2009 is Out...2010 is In!

I have never been much of a fan of New Years Resolutions. I think it limits a person to only focus in improving once a year. I tend to take stock every few months and really look at what I'm doing and where my life is going and make small adjustments all through the year. My goal every year is to be honest with myself and make changes as they are needed no matter how much work it may mean for me. I continually try and focus on living the best life I can for myself, my marriage, and my future child.

Having said that I am taking part in a 8 week challenge on a blog I follow...Engaged Marriage. (Great blog by the way. Lots of good posts and info about a wide range of topics.) The challenge is to pick a goal, or several goals, to focus on for 8 weeks. We post comments on the specific things we are doing each week to reach our goal. I think my goal may take a lifetime to master, but an 8 week jump won't hurt. My goal is communication with Mark. By that I mean controlling how I react to perceived "tones" when he is talking to me. By and large we communicate well especially about the big "issues" most married couples face. What I need to work on is when we are working on projects around the house like painting, moving furniture or working on the camp trailer. I tend to feel like he is talking to me like a 3 year old and his way is the only right way and he does not think he comes across that way. We may never see eye to eye on this and I have come to the conclusion that the only thing I really have control over is how I react to him and the perceived tone.

It really does not matter if he is talking to me like a 3 year old or not (he is not being mean or malicious and he does not think I'm stupid what he is saying is based out of what is safe and correct) what matters is how I react. I need to take more deep breaths before popping off some smart retort. It is amazing how such a little thing can ruin a day and has even ruined whole weekend trips, and I will admit it is me getting angry and not getting over it. So that is what I'm working on for the first 8 weeks of the year, and am sure it is something I will continue working on the rest of my life.

Now for a Recap of 2009 the good and the bad:
-Co-chaired the original Relay For Life event during the 25th anniversary. What an amazingly rewarding challenge!
-Decided to start our family through adoption!
-Bungee Jumped for the first time!
-Spent an amazing week in Whistler with Mark.
-Found new joy in my workout routine!
-Added some truly amazing friends to my life.
-Re-painted and floored three rooms in the house.
-Lost my Steelers room to the nursery.
-Painted the outside of the house.
-Put in new sod/seed in the yard and worked on filling the flower boxes.
-Learned a lot about what does and doesn't work with 3 year olds.
-Sadly saw our community changed forever by an act of violence that ended 4 lives.
-Joined the dodgeball league and am still dealing with an injury from the first game.
-Learned how to use clip less peddles on my bike and also learned the danger of the jagged medal edge coming in contact with my shin! Still dealing with that injury 4 months later!
-Re-discovered the joy of being at home with my husband and having time to myself again!
-Learned how to say no and manage my time and my calendar.
-Learned a lot about myself, Mark, our friends, our family, and our marriage through the adoption process.
-Camping with family in particular my sister and her family.
-Saying a final goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma.

Looking forward to 2010:
-Hopefully a birthmother match!
-Whistler with the Beckham's!
-Camping trips that are already in the works!
-My baby shower!
-Re-connecting with some HS friends...gotta love Facebook!
-Spending more time with the people I love.
-Growing and learning more about myself, my husband, my marriage, and hopefully our daughter.

Goodbye 09...it has been a great year that brought more than its share of joy and sorrow. Welcome 2010 I can't wait to see what you have in store for me!

Time Off

It has been so nice to have some time off! I worked Monday and Tuesday last week and have been off since then. I don't go back to work until the 4th. Poor Mark has been working though. It is hard for him to get out of bed when I'm still out and don't plan on getting up until 8 or 9. It is amazing how much sleeping in a person can do.

I have been productive though. I cleaned out my closet and dresser and took 3 garbage bags to Goodwill. The laundry is caught up, the house is clean, we have had several dinner nights with friends/family and my last project is to organize the kitchen. I know I have stuff that I never use, and I need to make room for the new Crockpot. I have a huge one, but just got a smaller one so that I have the right size for smaller dishes. One of those smaller dishes is cooking right now!

In between all of this I finished a book, started a new one, am almost done with a scarf and ready to start a new one, and have watched several movies...as there is nothing on TV during the day.

It has been good time off, but busy time off and I wouldn't trade it. It has been the perfect mix of getting a project done, relaxing, starting a new project, relaxing, taking long showers, relaxing, cleaning, relaxing...you get the picture.

Tomorrow starts the prep for the PJ's New Years Eve party. It is our 2nd annual pj party that is pregnant person and kid friendly. It is a blast! I don't have all that much to do, just some last minute bathroom cleaning and making sure I have all the goods to make the snacks and drinks I want to make.

Photo's soon of Christmas and New Years.

Headed East

Mark and I take off today for E WA. Staying with Candy and Paul for the long Holiday weekend. We love doing Christmas morning with them. We have so much fun! Then we will head over to Dad and Vals for Christmas evening and dinner.

Can't wait to see some snow over the pass and spend time with people we love.

Another Sad Day

I'm not sure what the heck is happening around Pierce County, but two more officers have been shot in an ambush. This time two Pierce County Sheriff Officers were shot by a gunman hiding upstairs when they responded to a domestic violence call.

It makes me sad that the people who are trying to keep us safe and help us when we need it are being repaid by being shot at and killed.

My heart goes out to the two officers, their families, and the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. I hope the two officers hang in there and make a full recovery!

Dinner With the Beckham's

Saturday evening we had some of our favorite people over for dinner, gifts, and crazy Jenga! Kiera got to test out the new crib, changing table and high chair! We must have put them together right because the didn't fall apart!

I made my favorite balsamic turkey roast in the crock pot with sweet potatoes and green beans. We had poached pears for dessert along with some hot spiced wine. It was a great evening of fun!

The new Jenga game...not sure what I think about it, but we had fun playing.

Opening gifts...Bob and Michelle decorate all out for Halloween so we had to get this for them when we saw it.


This is the coolest football book ever!

Michelle showing off her new Hawks garb.

Grace decided she had to put on every top and skirt from her dress up trunk. She seemed to like it!

Wait...my hair is not perfect!

Holding Kiera.

Table full of yummy food!

Friday Update

It has been a few days...here is what our week looked like in words...I need to be better about photos!

Sunday - Finished all our shopping...we only had stocking stuffer left to get and that is the best part. We have so much fun raiding the dollar store!

Monday - Kicked butt in Zumba. I am loving that class more and more!

Tuesday - Finalized the menu for our dinner tomorrow with Bob and Michelle...I love being ready ahead of time!

Wednesday - Did the late 7pm to 8pm Zumba class. It is one of my favorites and one of the biggest classes!

Thursday - Played dodgeball and Mark was the King of the match! He was awesome and won our Team MVP for the night. Due to a scheduling confusion we showed up at 9 not realizing our first game actually started at 8. So we forfeited the first game and the refs let us squeeze in the second game. The team was good and we went back and forth, and as I said Mark was awesome, we ended up tying the other team.

Friday - Tonight I think I have talked Mark into hanging our pictures and artwork back up! Can't wait for that last little thing to be finished. The house keeper comes today as well...can't wait to walk in the doors of a clean home and I didn't have to do the cleaning! I'm setting up the high chair tonight and the portable crib to make sure all the parts and pieces work.

Weekend - 7:30 am coat sale tomorrow, dinner with friends tomorrow night, and hopefully football on Sunday. Also, I will finally post photos of the living room! That is as long as the pictures and art are hung back up. :)

Nursery

The nursery looks like a nursery! We have all the basic stuff that we need, Thank you Dad!!! Now we just need the little person that is going to live in the nursery to find her way to us.

I had fun shopping this weekend with a gift card from Dad. I was able to get the changing table, ExerSaucer, play mat/gym, changing table pad and cover, matters covers for the crib, the lamp and mobile that match the bedding, the baby monitor, and the portable crib/bassinet/play yard!

Mark put the crib together for me this evening and I added all the bedding and the mobile. Next is the changing table and the portable crib...we have to make sure it works before the return period is up.

I will say that I adore how cute is all is, but think it is a rip off that most of it has to come off the crib to make is safe for baby. I guess I will have to enjoy it prior to bringing baby home. Seriously does anyone have any good ideas on what to do with the crib bumpers? The books I have read said to take them out before letting baby sleep in the crib due to SIDS. Seems like a waste to have them and not be able to use them for something!

Some photos of the nursery...

Closet full of cloths thanks to friends. We have a range from 0 months to 18 months.

Crib and mobile.

Blanket that goes with the crib set...the blanket that the books say is not safe to use! It will just have to look pretty on the glider.

Shot of the crib, mobile and lamp. Also a glimps of our new carpet. (Photos of the living room to come after the house keep cleans later this week!)

I have my house back!

It has been a busy couple of days!

The carpet was installed Tuesday, and it looks great! (Photos to follow in the next few days.) Tuesday night Mark and I moved all the furniture back to where it belonged (why is everything to heavy?!) and put all the Holiday decorations up as well. All that is left is hanging our art work back up. We are contemplating moving some of the art from one wall to another, so for now we are leaning it against the wall on the floor to see if that is where we really want it to go. I would be happy with it all going back where it came from, but Mark is the one responsible for putting holes in our wall so I have to wait until he decides where it will all go.

Last night I hung up all the cloths we have been given for Sky. Let’s just say whenever she does arrive she is going to have one stylish closet to work with! She already has so many cloths I almost ran out of hangers…I bought 80 hangers last night on the way home! Next project is to put the crib up and I need to find a dresser I like and add that to the registry. I realized last night we don’t have a dresser. Thankfully there is a lot of shelving in the closet system that is installed in the nursery, but a dresser would still be nice!

In between putting the house back together and organizing Sky’s closet I have also been trying to get the laundry done. The couch was in front of the washer and dryer for days and I couldn't get to them, so now am playing catch up on the laundry.

Adoption News: We had an exciting hour or so yesterday. We received an email from our agency letting us know there was a baby girl being born 12/31 and the agency the birth mother is working with does not have any couples that are open to African American children, so our agency sent an email to see if we were interested. My heart skipped a beat to think that we may have a baby in 3 weeks! But, after a few phone calls we found that the other agency required us to pay their full fee to them up front, the birth mothers hospital stay, and travel expenses for the birth mother (I still don’t understand why the agency is flying a woman who is giving birth in 3 weeks from Alabama to Utah for the deliver…I didn’t think you could fly that late in the pregnancy). While we are well aware we may match with a birth mother that does not have insurance and we will have to pay for her hospital stay we just did not feel like we could pay for all of those expenses in just 3 short weeks. We have already paid the fee to our agency and to turn around and pay another agency fee was just going to be way too much! (Especially since this other agencies fee was more than double what our agencies fee was). So even though I would have loved to give a home to this little girl that needs one we had to pass on this opportunity. I was a little sad at first, but I realize that the baby for us will fit the budget we have set up with the agency and hopefully give us more than 3 weeks notice! (I would be ok with short notice if it was the right situation though…just putting that out there.) It is going to be really exciting when we do get that call or email and we realize it is the right situation for us!

Almost Back to Normal!

We were able to move some of the furniture back into the living room over the weekend. It was so nice to have a few pieces back where they belong so that Mark and I could enjoy eating dinner together, since there was somewhere for us to sit, and we were able to watch football (although I would have been happy so be spared the misery of watching the Steelers lose to the Raiders!) and movies as well. Before bed tonight it all has to be moved back out so the carpet can be installed tomorrow. I can't wait to put the house back together tomorrow night! I may have to stay up until 2am, but my house will be back in order!

I love it that Mark did most, ok all, of this batch of painting on his own and has not once complained. I have been less graceful about how I feel about the house being a mess. He has had to put up with a lot the last few days.

I hope that I will have time this weekend to put the nursery together. Dad is sending us a gift cert with a list of items he would get us if they had a Babies R Us in E WA. I still don't have the first batch of stuff he got set up, so had better get on it!

Random Friday

-I stopped by the Lakewood Police Dpt last night with flowers and a balloon. I didn't know any of the officers personally but feel like it is important to pay my respects. It was a harsh reality check when I heard a little girl look at her Mom and say, "I'm going to miss him so much." I don't know how they were related or if they were family friends or what, but it really drove home the impact their death has. There were officers there from Algona, Seattle, Kirkland, and Renton paying their respects as well.

-Dodgeball was fun last night up to the point where I fell on my butt! I landed on one cheek and bounced. Now I have a huge bruise and can't sit on that side at all. I will have to be more careful next week! The only good thing is I got to leave work early because I was in so much pain.

-New take on an old hair cut. I had my hair cut into a bob just before Halloween and I loved the length, but it was still way too thick. So I went back last weekend and asked for layers and a razor cut, and now I love it. May not be the best photo of me, but it's the best I can do at 5am by myself. I also notice the color is really yellow...not sure why.

-The house is still a mess! I came home yesterday and the door was taken off the bathroom! Thankfully we have two so I used the other one. But man I will be glad to restore order to our home! Here is how it looks now...

The couch tipped forward between the kitchen counter and the washer and dryer.

The Christmas tree shoved in a corner and surrounded by furniture.

Stuff in the nursery...no where else to put it for now.

The living room before I left for work this morning. As I'm typing Mark and his Dad have almost finished painting it. Carpet on Tuesday and then we move everything back in!

-Since the house is such a mess Mark and I are going out to dinner and a movie. I may have to sit funny and lean to the side, but we don't want to spend all evening in the mess that is our home right now.

Disaster Zone

Our house has been declared a Disaster Zone by me! I cam home yesterday to find all the furniture moved out of the living room and into the dinning room/master bedroom/hallway. I knew Mark was going to do this in order to paint and carpet, but I was not prepared for the reality of cramming a living room worth of furniture, art, TV & stereo equipment into the rest of the house.

The bathroom door won't open all the way, the hallway is not usable and now all traffic going from one end of the house to the other must go through the kitchen, I keep banging my shins on furniture that is completely out of place and blocking my dresser in the bedroom, I can't get to the washer and dryer so no laundry will be getting done, the kitchen counters are covered in stuff (cooking is not working out so well), all the Christmas decorations have disappeared and I don't know where they are other then the tree (I can see it shoved to the back of the dinning room with tons of furniture stacked up in front of it), and the only chair in the house that we have access to is Mark's office chair.

Basically it is hang out in the bedroom (the only thing to sit on is the bed...I ate dinner on the bed last night!) At this point I find it so stressful to be at home that I would rather stay in a hotel! I really don't know if I will make it until Tuesday.

Adventures in Babysitting

Last night Mark and I babysat for Bob and Michelle. I realized that adding a second child to the mix greatly changes the dynamics! I was surprised that Kiera, the 4 month old, was the easy one to get to sleep and she didn’t fuss once the whole night. Grace, 3 year old, was much more challenging. She is at the age where she will try anything to not go to bed. Plus she is wicked smart and really funny. She told me she couldn't sleep until the birthday cake was delivered (there was no birthday cake being delivered), she informed me she couldn't sleep as long as the dog was outside because the dog hates being out alone (so not true), then the issue over what light she is allowed to keep on at night. She is too dang smart for her own good and I had a hard time figuring out what she is actually allowed to do. Eventually I got her to bed and she fell asleep.

The secret it turned out was to ignore her. I let her try to convince me to do what she wanted, but I pretended I couldn't hear her. I turned off the lights, put her in bed, gave her a kiss and left no room for discussion regarding her not feeling sleepy and not wanting to go to bed. It worked because she was out in less than a minute. I knew she was tired but she was determined to fight it all the way.

One funny exchange between her and I was regarding the Christmas Tree and taking the ornaments off the tree.
Me: “Grace, if you take the ornaments off one more time you are going to your room.”
Grace: Picture a cute 3 year old taking the ornaments off the tree.
Me: “Go to your room right now.”
Grace: Diving under the highchair kicking and screaming.
Me: Carrying her to her room saying “You are not being funny or cute right now” (no I have no idea where that came from other than just being frustrated).
Grace: “Well I’m not trying to be funny or cute right now.”

Needless to say Mark lost it as did I after I made sure she could not see or hear me laughing.

Last Day of Posting Challenge

I am partially relieved that the daily posting challenge is over, and partially disappointed. I liked feeling like I had a responsibility to post every day, however I am 100% certain that I don't have nearly enough to say to need to post every day. I think my new goal is going to be posting every other day or every 3 days. Mark and I are just not that exciting.

Today - I'm looking forward to the home massages that Mark's parents got us as a birthday present to Mark. I know...nice that I benefit as well from Mark's birthday! We each get an hour massage tonight in our very own living room. It is going to be really nice!

Adoption - I read an article that talked about how much longer the process takes when being gender specific. Maybe it's too soon in the process for me to feel depressed about the wait, but knowing we have a wait doesn't bother me yet. It gives us time to get the nursery and the rest of the house done!

In Honor of Fallen Officers

I woke up to horrible news this morning...4 Lakewood Police Officers were shot in cold blood while getting ready for work at a local coffee shop. I sat and cried for an hour while watching the news this morning. I can't help but think about the families who lost their loved ones. These officers are parents, spouses, and someones son's and daughter. For those families the world has drastically changed for them and it can never be undone.

My heart goes out to the Lakewood Police Chief as he is the one that visited each family and told them their loved one had been killed in the line of duty. After doing that he is going to have to put his work face on and deal with the press and an investigation that is going to be very personal for him.

I can't imagine what the witnesses who were in the shop must be going through...I know I would never be the same after witnessing something like this in person. They will need the support of their loved ones to process all they have been through today.

Police officers are a unique and close family and I know officers all over the state are feeling the pain of this and facing a moment of harsh reality knowing it could be them on any given day.

So many people are affected on different levels by acts of violence like this. What a horribly selfish and thoughtless act for someone to commit.

My heart hurts for all those affected by this crime. I wish all those involved peace and healing in their hearts and strength to get through this difficult time.

Hair Cut

I got a new hair cut today and I love it! I would take a photo and post it however Mark took my camera with him hunting and his camera is way to big and heavy for the self photo thing. So it will have to wait until he gets home tomorrow afternoon. It's not a totally new hair cut, but with more layers and a razor taken to it it is a much better version of the cut I already had.

I just got off the phone with Mark (I miss him when he is gone with the boys) and he is having fun. They have not gotten close enough to get a shot off but they are playing in the woods so they are happy.

Today - I am going out for a girls night out tonight! I'm so excited. I don't remember the last time I was out dancing. First stop is Masa for salsa on the main floor and a DJ upstairs. We will see what happens after that.

Adoption - I love the American Adoptions site. So much good info and the newsletter they send out by email is really helpful. Even though they are not who we are using there is still a ton of great info that we have access to.

Black Friday

I braved the crowds this morning to get a little fun shopping and grocery shopping done. It really was not that bad. I took care of several gifts, a few things for myself, stuff for the house, and all before my 9am make up appointment at Bare Essentials.

I love their make up and decided I needed a festive eye look for the winter. Brandi helped me and she did amazing things with purple! I never would try purple eye shadow on my own, but she showed me exactly what to do and at the end you could not tell which eye she did and which eye I did. I will be going back to her!

I'm already missing Mark. I don't mind at all that he takes time to hunt with the guys, but I don't sleep well alone! I could not fall asleep last night to save my life. I tossed and turned and probably only got a few hours sleep before I got up to go shopping. I hope tonight is better!

Today - I'm thankful I found a fake pre-lit tree. We went to put ours before Mark left for hunting last night and it was dead. I was feeling so sad that the tree was not going to happen. Now I get to put it up and decorate! The only challenge is we are painting and carpeting the living room so it can't go in the usual spot. Fun for me trying to figure out if the hallway or dinning room is going to be a suitable alternative for the tree.

Adoption - I was thankful today that I could run around and get a lot done and not have a baby tagging along. I know next year may be very different for me and things like Black Friday may need to be handled differently and skipped all together.

I am Thankful

Today I am Thankful for (in no particular order): my wonderful husband, Bob and Michelle for helping me realize I do want to be a Mom, \my Dad for being such an amazing person who believes in me no matter what, to by Dad's wife Val for making him happy, my sister posting photos of her and the family so I can see them, my Mom for loving me no matter what, Josh and Meka for helping Mark and I make an important decision in our adoption process, my comfy home, Relay For Life, that I have a job still, that we are almost done with the nursery and house projects, all my friends (it would take me all day to mention you by name and why you mean so much to me) you help me be the best me I can and I love you all for that, the family I gained when I married Mark, that Mark and I are happy and healthy! The list could go on and on and believe me I am so Thankful for every good thing in my life no matter how big or small. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

It's Friday on Wednesday

I am so excited that it's a short week! I love having Friday in the middle of the week! We are closing the office at 2pm and calling it a week. Of course last minute things pop up that absolutely have to be done before leaving at 2pm, but I'm looking good to get them done. Yea me!

I drove my car today and all seems to be working perfectly. I hope it lasts!

Today - I'm looking forward to the special Cardio Blast workout at the Y tonight. 2 hours of circuit training/pilates/zumba all in one. What a great workout the day before stuffing myself with turkey!

Adoption - Michelle shared with me the location of my Baby Shower...The Tacoma Lawn and Tennis Club. Wow is all I can say. I was completely content for it to be at her house, so this was a pleasant and exciting surprise. All I'm allowed to know is the date and location...all other details are under wraps until 2/13.

Car Update

I just got a call from the clutch place, and after a second complete new clutch they think I am good to go. Turns out the original shop did a pretty bad job when they installed the first clutch. So the new shop has fixed it all up and I get my car back tonight!

As aggravating as this has all been I am so thankful the car held together until after Relay was over! Or, as Bob said, "I would be driving your a$$ everywhere!" I never would have been able to maintain the crazy Relay meeting schedule without my car!

Today - Mark and I are running some errands after picking up my car. It is not exciting I know, but we are looking forward to spending time together even if we are running around town looking for Hazelnuts!

Adoption - I have been reading a lot about bonding with our baby. Apparently it is something a lot of adopting couples worry about, it's not something I worried about until I read an article about how hard it may be for the baby to bond with us. I never once worried about us bonding with her, but I also never thought about what she may be going through. She is going to be hearing voices that sound nothing like the voice of the woman who was caring her for 9 months, she is going to be hearing the music we listen to and not the music she has been hearing for 9 months, we are even going to smell different than what she has been smelling for 9 months. (I had no idea babies could smell...but through the amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord they can indeed smell!) So not only is she going to be in a bit of shock being kicked out of the womb, but on top of it all she is going to be cared for by two people that are not the least bit familiar to her. Basically we are aliens in her mind...no wonder she may not want to bond with us. It is going to take some effort, but there are some things we can do to help. We can talk to the birth mother and find out what music she listened to a lot and play that (I hope it's not Acid Rock or Gangster Rap!) find out what kinds of food she eats and cook the same types of food so she has some familiar smells around her (please no liver or chicken gizzards!), lots of face time and cuddling are big as well. It may take some time on her part, but Mark and I are already so in love with her that I think we will be fine!

No Holiday Stress for me!

Holiday Crankiness seems to have started early this year! Why is it people get so stressed out around the Holidays? The whole point of the Holidays to me is to enjoy spending time with people you love and care about…why is that so stressful? Maybe it is because I don’t have kids yet and I’m not the one cooking the meal, but I really wish everyone that is acting mean and cranky would just stop, take a deep breath, and appreciate the fact they are alive and get to spend another Holiday with those they love. (Disclaimer here - I know some people truly have heartbreaking situations that make life, let alone the Holiday's miserable, and my heart goes out to those individuals and families, but that is not an excuse for every single cranky person that has crossed my path the last two weeks!)

I am really concentrating on being in my happy place so that when the grocery store checkout line is long and the person behind me is non-stop complaining I can keep a smile on my face, or when yet another co-workers starts yelling about all the things that have to be taken care I can keep my smile on and not dump coffee on their head. (Oddly enough playing that little scene out in my head keeps the smile on my face!)

I don’t get all worked up about the Holidays. Yes I enjoy them and I get caught up in the decoration and spirit of it, but I am aware of what they truly mean to me (it’s not Santa or the gifts!), it’s about spending time with my family and friends; being thankful for all of the good people, experiences, and things in my life; reflecting on what I can improve on personally; looking at the year ahead and planing to live the best life I can; and maybe most important it’s time for Mark and I to take a break and just be.

I can’t help but think that if people were not so caught up in cooking the perfect meal, or buying the perfect gift, making sure the house is spotless, or worried about how much money the decorations/food/gift cost they would not be so cranky and could actually take time to enjoy the Season.

Today – It’s Monday, but it’s really Wednesday because Wednesday is Friday this week! Confused yet? ;)

Adoption – I wonder what new tradition we will start once we have a little one in the house. It’s important for me that Mark and I not lose sight of the fact that the three of us will be our own little family and we need our own Holiday time. I know others will want to join in the fun of the Holiday’s with a new baby and I’m looking forward to that as well, but I really want us to take the time to be a family of three.

Lazy Sunday

I love Sunday's. It is the one day a week we don't feel the need to get anything done, or be out and about. We just chill around the house and watch football and dink around doing whatever. I love it!

Today - I am bummed that the Steelers lost to the KC. What a joke of a game.

Adoption - We ordered the carpet! By mid Dec we should have the nursery done!

Plans Change

I never made it to the book store last night, and Mark didn't make it to the gym either. Turns out he had a computer issue to work on and let me know that if I could find a ride home (my car is still in the shop and who knows when I will get it back!) that would be helpful.

Luckily earlier in the day Michelle invited us over for a game night at the Beckham house, so I called Bob thinking he may still be at work, which is near my work, and he could give me a ride to their place and Mark could meet up with me there. He was not at work, but still came and picked me up, Michelle lent me some comfy cloths and we had a great time playing games and having a few drinks. Much better than the bookstore if you ask me!

Today - Mark and I went to the gym this morning, me for Zumba class and Mark so that he could do cardio on the elliptic machine. The elliptic machine that just happens to be next to the window that looks into the exercise room where Zumba class is. I was hoping he could watch and give me pointers after class because he is actually a good dancer and has hip action that I don't. He says I'm not as bad at it as I think I am, so that made me feel much better about sticking with Zumba.

Adoption - Yesterday was National Adoption Day...how did we not know that?! We decided that once we have a child we will celebrate National Adoption Day in some meaningful way.

TGIF

Happy Friday! My favorite day of the week!

Tonight we don’t have any plans, so that means we will most likely chill at home while Mark plays his new video game for a bit and then we will watch a movie. I made tacos last night and there is plenty left over, so I won’t have to cook! The house keeper comes today, so I will come home to a wonderfully clean house. I know, I know I’m spoiled, but I truly love not have to clean every other week!

My fantasy football team, in my work league, is off to a great start thanks to Ricky Williams of Miami. He got me 30 points last night! I am matched up against the #1 team, so maybe with Ricky’s kick start I stand a chance of beating him this time. I tied him last time we played each other. Mind you he is only 10 years old, and has only lost one game so far. He is making all of us look bad! I have only won 2 games in that league, so could really use a win about now!

Today – I get to go to the book store tonight! I used to go to the book store all the time, but considering I read 4 to 5 books a month on average it got really expensive! (Thank you Mom for sharing the love of reading!) To help with the cost I got a library card and read all my books for free. But, there is a small part of me that misses the smell of new books and spending hours picking out the one that I want to buy. I may fall back on old habits and buy a few books tonight! (Mark and I did not communicate regarding working out after work. We usually don’t work out on Fridays; however Mark had to work late last night and missed his workout, so he is working out tonight. He didn’t tell me he was working out until we were walking out the door for work and it was too late for me to pack my gym bag. So rather than drive home to just turn around and pick him up I’m killing time at the bookstore.)

Adoption – Just how tired will I be with a new baby? It seems to be everyone’s favorite game…telling me how horrible tired I am going to be. I already have days, like last night, that I feel like I could fall asleep standing up, so how much worse can it really get?

Girl Time

I had so much fun last night with the girls. It has been since Relay in June that Cara, Monica, Sandi and I had all had a chance to hang out together. I miss them when I don’t get to see them. The bonus is we will all see each other on Saturday as well at Monica’s Bunco fundraiser! Her Bunco fundraiser is a blast every year! I can’t wait for Saturday.

Before meeting the girls at BJ’s I stopped by the Bare Minerals store at the mall. I can’t tell you how excited I am that they have a store and I can go in and try colors out before buying them. Even though you can return things ordered through Sephora it is still a hassle I don’t like dealing with! Now I can buy by favorite make-up in person. I had fun picking out new lip gloss last night. Next I am making an appointment to learn what to do with all the eye shadow colors I have and possible add to my color collection. I can do some serious damage in that store!

Today – I am thankful that Mark has found a way for him to do his work out and me to do mine while juggling only having one care. I really didn’t want to miss Zumba tonight with my favorite instructor. It will be my last Thursday night Zumba class until February due to Dodgeball.

Adoption – I spend a lot of time wondering who the birthmother will be that we match with and what she will be like. Will she be a HS girl who is not ready to be a Mom, a single woman who does not want or is not ready to have children, will she know who the father is, will she be a crime victim, what will her ethnicity be, will she want to hold the baby after she is born, will she want to see us at the hospital, how much contact if any will she want after the baby is home with us, will I be able to relate to her, will I resent having to send photos/letter or will she be someone I enjoy staying in touch with, will she want to visit at some point, and the list goes on and on. I wonder how much any of these factors will impact us and Sky, especially as she gets older and wants to know specific details about her birthmother and the situation.

The agency has repeatedly told us that whomever we match with will most likely have a much different social, economical, and moral background than we do and that it will take effort on our part to relate to her. Ultimately it’s less about what kind of person she is and more about what kind of person I am. The only person I have control over in the situation is myself. I pray for the wisdom to open my heart and treat her with compassion, kindness and respect.

Clutch Drama

My car saga continues. I thought that after 2 months of being in the shop, and two clutches it would be fixed. But no, it has gone out again. Mark and I were driving home last night and heard a loud popping sound as I clutched. I could barely get the car to shift gears, but finally made it home. We dropped it off at the transmission place this morning on the way to work and am waiting to see what they say.

I felt bad for Mark last night because by the time I got home I was so PO’d I wanted to break something. I am so sick of car issues. From little things like the glove box not latching, the mirror cover on the passenger visor breaking off, to the clutch giving me months and months of problems. I have really had it with the car. I understand that we can’t really afford another car payment right now, but I actually think I hate my car. Maybe it can tell how I feel and is paying me back. Oh I forgot the driver seat is broke to. It slides back and forth while I’m driving. It’s like after 7 years the car has decided it is done and is going to fall apart one agonizing (and expensive) piece at a time.

The good thing about last night was the Lakewood Relay For Life Kick-Off. It was great! There seems to be a lot of support from the youth and the local community. I was really impressed that some of their top sponsors were there and when they were going over the spots on LT that need filled two people raised their hands and volunteered right in the middle of the meeting! I have never seen that happen at a Kick-Off before. Lakewood also organizes great event wide fundraisers that every team can participate in and raise money for their teams. I’m really looking forward to being part of an event that works together like that. It really has a cozy community feel to it and I didn’t realize I missed that until I saw it in action last night.

I admit it is a much different feeling sitting in the audience rather than being on stage running the show, but I liked it! It was a little hard to not want to volunteer to help out, but I also am really looking forward to a year off to just enjoy being at Relay. It is going to be so nice to be able to actually spend time at Relay with Mark, and the rest of my Family and Friends. The last 4 years I was always so busy that it was a quick Hi in passing and that was about it. I am looking forward to having a tent site again and decorating it, and being part of the crazy laps, and taking time to support the food vendors and eat lunch! And, maybe, just maybe I will actually get to sleep at night! Oh to have the life of a Team Captain again!

Today – I am so looking forward to dinner with Monica, Sandi, and Cara! I miss my friends and can’t wait to spend time catching up and having a drink or two or three…

Adoption – I heard from Michelle that the shower location is almost secure. It feels strange to know she is doing all this work for my shower, I feel like I should be helping, but I have been assured I don’t have to do anything other than show up and open presents. Although, I’m happy to help is she needs/wants it. Anyway, I’m excited to hear where it’s going to be held!

Working Out

I have to say I love being able to work out. I really missed my regular visits to the gym last year and am thankful I have the time for regular workouts again!

I have a schedule now that I love and am able to maintain. Part of what makes it so easy is Zumba class. I love the class and the hour seems to be over before it starts. When I first started Zumba I was so bad. I am for sure a white girl, but after a few months I know most of the steps and can pick up the ones I don’t know pretty easy. And, I have learned how to pump it. It has taken multiple instructors showing me in slow motion, but I finally have it down. Wow is it good for your abs! My hips can still use a little flavor, but that will come with time…at least I hope.

I have discovered the benefits of getting up early on Saturday, going to Zumba first thing and starting my day off with an hour of working out. I have so much more energy and sleep better at night. I get more done because I’m getting out of bed before 10 or 11!

The other thing I love about working out is the nights that Mark and I do cardio and core training together. (Ok, we have only been able to make this happen once so far, but I really did enjoy it and can’t wait for next week when we don’t have other things interrupting our workout!) I like being able to spend gym time with him. It’s another side of him that I get to know and I love it. He is good at instructing and pointing out what I need to do different. He is the master at core workouts!

I think the time I most appreciate my body and how it was created is at the gym. I can push it as hard as I want to and it keeps up. I feel my best when I’m working out and am able to challenge myself to try new workouts and trust that I can get through it no matter how difficult it may be. I truly appreciate how much better my mind and body are when I work at being fit!

Today – We have the Lakewood Relay For Life Kick-Off tonight! I’m so excited to meet new Relay peeps, learn the ropes for a new event, and interact with a new Leadership Team!

Adoption - I must stop reading baby books! I keep thinking I’m educating myself, but I’m getting a little overwhelmed with how difficult things that seem like they should be simple can be (seriously I may have to create a wall sized chart to keep track of feeding/naptime/and number of wet and solid diapers!), and if we don’t have a baby until a year from now I’m going to forget all the good info I have learned. I think it’s time to take a break!

Monday...

I don't know that I'm ready for winter weather. I find myself really wishing I was somewhere sunny right now. Considering we have not had much rain yet this winter I shouldn't feel this way already, but I'm really craving some sun today.

It doesn't help that today was a crap day. It started out great, but once it started turning it just kept going and going. So ready to be done and start over tomorrow.

Today - I'm glad I get to go to the Y and do Zumba class. That will make me feel better! Plus I think we have enough left overs that I won't have to cook tonight...I need to just go home and chill!

Adoption - One of Mark's co-workers gave us a huge bag of baby cloths! I had so much fun going through all the outfits and can't wait for the carpet to go in so we can finish the nursery and I can start putting stuff away in the closet!

Football Sunday

My favorite day of the week is Football Sunday! I love getting up and making Mark and I "morning after" breakfast (usually the breakfast I make the morning after a party and/or lots of drinking, but we don't party like that often so have started making it Sunday mornings as well), lingering over coffee, not showering, and lounging in PJ's all day.

Today we shared Football Sunday with a few close friends and it was a lot of fun. I still didn't take a shower, but I did put some real cloths on at least. Sadly the Steelers and the Hawks lost so no one was happy with the games today. :(

Today - I enjoyed custom Steelers and Hawks M&M's. They look great!

Adoption - I realized that with a little one in the house the days of sitting on the couch watching TV all day will be over. I will at least have to take diaper and bottle breaks. But, she will be a Football fan and an even bigger Steelers fan!

What's Up?

I spent almost all day running around town taking care of errands and grocery shopping. What I couldn't get over was how crowded every store was. It took forever at Costco and it was like playing bumper karts at Fred Meyer. I was dodging people left and right and read a whole magazine while I was waiting in line to check out! It feels like the week before Christmas out there!

I did manage to score some great work out cloths! I have decided that my yoga pants are the most comfortable thing ever and I wish I could wear them all day every day.

I was so tired by the time I got home it was all I could do to muster the energy to make dinner! Not only did I make meatloaf to dinner I managed to make Mark some gluten free Betty Crocker brownies and they are really good! I'm glad Mark likes them.

Last night Mark and I wen to The Saint in Seattle for dinner and drinks with Bob and Michelle. Talk about the best Tequila cocktails I have ever had! Not only were the drinks good but the food was amazing. This place is tiny, maybe 10 tables tops, but the service was great and the food was amazing!

Today - I was so glad to walk in my front door! After being out and about with the masses coming home was the best thing ever!

Adoption - I got Sky a classic Winnie the Pooh stocking for her first Christmas. It was too cute not to get it for her and it says My First Christmas. I can't wait until our first Christmas with our daughter!

Happy Friday!

7 am is too early for a dentist appointment! The good thing is my teeth are in great shape. Next time I’m scheduling an early afternoon appointment and taking the rest of the day off!

FYI – Real Dodgeballs hurt, but they are easier to throw. Lesson – have good aim and don’t get hit!

Crockpot debacle – I burnt, no wait I beyond burnt our dinner to a crisp. Think chicken breast burnt offerings. Turns out when cockpit size is specified I should listen. I had a feeling there was not enough liquid in the Crockpot, but since it was the first time using this recipe I thought it best to follow directions and not improvise. BIG mistake! Next time I think more lemon-lime pop is needed to cook the chicken; I will put in more lemon-lime pop. I will also get a smaller Crockpot so I have the right size.

Because we had to rush to Dodgeball practice we improvised. I had chips and salsa and Mark had toast with cheese. Not the greatest dinner, but it worked.

Today – I am so excited to finally be going to The Saint in Seattle. It is a Tequila Bar that I have been wanting to go to for about a year and we finally coordinated time with friends to go. I can’t wait! The hardest decision of my day will be what drink to order first.

Adoption – I left my phone at work last night and was convinced that since I didn’t have my phone it would be the day the agency calls. I was wrong…they didn’t call. Mark keeps reminding me it has only been a little over a month. Honestly even though I’m ready for a baby I really am enjoying not having to worry about a babysitter, or getting up 20 times a night, or changing diapers. To keep my sanity I’m focusing on enjoying how easy life is right now.

Crockpot Dinner

I am so excited to come home to a Crockpot dinner tonight! Thursday’s are busy for us because we have just enough time to get home, change, and eat before dodgeball practice, but it’s hard to cook a full dinner. So, thank you Shelley for the Brown Sugar Chicken recipe on your blog! I’m trying it out today. I was excited this morning that it was so quick to get it all ready this morning before leaving for work.

I love opening the front door and being hit in the face with the wonderful smell of dinner ready to eat.

I have noticed that a lot of Crockpot recipes specify the size of Crockpot that should be used. I only have one size and I don’t have room to store multiple sizes, so I guess what I have will have to do. I wonder if the food tastes different depending on what size is used. It probably has more to do with cooking time, but who knows.

My co-worker gave me a gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe today…I can’t wait to make them this weekend. That is the great part about have people over to watch football…I can make “bad for you” food that tastes wonderful and not worry about Mark and I being the ones to eat it all.

Really I would be so happy if I could stay home and cook wonderful things all day. I love, love, love cooking/baking!

Today – I am looking forward to using actual dodgeballs at practice tonight. They are a different size and weight than what we have been using and I’m wondering how much it will affect my throwing and catching ability. Plus I’m wondering if it will hurt more when I get hit.

Adoption – There are a lot of things to worry about with adoption. Things like what if the birthmother changes her mind, or what if the baby is not well and the list goes on and on. Of all the important things to worry about I am hung up on traveling with a newborn. We may get lucky and be able to drive to the state our baby is in, but chances are we will have to fly. And, depending on the courts in that state chances are we will be there for several days if not weeks. I can’t seem to wrap my head around packing everything we will need for the baby, getting all the stuff we need there and back, and flying home with a newborn. If we only have to be in-state for a few days I can certainly ruff it by leaving the stroller and anything else that is not totally necessary at home. But, if we are going to be in-state for a couple of weeks I am not going to sit in the hotel room the whole time and I am not thrilled with the idea of baby sleeping in bed with us. I suppose she could sleep in her car seat or a dresser drawer (just kidding). Everything I have read says flying with a newborn is not ideal due to germs, but we may not have a choice. What if she cries the whole time, or has a blow out? I’m sure getting through security with a baby is going to be oh so much fun. It is silly to be worried about this when there are much more important things to obsess over, but for whatever reason this is what wakes me up at night and makes it hard to breath sometimes.

Day Off

As a city employee Mark had today off, so I decided to take the day off as well so we could spend some time together. We went to Cabelas, Mark's fave store and then we made a great start on our Christmas shopping.

It was really nice to sleep in, lounge over coffee, shop and spend the day just being silly with Mark.

Today - I am thankful to all those past and present who have given so much to this country.

Adoption - Mark made an appointment to have the rooms measured for carpet. Soon the nursery will have carpet and we can move the baby furniture in! Can't wait!

Steelers Win!

It was a good night in my house last night. Any time the Steelers win, and win big it’s a good night! Plus I won in both my fantasy football leagues for the first time this season!

I’m starting to get excited about Relay For Life again. This year is the first year in a long time that I am going to be a Team Captain. I was a captain for 10 years and spent the last 4 years on the Leadership Team for the Tacoma Event. Well this year brings a lot of Relay changes for me. I am not taking a leadership role this year (need time to be a mom!), I am starting a Friends and Family team (can’t wait to spend Relay time with those I love), and I’m not participating in the Tacoma event (need a change of pace). I love Tacoma, I feel like I grew up at that event, but it’s time for a change. Mark and I live in Lakewood so it was an easy choice for us to decide to participate in the Lakewood event.

Ever since we bought our home in Lakewood it has made me crazy that while I’m out shopping or running errands people in Lakewood would stop me to talk about my Relay shirt and they would want to talk about the Lakewood event and would have questions about it. I was constantly explaining that I participate in the Tacoma event and a lot of times the light would go out of their eyes when they realized I didn’t participate in the Lakewood event. So I am really looking forward to participating in my “home town” event! I do a lot of business in Lakewood and can’t wait to engage those I regularly interact with in Relay.

I am so excited to share Relay with close friends and family and have Mark as my co-chair! I am also excited to be part of an event that is 18 hours vs 24. The thought of going home at noon on Saturday rather than 6pm is divine! Since we are hopeful we will have Sky by June it will also be nice to be at a smaller event with a new baby. One of the things I’m really looking forward to is being able to have a camp fire!!!

The Lakewood Kick-Off is the 17th and I am so ready to get going and have the top rooky team at the event!

Today – Mark and I are having dinner with the parents tonight to celebrate his birthday. I love spending time with them!

Adoption – I think it may be possible to read too much! I have ready several parenting books all of which contradict each other. I have also read a lot of adoption related books some talking about the horror of adoption and “tearing” a baby away from its birth mother (I only made it to page 2 before feeling like the worst person in the world for being part of the adoption horror. I then decided the book was crap and got rid of it), and other books talking about how wonderful adoption is. I have come to the conclusion that I am only going to read it if it makes me feel like I am being true to myself and the parenting style I believe in. The bottom line is there is a lot of advice and I will have to wait and see what Sky’s temperament is before figuring out what will and won’t work for her and us.

Say it isn't so...

I am a little (ok a lot) sad…there is a rumor out there that Steven Tyler has left Aerosmith. I don’t know if it’s true and the band has made no official statement, however it is posted on a legit news site and the posts on the fan club site lead me to believe it is true. I have been an Aerosmith fan for 20 years. I have all their albums, a lot of bootleg stuff, every movie soundtrack they have been a part of and have been to every concert they have done in WA for the last 15 years.

Aerosmith is not Aerosmith without Steven, and Steven is not much without Aerosmith. I hope it’s not true! I will do my own Aerosmith rain dance with my scarves and play every CD I own of theirs back to back in the hopes the band will be ok.

I don’t want the last time I saw them to be the last time. Oh Steven why are you breaking my Aerosmith heart?

Today – Despite my sadness over Aerosmith I am looking forward to the Steelers game tonight. If Ben and the Steelers D have a good game I will win in my work Fantasy Football league. I already have my other league wrapped up, so this could be the first week I win in both leagues!

Adoption – It feels odd to be making “parent” decisions with no idea of when we will have a baby. As we have been working on the house and re-painting/carpeting/decorating we have had to think about things like cordless blinds, lead free paint, flooring that will reduce allergy and dust issues. The latest discussion was about what kind of freezer to get. Now that Mark has taken up hunting we need a freezer to store the meat in. He wanted a small chest freezer so it would take up less space. But, I want a stand-up one because I don’t want Sky playing around the chest freezer and opening it and potentially falling in and getting stuck in there. After I told Mark how I felt he completely understands my point of view. It stuck me how we are already acting like parents for a little girl that does not even exist yet. I don’t know who Sky is yet or when she will make her way into our lives, but I already love her and want to make good decisions for her.

The Morning After

Happy Birthday to Mark! He turns 35 today. To celebrate we had friends over to play Band Hero and it was a lot of fun. Band Hero is perfect for parties because no matter how bad you play the song keeps going, you can switch players mid song and change the difficulty level mid song as well. Plus, it has a great selection of music. Thank you to everyone who showed up and had fun with us! Just a few of the many, many photos taken.

Mark, Amy, Shannon (singing), Brian.

Left to Right: Jay and Kendra, Mark, Michelle, Shannon, Bob, Brian, Josh, Me and Simone.

Mark and Bob being silly.

Mark getting ready to open Bob and Michelle's gift which Grace was kind enough to decorate.

Today: I am thankful that I have such a wonderful husband and was able to celebrate 35 years with him. I am also thankful that we have such a wonderful group of friends! I may be the most thankful for my new really comfy bathrobe. We were up until 3:30am and my bathrobe is just what I need to snuggle in today.

Adoption: Mark's wish was that this birthday is the last childless one we have. That means a baby before my birthday in April! Let's hope!

Mark's Birthday Party

Today requires perfect timing on my part in order to get everything ready for Mark's 35th Birthday Party tonight!

I started early with Zumba at 8:30 this morning. I needed to get up and get moving so I would have some energy.

Now I am home after getting all the food needed and it's time to start making stuff. I have a few things the people request over and over: guacamole and bacon wrapped weenies. So those are on the menu along with chips and salsa, peppermint patties, several flavors of vodka, and Cheetos. Topped off by a special order gluten free German chocolate cake. (Which reminds me I need to make sure we have b-day candles!) Everything being served is gluten free, so Mark can eat as much as he wants and not worry about getting sick.

I still need to shower, primp, figure out what to wear and de-clutter the guest bathroom. Mark is out getting the new Band Hero, so I'm sure we will want to break that in a bit before people show up.

Today - I am thankful for good friends that have called to ask what they can help with. Thank you...you know who you are!

Adoption - Since we are thinking positive and are assuming this is the last B-day party sans baby, we plan to enjoy it!

Lost Battle

I seem to be losing the battle to keep Bishop from hanging out behind the couch. When we first got Bishop he refused to put himself in a confined space, but 8’ish years later and all he wants to do is hang out behind the couch. He can barely fit between the couch and the wall, and in fact this morning got stuck. I actually considered leaving him there, but then decided getting back there to clean up after him would not be fun.

My latest tactic was to pile up the two blankets that Mark and I snuggle with behind the couch. I thought the wall of blankets would stop him, but no it didn’t. Instead he made a nice little bed for himself back there.

I think I’m waving the white flag on this one. The only solution would be to push the couch all the way against the wall, but it is a reclining couch and I do love popping my feet up and relaxing while watching a movie. So for now, Bishop you win. I give up and will therefore give up the frustration I feel every time you wiggle your way back there.

Dodgeball was fun last night. My arm is a bit sore today, but not too bad. I found out that “for a girl” I have a good throwing technique and keep the ball low so it’s harder to catch. I’m excited to practice with the actual dodgeballs in the next few weeks to see how that goes.

Today – I’m really glad it’s Friday. I’m leaving work early because it is slow. That will give me time to run some errands and get ready for Mark’s party tomorrow! I also get to start a new book today. I hope to find an hour or so this afternoon to settle into it. I am most thankful that it is a Friday that the housecleaner comes. Mark was thoughtful enough to arrange for a cleaner when I was Co-Chairing Relay last year as I was so busy the house was showing signs of my neglect! So, Mark to the rescue. Janet she does such a great job we have kept the service even though I have much more time now. I think this makes me a little spoiled, but I’m going with it because once the baby is here no one is going to care about spoiling me…it will all be about the baby...as it should be.

Adoption – Mark and I are learning about how difficult it can be to add Sky to our insurance once she is born. Some plans won’t cover her until the adoption is final which could be 6 to 9 months. Other plans won’t cover her until the birth mother signs away her rights, which can be 2 to 4 days depending on the state. Bottom line is we won’t know how much we are looking at in out of pocket medical expenses until we know what state she is coming from. Mark’s plan through the city may allow us to backdate the coverage, but chances are we are still looking at some out of pocket hospital expense related to the delivery and hospital stay.

Dodge Ball

Mark and I have our 2nd dodge ball practice tonight. I know…really we need to practice dodge ball, how hard can it be?!. Someone throws a ball at you and you move out of the way so you don’t get hit. Well I assure you it was much easier in grade school (which was the last time I played) when the balls are coming at you much slower and you are not as afraid of getting hurt.
Somehow as adults the balls seem harder, they come at you faster, and my body does not jump out of the way as easily as it did when I was a kid. Plus I am really sore the next day. I don’t remember being sore back in grade school!

Despite the injury potential we decided to join a dodge ball league with some of our friends. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with friends sans kids, and well act like kids ourselves. Tonight we are working on strategy and throwing and dodging drills. Can you believe there is an actual dodge ball association and 10 pages of rules! We have a lot to brush up on tonight!

Today – I am thankful that Mark fixed the toilet in my bathroom. Since it is also the guest bathroom, and we are having his Birthday Party Saturday night, I am thankful that our friends will not have to reach into the tank to flush it!

I am also thankful that I have much more personal time than I have had the last 4 years. I finished another book this morning, and it reminded me that when I was on the Leadership Team for Relay and Chairing the event that it would take a month or longer to read a book. Now I’m back to two or three books a month. It’s not just the reading either. It is being home with Mark in the evenings, and cooking dinner almost every night, going to the gym regularly, getting enough sleep, not missing out on plans with friends and family because of meetings. While I would never trade my Relay experience, and my intent was not to completely walk away from being part of the Leadership Team, I am thankful that it has worked out that way.

Adoption – I read an article that talked about the importance of keeping some aspects of the adoption private. The adoption and the circumstances surrounding why someone makes the decision not to parent are part of Sky’s personal history and as she gets older she may not be comfortable with everyone knowing why her birthparents chose adoption. This article was a good reminder that even if Mark and I are the perfect parents (we know we won’t be), and everything is easy and smooth, Sky may (ok will) have some issues to work through regarding being adopted, and it won’t help her if everyone around her knows every little detail of her personal history.

There are things in my life that I choose not to share and Sky has that same right.

So, please don’t be offended if Mark and I choose not to share every detail about her birth parents and the situation surrounding why they chose adoption. Some things will have to be left up to her to tell those she is close to when and if she is ready to do so.

Side note on Sky – it is just a nickname. Her name will be Shannon (Mark’s middle name) Kailey (a name Mark really likes) Yeatman. Her initials are going to be SKY, so we have been calling her Sky ever since we started the adoption process.

NaBloPoMo

I learned from someone else’s blog (thank you Shelley) that this is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) and as such the goal is to post a blog every day. Perfect timing because I want to be better about regular posts.

I’m not sure that Mark and I are exciting enough to need to post every day, but I am going to give it a try. I’m already 4 days late as I just learned about this today. Nothing exciting has happened the last 4 days, so it starts today.

I’m sure my family will appreciate new posts rather than seeing the same old post for months at a time. I’m making a list of things to post about to try and keep it interesting. Each post will include two features: 1. Today = Something I am excited about or thankful for that day and 2. Adoption = an update and/or useful information and tips for families going through adoption or who have an adopted child. It’s not just Mark and I that have to make this work. Everyone in the family can do things to help make this a smooth transition and welcome our new little one into the family.

Today:
I am looking forward to wine and dinner with a good friend tonight. Tiffany is visiting from NY for almost the whole month, and we can’t wait to relax in the Proctor District with good food and even better wine. A girls evening is just what I need.

Adoption:
Not much to update. We are in wait mode. Waiting for the agency to call and say there is a Birth Mother for us. We did settle on carpet for the nursery, now we just need to order and install. Photos will follow once the carpet is in.

Adoption Update

Mark and I have finally completed the last step to help in the marketing to match us with a birth mother. Check out this link to view our photo book. http://www.mypublisher.com/?e=OHm3Q8zJl3SDA2BfEWO9QmISPfz7lRQ5&s=fb

This book will be sent to birth mothers that think they may be interested in us and hopefully it will assist them in deciding that we are the perfect fit for their baby.

Now it is a wait and see game. Every time my phone rings I race to see who is calling and hoping it is the agency every time.

While we wait we continue to work on the house. We finally got Mark moved into his new office which cleared the way to pull up the carpet in the old office/new nursery and paint it. Yellow is not my favorite color, but I managed to pick the most beautiful and perfect shade of yellow to go with the Winnie the Pooh nursery.

Now all we need to do is settle on carpet and then we can set up the crib and other nursery furniture that Dad was kind enough to get for us. I can't wait to see baby thing in the room ready for our new addition.

I had no idea it was possible to love someone that I have not even met so much. I can't wait until we get to bring our baby home.

Whistler Adventure

Mark and I just got back from a week in Whistler and boy did we have a great time. We started out mountain biking, then moved on to bungee jumping, hiking, and exploring some off-road trails.

Day 1

No photos of biking...did not want photos of my injury. After that we Bungee Jumped

Mark jumped first...

...then me. It was the scariest yet most exciting thing I have ever done!



Day 2
We spent day two exploring some of the logging roads and off-road trails.
We came across this honor system produce stand run by three kids. There was a welcome message from them, a radio playing and plenty of produce, pop, and a few snacks to choose from. They had a lock box for us to put money in.

This was a windy lake we found.

This was on the edge of a look-out on one of the logging roads. Someone had built a little rock statue similar to the Olympic statue on the Whistler Summit.

I think this was actually day 3 or 4, but was a cool wooden bridge over the river that we found.

This was a great playground we found on the shore of a lake in one of the many really nice parks Whistler has to offer. Can't wait until we go back next year with friends and their kids! The kids will love it!

Day 3

We spent day 3 on the peak hiking as much as we could given my bum leg from biking.

I can't figure out how to get this right side up, so just tilt your head! This is the new Peak 2 Peak gondola that goes from Whistler to Blackcomb. It is a huge gondola that you can walk around in and is a 11 minute ride with great views!

We hiked from the Peak to this alpine lake. Mark jumped in and based on how cold he said it was and the fact that he could hardly even breath in the water I decided to stay nice and dry on land.

Day 4 was spent driving around and exploring more.

Day 5

We had no idea there was a Down Hill race time trial taking place, so Mark spent a lot of time taking photos while I shopped a bit. Then I came back to watch some of the time trials and we both finished up the day with last minute shopping.

Red Bull Exodus is the first mass start down hill race that has ever been done at Whistler and from what they said that has ever been done with world class riders period. There were riders from all over the world trying to qualify for the race and out of 400 riders only 150 would make it to the actual race the next day. During the race they would start at the Peak, take around 30 minutes to get down the mountain and hit speeds over 50 miles per hour. They were hitting that same speed in the time trials and had some pretty good jumps at the bottom of the course.

Day 6

We decided to come home a day early so we could avoid traffic at the boarder and have time to relax before joining friends for a B-Day party the next day.

There are more photos and Mark has a video of his bungee jump on our photos site: http://markyeatman.smugmug.com/