BIRTHDAY BASH

On September 6th we had a 7th birthday party for "B". We had about 60 people at our house and it was a blast! We were able to borrow a big bounce house and the kids loved it! "B" wanted nachos and burritos and they were a hit! Everyone had fun and Mom and Dad were worn out afterwards! A big "thank you" to all of those who help us with this fun event and to all of you who attended and sent gifts. You made "B"s 1st birthday with us very special!

Out of the mouth of babes...

It's been two months (yesterday). It seems like they've been here forever. We are constantly reassuring them that they will be here forever. Tonight "J" said the prayer at dinner. He wanted to do it all by himself. It was a little jumbled but the effort and spirit were there! It was beautiful. And tonight "B" wanted to say our family prayer before bed. After only two months of helping them, she said she didn't want help. We have talked about what prayer is, that we start with "Dear Heavenly Father", thank Him for things, ask Him for things and close "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen". She asked tonight if she starts by saying "Heavenly Father". I said yes and then she said the most beautiful prayer I've ever heard. It came from her heart. She was talking to her Heavenly Father. Telling Him what she wanted to tell Him, not what mom & dad told her to say. How wonderful to have a daughter who is getting to know her Heavenly Father and starting a real relationship with Him. I love prayer. I hope my children will love it too. I love being able to talk to my Father and tell him the things in my heart that sometimes I can't tell anyone else. I hope my children can learn to do that. I hope they come to know that Heavenly Father loves them and will listen any time they need to talk.

12TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

July 2008
Our wedding day September 7th, 1996

Today is our 12th wedding anniversary and I need to take a minute and thank my wonderful and beautiful wife for 12 great years of marriage! I love her more today then when I first meet her at a dance that I was Dee Jaying in November, 1995! We have been through both the good and the bad together and I thank her for always being by my side. Now we are parents to 2 great kids and life is even better now that we are parents. Thank you Liz for always holding my hand!

"J" says the darnest things

While reassuring the kids that we want them and they are exactly what we always wanted and perfect, I told "J" that we wanted a boy & a girl. And this is the conversation that followed -

J - "You only wanted two?"
Mom - "Yes".
J "Why didn't you want three?"
Mom "Do you want a brother?"
J "Yes"
Mom "Well, if you get a brother, God has a sick sense of humor"
J (panicking) "I don't want 6, just one!"

We are learning that kids don't always understand us the way we want them to. Especially kids who have had the life our kids have had. Some of the simplest things are completely misunderstood. Oh the fun of having kids!!!

Happy Birthday

On the way to school, "B" asked what today was. When I said Wednesday, she imediately said "Tomorrow is my birthday". She is so excited. We bought a button the says "Birthday Girl" for her to wear tomorrow. And Saturday is the big party. Most people have 7 years to get ready for a 7th birthday - we've had 2 months. She won't have one this big again for a few years. She is a wonderful girl who is the light of our life. I can't post pictures but I'll send out a scrapbook page of the party, so if you don't want to miss out just email me.

World's Best Husband

I have to brag about Dave. Tonight when the kids and I got home, "B" was helping me clean up some things in the kitchen to get ready for dinner. She said that the girls at Kid's Club - their after school care - said that girls rule. I said yea girls were cool. She asked me if I liked boys or girls better. Giving an adult answer I said because I liked Dad I'd have to say boys. Well the child who's been through the things she's been through interpreted that as I don't like her. She ran off to pout - she's done this before so I let her go. After a short while I went into her bedroom to assure her I loved her and dad and "J". She wouldn't look at me. When Dave got home I told him briefly what happened and he went in to talk to her. I just walked by and heard him talking about love and loving mom's & dad's different then loving your brother or the dogs. He is so good. He knows what to say. These kids are not used to having a dad so sometimes I wonder if they know what to do with him. But I think they realize how great it is to have a dad and how great their dad is!!! Dave is just so dang wonderful. I have really enjoyed watching him be a dad. He is wonderful with the kids and not just the fun loving guy, he knows when to get down to business and can lovingly lecture "J" when his behavior takes a turn for the worst.

So I just had to let the world know that I have the best husband ever. I'm sure some of you feel the same about your husbands but this is my blog so I get to brag!!!!

Lucky #7

Once upon a time there was a 10 year old girl who had two little sisters and desperately wanted her pregnant mom to have a boy. When a beautiful little girl with tons of dark hair was born she asked if we could send her back because she wanted a bald baby boy. She soon fell in love with the her little sister. But 10 years later the now 20 year old girl would have her own little baby - the boy she always wanted and then she would have another, and another, and another, and another, and another until finally early one Sunday morning (August 24th, 2008) she would have her 7th boy weighing in at 7lbs 7ozs.

Moral of the story: Be careful what you wish for. You just might get 7 of them!!

Congrats to my niece Heather on her lucky #7! Can't wait to meet him!

Life is moving along

Last Thursday we went to our first "Meet the Teacher" night at school and met the kids teachers. I think they will have a great school year.
Saturday we went to the park for a "shower". Some friends from church threw the whole family a shower and the kids got to play at the park. There were two basketball courts (smaller then half court) and it inspired us to buy a basketball. Both kids had fun shooting baskets and with a little practice they could be pretty good!! We went to Target to buy backpacks for school and our brilliant kids picked the cheapest!!! No fancy character ones. They wanted the ones with only one strap!!
Sunday was pretty normal. "J" had a meltdown and had to go to bed early. He did not like going to bed before the sun was down. "B" had trouble sleeping. When I told her she just needed to fall asleep she said "I don't know how to". She climbed in bed with us for a little bit and then cried when I took her back to bed. I told her she didn't have to sleep but she had to rest her body. That seemed to work.
They both woke up ready to go to school. They walked right into their classrooms and hung up their backpacks. "J" has to leave his lunch outside the classroom because there are kids with peanut allergies. We know all about them. The kids have a cousin who's allergic to peanuts, so we know to be careful.
I can't wait to pick them up and hear all about their day. I took pictures but you'll have to email me if you want to see them - sorry can't post them yet!

What is...

Lucky?
Prepare?
Brave?

Everyday I say at least one word that the kids ask me "what's that?" So I thought I'd start posting them and see if you have any idea how to define them. Post a comment and let me know your best definition.

10 things I've learned in the last month

1. NEVER be late for church. I didn't think after only 4 weeks they would even notice. Well, yesterday was our worst Sunday yet because Mom didn't get ready in time. We missed most of Sacrament Meeting (the main meeting). They didn't get to eat the bread & water! I thought we'd be okay because they still got to go to class, but nooooooooo. So Mom learned to be on time from now on!!!!!

2. 6 year olds can read - the computer!!! I have to be careful what I type in an email if "B" is standing nearby. She's got good eyes!!

3. "Mom (or Dad) I love you" are the best words in the English language.

4. Don't even try to get out of reading a bedtime story - don't even think about it, no matter how tired you are, just read. It will make bedtime a lot easier.

5. Don't say maybe - they think it is just another word for YES.

6. When trying to teach the "some people win and some people lose" don't follow up with your kid winning the game! It doesn't really help them learn the lesson.

7. Sometimes God intervenes and the trophy thrown at the window by the angry kid doesn't break the window that you couldn't afford to replace.

8. Not letting the kid go in the grocery store is the end of the world. Who knew that a trip to the grocery store would share the excitment level of going to Disneyland. But for my kids, especially "J", they love it. So when we needed to stop my Kroger for dishwasher tablets and Dad got the cart with the car on front instead of letting "J" push the minature cart, his entire world fell apart and he got to sit in the minivan with mom while dad & "B" ran in. The worst part was when he finally calmed down and told me that he had changed his attitude and flashed me one of those smiles thinking we could go in, he looked over to see dad & "B" coming out of the store and realized he was too late. His world crumbled all over again.

9. It's important to teach independance, but it is so nice to be asked to do her hair or what outfit I think she should wear!

10. The louder you yell, the louder they yell.

We're Registered!

We've been asked if we were registered anywhere. So I went online and registered at Target. I used the baby register so I had to be creative in signing up. This is a good list for us too! It is a little overwhelming to think of everything we need. We just keep shopping every Saturday and the kids are getting a little sick of it!! Hopefully the list will give you some ideas if you we're looking for something to give. You don't have to stick to the list or even buy something. But since some were asking...

HANGING IN THERE....

I haven't posted anything in awhile but we are hanging in there as we spend our time buying clothes, toys and lots of milk! We go through more milk, cereal, pop tarts and pudding then ever before. I am trying to get them to try "better" food but they prefer all that and mac & cheese! I do get them to try a bit of "Dad's food" now and then. We spend a lot of time watching "backyardagains", "Dora" and "Cars". This is all new for a 41 year old! I am trying to get them into "Star Wars", "Speed Racer" and "Batman" cartoons. "B" always asks me everyday how many customers I am going to see when I go to work and when I am coming home. We also do a lot of swimming and my workouts are filled with carrying, hold and playing with 2 kids at once. We now go to bed every night exhausted, but little by little we are building bridges and laying fountains that will last forever.

Italy, Holland or Germany

Check out the Call Family Blog. Read the story about Holland. It really made me think. We didn't make it to Italy or Holland. I think our travel agent booked us on a trip to Germany. It's definitely different from Italy, but wonderful just the same!!!

Heaven is...

Coming home from work to find your husband and daughter making "piggys in a blanket" for dinner.

Invasion of the Mini Van

Yes, we own a mini van. I'm sure a dark day in Dave's life. But now that he has kids I think he has seen the advantage of it. We bought it from a friend of a friend for a good price. It's a 2000 Toyota Sienna. The kids like it because it is easier for them to get in and out. And lots more room to put stuff.

We survived another week of parenthood. A lot of the some old stuff. We rode bikes, had a picnic and played at the Spray ground, went shopping, went to Chili's with Kari & Kenzie, went shopping at a second hand kids store and found some cute & cheep Doc Martins for "J", found a couple of cute dresses for "B" and even found a new shirt for Mom!

Dad got them to watch Star Wars Episode 1. He's now trying for #2. They're more interested in Backyardigans. "B" likes High School Musical 2 - I made her watch #1 before we watched #2. We'll have a girls day out in October to see HSM3 at the movies!!

Today they are going swimming so they had no problem with Mom & Dad going to work. Dave's taking Tuesday & Thursday off to hang out with the kids.

This week we will try to survive the record breaking temps in the DFW area. Everyday on the forecast it is going to be over 100. This past weekend was 105 - without the heat index. We were spoiled last summer. Lots of rain in the spring, full lakes and mild temps. Not this year, lake levels are down and we have already had several over 100 days and it's not even August!

4 weeks til school starts. School opens back up next week so I can register them. Not sure how that will work out since I have different names on different paperwork. I hope someone at the school has done this before or can call someone who has.

"B" was asking last night when Grandma from California was going to come visit and when Grandma from Texas was going to be back from vacation. She really seems to like family. I hope that stays with her the rest of her life. She loves telling people she has lots of cousins!!

Both kids seem to be settling in quite well. Of course there's lots of little things and we have to analyze to see if it's just normal kid behavior or if there is some underlying issue that we should be concerned with. So far they just seem to be normal kids who need lots of love and reassurance that they have a future with us. We talk about going to Disney World when they are 9 or 10. We talk about high school and college. I don't know if they understand what we are doing, but I hope it will give them a future to think about. "B" wants to play basketball so we are going to sign her up next month. We think "J" would have fun with soccer. He's a good runner.

For now we just enjoy each day, each hug, each kiss, each "I love you" and each "mom" & "dad".

Trying to pass the test

The testing has begun. "J" is trying to see how much attention he can get and how much he can get away with. After making sure he knew what behaviors were wrong - saying "no" to Mom, calling people stupid and ugly, kicking the walls, throwing pillows and disobeying - we just put him in his bedroom, tell him we love him and leave. It is getting better but I'm sure it will go on for a while. Today at church he didn't want to go to class and started one of his attitudes. I took him out, sat in the hall and tried to ignore him as much as I could. Of course everyone else wanted to say "hi", so he was loving it. Then my miracle worker came by. A 14 yr old girl that is one of the nicest, sweetest girls I know. She started talking to "J" and said lets go to class. So he got up as if he were the most well behaved boy in the world, took her hand and walked into class sat down and she left. After church he saw her again and hugged her. She invited them to come over and go swimming. Anyone who invites them to swim is their best friend. We are adopting "fish". We are looking into swim lessons. Other then the test, we are doing great. We are tired but very happy. We'll see how a full week of work and babysitters goes!! Stay tuned for further adventures of the Texas Andersons!

What a Hottie!!

Our first sick kid experience. He was moping around this morning but we just thought it was cuz they didn't want us to go to work. So finally a little after 12 I went to work with "J" asleep & "B" watching Sponge Bob :(. About 20 minutes after I got there, my mom called and said that "J" was awake, crying and hot. So I shut down, packed up and headed to the store for a thermometer and Tylenol then home. By the time I got home he had settled down and fallen asleep. I logged onto work and started getting a few things done when he woke up. I took him temp - 100.4 - and gave him Tylenol and he settled down. He wanted me to stay with him so I moved my work onto my bed (where he'd been sleeping) and "B" climbed in on the other side. So for 3 hours I had a kid on either side. "J" slowly got better, decide his tummy hurt and he needed Sprite, and suddenly got tons of energy. He says he's feeling better and I'm trying to convince him that he still needs to rest. That's a hard sell to a 5 year old. We took another temp and it was down to normal. We'll check again later. What a day! This mother thing is crazy! It is kind of nice to have a sick kid calling out for his mommy and knowing that I'm the mommy he wants.

Legal Notice

We have just found out that we can't post pictures on the blog until after finalization which should be sometime after the first of the year. So if you haven't seen a picture yet and want to, email us and we will be happy to forward you a picture. But please remember, they are only for you - don't forward them to the world (even though we do think our kids are the cutest in the world, we don't want to make the rest of the kids in the world feel bad!) :) Thanks for understanding and helping us follow the rules.

Also, please don't post any identifying information about our kids on your blogs or websites. No names, birth dates, etc.

And if you really want to know all about the kids...just drop in and say hi!

What a weekend. Started on Friday with a trip to Mom's work. I thought we were just going to pass out the pay checks. Everyone surprised us with a tree with cards tied all over it and goodie bags for the kids. I think the little fans were their favorite. Saturday we went shopping for new church clothes - we wanted them to look their best and we just wanted to buy kids clothes, it could be an addicting habit!! We also bought Thank You cards so the kids can say thanks for all the cards we got at work. Today we went to church. Everyone was so excited about meeting the kids. Now we need to get into a routine and get the house cleaned!!

Life

We are settling into life! Grandma & Grandpa came to visit yesterday and I went into work for a couple of hours and got some work to do at home. Today the kids and I are going to work to pass out the paychecks. I pass them out every payday and thought this was a great way to introduce them to everyone at my work and show them where I go everyday. They are getting used to the dogs. They were in all day while Gma & Gpa were here - with no leashes on! Last night we had some dog struggles and Mom & Dad were both frustrated and nearly had a meltdown! But we all calmed down took baths, watched Batman, read a story, said family prayer and went to bed.

Things are going well. I think Mom & Dad have the biggest adjustment - we aren't allowed to sit still!! They are not kids who just want to sit and watch TV. They want to play a game, read a book, go to the park, swim, etc. They are on the move kids!!!

Feel free to stop by and say hi if you can catch us at home!!!

They're Home!

Our kids came home today at a little before 11am. We signed the papers saying we intend to adopt them. Texas law requires they are in our home for 6 months before we go to court and it is final. A case worker will come and see us at least once a month until the adoption is final. But that is just a formality. They are ours forever!!!!!! So if you want to visit Texas we'll be having a Dora birthday party for "B" the first Saturday in September, we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving by giving Thanks for these awesome kids, we'll be having the BEST Christmas ever and then we'll be going to court in January or February. No matter if you're far or near, you are welcome to stop by anytime to meet the kids. They would be happy to show you their rooms & toys!!!

Well this mom is busy!! I'll keep you up to date on the kids whenever I can. And I'll post pictures as soon as I'm allowed. Thanks for all your prayers.

Happy Days are here again..

They are coming home tomorrow. We're off to visit tonight and then their case worker will bring the home tomorrow morning and we'll sign the official papers that say we intend to adopt them!!! Forever has finally arrived!!!

Change of Plans

A little disappointment today. "B" is having a tough time and her case worker will be talking with her this afternoon. They probably won't be home tonight, but hopefully soon. They seemed so comfortable with us and it's hard to not have them right now. But it's all about the kids and what is best for them. We'll know more this afternoon and make new plans. We'll at least visit them tonight. We've talked with them on the phone Sunday & Monday night and they seem good and talkative! "J" is ready. I think we just need to reassure "B" that by wanting to be part of our family she is not hurting her foster mom. We just keep reassuring her that she can call, write or email anytime. I'm trying to see the little blessings in this - at least I have another night to get things done. :) I'll post more as soon as I know more. Keep ALL of us in your prayers!
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And to top off the day,Dave didn't get the management position. :(

I didn't know I could feel this way

Today our kids went back to their foster home for some good byes. They'll be there until Tuesday when we pick them up forever. We talked a lot about coming home. It just seemed so natural to have them here. After we dropped them off, Dave didn't want to go home. Dad has a heart the size of Texas and he is the best dad ever. It was the first time I cried this week. I've been so happy and suddenly my kids were gone. I know it's best for them. They need their time to close one phase of their young lives and get ready to move on to the forever phase! But oh how hard it was to let them go. We went to the book store - bought them books. Then went to the movies - last chance without taking out a babysitter loan. :) Then went to WalMart to get some food for next week (now that we know some of their favorites). I found myself in the kids clothes while Dave took a detour. I felt like a kid in a candy store!!!! My heart was racing with excitement!! Oh what cute 5T little boy clothes - I found a pair of shorts and shirt for only $3 each. And the little girls 6x - I'm in trouble!!!! I settled on a pair of Dora PJs. This could be addicting!!! We bought a few other things for them and got out before we went broke. We are trying to find the good in having some free time until Tuesday, but I think instead we will just count down the minutes until we see our adorable children again and hold them forever and ever!!

4th of July

We went to WalMart & Target looking for a swimsuit for "B" on Thursday night and then had a quick dinner at Chick-Fil-A. Both are night owls like their parents - we'll have to work on that. They got up earlier then we thought - 7:30 - so much for sleeping in. We started our Independance day with doughnuts at the shop on the corner with some friends. They both like the chocolate covered doughnuts and "B" likes doughnut holes. We then headed to Grandma & Grandpa's. Hugs all around when we got there and then off to meet cousins and play in the community pool. After spraying them down with sunscreen (and later learning the Mom & Dad need it too!) we got in the pool. They each had a swin ring and big smiles. A little scared at first but soon were following their cousins jumping off the side of the pool into Dad's safe arms. The braver they got, the more they asked Dad to back up - but he has assured them that his arms would always be there to keep them safe, no matter what. Homemade pizza cooked on the grill, homemade root beer (a Brown family tradition!) and cake and ice cream. We saw tons of fireworks on the way home and then they fell asleep. "J" didn't even get into him jammies when we got home, just crawled into bed. "B" on the other hand woke up and wanted to stay up. Dad was going to watch TV for a little bit before he went to bed, so she stayed up with Dad and ate peanuts and watched TV. Now we are getting ready for a busy Saturday. They'll stay with their foster mom for 3 nights and then be back on Tuesday forever!!

Oh what a night!

They came over tonight to see their new house. They liked their rooms. Thanks to my "angels" for all they did while I was at work. "B" & "J" loved their rooms but had some anxiety about the dogs. We'll work on that. We went to La Finca for dinner. How fun to order off the kids menu. They both love their "new" legos, elmos & stuffed animals! I now have an excuse for all the toys I own!! They both called us Mom & Dad. "B" wanted to sit next to mom at dinner. The magician stopped by our table. "B" loved the tricks, "J" not so much. They both LOVE to take pictures. I think we need to start looking into those little kid digital cameras before they break ours. For those that keep asking, "B" is size 6x and "J" is size 5.

Sad Day

In the midst of a very happy time, we had to make a decision that we have been putting off for months now. Last night on the way home we decided it was time for Gracie to go be with George. We let her sleep in our bed with us last night. It just wasn't the same. She just wasn't the same dog we got over 6 years ago. She lost her hearing, her eye sight was going and she didn't have the energy she once had. We took her to a wonderful vet this morning and told her it was time for her to go see George who passed away almost 4 years ago. I told her they have big sunny backyards in Heaven. She used to love laying out in the sun in California and on our balcony when we moved to Texas. She would find the one little patch of sunshine on the balcony and lay out. She used to greet us at the door sitting on the back of the couch - sometimes I thought she thought she was a cat! It was a hard thing to do, but I know her little spirit is better off without that old body that wouldn't let her do all the things she wanted too. We will miss her very much.

We are a happy family...

We meet them!!!! We spent 5 hours with them tonight. We meet them at their foster moms house, then went to Double Dave's Pizza, then to the park. "B" is my little model. She kept asking me to take pictures of her. Neither of them seem to know what a camcorder is. They would just smile. We told them they could move, dance and act crazy. "J" is our weight loss plan. He will keep us going non-stop. But the most wonderful sound is that little boy yelling "Dad" across the play ground. He is attached! "B" on the other hand is warming up. She will take longer but I can see her and I being good friends. "J" gave us both hugs before we left. In fact he asked if he could hug us - twice. "B" gave me a hug and gave Dave "5". We are head over heals!! Their coming to our house tomorrow night. Then they'll come on Thursday and spend a couple of nights and we'll see how that goes.

We talked to them

We just got off the phone with "B" & "J". They are adorable. "B" is very much the older sister. We talked mostly with "J" and if I talked too much he would say "I wanna talk to my dad". Oh how life just suddenly changed. We will meet them tomorrow night. They are looking forward to going out for pizza. "J" said his favorite is cheese. They both have their books. They both commented on the fact that "J" has a lot of elmos on his bed. Wait till they see the other half of the room. We are smiling from ear to ear, but we desprately need to get to bed. We'll let you know how tomorrow goes!!

Thanks for all your prayers. Keep praying for the kids and for Dave. He has his interview at 8am tomorrow!!

Moving Forward...

Today was a great day! We meet our kids foster mom today and got to talk all about the kids. She's all girl and he's all boy!! We are scheduled to meet them tomorrow at about 4pm. Life is turning upside down a little quicker then we thought. A lot of you have asked what we need. So far it sounds like they are coming with a lot of stuff. If we think of anything we needs we'll get the word out. We are definately "joyfully overwhelmed" right now. The 4th of July has always been a big family holiday in both of our families and now it will be one of the best ever!!!!!!!

Playing in the fountains in downtown Dallas!

He needs kids!!! He just looks silly playing all by himself!!! But ya gotta love him!!!

Holy Cows!!

Brag Books

We were asked to put together a little book for each of our kids to introduce them to us and family. This will help them inbetween visits before they move into our home.

Our Sons Brag Book

Our Daughters Brag Book

We've finished our reading...

Yes we are done. Today we picked up the final pages of the file on our kids. We've read all about them and can't wait to meet them. Next step is meeting their case worker and foster mom and then the kids!!! I can't even began to describe what I am feeling tonight. I'll quote a great man who recently said he felt "Joyfully Overwhelmed". I know the road ahead won't be easy but I know it will be worth it and with Heavenly Father's help and guidance we will be able to raise these children in a loving home. Once they are officially placed with us it will be about 6 months till we go to court and finalize the adoption. So if you don't live in Texas start planning your trip for the party of the year!!!

THE POSERS

A rare picture of the band "The Posers" (Dave - bass and back up vocals, Jim - drums, Sean - lead vocals and John - guitar and back up vocals) at their one and only performance of "White Wedding" at Youth Conference 1984. They have not been "heard" from since...

BE GOOD JOHNNY!

On June 5th John Mauss had another birthday and I always try to give him a call. John is 6 months younger then me and each year I would ask him how it feels to be... And he would reply asking me how it feels to be almost... Yup!

I need to stop and thank John for almost 30 (yips) years of friendship. We have been friends since we were both around 12 and went to church, boy scouts, high school etc. John has endured me singing off key every "Johnny" song that I knew when I would pass him in the hallways in high school. John was a good sport when we moved his car from one parking lot to another, another time Lary Carlton and Brian Richards helped in moving his car so that it was parked perpendicular between 2 other cars and the time we took (hey, he had 2 girls that night) his distributor cap (with help from Charles Jones and Robert Wiser) so that his car would not start ...each time while he was on a date. I think that we were just jealous that he had dates! Speaking of dating, when John returned from his mission he dated and married Cheri who he (and I) had known since he was a teenager. You never know who you are going to end up marrying it just takes us guys a little longer to figure it out!

John and Cheri have 3 great kids so it is only right that I post this on Father's day. We always fun visiting the Mausses in Utah and they always feed us something good! Happy birthday John!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

I would like to get a shout out to all of you Dads out there. I have a lot of love and respect for all of you and I hope to join your ranks soon. I have had a lot of great examples of Dads out there. From my Dad, Step-Dad, Father-in-Law, Granddads etc. I have watched in awe as new Dads take on the role of fatherhood and I am touched by the example of older guys who deal with teenagers, older kids and grand kids! Lastly I have had a lot of great men be "father figures" to me in my life. I do believe that we do not know how much of an influence and example we can be to each other and these men have been a huge influence to me at one time or another in my life. I could use countless examples but to save time and protect the innocent I would just like to share two stories of fatherhood.

The first is about an old friend of mine who did something awesome. His daughter wanted tickets to see Hanna Montana but they were sold out. He and his wife heard on the radio that they were having a "Hanna Montana" look a like contest and the winner would win tickets to see Hanna Montana. So off they went... They had a entry for the girl that looked the most like Hanna Montana, The Mom and... the Dad. At the last minute my friend entered the contest as the one and only Dad who looked the most look Hanna and won! He had to wear a wig and play a guitar just like Hanna would on stage and the crowd went wild! He won and took his little girl to see Hanna Montana in concert!

The second story deals with my Dad. Years ago when I was a teenager I bought a model kit of the USS Enterprise from Star Trek. I did not follow the directions when putting it together and as a result the part that holds up the engines would not stay up. I was very sad about this since I had spent all of my money on this model. I came out to the garage one day to find my Dad (who hated Star Trek) trying to use wood to make the model stay up right. It did not even look right but I appreciated the effort more then anything! I have a lot more stories of my Dad but this one stands out today.

I hope that all of you will say "thank you" to your Dads on Father's day. Remember the good, forget about the bad. They have all done the best that they could do! Happy Father's Day!

Memory Lane

All this waiting for our kids has prompted the trip down memory lane. We are trying to dejunk and consolidate. We've come across pictures and Dave has learned how to scan them into the computer. It's been fun and a little sad. Last week marked the 10th anniversary of the passing of Dave's Dad. It also reminded us it has been over 10 years since we "let nature take it's course". How fun to finally know where that course took us. We are so excited for the future. To give these kids a happy home where they can learn and grow and be happy and healthy and have fun growing up. I am amazed at the level of understanding that my niece and nephews here in Texas have of adoption. This has been a positive experience for them. They are all so excited to have some more cousins. We had fun trying to explain to one of my great nephews that our kids will be their mom's cousins just like David is and that he is in a different generation but that they are all still cousins. I think I'll do a family tree with my parents going forward so all the kids can see where they fit into the family.
For those of you keeping up with the process, we have read over 4 inches of paperwork and are still waiting for some more. We have to have all of the info from the CPS file and read it so we have a good understanding of the kids and what they've been through. Once we have read all of the file and asked any questions we get to meet our kids. CPS wants to make sure we are aware of everything before we meet the kids. It is all about the kids and looking out for their feelings. We want to make this as smooth a transition as we can.
Continuing with our practice runs, we had my great nephew, JR, over this weekend. He'd been waiting a year and a half (since his sister had stayed the weekend). So we finally thought we'd better do it now or we wouldn't be able to. Unfortunately for the rest of the kids I don't think anyone else will get a turn since our rooms will soon be full. I hope that getting cousins to play with will make up for it!!! Maybe we'll have a big slumber party next year once the kids get to know their cousins. Who knows what the future holds!!! How exciting to finally be to this point in our lives. To be able to share our wonderful family and awesome friends with these kids. To be able to give them the love and attention and encouragement they deserve.
Well we've looked at the past, we're patiently living the present and we're excited about the future!! Thanks for taking this ride with us and hang onto your hats and glasses cuz this ride is about to get wild!!!!!!!!!!

EVE & ORIO'S WEDDING 1994

Is this the Three Musketeers?

A outtake from one of those "Pirates" movies?

Another Robin Hood movie?

How about something from a bad music video?

Nope, Just Eve & Orio's wedding with Steve Call and Dave Anderson as the 2 merry men! The day was filled with monks chanting, people dressed in Renaissance costumes, a huge rainstrom and lots of fun in the mountains!

ANOTHER BLAST

Dave & Larry with Ice-T. Who would have thought that this guy would end up playing a cop on "Law & Order"!

Shoes, Shoes and more Shoes

What is the purpose of so many shoes?
I think Jenafer and I counted over 50 this day! I wonder what happened to all these shoes. Does she still own any of them??

Photo circa 2002

RANDOM THOUGHTS with Dave Anderson....

"Dave, did you do that?" "No Steve, I thought that you did it" "Man, that smells bad...."

Steve gets donutted while asleep. If only breakfast could be this easy!

Doug, wake up! It's 2008! Somebody kiss that man...

Terrilyn wins "Worst Costume" and is forced to wear the clown suit.

Dave & Orio sing "Day-O" to a crowd of thousands but this is never to be repeated again...

LARRY ANDERSON

June 3rd, 2008 marks the 10th anniversary of the death of my father, Larry Anderson. Dad died at the early age of 55 of a brain tumor and he is still greatly missed. I know that he is proud of his kids and with what they are doing with their life. I have been reflecting back a lot lately on my Dad as Liz and I prepare to adopt kids. I hope that I will remember all of the good things that my dad taught me and that I can be an even better Father to the kids that will be coming into our life soon. Dad, I hope that they have Pepsi in heaven!

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Jed the Fish a DJ from the world famous KROQ along with DJ Dave and Roadie Chris

Kids Update!!

We got the file yesterday and read all evening. It was a lot of information. Lots of duplicate papers and info. Lots of DFPS forms. And lots of reasons to love these kids and make them our own.

We have notified our case worker that we want to move forward. There are a few forms missing that have been requested and need to be received before we can meet the children. We are learining patience as we follow the steps that CPS requires knowing it is all for the good of the children. It is all about them and we want to make this transition as smooth as possible.

We did find out their birthdates. Our little boy is already 5, and our little girl is 6 (turning 7 this year). And we saw a picture - it was small & from last Sept, but they are adorable. And we love them already!!



Legal Disclaimer - For legal reasons, we will not be posting pictures or identifying information on this blog at this time. As soon as we are legally able, we will post pictures so you can see our family grow. However we will never post identifying information. Specifics (birthdays, sizes, likes/dislikes, etc.) will be communicated to family & friends when we are legally free to do so. Thank you for your understanding.

Feeling unappreciated at work lately?....

THE POLICE

Yesterday I went to The Police concert in Dallas. Sting and Crew were reunited (cause it feels so good) and touring the world. I had bought a ticket for a friend of mine but he couldn't go so I finally found another friend to go but he bowed out hours before the show... Lucky for me I was able to talk Neil van der Upwich into saddling up one more time and go to the show. Once again we went to "Freebirds" for some awesome burritos and then off to the concert. Elvis Costello was the opening act followed by the mighty Police! We were sitting in the grass section (cheap seats) and waiting for the police to set up when we notice that people working for the concert venue were passing out tickets. I worked my way over and asked about the tickets which they then gave me 2. Yeah! We ended up in the 2 end seats in row H of the middle section. We had a perfect view of the stage and I have never been so close to the stage (unless you count when i worked security for the B-52's show in California). This was a great experience not only to see and hear great music but to be up close and not have to rely upon binoculars or the video screens. This caps off a fun 6 months of concerts starting with the Oak Ridge Boys, Van Halen, Roger Waters and The Police. Now it is time to bring kids into our family and make them the most important thing in our life! Maybe I will end up at a Hanna Montana concert next. It worked for a friend of mine.... But more on that later!

Selected!

We've been selected!!

Next step - we will get the childrens' file next week and read through it. If we still want to move forward we will have a meeting with the childrens' case worker and anyone else involved.

Then we will get to meet our kids!!

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. Keep praying for these kids, their lives will be changing drastically and that's tough when you're only 4 & 6.

Mom-to-be & Dad-to-be

Jury Duty

After 39 1/2 years on earth I finally got a Jury Summons. Last Monday I got up early (they said parking was free but limited), brought a good book and headed north to the new Collin County courthouse in McKinnney. Got a great parking space - getting there an hour early paid off. I sat in the truck and started a good book that Dave had bought about adopting an other child. I finally got out and waiting with all the other "jurers" until the doors were open. After I got in and went through security I entered a very large room with uncomfortable seats. It took about an hour to overfill the room. And then the true waiting began. After a while the girl came in and asked us not to shot the messenger. She then read the list of names that could leave but had to come back on Wednesday. I wasn't on it! Then she said she was waiting for the other judges to let her know how many of us they needed for the day. She came back a while later and had another list. This list would go directly to a court room. She read that list and I was not on it. As soon as she walked out she was handed another list and she came back to read it. I was not on it. A while later she came with another list. I was not on it. After what seemed like forever she came in to tell us that she was still waiting for the last judge to get back to her. Finally she came back in and said she had heard from the judge and he didn't need any of us and we were free to go. She reminded us that this counted for our jury duty and we would not be called for another 24 months. So then I went shopping, got some lunch and went home and did the dishes. I was actually excited to go back to work the next day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!

Today is Steve Marshall's birthday and I thought that I would share a few things that I remember about Steve.

I remember Steve and I kidnapping Michelle Sims so that Brad could propose to her. Being the good friends that we were we kidnapped her before dawn and had her ready only to find Brad asleep! Lucky for us Brad woke up with a little help and broke a few speed records to propose to Michelle as the sun came up.

Who looks more like “Bob’s Big Boy” then Steve!

Who’s a bigger fan of Barry Manilow then Steve “Fanilow” Marshall!

While the girls were on a planned scavenger hunt Steve also helped me out with my big proposal to Liz by taking me to get the roses etc. on the way down to Laguna Beach. You would never see me more stressed out then that day! That Yukon sure did get a lot of miles!

Truck! (Did you ever get one? I did and I am still paying for it!)

Steve’s excellent voice singing music from “Phantom of the Opera”.

Telling Liz that Steve was my brother, it is not hard to believe since he does look more like my brother then my brother! Liz soon figured out that my “real” brother was coming home from his mission!

The night we Dee Jayed on the Queen Mary for a company Christmas party where the owner gave a speech about firing all of the “loser” employees…. One by one!

That cool leather jacket!

Talking Rachel into marrying him. That was impressive!

Happy Birthday Steve!

ROGER WATERS

On Friday, May 2, 2008 Neil van der Upwich and I went to the Roger Waters concert in Dallas. Roger Waters played bass for the band Pink Floyd before going solo in the 80's and wrote a lot of their best song from such albums like "Wish You Were Here", "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall". Since Pink Floyd is not turning anymore then this show was the closest I was going to get and it was great! The first half of the show was Roger Waters solo hits and Pink Floyd hits. The second half of the show was the entire album of "Dark Side of the Moon" from start to finish! As part of the encore he played "Another Brick in the Wall". What a great concert!

http://www.guidelive.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/columnists/tmaurstad/stories/DN-waters_0503gl.ART.State.Edition2.46b23e6.html

TREE TRIMMING

Last Saturday our friend Kit Allowitz came over and trimmed our front trees. It seems that in a past life Kit did a bit of tree trimming here and there. He did an awesome job and now we have more sunlight without losing our shade! His kids came over to play with the dogs and to make sure that he did a good job! We will miss the Allowitz family when they move to Austin next month!

PS: Kit, if the HR/Training thing doesn't work out you can always fall back on tree trimming....