It begins

Last night, Jay and I went to an adoption info meeting at Crossroads Agency. We were very impressed and have decided to use them for our journey. We came home with the paperwork and application to get started and so.....it begins. Today. September 17th, 2009. I'm excited and yet nervous....not about the process or the adoption itself, but about the money. I just hope we can make it work. I realize that I just have to have faith. My prayer is for God to show us that this is what we're supposed to be doing by opening the path for it to happen. I truly believe that this is what He's done up until now....so I have to believe that He will continue to do so. How can bringing home a child that needs a family NOT be His will.
Until He shows me otherwise, this is my faith during the process.

Here I am with the application......here goes nothin'

WOOHOO!

I'm so excited! I knocked off another day from my daycare ticker and VIOLA....it's under 200. Just like that....I can't believe it's already been 2 weeks since I started my countdown. It's fun to see the number get smaller....a little scary, but fun. I kinda feel like the contestants on Biggest Loser when their weight finally gets into the 100's for the first time.......only my butt is just as big as it was 2 weeks ago. Oh well, that's another story.
YAY!

Tanner's first day

I was fine....why wouldn't I be....my baby started preschool....so what. No tears....from him anyway. I'd like to say that he missed me terribly and was miserable being away from me for those 3 hours....but that would be a lie. My baby is not a baby anymore. Mom's gonna have to deal with that one.

Getting up on his first day...rise and shine my big boy.


Eating breakfast on the big day. Hey, it's the little things I'm capturing here.


A picture outside before we leave...of course. I especially like the dead flowers in the background.


Finding his cubby....


....and finding his best friend in the classroom. I'll bet she'll show him the ropes.


And so it begins for my Tanner Bananer.....

Speeding, wrong directions and police equals 40 minutes late

Tyler had his first football game today and it was in North Branch...about a 40 minute drive from home. I had to work and got off just in time....almost....to get up there to the game and only be 5-10 minutes late...or so I thought. It took me getting about 20 feet away from the State Trooper on the freeway to see him just in time to look at my spedometer and see the pin pointing to 83 (in my defense, the limit is 70....maybe that's not a good defense). Whoops. No escaping that one. He pulled out of his space and got behind me. He walked up and asked for for my license and insurance. He told me I was going pretty fast....."yah, I got a little carried away".....he asked where I was headed and I said I was trying to get to my son's 3pm game...it was almost 3 at the time, so this wasn't helping. Well, he came back and said he was giving me a warning. Thank you, God. I thanked him and went on my way, knowing I had dodged a bullet.
When I got to the North Branch exit, I followed the coaches directions and went for about 12 miles the wrong way before turning around and calling Jay. The coach had written the wrong directions down in his email. UGH!! That took me another 20 minutes out of my way. I was so frustrated at this point, I darn near turned around and just went home. I got there and there was one quarter left. I watched Tyler do one punt return play and stand on the sidelines the whole rest of the time. Apparently, he had only played a couple plays until that as well. So.....I left work at 2:10 and got to the game at 3:40 all to see Tyler on the field for about 90 seconds. This reminds me of a wrestling match last year and a similar story....minus the police.
We got home, I picked up Cub fried chicken dinner on the way, and now I'm in my pj's knowing full well that the minute I leave the computer and sit on the couch....I'll. Be. Out.

Lighthearted moment of the day......Tyler was sitting in the front seat of the van on the way home and was trying to say something to Trae who was all the way in the back. Trae couldn't hear him and I told Tyler he should LOOK at Trae so he could hear him better...I'm thinking, turn around...face him...speak up...Tyler puts the visor down and looks in the mirror to SEE Trae and starts talking again. Oh my gosh, what a goofball.
This is also the same kid who came up and gave me a big hug yesterday and said I love you, mom. When I said I love you too...he said "No, no, no, whenever I do this you're line is 'What do you want and how much is it?' " HA! I told him not to hold his breath waiting to hear THAT from me. :)

The things I hear....

Oh my gosh, as if it weren't enough that my days are spent with conversations with 3 and 4 year olds....a girl who insists on naying like a horse all day....one who talks like he constantly has a mouth full of potatoes....he did this and she did that....we're hungry, we're thirsty, I have to go potty, I miss my mommy.....now I can't even find refuge in the salon when I work. It's usually a nice change of pace to be able to work while visiting with my clients, most of which I've done for years and really enjoy talking with. I thought the situation on Thursday night was bad when one of my clients had gotten totally drunk waiting at the bar for her appointment to start. I tried to ignore her for the most part...get done...and get her out of there (not before calling the police, mind you, that there was a drunk woman about to hit the streets...but that's a whole 'nother long story). So, fast forward to Tuesday I was cutting a clients hair that I've done forever and she starts telling me about her dog's anal glands.....HUH?....popping the anal glands, to be specific (you're welcome). HUH?? So my question is...what the hell do I say to that? I mean really...."Wow, that's interesting" or "Fascinating, I never knew" Or just a simple "Uh huh" I opted for the last response. I could have gone my whole life not hearing that story. It amazes me what people will decide to share and think you're interested in.

School days

Yesterday the boys started school. This marks the begining of another year of getting up while it's still dark, homework at night, band concerts, conferences, field trips, lunch money, running to the bus, uniforms, recess, and friends....to name just a few things.
I sent the oldest 4 off yesterday and it was very strange. All these years and I slowly have to say goodbye to them one at a time, little by little..hoping that the things they've learned at home will carry through to their school day. Respecting others, respecting their teachers, showing kindness, being humble, sticking up for others, sticking up for their brothers, being a leader rather than a follower...letting God's love show through them. Okay, so maybe that's alot to ask a little kid to do...but we do the best we can and hope they do their best while away from home.
I'm really very proud of them.
Tony on his first day of kindergarten at Epiphany.

My boys. Aww... Tyler was totally embarrassed by having his picture taken. It didn't help that the high school kids were on the corner nearby. Oh, the horror.

Oh, and a P.S.....I got a call from Sand Creek Elementary yesterday morning at about 10am. It was the attendance person asking where Tony was....Um...at Epiphany....for school....HA! I had to laugh. I told her that I had told them back in the spring that he wouldn't be going there. Kinda funny....he must have had his class and his name on a desk and by a coat hook and everything. Whoops.

Fun weekend

We had a blast this weekend! The weather could not have been more perfect. We got there on Friday around 3pm and got all set up, grabbed Little Ceasars for dinner, and said goodbye to Jay as he went into work for a few hours. They needed extra work for the State Fair week...it stunk that he had to leave at the best time for the adults when we're playing games and the kids are doing their own thing, but the money was too tempting to pass up completely. Oh well...
The kids swam a while but the water was way down this year so it was very shallow. They still had fun though.






On Sat. we got up and headed to the State Fair. I love the fair! We got there at 10:30am and didn't get back to the campsite until 11pm. The kids were spent by then. We still didn't even see everything we wanted to....that thing is huge. Helen and Paul and the kids met up with us later in the afternoon which was fun. We walked around the grandstand with pangs of jealousy as we listened to Reo Speedwagon start singing 'I can't fight this feeling any longer....' Next year if they are there again we are going!!
I had my Australian potatoes, a Fair tradition..and I bought the ornaments for the kids at Holly's Hobby's, another Fair tradition...and we went on the 'Ye Ole Mill' ride, another fair tradition...although I think Jay was disappointed we were in seperate boats as he always takes full advantage of the dark tunnel *wink wink*.
I read an article in Reader's Digest once that featured the "best" of things and Minnesota was listed as having the Best State Fair. I agree....after all, where else can you pretend to be a farmer, see an Elvis impersonater, pay $4.00 for a diet coke, go to a building full of Republicans, avoid the building full of Democrats, lose your youngest child (yep, that happened for about the longest 5 minutes of our lives), go down a 200 foot slide, did I mention pay $4.00 for a diet coke, see a lumberjack show, run into 3 diffent people you know in a crowd of 200,000...and see a 200 pound pumpkin all in one day. Pretty Awesome!











On Sunday, we really just chilled. The kids played and swam, Amy and I played some scrabble, the hubbys played frisbee vollyball and kickball with the kids. It was a good day.
I really love camping with the Jay and the boys. I love that they will have this as a good memory when they are adults. I am looking forward to many more fun summers to come.