Recently Gallup, a large surveying company, took a poll of "How would you rate the ethical standards of the following professions?  The sample size was 1,015 adults that were randomly sampled....usually even a sample size of 30 is enough to make decent outcomes. 
The results of this poll on ethics in professions were quite stunning to me....

There are three main items that are either surprising or interesting to me:

1. I find it very interesting, not so surprising, that nurses (and probably healthcare providers in general) are seen as 85% very ethical, a whopping 23% higher than the next closest, being dentists
2. I was very surprised and saddened by the fact that the general public feel that 52% of clergy are very ethical.  Essentially they view half of all clergy as ethical....not good!  My personal experience is not that way at all, but it makes me sad that others feel that way.
3. Very interesting that members of congress and car salespeople are rated nearly identical at 10% and 8% ethical respectively.  I see a major problem with this rating as well as these are individuals that we, as a people of the nation, vote in.

Just thought I would share those thoughts with you.  Being in the healthcare industry it makes me realize that we, as healthcare providers and supporters, have a large mantle to carry and to ensure that our patients are cared for in a very moral, medically sound, ethical manner.  We are of course dealing with people's lives!

3-0 for my K-A-R-A

Well, my wife Kara has turned 3-0 years old.  On June 5th of 1982 she was born to Gaylon and Margaret Hopkins.  To many this may seem old, but to others (most others) she is still a youngster.  I have known Kara since she was 19 years old, and yet 11 years later I still think she is as beautiful, young-looking, and amazing as the day I first met her.

I am so glad that I have had the chance to grow with her over the last 9+ years as her husband.  She is an true example to me in so many ways.  Here is my cheap, corny, way of showing what it is that I love so much about Kara:

T - Trustworthy - I can ALWAYS count on Kara.  If she commits to something she completes it thoroughly

H - Happy - Kara finds so many ways to gain simple happiness.  Her boys, being outside, food, etc!

I - Industrious - Kara is amazing at decorating our home AND much of it comes from her own creations.

R - Respected - So many people look to Kara for advice, input, her opinion, and respect her for who she is.

T - Tasteful - She's always dressed with style, appreciates quality design, and married a very handsome guy!

Y - Young - Even though 30 may seem middle age or getting older, Kara defies all odds and is still young!

Kara, I love you so much!  Feliz Cumpleanos!

Our Life - The Blessing of Infertility

My beautiful wife, Kara, showed me a blog post today that sincerely expresses my thoughts in a much more eloquent manner than I could ever convey. Kara and I have been through this process and experienced the beauty of having our own child and then not being able to repeat that process. We feel that BOTH our children (Will - biological and Eli - adopted) are miracles that we won't ever take for granted. We love them.



I have posted the blog post below:

"A View of Birth from an Infertile Womb by Mariah Wickham"

I gave birth 7 1/2 years ago. It was an ordinary labor and delivery, free of complications. Because it was my first, the 10 hours it took from start to finish felt average and acceptable. My boy came screaming into this world weighing 8 lbs. 7 oz at 10:14 am. My husband and I beamed from ear to ear, but no different than other first time parents I’m sure. It was a Wednesday and the last day of March. The weather was typical of early spring in these parts: overcast with a few beams of sunshine.

As he grew we desired to add to our family and see him become a big brother. In fact, we wanted lots of children. We would discover along our journey many painful reports of infertility. We went through in-vitro fertilization 4 times. The third time we became pregnant but then had an early miscarriage. We also prepared for a year for an adoption trip to Russia that ended in failure. Our hearts broke over and over as we struggled to understand why nothing seemed to work out for us. And yet, we had a son who was growing before our eyes. At one time we were able to create life which gave us so much hope for the future, but now life felt replete with heartbreak and discouragement.

In correlation with this discouragement and the setbacks of our efforts, the day of my son’s birth has morphed into the miracle it was always meant to be. Viewing it as a long ways from typical at this point, I see his birth much differently. I embrace him and offer thanks each day for I am more acquainted now with the odds of us conceiving. I also realize that we could go bankrupt trying and still be where we started so I should be content with what we’ve been given. But most of all, I feel grateful because what once felt average now feels awe-inspiring. What once was ordinary is now anything but — we were given a gift that day. A gift so special it would never be repeated or imitated. A miraculous gift that I plan on celebrating for the rest of my life.

From Mariah Wickham.