LABOR AND DELIVERY

Brings back a lot of memories for me. The joy of that sweet babe pushing her way around. The knowing glances exchanged between other Moms. The anticipation and the glory of the ending. I will never forget my reaction when my first was born (nor will I ever forget the sweet moment Elias was placed into my arms). When my sweet homegrown girl was put on my chest, it was as if I couldn't simply believe it. How could this miracle be? This spectacular display of God's provision and hope now crying in my arms. I remember just saying over and over again, "I can't believe it!" I also remember breastfeeding 6 week old Meris in my rocking chair and calling Rob over and exclaiming, "Dude. We have GOT to do this again!!!".

With a lot of sadness, those days are SO over for me. As far as I know, no more pregnancies for this little lady. If we did choose to add to our family again, it would definitely be through adoption. I can explain more on that later...

But these days, I have had the pleasure and excitement and I don't know...just thrill of being that nurse that says "Yay, you did it!". When we moved to the PNW, I finally landed my dream job. I was hired as a labor and delivery nurse. Because it is truly it's own art form, I am training for 3 full months. Can I tell you how I love it? It still has all the excitement and thrill I need with usually a much nicer outcome. I am enjoying the switch from being there at people's worst moment to one of their BEST.

One year ago today.....

My Hubby is....

blogging again at a new address. I love to hear his stories. You can find him

HERE.

CALLING ALL MOTHERS MORE TALENTED THAN ME!!!!

OK. I have two rather large problems in our household right now. The first being LAUNDRY. No one comes in and does it for me! I know, life is hard. In all seriousness, I would like to know if any of you smart ladies out there have a great laundry system. Do you organize it in a certain way? Do you have a schedule that keeps it all in line? The problem is getting so big it is blocking my access through the laundry room. I mean what if there's a fire!!!!!!!!

OK. Number 2. HITTING. I've never had a hitter before. Anything that irritates him makes him want to slap anyone and anything. If you haven't been reading my blog before you need to know that this "little one" is 16 months old and weighs 34 lbs. He can pack a punch. No amount of saying NO has any effect. He actually smiles and laughs. Let me tell you this, that really makes me MAD. I have also taken him out of the situation, sat him on his bottom and walked away. This makes him howl....and hit. Any ideas?

My Goodness, How Time Flies....

THE BIG REVEAL
For sweet Meris' birthday, we did a redo of her room. My mom watched the kids while we played like HGTV people. It was so fun to see the surprise and glee on their faces.

Blind folded for drama's sake!


Such delight!!


All children were pleased with the end result.

PUMPKIN CARVING

Trying to get Elias to touch pumpkin junk, NOT INTERESTED AT ALL!!!!


Birthday girl having fun, she hit the big 0-7.


Getting lots of help from Mama.


The finished product.

ALL DRESSED UP AND LOTS OF PLACES TO GO!






Bippity-Boppity....


This dude was one serious dinosaur!


Ready to go!



See if you can keep up Dad...


Getting ready.

And finally, here's a picture of Big Boy that I like. He recently transitioned to little boy. In the past that was always a sad transition, the 3rd time around...not so much. I am anxious to head into no-baby land. I never thought I would utter those words, it is a true surprise that I feel completely...well, complete.

WE'RE HERE AND I'M COOKIN'

So we arrived back to the great PNW 3 weeks ago and honestly, I am loving it. We have a huge sense of permanence. Looking back I just can't believe this crazy journey we've been on. It's interesting to note, just how happy everyone seems to be. Meris is almost giddy with delight when I pick her up from school. Kiera is bubbling over with excitement with her new preschool. Rob literally skipped out the door to work. I can't exactly say the same about Elias, I think the transition has left him cranky. I can't blame him, so we have been trying to give him an extra measure of patience. I mean, seriously, the poor child has lived in 2 countries and 3different states in his little 15 months of life.

So for now, I get to be full time Mommy while I start the job search. I relish this opportunity to just be here for my peeps. It's the only thing on my agenda and it FEELS SO GOOD. So with that said, I have thrown myself back into the kitchen. And if you know me at all, you know I love to eat and you know I love to cook. This is what I made for dinner and it really was quite tasty!

Blue Cheese Salmon Burgers

Bake premade Salmon patties as directed, while these are baking follow the instructions below.

Saute a bag of fresh spinach in butter and your choice of spices, set aside.

Slice 2 tomatoes, and saute slices in Worcestershire sauce until slightly soft, set aside.

When you have about 2 more minutes to go on the Salmon patties, take them out of the oven and cover each patty with blue cheese. Place back into the oven and take out when cheese is bubbly (2 minutes or so)

Meanwhile toast some whole wheat buns. Place Salmon patty on bun, spoon out some spinach on top of patty and then top with tomatoes.

"Yumo!" To quote a celebrity chef who actually drives me nuts. It's not her recipe though, it's mine:)

Sidenote: All of our children who appear to have an aversion to all things lettuce like, ate their spinach super quick. That butter does wonders!

SEATTLE BOUND

Well, we have news!! Am I getting tired of news? You betcha! Are you getting tired of our news? I bet so. God has definitely brought us on a journey over the last 6 or so months. And that journey has probably been some of the most challenging of our lives. The long and the short of it is that despite many promising leads and maybe expectations on our part, Rob was never able to find work in Austin. So Rob expanded his job search and Rob was hired into a wonderful, fantastic church in Sammamish, WA. We have been welcomed like family. It feels so right and so ordained. He will be the Children's Pastor at a Covenant church.

So as I write, I am surrounded by beautiful, tall trees and crisp air. The mountains and ocean are overwhelming and I feel like I've come home. Rob went to seminary in Portland so we definitely have a history with the Pacific North West. Despite my carrying-ons about the weather, I definitely feel a sense of relief and solidness about being back.

Situationally(not a word, I know!), I am here with the kids while Rob finishes packing up in Austin. My brother lives here so I am just quietly typing away, letting the kids play and really just steeping in God's provision. And maybe just pining slightly for a breakfast Taco and some Blue Bell ice cream (these are Texan specialties that I will have to somehow deal with losing!)

SWINE FLU!

I am posting a really fantastic, concise, and levelheaded discussion about the Swine Flu HERE. I think it's worth a read. It's a great tool for all of us parents!

Mom Jeans

This makes me crack up!

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Because I love to keep things really intense and serious on my blog:)

SLACKER-IFFIC

I am out there still reading everyone else's blogs, but I have been TIRED. I have not had a lot of inspiration for taking the time to write much. It has been so incredibly exhausting moving ourselves out here, starting a new job, working full time, being lonely for our friends and family, etc.

My job is really pretty crazy. I have been an ER nurse for most of my 10 year career. I have pretty much seen it all. And this ER I gotta say just kind of beats it all. 12 hours of literally running around saving lives, going to sleep and waking up to do it again well...like I said, I am TIRED. And lest you think I'm being dramatic about saving lives, this week I had the not so incredible pleasure of finding a patient in the ER hanging herself. As in, get out my trauma shears and cut her down. Sheesh! I do however thoroughly love my job in one big way. I really do love being there for people's worst moments. Nobody plans on breaking their hip. Nobody plans on hearing that their husband just went into cardiac arrest on the golf course. Nobody just plans that their infant will get a fever and have to get a lumbar puncture. So when people do experience their worst moment, it is my honor to be there to comfort them. I love explaining and re-explaining. I love the difference a few understanding words and kindness can bring. So that I am thankful for, thanking God that He has placed me in a place of ministry.

Then on to the crazy little Ethiopian in the house. Oh my gosh, we have been baptized into the world of BOY. When our girls were this age, they sat there and played with their toys. There was the occasional removal of CD's from the rack. There was the occasionally dip into the chocolate chip bag. This child, oh my. He is just nutty. He is sweet and loving and clearly attached to us. But he is so incredibly active. All things must be hit, all things must be destroyed and mashed up. If anything is askew in his mind, there must be high decibel screaming and crying. I think Elias really did scare this poor woman at a restaurant the other day. At one point before the food arrived, he screamed at the top of his lungs (often for no reason). I do believe this lady levitated out of her chair. When she whipped around to question what hideous creature could have elicited such a sound, she just saw baby Elias and his Mom and Dad completely red in the face. We then asked for our meal to be taken outside. But on the other side of it all...this little sweet boy has brought so much joy to our family. He is a cuddle bug, oh my gosh. His big lips offer up the most luscious kisses I have ever experienced, topped off with drool and this great "oooooooooooo" sound. His most favorite activity is the trampoline with the sprinkler under it. He swirls around the trampoline like a shiny, black seal. It was July 3 that I first saw this:

And here is the picture of me seeing him for the first time. Rob was at his computer at home and we were able to open the photo at the same time.



At the time I was taking care of a woman after her C-section. It was great to share that moment with her. I said, "Hey, we both had a baby today!!!!"

And then on to Austin. I really like it! Whenever you make a move like this, you heavily ponder the very real possibility that you have just made the biggest mistake of your life. We have found a great Ethiopian adoption playgroup to be part of. We have found this group of people to be incredibly open and welcoming and for that I am truly grateful. I think I would have been under the care of a mental health professional without having had an outlet like this. I love the weather. It's very tropical here(read:humid) and surprisingly enough, I enjoy it. I've gotten to sit on our porch while cuddling our kids watching the most spectacular rain, thunder and lightening show ever. Meanwhile, we're all just chillin' in shorts, tank tops and flip flops. There is a ton to do here. Did you know you can mountain bike in Texas? Pretty sweet rides too. And then don't get me even started on Blue Bell Ice Cream! If you are an ice cream lover, nothing compares to this stuff. Really. So all in all, we are doing OK. And then there is the Town Lake. This is more like a river that runs through town. It is really one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. There is a 10 mile running loop (and no, we don't run the whole thing) along this river area. It is worth the trip out here just to see this.

So with all that said, we could seriously use your prayers. It's just been a tough transition and we are, like I said...TIRED. We still have a few unresolved "issues" that need to happen to make this move successful. And with that I will leave you with this picture...I always dreamed of having that back row filled up and now we got it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY!!!

WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME CELEBRATING SWEET ELIAS' BIRTHDAY. I CAN'T BELIEVE HE IS ONE. HE IS HARDWORK. HE IS A DELIGHT. HE IS A SCREAMER. HE IS STILL A PERFECT SLEEPER. HE IS SUCH A LOVE!! HE IS STILL HUGE AND GETTING BIGGER BY THE MINUTE!

BLOG PLUG!!!!!!!!!

OK, so this guy I know... is extraordinarily funny, handsome and witty. He is writing a blog about being the new guy in town. Really, he's funny. You can find him HERE.

PICTURES AND DETAILS OF OUR 5 DAY JOURNEY

OUR NEW HOUSE-We feel really fancy these days because we have a pool in the neighborhood! We spend a lot of time cruising down the block and going for a quick swim. All 3 kids love it!

This wonderful friend is Jen. We have known each other since the 7th grade. She was our very official welcome wagon to Texas and spent 3 days at our house moving us in. You rock girl!

The next photos are from Cadillac ranch in Amarillo, Texas. OK. I thought this was so dang cool. In each car people have left cans of spray paint, it's your job to come along and add your mark. We loved having this spot to pile out of the car and see something new. Meris was completely befuddled by the fact that HERE it was OK to paint cars.



Many, many stops at Sonic. Foul food but good drinks!

The Mesas in New Mexico.
THE GRAND CANYON- Oh my gosh, nothing can prepare you for this most incredible place.
It was so spectacular. We had just explained to Meris that the Grand Canyon was like a gigantic hole in the ground. Her comment when we finally got there? It's not THAT big!". OK. Whatever. It's hard to impress a 6 year old. Even with the Grand Canyon apparently.



This is a funny moment along our trip. I was convinced that we should take a porta-potty on our trip. Rob thought the mere idea was well...gross. And we didn't have even a square foot of extra space. I agree, but do you seriously want to be in the middle of the desert without an available toilet? I had visions of desperately searching for a toilet and no potty for the girls when they really needed it. Well, I was right as it happened. And we took a photo to prove it. It actually saved us big time.


The above 2 photos are from Route 66. This stretch of the highway was the inspiration for the movie Cars. We had a great time blasting the Cars soundtrack when we were cruising past Kingston, Arizona.

MAMA HAS JOINED THE REST OF THE COMPUTER WORLD!

My husband is wonderful. I love him. He is cute. He is sweet. He is smart. He is H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S!

This is him.

He bought me a new one of these.

You have to understand, the computer we have been using was bought in 2000. It is a dinosaur. Innumerable bouts of frustration, bad word yelling, fit throwing, and fist pounding can be pegged to this one piece of machinery. When I hooked up our new (read:refurbished) piece of loveliness, it was as if the clouds parted and the choir sang. Thank you sweetheart!!! Now I can blog and facebook like the best of them!!! You rock!!!!

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF ICE CREAM MY FRIEND, WELCOME...

A LITTLE SAMPLE OF OUR TRIP, MORE TO COME LATER

1900 MILES!!

I cannot believe it, but we are in Austin, Texas!!!! We made it here on Wednesday after 5 looooooong days in the car. We travelled with all 3 kids, our dog and our cat. People asked how it went....I say it was "ridiculous". Really it was. But, we had excellent weather, no car problems and actually, quite a fun time. We are settling in and loving our new house. We are stoked to be here!! Can I say "stoked" in Texas or is that a true California giveaway? This town and state are full of welcoming people!

DO YOU PANDORA and TWILIGHT??

I might be really slow on the go and this is super old news for you. But have you been to the website PANDORA? It is awesome! Someone that is very hip and cool brought it to my attention. So this is what you do...go to the website and type in your favorite singer/band. It then creates a play list of singers based upon your taste. As songs pop-up and play, you can "thumbs-up or thumbs-down" the song thus changing your play list more to your liking. So in the midst of packing and saying goodbye, I have been able to listen to all my favorites. And it's free. I don't need Cd's anymore and I only need Itunes for my Ipod. COOL!!!!





And then on to my other issue. The Twilight Saga. I put it off for a long time. Ummm...why would I choose to read a book about vampires? And even more cliche', they are good vampires. So then I read one. And then another. And then another. And now I am on the last one. I love them. I had to resist getting a Twilight T-shirt the other day. I mean c'mon, I am 36. I have daydreams of "running into" the cast of the movie. So don't delay if you were a naysayer like me, you will be "bitten" by the bug too. And just ignore that they were written for "young adults", we can all be adolescents together.

I should qualify my above paragraph slightly. Do I think it's fantastic writing? NO! Do I think that the writer got a little lazy? YES! Do I think it's very "shhmoopy"? YES But did I get lost in a fun story and enjoyed every minute of it?? A big YES!!!!!

WELL.....WE'VE GOT SOME BIG NEWS!!!!

You know how I got to go on a little vacation last week? While I was "vacationing" I also interviewed for a great job. I accepted the job offer and we are leaving California for Austin, Texas. We are tremendously sad to leave our friends and family but we are excited to see what God has planned for us in the great state of Texas!

I STARTED TO GET THE SHAKES...

So, I have been out of town. Like really out of town. I had 2 days in a very special place with just me and myself. I rented a car and zipped all over town. I stayed in a hotel, really, all by myself. I watched what I wanted to watch on TV. I ate what and when I wanted. I had a a fabulous time but oh, did I start to get the shakes missing my family. All the special words, phrases, kisses, smiles, and hugs. I also fell out of the loop on the blogworld. I am trying to catch up!
This is where I went, it is a really super-duper place....



AUSTIN, TEXAS

OH C'MON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT SOME

BEHOLD...green mashed potatoes, green milk, broccoli, peas and beer bread. Dinner was quite the little extravaganza!!!

Little Miss Sassy

Meris got green rice crispy treats and topped it off with green mashe-ta-tatos.

What can I say, I'm such a chef:)

Daddy gets in on the act too!

Elias and his mashe-ta-tato lips!