M.I.A.

I've been MIA for the past couple of weeks; busy working, finalizing travel plans and celebrating the holidays. All very fun and I can't believe how quickly the time has gone. In just 21 days we'll be in Ethiopia!

I've found myself at a loss for words over the past several weeks... There is so much spinning around in my head, mostly lists of things to do and things to pack before we leave, but also dreams of what our time in Ethiopia will be like and life after we get home. The dreams vary from pure excitement to pure fear. I'm sure reality will be the same.

Right now I'm in Arizona enjoying time with Dave's family. It's some much needed R&R before we truly embark on the largest part of this adoption journey.

He's Mobile!!!

On Thursday we got a developmental update and several new pictures of our little guy; we have a crawler on our hands!!! Tears of joy streamed down my face when we got the news... maybe a few tears of fear too. This means our house need to be child proofed before we leave for Ethiopia and we're going to have a mobile baby on the 30+ hour trip home! Let the games begin!

Here he is up on all fours... I wonder if he's using his elbows to crawl, or just posing for the camera?

Isn't that face irresistible?!?! I love how he's grabbing the other babies hand...

As my mom said, "He's a little mini crawler!" According to our new developmental report, he's 15.6 pounds and 26.6 inches long... Just a tiny little guy, but crawling nonetheless...

Whirlwind of a Week

Tomorrow marks one week since Little Bee officially became ours... I think part of me is still in shock and the other part of me has hit the ground running. It's been a week of celebration, excitement, and planning.

Our friend Julie brought us the sweet teddy bear and balloons and my mom brought a delicious bottle of champagne... Here we are toasting to our little man.

It seems like almost immeadiately after getting the call we passed court, I felt like myself again for the first time in... well, three years I think. No more worry, no more self-pity, no more pessimism. What also seemed to come with the good news was a huge desire to be productive and get things off of my "to-do" list.

I thought we were pretty much finished with preparations around the house, but this weekend I think my nesting instincts kicked in full force... I decided the closets in the nursery needed painting, the storage room needed organizing, oh and we needed a bookshelf too! We also finished transitioning our basement into a guestroom, complete with a table that is able to fold down against the wall (Thanks, Babe!) and organized our camping gear and other random things that had been filling what is now Bikila's room. Tonight we finalized our travel plans, tickets will be booked in the morning, and pulled together a little photo album to send for Bikila with a family that is traveling to pick up their son in just a couple of weeks...

I can't believe in just a few weeks these items will be in Bikila's hands and then just a few weeks after that, he'll be in our arms... Hopefully these will help make the transition a little easier for our little guy.

My favorite project this past week was building a bookshelf for Bikila's room. I didn't actually built it which is probably why it was one of my favorite projects. Dave did. He has a new found passion for wood working and I'm loving it! Despite temperatures well below freezing, Dave bundled up and spent several hours outside on Saturday night and Sunday morning constructing his masterpiece, which by the way he created entirely on his own. We've stained it to match the rest of the furniture and now it's just awaiting a few coats of finish. No pictures of the final product yet, but they'll be coming soon.


Isn't it great! Thanks Babe, for enduring the cold, numb fingers and toes, and sawdust to create this! It's beautiful and I'm sure it will get a lot of use and abuse over the years to come...

I have a feeling this is the first of several productive and fun weeks ahead...

A Family of Three

Can't. Stop. Smiling.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

More waiting...

We just received word our case wasn't heard today due to staff shortages at the Ministry of Womens' Affairs (the agency that handles adoptions)... The good news is they say it will be heard sometime this week! So for the time being the wait continues... My heart has returned to it's normal rate, but the butterflies and elephant are still there... Time to go get some fresh air.

Elephants, Race Cars, and Butterflies

"WHAT on Earth do these have in common??" you ask.

Well, the answer is not much except apparently they are all competing for space in my body...

For the last 36 hours it has felt as if hundreds of butterflies are fluttering around in my stomach and my heart has been replaced with a race car engine that's floored at about 15000 rpm; all the while a large elephant has been sitting on my chest! How's that for a visual?

Really, that's the best way I can describe how I feel on this eve of our court date... Surprisingly my mind is clear... I know if we pass I will be elated. If we don't I'll be very sad, cry a lot, and wallow in self pity for a couple of days, but then I'll rally and prepare for the next step... Just like I have during the other phases of this journey to expand our family.

Hopefully by this time tomorrow we'll know the outcome and I hope with all of my being we're celebrating. When we're all sleeping tonight our case will be heard... So as you rest your head on your pillow please send some positive thoughts, say a little prayer and cross your fingers and toes for us, for Little Bee, and for orderly paper work.

One Week...

One week from today we'll (hopefully) find out the outcome of our court hearing. I throw hopefully in there because there is always a slight chance something might happen and our case could be postponed. Something being a power outage, unscheduled meetings, or just life in general... Resulting in our case not being heard.

Anyway, the biggest struggle for me during the past week, and I'm sure it will remain the case in the week to come, is finding a balance. A balance between being hopefully optimistic and carefully pessimistic. In my "heart of hearts" I feel good about the outcome of our court hearing, but I feel the need to protect and prepare myself for the possibility of what may be... not passing. Not passing doesn't mean game over, no Little Bee. It means, getting another court date, usually in the not too distant future, our facilitator in Ethiopia getting missing paper work in order and then hoping the 2nd time is the charm. If not, repeat the steps above... Gulp...

Last night around 6 o'clock, I noticed my heart was racing and my stomach was in knots... I think they're here to stay. To stay until Little Bee is officially ours and we're officially his parents. I hope with all of my being it will be next Tuesday, December 1, but if not I know it will happen... eventually.

Until then I will let my optimism outweigh my pessimism and remain hopeful. Hopeful that one week from today we will officially be a family of three.

Perfect Little Hands

These, these are Little Bee's hands...


I stare at them several times, for several minutes throughout my day...

I daydream about them holding on to one of my fingers, petting the doggies, clumsily picking up food off of his high chair tray, seeing their finger prints on our windows, putting mittens on them...

Aren't they perfect? Those tiny little finger nails (perfectly trimmed I might add); the creases in his knuckles; the pudginess of his fingers...

I can't wait to touch them; To hold them.

In this picture he's staring down at them in a very sweet way as if he's deep in thought, contemplating life, or maybe just wondering what these funny appendages at the end of his arms are for. It sits next to my work computer, next to Dave's and my wedding picture.

I think this is Dave's favorite of Little Bee... It's the second one we ever saw and he still has it as the wallpaper on his iPhone.

I've had a hard time this week, but his little hands have a way of helping me focus; Focus on what we're waiting for and working toward...

Where's Waldo?

Yesterday morning, despite the cold temperatures and snowfall, Dave, my mom, the dogs and I headed out for an adventure... We packed our backs with PB&Js, apples, dog treats and water the headed to Waldo Canyon. This beautiful canyon is just four miles from our house and has a great 6.8 mile "balloon" hiking loop.

Dave and I have done this hike several times, but each of the previous times was on a typical sunny Colorado day. Today it was like we were on an entirely new trail due to the low clouds and snow.

I think hiking in fresh snow is one of my favorite winter activities. There's something about seeing how the snow falls and covers everything, feeling the flakes fall on your face, and hearing the snow crunch beneath your feet that makes you feel so alive and helps to put things in perspective...

Yesterday was no different.

Dave, Riley and Wallace on top of the first switchback... I think Riley's two favorite things to do are 1.) Hiking in the snow and 2.) carrying a pack; Both of which he got to do yesterday.

He was a happy camper.

An attempt at a photo for our Christmas cards... Too bad I forgot to take off my glasses.

I love this one of my mom and Zoki... I think it has Christmas card written all over it.

Riley truckin' along with his pack.

Dave trailblazing with Zoki and Wallace. Riley, Mom, and I were too busy taking pictures to keep up.

I love the way their warm paws leave prints in the snow.

Hiking into the clouds...

Two very wet, very happy, very tired, and VERY dirty Golden Retrievers.

One very wet, very cold, and very tough Boston Terrier...

Hopefully this is the first of many snowy hikes this winter and I'm fairly certain I'm speaking for both the humans and the dogs... they are good for the body, heart, mind, and soul.

Berbere...

Since Dave and I first began the adoption process perfecting our Ethiopian cooking skills has been one of our favorite things to do. A couple of weeks ago we decided to attempt to make berbere, a traditional Ethiopian spice, from scratch. The recipe we used called for a combination of dried New Mexican chilies, fresh garlic, fresh ginger root, red onion, rue seed, sacred basil, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bishop weed, and salt. We started off by de-seeding and stemming 2.5 pounds of red chilies and then creating a paste with the garlic, ginger and onion. We then had to dry the paste in the oven at a low temperature for several hours.

The next day when I was traveling for work, Dave added the remaining ingredients and ground it using our food processer. Here is the finish product.


Now we have a small stock of berbere to use for future cooking. We have also discovered it makes a delicious snack when sprinkled on the top of cottage cheese... Something I'm sure Little Bee will enjoy too when he comes home! In the meantime, Dave and I will work on perfecting our skills... Maybe injera is next.

My Boys

On Sunday morning I headed out on a hike with "My Boys"... It's one of my favorite things to do on a weekends. The crisp mountain air, scenery, wagging tails, and conversation with my husband all have a way of putting my mind and heart at ease.


Dave has been traveling for work for the past four weeks and life has been, well, a little crazy. So, yesterday's adventure was particularly nice... The temperature was such a t-shirt wasn't enough, and a jacket was too much, but a vest and long sleeve shirt was just right. We had the perfect combination of conversation and silence; clouds and sunshine; relaxation and exercise. Just one thing was missing... Little Bee.

In the times of silence I found myself day dreaming about Dave carrying him in the backpack and us, his parents, pointing out the chipmunk running under a log, the hawk flying in the sky, the deer hopping through the bushes.

Don't get me wrong, I still very much cherish these special times with "my boys"... I just can't wait until there are not just three boys, but four.

Showered with Love and Suport

On Sunday, Oct 25, 2009 my mother and two very dear friends hosted the most amazing baby shower I have ever experienced. I imagine part of my amazement has to do with the fact that the shower was for me, but nonetheless, I do think it was the most amazing one I've ever been to. They carried the global theme of Little Bee's nursery in to the shower in an absolutely beautiful way.

Complete with wines from around the world, Ethiopia trivia, adoption quiz, the Ethiopian flag, and children's books related to each guests' heritage, it was perfectly fit for a prospective adoptive mother. I can't believe the creativity, love and support that went into each element of the day. I wanted to pause each moment, take it in, and cherish it. It went by so quickly, but I remember it vividly...

Ann, food and wine extraordinaire. Selected beer and wine from around the world and labeled each bottle with the corresponding country flag.

Delicious Food

Mary and Julie... Two women who have first hand experience with adoption from Ethiopia... Can't wait for our little ones to play together.

Kate, Nikki, Julie, Judy (Dave's mom) and Auntie Jesse enjoying conversation and food.

Kellie and Anna came all the way from Michigan... It meant SO much to have them there. (Note the handmade flag garland that served as a decoration)

Opening one of several children's books I received related to each guests' heritage.

Handmade stained glass balloons, by Auntie Jesse, that are now hanging in the window of Little Bee's room.

Zoki and a stuffed dog from him that I'll be sending to Little Bee once we pass court.

I was over come with emotion the entire day of my shower. Partly because Little Bee was heavily on my mind, but mostly because I felt so overwhelmed with all the love and support I have from so many amazing women in my life... Dave and I are truely blessed to have the community of friends and family that we do... How did we get so lucky???

One of Those Days...

Just yesterday my friend Julie asked me how I was feeling regarding the whole "adoption thing" and I said, "really at peace actually". Then this morning I woke up feeling very different; Today I was unsettled, teary, and worried. That's how my emotions seem to go... I have a whole new appreciation for the term "emotional roller coaster".

At 4:00 this afternoon I was crouched down in front of the dryer changing out a load of laundry and I lost it, why I'm not sure, but I did. So, I sat down on the couch to gather myself, took a few deep breaths, changed my music selection, and randomly checked my e-mail...

At that moment, my day turned around... An e-mail from our coordinator...

WE HAVE A COURT DATE...

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2009!!!!

Oh, what a lovely way to start our weekend... Ahhhh....

Time: It's a funny thing

This past week seems like it went by lightening fast, however when I think about certain events, it seems like they were years ago...

Just over two months ago, right after we saw Little Bee's face for the first time, my dear friends Kelly and Ann, and my mom started planning a shower for me. Just around that time my dear friend Kellie booked plane tickets for her, her husband and her daughter to come to Colorado for my shower from Michigan. At the time, two months seemed so far away. Today, after their visit and my shower have come and gone, it seems like just yesterday the planning began. (Pictures and details of the most amazing shower ever will be coming soon)

I think time is what makes this waiting process so difficult... While I hate to admit it, the time since we first saw Little Bee's face has gone more quickly than I anticipated, however when I think about the months of waiting we have ahead of us, it seems so far away.

The hardest part is that two, three, or even four months is a blink of an eye in my world, but in Little Bee's world it's the difference between sitting up without assistance and sitting up on his own; the difference between living on formula only and beginning to eat solids; the difference between sitting up on his own and crawling. This is the part that makes my gut ache if I think about it too much, but soon enough, he'll be in our arms and this waiting that never ends will disappear and it will all seem to have passed in the blink of an eye...

Time, it's a funny thing.

A Labor of Love

For the past two weekends, my mom, Dave, and I have been working hard on the furniture for Little Bee's room... A labor of love if you will.

Now it's finish and was completely worth the effort... We had our doubts at times as to what the finished products would look like and if it would be worth all of our hard work, but every time I walk in the room I am reassured by my since of accomplishment and satisfaction with the final product.

We did three pieces; An old dresser that was my grandparents and is likely older than I am, an unfinished crib, and an unfinished rocking chair.

The dresser had to be stripped of it's old varnish and stain which was a relatively simple task that took a couple of hours over a couple of days... I almost finished stripping all of the drawers before I remembered to take a "before" picture of my project, but at least you get an idea of what the dresser looked like before.


After stripping it, sanding it, applying three coats of stain, three coats of varnish, and putting on new knobs, here is our finish product! You can't get a good sense of the knobs from this picture, but each drawer has a different set of ceramic knobs to add to the worldly theme of the nursery. My mom had originally pointed me to the Anthropologie website where I feel in love with knobs that were between $10 and $15 a piece. Spending $100-$150 on knobs isn't what I had in mind for this project. So, we looked to another source... Hobby Lobby! And, we were able to find comparable knobs for $3-$5 a piece!

We bought the crib and rocking chair at Unfinished Furniture Warehouse. I forgot to take pictures of them before they were finished, but just imagine plain, unfinished wood. Also, the rocking chair was in about 11 pieces... Here they are in their finished form.


Next project!...Hanging things on the walls... Also, we've ordered a crib mattress that should be in this week. To ensure I don't have too much time on my hands to think and worry about the next couple of months, I'm exploring fabric for curtains, bumper pads and a window seat cover.

I love having projects and it seems to be very effective in helping me get through this difficult time of waiting. If anyone has any additional project ideas, let me know!

Gratitude

Since we began the adoption process in March of 2009, there have been more occasions than I can count in which my heart has overflowed with gratitude. When pulling together our dossier, the kindness, understanding, and willingness to help was, at times, overwhelming. Since receiving the referral for Little Bee, the empathy, sympathy, curiosity, support and raw emotion has brought me to tears on many occasions.

Last weekend I was brought to tears yet again when my mother-in-law, Judy, hosted a luncheon in which several of her friends and neighbors contributed donations to Little Bee’s orphanage. These women, many of which Dave and I have never met, took time out of their schedules and gave gifts and money to provide the orphanage with items much needed to carry out the work that the orphanage does.
This picture embodies what this process has taught me. It is not only about Dave and me getting a son and Little Bee getting a second chance at a family; It’s about how we are all connected and how our decisions and actions affect others. Every time I look at it, I am touched in a different way. Whether we are one block from each other, or on the other side of the globe from one another, we are all connected and have the opportunity to make a difference in each others lives.

I feel as if I am over flowing with gratitude for how supportive so many people have been; how truly caring they are. Everyone from family members to perfect strangers, have opened their hearts to us, to Little Bee, and to Ethiopia. So, thank you to everyone from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for your support, for your caring, for touching our lives and others, including Little Bee. Thank you.

Wallace: Our Emotional Gauge

Wally, Walla, Little Man, Sweetie, Little Guy, Sweet Boy... officially known as Wallace.

This picture, that Dave took on our hike today, is Wallace at his happiest... true bliss comes to mind.

He's the youngest of our two fur children and the more emotional of the two as well. Since he was 7 weeks old, he's been incredibly sensitive and in-tune with his "humans" feelings. I'm sure to you non-dog people this sounds ridiculous, but I'm telling you; if one tear rolls down a cheek, a voice gets raised, or you even think about being upset in some way, shape, or form he is by your side, moaning and putting a paw on your leg.

The night I miscarried he laid in bed with me with his head on my stomach all night; I know he knew. Most recently he has been by my side as I stare at pictures of Little Bee with tears streaming down my face. He's always by our side and wants nothing more than to please us. He's our emotional gauge, if you will; always helps to release a little steam before the pressure becomes unbearable.

If he could talk I have not doubt he'd tell us he wants to be the center of our universe... The truth is, he and his "brother", Riley, have been for the last 7 years. We've planned vacations around them, made scrapbooks of them, let them sleep in our bed, and talked to them as if they understand.

In the past couple of weeks I think Wallace has figured out there is "something" that will soon enter this house that might change this. So far he doesn't seem to be too thrilled. Two weeks ago he ate the cover and first 27 pages of, "Raising Your Internationally Adopted Child". Two days after that he ate the cover off of "I'm Chocolate; You're Vanilla" and then two days after that he took a stocking cap we received for Little Bee out of Little Bee's room and pulled about 20 strands of yarn out of the tassel on top... Do you think he knows something is happening???

You may be thinking, "He's in for a rude awakening!" I'm sure part of this is true, but I also know Wally will quickly adapt and soon, if not immediately, after Little Bee comes home, he'll welcome the newest member of our family into the pack and become Little Bee's emotional gauge and protector as well.

Keeping Busy, Having Fun, and Breathing Deep

I've found these three techniques to be particularly effective in quieting my busy brain and coping with the anxiety of waiting and the unknown...

We found out last week that the courts will remain closed until Oct 12th and, now, the U.S. Embassy requires our paperwork be submitted 2 weeks before our Embassy date. This means we'll have to wait 8 weeks after we pass court to travel and pick up Little Bee, we were originally going to have to wait 4-6 weeks after passing court... Enter deep breathing here. So, now we think it will be more like January or February before we have our little man. Ugh. Families who have been through this before say the pain of waiting all goes away when you have your child in your arms. I'm trusting this will be so.

Thankfully Dave and I have created several projects for ourselves... Enter keeping busy. Dave's big project has been starting his own company! I'll provide more details as things progress, but it's VERY exciting and also quite stressful, and so far, things are looking good!

As for me, I've been traveling for work, hence the absence from the blog. We also bought Little Bee's crib and a rocking chair last weekend that is unfinished. I'll be finishing each of them, along with a dresser that I've stripped. The stain should be in tomorrow, so I'll have a project to keep me very busy this weekend!

We're trying to do Little Bee's nursery as green and chemically free as possible. So, we painted it using VOC Free Harmony paint from Sherwin Williams and we'll be finishing the furniture with VOC Free stain from TimerSoy. The paint was great to work with. Went on very well and didn't smell at all, so no paint high for me! I'll report back and post pictures with how the stain works out.

In our spare time, we're managing to have a lot of fun too. Getting together with friends, hiking, cooking, and planning our trip have been effective at keeping us occupied as well.

So there you have it... how we're keeping busy, having fun, and breathing deep, all in an effort to survive this difficult wait.

Pretty Sure They'll be Tasty Little Morsels

The bite of the the canning bug hasn't subsided... If anything, it has intensified...

Last Friday I canned Roasted Sweet Italian Peppers Marinated in Olive Oil and Vinegar. It was fairly labor intensive, but fun, and resulted in what I think will be some tasty little morsels of peppery goodness that can be used to add to spaghetti sauce, put on sandwiches or in salads, or as a part of an antipasto tray. I say "think" because Dave, Ann, and I tried them before they went into the jars and they were delicious, but will have to wait 2 weeks to taste the final product.

I had not heard of Sweet Italian Peppers until this summer... turns out they are very good... Much more flavorful than a standard green pepper and not quite as sweet as a red pepper.

The first step was to thoroughly wash the peppers. Our's happened to be covered in dirt from a recent rainfall so it took some soaking and scrubbing to ensure the area around the stem was clean.

Then came putting them on a hot grill to char the skin which adds delicious flavor and enables you to peel the peppers. For ideal peeling you want the skins to be mostly black, but not overly charred.... I did two rounds; The first could have been left on a little longer and the second a little shorter. So, next year should be just right!

Once they're ready, you take them off the grill and put them in paper bag, or covered casserole for at least 20 minutes; This makes the peeling fairly simple. The recipe I followed gave great instructions, however, I did not perfect the washcloth technique and just resorted to using my fingers and a knife for peeling. It was a beautiful Fall evening complete with New Belgium Hoptoberfest which made the grilling, peeling, and canning particularly enjoyable. After a couple of hours of peeling, it was time to cut the peppers into large bite size pieces, pack the jars with the peppers, a couple cloves of garlic and some fresh basil. Then came pouring a hot mixture of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and red chili pepper flakes in each jar to fill it 1/2 inch from the top (you can get the specific measurement in the recipe I provided in the link above). The jars were processed in a boiling water bath for 45 minutes since we live above 6000 feet. I'm thankful to report that all the jars sealed successfully!

And here is the finish product!

One of the most amazing parts of this process was that I started with about 20 pounds, or about 40 peppers, which resulted in just 7, pint jars of the final product.

I also pickled 25 pounds of beets on Sunday, but will save that fusha goodness for another day.

Backyard Adventures

In our little town of Manitou Springs we have what Dave calls, "The Ultimate Stair Master". However, it's true name is The Incline. Until 1990, The Incline was a cable car route that took passengers to the top of Mount Manitou. Since then, the tracks have been removed and only the railroad ties remain, which serve as the perfect stairs for the 2,200 foot climb.

Last week, when my Aunt Annie was in town, she put us up to the challenge of tackeling it, which Dave and I had yet to do since moving here in 2007. So, on a foggy Sunday morninig, Dave, the dogs, my aunt, my mom, and I headed out for our first attempt... We made it to the Bail-Out Point which is half way...

Above, Dave is standing on level ground to take the picture... clearly I am not.

Looking up!

Looking down...

My Aunt Annie (the inspiration in doing this thing), my mom, and me... of course the dogs too...

The view from Bail-Out Point... Our little town of Manitou below...

We had so much fun that Dave and I decided we were going to try to do this little physical challenge once a week. So, on Friday afternoon, we headed out with the top of The Incline in sight. And...

We made it!

This is just one of the many wonderful adventures to be had "in our backyard".

A Smile.

Yesterday I saw Little Bee's smile for the first time and my heart melted... again. Until yesterday morning all the pictures I had seen of our little guy were serious. Cute, but serious. To see him smile not in one, but in two pictures gave me such relief. It's not that I thought something was wrong, but there's something about seeing his gummy smile and one with his tongue sticking out just a little bit that let me know he's okay. Despite the loss he has experienced and fear he has felt in his sort 7 months on this planet, he is still resilient and he can still smile.

We also got a video of him! It is 26 seconds long and I've watched it at least 10 times and am sure I'll watch it 100 more times before he comes home. It's not exactly action packed, but he blinks, reaches for the camera and kicks his legs! I'm sure it has to be strange for him having all these electronic devices shoved in his face, but one day I hope he'll be just as happy as we are to see these pictures and videos that are documenting this time in his life.

Thanks to my mom, I've also already started a little scrapbook for him. Every time I get new pictures they go in and I write him a little message... It's another thing I cherish now and hope he will in the future...

A huge thank you goes out to the families who took all these pictures and video of him while they were picking up their children... I'm so thankful they were able to hold our Little Bee and capture these treasures to tie us over until we have him in our arms.

It's Tough...

This waiting thing; it's tough... I knew it would be, but for the first couple of weeks after we got our referral it was easier to "wait" than before the referral. I had a name to say, a face to focus on, and we had made a giant leap forward in our process. This week that ease of waiting seemed to change for me, I'm not sure why, but it did.

I think about him, our Little Bee, ALL. THE. TIME.

At first I wasn't dreaming about him at night, but now I am. Last night was one of those nights where despite sleeping all night long, I woke up feeling like I didn't sleep a bit because my mind was so busy processing, processing so many different things.

When my eyes opened this morning, I reached above my head to grab my iPod that has the 5 pictures we have of him on it, the same 5 pictures I look at at least 5 times a day. I stare at them wondering what he's doing, what his personality is like, how much he's growing, and the list goes on...

I just read another adoption blog, that seemed to validate my feelings.... as she said, "I always thought it was a bit cheesy when people said they have fallen in love with a picture, but I get it." And , now I do too... I have fallen in love with this little guy, his eyes, his lips, his little fingers, and the wise look on his face. I love him.

Thankfully Dave is home now after being in Wyoming for work all week. It's always easier when he's around; he helps makes me sane.

Sorry for the choppyness of this post, but it gives you a little glimpse of what it's like to be in this head of mine at the moment...

My Favorite Part of Summer... In a Jar

Nothing says summer to me like fresh tomatoes... Tomatoes that you grow yourself or get from your local CSA are in a totally different league than those you buy from your local grocery store, regardless of where they're grown. I would eat "homegrown" tomatoes for lunch and dinner every day if I could... Well, last Wednesday I met my match. We got about 30 pounds from our CSA and that was a little more than this girl could take on before they went bad! So, I wound up canning them... therefore we now have our "summer in a jar". Now, during the cold months of winter I can pull out one of these beauties and make delicious pasta sauce or a pot of chile...ummm. Just makes me want to put on a warm sweater and make some corn bread thinking about it.

This past Spring, we decided to go in on an "El Grande" Share at our CSA with our friends, thinking "El Grande" just ment a "big share" that we could all split. Come to find out it means we get a huge amount of 7 different items (corn, basil, tomatoes, onions, etc) at various points through out the summer. Earlier in the summer we got corn (about 20 ears worth each) which I ended up freezing. Then we got a GIGANTIC amount of basil which resulted in a pesto make party that produced enough pesto to last three families at least until next summer. We still have another box of tomatoes coming, as well as Italian Sweet Peppers, potatoes, and onions; most of which we plan on preserving in some form or fashion.

I must say, I think I've been bit by the canning bug, there is something very gratifying about it and it seems to be one of several hobbies I'm picking up in an effort to productively pass the time until Little Bee comes home...

Backpack!

For the past 2.5 years, I've had dreams of Dave and me carrying our little one around in a backpack as we hike on the trails around our house, walk down into town for dinner, or to go to my mom's house... My long time, childhood friend, Janelle, who has two boys and manages to take them on all of her and her husband's outdoor adventures (which is what we hope to do with Little Bee) , turned me on to the Sherpani baby carrier right after we moved back to Colorado and I've wanted one ever since!

Well, this past weekend we came several steps closer to that dream becoming a reality... We went camping with our dear friends Kelly and Joe. While sitting around the morning campfire enjoying some blueberry pancakes, they surprised us with our very own Sherpani baby carrier! They just happen to have a 17 month old who rides in one at least once a day and was up for being my test rider.

Coen was so patient while I figured out how to adjust all the straps.

Here we are in full action.

Later that morning we went for another spin and he decided to take a little rest under the sun shade.

Finally, a picture of the backpack "proving grounds" and also our campsite.

Thanks Joe, Kelly, and Coen for our awesome present! We LOVE it and can't wait until Little Bee can go for a ride!