Big News and a request for Prayer

Our Big news is that two years and two days since the Chinese Government Logged in Acer's Dossier, they have Logged in Calliandra's Dossier.  We're coming Little Miss, We'll be there as soon as they let us!

Now, as to the prayer request;  Calliandra's best friend from Bethel, Rosanna, is going in for eye surgery on Thursday.  Here is the note from her Mom.

I am somewhat in shock, as I just found out today that Rosanna (LiMing) is scheduled for cataract removal and cornea replacement surgery this Thursday. I could have used some advance warning! Rosanna is probably at least 10 years old, and this surgery is being done many years after it ideally should have been done. Thus, the chances of success are not great. But this may give her the chance to see for the first time in her life, so we are going ahead with it. If anyone feels like saying a prayer for Rosanna, it would be very much appreciated.

So please keep her, and her medical team, in your prayers on Thursday!

Second O & M letter

Hi B-T Family !

Mrs H. here with another O & M report.  I know I won't be able to send home a report after every lesson, but i have a little extra time before all my students' schedules are finalized.  I wanted you to know what Acer is doing so if he talks about any new concepts or words or ideas, you'll have an inkling about what he is doing and learning.

We went outdoors for a school neighborhood walk today.  It gives me a chance to learn what he knows and also observe specific areas for his O & M evaluation.  Our walk was 4-5 blocks long and we walked from the school to one of my students' favorite places: S. rock.  There is a large rock on the NW corner of S. & T., and it is situated under a larger pine tree.  It is very cozy and the kids love to have S. rock be their destination.  They sit on the rock and climb on the rock and most usually want o collect about 38 pine cones to bring back homes each time we walk to the rock! You are lucky -  Acer only wanted to throw the pine cones!

After Acer got his jacket and cane, we walked toward S. rock.  We walk along F. to T., cross T. turn left walk to F. and cross it (F. is an offset street at T.) and walk one block to S. where our favorite block is.  Just wanted to give you a list of environmental concepts and sounds Acer knew and easily identified, concepts and sounds he learned and explored, and other skills he worked on today.  It was such a beautiful day and we packed a lot our lesson!  I just have to take advantage of the great weather and be outside for O&M lessons!

Known Environmental concepts: Fence, Chain ( we found on on a fire hydrant and again on a pole near the school), Pole (at the stop sign), Tree, Sidewalk - he often said 'concrete', grass.

Known Environmental Sounds: Cars, Birds, Dogs barking

Environmental concepts that were introduced on our walk: Fire hydrant - measured him and the hydrant to see which one was taller (note, he knows what these are, he even knows the shape of the nut on top), Pine cone - two different kinds (he knows these too, I am a horticulturist after all so he even hears what type of pine it comes from when I hand it to him or see him picking it up).  Up Hill and down hill slopes at the streets we crossed (F & T), Stop sign.

Environmental Sounds we heard on our walk and talked about:

Saw (someone was using a table saw in their garage - when I asked Acer if he hears the saw, he asked 'Is it a chain Saw?'!  I was floored!

Rake - someone was raking his yard and we stopped to listen

Clippers - the same person trimmed his bushes in the front with some type of clippers

Dump Truck - large truck sounds and really squealing brakes - we tried to imitate the squealing brake sounds

Acer already is an active participant with his guided technique - he holds onto one of my fingers.  Acer did a great job with his cane.  One of our O&M rules is that he is only allowed to walk when he is using his cane - no jumping or running allowed.  he still got to jump and run, but not with his cane - for safety reasons both for himself and others around him.  He found the sidewalk, the grass, the planter by the bus doors, a curb, a pole, fence etc with his cane and we talked about what they are, are they hard/soft, smooth/bumpy, high/low or up/down, just had nice conversations about what his cane found and why he is learning to use his cane.

We talked about crossing the streets and listening for car sounds.  He agreed to walk to our 'climbing tree' - a tree along the route that is fun and low enough and feels safe enough to climb into a bit.  When we were walking there, I asked Acer if he wanted to climb the tree.  He asked 'Does Mrs H. want to climb the tree?'  I said ' No, I don't want to climb the tree." I asked again ' Do you want to climb the tree?' And then he asked "does the xylophone want to climb the tree?"  I laughed and said "Do you have a xylophone that wants to climb the tree?'  It was a fun and funny moment.  When we got to the tree, he did try and was being 'hugged' by several of the branches, but he wasn't interested in staying too long.  Not long enough for a picture!

At S. rock, he put his cane down on the ground and pulled himself up on top of the rock and slid down.  This was great fun and he worked at it for a good period of time.

After our visit at S. rock, we walked back to school and entered the front doors where the bumpy mat is.  I am glad he likes to touch whatever he is curious about - he touched the grass, bumpy mat, tile floor, sidewalk, and we talked about the sounds his cane makes when the tip finds them.

It was a full 40 minutes, and we're looking foeward to walking to some of our other 'hot spots' in the school neighborhood.  Wanted to give you some info so you can ask him about his O&M lessons.  When I come into Mrs A's room, I let the kids know that I am here for Mobility/  The kids were having their snack today when I arrived, and Acer heard me and said, 'Do you want to go for a walk today?' so I know he has caught on that he goes on walking lessons with me!

That is all for this chapter! I am taking a Creative Writing class this semester, and am thinking about using Acer's question, "Does the xylophone want to climb the tree?" as a title of my interest story.  Am not sure exactly what the development will be, but will keep you posted! ;-)  Took some pictures and will share as I am able to.

Notes from Acer's O & M teacher Mrs H

Acer gets formal O & M (Orientation and Mobility, or cane work lessons) twice a week.  Here is the first note we received from Mrs H.

Hi B-T Family!

I so enjoyed learning to know Acer this week - he is a marvelous "hoot"!  We went for a walk in the school and a bit outdoors for our mobility lesson on Monday and began exploring the different ground surfaces his cane found : Floor Tile, Carpet, Bumpy mat (at the front doors), wooden floor (gym), sidewalk, metal plate,  Plastic garbage cans (he found these in the gym/lunchroom).  Acer would squat down to touch each of the surfaces with his hand.

In the gym, we went up the steps to the stage, found the long curtain and then walked across the stage to the steps where Acer showed me a 'unique' style  of using his cane when both ascending & descending the steps! :)  We'll work on that - he was very confident & reacted to his cane's signal at the steps.  technique will come.  Acer found that there is a fan in the kitchen - he heard it in the hallway.

Acer has his own 'cane cup' in one corner of the room, and he comes in the room and heads to that corner to park his cane!

Great beginnings! He is an excited learner!

Will be in touch - 

Mrs H. 

Acer, School week 8

Mon Oct 20, We all got painted today!  Mrs A painted Acer's hands and feet: the rest of us just got our hand painted for the spiders we always make.

Teacher's note for the week; Some days Acer is a bottomless pit! He can really chow!  He had so much fun painting his pumpkin & digging out the innards!  he's learning his shapes quickly... I made him a bunch of ovals and he loved them. (note, Acer's favorite drum toy has an oval button and so he likes that shape)

Acer, School Week 7

Mon Oct 13, Acer said the whole pledge by himself today, isn't that terrific?!

Tu Oct 14, Devon, Julia, and Acer had a lot of fun with Mrs C., but she still made them work.

Wed Oct 15, Acer did a great job with his work today.

Th Oct 16, ... Acer was his usual cute self...

Teacher's note from Mrs A. I had "Acer withdrawls" this week because I was administering the MEAP - I missed him! He is a little sponge, just soaking everything up. His language usage is improving, too. (my thought, he's finally breaking out with all those multisyllabic words he knows and the 20 word sentences we hear him doing at home now he feels more comfortable)

Is he growing up?

Yes, Acer seems to be growing up in new and unexpected ways.  We must be doing something right because he's growing in more than just height.

He has started to go and look for things on his own, even going from the top level to the bottom level of our tri-level to find a toy.  Before this, even if we told him where it was, he would ask for help with a plaintive "Mama find it?'

He has started doing the whole potty process by himself, instead of asking us to do the 'finishing' bits.  

He has left the toilet paper roll on the holder for about a week now.  Yes, I've actually been able to find it when I needed it instead of having to hunt for it or re-roll it first.

He actually asked for gloves this morning while waiting for the bus (who is this child?) and then asked to have them come off right away (oh yes, that's Acer not a changeling)

Acer's First School Picture

Here he is, in his first school picture!  A major milestone in any child's life.  Now we need to have our first multi-picture page dissection, and discussion as who gets which size.  Ah, the joys of being a parent.  These little things that we never even considered as we we thinking about adoption make up so much of our lives and we never even knew.

Tagged

Amy tagged me with this and I'm doing it because weird does describe a major facet of my personality. Yes, I admit it I'm weird, in case you couldn't tell already.

1) I am both a genetically fast reader and genetically dyslexic. My spelling can get a bit funky, but if I want I can read over 1500 words a minute. I rarely want to, but I cruise along much faster than most people speed read. I love to read, and I love to take a long bath and read even better. Too bad Acer thinks he should join me now, he splashes too much for me to read.

2) I started playing Dungeons and Dragons when I was 8, and some of the people my brother and I played with back then, he still plays with. D&D (D20 Now) has come quite far, and has many variations, but I love the use of imagination and all the opportunities for puns.

3) Speaking of puns, I love them and I actually make up my own jokes. One of my favorites, What did the tree say when it went in the chipper?

Nothing, it just let out a little bark

4) I am a font of useless information (like the word font here means small fountain, not a printing type). I collect these bits and then they come out of my brain at various times. I guess all that reading does have some effect.

5) I know how to and can teach people how to fix Christmas lights. I've been running the same sets since '93

6) I am a horticulturist and can put most of my name into botanical names - Heather, Calluna vulgaris - Annis, Pimpinella anisum - Bowman , Bowman's root, Gillenia trifoliata

7) I am allergic to Ladybugs, Kiwi's and Figs

And now I tag

Leigh

Gwen

Val

Lois

Debi

Kim

Dana

Happy Sweetest Day!

Yes, I know most of you will have no clue what sweetest day is.  It's a holiday celebrated by only two or three states; started by a local candy company.  There is some debate exactly which company started it, so I can't give you a name. However, it is the first holiday Bill and I celebrated together as a couple, so it's special to me for that reason alone.

Happy Sweetest day Sweetie, and to all my blogging buddies, have an extra sweet one!

The Best Wife

We have an on going mystery in our house; where do the nail clippers go?
Do they go to where socks go, combine and metamorphose into hangers?
This mystery bothers Bill for more than it does me because I keep a set in the car and I always know where it is. So, when I saw brand new nail clippers at the local thrift store for a whopping $.25 each, in 6 different colors, I had to buy one of each color. Later that night, I slipped all six clippers into Bill's pocket and told him 'I am the best wife you've ever had'.

Color, Glorious Color!

We moved into this house in September, 2002, and the walls throughout the house have been a blah, paint it so it sells, tan.  Except for our bedroom, which is a particularly virulent shade of bright yellow, and I can't stand yellow walls.  So, because we are moving the computer room downstairs to the family room and having the whole house turned upside down, we decided to paint.  

I've been living with paint chips carefully stashed just for this day. The front room, halls and living room are going to be a mossy blue green or mossy greeny blue, depending whom you're asking.  I got the color out of a Georgia O'Keefe picture on the wall in the hall and I LOVE it. Despite people saying it was going to make the rooms feel smaller, it really doesn't - I am so Happy.

Acer's room is going into a vibrant blue with lime green accents  The blue is approximately the shade of the bright blue plastic of many children's toys.  He won't be able to see it, but I want other kids to walk into his room and say, 'Cool room!'

Calliandra's room is sort of a warm, light, kraft paper brown that coordinates with the bedding we have.  I also have a few tropical flowers to cut out and apply around that also echo the feeling of the bedding.  We'll be putting her into an Ikea loft bed because she'll need the floor space as hers is the smallest bedroom.  I also got a new light fixture for her room as I just don't think the ceiling fan is a great idea with a loft ;)

We'll just be freshening up the bathroom upstairs as I painted it last year, but we'll be adding a new exhaust fan light combo.  I'm excited by this as it should finally get some decent light into the shower.

So the house is all torn apart and I'm super happy, who cares about chaos when you can have Color!

ERRGH!

My Blogroll disappeared today off my sidebar.  Has anyone seen it?  Is it in the pound?  Do I fill out a police report?  Please help! If you'd like to be added to my sidebar, please drop me a line with your URL, in the comments.

Thanks Loads

Heather BT

Yes, it's back now, because I made a new one, but I'm still down a whole bunch of blogs - is yours one?

Sorry

I know I have just mastered the art of posting 4 pictures at a time and you thought you'd be seeing more pictures of the ever so cute little man.  It hasn't happened because we're in the middle of turning our house upside down, painting, moving the computer room, all sorts of things like this to get ready for Calliandra's arrival.  Unfortunately in the chaos, the device to make the camera talk to Bill's computer got boxed up, so for now, no pictures.  Soon tho' I promise.

Heather

Acer & School, Week 6

Mon Oct 6, Acer had fun playing in the water:... (note, he came home in his spare shirt; he was so wet)

Tu Oct 7, Devon was working on his spelling and Acer was doing a little bit of everything.

Wed Oct 8, you should have seen Acer today; he was soooooo funny!  Mrs A. had the mat out and he was having a blast!

Th Oct 9 (they made applesauce, nothing specific about Acer but thought I'd let you know)

Fri Oct 10, Acer did the pledge almost all by himself, Wow!!

Acer certainly is a joy!! He's like a little sponge just soaking up everything he can.  He's sorting shapes & finding pennies in therapy putty - and he's so proud of himself when he accomplishes something.  That smile could melt an iceberg!

Acer & School, Week 5

Tu Sept 30.  It was a gloomy day but we didn't care.  Acer and Devon did some boogie ing and Anthony joined us for snack.

Acer is a real hoot! He certainly picks up concepts quickly and sure seems to enjoy himself.  I love his laugh and his smile!  He's been enjoying music & dancing & is learning the pledge.

Acer & School week 4

Tu Sept 23, Acer held the flag for pledge today and thought that was really cool!

Fri Sept 26, Acer was being his usual cute self;...

Acer is a blast! He loves learning new things and his smile lights up the room!  He's doing a great job sorting things - and he loved finding pennies in the putty.

Acer & School week 3

Mon Sept 15, Today was cloudy and cool but we didn't mind the change. And you should have seen the styling galoshes Acer had on today - oooo weeee!

Wed Sept 17, Acer had so much fun dancing to some tunes today! And he was even picking up the words to the songs! Wow!

Fri Sept 19, Acer was being his usual cute self; his laugh  sure makes the rest of us smile.

Acer is so much fun!!  He was  very happy today and laughed & played and laughed some more!

He's catching on quickly to new concepts... he does dig his heels in, though, when he doesn't want to do something.  Over all, I think he's adjusted very well...

Acer & School Week 2

Tu Sept 9: Acer was having fun with building blocks.

Wed Sept 10: Devon went to gym, Anthony went to music and Acer went riding on the tricycle.  After that, Acer took the car for a spin down the hall.

Fri Sept 12 Acer had applesauce for a snack and wore a lot of it; he also decided to carpet the floor with shapes.

Acer has this thing with throwing trays of stuff or whatever he's working with - and then he has the biggest smile.  We're working on it... otherwise he's doing very well - learning shapes, playing on the brailler, scooping etc.

Acer & School, Week 1

Every week, Acer's teacher's been sending home reports, I thought I'd oil it down to Acer pertinent comments and let you share in some of his fun.

Wed Sept 3: We have a new little guy, Acer, who's only three.  He sure is an active little guy!

Th Sept 4: Acer has a great smile and was so busy this morning.  He sure liked playing with bean bags and the silly putty.

General comment for weeek

Acer did remarkably well this week, in spite of his accident today. He's very inquisitive and seems to enjoy being here.  We sure love having him

Did someone switch Acer for a look alike?

I think the faeries left us a changeling.  

This Acer gets contentedly off the school bus, instead of fussing.

This Acer gets out of bed happily and comes to snuggle with us, instead of burrowing deeper into the covers.

This Acer got himself undressed and into bed for nap today, instead of wailing and fussing.

This Acer went potty and didn't ask for extra help, instead of asking for help and playing with the toilet paper until it arrives.

There are other examples too, but maybe, it's just that he's getting used to and liking his routine now.  He did throw the pot he was banging on, down the stairs after all, that's definitely my boy!

Article about Little Miss' orphanage, including small interview with her

This article was emailed to me, I'm not sure where it was published. Little Miss is He ChunBin quoted below.

Orphanage helps China's blind come out of the dark 

Thu Oct 2, 2008

BEIJING (Reuters Life!) - Many blind children in China, often abandoned by parents seeking "perfect" offspring or fearing social stigma, have few chances at a relatively normal life, but a Beijing orphanage is hoping to change that. 

Located deep in the capital's rural suburbs, Bethel orphanage caters especially for the blind and visually impaired.  The students, who would most likely receive little or no education in other orphanages, take lessons in everything from Chinese and English Braille to how to interact in society.

Bethel, which says it is the only orphanage dedicated to the blind, also provides training for staff at regular orphanages in how to deal with blind and visually impaired children.

While many of China's blind go on to find work in the country's countless blind massage parlors, Bethel's schooling aims to prepare students for a variety of careers. "This kind of school helps blind people in a lot of ways, for example they can study, and can come into contact with other people in society. So I think it's very important," said Li Ying, aged 19, and currently Bethel's oldest student who came to the orphanage three years ago from rural Henan province.

Opened in 2003, Bethel, a licensed international charity which is run in conjunction with local Chinese non-governmental organizations, receives most of its funding from foreign, private donations and corporate sponsorship. The orphanage is almost totally self-sustainable, growing its own food and raising its own animals on 17 hectares (42 acres) of land. It now has 35 children, the youngest aged a few months.

"The environment here is really good, and there are a lot of friends to play with, and I can learn a lot of things," said He Chunbin, an eight-year-old student.

China's authorities went to great lengths to improve awareness about the country's estimated 83 million disabled in the run-up to, and during, the recent Paralympic Games. But the stigma attached to disabilities, and poor facilities, remain pressing problems in the world's most populous country.

Guillaume Gauvain, who founded Bethel with his wife, said misunderstanding and the one-child policy contributed largely to the abandonment of disabled newborns. "In some areas blindness is still seen as a very dark thing, where maybe the child is a demon possessed, so they're cast away," he told Reuters. "But in most areas it's just because, especially since you can have one child only, you want a child who can either help the family by providing income or working on the farm, or providing for the parents later on. So since a blind child for them has no hope, they choose to not pursue that way."

Many of the Bethel orphans go on to be adopted, with nine children leaving to families outside of China in the last year. Li Suyun, one of the orphanage's almost 60 employees, said students were given a solid foundation for the future.  "This place helps them a lot, in terms of their study and a suitable environment, and it is slowly developing so it should be able to help lots and lots of blind children," said Li.

Various thoughts today.

Today, Acer got off the school bus for the second day in a row, without crying or fussing.  I think he's adjusting!

As he was finishing lunch, he kicked off his shoes and actually asked to be taken up for a nap.  Who is this child and what have they done with Acer?

Big time SCORES! today while out shopping with Vicki.

1) Door Mats at 75% off, I bought three for less than the price of one.

2) A cute as heck long sleeve T-Shirt for Acer with a fuzzy iron on of a dog that says rough & tough for under $3.00

3) Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Polar, Bear Polar Bear for $2.50 each (for 2 Christmas Backpacks we're filling)

4) red gift bags at 2/$1 - red is a great color for gift bags for China and the items we've already bought will fit just fine in them

5) plates and bowls for $1 each, nice color, don't look like they only cost $1 and we'll need these extras for the Canadian Thanksgiving Celebration I'll be cooking in a few weeks.  I've invited more people than we have plates and needed more.

6) and a lovely necklace that says 'The less you see with your eyes, the more you see with your heart' could that be more appropriate for a mom of two blind kids?

This week our Dossier should make it to China.  Prayers that it would travel smoothly through the different offices and move quickly off one desk and onto the other.  We need to bring Little Miss Home!

Acer and School

We now have a whopping four weeks of school under our belt and despite the early wake up, Acer seems to be loving it.  We still have to get up at 6 AM to catch the bus at 7:30, but we're getting into more of a routine.  Sometimes Bill will do the whole routine by himself, sometimes I will, but usually both of us get up to do different portions.  I usually feed Acer and the dogs and then pick out Acer's clothes. Bill wakes Acer up and carries him to the bathroom for a first thing visit, and then carries him down the stairs for breakfast.  After breakfast, Bill's in charge of showering and drying and the dressing part could fall to either or both depending on how and when Acer makes his usual break for it into the hallway and down the stairs.  Nothing boring about our routine, Acer adds excitement and challenge all the time.

Acer has a long bus ride to the only classroom for VI (visually impaired) children in the county.  We could have kept him closer, but that would have simply put him in a classroom with learning disabled kids and wouldn't have given him the best schooling available.  

The HUGE plus is that Acer is one of only three kids in the classroom most of the time.  Acer is the youngest, the other two boys are about 8 and 10.  There is a first grade girl who comes in occasionally for some extra help, but she is usually mainstreamed in her own classroom.  Three Boys, and One Teacher and One Para-Pro, I can't think of anything better.  He gets the individualized attention he needs and he can learn at his own pace, which seems to be pretty rapid.  

Twice weekly the O & M (Orientation and Mobility) teacher comes in and helps Acer with his Cane work.  When Acer hears her he asks if they're going to go for a walk.  She writes notes about every two weeks and tells us things he says like 'Does the Xylophone want to climb the tree?' in response to her question 'Do you want to climb the tree?'

Daily, Acer brings me something home; some picture he's colored in, generally circles made with puff paint, but now he even asks for crayons.  He's made so many things I think I'm going to use them as Christmas Cards if I can keep track of them all.

Weekly his teacher sends home a list of what happened each day, it sounds like so much fun.  Of course when you're this little, play is learning.

So, even though I have a VERY grumpy and tired Acer to take off the bus each day at noon, I know we made a good choice and am so glad he has good caring teachers.

Thanks Monica and Amy!

This award was given to me many moons ago by both Monica and Amy.

Monica's blog has gone private, so I can't share her joy of life with her daughter with you but I can tell you how much I appreciate her.  We both started our adoption process so long ago, we've walked it and consoled each other during the long process, we shed tears of joy as we saw the posted pictures of each other's gotcha day.  When I got the news that we were going to get Chunbin's paperwork, I called Monica (after I'd called Bill) because I knew she'd be overjoyed right along with me.  She's donated to our Bring Little Miss Home fund and even run a fundraiser to help us.  She was my first Blog Buddy, one I treasure.

Amy has several blogs and we've enjoyed getting to know each other. She has a strong faith, a good sense of humor and a desire to share both with like minded people {like me ;) }  She's also the moderator of a yahoo group I'm on and has a keen political sense.  She's adopted three times and has 5 kids so she's seen many of the parenting issues I'm now facing.  I really enjoy emailing with her and exchanging ideas.

"The Best Blogger Friend Award! "
"I thank my God every time I remember you." Phil. 1:3

This award is for all those special blogger friends who have touched your life & are True Blessings from God!! What would you do without them?
"We love, We laugh, We Cry, We pray, We share, We care!!"

Rules: As a recipient of this award you can:

*award as many people as you want, but your friendship Had to start in Bloggy Land!
ex: (you didn't know them AT ALL before blogging)

*Say a PRAYER for each friend as you type their name & link to them on your post! Also, be sure to let them know of their award!

*Close your post with your favorite verse from the Bible!!

Now to my Awardees - you've all emailed with me, exchanged ideas, helped me through different parts of this journey called becoming a Mom and I thank you all. 

Beverly at Motherhood and Other Ramblings

Lavonne at  The Dideon Family - A Day in Their Lives

Lois at Prairie Family Chronicles

Manette at  Addicted to Adoption

Selina at From China With Love

Sharon at  And Bai-li Makes 3

And now, my current favorite Bible Verse - 2 Corinthians 5:7 - We walk by faith, not by sight.

More than a week of catch up, and a busy time it was.

These past two weeks have been busy ones.  Two saturdays ago, I helped with a party for my lifelong best friend Vicki, a great spa day held at her sister Lori's house.

Then we had the news that Alex would be able to come visit the next weekend, and Brandon was able to come too.

 Friday, Mum, Acer and I headed out to pick up Brandon.  It was Spirit Week at his high school and so we were greeted by Bright blue and Yellow hair, face paint, and a temp tatoo.  It sure made him look ... spirited I guess.  But he had fun and kept the face paint on all day.  He was excited because his class had won the Spirit week contest and told us all about it and his school happenings this year.

The four of us headed off to go get Alex.  We arrived a little early and went to the store next door to buy some snacks & stuff for the trip back.  Good thing we did, We got stuck in a huge traffic jam and it took us 1 1/2 hours to go 20 miles.  Because we were so late, we just had time to run through Ikea and we only got hot dogs to eat instead of the dinner we'd planned. :(

Saturday was busy, we had band practice and Alex and Brandon watched Acer.  We had to take my brother James to the hospital for some tests for his migraines (they found nothing bad PTL) and then Alex and Brandon went off to return bottles for money.  We stockpile our bottles for them to return and they had a huge load this time.

They came back and as soon as Bill was ready we shot out the door to Vicki's wedding.  We had a good time, sat with a good group of people and enjoyed watching Vicki say her vows (and Jeff too of course).

Sunday we had to get up early for Band practice before church and then had a REALLY long day at church.  Bill joined the church, and it was the 50th anniversary celebration with a luncheon afterwards and a bagpiper and Highland dancing.  We also heard presentations about the beginning of the church and its history.

It was well after one before we could leave and then Alex and I shout off to go get her ears pierced, her second set.  As I have nine sets, I decided that this was my area, and I would pay for it as long as she had her grandparents permission.  She chose pink crystal studs and managed to go through the process just fine.  We had almost no time to shop though, and that was on our list of things to do, we were on a pretty tight schedule of when we had to be where unfortunately.

We dropped Brandon off and then drove Alex to meet her grandpa.

Now the house feels empty again.

Maybe these feelings of full house, empty house are parts of what leads me to adopt? hmmm, maybe it just feels right to have the full house and.... Well I'll have to think about it more, but I do know that it is nice to have them and I'm sorry to see them leave.

Welcome!

I've noticed we have had a regular visitor from Doha, Ad Dawhah working steadily through all the posts. I just want to say Welcome! and thanks for Visiting.