The Death of an Artist

Not too many people outside our little hamlet will note the passing of artist Robert E. Smith, though his work has gained national fame. You can see some of his work by clicking here. For one of our early wedding anniversaries, I commissioned Robert to do a painting of our wedding day. This was my gift to Brad. I turned over a handful of photos to him from our big day and waited eagerly to see how our painting would turn out. I was so pleased with how it looked. He always hand wrote a story and recorded himself reading it on a cassette for each painting he did. It was so fun to listen to the recording and how he said my name: "Maaasseee." Here's his obituary:

Artist, writer, singer and actor Robert Eugene Smith peacefully passed away Feb. 13, 2010, aged 82, surrounded by friends and family.

Robert was born Oct. 14, 1927, in St. Louis, Mo., the only child of Clarence and Mary Agnes (Walls) Smith. He grew up in St. Louis, Union and Garland, Tx. He was forced to drop out of high school to help support his family, and was very proud to have earned his diploma in 1970, at age 42. In 1981, he completed 60 college hours at SMSU and earned a substitute teaching certificate, and later taught occasional art classes.

Robert moved to Springfield in 1975, with hopes of acting at Landers Theater. Although he spent time in Columbia, Jefferson City and St. Joseph, Springfield became his home.

Robert held many jobs, among his favorites, selling concessions at Busch Stadium and selling Grit newspapers. But it was Robert’s artwork that brought him fame and national recognition. Though he had drawn since childhood, he didn’t take his art seriously until 1967, when he sold his first collection of drawings to a friend for $25. Robert was self-taught, taking inspiration from coloring books, photos, history, news stories and his own experiences. His “story paintings”— complete with a hand-written description of the painting and a cassette of Robert himself reading the story . The paintings overflow with color, humor and incident, representing a triumph of the imagination over a strenuous and difficult life. They have been shown at New York’s Museum of American Folk Art, Vanderbilt University, the Springfield Art Museum and sold at distinguished galleries across the country. He is featured in The Museum of American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century American Folk Art. His paintings are on display in hundreds of Springfield homes and businesses. A mural of his painting of Springfield’s former Colonial Hotel, complete with Elvis Presley and Ray Charles, remains downtown at Campbell and Walnut.

Robert was also a prolific writer, producing many self-published volumes of poems and semi-autobiographical stories.

Though he didn’t drive, Robert traveled coast to coast by Greyhound Bus and bicycled all around Springfield — once even riding to Branson. He carried a camera everywhere, to record scenes and faces for his paintings.

Robert loved life. He loved to sing, anywhere from recording studios to answering machines. He loved to be on stage and on camera, recently appearing in the film To and From. He loved to dance with pretty girls. He loved wearing bright colors and costumes, often appearing in a sombrero, wig or clown shoes. He loved baseball, holidays, parades, Shirley Temple and telling stories.

Robert had an incredible memory. He recalled the make and model of every car his family owned, St. Louis Cardinals scores, and the names of girls he danced with when Sinatra and Elvis songs first played the radio. Friends’ birthdays were always marked with a phone call, a song and often, a small painting.

Managing Stuff

As we get closer to a referral and Zeke is closer to being able to crawl out of the crib, we are starting to think more seriously about rearranging the furniture. We are going to see if Zeke will sleep in the queen bed from the guest room (soon to be Quilla's room) so we can move the crib in there. It makes my head spin to think about managing all the stuff in our house. We've decided that once we get Quilla home, we will begin the hunt for a bigger house. Even now, I'm praying that we will find the right buyer for our house and the right space for our family.

Junk

All three of us are battling junk. We've got junk in our noses. Zeke is on antibiotics now. I had a terrible night with my nose stuffed up (not even nose spray could save me!) so I'm going to go to the doctor today or tomorrow. Blah. One more reason I'm ready for warmer weather!

I was thinking about the two families we know who adopted their children this winter. It will be SO MUCH FUN when the weather is nice and they can take their babies to the park. We love taking Zeke to one park in particular where there's a small lake with lots of ducks. There's also a big grassy area where we would spread out a blanket and just sprawl out. *sigh* Can't wait to do all that again!!

Ash Wednesday-The Start of Lent

Observing Ash Wednesday and Lent are still relatively new to me. This time of reflection and repentance has become a very important part of my spiritual life. During Lent this year, our church is doing a study called "One Month to Live." How would we alter our behavior, thoughts and priorities if we knew we had one month to live? It's a powerful question and we're looking forward to this Lenten study. If you are unfamiliar with Ash Wednesday, as I once was, here's some info on it.

From Wikipedia:
Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance and it marks the beginning of Lent. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent's way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. An ancient example of one expressing one's penitence is found in Job 42:3-6. Job says to God: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. The other eye wandereth of its own accord. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

You may have heard someone say they were giving up something for Lent. Our church encourages us to GIVE for Lent instead of just giving up. For example, you might decide to give up Starbucks coffees for Lent and donate the money you would've spent on lattes to a mission project. Lent asks us to honestly evaluate our priorities and then make the necessary changes.

Lent leads up to Holy Week, which includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. Our church offers such wonderful observances of all these events. On Palm Sunday, children walk down the center aisle, smiling and waving palm branches as a man portraying Jesus re-enacts His entry into Jerusalem. The Maundy Thursday service commemorates the Last Supper. It's held at twilight, ending as the sun goes down, leaving the sanctuary in darkness as the congregation files out in silence. There is a prayer vigil at our church on Good Friday. And that evening, our youth group will light a bonfire in the front yard of the church at the foot of a giant wooden cross. They keep watch here in shifts until sunrise on Easter morning. There are amazing stories of how people driving by the busy road in front of our church have been impacted by the site of young people sitting at the foot of a cross. People who don't attend our church have stopped to pray in front of the cross during the vigil. It's a powerful testimony to our community and I'm always so proud of our youth for doing it. Of course, this all culminates in the beauty and glory of Easter morning. With all that in mind, it's with anticipation that I begin Lent...

Waiting for Spring

I loved going through Target today with Zeke. We both found fun pairs of spring/summer shoes. There was also Easter decor and candy out and a few summer outdoor items. There WILL be an end to this long and cold winter! I think almost everyone will agree with me. It's time for some warmer weather! I love that today is Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent. I always begin to feel more hopeful that the cold won't last THAT much longer when we enter Lent. Ok, so here is Zeke with his new shoes.

Missy's new shoes

Well, as hard as we try, the glasses sometimes get askew.

Zeke loves to line up cars.

Yep, that's Baby Signing Time on the TV in the background. For some reason, he's been wanting to watch that lately.

Zeke Explains Turkeys

Mom: "Zeke, where does the turkey go when it snows?"
Zeke: "To the turkey house."
Mom: "What does the turkey eat?"
Zeke: "Pizza."
Mom: "What does the turkey play with at the turkey house?"
Zeke: "Cars."

Zeke thinks the neighbor's shed is the turkey's house. Maybe he's right!

On an unrelated note...File this one away under "be careful what you ask for." I was just saying not long ago how I'd love to do travel writing. Lo and behold if I didn't get info a week later from a friend about doing freelance travel writing for a website. It's been fun and some nice extra $$. I just got a "bigger" assignment that pays better and is even more fun to write. I won't name the website for which I'm writing but here's a hint. The website had an ad on during the Super Bowl!

Lunar New Year Celebration!

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Zeke and the Turkey

First, cutie Zeke. (Scroll down for photos of the mythical turkey!)




It's our belief that our kitty Pierre Clovis has bewitched the turkey and is keeping it around as his pet. We believe these two photos are proof that our theory is correct.

An Adoption Journey to Latvia

We first met the Tuckers at Cheddar's in late 2006. We had just started talking about adoption. This family was the regional contact for Great Wall China Adoptions and they met us at Cheddar's for dessert to discuss adoption. We met Kristin and Tim along with their two beautiful daughters: one biological and one adopted from China. It was so great to see how perfectly normal they all were. Not only normal but exceptionally kind and willing to answer all our questions. Even though we are unsure if we'll ever adopt from China, given the slow pace of that program, we are thankful that we met the Tuckers. They gave us so much advice as we prepared our dossier for China. They are wonderful advocates for adoption! Now, they are in the process of adopting two girls from Latvia. They are in Latvia now. You can follow their blog by clicking here. We are so very excited for them!

Musings

Zeke is doing so well with his glasses! He's a real champ about keeping them on. He doesn't like having them put on but once they're on, he leaves them alone.

We had dinner Saturday night with Greg, Laura and Baby Anna. Anna is so CUTE and is super happy. It was so much fun to see her and Zeke together. Zeke talks a lot about Baby Anna. It's been a good starting point to introduce the idea of us getting a "little baby." Zeke refers to himself as "big baby" so we assure him he will still be the big baby, even when the little baby arrives. Of course, we don't talk about it a lot yet because there's no way to make it concrete for him yet. Once we have our referral, we will have Quilla's photo around the house (just like Zeke's!) and it will be easier to talk about her arrival with him.

The passport is on its way. Putting my beloved passport in the mail yesterday was a leap of faith. It's silly because if it gets lost in the mail, I can just apply for a brand new one. However, that passport symbolizes all the fun trips I've made in the last ten years: my first trip to Europe, subsequent adventures all over Europe, my first trip to Asia, my first trip to the Caribbean, our journey to Zeke. It's such a neat keepsake.

Passport

The reality that we might be getting kinda close to a referral prompted me to get moving on my passport. It expires in June. It's so hard to believe I've had it almost ten years! I originally got it for our trip to Paris in 2000. I've come a long way since then as an international traveler. It's exciting to think that the first documented trip in my new passport will be our trip to Ethiopia! So, I will send off all the documents this afternoon, ensuring I get my new passport in plenty of time.

There's really no new info on the wait for our referral. We just keep hanging on, eager to see what news this month will bring!

A Tasty and Healthy Recipe

BANANA BERRY MUFFINS
¾ Cup All purpose flour
¾ Cup Whole wheat flour
½ Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Oatmeal
2 tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Salt

2 Bananas, mashed
½ Cup Soy milk, unflavored
1 Egg
2 Tbs Vegetable oil
1 tsp Fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Vanilla
1 ½ Cups Fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk to blend. Place bananas in a separate, large bowl. Stir in milk, egg, oil, lemon juice and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients and then add the blueberries. Mix.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and serve!

SOURCE: Zorba Pastor on Your Health

Kitty Boys and Celeb Follow-UP

Scroll down to see photos of Zeke in his new glasses!

Pray for the kitty boys. They are at the vet getting their teeth cleaned. They are put under anesthesia for this. I always hate the fact that I can't explain to them what's going on. They were both growling around at me this morning because they were hungry. However, I had to take away their food as of 10 last night. So, if all goes well, I will pick them up this afternoon after I get Zeke.

On the celeb look alikes...That photo of my (Missy's) doppelganger IS Elinor Donahue, aka the chic from the Andy Griffith Show. It's just a later photo of her that I think looks even more like me! The resemblance is scary!

Pics of Specs

We're now using the head strap to keep the glasses up on his nose. Otherwise, as you can see, he lets them slide down and he just looks over the top of them.

Zeke's Glasses, Day 1

We got Zeke's glasses yesterday evening. Oh mercy, he is so CUTE in them! We went to Target. We were eating a snack in the cafe and these two older ladies literally stopped and stared at Zeke. They were just watching him with these big grins on their faces. Zeke was obliviously eating his cookie. I didn't think it was possible for Zeke to be any cuter but he is extra cute in his specs. I know...shame on me for not posting any photos. I will soon! I just hope that today at daycare, he doesn't break his glasses. I also hope the other kids don't bother them.

Celebrity Dopplegangers

This week on Facebook, people are changing their profile pic to their "celebrity doppleganger." Brad thinks I look like Mary Eleanor "Elinor" Donahue.


Brad wasn't sure who he looks like. I suggested Tom Cruise. I actually had someone ask me once if I had met Tom Cruise. I said, "No. Why?" The person said, "That looks like you and Tom Cruise in that picture." It was me and Brad. Of course, I would argue Brad is MUCH better looking than Tom Cruise.

Who do you think our celebrity look-alikes are?

Finally! Some photos of our fall and winter adventures.

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A Bit of Snow

Many people were expecting to wake up to a near white-out. At least, if you believed the meteorologists, that's what you thought. There was a dusting. Granted, the snow is still falling and we should end up with 4 to 6 inches. We'll see if that actually materializes.

I'm hoping to have Zeke Christmas photos on here this weekend. I know...we've been very slow about posting pics. And once Zeke gets his new glasses (today or Monday), we'll post some pics of that too.

I'm hoping we're now more than halfway through our wait for Quilla. Some families requesting infant boys got "on deck" emails this week. Obviously, we did not or I would've posted about it already. It's definitely possible to get a referral without being on deck but getting the "on deck" email is what we expect to happen next for us. The anticipation is really building!!

TEST

mesage

Praises!

We're so thankful that the ophthamologist found no evidence of anything other than vision issues. Zeke will need to wear glasses for several years but not the rest of the his life (unless he develops a problem with nearsightedness later). We had to bribe Zeke with suckers (ugg!) so we could put different frames on his sweet little face. We finally found ones we liked. Because the bridge of his nose is so flat, it's going to be hard for him to keep any glasses on his face. But we chose frames that have little pads that we hope will keep them from sliding down so much. We're also going to use a sports strap to keep them pulled up. Pray that Zeke will learn to like his glasses because the doc wants him to wear them all the time. Scroll down to see some photos of Zeke in frames. We are getting the ones he's wearing in the photo except they'll be smaller to fit his face better. The consolation in all this? He's super cute in glasses!

Zeke's Future Eyewear look

It's the only way to get a two-year-old to wear spectacles!

More Zeke Glasses Pictures

Candy Makes Glasses Feel Better

More Zeke Glasses Pics

Ain't he cute?!

Zeke and his eyes

Zeke's first glasses!

A shorter wait time?

Our agency publishes updates on its blog every month to keep families up to date on changes to the Ethiopia adoption program. Last Friday, the update included some great news for us. The estimated wait time for an infant girl had been 9-11 months. But on Friday, it was listed as 8-11 months. Hooray! We don't know if we will be on the short or long end of this estimate but it's great to see the official prediction moving down. As always, we trust God's timing and know that it will happen at the right time for us and Quilla. It's all very exciting...We will keep you posted!

More than half way there?

We have now been waiting more than 5 months since our dossier went to Ethiopia. Our agency currently estimates that the wait for an infant girl is 9-11 months. So, I'd say we're about halfway there. However, as I posted recently, we are now SECOND in line for a baby girl on the unofficial wait list. The last family to be matched to a baby girl was DTE in May, 2009. Our DTE is 8/20/09. We know there is at least one family between the May DTE and us. But we don't know how many more there are or if there are any. So, this guessing makes the wait more fun! We are in no hurry since Zeke keeps us busy and we trust the timing to be perfect for us and for our child. But I do enjoy trying to guess when we might get THE BIG CALL! It could be next month or it could be as late as July. We'll just have to wait and see!!! Do you have any guesses on when it might happen?!?!

Best Gifts Ever

For my birthday yesterday, I had the cutest little boy in the world (Zeke) sing Happy Birthday to me before I eve got out of bed. I didn't have to go into work until the afternoon. I wore jeans, a t-shirt and flip flops in the 60+ degree weather. I found some great bargains at the outlet shops. I had lunch with Brad and Zeke. I had dinner with two good friends. I found out I've got an interview for a freelance writing job. It was a great day!

Lessons from the Pool and We're SECOND!!

No, I don't mean swimming lessons. I mean, life lessons. Zeke and I were at the pool today. I saw a woman with two little boys. The boys were dark-skinned and she was fair skinned. It didn't seem likely that they were her biological kids. One of the little boys (age 5, maybe?) came over and flashed a big beautiful smile at Zeke. Zeke was too wrapped up in his water play to notice but I said "hi!" and he grinned before jumping away. I wanted so much to ask if they were adopted, but I also didn't want to ask in front of them since they were older. I just felt such warmth watching the three of them. And then it occurred to me. It's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Not so many years ago, these precious children would not have been ALLOWED to swim in this pool. I nearly wept at this realization...and that it meant my Quilla would not have been allowed in this pool because of the color of her skin.

So, we're now SECOND for a baby girl on the unofficial waiting list!!! As always, I must stress this is an unofficial list as our agency doesn't release the number of families that are waiting. A family that was DTE (Dossier to Ethiopia) in May, 2009 received their referral today (so excited for them!). The next DTE on our unofficial list is a family with a DTE one week before us. What we don't know is how many families are not on our unofficial list between May and August. God knows and holds all these wonderful details in the palm of God's hands. We trust in God's perfect timing. It's exciting!!

UMCOR Executive Director Dies in Haiti

The head of UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief died when a hotel collapsed on him during the earthquake in Haiti. He was there with a couple of others from UMCOR to determine how UMCOR could better serve the people of that country. Click here for the official press release about his death.

We are deeply saddened by all that has happened in Haiti. We decided to contribute through UMCOR because 100% of our gift goes directly to relief on the ground in Haiti. UMCOR's administrative costs are funded through churches like ours that give regularly to keep UMCOR operational. This allows all gifts made in times of crisis to go completely to the needs in the field. We would encourage you to consider making a financial gift to help the people of Haiti, whether through UMCOR or some other trusted relief agency. We believe we are the hands and feet of Christ. Certainly, this is the least we can do to show God's love for the people of Haiti as they deal with this horrible crisis.

Interested in contributing to relief work in Haiti through UMCOR? Click here.

Movie Reviews

My dream job would be working as a travel writer. (I know...get in line.) Second to that would be being a movie critic. So, with that, I present my reviews of some recent movies we've seen.

It's Complicated: Not the best offering from Nancy Meyers. The Holiday and Something's Gotta Give are better. But given the skimpy offerings at the movies this time of year, it's worth checking out. It's chick lite but Brad found it entertaining enough. Alec Baldwin is funny in just the right ways and Meryl Streep is delightful.

Avatar: I wasn't sure how I would feel about this movie. Loved it! The visual effects more than make up for a rather thin story line. This isn't your parents' 3-D experience with the cheap-o paper glasses. This is the future of what it means to go to the movies! (Now, if only they would make Eclipse using this technology!)

New Moon: LOVED it. But you knew I would. Nuff said.

Star Trek: Can't believe we didn't see this one in the theatre. We rented from the Red Box when we had a date night over Christmas. My, my. Really fun movie. Absolutely loved it. The young bucks who play Spock and James Kirk are fabulous. They really get the parts right. You can see this James Kirk morphing into William Shatner in a few years. The effects are cool but the acting and story hold their own. Definitely worth renting!

Julie and Julia: I wish this had been a Julia Child biopic. The modern story line is irritating but Meryl Streep more than delivers as Julia Child...So much so, that I wanted much more of her story. How wonderful to see someone who is as enchanted by France and her people as I am. It made me very eager to read Julia's book that mom got me for Christmas.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: We started watching the DVD last night. I haven't read the books (shame on me!) so I had a hard time following along in the first 20 minutes. That's as far as I made it. Will muddle through it for sure but so far, there's not enough magic to keep this muggle interested.

Paranormal Activity: We saw this in the theatre back in the fall. Yeah, it's scary. Way scary. Only rent this if you can handle not being able to sleep at night for a week afterward. Brad recently got this on DVD. I refuse to watch it again.

We're going to see Young Victoria tonight. It's gotten good reviews. I'm eager to see it! We always look forward to the unveiling of the Oscar nominated films. We're rather bummed that there will be TEN best picture noms this year. It's too bad because it makes it less selective. Plus, we always like to do our best to see the 5 best pic noms and seeing 10 just seems way more daunting. Predictions for best pic noms: The Hurt Locker, Up in the Air, Precious, Inglorious Basterds. Other possibilities? Invictus, Nine, A Single Man (Colin Firth will get an acting nom for this one, at least).

Wild Turkey

When we had our big snow(s) last week, the kitties were INTENT on something out in the backyard. Later, I was walking through the living room and I saw something BIG in the backyard out of the corner of my eye. I ran to look and it was a WILD TURKEY! WOW! We only caught a glimpse because it hopped up on the neighbor's low fence and was gone. I even wondered if it were really a turkey, if I had seen something as big as I remembered. But this morning, there was that big bird in our front yard! It had migrated to the neighbor's yard by the time I grabbed my iPhone so this photo is the best I could do. We will keep watching for the turkey!!

Waterbug

Zeke is a total water bug. We went back to the pool yesterday afternoon. He LOVES it. He is seriously trying to swim. He likes to put his face in the water, which nearly gives me a heartache because I'm pretty sure he doesn't get the whole "hold your breath" thing. I tried to explain it to him. And thanks to our dear friend Kelley, he is still practicing blowing bubbles. But he gets really wild and will thrash around until his head bobs under water. Sometimes, he comes up smiling and blinking. Sometimes, he comes up sputtering and choking. Like I said, it scares me to death. And we're sitting in the shallowest end of the baby pool for all this. I can't even take him into the big pool anymore because he wiggles and tries so hard to get out of my arms. I would love to get him in swimming lessons soon. We will look into it for sure.

His eyes were crossing less and in a less pronounced way yesterday (thank you, Lord!) but we are still planning to see the opthamologist on the 26th. Continue to pray.

Zeke Update

Zeke's not up yet this morning so I can't offer a report on today but I can tell you that his eye crossing was less pronounced yesterday as the day wore on. He continues to act fine and normal. We did go see the pediatrician yesterday. She basically referred us to an opthamologist. She didn't seem overly concerned though she said this does require attention from a specialist. And the opthamologist told my pediatrician who told me that age 2 is when this kind of issue usually shows up. Obviously, I am still sick over the whole thing and will be until we get some information on treatment. Zeke's appointment with the opthamologist is on January 26th. Please join with us in praying for him. Wouldn't it be wonderful if his eyes corrected themselves before the 26th??? We will keep you posted. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers...keep them coming.

Zeke's Eyes

When Zeke got up this morning, we noticed his eyes weren't in sync. We are going to get him to the doctor today, if we can get an appointment. Obviously, we are very concerned and would appreciate your prayers. Brad's brother had the same thing when he was little so we're thankful for the reassurances we've gotten from TT since she has dealt with this before. Zeke acts fine so we're thankful for that.

Prayers for the People of Haiti

I cringed as I heard the news about the big earthquake in Haiti. Please pray for the people of Haiti, the rescue workers and that people around the world will open their hearts to help the rescue effort.

Haiti is on the same island as Dominican Republic, which Brad and I visited with his parents in 2004. About a week before we went to Dom Rep, there was an earthquake. I remember the property managers told us the earthquake had caused a foot of water to slosh out of the pool in front of the house where we were staying. Yikes! While we were there, Brad, his dad and TT felt the earth shake but I never did. It was definitely on my mind while we were there.

Oh Mercy!

Zeke was having a hard time picking up a tortilla chip at the Mexican restaurant yesterday and said, "Oh Mercy!" I totally cracked up. He's copying everything we say. What a wonderful "check" on the sweetness of our words.

I left work early today since I had a marathon work day last Wednesday. Zeke refuses to nap, which is really frustrating because he's so tired. I'm going to take him to the indoor pool this afternoon to swim. It's been a long time since we did that. It will be good to enjoy something "summery" in the middle of winter. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Greg and Laura have Anna!

What an amazing way to start the week! Greg and Laura have Anna. Photos are on their blog, click here. Brings tears to my eyes to see God's plan for their family being fulfilled!! Last night, about the same time they were going to meet Anna, we decided to celebrate by getting out the video of our "Forever Family Day." Zeke was pretty unimpressed. He only stopped playing every now and then to point to the screen and say, "Mommy!" or "Daddy!"

It's a bit warmer here this week. With temperatures in the 20's this morning, it felt downright balmy. Ok, that's an over statement but it was quite a difference from last week. Thank goodness! I'm not sure how many more days of single digit highs I can handle!

Adoption Travel Blogs!

Two families we know are traveling right now to get their kids!!! SOOOOO exciting! Follow Greg and Laura as they travel to China to adopt Anna here. Follow Roger and Abby as they go to Ethiopia to adopt Ari by clicking here.

Prayers as our Dear Friends Travel to China to Get their Baby!

Our dear friends Greg and Laura are supposed to leave Thursday morning to go to China to adopt their beautiful daughter, Anna (follow their journey here). We are supposed to get snow tomorrow night. Please join with us in praying that their trip is smooth and without delays. We know God is going before them, making the path clear. It's the breath-taking end of their adoption journey and the exciting beginning of their new adventure as a family of three. We're filled with joy as we watch the miracle of adoption unfold for them!!

Moving Mountains

Click here to read about how God moved mountains for a family with our agency to adopt a precious baby girl. They're in country now and just got her. Read the last couple of posts, including the one about Christmas in Ethiopia...I'm tearing up here at my desk!

Snow Chez Nous!

There's snow! We woke up to 3+ inches on the ground. Brad and Zeke stayed home while I went to church. I probably would've stayed home too but I was the only piano player for our contemporary service today so I felt I needed to go. The roads weren't too bad. I went slow and easy. However, everyone time I looked out a window at church, I could see the snow STILL coming down. It's still coming down now! I'm not sure how much we'll end up with by the time this is over. I'd say we have 5-6 inches now. Maybe more. Any snow where you are today?

New Year's Resolution=Cook More

Missy's Cheese Souffle (click here for recipe)

With a brand new set of pots and pans (thanks, Mom!), I decided one of my new year's resolutions would be making more food at home. Not just the usual stuff...but stuff you might see on the Food Network (for those of you who have cable....we don't). Anyway, I saw two recipes in the October issue of O Magazine that looked tempting. The first seemed the easiest: a skillet of potatoes and garlic (recipe here). The second was a cheese souffle (recipe here). The potatoes did not turn out the way the recipe described. Not sure what I did wrong. It obviously requires infinitely more skill than I have in the kitchen. Even though they didn't look like the photo, the potatoes did end up being garlic-y and tasty. Not bad, even though they looked awful. I figured since the potatoes were a disaster, the cheese souffle would be awful. However, I did two souffles in ramekins and both turned out very well. One was much fluffier than the other (too much folding with the egg whites) but otherwise, they both tasted delicious. I used Irish white cheddar as my grated cheese. I think that made a HUGE difference.

Zeke and the Turtle

Be-Be got Zeke this massive turtle for Christmas. We didn't fill it up with pillows until last night. Zeke loves it!

Home!

We're back home. The kitty boys really missed us. Zeke is napping now. Pierre Clovis is nestled in my lap and Little Buddy is nearby. Zeke had so much fun playing with his new toys here at home. It was like he was playing with them again for the first time. He had a major meltdown this afternoon when we attempted to go out for a little while. He couldn't decide which cars to take with him. Then, he didn't want to sit in his car seat (I can't blame him and we were silly for thinking we could go out with him after all our big travels). So, Zeke and I (Missy) came back in the house. He cried it out and drifted to sleep. There's still a lot of clean-up to do so I'd better get to it.

Heading back to Springpatch

We leave Tennessee to make the 14 hour journey back to Springpatch. We hope to make it to Jonesboro, Arkansas tonight. We'll drive the rest of the way tomorrow. Please pray for our safe travels.

It's always sad to say goodbye to family after staying with them for so long. We're blessed to have the opportunity to take such a long break from work at Christmas and New Years.

Well, we movin' on up!

We're now NUMBER 3 on the unofficial wait list for a baby girl. It's really, really hard to know how excited to be about this because it's an unofficial list so there are surely families ahead of us who are not on this list. Second, based on current projections, the earliest I would expect to get our referral is May. I realize that is not so very far away.

One thing that will clue us in on how much longer we have to wait is the timing of our "on deck" email. The "on deck" email means we are within three months (or less) of getting our referral. We are not yet on deck...but you better believe we will post on here as soon as we get that email!!

Be-Be arrived safely in Bangkok and is having a great time. Read more about her adventures here.

Following Be-Be

If you're interested in my sister's journey to Thailand, she'll be blogging here. It's worth heading over to her blog just to see her darling pug, Maybelle. But you'll find plenty of other stuff there of interest too!

Ode to Aunt Odie

My (Missy's) great aunt passed away December 26th. We called her Aunt Odie (her real name was Leola). She was a regular presence in my life growing up. She didn't have kids but my mom spent a lot of time with her: visiting with her, helping her, caring for her. Our hearts are heavy because of this loss. Even though Aunt Odie had slipped into a coma, I'm thankful that my mom, my sister and I got the chance to spend time with her just hours before she passed away. That's really remarkable when you consider I'm only in Kingsport once or twice a year and my sister lives 6 hours away. Aunt Odie was a wise, strong woman. We will miss her greatly.

My sister is really sad that she won't be here for the funeral tomorrow. However, she's doing something that Aunt Odie would definitely approve of: she's leaving today for Thailand for a 3 week trip. Aunt Odie gave Weedy a "great commissioning" before she left to live overseas in 2007. We pray for Weedy to have safe travels and a productive trip.

Merry Christmas!

Sent from my iPhone

We're Here!

We made it to Tennessee Sunday afternoon. We delayed our trip by one day because of an epic snowstorm. Thankfully, we didn't encounter any icy roads. We didn't even see significant amounts of snow on the ground until about 30 miles outside Kingsport. It's wonderful to be home with our parents. Zeke slept in until 9:10 yesterday morning, a true Christmas miracle!!

Brad and I had some time to ourselves yesterday to do some running around. We enjoyed that and in fact, it made me feel like a stupid teenager in love, all over again! It's good for the grandparents to have some time with Zeke and for me and Brad to have some together time.

We're thinking we might try taking Zeke to see Santa again...we'll see.

Snow...Boo!

Well, our plans to leave for Tennessee tonight have been scratched thanks to what some are calling an historic snow event in the eastern US. Just got off the phone with my parents. They report having 8 inches of snow already in Kingsport and had just lost their electricity. Brad's parents were barely able to get cell phone service earlier this evening. It's so weird because all is calm on the home front here. It's not even THAT cold in our neck of the woods. Oh well...Since there's no rush to hit the road tonight, Brad is still at work. Not exactly sure what our plans will be. Pray that the snow will move through quickly so we can get home safely. I'm ready to head to Tennessee!

Christmas Cards

I love getting Christmas cards. Got one from my beloved co-worker this morning with this sentiment:

In an unlikely place...unimaginable hope was born.

It goes along with a Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas song I was listening to driving to Jeff City yesterday. Here are some of the lyrics:

People with hope have a special prayer
a louder drum, a brighter flare
This is a song for the hopeful
May God hear it sung

Amen.

A story on a grandmother with AIDS

I'm proud of how this story turned out. It aired on my station this morning as part of a series on local people who have demonstrated courage.

Christmas and Quilla

Quilla is always present in our hearts and in our prayers. But it's nice to have a visual representation of our daughter-to-be on our Christmas tree. I found a beautiful ornament at Target a few weeks ago: a little dark-skinned angel girl holding music and singing. How perfect! This ornament is a particular favorite of Zeke. We don't talk to him much yet about the adoption (for a variety of reasons) but when he picks up that ornament, looks it over and then looks up at me with his big eyes, I say, "That's your sister, Quilla." He smiles. We will definitely spend more time talking to him about Quilla after we get our referral. At that point, we will have photos, which will make it more real for him.

Something else to consider: It's possible Quilla has already been born. We're requesting a baby 0-12 months and we expect to get matched to a baby in May, June or July. So, even if she's not yet born, she is certainly "here" in the sense that she is in the womb. Wherever she is, please pray for her and her birth family. Ask God to prepare the way for Quilla, to ensure her health, safety and happiness as she waits for us to come. Pray for comfort for her dear birth family as they make a very difficult decision to place her in care.

Not that anyone wants to see photos of us anymore...

Since I'm very hard to photograph, I was thrilled with how these turned out. A photo/graphic design student who is working for our station this semester took these photos at one of my favorite restaurants downtown: a breakfast diner called Gailey's.

Zeke: Just Say No to Santa, Yes to Trains

I took Zeke to see Santa at our little town's city hall yesterday morning. I should've known things were going to be rough when he cried upon our arrival for Daddy. I finally convinced him it would be fun to go inside and see Santa. Once through the door, he was transfixed by a train set. He watched as the train ran around its table-top tracks. It only took about 3 minutes for him to start shouting, "Mine!" And the line to see Santa was right there next to the darn train so we couldn't very easily get away from it. I explained several times that the train was not ours. I told him he could tell Santa that he wanted a train of his own. So, once we got to the head of the line to see Santa, Zeke was none too happy. When I put him on Santa's lap, he melted into tears. There was no photo. I hastily picked him up and we retreated into the room where kids were coloring. This only prompted a reprise of "my train" chants. So, we went into the cafeteria where we donated our canned food items and got a plate of pancakes and sausages in return. By then, he had calmed down and the sweet syrup and greasy sausage took his mind off trains for a few minutes. Even though Santa had encouraged us to bring him back once he calmed down, the line was longer than it had been before so we just left. There is no photo of Zeke with Santa...not yet anyway.

Merry Christmas from our TV selves!

Movie Guide

It's been a while since I recommended some flicks that you might enjoy. Here are some not so recent movies you might check out if you haven't seen them:
*Michael Clayton-There's a reason this film was nominated for best picture: Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilinson are great!
*The Bourne Movies-I'm not a big fan of Matt Damon. But we became big fans of these movies when we watched them on DVD a couple of years ago.
*Something's Got to Give-Directed by Nancy Meyers, the same director who has "It's Complicated" coming out this month...a fun and enjoyable movie that's above the rom com genre
*Lars and the Real Girl-Lots of heart...Just watch it!
*About a Boy-Fun with Hugh Grant and Toni Collette. Need I say more?
*Muriel's Wedding-Speaking of Toni Collette...this movie is lovely and fun, especially for anyone who ever felt they weren't cool enough.

Update...

We are actually now FIFTH on the overall list and FOURTH for a baby girl. We were so happy to see a family with our agency was matched with a baby girl this week. How wonderful! Remember, don't get too excited...we still have months of waiting ahead of us...but I do enjoy celebrating these little milestones!

Number 6

We've had a flurry of referrals with our agency in the last week or so. We are sixth on the unofficial waiting list for our agency. We are number 5 for a girl. Keep in mind this is an unofficial list and I know there are other families out there who are ahead of us. Still, it's fun to see our names moving up the list!

I have to give some big props to my friend Kel who posted a brilliant suggestion for dealing with Zeke's "Go away, Mommy" comments. When he says that, I will say to him, "My job, Mommy" because most of the time, that's what he's trying to say. A wonderful way to re-direct the comment in a positive way. Thanks, Kel!

Milestone

Zeke took off his pants by himself last night. That may sound like a small, silly thing to note but it's not. When our Parents As Teachers educator evaluated Zeke a few weeks ago, one of the big developments to watch for was undressing and dressing himself. At that time, he didn't do anything related to dressing or undressing except occasionally kicking his shoes off in the car. Last night, I told him was time to put on his PJs. He was bouncing on the bed and I asked him to take off his pants. He stood up and put his hands on the waistband and started to pull them down. Well, Daddy and I cheered him on until he had taken them off completely! Woo-Hoo! He definitely "helps" get dressed but he doesn't seem ready to do it himself. So, that will be the next big thing.

This weekend, Zeke told me to "go away" when I was helping him eat. What he really meant was "I'm done eating and I want out of my chair." I told him that it's not nice to tell someone to go away. I left it at that. Later, we were playing. He was trying to crawl onto the chair where I was sitting. He said "go away" and what he really meant was "I'm trying to get up on this chair and you're in my way. Would you move?" I put him on my lap and I told him that when he told Mommy to go away that it made me very sad, in fact, it made me want to cry. I told him that it was not a nice thing to say to people. Later, when we were playing again and he didn't want me to take him out of the clothes hamper, he said, "Go...Mommy." So, at least he softened his words. I know that he has just heard a kid at school say "go away" and that he doesn't understand the tone of the language. I'm sure this is the first of many unpleasant things he'll pick up from other kids.

Peace

Today is the second Sunday in Advent. Today's focus is peace. Ponder in your heart the reason that we celebrate peace this season. Do not give in to those who try to make this a season of controversy and "war." We are called to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. It's not about the words displayed on a marquee or spoken hastily by an over-worked cashier that define this season. It's the words of love, hope and peace that are written on our hearts by the same hand that made the universe. It is from here that we begin to understand what this season is all about and what our response should be to the greatest gift ever given.

I was reminded of the beauty of different cultures today at church where we had a display of nativity sets brought in by families in our congregation. There were sets from all over the world. There was a set made of wood, designed especially for children to hold and play with. There were fragile sets of stained glass and porcelain. It was beautiful to see so many interpretations of the same blessed event.

A Sinfully Delicious Treat

This week, we'll do our annual holiday potluck lunch at work. A few years ago, a co-worker brought these awesome treats. I'm going to share the recipe with you because they're quick, easy and DELICIOUS! (Oh yes and they're very fattening...please enjoy responsibly.)

1 18 oz. package of Oreo cookies
1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese
1 12 oz. bag of white chocolate chips

Crush Oreos.

Mix Oreos with cream cheese.

Roll mixture into small balls.

Melt white chocolate (while you are melting refrigerate or freeze the balls).

Dip balls into chocolate.

Place balls back into the fridge or freezer until chocolate hardens.

Enjoy!

Heading to K-Town Two Weeks from Today

Bays Mountain...near Kingsport.

It's hard to believe we'll be on our way home to Tennessee two weeks from today. That means Christmas is THREE weeks from today. Yikes! I've got a lot to do between now and then.

I MET AND INTERVIEWED KATHLEEN TURNER!!!

What a nice lady! She was a really fun interview. Afterward, we talked about the local theatre scene and how important the arts are. I told her about my theatre background and how important it was in preparing me to be a radio journalist. She was kind, gracious and totally down to earth!

Coupon for T Shirt

If you want to buy one of our Adopt Africa T-Shirts here, use the coupon code 10OFFTSHIRTS to receive a discount!

My Story on NPR

It aired this morning. If you missed it, click here. The story's about two different restaurants that are sharing a physical building.

T SHIRTS! Take 2

Let's try this again. I've improved the design. To buy the shirt, CLICK HERE. You can buy the design on about any color or style of shirt you want. We'll get about $10 for every shirt sold. Right now, Zazzle is offering free shipping...Thanks!

Holiday Flicks

What are your favorite holiday movies? While my sister was here, we watched The Holiday. That's a great one, for sure. I love White Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas (I get teary-eyed every time!), and The Snowman (yes, the animated short set to music). When I was little, I loved the Christmas cartoon Nester, about the donkey who carried Mary. Talk about getting teary-eyed. Poor Nester. I also still get a kick out of Home Alone. If you didn't see Nativity Story, which came out a few years ago, I highly recommend it. It's very well done. What are you watching these days to get you in the Christmas spirit?

Scrubs Last Night

It only had a few mildly funny moments. The show has definitely jumped the shark. It's too bad...

Adopt Africa

We designed this shirt to show our love for Africa. Buy it and we get a portion of the proceeds. It's that simple.

Prayers for Babies/Kids Coming Home

I've blogged about this before...but please pray for the children as they make their transition to the states. A while back, a group of families came home and almost all the kids were sick. Another family that recently got home has their baby in the hospital. Please pray for healing for these children and for strength for their families. Even now, please pray for our Quilla (and her birth mom because she's probably in the womb...isn't that wild to consider?!?!) that God will keep her healthy and protect her from illness and harm.

I Gotta Feeling

Fun Times from Be-Be's Visit

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Pray for Families with Referrals

Since we waited so long after our referral to get Zeke, I really feel for families who are just waiting for court dates, passing court, travel date assignments, etc. Just say a special prayer for those families.

We're excited that our agency has opened a second Transitional Home. We're hopeful this might have a positive impact on the wait time for referrals. It's exciting to think that Quilla will be with us next Christmas. Wow! That's almost hard to believe!

The Blind Side

Zeke and Auntie Be-Be play Guitar Hero!


Definitely see this movie. I just went and saw it with my sister. Another adoptive mom with our Ethiopia agency saw it and described it this way: the hand of God is written all over it. Amen. It's great. Not even the running commentary from the oldies sitting in the row below us could detract from this awesome story. (This includes the comment more than half way through the movie at a rather quiet, emotional moment when the old woman in the next row asked loudly: "Is that Tim McGraw?") It's a beautiful story of love. You will like it.

Zeke is enjoying having his Auntie We-We in for a visit. Since he can't quite say "We-We," he calls her "Be-Be." This works just as well. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for.

Meet the Newest Jedi

Zekbe Shlan

Auntie We-We, Getting ready for Turkey Day, and Missy on NPR

Auntie We-We is coming today!! Hooray!!! I've been telling Zeke that Auntie We-We is coming for a visit. Last night, I asked him who was coming to see Zeke and he said, "We-We." Precious! I'm so happy she'll be here for Thanksgiving. We'll have a blast!

Zeke and I braved Target and WalMart yesterday to buy stuff for our Thanksgiving meal. At Target, we bought a tree skirt for our Christmas tree which we put up last weekend. I'm glad Brad suggested we put it up. I love sitting in the living room at night with just the tree lit up. Zeke cuddled up next to me for about 10 minutes last night and we just looked at the tree. He kept pointing at it and saying, "Lights!" I tried to sing some Christmas songs but I was too hoarse. I'm getting better...slowly. Zeke seems better. He has a doctor's appointment today, mainly because I'm concerned about his coughing. But even his coughing sounded less congested last night. We'll see how he's doing when he gets up this morning.

Finally, I have a story that only ended up on npr.org. They decided not to air it on the radio because it was too hard to explain the concept of a "diverging diamond interchange" on the radio. So, I was disappointed but I found out yesterday that my story was the 3rd most popular story of the day on npr.org. Cool! Click here to see the story. If you want something fun to listen to tomorrow morning while you cook, tune in to your local NPR station. I have another story that IS supposed to air tomorrow during Morning Edition. If I find out exactly what time it will be on, I'll let you know!

New Moon!

We're going to see New Moon tonight. I have looked forward to this since I first saw Twilight in the theater last year. The Twi book series/movies is one of only a few guilty pleasures I have these days...but it's a GREAT one.

I have to confess that every time we set up a date night, I feel a little twinge of guilt. How could I hand Zeke over to someone else while I go out and have fun? What kind of mommy am I?!?!? But...I've come to realize that occasional date nights are a must for maintaining a sane mommy and daddy. Being able to eat in a restaurant without the tension of getting Zeke to eat, sit quietly and not throw food is an amazing luxury. I do enjoy eating out with Zeke and most of the time, he behaves beautifully. But there's something relaxing about being at a restaurant, just you and your husband.

The sitter usually comes over between 5 and 6. Considering that Zeke goes to bed around 7:30, this means we're missing, at most, 2 and a half hours with him. Am I the only one who obsesses over this? I should also say that Zeke really seems to enjoy being with his babysitters. He creates some drama when we they arrive and we leave but when I call to check on him 30 minutes later, he's always fine. We rotate between three great gals who sit for us. Two are in high school and one is my sister's age. I think having trustworthy, reliable sitters makes it easier to do this too...still...the guilt!!

You've Got to Be Kidding Me!

So, I (Missy) went to the doctor yesterday because I was once again dealing with nasal drainage and a sore throat. I also just felt really tired. The doc said she had seen several cases of strep throat recently...people who had the same symptoms I had. So, she did a culture and we'll get the results Monday. In the meantime, she told me to go ahead and start on the penicillin. Well, I was just looking at the side effects and saw this. WHAT?!?! Is it really worth taking this medicine if this is a possible side effect?!?!

This Is What We Do on Friday Nights Now

Brad was on the phone with his brother so Missy made a new compilation of some lesser-seen photos of the Zekester. Enjoy!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

3!

As of today, we've been waiting three months since our DTE (Dossier To Ethiopia) for a referral. The months are ticking by! I know the next two months will go quickly...Two months from today is my birthday!

So, as of now, we have 6 to 8 more months to go until we get our referral. So exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What Does That Mean?

Our youth pastor sent this to me today...love it!

Malachi 3:3 says:

"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities...

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse:

"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy -
- when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

No Nap?

Zeke has not napped at daycare this week. I'm a little concerned because he's clearly tired when I pick him up. Monday, he fell asleep on the ride home and took a late afternoon nap for an hour and a half. Yesterday, he only snoozed about 10 minutes in the car and then was awake until after 8PM. He's usually in bed asleep between 7:30 and 8. He's not sick...any idea what's going on with my little man?!?!

Back on Track and Longing for Warmer Weather

Remembering this summer when days were warmer and the fruit was sweeter...

We have a slight chance of flurries this morning...*sigh*...

Looks like everyone at our house is better, though Brad's ear is still stopped up. He says he's starting some new meds soon.

Brad's grandparents are planning to stop by our house for a visit tomorrow! They'll spend the night with us before heading on to visit Pappy's sister in Texas. We're so happy that their trip will include a stop to see us! Pray for their safety as they drive many miles across the country.

Back from Dallas

I am back. I had a very fun and productive trip to Dallas. I was only gone two days but I missed Zeke and Brad so much. Still, I was there with a gal from my radio station. She has two girls who are in elementary school. Admittedly, we really enjoyed two quiet dinners at Olive Garden. Brad totally made fun of us because he said that sounded like something two moms in their 30's would do on a business trip. Well, it's the small things that make life enjoyable, you know? I found some cute clothes for Zeke, including a super hip, home-skillet tobogan at Gap. I also found two Christmas shirts for Quilla at Old Navy. They're super cute. They are 18-24 months so she'll probably wear them TWO years from now. Oh well. That's fine. Ahhhh, it's so good to be home!

We Know Why You Come Here

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Better

I think we're all doing much better now. I didn't even need nose spray to sleep last night. Thank you, Lord!

There was a flurry of referrals with our agency this week. We're thankful for that. Even though things are moving along, we still have to stay with our original time frame, which puts us getting a referral next May at the earliest. Pray for the families moving through this process. It's an amazing, exciting journey but many families face frustrations along the way.

Dial-A-Nurse

We are fortunate that my mom is a nurse and is only a phone call away. I stayed home from work yesterday and rested. But my fever never returned and my head is clearer. My mom and I concluded I must have had a sinus infection. At any rate, I'm back at work today, feeling better but still tired. Zeke slept all the way through the night. What a blessing! We've got him on antibiotics for his runny nose. We all just need to get better. Brad's also doing better.

Pretty Much in Denial

I may have swine flu but I'm in denial. I had a fever over 101 last night so just to be safe, I'm home from work today. I work with a couple of people who try to avoid getting sick at all costs because of some past medical issues and I sure don't want to expose them to my germs. As long as I keep up on the ibuprofen, I don't feel too horrible. More tired than anything. All three of us slept well last night. Zeke made it through the night in his crib and only required attention one time. That's a huge improvement and a sure sign he's getting better. He still has some wicked congestion in his nose and a junky-sounding cough. He is not wheezing when he breathes. I've asked his doctor's nurse to call us this morning to see what she advises. He had this congestion before he got the flu. Now that the flu is gone, we need to get this other stuff taken care of. Let's hope this is the only time we all get sick this winter. Wishful thinking, right? Brad's on meds for his ear, which he says still feels stopped up.

On the plus side, I feel confident that even if this is the flu, I will be much better by mid-week since the fever seems to only last a few days. I'm heading to Dallas on Friday for a conference. I'll be back Sunday. Pray that I'll be completely better by then. And also pray that Brad does not get this junk. So far, it seems he has not had the flu and we hope it stays that way!

Is Z's Mom sick now?

Ugg...I have felt bad on and off this weekend. I thought it was allergies. My usual cadre of allergy meds combined with some ibuprofen kept me feeling well enough to go to church this morning to sing for Adoption Sunday. But by mid-afternoon, I was feeling pretty yuck. I can't believe this is the flu because I expected to feel much, much worse. On the other hand, Zeke played and was mostly cheerful through his flu ordeal...who knows. Prayers will be appreciated.

We had Adoption Sunday at church today and it was such a blessing to be a part of it. I heard that two families who were just starting to think about adopting signed up for our new adoption support network. How exciting! I had the privilege of sharing my adoption testimony in the contemporary service. Well, naturally, I choked up when I talked about seeing Zeke's photo for the first time and how perfect he is for our family. I tried to drive home one point: If God is calling you and your family to adopt a child, God will make clear the path, remove all obstacles, and will open doors for you. It was so great to talk about how all these doors miraculously opened once we started to pursue an adoption from Vietnam. Amazing! I could give you example after example of God confirming our path and meeting our every need on the journey. And the Ethiopia adoption has been "easy" (so far) compared to Vietnam. That's been a real blessing. And you know what? If it does get hard, God will be there in those times too.

Can't. Wait. For. New. Moon.

If you haven't seen the latest trailer, here it is.

"Red, Bulging and Angry"

So the doctor looked inside Brad's left ear and saw this. Thankfully, Brad has not experienced any pain with this condition, just a fluid-filled ear.

Top 10 Lessons on Swine Flu

10. It's contagious. Even your gourds can catch it. And read here about a house cat that got it.
9. If your child has a history of wheezing/pneumonia, start breathing treatments right away. It's made a HUGE difference for Zeke.
8. If your kid has a runny nose, a little cough and a fever, chances are good that it's swine flu. I thought it might just be a cold because Zeke had identical systems when we went to Philly this summer. Go figure.
7. Just because your two-year-old has swine flu, doesn't mean he doesn't want to dance his booty off. Moms, you must say no! Exercise and jumping around can cause coughing fits.
6. Even if it's early November and the high is in the 70's, don't take the baby outside. He'll just get worked up and start coughing.
5. Invest in those antibacterial wipes and clean everything. Snot will get everywhere. Clean everything constantly.
4. Just assume the baby will not sleep through the night. Even when the fever is gone, it's hard to sleep through the night when you're coming off of swine flu.
3. Catch it early so your kid can get on Tamiflu. It's shortens it and decreases the severity.
2. Excessive jumping/exercise can lead to episodes of pook. Avoid at all costs...unless you want a few more things to clean.
1. Do NOT under any circumstances get swine flu.

If there's a silver lining to all this, it's that we can now move into the colder months and the holiday season without fear that Zeke will get swine flu. And he's already gotten his seasonal flu shot. So, we can breathe a little easier knowing we've BTDT (been there, done that).

On a completely separate note, I'm considering a little splurge. It looks like one of our beloved babysitters is available to watch Zeke Saturday, November 21st. The new Twilight movie opens that weekend. So, I really am jonesing for a cool Twi shirt to wear that night. Among the finalists are shirts bearing these slogans: La Push Cliff Diving Team, Ciao Volturi, and Black Swan Motorcycles: Reckless Distractions Guaranteed. If you've read the book and have a favorite among these, let me know. I'm leaning toward the La Push one.

We're here...sorry for the long absence

If you haven't heard, Zeke has swine flu, aka novel H1N1 flu. They did not do the specific test for swine flu but he tested positive for type A flu. Given that no other type A has shown up here EXCEPT swine flu, the docs are pretty certain that's what he has. Blah. He's actually doing very well. He's been home since Tuesday...Brad and I have taken turns going to work and staying home with him. So far, no pneumonia. Praise the Lord for that! I think his cough sounds better today. WOOT! We caught it early enough that we got him on tamiflu and I'm sure that's helping. We also started breathing treatments right away. Those make a big difference in his congestion. He absolutely hates the breathing treatments but he has no choice but to suffer through them.

Please keep us all in your prayers. We want Zeke to get better and to get through this without pneumonia. Brad is also fighting something...probably just a head cold but it's a vicious one. And I'm fighting lack of sleep and praying that I don't get sick.

A Picture is Worth a Million Dollars

In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle, the Lion Sleeps Tonight

Here's a sample of the lion in the jungle...more to come!