Update on The Process

Since this blog is not only about getting to know us but about our process on the way to adoption approval and finding our child, I thought maybe I should post something about the process.
Rick and I are almost done! We had our intake (first) interview the middle of June. Here it is the end of July and we are almost done. We have all the hard copies of information into the agency. We need to have our individual interviews and finish some items for our online profile and then just wait for the background checks to arrive. Which could be any day now, I think. I don't know how long it takes the agency to actually approve us and I don't know who is involved. Rick thinks it is a panel of people. I guess maybe I should look into that.
All in all, we are feeling great about adoption. We know that it is the right way for us. I am sure we will face adversity along that way, such is the nature of life, but we KNOW that it is the right thing for us and are so very excited about the process and opportunity.
To all of our friends out there, please let your friends know that we are looking. We need all the help we can get in getting the word out that we are looking.

TacocaT is a Palindrome

On the radio there is a channel that has a game with the name of something like "That's True or That's a Crock". I unfortunately listen to it from time to time as it is a quiz of sorts and I sure do like useless knowledge. This week they asked: True or False, a Palindrome is a word that is spelled the same frontwards or backwards. Well the guy didn't get it right but I sure did. Once they explained it the guy said, oh like dad. They thought he said dead and made fun of him. I decided that I needed to let these radio guys know about my favorite palindrome;
TacocaT.
Yes I know it is not really a word but it still makes me laugh. So I called them up and actually got through. (That in itself is a miracle.) I told them my word and they had to say, well that isn't a word. What is it? I said it is a cat in a taco costume making it a tacocat. They then had to listen to themselves talk some more about other palindromes such as pip and mom. Heaven forbid they come up with one longer than 3 letters. A few minutes later, low and behold, I was on the radio. It didn't sound like me so I am sure no one knew it was me hehehe until now. =)

Pioneers and Chillaxin'

This week has been a very uneventful week around our house. We celebrated Pioneer Day on Friday July 24th by playing tennis in the morning and going to Harry Potter again! It was a great time. I played some mean tennis that day. The movie was just as good as the first time.
On Saturday, we went and did sealings at the Mount Timpanogos Temple during the morning. We have also talked a lot about our ancestors who were pioneers, including ones who survived the Willie Handcart Company. Because I have learned so many wonderful stories about almost all of our great great and great great great grandparents who were pioneers we have had a lot of stories to discuss. I am SO grateful that they all suffered so I could live now and not have to trek across the plains.
I went shopping and to the pool on Saturday afternoon while Rick chilled at home watching lots of soccer. We had a great homemade steak dinner with fresh picked corn. Let me tell you, that corn was mightly fine. mmm mmm mmm
Today being Sunday we did the church thing, watched some NASCAR and are watching soccer right now while I mess around on the computer.
It has been one of the most quiet weekends we have had a in a long time. Our phone has not even rung once during these 3 days. You would think that we were on vacation but still able to sleep in our own bed.
One great thing...I was able to get my own ReAl Salt Lake shirt. We are going to a match next month and I want to be able to show my ReAl pride.
I love our weekends together. It is great fun to spend time with friends and family but sometimes it is so nice to just hang out and not have to worry about entertaining anyone else or them entertaining us.

I Laughed, I Cried, Man I Love Harry Potter Movies

We finally saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince tonight. It was AWESOME! This is the first HP movie I didn't see opening night and I have been dieing since Wednesday of this week. Today was the first day Rick and I could both see it without one of us being exhausted for work the next day.
I laughed so much. It was great. I even cried. It was great.
At the end I sat there thinking, So is this my favorite Harry Potter movie now? I do that everytime because they just keep getting better and better.
I even wore my Quidditch Goggles. (I am slouched down in my chair ready for the movie.)
Rick went as a muggle.
We found the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower. As well with the lady in the picture. As we walked to the car, we decided that this is one movie we are going to need to go to again in the theater. No waiting until DVD for us!

Michele's Company Party

We had Michele's company party this week. I have planned many parties for 5 people up to hundreds and sometimes hundreds every week for 2 months. (These didn't have full meals but they had activities and treats.)
This was a special one because I have only been on the job for about 7 weeks now. It was a good chance to show what I am capable of outside of the office and to get to know the people I work with. I was so excited for Rick to meet these people I tell him about all the time.
We have a GREAT time! Everything turned out at planned and without a hitch. We had dinner catered that was ever so tasty. We have games with prizes for all. We had a raffle and what seemed to be the bit hit, "paper rockets." Everyone was able to add fins to their Styrofoam rockets and shoot them off.
I didn't remember to take photos until the end of the party, because we were having so much fun. By then I didn't want to bother anyone so we have self-portraits this time around.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Last weekend I made strawberry freezer jam. I had never made it before but it sounded like a good idea.
It was SO easy and it turned out wonderfully. We don't eat a lot of jam so I can give it away too. I plan to make this every year now and want to try other types too such as raspberry or black berry. I am going to need to hit the farmer's markets this summer for berries.

Temple Square Scrapbook Page

The 4th of July

For the actual holiday of the 4th of July, Rick and I had planned to go hit a bucket of balls in the morning and then go to a movie. The clouds discouraged us from going to the golf course. (Being struck my lightening was not on the list of things to do that day. Crazy, I know.)
Instead I cooked us some brunch and we headed out to see TraNsForMerS around 11:00. It was a GREAT movie. We both thought the first was better but it was still a good movie. Lots of great action. Not only did we see a good movie but we saw the best two trailers out right now:

Harry Potter

AND
New Moon!
We had watched both online but there was nothing like watching them on the big screen.
We are both SOOOOO excited!

Ok back to the 4th...sorry about that. ;-)
After the movie the temperature had heated way up so we decided to hit the pool for a bit to cool off. After hanging out there, playing and reading we came home and had dinner.
We had changed our clothes and were ready for an evening at home while watching the night race at Daytona, when I received a text from my best friend. She had invited us over for dinner and fireworks. I told her that we had just finished dinner but would be over in an hour with brownies.
We headed over to enjoy watermelon, brownies and s'mores on the back porch fire pit along with our own private firework show.
We also had glowsticks rather than sparkles. I thought it was brilliant! The kids could have glowing items for much longer than a few minutes, they could throw them around and best of all, no one could get burned.



We had a wonderful 4th of July and it was great to have Sunday to recover from all of it.

Friday Night Date Night

For our date night last weekend, we went to Temple Square. The temperature was perfect and there really weren't that many people there because of it being a holiday weekend. We didn't walk around everywhere but we did walk all through the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and the gardens near it. We decided to stick to the east end of Temple square since it is often missed by people, including ourselves.
I can't get over how beautiful the flowers were in the center of the lobby in the JSMB.

Someday I will have an SLR camera so I can take better close up photos and all that but what I have does a great job for being point and click.

We went up to the 10th floor where we were able to gaze over the entire campus. The flowers are just incredible. Even petunias look pretty at Temple Square.


I did notice that the windows on the JSMB need to be cleaned. ;-)
There are also 2 baby Peregrine falcons living with their parents atop the JSMB. They were learning to fly the day we were there. There was a lady walking around with a walkie talkie and binoculars. She pointed out the female flying around and the daddy sitting atop one of the spires on the Temple. I wasn't fast enough with the camera to catch them, but the link on there has photos and a webcam that is in their box/nest. It was a really neat experience to see nature thriving in the middle of a city.
One of the things I had never really noticed before is the stature of the woman playing ring-around-the-rosey. I suppose it is one of the often missed beauties at the east end of the sqaure. It really touched my heart this time. The beautiful flowers with so much color while their joyful faces of playing. It was just very heart warming.

The Princess Bride Cookout

We are on the activities committee at church. For our June activity, we decided to have a Princess Bride Cookout. The goal was to have the movie playing while people in the ward got up and acted out the scenes. I know it worked for the sword fight scene between Inigo Montoya and "The Dread Pirate Roberts" but no other scenes were acted out; nevertheless, everyone had a great time.

We had dutch oven chicken with marinara sauce and pasta. We told everyone that costumes were welcome and we had quite a few princesses along with
even a dragon! We had 2 tv's set up with speakers so all in the pavilion could watch and hear the movie. Many of the little children ended up building sand castles in the sand volleyball court.
It was really windy and even rained a bit, but I think it was a huge success!

Happy 4th of July

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, which means, Rick and I had the day off today. We have had a great day and start to the weekend. This morning I made breakfast, then we cleaned up and went out to run errands. On the way home we picked up some lunch then ate it while watching Wimbledon. I have spent some time on my computer and now I am off to play some Guitar Hero. Probably going to hit the pool tomorrow along with a bbq and fireworks with family. What a wonderful time of year.
I want all my friends and family to know how much I appreciate being born at this time and in this country. I know that we are truly blessed to live in America.

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

Our Niece Amy

Rick and I have a niece named Amy who passed away from a blood clot 5 years ago. Her birthday was this past weekend. The last few years we have been going to the cemetery her birthday, usually at the same time as her mom and sisters. It is always a really neat experience. Just a chance to remember her. Actually, I never met her but I do remember when Rick took off work for the funeral. (It was before we were dating but it really struck me and obviously stood out for me.)
This year was a bit different and I don't know why. It is always very peaceful and quiet at the cemetery but this year I felt Amy's spirit as I have never felt it before. It was a calm feeling of reassurance that she is in Heaven and is very happy. It brought tears to my eyes.
I just want all who read this to know, I have a testimony of the after life. We can live with our loved ones for eternity.