Our Plans For New Years..

Since 2000, Bren has been here for almost every New Years celebration. In 2001 a tradition of snowmobiling in WY and staying at our favorite lodge to ring in the new year began. It's a trip we look forward to all year long and really makes the holiday something special. Here's a picture I kiped off her Facebook page from a few years back:


Do we rock or what?

Bren stayed home this year. She put on her big girl panties and made the grown up decision that a trip wasn't in the budget. I'm sad tonight because she should be here right now, sitting on the couch with her comfies on, smothered in min pins and enjoying an Amstel Light. We should be chatting the night away. I miss my girl.

Unlike years past, we are heading up on the morning of the 1st and not doing the count down with our lodge friends. The motor home is getting loaded up, we're pulling the big trailer and Missy and My Kiwi are joining us! How cool is that? It can be a treacherous drive (if you are familiar with Interstate 80 across WY, you know what I'm talking about-the possibility of snow, ice and high wind). Between the rig and the snowmobile trailer we're pulling about 70' so please keep is in your prayers for safe and uneventful travels.

Nantie is staying home and tending the herd of canines. She's a saint!

2008 was a pretty dang cool year and eye opening, to say the very least. I have a great feeling that 2009 is going to be one for the record books and hopefully our little crew will have an addition like this real soon:


I wish you all a SAFE and Happy New Year!!

Sunday Funday

Over the last week Missy and My Kiwi puppy-sat for our min pin rescue. His name is Tonka and he's an absolute doll. A handful, yes, but a doll nonetheless.

The Good Lord made puppies adorable for a reason!

Like a baby, he was up every few hours to potty (or play). This little man has a big bark/shriek when required. He gets along wonderfully with all dogs big and small (from our dobe, to the cairn terriers, the poo-mixes, Nantie's Dalmatian and our 3 pinheads). At the end of the day in typical miniature pinscher fashion (when he's all tuckered out) Tonka finds a warm blankie, a welcoming lap and is out for the count. He's going to make someone an excellent companion.

Missy and MK were headed to Denver this morning and dropped him off with us. His real foster mom is set to arrive home from Chicago today and is our charge in the meantime. Here's a little bit of fun our Rusty, senior foster girl Coco and little Tonka had this morning:



Aren't they cute?!

These distractions have been really good for me. I've tried to keep myself busy and my mind off the silent phone. I wandered into the extra bedroom this morning and lamented over it's bland, white walls and stark, old furniture. It's impossible to decorate when you've chosen an age range of 3 months to 5 years old. I could really use some retail therapy right about now.

I know, I know.. must remember the "P" word (patience). So today I'll play with the puppy and the rest of our Motley Crew and focus on the good: Puppy breath, silly pounces, little shark teeth, et al.

Now This Is The Life!!

I can't remember the last time we've had a vacation and didn't have a trip planned. This year, my bosses decided (last minute) to close the office at noon on Christmas Eve and not open on Friday. FOUR AND A HALF DAYS OFF!

WOOHOO!

I could easily be a shut in and not leave home for weeks at a time. There is so much to do and I'm perfectly fine hanging right here. To be honest, I've been in my jammies since yesterday. I've done laundry, baked cookies, read, some (minimal) housework and lots of surfing online.

One word: HEAVEN!

Lucky for DH we're down to the last few scoops of coffee beans and I'm going to be forced to dress and leave the homestead soon.

In the meantime, I'm kickin' it with the pooches and loving every minute.. Here's the pins doing what they do best.. relaxing and soaking up the rays:

I think I'll join them..

New Years Hope

Typically before Thanksgiving we draw names for Secret Santas. There are 7 of us (Missy, My Kiwi, Momsie, Big Daddy, Nantie, DH and I) and it's near impossible to shop for everyone. Expensive, to boot. This year with finances being as tight as they are, we decided not to do SS and keep it "simple".

Well, SOME of us were listening, anyway. Momsie, Big Daddy and Missy let loose as usual. Rebels!

I had to share one of the many meaningful and heartfelt gifts we received this year. The card was to DH and I and said simply, "New Years Hope":

That's right, our first baby gift. This beautiful frame will hopefully contain a picture soon and sit proudly amongst our family photos.

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

Over at the Mile High Mamas forum there has been a discussion about family traditions at Christmastime. We all have them and they hold cherished memories. In the humble abode of my youth Christmas Eve dinner was a big deal.

Mama, Dad and I dined on a delectable steak dinner by candle light in the formal dining room (a place where access was normally denied). I was allowed to drink the soda of my choice (root beer) out of a fine wine glass while the likes of Burle Ives, Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby crooned softly from the stereo console. It was a time of gentle laughter and family harmony. The calm before the following morning that was all go.go.go. with presents, church and a day spent with my favorite Uncle, Auntie and cousins.

It was the most wonderful time of the year..

Our little family is still in the making. We await "The Call" and for a whole new chapter to begin. The discussion at MHM made me contemplate what parts of my family traditions I would like to carry on. I know some will come all on their own but there are a few I hope to create along the way.

This on my mind, I was thrilled to find the cd "A Bethlehem Christmas". It's a radio theater production of the first Christmas from the perspectives of Mary, Joseph and the angel Gabriel created by the wonderful folks at Insight For Living. Turns out, it's awesome and I am psyched to add this wonderful little treasure to our future family Christmas celebrations.

Wishing you and yours a VERY Merry Christmas!!!

I'm Feeling Rather Fab-u!

My dear cousin Kadi bestowed some wonderful lovin' on my little ole blog. The word is I am to reveal five of my addictions then pass the award on to some of the blogs I deem fabulous.. Here we go:

1) Twist ties. I save every single one I get my hands on. Please don't ask why for I have not a clue (those little boogers do come in handy, though).

2) Blogging. Duh.

3) Candy Cane Hershey Kisses (peppermint flavored white chocolate? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I have them on my desk at work and I am NOT sharing.. Ho Ho Ho!).

4) Coffee in one of my monstrous mugs, 3 spoonfuls of sugar and a dollop of Coffee-mate Fat Free Original Creamer. (And keep 'em comin'!)

5) Checking the answering machine for messages (and scrolling through caller id to see if I've missed "The Call" from the county). Freaky Me.

And the Award Goes To (Drum Roll, Please!):

~Cloudmaster @ Life Goes On and On and On..
~Tiff @ Still Seeking Sanity
~Miss Ruby @ Off My Rocker
~Toni @ Daily Dose of Toni
~Nichole @ Not The Usual Ticking Clock

Perfect Moment Monday

It's that time of year again!

Missy and I had our annual Christmas baking day on Saturday. We made up 9 (NINE!) monstrous batches of her world famous caramel corn. It was a youknowwhat load of work but so worth it. Our dentists will be thanking us after the New Year.

I adore my Missy and know how blessed I am to have such an awesome family. She's not only my sis in law, she's my best friend and my Perfect Moment.

I Capture
Perfect Moments.

Searching For Smooth Jazzy Xmas Music?

Look No Further!

Stephanie is not only beautiful and beyond intelligent, she is also an amazing musician and composer. Here are a couple of songs from her new Christmas CD for your listening pleasure:

O Come, O Come Emmanuel
What Child is This?

The cool part is you don't have to wait for shipping! You can visit her web site NOW and download the entire album!! I'm listening to it and LOVE IT!

Visit stephaniejames.com and get your copy TODAY!

(PS.. If I am diggin' cool jazz does that mean I'm finally hip?)

Friday.. Woo Hoo!!

For some odd reason, this week drug on and on and I'm thrilled it's finally Friday! I am totally behind on EVERYTHING Christmas (including our cards.. that will get done tomorrow.. I know I know.. don't even start).

We usually go all out on gifts but this year is so tight budget-wise that Missy and I are baking most of the presents. The upside is we save money. The downside is we'll have cavities and be 2 sizes larger by New Years. Oh well.. I'm over it! She's coming over tomorrow morning and we're doing our annual cookie/peanut brittle/carmel corn/brownie baking fest. The husbands can't golf due to frigid weather so we're sending them to the movies (because they hover and scarf).

Nothing new to report in Fost/AdoptLand. Same-o silent phone.

The other exciting news is that Missy and My Kiwi are going to puppy sit two of the little black and tan males for our rescue group this next week. They will surely be a handful.. God made them cute for a reason!

WWEEEEEEE... A CONTEST!

OOPS, I mean Wiiiiii!!!!

Get THIS.. our girl Amber over at one of my fav web sites Mile High Mamas is GIVING AWAY a Wii AND Wii Fit!!!

I KID YOU NOT!!!!

IT'S SO EASY.. All you have to do is GO HERE NOW and leave a comment on WHY you want (or in my case NEED) one. Give the contest a shout out on your blog and you can enter up to 5 times!

Go Forth and Wii My People!!

(PS.. if one of you wins you have to promise to invite me over to play, ok?)

Ring Phone Ring..

We got a call from "E" (our wonderful new placement worker) on Friday and it sounds like one of the other families may need respite care over the holidays for two little girls (an 18 month old and 3 year old). Basically, it's baby sitting for another foster family. We are required to do respite at least three times and did it once back in August. It is a great experience for newbies like us and relieves foster parents .. so everyone wins. I told "E" we're home all through Christmas but leaving for a long weekend of snowmobiling on New Years Day.

The possibility of doing respite or having an emergency placement has been my motivation for getting the inside of the house decorated for Christmas. My hopes aren't all that high that "The Call" for our placement will be coming anytime soon. I'm sort of in a funk and time seems to have taken it's toll on the excitement level... Bah Humbug.

Honestly, I'm really not feeling the spirit of the holidays this year and believe you me, I love Christmas. Work is cutting hours, gift giving has been scaled way back and deep down I think I'm a little sad we don't have an itty bitty yet. Selfish, right? The upside is this frugal holiday helps focus on The Reason rather than the commercialism of the holiday season.

SO, we await yet a different type of call.

Not Cool, Mom!

What do you do with your 2 year old dobe that won't leave a Christmas decoration alone? That thinks it's really fun to grab it and prance around the house, waving it about and making sure you notice (even though you've told him, "NO!" a gazillion times)?

Why, you make him wear it and take pictures, of course.



(Who is laughing now, big guy?)

There IS Room In The Inn..

DH and I had decided from the get go we couldn't be a receiving home. It's basically a certified family that takes calls in the middle of the night for a child sitting in the office at social services. A warm bed and safe home are needed pronto. If it happens during the week, there is typically a court hearing the following day that needs to be attended, followed by a trip to social services and other various appointments. For us, working full time just isn't conducive to helping in that capacity.

A couple nights ago I got an email from the county with a plea for help with emergency placements. Come to find out they had 5 kiddos on Thanksgiving alone, 2 of which spent Wednesday night and Thursday IN the office with an emergency worker because homes couldn't be reached. The workers can't take them home, of course.

Utterly heartbreaking.

I revisited the conversation with DH but Mr. Practical prevailed. We have the room, just not the time.. how could we help? WHO has the time and the heart that could step up?

NANTIE!!!

She has finished her training, cpr and her finger printing is done. She just has a couple meetings left with "D" (her home study worker) before her vote goes to the board. Actually, she is just awaiting "The Call" for our placement to move in with us.

When I told Nantie what happened over Thanksgiving she was beside herself. She is totally on board and will move in early if need be. This has nothing to do with our fost/adopt placement.. just a safe, warm home for a little one if needed.

Please keep the precious angels in the foster care system in your prayers this holiday season.

Perfect Moment Monday

We finally got some snow! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and that was my Perfect Moment.

(For the record, it was a balmy 2 degrees as I stood barefoot outside taking this picture.. I think even the deer shown were shivering).

I Capture
Perfect Moments.

Seriously??!??

I scrolled down my blog today and the counter screamed at me. I can't believe there have been so many visits since the end of June! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I'm humbled..

A Year Ago Today..

.. We took our first baby steps in this long journey. On December 5th, 2007 we attended the Family Share Night put on by the county. As with most big events in our lives, family came along. Momsie and Big Daddy went as well. We heard many different perspectives from people within the system.. foster parents, social workers, fost/adopt families, families that adopted outside their race, families that adopted special needs children. They had me from, "Hello".. it was DH that needed convincing and they done good. ;o)

I think the in laws were pretty unsure about the whole idea going into the dinner and even more so afterwards. As always, the county made it abundantly clear that reunification is their main goal. Foster to adopt is a huge risk and life changing. We totally understand that some people think we're nuts (and we are, so it's okay). Our family and friends to support us 100% they just don't want to see us get hurt.

It has been a long year. From training in January, Home Study through summer to our certification in July. We got the call on the girls in August but our gut reaction was it wasn't a good match and have waited for that phone to ring since. No matter how you slice it, the waiting stinks but it's well worth it.

Nantie completed training and awaits a call from "D" to continue with her Home Study. The holiday may have held things up and she doesn't want to push by calling and bothering her. I, on the other hand, have no problem dropping her a "Howdy Do!" email and see where things are at. I'm definitely more confident with my little blue (certification) card in my wallet.

SO, today is a milestone. A little stepping stone in a long journey. I firmly believe we are right where we are supposed to be and look forward to things to come. It's all in His hands.

Some Fun In The Closet!!!

Hey Everyone!!

I've been neglecting my baby blog all week due to my stupid cold. There's tons to say and I'm hoping to post this evening. In the meantime, please surf on over to the Grand Opening of The Classy Closet!! Kadi and a crew of girlfriends have this great community up and running. She was kind enough to ask me to form an adoption discussion group (Adoption Option).
You can even start your own group! I only have 11 friends and could sure use more (sniff sniff).

There's something for everyone in The Closet!

THIS JUST IN!!
Anyone who signs on to CC by Friday will be entered to win a PINK LEMONADE PURSE!! I KID YOU NOT!

Mama's Bargains

***Disclaimer***
This post was written under the influence of NyQuil. I apologize if it's discombobulated and nonsensical. If you don't see any difference well then never mind..

Now, back to our regularly scheduled ramblings..
~~~~~~~
Mama was frugal as the day is long. I might add, she was dang proud of it. If anyone thinks I'm over the top when I find a great bargain (think wine glasses) you never met my mother.

With our Christmas lights on outside and the holiday spirit creeping in Mama comes to mind. She absolutely loved this time of year. Reason One: Baby Jesus was the Reason for the Season and Number Two: Bargains Galore. You never saw a 4'11" red head happier than she was ravaging a 50% off rack.

She had several shopping vices but buying clothes was, by far, her biggest infraction. Her secret weapon? She could sew like a mad woman. As tiny was she was, she could find things in sizes too big and tailor them to her eensie frame. When she passed away, she had 2 walk in closets full of the finest clothes (all proudly purchased at bargain basement prices).

One of her big thrills was leaving the price tags ON her Christmas presents. Once unwrapped, she would announce the actual price then make you look at what she actually got it for. I kid you not.

I love my Mama and my memories are precious. I laugh at all the things she did that drove me nuts (that I catch myself doing now) but PLEASE stop me if I ever go that far..

And So Today We Give Thanks..

Last year we started celebrating our Thanksgiving on Saturday. There were several reasons but the main one was so Big Daddy could spend the actual holiday with his daughters. They both live here in CO (several hours away) and don't get to see him as often as they like. We all live within minutes of each other and get together frequently. To be fair we changed the days so they could spend it with both sides.

Come to find out, Saturday Thanksgiving was a blessing in and of itself this year. I was literally so sick on Thursday I couldn't get out of bed. I spent the day in and out of Nyquil hazes, waking to Macy's parade floats and episodes of Jon & Kate Plus 8. Scary, right?

SO, today is our Big Day and I'm at about 90% capacity (trust me that will not stop a bottle of Beringer 2006 Private Reserve Chardonnay to pop at around 11:30am). I worked yesterday but got off early so pies were made, 10 pounds of potatoes chopped and the table was set. Bless Missy and Nantie's hearts.. they showed up and spent 3 hours cleaning house for me so I wouldn't have to worry about it. How wonderful is MY family?! Dang, I have so much to be thankful for..


The taters are on the stove trying to boil and I've taken Tom out of the 'fridge. DH and Kiwi are supposed to golf later this morning (if the frost melts off). I cannot WAIT for the house to start smelling like turkey and get the holiday feel started.

I did, however, burn my toast this morning.. I sure hope it's not a sign...

Thanksgiving

Sorry Tom... NO CAN DO!!


Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!!!!

Dagnabbit!

The Zicam failed me big time. My coworker said he's never seen me get so sick in an 8 hour period (and we've worked together for 12 years). I did a big ole shooter of Nyquil last night and was passed out in bed by 7pm.

The upside is we celebrate our family Thanksgiving here at the house on Saturday. On top of all the traditional yummy stuff, we're cooking up 40 lbs of turkey (so there's enough for everyone to have to-goers). So, I have a couple extra days to get better.

The downside is, tomorrow we're supposed to be going to Missy and My Kiwi's for surf and turf (and I had planned on doing a big house scrub for Saturday).

For crying out loud...

Uh Oh..

I awoke this morning with a tickle in my throat. Not an "I slept with my mouth gaping open" tickle, either. More like, "If you don't start popping the Zicam now you will be flat on your back tomorrow" tickle.

It never fails.. my little body always tries to do this the week of Thanksgiving..

Dagnabbit!

Perfect Moment Monday

You all may remember James from a previous Perfect Moment. He is the dear friend that was thought to of had leukemia and the day before treatments were to start, more tests came back as a false positive. He dodged the cancer bullet.

On Saturday night he proposed to his wonderful girlfriend, Katie. 34 of us met at a soccer field in Denver (where the Colorado Rapids play for all you locals) and he had us scatter and light 900 candles. In the middle we made a heart that said, "Marry Me?" with an arrow that pointed to him. A scavenger hunt she and her friends were on lead her to the field. We hid off to the side and came out cheering when he yelled, "WOOHOO!!" After tears of congratulations were shed, we headed to their house for a big ole party.

We love them both dearly and it was so cool to be a little part of their history.

I Capture
Perfect Moments.

Awww..

A few nights ago I went over to a friend's house to give her a hand with her new babies. She and I are involved with the same min pin rescue group and one of her fosters has 14 day old puppies. We gave them their first pedicure (trimmed and filed their little talons.. er.. nails). Their eyes had only been open a couple days and they were beyond adorable. The two little chocolates are girls, the three boys are the black and tans and all are just starting to growl and play. Susan is going to have her hands FULL in the coming weeks!

Everyone together now, "Awwwwww!"

:o)