Tebow Time ~ Full Circle Style...

Uncle JoeJoe and Auntie D (Matt's younger brother and his darling wife) are in town .. the kiddos had a BLAST breaking the rules...



And scoring touchdowns!!  :-)

DH's Magnet-ism

My hubs has been away on business for nearly two weeks. Typically, his destinations leave something to be desired. Casper, WY in the dead of winter winter? Check. Phoenix, AZ in the throws of summer? Oh yeah. The timing isn't just crummy season-wise, either. A few years back, he was in Albuquerque on our wedding anniversary. Visions of turquoise earrings danced in my head. In true DH style, this is what I got:


I'm fairly certain it was from an airport gift shop.

We actually got a great laugh out of it. Truth be told, I didn't get him a thing that year so a magnet trumps zilch, right?

Unlike previous trips, this time DH scored big. Or so I thought. Unfortunately, it was back-breaking, exhausting work that left little time to take in the sights.

He was supposed to fly out today but was able to finagle his way out last night. Although he did not disclose the gift he purchased for me, I texted him he had better take good care of my magnet. Sure enough, he walked in this morning with a little bag in hand and grin on his face:



Do I know my man or WHAT?

But wait.. there's more..

He snapped his fingers and said, "Hold on a sec.. I think there's something else" and goes back out to the car:


So much for knowing everything.

In the crazy that has been this past week, I've had a good reminder to stop and appreciate the blessings I have now. Not to obsess on what I hope will be. I have a wonderful family, a husband I adore, awesome friends, an amazing home and a darn good life. We're are healthy, happy and employed.

And my magnet ROCKS.

Our Rocking Birthday Celebration..

Missy and Nantie's birthdays are the week before mine so June can be described as a happenin' month in our little village. As ya'll can imagine, our celebrations have grown over the years... this one the biggest yet. We're throwing a BBQ tomorrow for all three of us and yes, there are more people coming to it than attended our wedding. Uncle Mike and Cousin Jen (Nantie's brother and daughter) flew in from the Great NorthWest and surprised her.. it has been a rockin' week ALREADY!

Wednesday night we had our family birthday celebration...

Remember my Wii Campaign last Christmas? IT WORKED!


My family never misses a beat.. The ice cream scooper went missing a few months back.. THAT won't happen again!

Last but not least, this picture says it all..
YES, that's my brand spankin' new Inspiron 17, running W7 with a built-in web cam and all the bells and whistles. OOooooooooooooo!

Nantie, Missy (AND EVEN DH!) also opened great presents (but I didn't get a chance to ask permission to post their pics so I'm not sharing.. for now).

It was a night of family, laughter, food and fun. Oh, and more laughter. I am so blessed to have the most awesome family ev-er and overjoyed our loved ones could fly in (more arrive tomorrow!!).

God is sooo good!

:o)

Remember That Roller Coaster I Talked About?

Well, we've hit the loop de loop, my friends..

This past week we found out that JuneBug has family that has stepped up for her. It's a wee bit complicated (there's a shocker, right?) and it could take several months to get their approval (home check, background checks, etc) completed. The county is shooting for 60-90 days and is working diligently towards that goal. You never know what's going to happen but, from what we've been told, they sound like a stellar family.

That eases our hearts greatly. She deserves nothing but the very best.

So now we change gears. We're wrapping our minds around embracing them and doing what we can to make this go smoothly. Our worker asked how I would feel about phone contact with them.. I said no. In a previous case a family member (whom the county thought was stable but found out later, not so much) was given our number and totally abused it. Talk about violating our space, right?

Baby steps..

I told him I would be happy to start off with email correspondence and work from there. First and foremost I want them to know JuneBug is safe, beyond loved and wants for nothing. We foster parents have a bad wrap and I want to alleviate any anxiety they may have (to the best of my ability, anyway).

Yes, we were initially crushed but again, happy to hear how wonderful the family is. Shoe on the other foot.. if she was your niece or grand daughter, would you be falling all over yourself to get her back? Go above and beyond? Drop everything and focus on her?

We would, too.

Full House

As Friday was winding down at work, I was thinking how great it would be to have a relaxing, hang-out-at-the-house kinda weekend. The biggest event planned was a quickie hop over to the grocery store. That's it. Although a short work week (thanks to Labor Day) it was still insane.

I was baked.

My cell rang at around 3pm but I let it go to voicemail. Unless it's the county I try not to take too many personal calls. It was from my Auntie J in CA and I figured I would call her back on my drive home. Then she called at work and THAT meant something is up.

My heart flip flopped.

For all my readers that follow Kadi at WATI, my Auntie is her grandma (if you're keeping score, Kadi and I are 2nd cousins). My dear Uncle passed away a year ago this past February and Auntie just hasn't seemed to be able to completely get through the grief. After 40+ years of a solid, loving marriage, I don't know how it's done and we've all been concerned about her. Sometimes she seems fine and other times not so much. This is a woman of great faith that lives out loud and to see her wilt is almost unbearable.

SO.. Auntie says she is in a blue funk, needs to get away and asked if she could come out for a visit. Well OF COURSE! That's a big Duh George. I say, "When!?" and she says, "ASAP". Arrangements were made Friday night and she'll be here TODAY for 2 weeks.

Holy Cow!

This is totally out of the norm for Auntie (she's not a fly by the seat of her pants kinda lady) and never asks for help. I am grateful she feels she can reach out to us and pray this trip helps her regroup and feel better. I know she is going to adore Mannie and Sunshine and looking forward to spending time with our CO family.

BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE!!!!

This coming Thursday, Uncle JoeJoe and Auntie D (DH's younger brother and his lovely lady) are driving in from out of state for the weekend. DH's company contracts with the Cleveland Browns and he invited Uncle JoeJoe to assist when they fly into town for the football game. Next Saturday they will meet the team plane at the airport, unload equipment and set up at Mile High Stadium. On Sunday they will be on field pregame shagging punted balls for the kickers. During the game, they're to "look busy".. holding the coach's headset cord, picking up towels, etc. After the Broncos win they'll load back up and may even score a game ball. It's a chance of a lifetime and both DH and Uncle JoeJoe are beyond excited.

Bottom line: Our home is gonna be full and rockin'. At the end of the day it's all about family and it's as it should be.

Thursday's Game Plan

At 11am I'm going over to get the kids and bring them to our house. The plan is to introduce them to the little dogs, show them their rooms, pictures of our family and hang out. Then, off to McDonald's.

The family members they are living with now will send some packed things with them. They have tons of clothes and toys and my hope is having some familiar things around them will help in the move. I'm open to just about anything I can do within my power to ease their hearts and minds.

Tonight, DH and I are taking pizza over to their house and having dinner with the family. He hasn't met the kids (nor seen pictures) and is pretty darn excited. Guess who got more sleep last night? That would be ME! Ah HA!

Not living in the county we're certified in has it's downsides. No assistance with transportation, farther drives, etc. The upside we figured would be chances were less likely to run into family members while out and about with the kids. What a nightmare, right? Although Bmom lives in the county we are working with, her family does not. They live about 15 mins across town from us! Does anything EVER go as planned?? Um, no. Another good reason to build a relationship with them.

BirthMom is being told about the move this afternoon at her visitation. The general consensus is, although she knew it was inevitable, she is not going to be very happy.

Sigh.

The List & A Legacy

I've been pondering a post I wrote for The Classy Closet. It was about how much I believe we are affected by the environment we grow up in. For some of you stopping by my little blog for the first time, I found out just shy of my 30th birthday that I was adopted. Almost a year after Mama passed away a family friend unknowingly mentioned my adoption in a hastily written note. She obviously thought I had been told.

I was like my parents in so many ways to say I was shocked is an understatement.

DH and I may not share DNA with our adopted child(ren) but how we raise them will have an impact on their lives. What we expose them to can become lifelong interests and memories. I've been thinking about the things my parents encouraged that I hope to pass on:

**A Love For Reading. I was the kid that spent summer nights under her covers with a flashlight devouring books. My imagination was transported by "A Wrinkle In Time", "Charlotte's Web" and I could hardly contain my squeals of laughter from "Mrs Piggle Wiggle". I loved the library and B. Dalton bookstores. I think it's a shame the aroma of Starbucks overwhelms the smell of books at Barnes & Noble.

**Sports. I was an over the top tomboy and loved all things sports. They (almost always) kept me out of trouble and focused.

**Music Appreciation. Honestly I sucked at playing instruments. I gave the violin and clarinet a whirl in elementary school and was a total failure. I couldn't play but learned to love and respect music just the same. For the record, I did find out later in life I have a pretty decent singing voice which is now reserved for future lullaby's.

**A Love For Man's Best Friend. DH and I were raised with dogs and our herd is part of the family. Some of the most stressful times of my life have been soothed by a smile from our mastiff-lab-goofball mix or a nudge and kiss from our husky. Bad things seem to melt away after a long walk with a true companion.

**Faith. I will train them up in my faith and what they decide to do with it as adults is up to them. Like Mama, I will pray they stay the course.

**Take Road Trips. We never flew as a family.. we always drove. Some of my best memories started in the wee hours of the morning leaving our home in the '68 Dart. Mom, Dad, me, 2 toy poodles and Goldie (our gold fish.. I couldn't bear to leave her behind).

**The Value of a Dollar. DH is the hardest working man I've ever met (next to Dad) and we're both cut from the same work ethic cloth. In life, we believe it's very important to pull your own weight.

The list grows daily as more things come to mind. DH and I may not be able to give our adopted children our heritage but we sure can leave them a legacy.

Goodbye Wine Country.. Hello Disneyland!

So our conversation has continued about rethinking future vacation itineraries and I mentioned the fact that a visit to Mickey and Minnie's is in the Top 5. My dear husband looked at me like I was speaking in tongues:

DH: "Huh?"
Me: "Disneyland.. hello? The Happiest Place on Earth" (Duh)
DH: "Ya, right."
M: "Wha..?"
DH: "Just because you were raised going 3 times a year doesn't mean we're going"
M: "Oh hell yes it does..." (are you kidding me?)
DH: "How much are passes now?"
*Granted, when I moved in 1990 the price had just been raised to $20/person and I freaked over that.. Now, it's like $80-$100 a person (GAG)*
M: "I dunno but you can't put a price on an experience of a lifetime..."

Apparantly you can.

Fine, I tell him.. Rather than make it a family roadtrip in the rv, I'll take the kids MYSELF, fly out, stay with Auntie and make a day of it with her, Bren, Kadi, Janice, all their kiddos (and anyone else that wants to come). Take THAT.

Fine.

Dammit..

I'm already fighting for the rights of our unknown children to hug on Eeyore, become Tom Saywer, sing along to "It's a Small World" and watch fireworks through 1/2 opened, exhausted eyes. I choose my battles carefully but on this I shall stand my ground. Come hell or high water, someday I will be posting a picture of our smiling family (including my beloved husband), wearing mouse ear hats with Sleeping Beauty's Castle in the back round.

If you can dream it, you can do it. ~ Walt Disney

Driving Miss Daisy

"What in the world are we thinking???" I wonder this on a daily basis.

I have had my heart crushed throughout my life, why invite it?? A lot of times I tempt fate and bring it on myself. Naive? Not really, just suffering from The Glass is Half Full Syndrome. I'm a believer in things bigger than me (my God) and that He has a Plan.

Call me Miss Daisy.. I'm in the back seat and He has the wheel. Things don't always go as I intended them but that's the exciting part of our road trip. We'll take a turn down a different road (completely unexpected) and blamo, we've embarked on a whole new adventure. Never in a million years could I have imagined the life I now lead, the wonderful husband and family I have, the job I go to and the beautiful home we live in. Not to mention all the amazing people I've met along the way. I can't describe it only to say it's beyond cool. Blessings everywhere.

That doesn't stop me from doubting my abilities to handle this daunting task. Everything from making the right decision on who gets placed with us, to taking care of them, loving them, dealing with the visitations with their birth parents and being at the bottom of the system's totem pole. Let's not forget the prospect of reunification.. the county's goal is to get them back with their family. Let me state for the record that, for now, I avoid movies like "Losing Isaiah" like the plague. How will I handle having to let go? The thought hangs in the back of my mind as a thick, brooding cloud. It robs some of the joy but we knew this going into it.

Society views foster parents as in it for the money (trust me when I say, you don't quit your day job because of your newly found income) and you really only hear the horror stories in the news. Locked in closets, starved, beaten and abused. How do they slip through? I don't know. What I do know is that birth parents get away with abuse for years but if there's even a hint of something amiss in a foster home out the children go, say goodbye to your certification.. and you could be charged with a felony. A FELONY. Did I mention some kids make false allegations? Ya.. scary.

So much can go wrong. Adding to our family is to enrich our lives, not ruin our marriage. There is so much at stake. I cling to the one thing I hear over and over.. we will never teach the children as much as they will teach us. If they do not stay a piece of our hearts will go with them and maybe.. just maybe we will make a positive difference in a little one's life. That's all we can ask.

Drive On...

Oh For Cryin' Out Loud..

I had a message at work that "J" (our latest social worker) called. We are scheduled to have her meet us at the house tomorrow night and iron out more details. I called her right back and got her voicemail.. tag, you're it.

An hour went by and my silly little mind began to spin. How cool would it be if she had a possible placement for us on our anniversary? Holy cow!! Just as my heart rate started to race over the possibility of it being "the call", we heard the breaking news about the earthquake in CA. That sent the morning in a new direction, trying to call family and friends to check in. All phone lines were down but I was able to text message with my Bren. She was fine. Dad was fine. I finally got through to my cousin, Phyllis who lives with Aunt Jan.. they were okay, too. Kadi's cell wasn't working but I got her via email (go figure!).. LOL. Thank the Good Lord everyone was safe.

J finally called back and all she wanted to do was postpone our meeting (again) until next week. They pushed us to get certification done because the need is so huge for good homes but now it seems like major limbo time. I know they're swamped and understaffed.. but you can't blame a girl for being anxious.

Waiting.. one of my strong points (AH HA!).

Happy Anniversary!

Two years ago today, I married the man I love so dearly. It was the most beautiful day, surrounded by our closest family and friends. The perfect mixture of tears and laughter.

To think we have been together for almost 7 years makes me marvel at how time passes by so quickly. Now were are on the verge of bringing little ones into our home.. what an exciting adventure!

Honey, I couldn't imagine my little life without you and I love you dearly.

Happy Anniversary!

My Spin On Nature Versus Nurture

I remember back in the day watching an episode of Sally Jesse (you know, when she was legit and her red specs were all the rage) and being mesmerized by that certain day's topic.. adoptees searching for their birth families. Although not told of their adoption growing up, they just knew waaayy deep down that they didn't "belong" and felt no real connection to the family they grew up in. Their puzzle pieces fell into place when their family finally fessed up and the search for their "real family" began. To this day I remember thinking how empty their lives must have been but come on, their real family was who raised and loved them all those years. It was sad to see them get dissed.

Although the plan from the get go was to tell me of my adoption, a few months after I was placed my parents swore family and friends to secrecy. They had fallen head over heels in love with me and I was their child.. end of discussion. My mom may have been 4'11" and 95 lbs soaking wet (a crazy red head, to boot) but you did not cross her. No doubt, all feared the Hell Fire that would ensue.

Unlike the SJR guests, I never felt unattached from my family or that I didn't belong. I think that is one of the things that really threw me for a loop when I found out. I am so my Mama's daughter (physically and emotionally) it isn't even funny. As an adult I would hold my hand up to hers and marvel at how they were identical (except I could never grow nails and hers were beautiful). I worry like she did, I suffer from "mother hen" syndrome and love to cook and take care of my family and friends like she did.. and I must also admit, I'm a horrible driver just like she was.

I remember the moment like it was yesterday.. Have you ever ridden in a car where the driver taps their foot lightly on the accelerator while cruising along and causes you to lurch forward? I would constantly yell at her I was going to hurl if she didn't stop it and she would declare I was crazy. Fast forward .. my best friend Bren is visiting for New Years and we're headed to LoDo (Lower Downtown Denver) to whup it on and ring in '01. She starts yelling at me that I'm going to make her yak if I don't stop tapping the accelerator. I had to laugh BUT hey, at least I believed her. Now every time I'm the driver and she is the passenger I try to stay on cruise control as much as possible..

Not only do I look like Dad, I act like him, too.

I know the great debate over Nature vs Nurture will rage on forever but my little humble "o" is our personalities are very much the result of who we are raised by. I think we do pick up many character traits (good and bad, obviously) by the people that we are closest to.

That being said, our plan is to let our little ones know they are adopted (if they're too young to remember being placed with us). I'm a firm believer that they should have contact with birth relatives (if it's reasonable and safe to do so) and have no intention of cutting off their family ties if at all possible.

Hopefully we are stronger than Mom and Dad..

Will They Ever Learn? (Completely OT)

My lovely sister-in-law was cooking dinner one night and her hubby asked what she was making. As she stirred the spaghetti sauce she told him the night's menu and he commented, "Well that's not really cooking then is it?" (in part because she was adding a jar to her already prepared sauce since it was too dry). The spoon plunked into the sauce (from shock)and with hands planted firmly on her hips her inner Tootie-of "Facts of Life" fame- came to life. I'm told her voice rose to a pitch only their dogs could hear, "Well, if you think that all I do around here is 'heat things up' then I've got something to tell you..."

Mind you, she is an amazing a cook. She loves to try new recipes and spends hours in the kitchen creating all kinds of wonderful meals and we're happy to be her test dummies.

My brother in law backed away slowly as he realized he had better stop speaking right there and then for fear of life and limb (finally, some sense!)...

Her dear husband now rues the day he ever made that comment. It has gone down into family history as the single most over used one liner ever. Us ladies won't let it go for good reason (and the men folk still take stabs at him, too). Not a gathering goes by that we don't throw out there that we're "heating up" this or that for dinner. It has taken on a life of it's own..

This weekend is no excepton as we are throwing another family bbq. Once all the guests have arrived and settle into their patio chairs with drinks in hand, my sil and I are donning adorable, low cut, form fitting orange blouses and our best push up bras. We'll be serving the family with the following name tags: We're too old to be Ashley and Candi so I think I'm going to be Vera and she's going to be Flo. Don't worry, for the sake of appetites we're skipping the short shorts.. that would be taking it a bit far and we would want to do THAT now, would we? ;o)

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Dad's 78th birthday was this past Sunday. I can't express how very blessed I feel to have him back in my life. The picture was taken last month when I went out to California for a visit. We went to his favorite restaurant in Hemet (Polly's Pies) along with family (Aunt Jan and Jeri) and let him roll through the the aisles at Walmart. It's amazing how such a simple day out can mean so much. I don't care if I'm ---><--- close turning 40, I'll always be my Daddy's Girl. I love you, Dad.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things..

Since starting this little ditty, I've immersed myself into the world 'o blogs and (like everyone) have many that are my daily "must reads". I thought it would be cool every so often to do a shout out for them and encourage others to surf on over and check 'em out.

One of my hands down, absolute favorites is "Postcards From Insanity": http://afostermamaslife.blogspot.com/ It is wonderfully written by a woman that not only investigates child abuse but was also a foster parent for years. Her posts are from several years back, taken from entries in her journals and she also gives wonderful advice for us newbies. I recommend starting from the very beginning to get caught up with current posts. She has her "cast of characters" on her sidebar to help keep everyone straight.

She no longer fosters (something major happened that we have yet to read about) but still has awesome words of wisdom. If you are considering adoption, are a foster parent who can relate or just want to read a blog that will make you laugh, cry, shout out in anger and shout for joy it's a must read.

A warning.. it's not for the faint of heart but neither is the reality of being a foster parent.

Fun In The Sun!!!

Big Daddy Sails Off..

Missy Floats Away..

A Big Ole Shout Out!

Please note my beautiful new signature:


How cool is that?? I would like to take a moment and send out a HUMONGO THANK YOU AND HUG to my wonderful cousin Kadi who not only designed this blog but takes the time to listen to pitiful me whine for help..When she's not busy chasing her 7 (SE-VEN) adorable children, she is building her new event planning business, Cherished Events, LLC: http://www.cherishedeventsllc.com/ or writing for one of her many blogs:

A Womb At The Inn(Sane): http://www.kadiprescott.blogspot.com/
A Battle Worth Fighting: http://www.adhdbattle.blogspot.com/
Dear Fertile Farmer: http://www.thefertilefarmer.blogspot.com/
Guerilla Parenting: http://www.supernannyrules.com/
Imperfect Parent: http://www.imperfectparent.com/
(and I know I'm missing some...).

Did I mention her episode of Super Nanny will be reairing this summer so she gets to look forward to staving off a whole new set of psyschos?

Kadi.. thank you for taking time in your hugely crazy day to help little ole me. You rock, girl.

Oh No... Not A Sticker Family!

Okay, so... I used to make fun of the minivan mamas with these stickers but hey, it's all good if I can have a halo!

**sidenote.. the 5 dogs couldn't fit on the screen but are really there!**