Moldy Cheese and Buzzfeed

Did you know that October 9th was National Moldy Cheese Day? I hope you didn't miss your opportunity to celebrate with a nice baked camembert or maybe a blue cheese burger. Who would have thought that there would be a day specifically for moldy cheeses. I mean I enjoy a beautiful blue vein cheese as much as the next guy, but does a cheese really deserve its own day of recognition?

This got me thinking. Is there a day that recognizes and brings attention to adoption? There should be, especially if moldy cheese has its own day. When I investigated I learned two things, November is Adoption Awareness Month, and more specifically November 9th is the first ever World Adoption Day. Awesome! I was so excited to learn about this great day! My mind instantly began to race. What can I do to raise awareness about World Adoption Day? The organizers have asked people to post a pic of themselves with a smiley face drawn on the palm of their hand and to use the hashtag #WorldAdoptionDay, but what could I personally do? I had to do something, and I had to do it quick. Ice bucket challenge? Nah thats been done. Creative hashtag? Maybe but they have a hashtag already. So, I did what you do when you don't know what to do. I Googled "how to raise awareness". That didn't produce much, but while scrolling through Facebook I came across a Buzzfeed link for 25 reason to eat more cheese. Ironic huh.

If you have been on Facebook anytime in the past six months, then you know what Buzzfeed is. My news feed is nothing but 33 ways you know you were a youth group kid or the 100 best cat pics. You get the picture. So after reading about why I should eat more cheese, my wheels started turning. I came up with the genius idea (Lauren helped a lot) to make my own Buzzfeed style list to try to raise awareness for World Adoption Day. So, here you go, in honor of the first ever World Adoption Day on November 9th:

THE TOP 9 THINGS THAT I CAN'T WAIT TO DO WITH MY KIDS

9. SPORTING EVENTS 

        
What dad doesn't want to take their kids to their first baseball game, football game, NASCAR race, or bowling match?  Wait... is it called a bowling match or bowling game? ok maybe not bowling

8. SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS

         










I'll be honest, I don't even know if this is a thing anymore. What I do know is that there are a lot of stupid cartoons out now, and kids need direction. I vow to show my kids what real cartoons are. Ninja Turtles, Looney Toons, Scooby Doo, etc. Plus it is a great excuse to eat Lucky Charms.

7. HOBBIES



I can't wait to pass all of my knowledge on to moldable young minds. I pray that my children have some of the same interests as me. Specifically cars and cooking, but I also hope that we can find new hobbies to learn about together.



6. THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE

The largest fireworks display in North America, and second largest in the world. Words can't really describe the experience, but I can tell you that it is AWESOME! Check out this video

5. CAMPING AND ALL THINGS FALL



Pumpkin carving, halloween costumes, picking apples, eating apple pie, bonfires, s'mores, driving the Blue Ridge Parkway. Oh and apple cider doughnuts. Need I say more?

4. EKIDZ AND THIS >>>>>>

Our Church is very important to us and we can not wait for our kids to be involved with the childrens ministry which we call eKidz. The picture may need some explaining. When I first saw this on the wall, they had not put the little feet on the ground, so my thought was "I wonder why they didn't put the I up. Maybe its on backorder or something." After a few weeks I really began to get agitated with it. Our church is very intentional with making sure we do everything with excellence, and leaving the "I" out of eKidz is not operating with excellence. When I told Lauren about my frustration, she politely showed me the error of my ways. "Your kid is suppose to be the I, you big dummy" - Lauren          Ever since then I have wanted to take this picture with my kids because I think it is such a cool idea.

3. BUILDING A SNOWMAN AND PLAYING IN THE SNOW

One thing that we have been told about adopting internationally is that our children will have lots of firsts. Some have never seen grass, or a car, or an airplane. Imagine what their reaction will be the first time they see snow.

2. CHRISTMAS MORNING

This kid's reaction says it all!









1. BAPTISM 

This makes me the most excited and emotional, and for those of you who have been supporting us, you have a part in this as well. To see my children publicly declare their faith in Jesus Christ will be the absolute greatest day of my life. One quote that I have repeated over and over through this process so far is "We can't change the world, but for the children we bring home, we will change their world forever" There is no greater investment than the Kingdom of God, and when you help us bring our children home, that is where you are investing your money. Your money goes to so much more than covering legal fees and home study fees. It helps to bring a child into a loving home where they will be introduced to their Savior, and that my friend is priceless.


BONUS!!!!                            
DISNEY WORLD   

Because no list like this would be complete without Disney World.




What traditions do you have with your kids? Leave some suggestions for us in the comments.

Please share with your friends and help us get the word out!!

Love you all,

Brian

PS Lauren had a big hand in helping me come up with this list. So, I may have stolen her idea for this blog post. SHHHH don't tell her.