Bass, books, & bicep curls

Hello, my name is Joshua, and I'm sure you want to know a little bit more about me. I'm 29 years old and was born and raised in Southern California. I was raised by my mom and step dad, who adopted me, and I have two siblings. I have a younger brother who is married, lives in Washington, and is a tattoo artist and my younger sister is in her second year of college.  I've worked for a local hospital doing "Talent Acquisition" for over six years. Don't worry, nobody really knows what that means. Basically, coordinating our contract systems and helping with hospital recruiting. I really enjoy living here, with the beach in one direction, and the mountains in the other. I have a Bachelors Degree in Business and Information Management, and I'm thinking about going back for my Master's soon.

Josh's media room. Lots of books and speakers.

I have a lot of things I enjoy doing on my off time. I really enjoy building up my home theater system. I have a media room with a 7.1 surround sound system that I am constantly refining and tinkering with. Some might call me an "audiophile" when it comes to audio and video. I'm all about the HD these days. Our future kids will be able to watch cartoons in high definition surround sound.  I also enjoy reading, and studying theology and Christian History. There is a fantastic place called the Credo House that I highly recommend visiting.

Reading with Ruby.

They have all kinds of great theological resources. Kristen and I enjoy watching their lectures. Teaching our kids about our faith is going to be very important to us. I also play acoustic/electric guitar, although not as often as Kristen would  like me to. I enjoy working out and staying fit. I workout every day after work.  I've gone through quite a few fitness programs like P90X, P90X2, and part of Insanity. Right now I  am currently going though FocusT25, the new program from Shaun T. After that, I'm going to try Body Beast. A healthy lifestyle is very important to me.

Stanley!

 

Going to Disneyland is another favorite pastime of mine. It's not too far away, so it's always fun to go down on a weekend and enjoy  the parks. Obviously, this will be fun to do with our kids someday too. I know that adoption is the right path that God has us on. I can't wait to be a dad and get to teach our child all kinds of things. I'm looking forward to playing, watching them grow, and of course, going on all the kiddie rides. :)  Well, that's all for now, but if you have any other questions about me, please feel free to leave a comment and I'd be happy to give you an answer.               

Prayers, pinatas, & potting soil

It feels kind of strange to write about myself so much. A post about Josh will follow shortly, and him I could write about all day, although he'll probably write it. I've been doing research on what expectant moms want to know about adoptive families and the only constant is that they want to know as much as possible. Really, I literally typed "what do women considering  adoption want to know?" into Google. So here it goes:

I'm 28 years old, born in Texas but have lived in California for the majority of my life. I was raised by my mom and step-dad (which feels weird to write because he's "my dad", nothing step about him). I have a good relationship with my biological father who lives out of state. My mom and step dad had my brother who is nine years younger than me and he is currently serving in the Navy (just like our dad did, very proud). I have an AA in accounting and a Gemology Degree from GIA as well. I worked for a local jewelry store doing customer service and appraisals for about six years, briefly at a bank (attempting to use my accounting degree), and then became a homemaker after Josh and I decided to start a family. Since my goal is to home-school our future children (I've already started researching curriculums), we decided we should get use to a single income now. That was three years ago, we're use to it. Now I just need the child to teach! I know homeschooling might intimidate some people but I feel prepared and whatever I can't do, we'll get a tutor for. Our child will have the best education we can provide. I look forward to reading, going on field trips, and watching little knowledge "light bulbs" turn on. Whatever life goal our son or daughter sets, we will do our best to help them succeed. 

I grew up in church and can't remember a time in my life when God wasn't a part of it. Josh and I have attended the same church since high school and are also part of a small Bible study group every Sunday. I am also a group leader for an organization called Bible Study Fellowship that I attend weekly (on summer break right now).

Bible study in bed.

I started three years ago and became a leader last year. I love it! I have met so many wonderful people through this study. BSF offers children's Bible studies too and we will definitely be taking advantage of that in the future.

Josh and I live in, what I think, is a very cozy comfy house close to our church, families, and fun activities. We both enjoy being home. The kitchen is my favorite room. It's always bright and sunny and I love cooking and experimenting with new recipes (which can be a challenge sometimes cause Josh is a bit picky). I generally plan our meals ahead of time for the week on a menu board I have posted and then grocery shop accordingly.  

Love the light through my kitchen windows.

I love baking too. Making beautiful yummy things is very satisfying. Josh often requests my chocolate chip cookies or chocolate cake to bring to work events and potlucks. I enjoy baking for special occasions also. I've made birthday, wedding, and baby shower cakes and cupcakes for friends and family. I look forward to the time when I can teach our child to cook and bake. I can't wait to see a sweet little face and hands covered happily in flour and frosting after helping mom in the kitchen. 

A cake I made for my father-in-law's 50th birthday.

I love to host and help with parties. Contributing to a special event in my loved ones lives or celebrating a holiday with friends and family is pure joy. In the past Josh and I have hosted several dinner parties, Halloween parties, baby showers, and birthday parties. I love making decorations and planning activities. The events hosted in our home are my favorite. Helping friends with their events is a very close second though. I'm currently planning a wedding cake with a tangerine and turquoise color scheme (great colors!) for a very sweet couple. Could not be more excited for them! 

I've enjoyed helping my friends celebrate baby showers and their children's birthdays. I'm looking forward to planning my own adoption shower and then our future child's birthday parties. I have a Pinterest board already dedicated to it!

Pinata made for a friend's daughter's birthday.

Diaper cake made for a friend's baby shower.

  In addition to cooking and party planning, I love gardening. When we had our backyard redone after moving in I had a raised garden added to the side yard where I grow herbs and veggies. It got so hot earlier this summer that only my bell peppers, basil, and yellow squash survived but in the past I've also grown zucchini, green beans, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, rosemary, and strawberries.

Yum!

Grown in my garden!

 It will be fun to teach our child about gardening and watch them learn and appreciate food they've grown themselves. Josh and I try to incorporate as many organic fruits and vegetable into our diets as possible. I can't wait to make our own baby food with homegrown veggies. 

When It comes right down to it, my main interests are my faith and my family. Enjoying family and supporting them. Taking care of Josh, our home, and our puppies brings never-ending satisfaction to me. Being a wife, daughter, friend, and soon to be mom is the best job in the world in my opinion.


 Click here to see a slideshow of our family.

Two feet

A fellow blogger (WaitingForBabyBrown) and future adoptive mother was recently nice enough to share our blog on her Facebook page. In the description of our blog she said we're "praying to grow our family by two feet." I think that is just the sweetest little phrase! It fits us better than she even knows. Our family has a tradition of taking pictures of our feet. I know it sounds silly but we like to document vacations and holidays with our feet. Call us weird but its fun. It started when Josh and I were dating and we bought matching Paul Frank flip flops and my mom thought it was so cute she took a picture of us wearing them. Its spread to the rest of our family too. My parents and brother even incorporated their feet into their Christmas card one year. We are going to have so much fun "adding two feet" to our family.