DRAFTING THROUGH THE AGES

DRAFTING THROUGH THE AGES

The above display was created for the 2019 Virginia State Fair. 

1.) T-Square: The T-Square was one of the most used items I had as a board draftsman. I held it against the side of the drafting board. The T-square then made a 90 degree angle with the side of the board. I moved the T-Square up and down on the drawing page to hold my templates. 

2.) Letter Guide for drawing lines: This was a useful tool. It was important to have a straight line to use when putting any lettering on the drawing. I would move the T-Square to where I had decided to put a description or note and draw the line.

3.) Lettering Guide with the alphabet  The T-Square would be moved to the letter guide line and then the lettering guide with the alphabet would be used to trace each letter of the description or note.
      The first several weeks of each school year in drafting class including college started with printing the alphabet over and over. It seemed crazy. We learned the alphabet in grade school. Why did we have to write it over and over in high school and then again in college. Once I started working it made sense. Many places I had to print the text on the drawings by hand. Some companies had us use lettering guides. The reason behind using lettering guides was that drawings may be worked on by several draftsmen but the drawing itself needed to appear consistent.
    A couple of companies had what was called the Leroy Lettering Guide. It was a pencil or inking pen attached to a handheld scriber. The other end had a pin that you could trace the letters in a sturdy letter guide. It was easier to use than the lettering guides like the one on the display. 

4.) Drafting Tool Set: The one on the display was mine. I also have one that was my father in law's that is similar. The compasses have a needle on one side, my father in law's set had extra needles in a little tube. The other side is the one you put the lead, or if you replace the lead end with the funny looking attachment you could use ink. There's also a larger inking pen, that also has that funny looking top. Ink was put in in-between the two metal sides. It was tricky but it worked. The small knob on the top adjusted the two metal pieces that controlled the line width. 
 The caliper is the compass looking item with two needles, it is used when something on a scaled drawing didn't have a measurement. You set the two needles on the ends of the item. Then the caliper was taken to the scale (three sided ruler). There a measurement could be determined.

5.) Tool Planner: This template is for drawing bolts, nuts, etc. I went to Gaston College in North Carolina, in 1977 - 78.  I took Architectural Drafting. During the year of classes we had to take a couple of classes in mechanical drafting. Our professor said, "It will help you get a job after graduation if you can't find an architectural job." 
When that class started, the mechanical drafting professor said, "You can strip a screw before you get it off the drafting board." I did get better, but I never got a passion for mechanical drawing like I had for architectural. So there is only the one template that is specifically for mechanical drawing. 

6.) Office Layout Template: This template is for designing and or drawing office space. There are desks, tables, chairs, a bench, file cabinets and aisle spacing. If you look closely at the file cabinets you can see small holes in front of the file drawer. That dot is to show how far the file drawer pulls out. A file drawer is of no use if it can't be opened.

7.) Professional Pocket General Purpose: This template has circles, square, hexagons, triangles and a ruler on the edge.

8.) Architectural Scale: A scale is similar to a ruler except it has three sides and 6 surfaces with different scales. Architectural drawings are usually drawn at 1/8" = 1'-0". Details  and section cuts are drawn at several different scales. Instead of having several rulers an architectural scale has 1/8", 1/4",1/2", 1", 3/16", 3/32", 3/8", 3/4", 1 1/2" and 3".

9.) Dry Cleaning Pad: This is a cloth bag filled with powdered eraser. It is dusted on the drawing. It helped to keep the drawing clean. Just imagine what the drawing would look like  without the powder. The triangles, templates, T-Square and other drafting tools going over and over the drawing smearing the pencil lead dust. The dry cleaning pad helped to keep the pencil lead dust from setting on the paper. NOTE: The Dry Cleaning Pad was not needed when going from pencil to using inking pens.

10.) Mini Draftsman's Brush: The brush was used to brush the eraser residue off the drawing.

11.) 45 Degree Triangle: Triangles were used for their angles and also as a straight edge. A straight edge is any line that is straight. The T-Square was the straight edge for lines that were horizontal and the triangles was the straight edge for lines that were vertical.

12.) Stair Planner: Stairs can be tricky to draw. The stair planner gives a starting point. Sometimes it's easier to draw something once you see something similar and have a plan in your head.

13.) Protractor: Used for determining angles

14.) Circleometer: A great tool for making circles. 

15.) Slide Rule: This was used for making calculations. The slide rule was last sold in 1976. In 1980, my father in law tried to teach me to use the slide rule on this display. The calculator was much faster to use than the slide, so I decided to stay with the calculator.

 When I was in high school my parents wouldn't let us get calculators. They believed we needed to learn how to do the math without the help of a calculator. When I was in college I bought a calculator. The math was a bit more complicated.

16.) Forma Line, Art Tape: I used art tape mostly for making outlines. I used it to outline the two pictures and the LEGEND on the display.

17.) Isometric Ellipse Guide: Different size isometric ellipses

18.) Perfect Circle Template: Different size circles

19.) Circle Template: Different size circles

20.) General Mapping Template: Street signs, buildings, etc.

21.) Small Shapes Template: Circles, squares, triangles

22.) Architects & Contractors Template: Door swings, counter tops, shelves, sinks, etc.

23.) Enlarged copy of Bathroom floor plan: This drawing was added so you could see some of the items templates were used to draw. Items that were common to all floor plans can be found in template form to speed up the drawing process.

24.) Architectural, Symbol Template: door swings, shelves, cupboards, wall cabinets, etc

25.) House Plan Template: circles, roof pitch, ranges, washers, door swings, etc.

26.) Plumbing Fixtures Template: bathtubs, sinks, water closets, shower stalls, etc.

27.) Erasing Shield: This small metal shield covered and protected lines I didn't want erased that were very close to lines I did want erased.

28.) Non print lead for drafting pencils: Pencil lead used to draw or write notes and changes that were written when I didn't want them to show up on blueprints. An example would be "Notes from a project manager that was researching a detail but not ready to change the original. The note was there so I didn't forget to get back to the project manager before finishing the project. I could still make blue lines for me to redline or for others to review without seeing my notes."

29.) Drafting pencil lead: Drafting lead comes in different sizes. House plans use different line weights for different types of line. Outside lines are darker than the inside wall lines. 

30.) Gum Eraser: Gum eraser is a soft eraser that is gentler on the drawing paper, vellum, mylar etc. 

31.) Drafting Text Book: This book is like the one I used in high school. 1974 - 1976 

32.) Electric Eraser: This is one of my personal favorite items in my possession. As a board drafting technicians in an office with 6 or more of us, I learned a new saying, "Don't draw more in the morning the you can erase in the afternoon." You see it could take just as long to erase work as it did to draw it. With CAD drawings you can just highlight and delete. Quick and easy.

33.) Small Wooden T-Square: This T-Square is smaller than the other, but a better choice in some situations..

34.) Lead for Drafting Pencils & Compasses: Drafting lead was used in Drafting pencils before mechanical pencils. 

35.) Sand Paper for sharping lead: Sand paper was used to sharpen the drafting pencil lead. There was no pencil sharpeners for just lead. 

36.) Small Ink Cartridges: Ink cartridges that could be refilled.

37.) Non reproducing pen - Notes could be written on drawings without those notes being reproduced 

38.) Mechanical Pencil and Drafting pencil: Drafting pencils came first and later came the mechanical pencils. Love the mechanical pencil. They were of course much more expensive in the early days. My first mechanical pencil, I remember it was clear. I had to change the lead type, H, HB, F, etc. I just couldn't afford a mechanical pencil for each lead.

39.) French curves: On the display is a drawing of a building. There are arches at the top, door, windows, and other places. French curves, circle templates and or ellipse templates could have been used to make these archs.

40.) Pen and Ink drawing, unknown draftsman: In 1984, I was working at VCU as a draftsman. It was my job to find any drawings that I needed for each project. I remember someone had retired and finding someone that could find the drawings I needed was an ordeal. I came to the conclusion that we needed one location for all the floor plan drawings. I was given a large room. Seemingly like magic this room was filled with file drawers, especially made for large drawings. 
       When I first walked in I was excited and confused. There were drawings crumbled up in and around the trash can. I picked the drawings up. I was told those drawings are no longer needed. That project is done. 
      Being a draftsman, I saw them as art not trash. I took the drawings home and carefully ironed them. The title on the drawings are rub on letters. The drawing on my display is missing a few pieces so you could see they are rub on no ink.  Some of the drawings' titles fared better than this one and some of the titles are in worst shape. 
       I chose this drawing because it shows how a beautiful drawing when drawn in pen and ink  can't be moved on the page once started. This drawing isn't centered correctly. I know this had to have driven the draftsman crazy. But there was nothing he could have done short of starting over.
      Looking closely you can see where the draftsman had to erase and redraw elements of the drawing. This happens to all draftsmen. Now that computers are used for drawing no one ever sees where corrections were made. Corrections are made, details, sections and elevations can be changed moved several times during the job to get them just right. Then when everything is just right the drawings are printed. (Put on the ink plotter.)

41.) C-thru 12" Rolling Ruler: This is a fun ruler. It can be used on a desk or table not necessarily on a drafting board. As long as the drawing had a straight line this rolling ruler could be used to draw another line parallel to it, or use a triangle to make vertical of angled lines.

42.) Reel to Reel tape: This is the earliest form of CAD drawing storage: My first experience of using Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) was in 1981, I think. I was a board drafting technician at Chevron. It was decided that all board drafting technicians should have a one week introduction to CAD. The computer room had a raised floor so the air conditioning could come from the floor. 
       My week started with being given a notebook with instructions for operating the Intergraph Computer and sitting at a large intimidating machine with the supervising drafting technician. The computer had two screens. They looked like TVs. One was 16", the other was 24" and a large digitizing board. The computer weighed about 900 pounds.
    I took to the computer quickly and stayed in the computer room. All the work I did was saved on reel to reel tapes. After awhile I had to give drawing names to the technicians in the next room. They would find the reel to reel tape that had that specific drawing on it. They would then download it back onto the computer so I could work on it again. The small reel to reel tape on the display represents my first CAD computer.

43.) Disk: The disk on the display is there to represent the floppy disks use in later versions of CAD computers.

44.) Early notes on CAD drawings: I worked for Heilig Meyers in it's last few years. I thought copies of instruction pages with names of drawings, layers, pen colors, etc was a good visual for what  a CAD draftsman used to prepare a set of drawings.

45.) Inking pen angle attachment: An inking pen with the ink cartridge attached could be removed from a pen holder and screwed onto the angled end of this attachment. To be honest I can't remember using this attachment.

46.) Inking pen parts and cleaning instructions: Inking pens come in many different line weights. Each pen had to be taken apart and cleaned periodically to keep them working. The examples on the display show the different parts. 

47.) CD & or DVD: This is to represent the advances drafting has taken since I've been out of the loop.

48.) Picture of my first CAD office in the early 80's w/ the raised floor:

TRADITIONS 2: Ideas to help you get started

This is TRADITIONS part TWO: In case you didn't see part one I will repeat the beginning.

If you are working on starting some new traditions, let me tell you traditions don't have to cost a fortune. They are memory makers. I would suggest you not start a new tradition that is going to be so complicated and stressful. You may be excited this year but think about how much work it is taking and can you keep this up as your children get older. I'd also suggest new traditions that involve the whole family. If you are going to start having family come over for a dinner or party let everyone bring something. You have fun decorating and making your one or two favorite foods. And let others bring their favorites.

TRADITIONS 1 blog had a few ideas: New Year's, Valentines' Day and Easter. 

PICNICS: When was the last time you went on a picnic? When I was growing up my parents would take us on picnics. I can remember my daddy saying, "Nellie is dinner travelable." That was usually on a Sunday. Dinner was in the middle of the day. I grew up with breakfast, dinner and supper. Mom would pack the pots with potatoes, beans and meat in boxes, and plates and silverware in the trunk of the car and we would go to a park. Sometimes we would pick my grandma up about 5:00 in the morning if it was a Saturday. We would be asleep in the back seat. Grandma would bring country ham biscuits and mama had fried chicken for dinner. We could smell the biscuits and chicken all the way to the mountains. We loved going on Skyline drive in the mountains. We would eat, talk, and stop at the overlooks. Good memories. (Cost of gas and food. But we would have a blast!)

When Arielle was three to six years old we lived in Onancock, VA. I couldn't find a job so while being a stay at home mom I decided to make some good memories. Arielle, our dog, Naomi and I walked around the block most everyday. Now we lived on an incredible block. We would walk out the door and go to the left to the intersection, down the block to the bakery. We couldn't afford to buy something everyday but we still went by to say Hi! to the bakery ladies and to the men who were usually there getting breakfast. Then we would go to church to see her daddy for a few minutes. We left him and walked thru town to the wharf. Once at the wharf, we would see who could find the first crab. I would sometimes make us a sandwich and pack something to drink and we would have a picnic before heading home. All we needed was a couple of sandwiches, napkins, a drink and a piece of grass.


HALLOWEEN: When Arielle was growing up the churches we were apart of would sometimes have "Halloween Happenings" Everyone but children dressed liked hobos. Some years Kev, Arielle and I dressed like clowns. Our church now does Trunk or Treat to give families a safe place to take their children.  A couple of years ago Rev Kev, our dog Sandy and I dressed like the Stick Family. (Black sweat suits with white duck tape. After Halloween we took off the tape and wore the sweats. The faces are white foam core boards cut into circles with a black mesh type fabric taped on the back. We could see through it but at night others couldn't see us.)

The Stick Family (Like on the back window of car)

THANKSGIVING: Parades! Family time! Hunters! Football! We like to start the day with the Macy's Day parade. We still do. Now we text or call when something we think was amazing happens, or of course the cheerleaders are about to come on. Our family and Kev's sister's family took turns hosting the Thanksgiving dinner when the kids were growing up. Now that our daughter has gotten married and we have a grandchild we are in the redesign phase.

CHRISTMAS: First and foremost _ JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! That should be taught at all times. Jesus is real and is a part of our lives everyday and in everyway!


Christmas is one of my most favorite times of the year. Probably because it is a time that my family has always gotten together. I have several previous blogs on Christmas so I won't reinvent that wheel. If you would like to read my Christmas blogs you can follow these links.
www.danettemoen.blogspot.com/Our New CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
www.danettemoen.blogspot.com/Mama D's Childhood CHRISTMAS
www.danettemoen.blogspot.com/Rev Kev's Childhood CHRISTMAS

People remember moments in time, so make your traditions moments that will be happy memories.

Have a Blessed Day,
Mama D

Joel 1:3 NIV
Tell it to your children, and let your children tell to their children, and their children to the next generation.

A WALK ON THE BEACH

A WALK ON THE BEACH

 Kev and I love to get up and go walk on the beach. He loves to go real early and get pictures of the sunrise. Since the salt air isn't really good for electronics, he will come back and get me and leave the camera in the room. We still take our cell phones to capture pictures during the day. One morning we got up early and went to the beach. It was overcast but the ocean is always beautiful. We started looking for Sharks' teeth and shells. Immediately,  I found a shark's tooth and then a second. We had never seen it when the shore had so many of them.

Kev asked me, "Did this really start by you sitting on the beach as a child." I told him,"Yes it did." My mom and dad love the beach. We would drive from Hamlet to Myrtle Beach stay a little while and then go home. With five kids we weren't allowed to go too far. Mom would pick out a building in each direction as our boundaries.

Large area of shells

I've never liked to just sit or lay in the sun, so mom would say "See if y'all can find any shark's teeth or pretty shells." We would sit in one of those large areas of shells and the search was on. I've always had a nack for finding shark's teeth but shells are also awesome. We don't just pick up perfect shells. The shell doesn't have to be in "perfect" condition to be beautiful to us. We pick up broken ones, pieces of shells, whatever catches our eye. We even have one we call "the bottle cap shell". I tell the kids that visit, "It has to be a shell. We found it on the beach and since you're not supposed to throw trash on the beach, it has to be a shell, right?" Needless to say I get some strange looks from them.

Shark's teeth

The love of looking for shark's teeth and shells has never stopped. A few years ago, we hit the jackpot! We found about 60 shark's teeth. We taught several kids along the beach to find them. As we walked a little way from one of the families, we heard, "Mom, I found one." I believe a new tradition was born in that family.


Leave your electronics in the room and explore the shore!

I put our shells in baskets, bowls, jars, shadow boxes, etc. We have them sitting around the house. The name of the beach is displayed on one of those name tag holders (made for a table) shaped like shells. This reminds us during the year of when we were there and the fun we had.

If your kids want a souvenir but you don't have alot of extra cash after paying for a trip to the beach, collect shells and make a memory. You don't have to dust memories.

I was told once from a family that also loves shells that they have a large clear container at their home. Each time they come home from the beach they put their new shells in the container. I like that idea. I think I would put a label either inside the cylinder or on a label on the outside, with the Beach's name and the date of the trip. And I think the child(ren)'s favorite shells should be next to the side so they can see them. That way when someone comes over or just at random times they can say, "That's the shell I found".

Memories are just moments in time. We don't remember whole days or weeks. We remember moments.

Have A Blessed Day!
Mama D

Psalm 97:1
The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

I LOVE Vacation Bible School (VBS)! Always have and I pray I always will! Kev calls it my soapbox.
I remember as a child going to the one at our church and my parent's home church. I remember, the pledges, singing Fairest Lord Jesus, VBS cookies (you may know what I mean. The little shortbread cookies with the hole. We put them on our fingers.), and crafts, (One in particular was plates, cups etc made into a candle holder glued and painted a solid color. My first DIY project).

I'm sure VBS is one of the many places where my knowledge of the Bible grew. Being from the country, VBS was one of the highlights of the summer. I want children today to enjoy their time learning about Jesus and His wonderful love for them as I did as a child. I want VBS to be one of their highlights too.

Our lives are so busy. I'm sure my parents' lives seemed busy too with 5 children. But today just seems so different. We weren't part of Little League, Boy or Girl Scouts, a community pool, etc. We stayed at home for the most part. We had a park across the street. Mom and dad would let us go for an hour or two but we didn't spend all day. We truly looked forward to VBS. We went to a small country church. One of my favorite memories was the year that anyone present at VBS every night got to go to Hardees in a white jeep painted with red pocka dots. Number one, we very rarely went out to eat. Number two, there were no seat belt laws and I can't remember how many kids rode in the jeep but I'm sure it wouldn't happen today.

I heard many years ago that, "Parents use VBS as a baby sitting service. They just drop their kids off and leave."and "All the churches in this area should do VBS the same week. That way we just get our kids."

My response is, "YES, use us as a baby sitting service! Let the children have two or three hours a night for a week learning about Jesus, playing with others, singing new songs with motions, and being creative doing crafts." Instead of sitting in front of a TV, video game or even using a cell phone.

VBS crafts

VBS Song

And as far as all churches doing VBS on the same week. Oh NO! Think about this. If all churches did VBS the same week, the area children would have one week of fun with friends. And would hear the word of God for 4 or 5 days, according to how long the program lasts. Now let's look at if several churches were to do their program on different weeks. The children could have several opportunities to learn songs, motions and Bible stories. By the end of the summer they will have a better chance of having lasting memories and maybe just maybe understand the love of Jesus more than they did at the beginning of the summer. And if the churches did the same program, the children would have different teachers teaching the same lessons and songs. Children and adults learn from repetition.

For example, one year a neighboring church was doing the same program as our church. After their week was up they gave us some of their decorations. We heard of two other churches doing the program. One was doing it the week after us but their first day was our last day so there wasn't time to share decorations with them but the second church was several weeks later so we were able to share with them. We were very appreciative of the decorations and so was the other church. And I believe the people that made the decorations were so happy other children were going to be able to enjoy them.

Vacation Bible School to me is a mission field. I believe God lets us be missionaries right in our own backyard. We don't have to go to a foreign land. God brings the children to us.

Blessings on you,
Mama D

Matthew 19:14 NIV
Jesus said," Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

ADOPTION THREE

Father’s Day 2018, Kev and I were still at the beach with one of my sisters and parents. Kev and I were planning to start heading home. We would have normally gone home on Saturday night in time to be at church on Sunday. This Sunday was different. It was Father’s Day. The Father’s Day following having to take our first grandbaby back to the birth mom. After a few days with my family we were feeling refreshed but not really refreshed enough for Father’s Day and not wanting to have church family focus on our grief and not their fathers and families.

As we planned to leave the beach, we texted the kids to see if they wanted to meet for dinner. Arielle had said something about that a day or two earlier. At the time of the text, Arielle and Jaron had already started for home. We decided to meet in Emporia for dinner at Applebees.

Arielle and Jaron told us at dinner that they had decided to go ahead and put their names back into the list of prospective parents at Commonwealth Catholic Charities. We have been told of families that this same thing has happened to and it had taken another eight months to a year for their book to be chosen again.

Monday morning back to work. I seemed to have been stronger at the beach with my family than I was at work. I had to tell people that asked, “So how’s the new grandma” what had happened. Luckily I was so busy trying to catch up from a week away that as long as no one came by the office I could focus on my work. 

The next week was our scheduled vacation. Arielle’s Grandma Ann and Uncle Jack (Great Uncle) were coming for a visit from Washington State. We had rented a lake house near Arielle and Jaron so we could all four visit without them having to stay with us a couple of days and Arielle and Jaron for a couple of days.

Thursday, June 21, 2018 we got an emoji text from Jaron. It was a roller coaster. And then we got a text from Arielle that had a mother, father and little girl. Kev had sent a text with Uphill or downhill? He had started typing it before Arielle sent her picture but if you text you know how they can sometimes cross in the sending, the same thing with my Is it a girl? and Jaron's heart.

It was a girl! Arielle and Jaron said they don’t want to tell anyone. They weren’t even going to tell us at first. But because they thought they would be on the phone with their social worker during our week of vacation (Arielle and Jaron were not on vacation) they decided to tell us. She said they just couldn’t put family and friends through that again. As soon as they knew for sure the little girl was theirs they would tell everyone.

When was the baby born? FATHER’S DAY, the day they had told us they had decided to get back out there.  Can I just say, GOD IS GOOD!!!

We didn’t know how good until a little later. The mom had her and left the hospital just a few hours later. That’s called a stork drop. The next day, the birth mom came back and told a nurse she wanted her baby adopted and not put into foster care. The nurse must have given her CCC’s information.

My thinking was that at some point in the 24 hours after the baby was born someone had mentioned to the birth mom that her baby would probably be put into foster care. And that’s why she came back. (Remember this is all my thinking.) It’s a special kind of love that a mother has that allows her to put her baby up for adoption. This mother knew in her circumstances (not going to share her personal circumstances, they're not mine to share) her baby would have a much better chance at life with a new family.

Now for the rest of our miracle, after the mom met with the social worker she told her she wanted them to choose the parents. Now the policy is to start with the families that have been waiting the longest. There were two families that had been waiting for a mother to pick them ahead of Arielle and Jaron. The first family was out of the country on vacation, the second one said they just didn’t feel like this girl was the one for them. Next was Arielle and Jaron – YES please!!!

They were anticipating getting to go pick the baby up on Friday of our vacation. They were so excited that Grandma Ann and Uncle Jack were going to get to meet their baby. Wednesday they got a call from the social worker, “Would you like to come get your baby tomorrow.?” Oh yes!

Arielle had a chiropractor’s appointment in the morning. Jaron had a doctor’s appointment at 2:00pm. I’m sure your first thought is change them. Well, they thought about that but Jaron had already rescheduled his appointment once. This appointment was to update his CDL license. It had a deadline on when this could be completed.

Okay, so they made the appointment to pick her up.  Before the foster parents got there, the social worker gave them several papers to sign. She said it’s easier to stay focused on the paperwork if their new baby isn’t in the room. I’m sure she was right. 

 

The moment they (we) had been waiting for – THEIR NEW BABY and our new GRANDBABY!!!!

She was (is) beautiful. One of her arms was taped downed. Her clavicle was broken during childbirth. Of course that didn’t change the fact that she was beautiful!

Kev and I were there taking pictures. Arielle holding her, Jaron holding her, Kev and then me holding her. There were pictures of them with the foster parents, Arielle changing her, etc, etc.

We have a new beautiful baby girl. We couldn’t be happier. Arielle and Jaron wanted a baby that needed someone to love. And God gave them “Josie”. And loved she will be there's no question about that!!!

We would like to THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!

Blessings on you,

Mama D

1 Samuel 1:27 (NIRV)

“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.”

           

Josie loves to praise the Lord even when she sleeps!

Adoption: Two

I had decided to wait to blog on Arielle and Jaron's adoption story and then a funny thing happened. I couldn't sleep. My head was filled with thoughts and memories of what happened. Of how Kev and I felt and how Arielle and Jaron  looked. I kept closing my eyes, opening my eyes back up, typing into the Notes on my phone, closing my eyes then starting it all over again. I think it was after midnight before I could actually get some sleep.

I was talking to a colleague. I told her I know God wants me to share our story in my blog but I don't know just how to start. She suggested starting with a Blessing.

Blessings are God's favor and protection. I have for many years ended my emails with the phrases, Blessings, Blessings on you and Have a Blessed Day. Today I would like to ask God to pour his Blessings on birth moms that have made the hard and loving choice to put their baby up for adoption. For young birth moms that have decided to put their own lives (dreams) on hold or to change their dreams to keep their babies. For people that have made the choice to adopt a baby or child that isn't their own flesh and blood. For family members that choose to support the choices made by the birth parents and adopted parents. I pray that God will give His favor, love, strength and protection to us all. 

Arielle and Jaron had a young mother choose their book. We were all so excited! Kev and I went with Arielle and Jaron to go pick up our new Grandbaby. We stayed at a friend’s house that was only about an hour away from the hospital. They were told to go on Friday and wait for a call from the Social Worker. We went to the town closer to the hospital. Wait, wait and wait some more. A❤️J were told Friday afternoon to come back Saturday.  Saturday we waited some more, Kev had to go home because it was Saturday and Sunday was coming. And not thinking it could take several days he hadn’t made plans for someone to take his place at church. We thought maybe we can just sneak in and see the baby through the glass in the hospital nursery. We found out that this hospital like many others don’t have a central nursery anymore. All babies stay in the room with the birth moms. Arielle and Jaron went to the hospital Saturday afternoon.They saw the birth mom and her parent again and got to hold the precious baby boy.

Sunday they were able to bring him home. Monday they took him to the pediatrician. A little jaundice but perfect as we knew he would be.

They were also told the 10 day waiting period started at birth so he was already two days into the ten day grace period. Tuesday when Arielle got up with him, “ told her, "Go back to bed. I’ve got this.” We were leaving for home that afternoon so I wanted some time with him before we had to leave. I was on the couch holding the little guy with Kev beside me when Arielle came in talking on the phone. As the baby heard her voice he looked up and to me, the new grandmother that I was, it looked as though he grinned. I said “Do you hear your mama’s voice.”  I was looking at the baby and didn’t see Arielle’s reaction. Kev said “Somethings wrong” I said, “I'm sure it’s one of her youth not our baby.” 
  

When they came back in and told us, we all cried together. A❤️J sat on the couch. It was as though someone had sucked the life out of both of them. I walked the baby around a little. After a little while I asked, "When do you have to take him back." Arielle looked at me and for what seemed like a lifetime she finally was able to say - today. She looked like it took every ounce she had left in her to get out that one little word. I guess because the biological mama never wavered during the process the Social worker felt it was okay to send the baby home with A❤️J instead of getting a foster family to keep him for the ten days. 

As Arielle and Jaron were getting ready to take the baby back. I handed Arielle the blanket I had over his little legs. She said, "No mom. Not that blanket, this blanket." It was a blanket she told me a lady in her church had made him and she knew every stitch was prayed over with love. It was made especially for him and she wanted him to have it. After Arielle and Jaron left to take the him back, I started picking up their house. For a couple that didn’t put together the nursery until their book had actually been chosen the house had baby stuff everywhere. I put the glass baby bottles back in the closet.  I washed and put away the baby clothes. I hid the little Daddy’s first Fathers’ Day onesie Kev and I had bought Jaron. The baby blankets, baby seat, pacifiers, and the bassinet were put in the nursery and the door closed.

 Kev helped me get the bassinet moved and he took the trash out.Her daddy answered calls, texts and FaceBook posts from family, church family and friends while I was doing “my Martha thing” as Kev said.

God doesn’t promise  us smooth sailing, if he did people would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior just to have an easy Life.

As hard as it was to see my “little girl”and her husband go thru this after years of researching, interviewing, choosing an adoption agency and then a year or more of waiting for their book to be chosen by the person God had for them, I think about the other grandmother. She will possibly have moments of grieving the loss of her “little girl”  now a mother. The loss of seeing her daughter go through school, cut up and laugh with friends her own age, taking her to ball games, dances and prom as it would have been without a baby. but if you had met and held the baby you would know he is worth the changes in their lives. And that grandmother I'm sure loves their new little grandson. I know this because Arielle and Jaron met the grandparents. And they believe he is loved.

Family

Everyone that has a baby/ child has changes in their lives. And what I've told teens that have or were becoming parents and others, "You may have decided what you did was a mistake, but that doesn't change the fact that ALL babies are gifts from God." 

In our time of grief, Jaron mentioned that we needed to get away. We were blessed with texts from two of my sisters and a cousin.  God is good! He had all this happen the week they were at the beach. 


While sitting on the beach watching the waves we started talking to a young father sitting next to us. He had heard us talking about maybe one day being able to retire to the beach. And that young father talked about the changes in his life. He had four children. The oldest I think was about thirteen and the youngest one was about three or four. He called the two youngest Irish twins because they were less than a year apart. He said birth control failed them. And now his early retirement plans were gone. You could tell he loved his kids but his life changed with the new babies. I would like to say, the way he played with, talked to and interacted with his kids, it was obvious he was at peace with having to change his retirement plans. 

I remember Kev asking me at eight months of our pregnancy, "Are we doing the right thing?" I looked down at my tummy and said, "It's a little late to be asking that, don't you think?" We laughed out loud! He had all of a sudden gone from over the moon happy to a moment of being scared. (News Flash - Parenting can be scary.) A baby changes everything. After just a month or so of having Arielle we couldn't remember what life was like without her, and didn't care. God is Good!

After the tears, Arielle said, "Mom we have always wanted to adopt to help a child that needs love. This baby is loved. He has gone back to his mama and grandparents that love him very much." 

And that's why new moms, parents get a ten day grace period, to make sure it's what they believe is best for their baby. Even with our grief, I can't let myself imagine how a family would feel realizing after the baby was born that they want to keep the baby, their baby, and be not be able to change their mind. To not have that grace period.  

There's no reason to hold on to the hurt. God has a baby for Arielle, Jaron, family and friends and we need to trust God for He is faithful.

As we are once again in the waiting stage, My prayer for a healthy, happy beautiful baby is renewed. Family and friends have comforted us with love and scripture to hold on to. And it is time to continue our prayers and trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Blessings on you,

Mama D

Isaiah 41:10
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Update: Arielle told us on Father’s Day that they had decided to put their name back out there. And as we were grieving at the beach a baby was being born. (And the story continues.)