute too for the case workers reading an adoption application filled out by a second grader- right?) As I grew, I started collecting porcelain baby dolls. Those dolls were my pride and joy. I loved them with all my heart. My collection consisted of babies of all nationalities. At night I would lay in bed and look across the room at my precious dolls, Black, White, Asian, Native American, etc, and dream about the day my family would look the same way. It isn't surprising that my dreams at night were literally filled with visions of children I had adopted.

I have always been a planner and when I was in elementary school and junior high, I liked to write out what I thought my life would be like someday. I would plan my wedding (the groom changed almost every week,) my jobs, and my pets, but the things I loved to plan the most were the names of my children. There were usually eight. I would carefully consider names and write them in my journal- and without fail, the youngest child's name always had the word "adopted" to the side of it. Somehow I knew that adoption was in the plans for me and my family. It was a natural thing and I never considered that it wouldn't happen.

Even in high school and college I thought about my future family and the adoption that would someday happen for us. Sometimes when I was dating guys, we would start talking about children and families. Two times stand out to me where I expressed my desire to adopt and the guy responded negatively. Both times were the turning point in the relationships when I KNEW that the guy was not for me. If he wasn't interested in adoption, then I wasn't interested in him. End of story.

Eventually I found my Mr. Right and we were married. We started having babies of our own, but had a little trouble getting pregnant again after our first daughter. I immediately began researching adoption possibilities for our family, but then our second baby came. Our third came surprisingly fast, and our fourth came easily, so during those years I focused on having my biological children. When that suddenly came to an end with the birth of my last baby, my mind went right back to the idea of adoption. The plan had always been to adopt my last one- right? So, here it was... time to adopt.

And that leads me to this point in my life, where I look back at the path it has taken, and realize that I have been prepared for this. Somehow the Lord knew that our last child would have to come through some other means, and he planted that idea in my mind. Even though one child could not physically grow in my belly, the thought of that child has grown forever in my mind.

Who ever the amazing woman is who will someday choose to place her baby with us, will be giving our family that last little piece of the puzzle. One that we could never find for ourselves. One that I somehow always knew I wouldn't be able to create for myself. But one that I knew I loved, even before I knew what love was.

Welcome to Summer!

2011-06-09T14:24:00.005-06:00

Summer has officially begun around here. Our family vacation isn't happening until August, so we have a couple months of time to kill. I could spend a million dollars keeping my kids entertained, but unfortunately, I don't have that laying around. So, here are a couple of things we've done this week to stay busy.

First off, we have a set schedule. These things have to be done by lunch time in order to get to play later in the day:

- Jobs: Clean room, fold laundry, unload dishwasher, clean bathroom, clean basement/toy room, and feed the birds. Of course they don't have to do every single one of these jobs every day, but they rotate a few every day.

- Homework: Read for 20 minutes and do two or three pages of Math. I have to mention that we also have a "reading jar." For every chapter book the kids read, they write the name of the book and put it in the jar. Each book is worth $2.oo. At the end of the summer we will count up how many books they read and see how much money they earned. Then we will take that money and go do something fun as a family.

After these things have been completed, half the day is done, the house is clean, and we are free to play.

Yesterday afternoon, we had a Read-A-Thon. I took the kids to the Library and let them pick out books. Then we went to the store and bought some treats. We came home, spread blankets and pillows out in the living room, and read quietly for an hour (I read out loud, in a quiet voice to Landon.) It was fun and relaxing.

Kamryn has been busy selling things (lemonade, cookies, and Popsicles) with her good friend Hallie, and has made some money. So, today Kamryn and Adelynn pooled their money and asked if they could go to the store and buy something they had been dying to have... Press on nails. I had no idea they made them for kids, and that they are cute! Not the cheap-o ones I grew up with (well the pack was still under $5, but they aren't the ugly red plastic ones from days of old!) The girls have been in heaven flaunting their cute fingernails.

As we speak, my house is full of four energetic little boys playing Transformers and having a ball. So, we managed to have a fun week without spending much money. That is my goal for the rest of the Summer! I guess we will see how it goes...

Thinking About You

2011-06-01T14:38:00.004-06:00

Are you real? We pray that you are. We pray for you every day, even though we don't know you. And believe this- we already love you! We want the best for you and for the life growing inside of you. We want you to be happy. We want you to be able to move forward with life. We want you to achieve your dreams.

We love your baby too. Even though we don't know if it is a boy or a girl. If it is black or white or somewhere in between. We already feel a deep love in our hearts for the little person we hope we are blessed enough to raise. We pray for the baby. Every day. We want it to be happy. We want it to have all the opportunities life has to give: loving parents, loving sisters and brothers, a chance to know a loving Heavenly Father, education, and lasting family memories.

We don't believe in coincidences. We believe that all things happen for a reason. We (with our totally opposite circumstances) both come from situations that have caused a certain amount of heartache and yet, there is a reason. A reason there is a baby who needs a family and a reason there is a family who needs a baby.

We pray that we will find each other somehow.

Love,
Our Family

Recommendations

2011-04-26T10:09:00.002-06:00

We can talk about our own family until we are blue in the face, but for all anyone knows, out here on the internet, it could all be a big fat lie. So, we thought it might be a good idea to get some recommendations from family and friends who know us and love us. I've asked them to leave comments about our family, so that anyone who is interested in our family can hear about us from others... Feel free to read the comments below. And if you are a family or friend visiting this site, feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Thank you!

Vacations

2011-04-17T21:34:00.004-06:00

Recently we took our family on a little get-away for Spring Break. We spent the weekend playing and hiking together. We had a great time!

So Sweet

2011-04-11T10:05:00.010-06:00

I came home the other day to find these love notes written by my girls for each member of the family- and to each other. They melted my heart. I am so glad these children are friends!This one is from Kamryn to Addy. It says, "I need you for me and my life."

From Addy to Kamryn. It says, "I love you. If I didn't have you, I wouldn't be lucky."

Dear Birth Mother

2011-03-11T12:52:00.003-07:00

Hi. First of all, we would like to say thank you for even looking at our website. We know that you must be feeling very unsure and emotional right now. Having a baby and making big decisions for that baby's future are heavy responsibilities. The fact that you are even considering adoption says volumes about the kind of person you are. You obviously want the very best for your child and are weighing your options.

We just want to assure you that if you were to choose our family as the family in which your child would grow, you would hold a huge place in our hearts. You would be giving us an amazing gift and we would be indebted to you forever. Your baby would be loved and cherished by parents and big sisters and brothers. He or she would be the recipient of ten years worth of "parenting experience." We have raised four babies now and are comfortable and confident in their care. Each one of our children were unique in their habits and needs, from six months worth of colic to extremely content and easy. They have all grown to be fantastic kids. We believe in letting each child choose their way. Two of our children love sports, one loves music, acting, and dancing, and one loves science of any kind. We encourage each of our children in the things they love- as long as they are having fun with what they are doing.

We also wanted you to know that we are comfortable with the idea of an open adoption. We believe that an adopted child needs to know his or her biological parents in order to feel secure. We are willing to work out an agreement that both sides feel comfortable with and are committed to honoring that agreement, since it is in the best interest of everyone involved.

So once again, sincerely, thank you. Thank you for looking into our family and considering this adoption. Please feel free to contact us with further questions at kai3po@yahoo.com. A contact won't bind you to anything. We would never pressure you to make a decision that you are not sure about. This is your choice and we are one of many options for you to think about.

May God be with you during this time.

All our Love,

Troy & Rachel

From The Mouth's of Babes

2011-02-17T20:57:00.003-07:00

Kamryn:

Something I like about my dad: He is fun and funny.
Something I like about my mom: I like it when she dances.
Something I like about my family: We have fun together.

Adelynn:

Something I like about my dad: He's good at sports.
Something I like about my mom: She is nice.
Something I like about my family: They are really fun.

Brevyn:

Something I like about my dad: He plays the Wii with me.
Something I like about my mom: She gives me kisses and hugs.
Something I like about my family: We play together.

Landon:

Something I like about my dad: He plays with me.
Something I like about my mom: She gives me hugs.
Something I like about my family: We get ice cream together.

Funny Times

2011-01-29T10:00:00.003-07:00

Have I mentioned that we like sports? :) We had a fun night gearing up for our favorite team's big game. The kids did a lot of giggling. Having your stomach painted tickles!!! We love being together!

Traditions

2011-01-08T22:38:00.010-07:00

We believe in family traditions. We have many of them. Some are daily, some are weekly, and some are yearly.

Our Daily Traditions include praying together as a family, reading the scriptures together every morning, and having a sit down dinner as a family every night.

Our Weekly Traditions include attending church together every Sunday and having Family Night on Mondays where we have a treat, play a game, and talk about things that are important to our family. We also visit Troy's parents at least once a week and the kids love their "Papa" to tell them stories.

Our Yearly Traditions include attending college football games and basketball games,taking the kids to the local college "meet the players" day where they get to meet the college football players, carving pumpkins and trick- or -treating on Halloween, making Butter Cookies and Peanut Brittle at Christmas time, opening new pajamas on Christmas Eve, going to California every Summer, and taking the kids on one on one "dates" throughout the year.

Being together as a family is our top priority and we spend as much time together as we can! We can't wait to share our family and our traditions with another little child!

Our Four Kids

2010-12-30T20:41:00.008-07:00

We have great kids!

Kamryn is our oldest. She is ten years old and is very mature and responsible. She is like a second mother to her sister and her brothers and takes very good care of them. She is kind and shares just about everything. She loves sports, has a purple belt in karate, and plays soccer. She loves to watch sports with her dad- especially football and basketball. She is a good student and works very hard to get good grades and help her teacher.

Adelynn is eight. She loves to dance, sing, and pretend. She loves to be the center of attention. She is kind to her family and friends. She is very confident and energetic. She has a great sense of humor and likes to make people laugh. She is also a great student and loves school! She loves to take care of her youngest brother and baby him a little. She keeps us entertained all the time!

Brevyn is six. He is a smarty who loves math and puzzles and video games. He is a great reader and is at the top of his class. He loves babies and is so sweet to them. His friend's parents always tell me how polite and kind he is and that he is welcome at their homes any time. He doesn't care for sports, but has lots of energy to run and jump and climb. He loves his mommy very much and gives the best hugs!

Landon is four. He is a little ball of fire. He loves sports. He loves to play them or pretend to play them. He loves to wrestle with his dad and tease his siblings. He also has a very funny sense of humor and likes to make us laugh. It is hard for us to say "no" to his darling dimples. He also loves babies and is good at playing with them and making them smile.

These kids are all wonderful and can't wait to have a new brother or sister to love!