Resolutions

'Tis the season to make promises that we do not intend to keep. We have been discussing what will be on our list this year.

Mine will definitely hold journaling. I've been doing good so far. It is hard to believe I have that much to say. I printed out a journal jar of questions to help me out....just in case I couldn't find anything to talk about. I haven't used them yet. Which totally surprises me.

Other things on the list is that Dan is training for a marathon at the end of May or beginning of June. The 'Fitness People' suggest that he not necessarily diet but to make sure he follows the Food Pyramid. Whatever that is:) So we are trying a whole bunch of different recipes and things that are supposed to be good for you. I guess the people who invented the Food Pyramid didn't have taste buds. But we should be fine. We can improvise.

I am hoping to blog more. I might start using the questions from the journal jar. I just don't lead that interesting of a life. But, I do have some great memories from when I was young and stupid. Maybe not as good as my friend Natalie....but we'll see.

I guess we will see if by midnight we will come up with anymore lame ideas to make us feel like failures by the end of the year. What is funny is that I know I made resolutions last year...I just don't know what they were. Hmm. Now that I have this in writing, I might have to follow through on some:)

Happy New Year!!!

Journal

I started a journal for the first time in my life this week. I think it is funny that I write in it as if it were my blog. I read through one entry last night and realized that I had said things as if I was expecting people to comment. I guess if anyone does respond that is when I need to worry :)

ONE FOOT!!!!

I am so happy we got all our Christmas shopping done early. We have been stranded at home for three days in a row. (I have a friend that is working on way more than that...but she lives at a higher elevation:) Lucky her!! We measured three times yesterday. The first was about 8am. It was only about four inches. And one of those inches was all ice. Then about 1pm we had 7 inches. We were so excited. Then the blizzard hit. Twelve inches by 4pm. I am from Oregon and I don't remember seeing this much snow so near the valley floor. The weatherman said on Sunday night that Salem has seen the last of the snow and Monday was going to be the 'Great Thaw'. RIGHT!! We have had a few tragedies.....I was meaning to cut down our arborvitae about three feet a few weeks ago. No need any more. At least they are hanging down. It will make it easier to trim. Our pool dome is down too. I had been watching it for a few days. I knew it needed to come down.....but I had to wait for the ice and snow to melt off it a bit before I could even try. It never happened. It has now collapsed and I fear that swimming in the rain will never be the same again. BUT....I will not complain. This is exactly what I wanted for Christmas. WHITE. LOVING IT:)

Expenses

Seriously....is it just me or do things only seem to break down around Christmas time? Three weeks ago our dishwasher decided to not drain anymore. So after a very long search and looking for the best dishwasher for our household we bought one. No one seems to want to fix the old one. Which is weird.....it was only about 8 years old. Not like 25. Now that we have the new one installed....I realize how much I miss the old one. Did you know that you HAVE to use jet dry with all the new ones. They won't run without it. But not even that.....we have to wash the dishes before we put them in. Our old one could sit with crusted food on it for days and we never had to worry about food getting stuck. Seems like technology isn't advancing in the kitchen much.
Four days ago we woke up to a very cold house. It seems that our furnace decided to have sympathy pains for the dishwasher. Of course this one is 25 years old and to order parts for it you have to special order them and they are very expensive. So now we have to replace the furnace. Luckily we have a wood stove and a small supply of wood. Otherwise we might have to dig snow caves to stay warm. Why is it that the heaters always seem to break during the heavy winter storms. And the A/C during 11o degree weather? So now.....thousands of dollars later, it is Christmas time. Boy am I glad I only have one child to spoil. And she appreciates the heat and a machine that cleans dishes for her.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow

I know that most of my friends are going crazy about this snow. But, I am so excited about it. Of course I don't have children at home driving me crazy. We were supposed to go to Spokane and visit my brother....but this winter weather is keeping us put. My brother got 24" of snow in 24 hours. As much as I would have loved to be there when it fell....I don't want to go there now that it has fallen. That is ok with me. I have enough hot chocolate and marshmallows to last me the next month. Just in case my hopes and dreams come true and we get snowed in a little more. :)

Great Story!

I love all types of Christmas stories. This one really stuck out to me this year. I hope it touches your hearts as well. :)...........

The Least of These
By Richard M. Siddoway

We married in August and settled into a small apartment near the university where both of us went to school. We each had a year until graduation and scrimped and struggled through the autumn quarter. Now Christmas was approaching and we had little money between us to squander on Christmas gifts.

We walked through the department stores of Salt Lake arm in arm with the confidence of better days ahead. My bride paused before a winter coat, caressing it with her eyes and fingers. Together we looked at the price tag—seventy-five dollars. Tuition for a quarter was eighty-five dollars. We both knew the coat was out of the question. Her old coat, seam-split and stained, would have to do for another year.

We agreed to spend no more than five dollars apiece in shopping for each other. While my wife drove the car to do her shopping, I walked the half dozen blocks to the Grand Central drugstore to see how far I could stretch five dollars. After considerable searching, I selected a paperback novel my wife had commented about and a small box of candy. Together they came to $4.75. As I approached the checkout stand, I was met with a long line of shoppers, each trying to pay as quickly as possible and get on with the bustle of the season. No one was smiling.

I waited perhaps a half an hour, and only three people were ahead of me in the line when I became aware that the line had grounded to a halt. The clerk was having an animated discussion with an elderly customer.

“Sir,” barked the clerk, “the price of insulin has gone up. I’m sorry, but we have no control over that. You need four more dollars.”

“But it has been the same price ever since my wife started taking it. I have no more money. She needs the medication.” The man’s neck was turning red and he was obviously uncomfortable with the situation. “I must have the insulin. I must.”

The man standing behind him put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Come on, pop, you’re holding up the line.”

The lady in front of me grew more agitated. The dozen or so people behind me began craning their necks to see what was holding up the line. Suddenly I stepped out of line, reached into my pocket, withdrew my wallet, and handed five dollars to the old man. “Merry Christmas,” I said.

He hesitated a moment, then his blue eyes grew moist as he took the money. “God bless you, my son.”

I turned and walked back into the store aisles. I counted the money I had remaining in my wallet—four dollars. I replaced the box of candy and got back in line to pay for the novel.

Snow was falling in soft white feathery flakes as I walked up the hill toward our apartment. I turned in our driveway and saw an envelope stuck in our screen door. I removed it and found written on the front of the envelope simply, “Matthew 25:40.”

I opened the door, stepped inside, and turned on the light. I ripped open the end of the envelope and withdrew a hundred-dollar bill. There was no other message.

It was only after I had purchased the winter coat for my wife that I took time to get out my Bible and read the scripture written on the envelope: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

To this day I have no idea who blessed our lives that Christmas.

Christmas season

I always struggle around Christmas. I have this very strong desire to make the season about Christ. And celebrating His birth. But then my heathen upbringing pops into my mind and all I can think about is thousands of presents under the tree Christmas morning. This Christmas is just like all the others. Except this time we have a young impressionable person in our home. Just baptized into the church. This would be her first Christmas with a religion. Thus the struggle begins. Her being our first "child" figure....we want to spoil her and make a Christmas to remember with lots of gifts. Yet celebrating Christ would also be a Christmas to remember. I heard once that someone celebrated by giving just three gifts to the children....because that is how many Christ received. I would love to hear other options and traditions. Either way, it will be an amazing holiday.

Blog to you soon......

Winter Holidays

Why is it that we only seem to spend time with our extended families during the Holiday season? We always spend the Saturday after Thanksgiving with the Pippert's. All of Dan's seven siblings come with their children, and now they are coming with their children. We probably had close to 100 people there this weekend. It was amazing. We always bring leftovers so everyone has something to snack on and there is always too much food. We have so much fun with them. And the funny thing is....we all live within 20 minutes of eachother. This is the ONLY time of year that we see them. Why is that? Are our lives too busy that we don't have time to spend with family? Or is it that we are subconsciously keeping ourselves away from them so that we don't hate them? Makes you wonder doesn't it?

Blog to you soon.....

Perfect Weekend

We went to the coast this weekend to celebrate Dan and Barbara's Birthday. We rented a house right on the beach. It was absolutely perfect. The weather was beautiful. Very unusual for the Oregon Coast and especially for the Fall season. The water was perfectly glossy. Too bad there weren't any whales passing by. We sat out on the porch in just short sleeve T-shirts. I have never had a more perfect weekend. It was relaxing, full of friendship and laughter and food. Loved the food. We couldn't have planned how perfect it really was. Happy Birthday to Dan and Barbara!!!

Fall and Falling.....

Funny thing....everyone always says that Spring is the time people fall in love. But I have realized just recently that I am much more passionate in the Fall. It could be something about snuggling on the couch, or needing body heat when you get into bed....:) But, it always feels good when someone notices how much we are in love. Fifteen years later, we still want to hold each others hands. And people notice that. Some people have a hard time believing that we have been together for that long and can still stand to be in the same room together. It saddens me to think that others are not as in love with each other as we are. I'm sure it is not true. Right?

Looney Toons

When I was growing up these were my favorite part of Saturday mornings. I decided we should add them to our library. I have a friend (AmyJo) that thinks they are a very violent cartoon and cannot believe that I would let my children watch them. I just shrugged it off and got them anyway. How bad could they be....I grew up with these. My vocabulary grew with them. I could repeat them word for word while watching them.

.........

So then, I get home and watch them. NO WAY will I let any children watch these in my house without the approval of their parents!!! At the end of one of them.....Bugs and Yosemite Sam were running for office (That voting thing that I don't know much about :) ) and they find out someone else won over them while they were too busy gun fighting each other.......so Bugs says at the end "anyone for a game of Russian Roulette?" and they play it just the two of them. Sam doesn't get the bullet....Bugs does.....but Bugs wasn't pointing at his head....it went through his ears and got Sam. The great thing about this is no one got hurt. But I'm afraid that it is showing children that if you play with guns and shoot people no one will get hurt. They are funny to watch as an adult because they are nostalgic. Even though they were ancient when I was a kid watching them in the seventies. But no way are they for children. And the thing is.....they were never made for children in the first place. Warner Bros. doesn't recommend them for children.

Thanks AmyJo.......

Blog to you soon!

Lessons....

So while I lived in Oregon you crazy Pipperts taught me a lot of things and i thought you might want to know what all i learn from you two!
*Everything can get cleaned up even the chocolate cupcake off the grand piano!!
*Changing paint color is fun especially when your husband isn't home!
*People can actually live without cable/regular TV! (I even did it myself for over a year!
*Marrying your best friend sure makes life easier!
*That finding people to help and serve in times of need really is rewarding
*Men can actually change a diaper even when the child isn't thiers!
**Ordering to-go is fun!! Even when your food gets dropped, but especially when it turns to a food fight!
*Random road trips are fun (even though i didn't get to go on one with you!)
*Starting a business is a lot of work, but oh so fun when you are the friend just eating the pizza!
*How to play hand & foot without partners (I need to come visit to relearn!)
*That when you are digging a pool dont ask for help! cause people wont get the angles right!
*That a women deserves to be spoiled and loved!
*Cooking meals together is more fun than by yourself!
*Movie nights with friends rock!
*Treats in clear jars get eaten to fast in my presence!
*That when you tell people your favorite animal the overwhelm you with that item!!
*life is wonderful and we should enjoy every minute of it!

Thanks you guys for everything and i just thought you would like to know the things i learned while i was up there!
And are you going to be home (in Oregon) during the last part of July next summer? Cause we are going to Seattle for a wedding so i want to visit you guys and show the family the sights up there!
Love you Teresa Moon

Autumn!! :)

This is my favorite season. I love the colors, the rain, the smell......yes, the smell. This is the time of year I spend most of my time outdoors. The wood stoves burning and the field burning (love the mix of scent in the air). I start to crave pumpkin pie. There aren't as many bugs flying around outside this time of year either. I just get so much energy from Autumn. I look forward to it every year because I know I will get more stuff done. I've heard most people get depressed when the rain comes.....I'm just the opposite. It's rejuvenating, and brings so much life. LOVE IT!!

Lazy Dogs

I'm in the process of getting off of my medication. So, I have some days that I just want to stay in bed and rest. My 'children' have a problem with me being in a cozy bed when they aren't. So a lot of the times they come and snuggle with me. I truly believe that they are one of my healing resources. The other day though, I finally realized just how lazy they were. I actually got out of bed because I felt like they needed the exercise. Ah, to live a dog's life :D

Blog to you soon.......

For the birds

I was sitting at my computer the other day and looked out the window. We have a humming bird feeder hanging there. And to my surprise there was a little humming bird waiting for his breakfast. There was nothing in the feeder and he was just resting. (which is something you don't see everyday) So, of course I jumped up and filled the feeder immediately. Amazing how little creatures can make you feel so sad that you have not taken care of them. So, I also filled the other feeders. Today I would guess there are at least an hundred birds in our side yard. Elphaba (our "bird" dog) sits patiently on the other side of the fence looking through the slats......waiting for her breakfast I'm sure. :)

Blog to you soon.......

Would have been nice to know.....

So, to catch you up on the most recent activities.........We talked to our friends that just did the adoption through the state. We told them what the caseworker had said and they said that sounded about right. As it turns out......our friend works for the state. She decided to tell us that she went through a private agency that usually costs $14,000. AND this agency does not charge state employees. So, as it turns out, it is very normal for adoption to take this long through the state. We thought it had something to do with us.........I'm glad it isn't. It just would have been nice for our friends to tell us the entire sequence of things instead of leading us to believe that it was going to be a short wait. Not that it is their fault.....but, had we known it would have taken this long......we would have been fine with it. We just got our hopes up and planned differently. Looking at it now.....I'm kind of glad that it will take a while. I was actually getting a little overwhelmed trying to get everything done so quickly. It's all good.

Blog to you soon......

Then again.......Maybe NOT!

So sitting with our caseworker yesterday made it seem like this will be more difficult than we thought. She told us 'realistically' we are looking at 2010 before 'kiddos' could be placed with us. I was under the impression that there were tons of kids out there waiting for homes.....and there are....but the process is 'long and arduous'. I guess, because Dan was adopted and we have 'shady' people in our family......it is a much longer process. They have to look much deeper into our past than they usually do. So, our excitement is not as strong as it was. We are still looking forward to the end product.....but we know that we have a lot of time to prepare. The funny, and actually scary thing is........Our children have not even been taken from their biological parents yet. Is that sad or what? I do hope this process gets easier.....

Blog to you soon....

The blindspot ends

Today is the day that we will have all of our questions answered. Our caseworker is coming by this afternoon to meet us. It is amazing to me that we have been working on this since January. And even more amazing that by Christmas we will have a family. This is the longest pregnancy ever. Do any of you ever feel that way. I remember one of my friends telling me that they were so excited for their baby to be born so they could come out and play. We really feel like that. We are so excited to meet our new family. We don't even know how big or small it will be. We don't know if it will be all girls all boys or a mixture. This brings new meaning to not finding out what you are having until you are actually giving birth. :)

Blog to you soon....

Ryder Adelbert Otten

I have a new nephew. He was 9 lbs. I was so happy to be able to hold him. If he had weighed one more pound he would have been beyond my weight limit. It was great to see my sister turn into a mom. It is so amazing to me what instincts women have. And when they kick in. She still needed some assistance in her learning process. Some people were overwhelming her with information, and I think that frustrated her. You HAVE to do this, and you HAVE to do that. I found that all of my sentences began with "I have a friend" or "one of my friends....". She thought that was pretty funny how much information that I had attained from all of my friends. Mostly from book club.....Thank you. We spent four days with her, helping her out and letting her rest. It was nice to be able to sit and hold Ryder. I love holding babies when they are sleeping. It is an amazing relaxation technique. Of course I had to give him up, which was sad. But it was a great baby fix. I'm looking forward to more baby time this year with the arrival of my friend's children.

Blog to you soon.....

My Friends are AWESOME Mom's

I cannot believe how hard it is to shuffle kids and have a life on the side. I have been watching two children for some friends of ours for the last two weeks. OI!!! I never realized how time consuming it is. And how exhausting it is. I now know why my friends all looked at me like I was crazy when I mentioned we wanted a sibling group. But, I tell you....I have the recipe down for Play Doh and all the cookie cutters to go with it. And kids love to play outside in the water and pick flowers and color with crayons and bake.......Oh and nap time. LOVE IT!! I have never been a nap taker.....but do I ever now. You almost have to to keep up with these little ones. AmyJo asked me if I wanted to go on an outing with her and the girls.....I don't think I'm up to going outside yet. I have a hard enough time keeping them in order indoors. Of course I am sure that all of you have control of your own children and that it is just difficult for me because they don't know my language yet. At least I hope that is the case. This has been a great eye opening experience for me. It has made me think more about what age of children would be good for me too. Little ones are very tiring. I wonder if I could keep up with them. If I have the energy that all of my friends seem to have. I need to know what your secrets are. Is there some kind of food that I'm supposed to eat right before bed to get energy the next day....or is it in liquid form? I would love to know how you all do it.

Blog to you soon....

Our Newest Family Member - Officially

For those of you that don't know...and I don't think there are many of you...Barbara is officially a member of our family (And her little dog Ara). As of August 1st she was given permission to stay in our home and attend McKay High School for her senior year.

We figured this would be perfect with the adoption process and all. Of course we seem to be going backwards. Most people adopt young children......we are starting with the oldest and working our way backwards. She will be 18 in November. She and Dan have the same birthday. We are trying to come up with a great birthday party idea for the both of them.

We are very excited to have her here. And she is very excited to be a big sister. We are all looking forward to the changes in our lives over the next few months. From what we hear....it could be a very quick process. We'll keep you informed.

Blog to you soon!!

Waiting & Waiting & Waiting.....

This waiting process for our family is killing us!!! We were talking to some friends that have done this process....and they said Christmas Day they didn't have any leads.....but by February 2nd the children were in their home. It could happen that quick! We finally went and bought bunk beds. We are so excited to get them set up and in the rooms. We also have been dreaming about mini vans. How sad is that? I never thought that they would be on our dream list. But here we are....

Blog to you soon!! :)

Waxing

So, I had my very first experience at waxing the other day. I have always loved my eyebrows. They are one of the few thing that I have never criticized on my body. I was getting my hair done and my stylist asked if she could wax my brows for me. Of course my first reaction was "What is wrong with my eyebrows?". So I didn't want to do it.....but, I said my husband was the one that had to look at me all the time so I left it up to him. WRONG!!! He just wanted to see me suffer. So, of course I got them waxed. I just have to say now, that I will NEVER do that again. She took off half of my skin. I look like I was attacked by a badger. How is this considered beauty? I went to my friend AmyJo's house and she admitted that that had happened to her before. What is funny......people keep on doing it. Why are women so obsessed with beauty? I for one will never try to change anything that I am happy with......Even if someone else says I should.

Blog to you soon!

What remodel?

We worked so hard to get the walls and floors done before book club last month. There were nights we stayed up until 2am just to make sure we could make the deadline. I was kicking myself for giving us the deadline and working us so hard. Now that I think about it.......I NEED A DEADLINE! We haven't touched it since. There are a lot of finishing touches that need to be made. Dan will probably kill me.....but maybe I should plan a get together. ;) I know that we would work harder if we were trying to get it done in time. Funny how that happens. Time sure does fly and sometimes it seems to stand still. One thing is for sure.....the remodel is at a stand still. I need a kick start.

Leaf Hoppers

These little leaf hoppers are driving me crazy this year. Do any of you have them? They start to swarm about now. You cannot go outside without them dive bombing you. They are out mostly at night and that is when I water my hanging plants. They have been so heavy this year that I find myself getting up at 6am to water just so I can do it in peace. OI! But I have to admit.....I love being out in the yard that early. Everything is fresh and cool and quiet. Not many like to be up in the early am. It's almost like vacation. :)

Oi Veh!

In California again. I tell ya! Luckily this is for fun. My sister is having a baby shower. I can't miss that right? And in August she will have the baby. I can't miss that either right? Maybe I should move her up to Oregon. ;)

We finished our classes. Now we wait for a caseworker to be assigned to us. Then more classes. And home studies. And FBI/Criminal background checks. Amazing what you have to go through. But, I agree it needs to be done. We had some people in our class, who I'm afraid to say I judged, that scared me. I wouldn't want to place children with them. You know that weird feeling you get. Just a creepy feeling. The one you cannot explain....but you don't want to ignore it either. Hopefully I'm wrong.

The new development is that my cousin is going to come live with us. Her name is Barbara. She is 17 and going to be a senior this year. We figure the older we get the children the less time they are in the home. :) You know.......17 and 3/4.......College scholarships.......and a very high paying job in the future. Those are the kind of children everyone wants right? We are very excited she is coming to stay. We need someone to practice on. Hee Hee. I hope we don't screw up too bad.
Blog to you soon :)

Remodel

Ok. So we are getting our house ready for a family. Oh Boy, is that a lot of work. A little over a year ago we put some french doors in our dining room. We love them. But, it used a wall to one of the bedrooms.....that now needs to belong to a child. I don't know how many children are out there that want french doors with lots of clear glass to go into their bedroom. SO.....we decided to move them to the other side of the dining room. Everyone thinks we are crazy....but we don't care :) Then we have to wall off where the doors were. But while we are walling off we decided we might put another wall in the living room area....and create a Den. Everyone wants a Den....don't they? I mean.....if we build one wall.....how hard will it be to build another? Right? Right!
Have I ever mentioned that I love change? I remember that one of my friends said every time they come into my house it is different. I told her that I guarantee that to everyone. Well.....here we are. Changing again. It's funny....I thought putting a wall in the living room would make it seem smaller. Not so. It actually gives me another wall to put things on and it seems bigger. I don't get that. But its true. Here is the trick. I have bookclub at my house next week. Do you think we can get it done in time? We shall see.......

Blog to you soon!!!

Still going strong

We are half way done with our classes now. We made it through the Sexual Abuse one just fine. It actually strengthened our desire to go through with this. It has been a great experience for us. I tell you....this lady that teaches the class.....she does it with so much passion that it makes me want to go back to college. Just because I know these classes are going to end.....and I don't want them to. We have learned so much. Things that birth parents probably aren't aware of. I actually had a friend the other day that was having problems with her 5 year old daughter. It was a communication problem. In our classes they are teaching us to learn and read their 'tells'. And how to communicate with them at their level. It was so obvious to me what was going on (due to the classes) and my friend had no clue. She has been around this child since birth and is still not sure how to communicate with her. And it isn't my friends fault. I really believe that every parent should go through some kind of class to understand the development and normal characteristics of the child. I know they have a 'What to expect when you are expecting' book. Do they have one for after the birth and through the ages of the child? I hope so. I am so grateful for these classes. There are so many things that I would have taken for granted, or done on instinct. And sometimes, I have learned, instinct is wrong. I cannot wait to pick your brains on all of this.

Blog to you soon!!

Classes

Two classes down. Six to go. As we were sitting in these three hour classes we found ourselves wondering.....why didn't we do this before now? There are over 1100 children in Marion county alone that do not have a family. The teacher is great. She was a foster child in the 50's and emancipated at 16. She never found a family of her own. (Father, Mother, Brother, Sister) Of course she married and had her own children. But, just think about not having anyone. Most people won't adopt the teenagers. They feel that they are too out of reach or set in their own ways. It saddens me to think of them after they are out of the 'System'. No one to come home to. No one to spend the Holidays with. As annoying as some family's can be......I have a hard time imagining life without them.

The classes are only on Monday and Tuesday. We are having a hard time waiting the week in between to go to the next one. The teacher says that she usually talks most people out of being Foster parents or Adopting than she talks into it. Most people aren't ready for the challenge. She says she will lose about half of the class (as of now 65) after the Sexual abuse day. She is so honest and to the point. She is telling us the worst of the worst scenarios. Which we think is great. If you are prepared for the worst.....then it should be a piece of cake if it isn't. Right? This so far has been an amazing experience.....and we haven't really even started.

Blog to you soon!!

Home again, Home again, Jiggity Jig

WE ARE HOME!!!!! Oregon.....what a great state! So fresh, so cool, so quiet :) We returned home on Friday night. And I have already rearranged my house. Most of the people who know me knows that that is not a surprise. We are starting our remodel this week. I don't think Dan is as excited to be home as I am. Hee Hee. Too much work.

We did have some terrible news this week though. Our neighbors behind us decided they didn't like the 20 foot arborvitae in their back yard......They yanked them all out :( I actually cried. It destroyed the look and the privacy of our back yard. I am ready to move now. We are trying to figure out what to do to the backyard to make it more cozy. Suggestions?

This month will be very busy. We start our classes for adoption tonight. So Excited. We have classes every Monday and Tuesday night for the whole month. 3 hours each. We cannot wait until we are done. We are so ready to be a family.

IT IS SO GOOD TO BE HOME!

Happy Place

As part of our Adoption process we are told that we need to take a vacation BEFORE we have children placed with us. To kind of unwind, relax and prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. (All you mothers know exactly what they are talking about......don't you?) We have been searching all sorts of vacation plans (note previous blogs) And it is a tough thing to do. We are in family mode in our minds. All we want to do is play. We couldn't think of a 'serious' 'grown-up' vacation. Is that weird. We have planned out the next 15 years of family vacations though. :) So after many weeks of different vacation plans.....we decided 'DISNEYLAND'. I know, it is a bit odd. But we are still children ourselves. The funny thing is, I feel so guilty about not taking our children. And we don't even know who they are!!!???!!! How weird is that?

It has been a strange experience. The whole adoption process. Years ago we thought we would adopt a baby. We even filled out ALL the paperwork for the agency. And let me tell you....it is a lot of paperwork. But it just didn't feel like it was time. We hummed, and hawwed. And then withdrew from the process. We couldn't really tell you why. Then a few years later we thought, OK....we need to get this taken care of.......and did it all over again. But again, we withdrew. There was something holding us back. Not that we didn't want children.....it just wasn't time. Now, it is kind of funny. We cannot wait until we find them. Almost like something exploded inside us. This process takes too much time. The great thing is. Our children are out there already. They have been born. We don't know where they are, Who they are, or when we will get them. But they are there. Looking at the same stars we are. Waiting for us to come and get them. This was the opportunity we have been waiting for. There is no way that I could care for an infant in my condition. To have to pick it up hundreds of times a day would have been physically impossible. I would have done it anyway.....but would have paid for it too. With this adoption the youngest we can get is 18 months. Already toddling. Not needing to be picked up ALL the time. Ready to play. Ready to communicate. And I have to be ready to tell them that we went to Disneyland without them:)

Blog to you soon :)

BEST NEWS

It's been a bit since I've been on here. I haven't had any time to just talk or write. It's been a great week though. We went home for a few days this last week. I love doing yard work. Oh, I missed it so much. Even in the rain :) We got to spend time with friends and family. You couldn't ask for a better Vacation. Although....it does not fall within the "Dream Vacation" realm. Have any of you been to the 'Melting Pot' in Portland? YOU HAVE TO GO. It was absolutely wonderful. I recommend taking great friends with you. It definitely made the evening. And the food......YUMMY. GO! Enough said.

The best news: We have decided that we are ready to be a family!!! Can you believe it? After 14 years of trying to do it naturally.....we have decided that adoption is the way for us. We are so excited. We start all of the classes and home studies this next month. And who knows, we might have a family by Christmas. Maybe. We are so ready for this next step in life. I know I wouldn't have been ready if it weren't for such great friends. Seeing them be a family and how much they wouldn't trade it for the world. All the love and frustration that comes with it :) We are hoping to find a family group. Maybe 3-4 siblings that need parents. We thought.....if we are going to do it....we might as well do it. All the advice you can give us will be greatly appreciated. I know my bookclub group will be immersed with questions. I know I will be making a list.

Blog to you soon ~

Dream Vacations

We are always trying to figure out what our dream vacation destination is. Do we dream of sandy beaches? A cabin in the snow? A cruise? A road trip? There are so many to choose from. And it seems that we can never come up with one. We realized that the first 7 or more years that we were married, we always used our vacations to visit family in distant lands. So I think we never truly understood what a vacation was. We do have a dream vacation for when we retire. And I recommend it for everyone. There is a cruise. It is like 220 days on the ship. And supposedly hits every major port in the world. I think it is only $50,000 a person. But I'm not completely sure. So start saving. We can all go together. :D We are looking at 2018 for the cruise. YEAH RIGHT! We'll see. I would love to know what everyone's dream vacation is. I am trying to find out what suits our fancy. All the ideas we can get.......will be helpful. My dream growing up was to do the whole convertible road trip across the US. But now that I'm older.....the thought of sitting in a car for hours at a time is not appealing. PLEASE HELP!!!

Blog to you soon :)

Happy Earth Day!!

Earth Day was initiated in 1970 by Wisconsin U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, who started a grass roots “teach-in” focusing on the lack of environmental protection laws.

Earth Day is observed on April 22nd every year partly to honor the actor Eddie Albert (of Green Acres fame!) whose birthday falls on that date. Albert was a real life organic farmer as well as an outspoken environmental activist whose work included initiatives to ban the pesticide DDT.

Earth Day eventually led to legislation including the Clean Air Act (1970), the Clean Water Act (1977) and fuel efficiency standards for automobiles.

Earth Day is now celebrated worldwide by over one billion people!


Ok - So you know I didn't write that. But just a tid-bit of information. We are very interested in Earth Day. We base our entire work life off of the ideals of keeping the Earth livable for all animal and plant life. I have been reading a book called 'Silent Spring' by Rachel Carson. It was the book that started the whole Environmental Movement in the 1960's. It is actually a fascinating book. But, I think that only people interested in Environmental work or reducing the use of pesticides would be interested. I may be wrong. It fascinates me to read of the stupidity of man. How could they not think it through that dangerous pesticides wouldn't leach into the ground water and soils and contaminate everything and kill everything in its path? Ok.....a bit over the edge.....but come on people!!

Happy Earth Day Everyone!!

Spring Fever

We cannot believe it snowed at our house (OREGON) yesterday. We are down here wearing sunblock. Amazing to me what difference there is in 600 miles.

I have to tell you....spring fever is pure horror down here when you rent an apartment. I usually get spring fever right after Christmas. I always start looking at bulbs and hanging baskets right away. We rented an apartment down here that doesn't allow you to have anything on your front porch. (That was well planned out) :( I think it is even harder down here because everything blooms so early. Daffodils are usually blooming end of February in Oregon. We came down here the second week in February and they were already dieing off. Same with the Calla Lilies. They are in full bloom down here already.....almost gone.....and I know the ones in my yard won't bloom until the end of May. I guess the blessing in that is that I get to enjoy a longer spring, since I will be home by June 1st. I guess there is also the fact that if I had planted when I started spring fever in December....they wouldn't have lived through this strange weather that is happening in Oregon. Ok, Ok......I see the up side now. I guess I just needed to see it in writing to really appreciate it. I am getting a good base coat of a tan line for the pool season this year. We are going to go fly a kite at the beach this week, and soak up all the sun we can before we come home. Miss everyone and everything.

Blog to you soon :D

Love Thy Neighbor?

Suggestions?

Imagine the most difficult person you could ever come across. Someone who is self absorbed. Has no cares for how others are feeling. Every word that comes out of their mouth is negative and disrespectful towards others and they have really bad language (even thought they know it is offensive to you.) The only time they say something nice is when they are trying to glorify themselves.

Now imagine that you are trying to love your neighbor. You spend time with them, trying to be cheerful. Finding only good things to discuss. Trying to make them laugh and see the goodness that life can give you. But all you end up with is hurt feelings and an eagerness to leave.

How long do you suggest that you should put yourself in this situation? Should it be forever? Should you never give up? Or should you cut your losses and live with the fact that you cannot love everyone?

I would love to get input from everyone. Sometimes we get these struggles that challenge us to the core. Do we choose what is right? Or do we choose what is best for us? And where is that line drawn?

Dreams?

Ok, so I know I just started this, but I keep thinking of things to write down. If anyone knows anything about dreams, I would love to hear what they think of this.

I was at a vet. (I have dogs.....I dream as if I'm a dog too I guess) And the doctor was telling me that I was sick and he didn't know how long I had to live. So while he was putting another dog down, I jumped in and said that I wanted the shot too. I didn't want to suffer this illness that I had. As soon as the Vet gave me the shot, I had this horrible feeling of needing to be with my husband. I knew at that moment that if I died right there that I may be missing a good 50 years of life with him. I felt that whatever the illness was, it might not be so bad to suffer through, as long as I had him. What would he do without me. So at that point, I was doing whatever I could to stay awake. I knew that if I fell asleep I was a gonner. So I searched for Dan. Found him and told him what was happening. And wanted to know if he knew anyway to reverse the drug. Dream ended.

It has been three days since that dream and I cannot seem to shake the fear that I felt in the dream. When I go to bed, I am afraid to fall asleep. I'm sure it will pass. But has anyone ever felt a dream hang on so long?

Anyone have re-occurring dreams?

The Rundown

Just to get the hang of this, I thought I should just start typing.

The Pippert's

We have been together for 14 years now. It was definitely 'Love at first sight'. Well for me anyway. Of course the real thought in my head was "Crap! I have to marry this guy?" But luckily for me he turned out to be a real catch. We met at the 76 station in Monmouth, OR. I was actually on my first date with his roommate and was told to steer clear of Dan because he would try and steal me away. Of course that relationship didn't go very far. We started dating on April 10th, 1994 and he asked me to marry him on April 16th. To my friends and families surprise, we were married on May 28th of the same year. Sure, it was a quick romance. But when you know, you know.

We moved around a lot in the next few years. About every six months we were in a new home. Which of course I didn't mind.....because I love change. Anyone who knows me can testify to that. He was so ambitious and I followed him everywhere. From bike mechanic to Kitchen designer to Yellow Page advertising to Pizza to 401k and Retirement Plans. I'm sure there are quite a few more in between. But I cannot remember them all. We finally bought a house and settled down in 2002. It is hard to believe how long we have been in one house. But, 50 coats of paint later, and absolutely no texture showing on the walls (JK) here we are.

Just this last year my father decided he wanted to retire and start doing what he has always wanted to (Teach). Go figure. You decide to retire to follow your dream.....and that dream happens to be work. So, Dan, on a whim decided we should purchase my father's business (Earth friendly Pest Control) from him. I had been working with him answering phones and doing the schedule and invoicing for 4 years and we thought it wouldn't be that much different to take over. RIGHT!!! We purchased the business on April 1, 2007 and since have been in California (where the business is) for more than 8 months out of the last year. Dan has put so much effort into this job.....you would think that he has been doing it for years. But to be honest with you.....we wouldn't be where we are today if he hadn't been so eclectic in his job searches. Every single one of them has helped us learn what we needed to know to successfully run and operate this business. Now our only goal is to get us back home to Oregon.

That is a pretty quick summary. But, I will probably fill in the blanks as we go along. Oh, I forgot to mention our children. Gauper is 8 1/2 years old. Very calm and lovable. Wouldn't do anything to hurt a fly. Basically because he wouldn't want to put the effort into it. Kestra is 8 years old, and definitely showing her age. She has a heart problem. But she is just a sweetheart and follows her mama everywhere she goes. She just wants to be near me. She also has a shoe fettish. When ever she goes missing for a while.....usually we can find her curled up in a closet with all the shoes. And Elphaba is 1 year old. She is a spit fire. Very loving and willing to nibble on your ear if you would let her. And watch your toes too. She loves toes. Most people who where flip flops know this already.

Thanks for listening! :)

Blog to you soon -

Thought I would try it :)

OK....out of complete bordom, I decided to start a blog like so many others have. I thought, why not join in on the fun. The only hiccup......I don't know how much fun it will be to post about my dogs. That is why I dropped out of a scrapbooking club.....they were all doing "Baby's first tooth", "First Spaghetti" and so on. And although I (might) have pictures of my dogs doing the same thing....it just doesn't have the same meaning. So, as dull as this might get....thanks for sticking with me.