Random Pics

I was putting our profile together for the agency when I noticed that I have not posted any photos lately. Here are two I seleted for our profile. Nice...eh?

Drew with our niece and nephew.

Me at Red Rocks just outside Denver, Colorado

Adoption Update

Many of you have lovingly inquired as to how the adoption process is going for us so I thought I would just drop you a line to update you. Currently we are 2 weeks before the end of the visits with our caseworker. All of our reference letters have been sent in (THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO COMPLETED THOSE FOR US!) and now we now proceed to the final in-home visit. As soon as that is over, it'll be 2 weeks or so before we enter the waiting pool while our caseworker completes the home study file. We will probably enter the waiting pool around the first week of May. Then...we wait. We wait and pray for someone to find a connection with us in our profile. For those that do not know much about open adoption, there are no guarantees that we will ever be selected to be parents. However, we believe that God will bless us, a baby, and the baby's birth family some day. Please continue to pray for us as we begin the hardest part of the journey...the waiting.

Misc.

Well, I needed a catch-all post because I haven't updated in a few days. So...

Before I forget to say it, Happy Easter to you all!

I am, OFFICIALLY, on Spring Break. What am I going to do with my week off? Hmmmm....write a research paper. Yes I am. I HAVE to. It is due next weekend and I haven't started so I really have no choice. After that...I am going to clean my house. Why? Because, in 2 weeks our caseworker is going to visit for the last time before, hopefully, recommending us for approval to enter the "Waiting Couple's Pool." So, I really need to clean the place. No, Really.

I am going to incubate and hatch chicks at school so I soaked one in vinegar for 2 days and guess what happened? The shell COMPLETELY dissolved and left the egg completely in tact. So, after showing the egg to the kids Drew and I decided to throw it in boiling water to see what would happen. We hypothesized that it would break open and make a mess due the drastic temperature change. I am going to let you vote over there on the left to guess at what happened to the egg. (I will tell you the answer later...)

I guess that is all for now...Have a great day!

Easter Eggs

Every year the White House displays an Easter Egg from each of the 50 States. If you want to see this year's submissions, click here. I particularly like Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts (for it's humorous take at Cheers), Michigan, Nebraska (although I had to look really close because I thought it was some guy...but really, it's a sunflower and a cow and a pig...), and Wyoming. I was glad to see Wyoming's decent submission because last year everyone from Wyoming was upset because of this submission. (To see All of last year's submissions, click here.)

Garage Door

A little over 3 1/2 years ago Drew and I got married and moved into our home. We noticed that the garage was in serious need of repair, but decided we would tackle it bit by bit. It needed reroofing, new garage doors with an automatic opener one the side lacking one, windows replaced, and siding either replaced or painted. A few months later our neighbor across the alley backed into the corner of our garage (my side no less) and completely demolished the garage door on my side of the garage. The neighbor's auto insurance paid for the replacement of the garage door with a MUCH nicer door. Steel. Insulated. Nice. The problem was it didn't match anything else on our garage. So, shortly thereafter we replaced the glass in the window frames and rehung them...and 2 summers ago we COMPLETELY reroofed, painted the siding with 3 coats of paint, and fitted the entire garage with new facia and soffits. My sister and her (now) husband came out to help with that. Let's see...that only left the other garage door.

We kept ignoring it.

and ignoring....

and ignoring...

until 2 weeks ago we noticed that the old door had a HOLE in it. I guess that's where I draw the line. (I think Drew wanted to replace the thing a LONG time before I was willing to drop the cash for it.) So, we priced checked 'em and got an amazing deal at Menard's. We got a steel insulated door AND an automatic garage door opener for just under $400. (Trust me...it's a steal!)

To save ourselves some money, we decided to install the door and the opener ourselves. So, we went out Saturday morning around 10am to begin. We thought it would take a while...but we were not prepared for the time it actually took. It took the two of us (minus me for 3 hours while I was a baby shower for Drew's sister) 12 hours to install the entire thing. It was A LOT of work...more for Drew than me because he did all the heavy lifting.

Now that it is done, though, I have to say it looks so nice. Finally we have a garage that looks like it belongs to the house we live in. It really cleaned the place up and it is so nice to see that automatic door opening and closing so smoothly and know that we did that.

I wish I had taken before and after pictures to show you the transition as a result of our handy work. However, as much of a photography addict that I am, I did not take before OR after pictures of our project to show you. Maybe after the snow melts I will put some up for you.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you. How is the weather where you are? I am sitting at my desk looking out the window of my classrom and there is about 2 inches of snow on the ground that fell overnight. WHAAAATT??? 3 weeks ago we were in shorts playing tennis because it was 75 degrees outside. Snow, Snow, Go Away...come again Thanksgiving Day.

So. Tired.

I. AM. SOOOO. TIRED.

Seriously, I found this article over at the Lincoln Journal Star that states it so well. I love that I work in a profession that gives me a spring break. I can't imagine how ya'll do it with no spring break to look forward to.

How fast do you type?

75 words

Speedtest

Things I love (Spring Edition)

With the onset of another spring, I feel compelled to list a few of the things I love about this season.

1. The first time I hear birds chirping (again).
2. Feeling the sun warming my face instead of winds chapping it.
3. The green blades of grass pushing its way through last year's brown.
4. The knowledge that another school year is almost over.
5. Being outside without a coat to keep me warm.
6. Not having to scrape my car windows after work before I can go home.
7. Rain instead of snow.
8. Animal babies.
9. Riding my bike outside again.
10. Tulips

What about you? What do you like about Spring?