Working out and Artwork

I've been having a great week.  I started back at the gym, today was my second day.  Yesterday I woke up sort of motivated and thinking about getting to the gym.  While I was watching the episode, I Used to be Fat, it hit me.  I was about 15 minutes into the show when my motivation hit an all time high.  I decided that when the episode went off, I would throw my hair in a pony tail and GO.  I did, and it felt awesome.  I worked out for an hour and a half.  I actually had my hair done cute yesterday, it was down and curly...but I said...up you go and off to the gym I went.  Hubby was so proud of me.  I'm not sure why it takes me so much convincing to go to the gym by myself, but I had fun and it felt great.  So, I went again today for another hour and a half.  I love the look on hubbies face when I tell him I went to the gym, he's so excited that I'm finally getting out and doing it.  I'll be honest, I've been using the excuse that I'll workout after we have our baby home.  I'm sure it would take a few months before I would actually get there after bringing baby home, so I guess that was my excuse.

I've also been painting this week, on canvas this time.  I finished the hippo yesterday and giraffe today.  I love the way they turned out, although hubby does call my hippo vampire teeth.  Oh well, it's still cute.  When I was showing hubs tonight, he said, you making yourself a new business?  And that I have to sign my name at the bottom.  That's a bit weird since I'm just hanging them in my child's room...what would I sign...mommy?  LOL.  It is a really cheap project because I have all the paint and brushes, all I have to do is find the canvas which is 1.29 Euro for the small ones and 1.99 Euro for the big ones.  That's it, well other than having to go on the Internet to find my inspiration picture...that's the hardest part.  It takes about 6 hours to paint each piece.

Have a great day!

Networking

I've been doing some research and was thinking of creating a family profile on hopingtoadopt.org.  It's a free online service where our profile would be seen by anyone.  I'm not sure how I feel about this yet.  At times, I feel it's not the right thing to do, but then at the same time, I feel it's our option as our social worker is unsure of how long our wait will be because of us living overseas.  This website would be national, so we would be opened up to more birthparents.  We can also post our profile on the agency website, but I'm not sure how much attention that gets.  We're hoping to adopt an African American or Biracial baby.
Gotta run to physical therapy...I'll keep thinking on this subject..

Weekend?

Didn't turn out as planned.  But it was a great weekend staying in my nice warm cozy home :).  We ended up getting some wet snow on Sunday all day, so we didn't head out for a walk just to be drenched...we've done this a few months ago and were freezing!  Then on Monday, we had about 4 inches of snow, so we decided to stay home.   We watched Life as we Know it, Buried, and Romona and Beezus.  I was disappointed in Buried, but oh well.
I emailed our case worker and asked her some questions on the agency, their placement rates and such.  She can't really give us a time frame because she's not sure how birth parents will take to us living overseas.  I'm hoping that our child's parents will see our situation as a blessing because we are able to travel and see the world.  I pray this does not hold us up...it has been my fear along.  Oh and then with hubby deploying this summer, my biggest fear is they are going to put us on hold and not tell us...they'll pretend we are active.  Our contract expires with BCS in July, so we'll see what happens.  I was also told today that we're not allowed to use another agency.  I was thinking of signing up with a national agency, but I guess that won't be happening.  I NEED to stop worrying and take a step out of this and let Him be in control.
My little sister will be here next week!  I'm so excited, then we are off to Greece.  How fun...the one place I've always wanted to go.  Now, I've always imagined it to be a total of 4 ladies, but I'll just say we are giving this trip a test for the future trip.  Sounds silly, but I imagine it to be like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants...it better be :)...LOL.
I'm on a great roll this week for cooking.  2 great meals have been made and hubby loved them.  Last night I made Thai Glass Noodle Soup with Thai Spring Rolls...yummy!  Tonight I made fajitas...oh man...these things were tasty, just like in the restaurants.  I haven't made fajitas in probably 12 years...just something I hadn't done.  Hubby came in the kitchen tonight as I was squeezing a lime over the chicken and says..."we have a Julia Child in the house this week...smelling good in here".  As he was saying it, I had the voice of Julia Child herself in my head saying it...LOL.  It was great.  Some days I wish I were her, when I lived in the dorms I was often referred to as her, and now, I still am.  Maybe I should start a new passion?  Well, that's it for today.

Have a great day!

Change of plans

Hubby is feeling better, but I woke up feeling like I was going to throw up.  So, we are rearranging our days.  Today we will work on our online profile (we're done with it, but I want to re-read and maybe add some things), hubby will also do his homework today.  Tomorrow we will go for a walk on a really nice trail we found driving around a few weeks ago and on Monday morning we will go to France.  We would go to France tomorrow, but around here everything is closed on Sundays, so we think France might be the same way?  It will only be a two hour drive where we are planning to go, so not bad, and we won't have to worry about our little monkey boy. 

Today's task is a stressful one.  Writing the birth parent letter is difficult.  We don't know what we should put in it other than what the agency suggests.  But we want to add something to make it us, not just a letter.  So far, this is what we have included.

• how we met
• what we each like to do and what we like to do together
• what our jobs are
• who our dog is
• what our school plans are
• our christian beliefs
• infertility, adoption, and my blood restriction disease
• my thoughts of Nick
• Nick's thoughts of me
• our home and future home
• our plans as parents

I want to talk about discipline in their also in case a birth parent wonders, it would be in the letter.  I think sometimes birth parents wonder how their child would be disciplined.  I was also thinking of adding a paragraph about the nursery since it's already finished.  But the letter is already a page and half, which is the max for the agency...ugh.  Then I think, if we included the nursery in the letter, would they be turned off by us because we are so ready to be parents that we already have the nursery finished?  If I do the nursery paragraph, should I include a picture of it?

Did you do an online profile and a photobook?  If so, were they the same or different?
What would you guys suggest?

Have a great day!

Mess

Don't mind my mess right now, I'm working on the page. 

Tomorrow we're planning to go into France for the day.  I say planning because right now hubby is sick.  He's not feeling well so he's sleeping.  I hope he is better by morning because it would be fun to go out for the day. 
That's all I know today...boring.

Have a great day!

LADY GAGA - Born This Way (Cover)

I'm so excited, i just checked my college degree audit and I passed the darn writing test...I guess the third time is really the charm...lol.  I can finally finish my last 2 classes...what a relief!!!

I passed. I passed. I passed...YAH. YAH. YAH!!!!

Today marks 7 months from the time our formal application was approved to adopt.  We had a few months put on hold due to the move, getting settled, and finding a social worker, but all that's done and we're just waiting now. 
It's been a lot longer than 7 months of trying to build our family, more like 9 years, but in good timing everything will work out when it's supposed to.  Do I get upset, impatient, sad?  Of course, I have had lots of melt downs of just wanting a family and wanted to do anything and everything i could to help start it.  We first looked into adoption then started 3 years of infertility treatments, IUI's, IVF's, surgeries, ultrasounds, blood panels...poked and prodded, we've never given up.  We're finally now on our journey through adoption, not just domestic adoption but also embryo adoption.  Today I scanned 45 pages of my medical history from the 1st IVF clinic and sent them by email to our Cryo clinic.  We're hoping to do a cycle in April or May.  As I was scanning, I couldn't help myself but read some of the content.  I had no idea what I'm reading to be honest, but it was interesting to see what they wrote in my charts. 

Having faith

I've been following a blog that just went private, so I can't follow anymore :(.  I loved following this blog because the couple had such great faith that I admired them for not being afraid and sharing all the faith they had.  They are also in the process of adoption and have been matched with a birth mom.  From the very beginning of their match, they have faith that this baby will be theirs forever.  They have a great bond with the birth mom and her family, it's amazing.  It's like a dream match.  No wonder why she has so much faith in announcing the babies name, personalizing everything to the expected child...FAITH.  I'm not sure why they went private, but I think because on another blog I sometimes read, this girl tore at her (i like reading her blog because she gives great advice on literature about adoption).  I believe that if someone has enough faith to post things on their open blogs and with their family and friends, they should not be ripped about, questioning their faith.  I totally understand that the baby is not theirs until after termination of parental rights, but what's wrong with having/showing faith that all things will work out?  Adoption is a HUGE step in faith, and this family has definitely found their faith.  I just want to wish this couple the best and to keep the faith, don't let people you don't know get you down. 

That's all I wanted to say.

New day

I'm going to return everything I bought for Nick, he doesn't want any of it.  I'm thinking it's because he didn't get me anything, but I don't care that he didn't get me anything.  I just wanted the night to be nice with a good meal and dessert, nice conversation, and possibly watch some Dexter.  Well none of that got done, I went to the living room and watched Bondi while he was sleeping at 6:30.  I'm glad the day is over, and today is a new day.  I wasn't feeling well last night, I woke up around 1:30 vomiting, had about an hour of it.  Not sure what it is since we didn't eat dinner, I had cereal, my favorite, cheerios.  I'm feeling a little better this morning.

My reflections on the book, The. Chosen:
It was a good read, easy read, but it left me wondering.  The book was about five different families.  The social worker (Chloe), a couple about to give birth (Penny and Jason), a single mom with a two year old having another baby (Heather), a couple hoping to adopt (John and Francie), and a couple that was with the agency trying to adopt, but got pregnant on their own (Paul and Eva).  What if my social worker is like the one in the book?  Does my social worker work with both birth parents and adoptive parents?  The book took a turn and the couple that gave birth, wants their child back because the agency isn't paying for their living any longer.  Do agencies really pay for a place to stay for them?  I think it's nice, but what about after the baby is born, they just don't care anymore?  They get their money and are done with the birth parents?  I really hope that our agency has some sort of support for birth parents and don't just drop them to their feet and say...see you later.  Jason kidnaps Paul and Eva's son, thinking it was their baby because Paul gave Francie a ride home from the hospital and Jason thinks it's his baby.  Well in the end the baby is okay and goes back with his parents, but if I read the story right, Chloe helps Jason and Penny leave town.  I really thought this book was going to be about something totally different. 
Needless to say, this book makes me think on ethical terms of an adoption agency.  I believe our agency does have things in place for birth parents after their baby is born, it's a christian agency afterall.  I think I'm going to compile a list and email our case worker.  It will help put my mind at ease.

Have a great day!

Why do I try?

Vent...

Today especially I find myself wondering why I even try to do anything special.  It's never appreciated.  Nick is so inconsiderate!  I made the cookies and pretzel things, but all I got was why did you make those?  I'll just take them to work, we don't need them.  Then I told him what I was making for dinner and he said, do you want to make dinner?  WHAT?  Are you serious?  I just showed you what I was making!  Next response...do you want to go for a run tonight!  Needless to say, I tossed it ALL in the garbage!  By now...I'm done talking and looking at him.  I put his gift that I bought next to his pillow and he set it on the floor at the end of the bed.  What is his problem??????  So while he was playing on the computer, I emptied out the contents of his gift bag and laid next to the pillow.  He comes in the room later and puts it all back in the gift bag and places it back on the floor.  He's now in the bed sleeping and it's only 6:30!  I'm done!  I'm done!  I'm done!  Has to be the worst Love Day every!

I hope that your Valentines Day is everything you hoped for and more.

Have a great day!

A day of Love

For me, today marks a day that you show your significant other what they mean to you.  This Love Day I'm going all out, I never do.  Nick has always been there for me, in the happiest times and saddest times.  His desire to make me achieve my highest potential, his quirky humor, through thick and thin, I know he will always be by my side. I'm making 2 treats.  One of his new favorites from Christmas, but I turned them into love pretzels, then I'm going to make cut out cookies in hearts and X and Os.  For dinner he's going to get Steak Diane.  I've never made it, but he saw it in a magazine last week so I'm going to surprise him with a nice meal tonight.  For dessert I'm going to make our new healthy favorite dessert, chopped apples with drizzled honey and walnuts on top...but tonight also a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  I hope he likes it all.  I bought him a Sony eReader, it's bigger than mine and 3G...i would trade, but he engraved mine Christmas 09...lol.  He's also getting a nice red Nautica polo shirt, he LOVES polo shirts.  I love you Nickolas!
Time to make the cookies...I still have to do a reflection on the book I read over the weekend.  I finished it, it was good, but has me thinking.  Maybe I'll have time later to post about it.

Happy Love Day!

Great mood

Hubby has been in an unusual sweet and romantic mood.  I love seeing him like this, but where does it come from?  I'm so not used to him being so cheerful, he's usually too busy thinking about a task at work to put a smile on his face for longer than 10 minutes.  He's always so serious looking.  This morning as I was preparing to clean because i didn't do it yesterday, he stopped me by the nursery and told me I did such a great job putting the room together..saying it went from boxes of furniture to an actual room designed with love.  He's so sweet...I love my man!
The book, The Chosen, is a great book.  I read 207 pages yesterday...only about 100 left.  I have to say that this is the most I've read in one day, so it must be a good read.  As I was laying in bed, hubby was playing Madden, looked back and said he likes it when I read.  I honestly read probably 2 books a year, so far I'm at 4 since we moved.
Tonight we're going to a friends 35th Birthday Party...it's not really a party, just a get together.  We're going to their place for dinner, then we will head to the bowling alley to see who can bowl better.  Nick and I will hopefully be home by 8:30 so we can give monkey boy his medicine, then watch Paranormal Activity 2.  We've been waiting to see this movie for awhile, and finally was able to download it on i.Tunes.

Have a great day!

Relaxing day

Packet arrived

Our fingerprints and VA CPS forms arrived yesterday.  They are going back in the mail today to their necessary places to get us approved.  In the email, our social worker said once they get these back we will be approved!!!  This put a huge smile on my face.  How exciting.  Now just waiting, just to get officially waiting...lol. 
Hubs has been working really late this week.  I'm glad tomorrow is Friday.  I ran over to the library today to see about checking out some adoption related books.  They seem to be the only books I ever finish.  They had Chosen, so I grabbed it.  I also rented Dexter season 1.  For some reason we can't find it on AFN any more, so the next best thing is to watch an old one :).
Little monkey boy went to the doggie dentist today and had 6 teeth extracted...poor boy.  He's just lounging around, but that's not out of the ordinary for him, he's just drowsy and has the look of pain in his eyes.  He has to take it easy for the next week, so hubs and him can't play rough like they enjoy doing every evening before bed.
I'm looking into getting a job.  I'm not sure i want one because I'm not sure it's the best idea yet.  If I get a GS job, which is a government job, I won't be able to take much time off if the baby would get sick and couldn't go to daycare.  So, that leaves hubby...but I can't see him taking time off work to take care of the baby.  So, I'm lost at what to do.  Do I take a leap of faith and believe that hubby will take the time off if he needed to, or do I continue to stay home.  Another reason I'm having a hard time deciding if I should get a job is because I don't need it for the money, it would just be to get me out of the house.  We have an idea that if I get a job, we could pay cash for our new vehicles when we leave here in 2.5 years.  Now, I'm all for that, but then I'd be losing out on precious time with my child...for what...to pay cash on vehicles.  A vehicle is not all that serious to me, and we could save up and probably pay for one without me having a job.  I'm going to call the day care center tomorrow to see what the fees are.  This job that I apply for, I'm sure I will get it since it was my previous work experience for 9 years, I would need to apply by tomorrow 6pm.  I don't know.  I don't know.  Thanks for listening to me vent about deciding if I should get a job.  I'm going to read now.

Have a great day!

Ikea Mannheim

Yesterday my friend Pam and I went to Ikea.  It was great to get away.  We first stopped at our favorite local coffee shop...almost like Starbucks, then got back on the road for our 45 min drive.  I think this was my 3rd time in an Ikea, and it's huge!  Some of the furniture looks cheap, but a lot of furniture looks nice and sturdy.  I remember one day in the hotel we were living in, we asked the manager there where the nearest Ikea was and she said, in her broken English, that Ikea is no good, she don't shop there.  Almost making it sound like a bad place to buy things from.  Well I like the idea of it...items are cheap, and you can find some really cute decorating ideas for your house in there.  I picked up a closet hanging organizer, a fun mobile to go above the changing table, and some cubes to go inside the dresser drawer to put the changing necessities in there since I currently don't have a place to put that stuff.  Pam bought 3 pieces of furniture, a desk chair for her daughter, and some curtain sheers.  It was a successful day, but because we didn't think we'd find furniture that she would like, she drove her Audi A4 instead of the Explorer.  We managed to get it to all fit inside.  We rushed back home, we had 35 minutes to get to base to get her girls from school...oh what a rush!  Good thing the autobahn was no speed limit for most of the ride.  After we got the girls, I walked home from there, only 2-3 blocks...not far.  She then came back to pick me up after dropping the oldest off at swim practice and took me to her place where my car was.  Hubby then calls and says he locked his keys in his car at the gym.  What a day!
I wasn't feeling well last night, was dizzy a lot yesterday so I crashed early last night.
Today I plan to stay home and get things done around the house.  Laundry, take stuff down to the storage room, and clean.  I have physical therapy today this afternoon also.  I had it yesterday, but since we were running late, I missed it.  Oh well, not like it's doing any justice on my knees.

Have a great day!

Nursery Mural--finished

As promised...Pictures!  Alright, so this was hard work, but well worth it and I just want to sit in there all day.  I call it the babies oasis now.  I drew the tree on Tuesday...then Friday after I bought the paints and brushes, I had a hair up my butt to do the vines and monkeys, that night.  I drew one line for the vines, drew the monkeys, left the leaves until after the vines were painted...they were going to be the last step.  The vines actually ended up being a pain to paint because the lines would not work the way I wanted.  I thought, I'll just leave them wiggly.  After I had the monkeys done, I decided to go back and fix up the vines and make them a little more even and straight.  They're not perfect, but which vine is?  I then sat in the chair and drew the leaves on paper first, looking at my inspiration picture, then decided to draw them on a hot chocolate box so I could use them as a template.  I'm glad I did this step because it made the leaves go quickly when I put them on the walls.  For the whole thing I looked at my 2 inspiration pictures and free handed it on the walls.  The vines were easy, just lines...but the monkeys, another story!  I had the hardest time getting their heads right, then on the swinging monkey, I left a gap between the hand and vine...oops.  I've NEVER drawn before, and I'm sure I still can't, but something about this I just did it.  I'm sure I'll be anal and get in there when hubby goes to work tomorrow and fix that.  Last night I thought I was finished, but this morning after I woke up, I decided to add the details on the leaves on the tree and vine leaves.  I'm SO glad I did, it looks awesome!  And now...the pictures...

drawing the leaves

starting on the sleeping monkey

Here he is...but later learned I shouldn't have drawn his face on because I had to erase it to paint the face color.

halfway through

swinging monkey time

when I thought I was done last night..ha ha

I really LOVE this monkey...he/she turned out perfect...in my eyes

these are the vines that will hold the name, there are 6, showing the jumbo leaves hanging from them and the detail on the leaves

finished project

also decided to hang these today

So, now I just have four more art projects to do.  These will be on canvas and will hang above the changing table/dresser.  There you have it...my inspiration that I followed through with and I think it turned out awesome, but I'm a bit partial of course.  I'm just really glad hubby loves it also...it makes him smile when he goes in there, so I know he loves it too. 
So obviously it's not done yet.  The rest will be gender specific.  If we have a girl, the jumbo leaves will be filled with a girl color...still haven't decided which one, and a boy...a boy color.  Then on top of the jumbo leaves I will draw a flower for a girl and basketball, baseball, hockey puck, or a soccer ball.  Then on the sleeping monkey I will add a flower for a girl.  I might add random flowers throughout the vines if it's a girl, but a boy, I'm not sure yet what/if I will do.  I can't wait to have it completely finished...hopefully soon.

Have a great day!

Done and tired!

I finished the mural.  Was it work!!!  My wrist is killing me from painting for 12 hours, then my knee, the one with the torn meniscus, is swollen and really can't bend it.  I'm thinking it's from standing on it ALL day.  Oh well, I have the brace on, will take some Mobic, and elevate it soon.  I will say that all this pain I am in today, is my own fault.  I didn't HAVE to finish it today, I just wanted to so I wouldn't have to put the paint away and pull it out again the next day.  It is so worth it!  I love the way it turned out.  I'll post pictures tomorrow.  We took tons!  I wish I could show all my family, but I'm not informing everyone how far along we are in the process.  I'm really excited about the mural and hubby even likes it.  He says I just paint murals more often.  NO WAY!!!  That's a lot of work!
I'm off to go elevate the leg.  Be back tomorrow with some pictures.

Have a great day!

Drawing on the walls

I'm finished drawing the sketch of the mural on the walls.  I have to say that it turned out so much better than I ever anticipated.  Tomorrow if hubby and I don't go on a day trip, I will begin painting it.  I picked up all the supplies today and am very excited to see the colored finished product.  I've decided that I have to paint in phases because I can't draw the leaves on the vines yet because when I paint the vine, the leaves would get messed up.  So, I cut out different shapes of leaves out of a hot chocolate box so the leaves can look nice.  I'm tempted to paint the vines tonight so they can dry and I can start on the leaves tomorrow.  I won't though.  I'll leave it be until tomorrow.  I've also decided to add in some extra details, most of which will occur after placement so I can use more colors, gender specific.  This was my enjoyment to the day.  Hopefully I'll have some pictures tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Her response was...

To my question about whether our case worker's supervisor still needing to review our home study or if we will be approved and waiting after the clearances come back for a second time...this is what she said..."My supervisor is waiting to get the final "okay" from licensing. we have gotten a tentative "okay" and all the information about the child going to Germany after placement. I do not see that there is going to be any problem and should have the final approval once the clearances get back."  So there you have it...I read it as we should be home study approved and waiting by the end of the month. 
Still haven't gotten back into the nursery to finish drawing the mural.  I think I'll have it done this weekend though.  I ended up watching TV this morning, cleaning up, laundry, physical therapy, then I rented movies, so i started Like. Dandelion. Dust while I was preparing supper.  I read the book a few months ago, and I really liked the book.  I wish the movie played more like the book.  Now, I did visualize the characters while reading the book and I must say that when the movie played, they were exactly what I expected them to look like.  I wish the ending played more like the book, the book was so much more detailed...it would have been nice seeing her sister explain why she did what she did. 
Tomorrow I'm going to watch The. Children. Are. Alright.  I keep seeing it on i.Tunes, so I thought I'd rent this as well.  Hubs is going to France in the morning, just a day trip. 
Last night hubby decided to keep me up all night by pushing me so hard that I felt like I was flying out of the bed (exaggeration).  You see, I grind my teeth at night, really bad.  So he will usually give me a nudge and I stop, well last night I guess I kept grinding.  So, he decided to give me some hefty nudges a few times during the night and I really did feel like I was flying.  He then woke up and had a hard time going back to sleep so he turned the TV on.  Oh what a night!  Hopefully tonight will be peaceful.  Maybe I'll actually sleep with my mouth piece in...just for it to fall out about an hour after I fall asleep...ugh!  I can't win!

Have a great day!

Fingerprints & CPS #2

So hubby and I went and had our fingerprints done for the second time.  This time was much different.  We had the card that the agency sent us, then had to fill out another card.  The fingerprint office said we had to fill out both...we just went along, knowing we only needed the one we already filled out.  I did send both cards and the CPS forms to the agency today as well.  They are supposed to receive them Friday by 3 pm EST.  We'll see if they do.  I also sent an email to our case worker asking if her supervisor is still reviewing the case or if after these clearances come back we will be approved and waiting.  I'm hoping for approved and waiting of course. 
I drew the tree on the wall in the nursery yesterday.  It turned out awesome!  Tomorrow I'll do the vines and the monkeys hopefully.  Today's already shot since I still have to workout, cook supper, cleanup, then hubs and I are going to the gym to use the cardio equipment.  I'm so glad I finally decided on the theme for the mural.  I hope it's all going to turn out nice.  I would take a picture of it, but since it's in pencil, you wouldn't be able to see it.  I'm free handing it though, so a lot of erasing is being done...LOL.  On Friday, my friend P and I are going to find some Lowe's type of stores here in Germany.  Should be fun since we don't know what they look like here.  But we think this one called Praktiker may be similar.  We're going there first.  I hope so because I'm excited to paint and have it finished...even though I just started.  That's it for now...

Have a great day!