Christmas is literally just around the corner, and I am amazed at how quickly the holiday season has gone! Just a few weeks ago I was thanking the calendar for the extra time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year... and now it seems as though the time has gone faster than normal. No matter how many days we have to prepare, it is always a last minute scramble to get gifts in order, make cookies and fudge, visit everyone, attend the parties, and put out the cards. (You’ll all be lucky if my cards actually make it out for Christmas this year, I might target ‘New Years’ cards instead!) I don’t think it helped matters that Andy and I both were sick during the month. I’ve been the lucky recipient of three viruses since Thanksgiving. Personally, I hope I am done for the year!
This should be the final blog for 2007 for me... I will see you all again in 2008. Andy and I have already set our New Years resolutions to do some work on the house. We’re expecting to meet our future child at some point during the year, and know that will turn our lives upside down. (Boone doesn’t know it yet - that should be a fun surprise for him!) Still no news on that front, but we are just so happy that we were able to complete all the paperwork, take all the training courses, and enter our chosen program this year.
Whether our holiday card reaches you before Christmas or after, I want you all to know that we are thinking of you during this holiday season. We hope that you take the time to stop, enjoy the lights, the music, and spend the time with your families. We’re wishing you the best of years in 2008!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Considering Arks (Old Site)
Last time I updated my blog I wrote about a nice little storm that had stopped by and dropped a few inches of lovely snow for us. I actually believe that I wrote that we were lucky that rain had come in on Sunday to melt it before the work week began. Luck might not have been the best word to use. I was unaware of the volume of rain fall we would receive on Sunday night and all through Monday. Pictures like the one above were typical sights around us for a few days last week. Andy stayed home from work for two days ... which was a good thing because most of his routes were blocked by significant amounts of water. I, however, got in my car and drove in to work, which was quite an adventure. On Monday morning I drove through two ponds and was turned around 3 times. The last road closure that turned me around was due to flooding on a road in front of me, where I saw only the top 1/3 of a red sedan and a pickup truck turned completely on its side. The best was on my drive home, where I had a few particularly tense minutes as I drove through one nearly washed out street on the way home. (The next morning it had been closed.) I am happy to report that we are safe, that there was no flooding in our neighborhood, and most of the streets around us are now open.
I have decided that if the weather is going to continue to throw us curve balls, it may be a good idea for us to invest in some survival items for the future. For one, we need to check our food storage supplies... drinking water, canned food, etc. Second, we’ll make sure that we have wood to burn for heat if needed. Next, I’m thinking a generator would be a great idea... it is really annoying to lose power. And finally, I think it might be a good idea to invest in an ark. I saw pictures of people kayaking down I-5 in Centralia last week, but I’m thinking that an ark might be more comfortable. We could get all of our neighbors together and build it on the field at the elementary school. Yes? Well, I guess it’s not the most practical idea... But when the rain kept falling last week, I did seriously start to wonder just how high the water was going to get in some places.
This week we have been lucky to have very calm, although cold, weather. I hope that it holds up for another week. Andy and I have done barely anything to prepare for Christmas... and I could use the good weather to get a few things done!
I have decided that if the weather is going to continue to throw us curve balls, it may be a good idea for us to invest in some survival items for the future. For one, we need to check our food storage supplies... drinking water, canned food, etc. Second, we’ll make sure that we have wood to burn for heat if needed. Next, I’m thinking a generator would be a great idea... it is really annoying to lose power. And finally, I think it might be a good idea to invest in an ark. I saw pictures of people kayaking down I-5 in Centralia last week, but I’m thinking that an ark might be more comfortable. We could get all of our neighbors together and build it on the field at the elementary school. Yes? Well, I guess it’s not the most practical idea... But when the rain kept falling last week, I did seriously start to wonder just how high the water was going to get in some places.
This week we have been lucky to have very calm, although cold, weather. I hope that it holds up for another week. Andy and I have done barely anything to prepare for Christmas... and I could use the good weather to get a few things done!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
First (and Second) Snow of the Year! (Old Site)
Some of you know, (which means that some of you don’t,) that Andy and I were raised in Southern California. As Southern Californians, we only saw snow when we made the conscious choice to drive to see it - usually for a day or two - and then we drove back down to the warm valley that was, and is, Riverside. I lived in Utah for a couple of years when I was going to college, but as I didn’t have a car I didn’t have to learn how to drive in the snow. When Andy and I were trying to decide where we wanted to live, snow played a big part in the decision. My criteria were simple - if we were moving it had to be to a place that was not humid, not too hot and did not see a lot of snow. That left us with Northern California (too expensive) or Seattle. So we picked up and moved to the Puget Sound region. We are entering our 10th winter here, and every year we seem to have more snow, and it seems to start sooner. This year and last, the snow started the week of Thanksgiving!
Our first snow was this past Monday, it barely stuck and was gone by morning. Then our second snow was on Saturday, it accumulated a few inches, but luckily rain came today and it’s now nearly gone. We do really enjoy the way snow looks, and last year we really got used to driving in it. That doesn’t mean we like driving in it though!
Boone got to see snow for the first time this week, and he loves it! He was having fun playing in it and seemed to enjoy eating it as well. He kept asking us to go outside yesterday, it was pretty cute. Speaking of Boone, he is really turning into an awesome dog! He knows most of his commands very well, and will follow them either from speech or hand signal. He’s good at sticking with us instead of wandering when we’re outside... and he has turned into a cuddler.
We are doing well, and enjoying the start of the holiday season. We spent Thanksgiving with our friends Carleigh, Joe and their family... it was a lot of fun, but I neglected my camera so I have no pictures to show for it! I’ve been listening to Christmas music on the radio and we decorated the office. Soon I will have to decorate the house... And hopefully I will take pictures of that.
There hasn’t been much change for us in the past two weeks... we’ve just been enjoying our time together and getting ready for a fun Christmas. We’re doing well on the adoption front, and are at a period of waiting. As there is more news on that, I will let everyone know. I’ve updated Boone’s picture album with his six-month picture, and I’ve also put a couple below in case you don’t go visit the whole album!
Our first snow was this past Monday, it barely stuck and was gone by morning. Then our second snow was on Saturday, it accumulated a few inches, but luckily rain came today and it’s now nearly gone. We do really enjoy the way snow looks, and last year we really got used to driving in it. That doesn’t mean we like driving in it though!
Boone got to see snow for the first time this week, and he loves it! He was having fun playing in it and seemed to enjoy eating it as well. He kept asking us to go outside yesterday, it was pretty cute. Speaking of Boone, he is really turning into an awesome dog! He knows most of his commands very well, and will follow them either from speech or hand signal. He’s good at sticking with us instead of wandering when we’re outside... and he has turned into a cuddler.
We are doing well, and enjoying the start of the holiday season. We spent Thanksgiving with our friends Carleigh, Joe and their family... it was a lot of fun, but I neglected my camera so I have no pictures to show for it! I’ve been listening to Christmas music on the radio and we decorated the office. Soon I will have to decorate the house... And hopefully I will take pictures of that.
There hasn’t been much change for us in the past two weeks... we’ve just been enjoying our time together and getting ready for a fun Christmas. We’re doing well on the adoption front, and are at a period of waiting. As there is more news on that, I will let everyone know. I’ve updated Boone’s picture album with his six-month picture, and I’ve also put a couple below in case you don’t go visit the whole album!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Thanksgiving (Old Site)
As promised, I return with an update from the Kovar front. I have very, very happy and long anticipated news... our home study has been completed! Andy and I first contacted our adoption agency in December of last year, so it has been a long and arduous process to finish this task. So now what? We wait. The home study was a huge step down the path to parenthood for us, and we are thrilled to have it done!
We also have been very busy at work, which seems to be the case during this time every year. Andy and I have begun to prepare for the holidays, and I’m excited to hit good shopping specials on Black Friday. We are dog-sitting Porter for a week and a half, which has been fun. Boone and Porter seem to be more and more comfortable with each other every day. Boone celebrated his 25-week birthday yesterday... just one more week to six months. At six months I am going to stop updating pictures for him every week. I guess that means that I will have to find something else to take pictures of! If you want to see his progression to today, take a look at Boone’s Album.
I finished the latest book that I was reading, “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer. My manager recommended the book to me - a novel for young adults that tells the story of a teenager that comes into contact with vampires. (Quite the switch from “The Kite Runner.”) Given the material and subject, I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun the book was to read. I found myself staying awake for the majority of Friday night because I couldn’t put the book down. Tonight I will start book two, “New Moon,” and I’m hoping that I get some sleep this week. :)
Andy and I have been spending more time then usual on the Wii lately, as we have the new Super Mario Galaxy. It is a really fun game! I am excited because My Sims will be out soon too, and I love everything Sims. On television, we’ve been enjoying Chuck, Brothers and Sisters and the Office... and then I’ve been enjoying Dancing with the Stars and Desperate Housewives. We haven’t really added many of the new shows to our repertoire this year, but we find ourselves more than occupied just trying to keep up with what we already watch.
As I was web surfing earlier today, I found a quote by William Faulkner that gave me pause, “Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” During this week of Thanksgiving, I find myself caught up in reminiscing over a year chock full of change, with a healthy dose of trial and a measure of fun. I have spent much time worrying, complaining and fretting over the things we have faced. Now I wish I would have spent a little more time appreciating the things that helped us make it through, and the lessons that we learned at the end of each step. While I don’t think gratefulness should be saved for one day a year, I’m glad that we get an annual reminder to stop and appreciate what we’ve been given.
I’m thankful for our families, and the friends that we consider to be an extension of our family. I’m grateful that we were able to take such fun vacations with each other and our families this year. I’m grateful for our social worker, our adoption agency, and the dozens of people that have assisted us in the adoption process to this point. Most of all, I’m grateful for Andy. This Thanksgiving, I am closer to my husband than I ever have been. It’s amazing how the effort to step through challenges can bring two people to a better place.
Thanksgiving is such a special time for us all to reflect on the past and to appreciate all those who make life bearable. We may not see you this Thursday, but we hope that you all have a great holiday!
We also have been very busy at work, which seems to be the case during this time every year. Andy and I have begun to prepare for the holidays, and I’m excited to hit good shopping specials on Black Friday. We are dog-sitting Porter for a week and a half, which has been fun. Boone and Porter seem to be more and more comfortable with each other every day. Boone celebrated his 25-week birthday yesterday... just one more week to six months. At six months I am going to stop updating pictures for him every week. I guess that means that I will have to find something else to take pictures of! If you want to see his progression to today, take a look at Boone’s Album.
I finished the latest book that I was reading, “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer. My manager recommended the book to me - a novel for young adults that tells the story of a teenager that comes into contact with vampires. (Quite the switch from “The Kite Runner.”) Given the material and subject, I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun the book was to read. I found myself staying awake for the majority of Friday night because I couldn’t put the book down. Tonight I will start book two, “New Moon,” and I’m hoping that I get some sleep this week. :)
Andy and I have been spending more time then usual on the Wii lately, as we have the new Super Mario Galaxy. It is a really fun game! I am excited because My Sims will be out soon too, and I love everything Sims. On television, we’ve been enjoying Chuck, Brothers and Sisters and the Office... and then I’ve been enjoying Dancing with the Stars and Desperate Housewives. We haven’t really added many of the new shows to our repertoire this year, but we find ourselves more than occupied just trying to keep up with what we already watch.
As I was web surfing earlier today, I found a quote by William Faulkner that gave me pause, “Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” During this week of Thanksgiving, I find myself caught up in reminiscing over a year chock full of change, with a healthy dose of trial and a measure of fun. I have spent much time worrying, complaining and fretting over the things we have faced. Now I wish I would have spent a little more time appreciating the things that helped us make it through, and the lessons that we learned at the end of each step. While I don’t think gratefulness should be saved for one day a year, I’m glad that we get an annual reminder to stop and appreciate what we’ve been given.
I’m thankful for our families, and the friends that we consider to be an extension of our family. I’m grateful that we were able to take such fun vacations with each other and our families this year. I’m grateful for our social worker, our adoption agency, and the dozens of people that have assisted us in the adoption process to this point. Most of all, I’m grateful for Andy. This Thanksgiving, I am closer to my husband than I ever have been. It’s amazing how the effort to step through challenges can bring two people to a better place.
Thanksgiving is such a special time for us all to reflect on the past and to appreciate all those who make life bearable. We may not see you this Thursday, but we hope that you all have a great holiday!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Blog Holiday (Old Site)
Hello friends and family! Last time I skipped blogging for a week (or two) I received several emails from you... checking in to see how things were going and to make sure that we are alright.
Well, this week I am declaring a blog holiday. :) Everything is good here, we are just tired and busy. Next week I promise I will catch everyone up.
We hope that you are all doing well and having a great November!
Well, this week I am declaring a blog holiday. :) Everything is good here, we are just tired and busy. Next week I promise I will catch everyone up.
We hope that you are all doing well and having a great November!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
The Peak of Autumn (Old Site)
Today is my favorite day of the year. It is the day that I gain an extra hour as the clocks fall back. You may be wondering what my least favorite day of the year is? That would be the day that the clocks spring forward an hour - and I spend the next month always tired and trying to catch up to everyone else. This year daylight savings came a week later than my internal clock expected it... but I have been enjoying it all the same.
The other good thing about daylight savings day is that it has always signified to me that the peak of autumn has arrived. Having lived in Southern California for most of my childhood, autumn is a season that I felt I missed out on. Every year I look forward to it in Washington. Autumn is truly my favorite season, and what an autumn we are having this year. For Seattle, we have had very little rain and the air was been nice, crisp and cool. I don’t remember a year that the leaves were more vibrantly colored, or that the weather allowed me so many excursions to enjoy it. It’s hard for me not to be happy with scenery like this.
This week was a good one for us, and it wasn’t too busy. We tried several new recipes from a Weight Watchers cookbook that I’ve had for a few years ... and were pleasantly surprised to find that all of them were delicious! We’ve had pita pizzas, oven smores, fettucini with broccoli rabe and chicken, and an excellent spinach and cheese quiche. If you’re interested in any of the recipes, send me an email and I will forward them to you. We have been eating well and healthily all week... except for the candy.
We had a good Halloween and enjoyed handing out candy to the kids that came by. Boone even had a t-shirt to wear, and he didn’t give me any grief about putting it on either.
I was very excited for November 1st to come. I love the holidays, and one of the things that I love about them is the music. If it were up to me, I would play Christmas music all year long. Alas, there is another person that has a say in it. Andy and I have an agreement that I can start playing jazzy Christmas music in October. On November 1st, I get to pull out all of my cool piano arrangements of Christmas music. (I don’t get to play simple carols until Thanksgiving.) Finally, November is here and now it’s Christmas music all of the time!
I also have made good progress on “The Kite Runner” this week. I have been very impressed by this novel - the story-lines, the quality of story telling, and the character depth are better than many books I have recently read. I’m about half-way through and will probably finish it within the next week.
Andy was fighting a cold this week, so he ended up staying home from work for a couple of days. The only plus side to this is that he got to spend a lot of quality time with Boone. At this point, I am confident in saying that Andy is officially a “dog person.” It is pretty cute how they play together.
I got a really cool picture of Boone today just after the picture above. Boone was running around in the leaves under the maple tree, and he stopped for a moment to look at us. It is in his album, but just in case you don’t make it there I have also pasted it below.
The other good thing about daylight savings day is that it has always signified to me that the peak of autumn has arrived. Having lived in Southern California for most of my childhood, autumn is a season that I felt I missed out on. Every year I look forward to it in Washington. Autumn is truly my favorite season, and what an autumn we are having this year. For Seattle, we have had very little rain and the air was been nice, crisp and cool. I don’t remember a year that the leaves were more vibrantly colored, or that the weather allowed me so many excursions to enjoy it. It’s hard for me not to be happy with scenery like this.
This week was a good one for us, and it wasn’t too busy. We tried several new recipes from a Weight Watchers cookbook that I’ve had for a few years ... and were pleasantly surprised to find that all of them were delicious! We’ve had pita pizzas, oven smores, fettucini with broccoli rabe and chicken, and an excellent spinach and cheese quiche. If you’re interested in any of the recipes, send me an email and I will forward them to you. We have been eating well and healthily all week... except for the candy.
We had a good Halloween and enjoyed handing out candy to the kids that came by. Boone even had a t-shirt to wear, and he didn’t give me any grief about putting it on either.
I was very excited for November 1st to come. I love the holidays, and one of the things that I love about them is the music. If it were up to me, I would play Christmas music all year long. Alas, there is another person that has a say in it. Andy and I have an agreement that I can start playing jazzy Christmas music in October. On November 1st, I get to pull out all of my cool piano arrangements of Christmas music. (I don’t get to play simple carols until Thanksgiving.) Finally, November is here and now it’s Christmas music all of the time!
I also have made good progress on “The Kite Runner” this week. I have been very impressed by this novel - the story-lines, the quality of story telling, and the character depth are better than many books I have recently read. I’m about half-way through and will probably finish it within the next week.
Andy was fighting a cold this week, so he ended up staying home from work for a couple of days. The only plus side to this is that he got to spend a lot of quality time with Boone. At this point, I am confident in saying that Andy is officially a “dog person.” It is pretty cute how they play together.
I got a really cool picture of Boone today just after the picture above. Boone was running around in the leaves under the maple tree, and he stopped for a moment to look at us. It is in his album, but just in case you don’t make it there I have also pasted it below.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Halloween is Near (Old Site)
Another week has come and gone, and October is nearly over. I absolutely love this time of year. The weather has definitely turned - we went from 78 degrees as our high on Tuesday to a 48 degree high on Wednesday, which was a little absurd. We have had nice clear and crisp skies, the moon has been gorgeous, and it smells like autumn. Halloween, Andy’s favorite holiday, is just around the corner which means that my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, will soon be here as well.
Last weekend I surprised Andy with a three day trip to Seattle, (my birthday present to him.) We had a lot of fun, and decided that we need to spend more time exploring the city closest to us rather than looking for those that are further away. That Saturday we saw Spamalot, which is in Seattle for a couple of weeks. It was easily my favorite show that I have ever seen. The fact that I am a big fan of Monty Python probably helps. We spent the entire show laughing so hard that my sides hurt when we left.
This week was insanely busy with work. We really didn’t see much of each other all week long. So, we spent the days looking forward to the weekend when we were planning to attend our friend’s Pumpkin Carving Party. Yesterday we headed down to Carleigh and Joe’s house for pumpkin carving fun. We went to a pumpkin patch... where the corn maze had sadly been destroyed by the windstorm last week... and picked out a couple of pumpkins. We had a lot of fun eating, carving, playing with baby Jacob and their new kitty Tazz. I put a new album, Pumpkin Party, up on my page because I got quite a few cute pictures yesterday!
Oh, we also started a weight-loss challenge in my office two weeks ago. For 13 weeks, ending in January, everyone in the challenge has to pay $1 for any week that their weight does not go down. The person with the highest percentage of weight loss at the end gets to keep the money. So, I started Weight Watchers with a friend two weeks ago because I plan to win the challenge. (It ends on my birthday, which means that I deserve to win, right?) So far, so good.
Andy and I are looking forward to this Halloween, last year was our first year in our new house and we spent the holiday in Arizona with my sister and her family. We had a lot of fun in Arizona, but we are also excited to see what Halloween is all about in our new neighborhood. I hope that you all enjoy your Halloween’s and this autumn season!
Last weekend I surprised Andy with a three day trip to Seattle, (my birthday present to him.) We had a lot of fun, and decided that we need to spend more time exploring the city closest to us rather than looking for those that are further away. That Saturday we saw Spamalot, which is in Seattle for a couple of weeks. It was easily my favorite show that I have ever seen. The fact that I am a big fan of Monty Python probably helps. We spent the entire show laughing so hard that my sides hurt when we left.
This week was insanely busy with work. We really didn’t see much of each other all week long. So, we spent the days looking forward to the weekend when we were planning to attend our friend’s Pumpkin Carving Party. Yesterday we headed down to Carleigh and Joe’s house for pumpkin carving fun. We went to a pumpkin patch... where the corn maze had sadly been destroyed by the windstorm last week... and picked out a couple of pumpkins. We had a lot of fun eating, carving, playing with baby Jacob and their new kitty Tazz. I put a new album, Pumpkin Party, up on my page because I got quite a few cute pictures yesterday!
Oh, we also started a weight-loss challenge in my office two weeks ago. For 13 weeks, ending in January, everyone in the challenge has to pay $1 for any week that their weight does not go down. The person with the highest percentage of weight loss at the end gets to keep the money. So, I started Weight Watchers with a friend two weeks ago because I plan to win the challenge. (It ends on my birthday, which means that I deserve to win, right?) So far, so good.
Andy and I are looking forward to this Halloween, last year was our first year in our new house and we spent the holiday in Arizona with my sister and her family. We had a lot of fun in Arizona, but we are also excited to see what Halloween is all about in our new neighborhood. I hope that you all enjoy your Halloween’s and this autumn season!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Timber (Old Site)
Last year we had “the storm of the century” here in lovely Washington state. It was a night that I am likely to always remember. A night when two friends and I decided that a little wind wasn’t going to stop us from seeing White Christmas in downtown Seattle. A night in which we later escaped the city over I-90 with waves from Lake Washington crashing around my car. A night of dodging fallen trees and stumps to get home. I remember how my power went out mere minutes after I walked in the front door, and watching blue “explosions” throughout hours as more and more households went into the dark. That night led to many people in the Puget Sound area being without power for a stretch of days. I remember the aftermath the next day, and watched my neighbors re-erect fences for months to come. I remember that night, thinking how very lucky I was that none of the huge trees around my house decided to fall. Mostly, I remember thinking that I was glad this was a “storm of the century” and hoped that it wouldn’t repeat itself in my lifetime. Well, that was just the dramatic beginning of a very fun winter season for us last year.
Fast forward about 10 months after the “storm of the century”, and Washington is welcoming in another wind storm. Granted, this one is supposed to be at about a level 7, whereas last year’s was a level 10... but, still it is estimated that there will be several power outages and more fallen trees. “Our house will be fine,” thought I. “If any of our trees were going to come down, surely it would have happened in the ‘storm of the century’ last year.”
Um, no... I came home on Thursday night to flashing clocks all over my house. They were all flashing 12:19, which told me that the power had just come back on a few minutes earlier. Boone was whining, so I started to take him outside... and that is when I saw the tree. It was hanging precariously over our fence, swinging back and forth. The tree is now resting, more stable, over our fence. It covers most of the length of our backyard and is resting on the edge of one of our cedar trees. Andy and I are very sad because it was our favorite tree to look at. Not only did it have beautiful leaves, but it was a favorite tree of the squirrels - we would watch them running up, down, and over the branches. Alas, now we have to figure out how to get rid of the thing before it takes down our fence for good.
On the bright side, the tree deposited at least 25 good size branches in the yard for Boone’s enjoyment. We hope that this storm was not an omen for more to come. I mean, the news people have already coined last year’s as “the storm of the century”. It wouldn’t due to have two of those a year apart, right? Are you listening Mother Nature?
Fast forward about 10 months after the “storm of the century”, and Washington is welcoming in another wind storm. Granted, this one is supposed to be at about a level 7, whereas last year’s was a level 10... but, still it is estimated that there will be several power outages and more fallen trees. “Our house will be fine,” thought I. “If any of our trees were going to come down, surely it would have happened in the ‘storm of the century’ last year.”
Um, no... I came home on Thursday night to flashing clocks all over my house. They were all flashing 12:19, which told me that the power had just come back on a few minutes earlier. Boone was whining, so I started to take him outside... and that is when I saw the tree. It was hanging precariously over our fence, swinging back and forth. The tree is now resting, more stable, over our fence. It covers most of the length of our backyard and is resting on the edge of one of our cedar trees. Andy and I are very sad because it was our favorite tree to look at. Not only did it have beautiful leaves, but it was a favorite tree of the squirrels - we would watch them running up, down, and over the branches. Alas, now we have to figure out how to get rid of the thing before it takes down our fence for good.
On the bright side, the tree deposited at least 25 good size branches in the yard for Boone’s enjoyment. We hope that this storm was not an omen for more to come. I mean, the news people have already coined last year’s as “the storm of the century”. It wouldn’t due to have two of those a year apart, right? Are you listening Mother Nature?
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
The Return (Old Site)
I know, I know. I have neglected my duties. Two weeks without an update... They have been a busy two weeks! We have done a lot of things and made some significant progress.
1. Andy and I completed the last week of PRIDE training, bringing us a step closer to becoming licensed foster parents... and therefore, closer to adopting a child. We did learn a lot of valuable things in this class, and it gave us a wealth of material that we can refer to for years to come. The class focused not only on foster and adoption issues, but also gave tools and resources to aid in parenting.
2. We are now also certified in CPR for infant, children and adults. The class that we completed, which took the majority of a Saturday, also taught us how to treat choking infant, children and adults, how to operate a portable defibrillator, basic first aid techniques, and how to prevent contact and minimize risk of blood-borne pathogens. This class was highly informative and even a little fun... I was surprised at how much had changed in the ten years since I had completed my last CPR certification. This class was another item we have checked off on the path to foster licensing.
3. Andy celebrated a birthday. We went out to a mongolian grill for dinner, where they had unfortunately mixed their pork with their beef... so I had quite a nice allergic reaction which made me consider asking for a new epi-pen prescription... but that’s beside the point. Andy received several nice gifts, chief among them were a finger labyrinth from his dad and “The Dangerous Book for Boys” from my mom. (I haven’t seen Andy that excited about a book in a long time.)
4. We dog-sat Porter for a weekend, which Boone found to be quite a lot of fun. While Porter was with us, he and Boone played nonstop. We went on a walk to the park, and Porter and Boone also “helped” us with our yard work.
5. About that yard work... four hours and a couple of blisters later, we filled up our entire green bin with leaves. One of our piles, (of my creation,) was at least twice as tall as Boone. Of course, there was a wind storm last night and we now have enough leaves to fill up another green bin. (Hurry up garbage men!)
6. I finished “Cesar’s Way.” It was a really cute book with plenty of good advice. I’m not sure if it’s what I’ve learned from the book, or simply the progression of my relationship with my dog, but we are doing really well now.
7. Boone turned five months old today. Over the course of the last two weeks he has grown significantly, has gone through a severely clumsy phase, and has lost nearly all of his baby teeth. His favorite game has now changed to “Run around the ottoman as fast as possible.” It is usually cute, but sometimes a little dizzying. Boone is fully immunized now and we have been enjoying walks, although we are still working on “heel”. (I have a feeling that will be an ongoing battle.)
8. We started watching some of the new shows on television... really, the only show we’ve added to our viewing is Chuck. We absolutely love that show and can’t wait for it to come on every week. If you liked Alias, and have a sense of humor, it is a must see.
I know we did more in the last two weeks, because we’ve been running around like mad... but I’m not quite sure what is missing, so... there you go. I hope you are all doing well, stopping to enjoy autumn, preparing for a fun halloween, and appreciating life! I have updated Boone’s album and am adding a couple of links as well... take a look if you would like.
1. Andy and I completed the last week of PRIDE training, bringing us a step closer to becoming licensed foster parents... and therefore, closer to adopting a child. We did learn a lot of valuable things in this class, and it gave us a wealth of material that we can refer to for years to come. The class focused not only on foster and adoption issues, but also gave tools and resources to aid in parenting.
2. We are now also certified in CPR for infant, children and adults. The class that we completed, which took the majority of a Saturday, also taught us how to treat choking infant, children and adults, how to operate a portable defibrillator, basic first aid techniques, and how to prevent contact and minimize risk of blood-borne pathogens. This class was highly informative and even a little fun... I was surprised at how much had changed in the ten years since I had completed my last CPR certification. This class was another item we have checked off on the path to foster licensing.
3. Andy celebrated a birthday. We went out to a mongolian grill for dinner, where they had unfortunately mixed their pork with their beef... so I had quite a nice allergic reaction which made me consider asking for a new epi-pen prescription... but that’s beside the point. Andy received several nice gifts, chief among them were a finger labyrinth from his dad and “The Dangerous Book for Boys” from my mom. (I haven’t seen Andy that excited about a book in a long time.)
4. We dog-sat Porter for a weekend, which Boone found to be quite a lot of fun. While Porter was with us, he and Boone played nonstop. We went on a walk to the park, and Porter and Boone also “helped” us with our yard work.
5. About that yard work... four hours and a couple of blisters later, we filled up our entire green bin with leaves. One of our piles, (of my creation,) was at least twice as tall as Boone. Of course, there was a wind storm last night and we now have enough leaves to fill up another green bin. (Hurry up garbage men!)
6. I finished “Cesar’s Way.” It was a really cute book with plenty of good advice. I’m not sure if it’s what I’ve learned from the book, or simply the progression of my relationship with my dog, but we are doing really well now.
7. Boone turned five months old today. Over the course of the last two weeks he has grown significantly, has gone through a severely clumsy phase, and has lost nearly all of his baby teeth. His favorite game has now changed to “Run around the ottoman as fast as possible.” It is usually cute, but sometimes a little dizzying. Boone is fully immunized now and we have been enjoying walks, although we are still working on “heel”. (I have a feeling that will be an ongoing battle.)
8. We started watching some of the new shows on television... really, the only show we’ve added to our viewing is Chuck. We absolutely love that show and can’t wait for it to come on every week. If you liked Alias, and have a sense of humor, it is a must see.
I know we did more in the last two weeks, because we’ve been running around like mad... but I’m not quite sure what is missing, so... there you go. I hope you are all doing well, stopping to enjoy autumn, preparing for a fun halloween, and appreciating life! I have updated Boone’s album and am adding a couple of links as well... take a look if you would like.
Monday, September 24, 2007
A Long Week (Old Site)
If I were to liken my journey to adoption thus far to a hike, I would say... it is as though you are taking a hike with a map a friend lent you. But, when you arrived at the trail head you found that the map was five years old. The trail is still there, but overgrown in many spots. There are a lot of twists, a few detours, and occasionally you feel a rock stuck in your shoe. Try as you might, it takes you awhile to locate that rock and remove it. You may start to wonder if the hike is really five miles, as your map told you it would be, or twenty-five miles, or more. At some point on your hike, the ranger changed the course of the trail so that it went through a giant thicket. Now you’ve completely veered off the map you were provided. In fact, when you get to the supposed trail’s end, you find a sign that directs you to continue another several miles until you reach any sign of civilization. Every now and then you pass by a note left by some random traveler that has already past... telling you which way to turn, which holes to avoid, where to find water, and providing comfort in the idea that someone else made it to the end. Sometimes, (most of the time,) you just might wish that you weren’t on the trail at all.
Such was last week for me... and I think Andy would concur. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Andy and I are nearly done with the homestudy process, and have now turned to obtaining our foster license. “No big deal!” That’s what went through my head as I looked up the licensing requirements and spoke to my adoption agency, (WACAP... which is really a great agency.) Here’s what you have to do to become licensed in Washington:
- Pass a homestudy review (already done)
- Take a CPR/First Aid/Bloodborn Pathogen class (taking next month)
- Complete a whole bunch of paperwork (we’re becoming pros at this)
- Pass a background check (this process was changed by law in July and now takes a minimum of six weeks... even though we already passed background checks in February we have to do it again thanks to the law.)
- Take a TB test (back to the doctor we go)
- Get references (no prob)
- Complete pre-service training - called PRIDE (book pictured above.)
It doesn’t look like a horrible list, but when you start to go through everything, it just reminds you how much you have already done... and it makes you a little testy.
We started our PRIDE training last week and will conclude it this week. 32 hours in a small room learning about these poor children and how to best care for them. It is very difficult for me to sit there... but I know that I have to do it so that I can check off one more thing on my list.
Andy and I are aiming to be fully licensed and homestudied by the end of October, (granted the FBI checks comply.) When it is done I am personally throwing myself a party. This process has been long and difficult, especially after so many years of fertility concerns. I do not mean to complain, not really, because I know that it will have been worthwhile in the end. We have met some very nice, knowledgeable and compassionate people on our journey. Really the agencies that we are working with are very good and have gone out of their way to help us. But, as I was sitting in that room last week... knowing that our child is probably out there and unknowingly waiting for us to finish our requirements... I couldn’t help but get a little frustrated. I know that it will all be worth it!
Boone has been a huge help to my morale for the last two months. He had a good week last week, and is turning into a great dog. He plays fetch well and will drop the ball in my hand now. He is also walking well on a leash... we’ve been going for at least a mile a day... and is doing well socially with other dogs. He had a growth spurt last week and seems to be higher off the ground now! I have updated the pictures in his album, check them out... he’s very cute!
Such was last week for me... and I think Andy would concur. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Andy and I are nearly done with the homestudy process, and have now turned to obtaining our foster license. “No big deal!” That’s what went through my head as I looked up the licensing requirements and spoke to my adoption agency, (WACAP... which is really a great agency.) Here’s what you have to do to become licensed in Washington:
- Pass a homestudy review (already done)
- Take a CPR/First Aid/Bloodborn Pathogen class (taking next month)
- Complete a whole bunch of paperwork (we’re becoming pros at this)
- Pass a background check (this process was changed by law in July and now takes a minimum of six weeks... even though we already passed background checks in February we have to do it again thanks to the law.)
- Take a TB test (back to the doctor we go)
- Get references (no prob)
- Complete pre-service training - called PRIDE (book pictured above.)
It doesn’t look like a horrible list, but when you start to go through everything, it just reminds you how much you have already done... and it makes you a little testy.
We started our PRIDE training last week and will conclude it this week. 32 hours in a small room learning about these poor children and how to best care for them. It is very difficult for me to sit there... but I know that I have to do it so that I can check off one more thing on my list.
Andy and I are aiming to be fully licensed and homestudied by the end of October, (granted the FBI checks comply.) When it is done I am personally throwing myself a party. This process has been long and difficult, especially after so many years of fertility concerns. I do not mean to complain, not really, because I know that it will have been worthwhile in the end. We have met some very nice, knowledgeable and compassionate people on our journey. Really the agencies that we are working with are very good and have gone out of their way to help us. But, as I was sitting in that room last week... knowing that our child is probably out there and unknowingly waiting for us to finish our requirements... I couldn’t help but get a little frustrated. I know that it will all be worth it!
Boone has been a huge help to my morale for the last two months. He had a good week last week, and is turning into a great dog. He plays fetch well and will drop the ball in my hand now. He is also walking well on a leash... we’ve been going for at least a mile a day... and is doing well socially with other dogs. He had a growth spurt last week and seems to be higher off the ground now! I have updated the pictures in his album, check them out... he’s very cute!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Boone's Best Buddy (Old Site)
Last week at the Kovar’s the most interesting things that happened all revolved around Boone. During the past two weeks Boone has been developing a healthy amount of hyperactivity. We have been doing our best to provide both physical and mental stimulation so that he has positive outlets for his energy. He is doing well although we have had some struggles as of late. This weekend our vet kindly reassured me that Boone’s behaviors are normal, although he included a statement that Boone appears to be a little more dominant than some puppies. Boone is challenging my dominance daily... but I am confident that he will eventually learn that I will always win. He doesn’t challenge Andy as much as he does me! I have added a Season Pass for the Dog Whisperer to my Tivo, and I am watching it daily. Mostly I am working on my own behavior... remaining calm and confident is not as easy as it sounds!
We will start obedience classes in two more weeks. Boone already knows several commands... He knows sit, down, stand, home, outside, in, watch and fetch very well. This week we started working on stay. He is actually doing really well with it too.
This weekend has been good for Boone. He received the last of his boosters and is now allowed to mingle with other dogs. He still really likes going to the vet, which makes it easy! He weighed 30 pounds flat at this vet appointment. That’s an 8 pound gain in 3 weeks time!
On Saturday he had his first play date with his new best friend, Porter. Candice brought Porter over to our backyard for a two hour adventure. It was really the first time that Boone had been around another dog off-leash since we brought him home. I was a little nervous, but figured that Porter would be a good trial run for him... he’s four years old, just a little smaller than Boone is right now... and Porter has an abundance of energy too. When Porter first came over, he spent about 10 minutes running away from Boone’s sniffing. Then Boone made the mistake of nipping at him, and at that moment Porter decided that he was going to take charge. They started playing and didn’t really stop for two hours, although they took a lot of quiet time in-between runs. They spent a lot of time running the perimeter of the yard, (Porter always in front,) and also played fetch team-style. Boone was actually calm for the remainder of the day! Boone is very excited for Porter to come over and play again. (And so am I!)
Boone also met two neighbor dogs this week - Jack and Shadow. Jack lives next door to us, and Boone has been watching him through our fence for weeks. He did well with both of them too.
Here are some pictures from the play date on Saturday.
We will start obedience classes in two more weeks. Boone already knows several commands... He knows sit, down, stand, home, outside, in, watch and fetch very well. This week we started working on stay. He is actually doing really well with it too.
This weekend has been good for Boone. He received the last of his boosters and is now allowed to mingle with other dogs. He still really likes going to the vet, which makes it easy! He weighed 30 pounds flat at this vet appointment. That’s an 8 pound gain in 3 weeks time!
On Saturday he had his first play date with his new best friend, Porter. Candice brought Porter over to our backyard for a two hour adventure. It was really the first time that Boone had been around another dog off-leash since we brought him home. I was a little nervous, but figured that Porter would be a good trial run for him... he’s four years old, just a little smaller than Boone is right now... and Porter has an abundance of energy too. When Porter first came over, he spent about 10 minutes running away from Boone’s sniffing. Then Boone made the mistake of nipping at him, and at that moment Porter decided that he was going to take charge. They started playing and didn’t really stop for two hours, although they took a lot of quiet time in-between runs. They spent a lot of time running the perimeter of the yard, (Porter always in front,) and also played fetch team-style. Boone was actually calm for the remainder of the day! Boone is very excited for Porter to come over and play again. (And so am I!)
Boone also met two neighbor dogs this week - Jack and Shadow. Jack lives next door to us, and Boone has been watching him through our fence for weeks. He did well with both of them too.
Here are some pictures from the play date on Saturday.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Oh the Games We Play (Old Site)
Hello people! What a normal week we have had. (At least compared to the couple before it.) Boone is now big into games. He loves Frisbee even more than he did last week... (I think he knows what I mean when I say “Frisbee” now.) He also loves to chase after a tennis ball... and his current favorite game is one I like to call, “Stuff as many toys into my mouth as possible.” So far he hasn’t been able to carry more than three toys at once. He also is big into collecting and gathering his toys now. He will drag them all over to wherever we are hanging out... one by one... and drop them all at our feet. It is really cute.
Of course, we are also going through some pretty heavy “puppy-hood”. I think Boone needs other dogs to play with... soon we will be able to start obedience classes, and I’m excited for the socialization that will bring.
In other news, I finally finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. So the series is now over. I actually delayed finishing the book for a couple of days because I didn’t want it to end. I thought the book was very good - and I wish there was more. I don’t think there will be though!
I also decided it was high time I get a picture of Tiger up... so here is one for him. It was so nice this weekend, and Tiger’s favorite sport is to hang out in a warm spot. He and Boone are acclimating to each other finally. They actually can lay down side by side... they tolerate one another, but I don’t think they’ll ever be friends!
Of course, we are also going through some pretty heavy “puppy-hood”. I think Boone needs other dogs to play with... soon we will be able to start obedience classes, and I’m excited for the socialization that will bring.
In other news, I finally finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. So the series is now over. I actually delayed finishing the book for a couple of days because I didn’t want it to end. I thought the book was very good - and I wish there was more. I don’t think there will be though!
I also decided it was high time I get a picture of Tiger up... so here is one for him. It was so nice this weekend, and Tiger’s favorite sport is to hang out in a warm spot. He and Boone are acclimating to each other finally. They actually can lay down side by side... they tolerate one another, but I don’t think they’ll ever be friends!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Frisbees! (Old Site)
Boone turned 14 weeks old today... and he has learned a valuable new skill. Daja sent him a present this week that made all of us very happy. Andy and I enjoy playing Frisbee quite a bit. Andy actually made it a condition of our marriage that I had to be a successful Frisbee tosser before we were married. (I'd like to think that, had I not learned the skill, he would have married me anyway...?)
We have continued to play Frisbee throughout the 9 years we've been married. And we were really hoping that Boone would eventually enjoy it as well. The present he received from Daja was a soft and tough frisbee-like toy. Andy and I have been tossing it back and forth with Boone nearly every day this past week... at least for a little bit, so that he can see the way the game works.
Today we took it outside and decided that we would involve Boone a little bit more... and within mere minutes, he had successfully caught his first frisbee mid-air! And then he did it at least three more times.
Boone has had a good week overall. During previous weeks his physical changes were the most prevalent. This week I noticed a marked behavioral change... our boy is calming down. He definitely understands "off" now, (although he occasionally chooses to pretend he has no idea what I am talking about,) and is getting so that he will come bring his toy to wherever I am sitting and lay down near me to play. He is biting less... and is even starting to get the jumping under control. Boone is growing into a wonderful boy!
Enjoy the Frisbee catch pictures below, and visit his album for other updated pictures!
We have continued to play Frisbee throughout the 9 years we've been married. And we were really hoping that Boone would eventually enjoy it as well. The present he received from Daja was a soft and tough frisbee-like toy. Andy and I have been tossing it back and forth with Boone nearly every day this past week... at least for a little bit, so that he can see the way the game works.
Today we took it outside and decided that we would involve Boone a little bit more... and within mere minutes, he had successfully caught his first frisbee mid-air! And then he did it at least three more times.
Boone has had a good week overall. During previous weeks his physical changes were the most prevalent. This week I noticed a marked behavioral change... our boy is calming down. He definitely understands "off" now, (although he occasionally chooses to pretend he has no idea what I am talking about,) and is getting so that he will come bring his toy to wherever I am sitting and lay down near me to play. He is biting less... and is even starting to get the jumping under control. Boone is growing into a wonderful boy!
Enjoy the Frisbee catch pictures below, and visit his album for other updated pictures!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
The Homestudy Visit (Old Site)
What a week we have had! Two weeks ago we went into deep preparations for our homestudy visit - but the intensity really picked up last Sunday and didn’t let up until the caseworker walked out of our door around 1pm yesterday. For the last two weeks all I could think about was this upcoming trial. I felt that it was crucial that our case worker not only feel that we are “adequate,” but also that she genuinely liked us. Why? The culmination of the entire homestudy process, which we began in February, is a package of information for prospective agencies, caseworkers and birthparents to review. At the front of the package is a report that is written by the caseworker. This report will become our “face” to the individuals that have the power to allow us to add a child to our family. With the volume of people that want to adopt, agents of available children often have many homestudies to review. We want ours to be appealing, to present us in the best light, and to be persuasive for these individuals... Therefore, the caseworker just had to like us!
This all means that I have been quite obsessive for the last week especially. Andy and I worked every night on our house. We didn’t need to do as much as we did, but I just didn’t want there to be anything to detract from our adequacy. My house is now fully unpacked - a feat that I never accomplished in my last house - and cleaner than it ever has been. We cleaned vents, blinds... I’m telling you, we were obsessive. We also reviewed our autobiographical statements, a series of 65 introspective questions that all adoptive or foster parents in Washington are required to answer individually. (I now have a 22 page autobiography and Andy has a 14 page one.) Additionally, we had to prepare a parenting resource plan that will help prepare us to handle any developmental, emotional or physical issues that our child faces. Okay, I am usually pretty good with introspection. I am usually pretty good with writing out honest answers about my feelings. But, I am telling you, this was a lot for me to handle. It was intense. Just imagine the intensity for Andy - and maybe you can imagine some of the “discussions” (aka bickering) that occurred in my house this week.
I love my husband immensely. He is an amazing partner and an amazing support for me. He is going to be an incredible father. I am respectful and impressed with the way he is handling the pressure of this process - but, it was a little easy to forget that last week. Sorry, Andy. The second the caseworker left it was like this huge load lifted.
The silly thing is that we had prepared this once before with our last caseworker, but the visit never happened. (And because we’d prepared it once before, it was done to a greater degree this time.) We have been juggled around a bit since we began the process in February - our first caseworker was not a good match for us and ended up leaving the agency. It took us over a month to be assigned to a new caseworker. But our new caseworker is a great match for us - she is responsive, understanding and knowledgeable. The delays that we have had are frustrating, but it feels like they are over.
The homestudy visit went better than I ever expected. Not only do I think our caseworker genuinely likes us, but we genuinely like her as well. She assisted us in making sure that our choice of program is right for us, (don’t worry - we did not change our minds again,) and interviewed us in regards to our expectations of our future child and our abilities as parents. I think we passed with flying colors.
So, what’s next? Well we have decided to adopt from the US Kids program, which means that we will be adopting a child out of foster care. Next for us is to become licensed foster parents so that we have greater flexibility. This means that we have to complete Washington’s PRIDE training for foster parents, which is a series of four one day classes. We also have to become CPR certified, be fingerprinted, and take TB testing. In addition we need to finish a course from our agency, do some more paperwork and prepare pictures of ourselves and our home. We are hoping to have this all completed mid-October. It could happen really quick once this is all done, or it could take a couple of years. But I am beginning to allow myself to believe that this will happen.
Our child is already born. He or she already exist, and is out there waiting somewhere for us. I can’t describe how weird it is to know that. Or how emotional I get thinking about it. But - we have taken a huge step closer to them. It all feels more real today than it did two days ago. Andy and my journey to parenthood has been long and trying. It started eight years ago, and hope has diminished in varying quantities for the last six or seven years. I feel like it is safe to hope again... and that is both scary and exciting.
This all means that I have been quite obsessive for the last week especially. Andy and I worked every night on our house. We didn’t need to do as much as we did, but I just didn’t want there to be anything to detract from our adequacy. My house is now fully unpacked - a feat that I never accomplished in my last house - and cleaner than it ever has been. We cleaned vents, blinds... I’m telling you, we were obsessive. We also reviewed our autobiographical statements, a series of 65 introspective questions that all adoptive or foster parents in Washington are required to answer individually. (I now have a 22 page autobiography and Andy has a 14 page one.) Additionally, we had to prepare a parenting resource plan that will help prepare us to handle any developmental, emotional or physical issues that our child faces. Okay, I am usually pretty good with introspection. I am usually pretty good with writing out honest answers about my feelings. But, I am telling you, this was a lot for me to handle. It was intense. Just imagine the intensity for Andy - and maybe you can imagine some of the “discussions” (aka bickering) that occurred in my house this week.
I love my husband immensely. He is an amazing partner and an amazing support for me. He is going to be an incredible father. I am respectful and impressed with the way he is handling the pressure of this process - but, it was a little easy to forget that last week. Sorry, Andy. The second the caseworker left it was like this huge load lifted.
The silly thing is that we had prepared this once before with our last caseworker, but the visit never happened. (And because we’d prepared it once before, it was done to a greater degree this time.) We have been juggled around a bit since we began the process in February - our first caseworker was not a good match for us and ended up leaving the agency. It took us over a month to be assigned to a new caseworker. But our new caseworker is a great match for us - she is responsive, understanding and knowledgeable. The delays that we have had are frustrating, but it feels like they are over.
The homestudy visit went better than I ever expected. Not only do I think our caseworker genuinely likes us, but we genuinely like her as well. She assisted us in making sure that our choice of program is right for us, (don’t worry - we did not change our minds again,) and interviewed us in regards to our expectations of our future child and our abilities as parents. I think we passed with flying colors.
So, what’s next? Well we have decided to adopt from the US Kids program, which means that we will be adopting a child out of foster care. Next for us is to become licensed foster parents so that we have greater flexibility. This means that we have to complete Washington’s PRIDE training for foster parents, which is a series of four one day classes. We also have to become CPR certified, be fingerprinted, and take TB testing. In addition we need to finish a course from our agency, do some more paperwork and prepare pictures of ourselves and our home. We are hoping to have this all completed mid-October. It could happen really quick once this is all done, or it could take a couple of years. But I am beginning to allow myself to believe that this will happen.
Our child is already born. He or she already exist, and is out there waiting somewhere for us. I can’t describe how weird it is to know that. Or how emotional I get thinking about it. But - we have taken a huge step closer to them. It all feels more real today than it did two days ago. Andy and my journey to parenthood has been long and trying. It started eight years ago, and hope has diminished in varying quantities for the last six or seven years. I feel like it is safe to hope again... and that is both scary and exciting.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Boone Saves the Day (Old Site)
Well, Boone has already proven his necessity in our house! If you don’t know it already, I am an accident-prone klutz. There are probably more klutzy people than me, but I do tend to make some awkward and embarrassing errors. They are usually hilarious... but, last Thursday’s would not have been.
On Thursday I was exhausted when I came home from work. I took Boone outside for a bit, brought him back in, and then started dinner. (Rosemary citrus chicken - yummy!) I had originally planned to grill the chicken, but Andy was coming home late so I decided to resort to option two. I seared the chicken on the stove and then placed it in an oven-safe pan and stuck it in the oven at 375. I went upstairs to read some Harry Potter. (I’m halfway through the Half Blood Prince now.)
In what must have been less than 10 minutes, my reading was interrupted by Boone making a huge ruckus. I go downstairs, and he’s sitting there barking up a storm. It takes one look to realize why. The entire stovetop is smoking, and I realize that the kitchen is full of smoke. Then my attention is drawn to the oven, where there is a nice little flaming fire raging on the bottom. Unbeknownst to me, a considerable part of the banana bread I made the previous Sunday fell out of the pan as it was baking and landed on top of one of the bottom coils. It was now on fire. I turned off the oven, opened it, pored a ton of baking soda on the fire... and then closed the oven again.
When Andy got home we had charbroiled chicken - fully cooked in only a half an hour. It was very good chicken. Thankfully I had taken the time to sear it, otherwise it would have been bone-dry! Boone got a big treat, and the new status of super-hero. Had he not have alerted me, the fire could have become much bigger!
On Thursday I was exhausted when I came home from work. I took Boone outside for a bit, brought him back in, and then started dinner. (Rosemary citrus chicken - yummy!) I had originally planned to grill the chicken, but Andy was coming home late so I decided to resort to option two. I seared the chicken on the stove and then placed it in an oven-safe pan and stuck it in the oven at 375. I went upstairs to read some Harry Potter. (I’m halfway through the Half Blood Prince now.)
In what must have been less than 10 minutes, my reading was interrupted by Boone making a huge ruckus. I go downstairs, and he’s sitting there barking up a storm. It takes one look to realize why. The entire stovetop is smoking, and I realize that the kitchen is full of smoke. Then my attention is drawn to the oven, where there is a nice little flaming fire raging on the bottom. Unbeknownst to me, a considerable part of the banana bread I made the previous Sunday fell out of the pan as it was baking and landed on top of one of the bottom coils. It was now on fire. I turned off the oven, opened it, pored a ton of baking soda on the fire... and then closed the oven again.
When Andy got home we had charbroiled chicken - fully cooked in only a half an hour. It was very good chicken. Thankfully I had taken the time to sear it, otherwise it would have been bone-dry! Boone got a big treat, and the new status of super-hero. Had he not have alerted me, the fire could have become much bigger!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Preparations (Old Site)
After receiving a few emails today inquiring about an update, I decided that I should probably post one up. I had planned to do it on Monday, but things have been a little hectic, and my camera battery was dead, so... yeah.
Why are we busy? Well, there’s the obvious answer in Boone. He had another vet appointment last week, and he enjoys seeing the vet! I think they enjoy him also because some of them come in for work on their day off just because he’s coming in. He was 22.7 pounds last Saturday. He’s a big boy! We have been mastering two things for the past week... fetch and the leash. Boone and I now play fetch for probably almost an hour collectively throughout the day. We got a rubber ball for him last weekend that is now his new favorite toy. He actually will bring it to me and drop it at my feet when he wants me to play. I love it! We took the advice of friends and vet and also purchased a harness to practice the leash thing. It is making a world of difference. I posted some 12 week old pictures to his album.
Work has picked up for both of us... summer is almost over, and the trees here must be confused because they are already turning red and brown. In August? Insanity... But with the hurricanes and other weather events still happening world wide, who knows what to expect right now? I’m just hoping that we do not have a repeat wind storm this year.
Last week we got to welcome in a new baby... my friend Carleigh had her little boy on Thursday. I got to go see them on Friday - he is very, very cute!
But keeping me up at night now are thoughts of our homestudy. A lot of you know that Andy and I started the adoption process six months ago. The first, long, step in the adoption process is to complete a homestudy. The culmination is a visit by a case worker to your home. During the visit you are interviewed together and separately, and you are showing your home so that the case worker can decide if you and your environment are acceptable for a child. Many of you know that we’ve hit some unexpected bumps during the homestudy process, which were mostly outside of our control, but we are back on track for our home visit next Friday, the 31st. I know that Andy and I are acceptable as parents, and I know that we have a good home. But I just can’t stop obsessing over the fact that one person gets to judge how adequate we are. I’ve come to terms with my fertility and I am excited about adoption. But there are some things that I don’t think I’ll ever completely understand... why does it have to be so difficult to adopt, when so many children either need a home or are in a bad one? I’ll drop my thoughts there...
So, that is what the Kovars have been doing for the last week and a half. Andy is very excited because the “best video game ever” came out yesterday... Bioshock. (He is sitting next to me playing it right now.) Oh, and I finished reading Book 5 of Harry Potter again... finally.... so I can now go see the movie, and I’m onto Book 6. Book 7 is in my bedroom, patiently waiting for me to hurry it up. Between Boone, work and homestudy I just do not have the time for reading that I used to!
Why are we busy? Well, there’s the obvious answer in Boone. He had another vet appointment last week, and he enjoys seeing the vet! I think they enjoy him also because some of them come in for work on their day off just because he’s coming in. He was 22.7 pounds last Saturday. He’s a big boy! We have been mastering two things for the past week... fetch and the leash. Boone and I now play fetch for probably almost an hour collectively throughout the day. We got a rubber ball for him last weekend that is now his new favorite toy. He actually will bring it to me and drop it at my feet when he wants me to play. I love it! We took the advice of friends and vet and also purchased a harness to practice the leash thing. It is making a world of difference. I posted some 12 week old pictures to his album.
Work has picked up for both of us... summer is almost over, and the trees here must be confused because they are already turning red and brown. In August? Insanity... But with the hurricanes and other weather events still happening world wide, who knows what to expect right now? I’m just hoping that we do not have a repeat wind storm this year.
Last week we got to welcome in a new baby... my friend Carleigh had her little boy on Thursday. I got to go see them on Friday - he is very, very cute!
But keeping me up at night now are thoughts of our homestudy. A lot of you know that Andy and I started the adoption process six months ago. The first, long, step in the adoption process is to complete a homestudy. The culmination is a visit by a case worker to your home. During the visit you are interviewed together and separately, and you are showing your home so that the case worker can decide if you and your environment are acceptable for a child. Many of you know that we’ve hit some unexpected bumps during the homestudy process, which were mostly outside of our control, but we are back on track for our home visit next Friday, the 31st. I know that Andy and I are acceptable as parents, and I know that we have a good home. But I just can’t stop obsessing over the fact that one person gets to judge how adequate we are. I’ve come to terms with my fertility and I am excited about adoption. But there are some things that I don’t think I’ll ever completely understand... why does it have to be so difficult to adopt, when so many children either need a home or are in a bad one? I’ll drop my thoughts there...
So, that is what the Kovars have been doing for the last week and a half. Andy is very excited because the “best video game ever” came out yesterday... Bioshock. (He is sitting next to me playing it right now.) Oh, and I finished reading Book 5 of Harry Potter again... finally.... so I can now go see the movie, and I’m onto Book 6. Book 7 is in my bedroom, patiently waiting for me to hurry it up. Between Boone, work and homestudy I just do not have the time for reading that I used to!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Boone is Eleven Weeks Old Today (Old Site)
Today Boone turned eleven weeks old, and he has now been with us for just over two weeks. These two weeks have definitely been different in our house. I am now sleeping when the puppy is sleeping, which means that I am going to bed one hour early and waking up two hours earlier than I used to. .. But, he is sleeping a solid six hours through the night - which I didn’t really expect at his age. However tired I may be, it is definitely worth it... Boone is developing into a wonderful dog!
I am pretty comfortable in saying that he is now house-broken. He only had three accidents total... and is already trained at going to sit by the back door when he needs to go out. I am amazed at this... I was expecting a much longer ... and messier ... experience.
His favorite toys are a big rope, a trainer ball (it is a big ball with a little ball inside), and tennis balls. His favorite game with all of the toys is the same... We throw it, he runs and grabs it, comes and runs a couple of circles around us and then drops down so that we can grab it and throw it again. He especially likes doing this in the back yard where he can run farther and faster. He’s quite the runner!
Boone understands several commands already... outside, home, in, off, sit, and down. Now I am working on stay, so far it is not very successful. He will lay down really quickly for me, but I think he jumps up faster than he went down! We’ve also started getting him used to a loose leash, and we still have a long way to go on that... for now, the leash spends a lot of time in his mouth.
Most of our neighbors have met Boone in the last two weeks, and I think he especially enjoys watching our neighbor’s big black lab, Shadow. Boone will sit inside the house, at the window by the front door, watching Shadow for over ten minutes. That’s a long time for this little puppy to sit still! We are excited to introduce him to Shadow and the other dogs on our street once he is fully immunized.
In the last week Boone changed considerably and is looking a lot older than he did when we first met him! He is good at letting me brush him, handle his paws and touch his mouth. He definitely is nipping - like a normal puppy. I was really excited a few days ago when he seemed to start understanding that his teeth don’t feel good to us. (We’ve been yelping when he bites us.) He has started giving us kisses instead... with the occasional nip... but that’s progress!
I am pretty comfortable in saying that he is now house-broken. He only had three accidents total... and is already trained at going to sit by the back door when he needs to go out. I am amazed at this... I was expecting a much longer ... and messier ... experience.
His favorite toys are a big rope, a trainer ball (it is a big ball with a little ball inside), and tennis balls. His favorite game with all of the toys is the same... We throw it, he runs and grabs it, comes and runs a couple of circles around us and then drops down so that we can grab it and throw it again. He especially likes doing this in the back yard where he can run farther and faster. He’s quite the runner!
Boone understands several commands already... outside, home, in, off, sit, and down. Now I am working on stay, so far it is not very successful. He will lay down really quickly for me, but I think he jumps up faster than he went down! We’ve also started getting him used to a loose leash, and we still have a long way to go on that... for now, the leash spends a lot of time in his mouth.
Most of our neighbors have met Boone in the last two weeks, and I think he especially enjoys watching our neighbor’s big black lab, Shadow. Boone will sit inside the house, at the window by the front door, watching Shadow for over ten minutes. That’s a long time for this little puppy to sit still! We are excited to introduce him to Shadow and the other dogs on our street once he is fully immunized.
In the last week Boone changed considerably and is looking a lot older than he did when we first met him! He is good at letting me brush him, handle his paws and touch his mouth. He definitely is nipping - like a normal puppy. I was really excited a few days ago when he seemed to start understanding that his teeth don’t feel good to us. (We’ve been yelping when he bites us.) He has started giving us kisses instead... with the occasional nip... but that’s progress!
Monday, August 6, 2007
Boyce Beacon and Beild (Old Site)
I’m a little tardy in getting this up... but better late than never, right? We spent a week in the Washington DC area for a family reunion on my Dad’s side. It was a lot of fun! (It was also quite humid!!!) I am posting a new photo album today to hold the pictures from DC... so the majority of them will be there. We accomplished quite a bit in DC/Virginia/Pennsylvania, it was a packed trip! Since I hadn’t been to DC since 8th grade, and don’t know when I will go back... I wanted to take advantage of the time we had!
Andy and I went early, leaving Washington State on Saturday. We met Daja and her family in Crystal City that night. The next morning we woke up and had our first DC metro experience. I think we looked a little helpless - four adults and three children trying to figure out the system map - but an attendant took pity on us and showed us how to work the system. We went over to the Foggy Bottom station and then walked to see the White House. From there we went down the mall, past the Washington, WWII, Vietnam, Lincoln and Korean memorials. My favorite of all of them was the WWII Memorial. It is a series of columns in an oval, one for each state and territory in the US. In the middle there is a huge, peaceful fountain. Inside there are a ton of quotes from the war, and there is also a field of stars on the back wall. I also really enjoyed the Lincoln Memorial, because as you look back from it you have a full view of the Washington Memorial, reflecting pool and the Capital. After seeing all of that we walked back to the Smithsonian station and took the metro back to Crystal City. We were exhausted, thirsty, and sore... but it was a fun day!
The next day we had to drive over to Pennsylvania for the real family reunion. Getting around DC was harder than I had imagined. In a five minute period we saw both the Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon. We hadn’t wanted to see either that day! We finally made it out of DC and survived the crazy Virginian and Maryland drivers to make it to Chambersburg. When we got there we spent some time visiting with family and then went to the local Wal Mart... great times in Pennsylvania! My sisters Keira and Liel arrived that night... and my parents started the beginning of an unwanted adventure with their airline. (They ended up finally making it probably 12 hours after they were scheduled to arrive.)
The next day was picture day. We all donned t-shirts that had been printed with the reunion logo (Boyce Beacon and Beild.) Pictures took awhile with so many people, but the kids seemed to enjoy their free time while they waited! Then we headed over to tour Gettysburg. The tour that we took gave us a lot of information that I wouldn’t have known on my own... it was very interesting to learn all about the three day battle. We could have stayed there for another day just to see more of the landmarks.
Wednesday was Hershey’s day. We went over to chocolate world and rode through their little tour. The kids got to make their own kisses, which they seemed to enjoy!
On Thursday Andy, Liel and I left a little earlier than the others and headed back to Arlington, VA for the Arlington National Cemetary. (This time it was going to be more than a detour trying to leave the state!) There we saw the Kennedy graves and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also got to see the changing of the guard, which was very interesting. Then we met everyone else in the Museum of Flight (or is it the Museum of Air and Space?) After that we walked over to the Museum of Natural History, and took a pit stop at a nice cool fountain, where almost everyone stuck their feet into the pool... it was very hot that day! I actually enjoyed the Museum of Natural History more than the Air and Space Museum. We eventually headed back to our hotel and had dinner... then everyone headed back out for a nighttime walk down the Mall. The WWII and Lincoln monuments were even better at night. My feet hurt really bad by the time we made it back to the hotel though!!!
The next day Andy and I took it easy... we were tuckered out! We went to the National Archives to see the constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence. That was really very interesting. We wish that we would have gone with Daja’s family to the Postal Museum... and I kind of wanted to go to the Ford Theater... but oh well!
All in all this was a very fun trip... not the relaxation we had in Hawaii, but very informative, and it was nice to see so many relatives. It was hard to leave for home!
Andy and I went early, leaving Washington State on Saturday. We met Daja and her family in Crystal City that night. The next morning we woke up and had our first DC metro experience. I think we looked a little helpless - four adults and three children trying to figure out the system map - but an attendant took pity on us and showed us how to work the system. We went over to the Foggy Bottom station and then walked to see the White House. From there we went down the mall, past the Washington, WWII, Vietnam, Lincoln and Korean memorials. My favorite of all of them was the WWII Memorial. It is a series of columns in an oval, one for each state and territory in the US. In the middle there is a huge, peaceful fountain. Inside there are a ton of quotes from the war, and there is also a field of stars on the back wall. I also really enjoyed the Lincoln Memorial, because as you look back from it you have a full view of the Washington Memorial, reflecting pool and the Capital. After seeing all of that we walked back to the Smithsonian station and took the metro back to Crystal City. We were exhausted, thirsty, and sore... but it was a fun day!
The next day we had to drive over to Pennsylvania for the real family reunion. Getting around DC was harder than I had imagined. In a five minute period we saw both the Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon. We hadn’t wanted to see either that day! We finally made it out of DC and survived the crazy Virginian and Maryland drivers to make it to Chambersburg. When we got there we spent some time visiting with family and then went to the local Wal Mart... great times in Pennsylvania! My sisters Keira and Liel arrived that night... and my parents started the beginning of an unwanted adventure with their airline. (They ended up finally making it probably 12 hours after they were scheduled to arrive.)
The next day was picture day. We all donned t-shirts that had been printed with the reunion logo (Boyce Beacon and Beild.) Pictures took awhile with so many people, but the kids seemed to enjoy their free time while they waited! Then we headed over to tour Gettysburg. The tour that we took gave us a lot of information that I wouldn’t have known on my own... it was very interesting to learn all about the three day battle. We could have stayed there for another day just to see more of the landmarks.
Wednesday was Hershey’s day. We went over to chocolate world and rode through their little tour. The kids got to make their own kisses, which they seemed to enjoy!
On Thursday Andy, Liel and I left a little earlier than the others and headed back to Arlington, VA for the Arlington National Cemetary. (This time it was going to be more than a detour trying to leave the state!) There we saw the Kennedy graves and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also got to see the changing of the guard, which was very interesting. Then we met everyone else in the Museum of Flight (or is it the Museum of Air and Space?) After that we walked over to the Museum of Natural History, and took a pit stop at a nice cool fountain, where almost everyone stuck their feet into the pool... it was very hot that day! I actually enjoyed the Museum of Natural History more than the Air and Space Museum. We eventually headed back to our hotel and had dinner... then everyone headed back out for a nighttime walk down the Mall. The WWII and Lincoln monuments were even better at night. My feet hurt really bad by the time we made it back to the hotel though!!!
The next day Andy and I took it easy... we were tuckered out! We went to the National Archives to see the constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence. That was really very interesting. We wish that we would have gone with Daja’s family to the Postal Museum... and I kind of wanted to go to the Ford Theater... but oh well!
All in all this was a very fun trip... not the relaxation we had in Hawaii, but very informative, and it was nice to see so many relatives. It was hard to leave for home!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Meet Our New Labrador (Old Site)
We are very excited to introduce the newest member of our family. A lot of our friends and family know that we were having a hard time thinking of a name for our little guy... Some of the submissions we received were “Exit” (thank you Braxton), “Lord Dogemort” (thank you Evin), and “Murray” (thank you Daja). Thanks to my affinity for Harry Potter, he almost became Harold James, but that just didn’t seem right when we tried to call him by it! As soon as we brought him home, the name that fits him perfectly came to mind... We are calling him Boone. Yes, it is for the obvious - Daniel Boone. (I do confess that we have another reason for enjoying the name... as big Lost fans, Boone was one of our favorite characters.)
Boone comes from a hobby breeder in Spokane and is the son of a beautiful Lab named Dakota and a very handsome Lab named Ranger. Ranger’s mom tells us that Boone looks a lot like Ranger did as a puppy... so he became known as Little Ranger while they were watching him. Boone has a darker coat for a yellow Lab and promises to be quite handsome himself. He was one of eleven puppies in the litter, so I am sure that he is a little lonely today now that he is the only dog in the house.
We brought him home yesterday after his week long stay at his Dad’s house. (His Dad lives in Snohomish as well!) Dad’s owner did an amazing job watching him... Boone is already well on the road to being potty trained. We are amazed at how well he is behaved as such a young puppy. He plays hard, but not too hard, and then calms right down. He already understands us when we say “off” or “drop it” and will go pick up a chew toy instead. We expected him to whine a bit on his first night... but he didn’t! He went into his crate at about 9:45 last night and was snoring loudly by 10. (Such a cute snore!) He slept through the night and was sitting there quietly waiting for me when I came down at 6 this morning.
Tiger is not so sure about our new boy. Boone approaches Tiger very cautiously, and Tiger is starting to warm up to him. I think Tiger likes the fact that he can jump up on a chair or table, and Boone cannot.
We are so excited to have Boone to play, cuddle and be a companion!
Boone comes from a hobby breeder in Spokane and is the son of a beautiful Lab named Dakota and a very handsome Lab named Ranger. Ranger’s mom tells us that Boone looks a lot like Ranger did as a puppy... so he became known as Little Ranger while they were watching him. Boone has a darker coat for a yellow Lab and promises to be quite handsome himself. He was one of eleven puppies in the litter, so I am sure that he is a little lonely today now that he is the only dog in the house.
We brought him home yesterday after his week long stay at his Dad’s house. (His Dad lives in Snohomish as well!) Dad’s owner did an amazing job watching him... Boone is already well on the road to being potty trained. We are amazed at how well he is behaved as such a young puppy. He plays hard, but not too hard, and then calms right down. He already understands us when we say “off” or “drop it” and will go pick up a chew toy instead. We expected him to whine a bit on his first night... but he didn’t! He went into his crate at about 9:45 last night and was snoring loudly by 10. (Such a cute snore!) He slept through the night and was sitting there quietly waiting for me when I came down at 6 this morning.
Tiger is not so sure about our new boy. Boone approaches Tiger very cautiously, and Tiger is starting to warm up to him. I think Tiger likes the fact that he can jump up on a chair or table, and Boone cannot.
We are so excited to have Boone to play, cuddle and be a companion!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
The Beginning (Old Site)
Welcome to my first blog on my new page... why a new page? Because I never paid any attention to the old one! I’m using Apple’s newer version of iWeb this time, and it seems like it is going to be a bit easier to maintain... so maybe I’ll actually remember to keep this one updated!
Andy and I have been pretty busy lately. In some ways life has been pretty much the same as always, but there are aspects of it that have been hectic. We are enjoying the fact that summer has finally arrived in the Puget Sound. We had a taste of it in May, but then it went back into hiding for a month or so!
In the end of April/beginning of May we took a week long trip to Maui. It was such a fun trip! I haven’t yet sent out any information or pictures... so look for that to come soon.
In June we got something that makes me very happy... a Yamaha grand piano. (For anyone that knows pianos, we purchased a C2.) For the last month I have been happily playing away every day. The piano shows much more warmth and emotion than my upright did. It’s a dream to play Chopin and Debussy... and even West Side Story songs!
We are also excitedly awaiting the arrival of our newest family member... a puppy! We were lucky to locate a recent litter of yellow Labrador puppies. So, next week we will get to meet our new puppy and bring him home! We are not naming him until we meet him, but I’ll eventually let everyone know what his name is and post up a picture.
We have also been busy preparing for our home study visit. The home study is the first, lengthy step in the even more lengthy adoption process. After nearly 9 years of marriage, we are excited at the opportunity to get one step closer to being parents.
So that is life at our house right now... we hope that you are all doing well!
Andy and I have been pretty busy lately. In some ways life has been pretty much the same as always, but there are aspects of it that have been hectic. We are enjoying the fact that summer has finally arrived in the Puget Sound. We had a taste of it in May, but then it went back into hiding for a month or so!
In the end of April/beginning of May we took a week long trip to Maui. It was such a fun trip! I haven’t yet sent out any information or pictures... so look for that to come soon.
In June we got something that makes me very happy... a Yamaha grand piano. (For anyone that knows pianos, we purchased a C2.) For the last month I have been happily playing away every day. The piano shows much more warmth and emotion than my upright did. It’s a dream to play Chopin and Debussy... and even West Side Story songs!
We are also excitedly awaiting the arrival of our newest family member... a puppy! We were lucky to locate a recent litter of yellow Labrador puppies. So, next week we will get to meet our new puppy and bring him home! We are not naming him until we meet him, but I’ll eventually let everyone know what his name is and post up a picture.
We have also been busy preparing for our home study visit. The home study is the first, lengthy step in the even more lengthy adoption process. After nearly 9 years of marriage, we are excited at the opportunity to get one step closer to being parents.
So that is life at our house right now... we hope that you are all doing well!
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