our first egg

This morning when I let my girls out to free range, I peeked in the laying boxes and there it was - our first egg!

I'm 99% positive it was Lizzie, my Dominique, who layed it. For the past week, she's been clingy when I'm outside and VERY talkative, which is not normal for any of my hens. Also, she would let me pet her (again, NOT normal) and when I did she would squat and put her bum in the air.

The egg was bigger than I had expected, a medium brown with a few darker brown speckles on one end, the shell was nice and hard, and it was a double yoker.

Look how orange that yoke is! This is what an egg is supposed to look like, not yellow like in the stores.

And yes, I was so excited that I ran in the house to show Nick and did a little happy dance. :)

the year in facebook status

bead pics

I have posted pictures online of some of the 650 BeadforLife products I have available for purchase. You can view the photo album here.

If you are local and would like to view the items, I can come to you.

If you are out of the area, I would be more than happy to ship any items to you for a very small fee.

Keep in mind that there are many many color options. Additional photos are available upon request.

Beads! (and shea butter too!)

The Holiday Bead Party I had planned for Dec. 4th is now cancelled.

BUT I still have the products available for sale!

BEADS ARE HERE!!!

I have hundreds of beautiful BeadforLife products handmade by Ugandan women for sale.

These unique necklaces and bracelets, as well as shea butter lip balm and soap (it smells soooo good!), would make great holiday gifts - AND you would be helping a wonderful group of impoverished women!

If you're interested in making a purchase or would like to browse the items, call me or email me at waiting2beamommy@yahoo.com... I can come to you!

I can also accept payment online through paypal, so if you do not live in my area, you can still make a purchase! I can send you pictures of items you're interested in, and can ship them to you

for a small fee - cheaper than directly buying from BeadforLife!

Click HERE to view all the products BeadforLife offers, and feel free to contact me with any questions.

Products will be for sale until Dec. 20th.

the good ol' days

I came across this picture of my handsome daddy and his dog "Spot" from the late 1970's.
I just love it!

busy bee

Oh boy... Thinking about all I need to accomplish from now until Dec 5th is putting me in a little panic!

This weekend I am PRAYING that we can get our bathroom remodel done in time for Thanksgiving and my Bead Party on Dec 4th.

I am also going to be getting a few things done ahead of time for thanksgiving dinner.

I am making a birthday cake and it must be completed on Dec 5th. I'm planning on baking it the beginning of next week and putting it in the freezer. The cake is going to be huge! It's a 3D helmet from the video game Halo Reach. I also will need to make huge amount of marshmallow fondant for this cake and color it. I'm hoping to do this this next week as well, as it stays fresh for weeks.

Then of course I need to clean the house for Thanksgiving.

Then after Thanksgiving I need to clean again and decorate the house for Christmas, since the Bead Party after all is a Holiday Bead Party.

I'm hoping I can get the carpets steam cleaned over Thanksgiving weekend.

And last but not least, this weekend I need to empty and clean our spare room. Currently it holds our computer desk, treadmill, sewing supplies, and Christmas decorations. This is because our good friend Apryl will be living with us while she continues college.

*shudder* This list scares me. Lets hope I can get it all done!

wordless wednesday

One rad kid (Miah) - our roadtrip to Forks, WA

Pain has become a familiar friend,
waiting for a weak moment to draw me in.
My heart is like ice, careful where I tread,
the broken shards feel like glass upon my feet.
Constantly trying to drown out this anger inside me,
unable to concentrate at all.
I don’t have time for tears anymore,
if I did, I’d unendingly be weeping.
I’m living in a fog, not entirely sure where I’m headed,
what was once west is now east – I’m so lost.
My dreams are fading and I’m losing hope,
if this is not my purpose in life, what is?
My faith in what I believed to be truth is now a question.
I’m simply desperate for something,
but I don’t know what that something is.

wordless wednesday

I made this cake for my neice Sam's 11th birthday party.

movember

Monday starts the first day of "Movember"!

What is Movember, you may ask? The Mo, slang for moustache, and November come together each year for Movember. Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men. Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days.

Nick is the captain of the Movember team at his work.

To make a donation to the team, click HERE.

After you make a donation, leave me a comment letting me know, and you'll be entered in a drawing to win some fun prizes!

The funds raised through Movember’s US campaign benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The PCF uses the money raised by Movember to fund research that is accelerating the discovery of better treatments and ultimately finding a cure for prostate cancer. One such program is the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center’s research, which has recently made a significant breakthrough. They identified 24 different kinds of prostate cancer and how aggressive each is. This should enable scientists to soon be able to answer the agonizing question facing men with prostate cancer: does their cancer need immediate treatment, and if so what is the best treatment, or can it be left alone? LIVESTRONG uses the money raised by Movember to fund important programs to support young adults and their families battling and surviving cancer. These programs include: • Fertile Hope, an initiative dedicated to providing reproductive information, support and hope to cancer patients and survivors whose medical treatments present the risk of infertility.• My Planet, an online community of peer support that allows young adults to find and communicate with other young adults whose lives have been affected by cancer.• Continuing Nursing Education program on Young Adult Cancer Survivorship. LIVESTRONG encourage nurses to know the warning signs of cancer, understand what types of cancer for which young adults may be at risk, and learn about cancer screening.The success of Movember can be directly attributed to the more than 627,000 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas who have supported our cause since 2003. Movember is sincerely grateful for their efforts and appreciates all they do. For those of you new to Movember, we challenge you to join us in changing the face of men's health.For detailed information about the Movember Foundation, financial and annual reports, men’s health, the programs being funded and the social impact Movember is having, please visit: http://us.movember.com

been there, done that, but lets go there again anyway

On Oct 11th I had surgery to remove a dermoid cyst from my right ovary. Recovery has gone well and I had my post-op doctor appointment yesterday afternoon. My doctor said I am healing up well and we discussed my infertility issues. I briefly went over our adoption from hell in Liberia, and how we're still on this seemingly never-ending waiting game for our second adoption. Nick and I really want to get our family started (duh!) and so I asked for and was given a new prescription for Clomid, an infertility medication. I have taken Clomid before. I took it for two years in fact, and had one miscarriage - unless a false positive is possible.

So that's the latest in my life as a childless mother. My doctor suggested I go to Seattle Infertility, but I personally have an issue with IVF and don't think I'd ever go that route. I'm not condemning anyone who's used that treatment, I'm just saying it's not for me. I could go into a whole other post on that, but I'll save that for another day.

Today will be day one of my Progesterone treatment (I have to use this along with the Clomid due to my PCOS and lack of menstruation). Clomid treatment will likely start within the next two weeks. Along with the medication, I have come up with an herbal concoction that I will drink as a tea. Some ingredients are Chaste Tree Berry, Red Clover Blossoms, Raspberry Leaves, Nettle and a few other herbs/barks.

I'll be posting my results... but lets not get our hopes up folks! ;)

BeadforLife

I'm having a BeadforLife Holiday Bead Party...

...and you're invited!!

When: Sat, December 4th

Open house from 12 pm - 6 pm

Where: My house in N.W. Washington

Contact me for directions!

RSVP: waiting2beamommy@yahoo.com

Come enjoy some gourmet holiday treats while browsing over 500 pieces of BeadforLife's beautiful handcrafted beaded jewelry as well as their new Shea butter products!

As a thank you gift from me, each purchase will come with a free organza gift bag - perfect for gift giving this holiday season!

chillin' with my peeps

We got two new baby chicks this past week.Bazinga the Rhode Island Red, and Penny the Buff OrpingtonThe "big girls" are now 11 weeks old and love roaming the yard.

They LOVE cauliflower

In their new favorite hiding spot, behind our shed

This one, Mary the Black Australorpe, is my favorite. She runs up to me and will eat out of my hand.

around the yard

Indeed we've had beautiful weather here.

bandaids for the heart

A couple horses on my side of the bridge

It definitely feels like fall here in western Washington. I love breathing in the clean crisp air and watching the leaves change to their new blazing colors. To me, this time of year has always held a magical feeling of change and new beginnings. I’m not too anxious for that feeling this year. I don’t imagine much will change in our lives, at least nothing of much consequence... My hens should start laying in a couple months…. I will have a reason to cozy up in a blanket with a cup of hot tea... I may teach myself to crochet again… Nick and I will celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary… but still, we will be a meager family of two for another fall and holiday season.

We are both still trying to move on from loosing Macsyn. My heart has felt so hard and cold ever since the day we found out he’d never come home. I admit, shamefully, that my relationship with God isn’t where it should be. I hold so much anger, bitterness and resentment in my heart. This is very bad. I know I need to get right with Him.

We don’t have a church we call home, though we’ve been searching for this for years. It’s been nearly 5 years since we were hurt to our cores by a church whose members we loved and cared so much for. We have since spoken with the senior pastor of that church and made amends. It’s nice to be able to drive past it and not feel total revulsion, but rather a happiness that we were able show him how we were hurt and for him to understand where we came from. When my feelings before were of anger and hurt, they are now of peace over the entire situation.

This time, though, there is no one to go to talk to about this hurt. No one except for God. And at this point I don’t know what to say, or how my heart can fully heal from this. I KNOW only in Him can I overcome this, but when it hurts so badly, you start to doubt whether or not a full recovery is possible.

homemade furniture polish

This weekend I discovered a simple recipe for homemade furniture polish that works.

In a spray bottle, combine equal parts vegetable oil and lime or lemon juice. Give it a good shake before each use. Use it as you would a store bought polish.

I tried this on my antique Majestic radio and, two days later, it is still glowing.

friends and thai food

My great friend Tori is co-owner of the restaurant Jasmin Thai Cuisine & Sushi in town and is competing for a spot in "The Best of Western Washington". They won 4th place last year, but are aiming for #1 this year. Help them achieve this by casting a vote for them HERE!Nick and I truly believe that it was a God thing by us meeting Tori and Luke. When we asked our adoption agency for the address of the family who was traveling to Liberia next - so we could have them take our photo album to Macsyn - the address of the family was in the same tiny town we are in. I thought it was a typo. I searched the local phone book and couldn't believe it... There was another family adopting from the same orphanage as us living just down the road 4 miles!

We are so thankful and feel blessed that Luke and Tori (and their ADORABLE son Miah) are a part of our lives now. We couldn't ask for better friends. :)

rip little chickie

When we get home from work, I immediately check on our 6 chicks. We got home last night and as usual, I went to check on them. "One, two, three, four, five. FIVE?!" It took me a second, but I found #6. Poor guy stuck himself between the wall of their rubbermaid bin and the waterer and was on his back, taking his last breaths. I know they are just dumb chickens, but if I'm going to be honest, I was a little sad. I wondered, and hoped, that I had not done something to make him sick. He was about half the size of the others, so maybe there was something wrong from the get go. The others are doing great. They've started to get their tail feathers. I'm amazed everyday at how much they change!

chicks!

Our baby chicks have arrived! We picked them up early this morning from the post office, and now they are in my work office, getting settled into their new home. I'm interested to see how the pups will react when we bring them home this evening. I'll post more pics later. All I have with me right now is my camera phone.

laundry detergent

I am weird... this is nothing new. But I am reminded this when I say to someone "I need to cook some laundry soap tonight" and get a strange look. For over a year now, I have made our laundry detergent, and it's simple & affordable. Two of the three ingredients will last you over a year, easily.

You will need:
Arm & Hammer washing soda - this is NOT the same as baking soda folks!

~Borax
~Bar soap - often Fels Naptha is used, but I prefer some plain Dial (your clothes will not smell like the soap you use)
~ essential oil (optional, but I typically don't use this)

~ 3-5 gallon bucket or empty detergent containers

Grate approximately 1/3 cup of bar soap and put in a medium pot; cover with water. Cook over med heat and stir gently to get rid of clums. Once your soap liquid is mostly smooth, take it off the burner. Add 1/3 cups of both washing soda and borax. Stire and allow to dissolve. Once dissolved, pour into your bucket. While slowly stirring, add enough hot tap water to fill your bucket.

Your laundry detergent is now ready to use. As it cools, it may get gelly/gloppy. Don't worry, this is normal! If you like, give it a stir every now and then, but it's not necessary. Depending on the size of your load, you can use 1/2-1 cup of the detergent per load. I use the plastic scoop that came with some powdered soap long ago.

If you'd like to be even more thrifty, you can pour in 1 cup white vinegar during the rinse cycle. This will act as a fabric softener and and vinegar odor should dissipate once the clothes are dried.

28|28|28

“The only music minister to whom the Lord will say,
'Well done, thy good and faithful servant,' is the one
whose life proves what their lyrics are saying...
And to whom music is the least important part of their life.
Glorifying the only Worthy One
has to be a minister's most important goal!”
Keith Green

28 years ago today, on the 28th of July, Keith Green went to be with his Father at the age of 28. Join people from around the globe in a live webcast to remember his life, pray, and worship.

beauty is...

...the setting sun on my side of the bridge.

(This picture doesn't do it justice, but all I had was my camera phone. )

letting go

If I had to give this season of my life a theme, I would call it "letting go". We've had to let go of any hope to bring home our son Macsyn. I've also had to let go of the hope I had for my mother to stop her destructive ways. Regularly I am reminded that God will not give us more than we can handle. Every week my heart heals just a little more.

Having to embrace the fact that I will never get to see my son, let alone know what will become of him, is not easy to grasp. I think about Macsyn everyday. It's hard not to consume my mind with thoughts of him. It's funny how healing works. I can go several days feeling happy, then the smallest thing will remind me of him and I spiral down for days, if not weeks, at a time. I recently thought that perhaps I was pregnant. It turns out I wasn't but a good friend of mine is, and that was really hard to hear. All I want is to be a mother... through adoption or biologically. I admit, watching all our friends with their children sometimes brings out the jealously monster in me. I'm not proud of this. I am trying to take these feelings to God and am working on this.

The other day I found out that my mother is engaged. Again. If this engagement is followed through with, this will be her seventh marriage. When I questioned my mother about the engagement, a storm of words erupted. I know my mother is an adult and can make her own decisions, but when we involve her in our lives and the consequences of her hasty decisions come about, we are all effected. Because of this, Nick and I have decided it would be best to remove ourselves from her destructive lifestyle. Many hurtful things were said over the weekend and it's hard to begin thinking about forgiving. I know, in the end, I will but I can't be naive and put my family in her destructive path. I can forgive, but won't forget. I do hope that she will be happy and have a successful marriage. I hope she will understand the holy covenant that marriage is and considers this. Only time will tell.

loving the pnw

One good thing about the phone & computer network going down at work is I get a chance to write to you all. :)

The last week has been terrible for grass allergy sufferers in our area. A small price to pay for having such beautiful weather here. I'm thankful that I'm able to get all the free Zyrtec I need because taking double and triple doses sure would add up quickly.

With all this beautiful weather these past couple weeks, we have been able to enjoy some time at Lake Ki. We try to float the lake after work on warm days.

I've also been able to tackle our front and back yards. The back was by far the worse. Every night I make a point to work between 30 minutes to 1 hour in the back. I'm nearly done with mowing; all that's left is the grass-turned-wheat forest on the side of the house. Next I'll be tearing out about 100 brick pavers and around 70 square feet of slate pavers. After that all that will be left is to finish cleaning up the pond and weed whacking. I'm so close!

i've done it again...

... I'm making this blog PUBLIC again. Yes, I've changed my mind once more. The purpose of going private was to keep creeps from knowing my family's business, and to make sure our adoption information doesn't get into the wrong hands. Well I've come up with a way to safeguard against those two things.

1. Kaedmon's birth name, nor legal name, is not Kaedmon.
2. Rather than refering to Kaed's birth country by name, I will say "Kead's birth country" or "Africa" instead. If you know me or have been following me, you already know this information anyway! :)

Problems solved!

Raise your hand if you're glad you don't have to log in now
*I'm raising mine!!*

i'm thinking...

...that I should build me a chicken coop.

To be continued...