This Side of the Bridge...

Spring is in the air...

2012-02-13T21:34:00.002-08:00

... I can feel it!

A recent sunset on our island

'tis the season to be... jolly?

2011-12-03T23:42:00.000-08:00

This morning Nick and I drove to a friend of ours family's tree farm to pick out a Christmas tree. It's been 3 years I do believe since we've had a real-live Christmas tree. The past few years we've used a small 2ft tall artificial one my coworker bought me. We haven't really been in the holiday spirit since starting our 4 year and counting adoption journey. The holid

ays are such a magical time for children and we want nothing more than to have a little one(s) of our own to share this time of year with. To say it's a difficult time for us is an understatement.

However, this year is different for me. I can't explain it and don't know why, but I'm feeling quite holly-jolly this time around. I hung up some new stockings for both us and our boys, Chewie and James (dogs - not real children - but they're all we have). I set out all our red & green candles, cinnamon pinecones, artificial greenery garlands and the little christmas village I painted years ago - with cotton snow and all. I decorated the little 2ft tall tree in our den, and just finished decorating the deliciously aromatic tree we cut today.

Here are a couple pictures of the big - and I mean BIG - tree in our living room. It's funny how much smaller they look out at the tree farm. I must say though, these pictures do it no justice. They don't capture how twinkly and sparkly it is, but here they are anyway...

This little guy is hiding in a bare area - love it!

Okay, well maybe not...

2011-11-28T21:34:00.000-08:00

A quick update on our seemingly endless adoption. We received an email today stating that Kaed's birth country is in complete disarray. Elections are going on, people are getting killed, communication is nearly impossible. So, while things looked up in August, things are looking less than stellar right now.

We'll just keep trudging along in hopes that someday we may be able to bring this little guy home. Until then (if ever!) i'm still trying to catch that darn ovulation, and I think we're going to proceed in getting our foster license through our state and see where that takes us.

eye candy

2011-08-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a LONG time since I've posted anything about our adoption of Kaed. It looks like we may have a chance to finally bring this little guy home. Or, maybe I should say, things look better than we had hoped... but first, the eye candy!

Now for the part that gives us some hope in all this...

The director of our agency just got back from a quick trip to Kaed's birth country. She says that much of the paperwork needs to be redone on their end. She is planning on traveling back to his country at the end of September and will work on our case. It is our understanding that she plans on staying there until our adoption is completed.

(mostly) wordless wednesday

2011-08-17T20:16:00.001-07:00

grown from seed heirloom belarusian heart tomatoes

a lone heirloom chiogga beet... the others were destroyed by a rogue chicken

heirloom black beauty zucchini

someone wants a tasty garden treat

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T21:31:00.001-07:00

Bullet Post!

2011-05-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

Man oh man it's been some time since I've written on here! Lots has happened these past couple months...

We were asked to be the Godparents of sweet, adorable little Logan. We just love this guy and feel so blessed to be a part of his life!
I just finished up my fourth round of Clomid (an infertility medication) for this year and again it did not work.
All my hens are laying! It's so nice to get 4-5 eggs each day. Soon I'll be able to start giving them to friends. Yesterday I integrated the 3 baby chickens with the 6 big girls. So far so good. All feathers are still intact. haha
I made a Star Wars birthday cake this past weekend for my favorite little 5 year old. He went bananas and started hugging and kissing me!
Spring has FINALLY decided to arrive in western WA. I'm hoping to re-fence off the garden this weekend and plant the 18 tomato plants I've had growing in our living room window. I'm also going to be planting several old heirloom varieties of corn, squash, melon and beans.
I have made a fantastic new friend, Amber, who lives in Kentucky. We met on a Trying To Conceive (TTC) forum and it feels like we were always meant to be friends... we have a crazy amount of stuff in common.
We traded in our Volkswagen Jetta and Kia Sorento for a Honda Insight. It's taken some getting used to being a 1-car household, but with the distance we commute (we carpool together), we HAD to get something with good gas mileage. 43-47MPG isn't too shabby. ;)
I want to throw a tea party!

And I'll end this post with a cute pic of our friend's dog buddy (him and his momma live with us). He says Hi!

2011-03-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

If I were to give 2011 a theme name, I would call it "Moving On".

*I fear we will be forced to move on from our 2nd attempt at adoption. This is not definative yet, but we hope to have answers on this soon.

*We are attempting, once again, to add to our family biologically. No success yet, but we will keep trying.

*We have moved on from our former lifestyle for a healthier, more active one.

*If indeed we are at an impasse with our 2nd adoption attempt, we may consider adopting through the state.

*I'm no longer letting people get to me and try to break me down. If I can't handle you or your actions, I don't need to be around it. Save your drama for your mama! I will have none of it.

*And lastly, we are slowly but surely trying to move on from all the overwhelming sadness we have felt when it comes to our attempted adoption(s).

depression sucks

2011-03-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

I've had a hard time putting my emotions into words. The following is the prefect description. When I read this, I felt encouraged yet sad that someone can explain and understand how I feel (the woman in the quotes). I haven't found the cure yet.

Depression associated with infertility is not the same as typical depression. Lisa Tuttle, Ph.D., a psychologist who specializes in fertility counseling, says that depression related to infertility is a combination of emotions: not just sadness, but jealousy, anger and grief. "Jealousy is probably the most painful, and more so because it's not really a socially acceptable emotion," says Tuttle. "There's also guilt for depriving spouses and parents of a child, loneliness and often loss of faith." Obsession is also a factor. Tuttle encounters many women who say they can't stop thinking about it, that it haunts them even while they're sleeping.

I am posting this only as a way for me to vent. I don't know if anyone will even read this, but i'm okay with it going into internet oblivion. I'm depesrate to feel better. Have a day when I don't feel a great sadness. Maybe me writing this out and journaling will help. Maybe not. We'll see.
(If you're curious, the full article can be found here.)

changed my email address

2011-02-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

I have changed my email address to SarahofCI@yahoo.com

Why did I change it?

- It was waaaaay toooo loooong

- It was a constant reminder that I still have no children

- People would ask for details

- I don't want it to define me

- I'm at a point where I'm ready to move on with my life and not fixate on the childless factor

Good riddance waiting2beamommy, and hellooo SarahofCI!

oh spring, how I miss thee

2011-02-02T09:50:00.001-08:00

My friend Apryl and I are counting down the days 'til Spring. We have tirelessly worked to convert a good portion of our backyard into a garden area. This area is now attached to the chicken run, so while there are no plants growing back there, the chickens are able to run around, scratch and the dirt, and most importantly... fertilize it.

We have just started our indoor seedlings for 2 varieties of tomatoes as well 3 varieties of onion. All of the seeds we have bought for our garden are non-GMO heirloom seeds... some date back to the 1700's! We purchased them from the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and I highly recommend them. From the time I ordered them to the when they arrived took a quick 3 days.

In the spirit of myself having Spring fever, I thought I'd share with you 10 reasons why you should join in the ever-increasing backyard revolution and plant a backyard garden.

1. Gardens are inflation and recession proof.

2. Planting your own seed protects you from the risks of GMO foods.

3. Growing a garden is emotionally rewarding and offers independence.

4. Fresh picked vegetables are 50% higher in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

5. In an emergency, grocers only have 72 hours worth of food on the shelves.

6. You will make fewer trips to the grocery store.

7. Saving seed from your garden assures nutrition year after year.

8. Gardening keeps us fit; both in mind and body.

9. Planting and sowing is an excellent family activity.

10. You control what goes in to your garden, including pesticides!

our first egg

2010-12-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

bead pics

2010-11-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

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!)

2010-11-27T01:21:00.001-08:00

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

2010-11-21T14:13:00.001-08:00

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

busy bee

2010-11-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-10T09:36:00.001-08:00

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

movember

2010-10-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

We got two new baby chicks this past week.Bazinga the Rhode Island Red, and Penny the Buff Orpington The "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

2010-10-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

Indeed we've had beautiful weather here.

bandaids for the heart

2010-10-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-18T06:39:00.001-07:00

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!

2010-08-12T09:14:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

“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...

2010-07-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

...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

2010-07-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-07-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

... 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...

2010-07-13T21:34:00.001-07:00

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

To be continued...

did you miss me?

2010-07-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

My sincerest apologies for being a neglectful blogger. I hate to come across as a downer, but I haven't felt much like sharing lately. It's hard to journal about your life when you feel terrible inside and, most days, hopeless.

My birthday was this past Saturday (July 3rd). My sweet husband surprised me with the new Cricut Cake machine. I LOVE it.

Yesterday Nick asked me why I wasn't playing with it. I told him I had no reason to decorate anything. No less than one minute later, my kindred friend Tori called me asking if I could make a last minute cake.

Tonight I made the cake she requested... a wiener dog birthday cake for her business partner. It is a dark chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache glaze. It's not perfect, but I am happy with it considering the time constraint. I hope the birthday girl enjoys it!

trying to be more frugal & healthy

2010-04-27T11:23:00.001-07:00

For almost a year now, Nick and I have typed up a budget together every month. We have been able to save more than we ever had the previous 5 years. In an effort to cut back on our allocated grocery & gas costs, I decided to come up with weekly menus. I knew this would be good for us when I took a look at how much we spend on eating out each month. This isn't a new idea but I have finally started to enact it, which is sometimes the hardest part of changing a habit! We stopped by the grocery store last night to buy groceries for three meals a day for the entire week and only spent $65. Woohoo! It's simple things like this that make me giddy. Nick just shakes his head at me and says I'm a dork. Well, this dork is going to be saving us money honey. Not to mention how much better/healthier we will be eating!

Can anyone out there relate to my love of trying to be frugal, and maybe getting a little too excited about it? :)

What are some of your favorite low cost and healthy meals?

2010-04-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Today was nice. Not really warm, slightly overcast, but nice. I spent some time outside... watering plants, trying to cut down the grass out back, filling the bird feeders. I love this time of year, when things are blooming and bringing new life. Being able to enjoy the outdoors really helps when I'm feeling down. I looked out our back door a few minutes ago and took this picture, which doesn't do the night sky any justice. It's a strange bright dark blue, if that makes any sense... a little eerie, but in a good way. It's just beautiful with the dark tree line down below.

keeping busy

2010-04-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

My coworker/boss/good friend Tanya gave me an old table for the boys' room. After a good paint job it looks like new! A little bright, but that's what I was going for.

a spring evening

2010-03-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

James and I just came in from enjoying the beautiful weather for a bit. We took some pictures for everyone to enjoy.

First blossoms on our plum tree.

This boy loves his frisbee!

First blossoms on our currants

See the moon?

Me and my boy (for the record I HATE this pic of me... red & puffy from my cold)

One of my little rhubarbs

pillow case dresses

2010-03-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today I was reading Heather's blog, who is also adopting from the same country that Kaedmon's from. She talked about orphanage donations she has received and mentioned the organization Little Dresses for Africa. They make dresses out of pillow cases and give them to girls in orphanages in Africa. I was inspired by this organization and have decided to make dresses to take for when we get to bring home Baby K.
This is the dress I made tonight... my very first one! Today I bought 10 pillow cases at a thrift store for $.99 each. So I guess I have supplies for nine more days!

spring's almost here

2010-03-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

If I didn't know any better, I would say that it is Spring here in western Washington. My lilac bush had buds on it, my rhubarb is out of the ground, and the plum tree is about to bloom. I can't wait to get my "bucket garden" going!

and the winner is...

2010-03-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

... Carrie!

(I'll be emailing you soon for your address)

fun this summer

2010-03-01T09:07:00.001-08:00

My and my close friend Tori have big plans!

Details coming in the next couple months...

yummy soap

2010-02-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

To thank you all for stopping by, I'm having a giveaway.

Up for grabs is bar of some locally made soap. I really love this stuff! It's gentle for people like me with sensitive skin, it cleans well and leaves your hands silky smooth. I had trouble picking a fragrance, so I decided on "Pacific Northwest Rain" since I live in the PNW.

To win this, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post.

I'll randomly pick a winner Monday night.

I loathe my ovaries - tmi warning

2010-02-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

Some of you may already know, but I have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, commonly known as PCOS. I was diagnosed with it when I was 15. I have had two surgeries to remove cysts and tumors from previous PCOS complications. Otherwise, the "side effects" have become the norm to me and I just keep trucking along. These past 4 months I have been having some problems with a certain side effect. I had an ultrasound yesterday, and it appears I once again have a dermoid cyst.

What's a dermoid cyst? According to Wikipedia:

A dermoid cyst is a cystic teratoma that contains developmentally mature skin complete with hair follicles and sweat glands, sometimes luxuriant clumps of long hair, and often pockets of sebum, blood, fat, bone, nails, teeth, eyes, cartilage, and thyroid tissue. Because it contains mature tissue, a dermoid cyst is almost always benign.

Gross.

Now I am waiting for a coordinator to call me to make an appointment to see what the next step is.

Ovaries, you get a thumbs down from me.

black bean brownies

2010-02-20T12:58:00.001-08:00

I found this recipe the other day and thought it sounded interesting. One of those things where either I'd love it or hate it. It turns out that they are pretty tasty! I didn't tell Nick what they were made of until after he'd had a couple brownies and told me he liked them. Truly, you'd never know they're made of beans!

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients

1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoon instant coffee (optional) - I used!
2/3 cup milk chocolate chips (or any other type of chips) - I used Heath Toffee Chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking dish.
Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a blender; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

whew, tgif

2010-02-19T14:59:00.001-08:00

It seems like when ever I have a 4 day work week due to a federal holiday, things get extra crazy at work. Thank goodness it's Friday folks! I don't know if I could have done another day and still stay sane (ah, the irony).
Tonight we are going out with some friends to a Teppanyaki restaurant. This will be a nice way to wind down the week.
One thing that has made this week better than it could have been is the traffic. Months before the Olympics, local radio and news anchors have made comments on how traffic on the interstate going to Canada would be horrible. Everyday Nick and I have a 74.88 mile commute round trip, 39.40 miles of this commute is on said interstate. Much to our surprise the Olympic games haven't cause complete chaos.
It's the little things that makes life easier that I really appreciate on weeks such as these.

recap

2010-02-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

This past week has been busy.

Last Wednesday I took the day off to clean our horrendously unorganized garage. Instead, I involuntarily had an emotional melt down. A good friend came down and had lunch at our place. That helped turn things around. On Nick's way home from work, he picked up Chinese takeout for dinner. Little did I know there is a new pet store right next door. We have a bad track record with pet stores (some of you may remember Chuck the hamster - rip) but he went in anyway. He debated bringing home a 3 month old minpin/dingo mix puppy. In the end he didn't.

Friday on our way home nick mentioned that we were driving past the pet store, so we went in so I could see how cute she was. I had no intention of buying. We went in and sure enough, she was adorable! Not only that, when I put her down and started walking away, she looked so sad and was jumping and watching me. I melted of course! So after some debate, we decided to buy her. I've always wanted a small dog and we would like to get James another playmate before Chewie dies. No, he's not dying now, he's just getting older and is a VERY large dog.

We brought the dog home and James, our smaller but incredibly emotional dog, didn't want ANYTHING to do with the new puppy - whom I named Bella. This went on all Friday and Saturday. Bella was such a sweet and loving puppy, but it wasn't fair to put James through the emotional trauma he was clearly displaying. We knew things wouldn't work out, so on Saturday we found Bella a new home. I think she'll be very happy there.

Sunday we did nothing. We stayed at home, watched "The Invention of Lying", and just vegged around the house. It was nice after the emotional evening due to giving away my puppy the night before.

Monday I had the day off. I love when Federal holidays come around! Nick had to work, so I decided to start working on our garage. It's probably 1/3 done, but I was working the ENTIRE day. Luckily I belong to our local Freecycle group, so I was able to get rid of nearly everything I wanted gone.

Yesterday I had a dentist appointment and later in the day, a doctor appointment. In between those, I was able to squeeze in some work. My doctor appointment went very well. I feel like she has the same concerns that I do regarding an issue I have, and I'm finally getting it tested tomorrow. That will take a load off my mind... once we know one way or another. On our way home our car acted up yet again, so our wonderful friend Luke, who is a mechanic, is going to try to figure out what's wrong. I think that Nick & Luke think it's just me and not the car... I can't help it if it hates me!

Only three more work days, then the weekend!

Nothing new on both adoptions...

Meds and more

2010-02-10T12:01:00.001-08:00

I have been collecting items to donate to Acres Of Hope for their orphanage and humanitarian work. In the next few days I will be sending our first shipment of two boxes. They will be filled with medications, crib sheets, baby carriers, vegetable seeds, and more.

free stuff and a barbie cake

2010-01-30T19:09:00.000-08:00

Today I finished making a 50th birthday Barbie cake. It was the first time I made and used fondant, so I really enjoyed that part. I had problems with the icing setting as well as transporting the cake, so that's why the top tier slid a little to the right. Oh well. The birthday girl still seemed to like it.

Now that I'm all done with worrying about the cake, I can start on making a rag quilt for our toddler bed. Oh yes, I found a toddler bed on freecycle. It's just like new, the exact one I would have picked out in a store (It matches well with our crib), and oh yeah.... it was FREE!

I have said before on facebook that I would post directions on how to make a rag quilt. I still will, I promise! I'll be taking pictures of the process with the new one I'm making.

An update on "Kutie's" heart

2010-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Kutie and her Mommy

On Tuesday, Kutie had open heart surgery at our local Children's hospital. Her dad has reported that she's doing very well! The doctors were able to get what they needed to done. As of Thursday, they already had her drinking water and eating yogurt. They're expecting her to be taken out of the ICU today. Nick and I are planning on visiting Kutie and her mom as soon as this happens.

Thank you all for your continued prayers for Kutie! Please pray for a quick recovery and also for her mom, who has stayed with her this entire time. I can't imagine how draining this is on her.

still here

2010-01-07T08:20:00.001-08:00

What can I say?
Life seems to be crawling by right now and honestly I haven't been inclined to blog lately. I've been feeling sluggish and have been content with keeping my nose in books lately... and not doing much else. I'm coming around though. It's a hard time of year. The perpetual gloom gets to me. A part of living in Washington state, I suppose. Where the sun only greets us a handful of times each month during the fall, winter, and early spring months. Not saying I'd ever want to leave though - it's lush green and beautiful, and it's home.

a tree tradition

2009-12-17T21:05:00.000-08:00

It's tradition for us to go with our friends, the Browns, to a certain tree farm in a neighboring town and pick out trees. This year we went with our friends (and brought our friends, the Dawsons, little boy with us), but we decided against getting a tree. We figured no one was coming over for Christmas and we still don't have our kids, so why bother?Well it turns out Nick's dad & sister will be coming over Christmas day. :) I asked my co-worker if I could borrow the foot tall half tree she has in our office over the Christmas weekend. She laughed and said she had a small pre-lit tree we could borrow instead. Her and her husband went to Walmart that night and she ended up buying a cute 3 ft pre-lit tree for us as an early Christmas present. It's just perfect!

"Kutie" and her procedure

2009-12-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

We heard from "Kutie's" parents last night and the doctors were unable to perform the procedure. They used a catheter to get to her heart but found that, in the artery they were going to repair, there is an aneurism. "Kutie" will have to have open heart surgery in the next couple weeks. Please keep her and her family in your prayers during this difficult time.

a prayer request

2009-12-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

Our good friends the Browns, who are like family, have a 19 month old daughter. We'll call her "Kutie", because well, she is a CUTIE! "Kutie" was diagnosed last week with four heart problems. One of the problems is that she has a valve that is too narrow and isn't growing with her. The other three issues are things the doctors will just have to keep an eye on. Tomorrow morning, "Kutie" will be undergoing a procedure to try to widen the valve. Please keep "Kutie", her parents, and her doctors in your prayers. Please pray that the procedure goes smoothly, is effective, and that she'll recover quickly. I'll post an update on how the procedure went in the next couple days.

cute kitten clip

2009-12-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

I don't really like cats... I would almost say I hate cats - sorry to all you cat lovers! The fact that I'm severly allergic to them is a big factor. I'm a dog person, through and through. Today I found the except...I was sent this clip at work and the kitten is just precious!

brrr

2009-12-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

It's been so cold these past few days, so I finally bought myself a pair of slippers. Nick hates them. He thinks they are old lady slippers, but I don't care. They're warm and comfy. That's all that matters. :)(yup, that's adoption paperwork... but only a small fraction of it)

just a quick rave

2009-12-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

Now that we should have a baby in the house soon (we pray!), we're going to have to start finding some him clothing. Growing up we would shop at thrift stores, but I admit I never have in my adult life. Boy have I been missing out! Today I had to go to the bank for some work-related business and on my way back I passed a Value Village. I decided, on a whim, to turn in and check it out. I was there for only a few minutes, but I left with 3 adorable like-new outfits, and it only cost $8.71! Yay for thrift stores!

why is life so complicated?

2009-11-29T10:26:00.000-08:00

First I want to say sorry to you few blog readers out there... I've been slacking :) There's so much I want to say, really vent, about. I don't feel I should share all the details as to what's been going on, but let me tell you it has been very stressful.
These past two months we have been in a "situation" with our adoption. On Thursday things got waaaay more complicated. Honestly, it's something I never would have expected... totally out of left field! Anyway, we're dealing with that right now and are waiting to see how it plays out.
We now have a very important decision to make. I will eventually share this with you, but feel it's not the right time yet. We are pretty sure what our decision will be, and it does bring joy to my heart during this otherwise stormy time.
I keep thinking that I wish I could fast forward time one year, to see how it all works out.

we're home!

2009-11-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

Our vacation in pictures...

Entering the happiest place on earth!

Pumpkin Mickey

Main Street USA

The Disneyland Railroad

The Jungle Cruise

The Matterhorn

Entering California Adventure

Grizzly River Rapids

Heimlich from A Bugs Life

An empty Paradise Bay. Here you can see the working of the new water & light show,
"The Wonderful World of Color"

California Screamin

Goofy

The Hollywood Tower of Terror

Video of the big drop on Splash Mountain. The camera survived!!

Mr. Potato Head. As soon as I stopped recording this, he pointed out Nick
and started talking to him.

my anniversary surprise

2009-10-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

For our 5th anniversary, my sweet darling husband surprised me with a trip to Disneyland! And we're leaving tomorrow! I'll be sure to post pictures once we're back home. I admit, this vacation has come at the best time... we could sure use a hiatus from all the stress in our lives. Of course we still have our concerns, but at least this will be a nice distraction. All we can really do at this point is to pray about our situation. We're hoping that, God willing, this "situation" will come to a conclusion.

is it really only thursday?

2009-10-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

This week is just dragging along, mainly for two reasons: 1. We're hoping to get "that call" this weekend or early next week regarding our adoption, and 2. I've been sick since Monday and can't wait for this cold to end. I've only been to work for about 19 hours this week and I am very much looking forward to the weekend, so I can try to get some rest and recover. I know I'd feel much better if I could just sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time. Whatever I have has gone to my lungs and I'm in a constant struggle to get a good breath. When I finally fall asleep, I wake up minutes later gasping for air. Oye! (Yes, I have been to the doctor... they said to let it run it's course) One thing I've noticed this week, through Facebook and blogs, is that EVERYONE is getting sick. Guess it comes with the changing season! So to all you fellow sickies out there - I hope you feel better soon!

still waiting...

2009-10-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

A week ago we were given some saddening news regarding our son and adoption. We're still praying about the situation and are waiting for "that call"... until then, we are just asking God to watch over our little one.

landslide

2009-10-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday there was a massive landslide here in Washington. Click here to be taken to the news article about it. It goes to show you the amazing force of nature.

difficult times

2009-10-06T14:45:00.001-07:00

Please say a special prayer this week for me, nick and especially our son.
I don't care to comment more about it right now.
Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

our nieces

2009-10-05T18:16:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd share with you the latest pics of our beautiful nieces.

"S" (age 9)"H" (age 6)Sisterly love!

signs of the season

2009-09-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am all alone. Nick is with the guys from his work at the Mariner's game, enjoying their "diamond club" seats. Must be nice to have an employer who treats you to these kinds of things! I work for a non-profit and therefore don't have any employee perks, except maybe for my wonderful boss - love that lady!

So tonight I decided to pick our apple tree before it got too dark. I did a lot of trimming on the tree this past spring, so the apples were able to get more sunlight. They are the biggest we've ever had! It probably helped that we had a very warm and dry summer as well. One thing I have noticed, though, is that this year we have had a big worm/bug problem. I'd say about a third of the apples I cut into were gross and chewed up on the inside. We have never used pesticide but have never had this problem. 40# of Gravenstein (?) apples picked from our tree

Oh well! I went through and picked the tree nearly clean, throwing aside the apples that looked compromised. Now I'm waiting for a neighbor from down the road to come pick them up. She has gotten into canning this year and has a house full of kids to help eat it. I've already made about 15 quarts of applesauce for ourselves this year. Hopefully our son likes applesauce when he gets here, otherwise I'll never get rid of it! One of my not-so-helpful helpers

Pics from the fair

2009-09-27T14:55:00.001-07:00

The Fair!

Sheep used in Mutton Bustin'

A dancing sheep

Nick and I waiting for the concert to start
Tobymac
Third Day taking a bow

And finally... Mutton Bustin'. What's that you ask? It basically bull riding for kids... but on sheep. We had never heard of it before, so we watched it and the kids seemed to be having fun.

The Puyallup Fair

2009-09-22T20:02:00.001-07:00

This weekend Nick and I are going to the Puyallup Fair (pronounced pew-al-lep). We're going to meet up with another couple, who we know from Nick's work. There we'll be going to the Third Day and Tobymac concert. This will be the 7th time we've seen Third Day, but we are (especially Nick) their super fans. I haven't seen Tobymac yet so it should be fun! I'm hoping we get there early enough to pet all the cute farm animals :)

Speaking of farm animals, last year we went to a fair up near the Canadian border and saw a cow (or bull?) that was, no joke, the size of our kitchen! It was the craziest thing... should have taken a picture of that!

New Blog

2009-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new blog! I still have a few things to work out, so the appearance may be changing. I will now be posting on this blog, and only this blog. If you had Macsyn's Room bookmarked, please make sure you change the bookmark.

Come back soon!

This Side of the Bridge...

Spring is in the air...

'tis the season to be... jolly?

Okay, well maybe not...

eye candy

(mostly) wordless wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Bullet Post!

depression sucks

*changed my email address*

oh spring, how I miss thee

our first egg

the year in facebook status

bead pics

Beads! (and shea butter too!)

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!

the good ol' days

busy bee

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday

movember

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

BeadforLife

chillin' with my peeps

around the yard

bandaids for the heart

homemade furniture polish

friends and thai food

rip little chickie

chicks!

laundry detergent

28|28|28

beauty is...

letting go

loving the pnw

i've done it again...

i'm thinking...

did you miss me?

trying to be more frugal & healthy

keeping busy

a spring evening

pillow case dresses

spring's almost here

and the winner is...

fun this summer

yummy soap

I loathe my ovaries - tmi warning

black bean brownies

whew, tgif

recap

Meds and more

free stuff and a barbie cake

An update on "Kutie's" heart

still here

a tree tradition

"Kutie" and her procedure

a prayer request

cute kitten clip

brrr

just a quick rave

why is life so complicated?

we're home!

my anniversary surprise

is it really only thursday?

still waiting...

landslide

difficult times

our nieces

signs of the season

Pics from the fair

The Puyallup Fair

New Blog

changed my email address