Merry Christmas 2018 (part 2)/New Year (Ready or not, here it comes!)

The year 2018 was full one!  I feel like it was more than one year shoved into one.  We made some treasured memories and certainly had our share of emotional ups and downs.  I think I've been avoiding writing about it...which is probably why I wrote part 1 of our Christmas post a little differently than in past years.  This part is nothing fancy though - just a simple year in review!

January - we added a member to our family!  I'm a sucker for dogs and for years would show Dave puppies or dogs on rescue sites and he'd say, "Get it."  I was the one who listed the reasons why we shouldn't get a dog.  Finally I found one that was PERFECT for us, I actually applied and we were approved, they drove her up here from Memphis and ta-da!  We're dog owners!
February - Gymnastics was in full swing for Moses and Bert but Moses also tried something new this month.  Forensics!  For those of you not familiar w/it, it's basically a public speaking competition.  Most of my 7 readers probably knew me and already knew that though - I was in Forensics growing up.  Moses did a group category and joined some girls in putting on a short skit.  They traveled to other schools for competition and at the end of the season, performed for friends and family.
March - this month brought another first for Moses.  He joined the wrestling team!  And - get this - my loud mouth cheering style wasn't out of place in the stands!!  I have always been the girl who enjoyed football, hockey, basketball...now we're all learning about wrestling.  It was a tough season, being his first, but his face when he won his first match was PRICELESS.  He knows that winning isn't what makes us proud, but the fact that he exhibited signs of progress and persevered at something he found difficult.  We also were very proud of him for cheering on his teammates and being encouraging to all.  In fact, one of the other parents commented on how much they thought highly of our son for that.  Considering that we are still relatively new here, that's a pretty good impression to be making!
April - the weather started to turn this month and we began again towards Dave's goal of hiking all segments of the Ice Age Trail.  This time w/a dog!  She is a great hiker and explorer, super friendly to anyone we meet on the trail and LOVES sniffing every darn thing.  We are making progress and hope to continue this year.
May - as I'm typing this, I realize there were a lot of firsts this past year.  For the first time since I can remember, this was the first year we didn't really plan a big summer road trip.  Why am I mentioning that in May, you are thinking...?  Because May is when baseball started.  I have 3 boys.  All on different teams.  Which means 3 diff. practice schedules, 3 diff. game schedules, 3 diff. uniforms to wash...but also 3 super excited boys!!  It rained a lot in the beginning, so a number of things were canceled.  After a particularly wet week, we got the notice that the fields were finally dry and games were ON.  I relayed the message to my boys and they huddled up, dancing, singing, cheering!!  I caught it on camera and they love watching that video!!  Another first in May was that my sweet girl Colleen had her middle school intro night.  We checked out her classes, practiced opening a locker and tested out band instruments.  She tried a euphonium/tuba, a trombone and a trumpet, choosing the trumpet!!
June - we had a visit from Nana and Dave's sister's family.  It's such a joy to see how the cousins are best buddies - it reminds me of growing up w/my cousins.  It's a real blessing when your family is made up of some people you would choose as friends anyway =)  June brought more baseball, of course, but all 3 boys gained more confidence and understanding of the game too.  We also met up w/some special family at Titletown for some fun and games!  WOWEE ZOWEE is that a neat place!!
July -  We finally got to some good camping and boating in our great state and the boys competed in my hometown's Dirty Ninja Mud Run again.  It officially felt like summer and we did our best to enjoy every minute of it!
August - Back in the day...Dave and I used to rent little cottages on a lake and vacation that way...before campers, before kids...it was nice to have a kitchen and nothing to set up.  He suggested that kind of vacation again, since the camper floor was needing repair and 4 kids - need we say more?  I worried about the price but he found a little lake house nearby.  It was an excellent choice!!  The kids loved the paddle boat, kayak, stand up paddle boards, etc...We spent a lot of time on the water!!  My fishergirl sat on a paddle board while her brothers paddled her around...the dog hung out on the deck (she's still scared of water!) and even got rides on the kayak once in a while.  We boated out to swim and played games on the deck while watching the sun set.  As we were there, I stumbled on someone w/barn cats (we were in the market since Peyton cat had disappeared months after moving in w/us) and it turned out the woman lived near the lake house!!  We packed up and picked up a kitten on the way home.  (I think we are the only goofballs who do stuff like this, maybe I'm wrong, but oh the stories my kids can tell!)  After much discussion, the new kitty was named Bucky due to the stripes on his head and our loyalty to the state in which we live.  Homer cat didn't quite take to Bucky at first but the two are fun playmates now!  And the best part is that Bucky and the dog are growing up together, so they are definitely buddies too!  A second trip to Titletown was made in August as we attended family night hosted by THE BEST FOOTBALL TEAM IN THE WORLD.  If you live here, there's a line in your baby book that says '1st visit to Lambeau Field'.  Now all my children have that line filled in =)
September - I stood up in my cousin's wedding.  She is one of my best friends and I have never seen this girl so happy!! It was a beautiful day and a the location was gorgeous.  There were lots of fancy good looking people getting their photos taken at sunset and lots of laughs later w/family and friends.  Speaking of photos - we had family photos taken by a friend!  I haven't shared them yet - we're waiting on another big event to do so, but there's one w/a chicken, cat and dog in it!  That's how we roll!
October - another great month to go hiking on the IAT.  Not too cold, not too hot...lots of leaves to admire.  We started talking about spring break and the possibility of a big trip.  Usually by the end of summer, we start getting the itch to plan future travel, so this was a little late for us.  I found tickets for $102 to our destination of choice but hesitated to but them.  I wanted to sleep on it and be SURE that was a commitment we were ready to make.  I'm guessing you know the end of this story - they were much higher next time!  So we had lots of alternate plans we cooked up...which meant some late nights talking about vacations =)  Our favorite topic!
November - One of the best parts of November is of course Thanksgiving but also participating in the Christmas parade w/church!  This year the kids got to ride on the trailer!  They took their job pretty seriously.  Last year Bert was not a fan of the dark but this year he knew what to expect and enjoyed it a lot more.
December - This is always a chaotic month but this year the weather was very unusual.  It was warmer and there was barely any snow!  For a snow lover like me, that's unfortunate.  We did get a chance to go west to visit family who had but it wasn't the same.  Still, we made gingerbread houses, painted a Christmas village, ate good food and watched various Christmas programs.  The dog got a bath!  First bath ever!  She has been dumped in the lake and what not in the past, but never officially washed.  She did pretty good, considering she hates water!  We had to wait until Jan 1 to go on our annual Christmas walk in the woods, but it was worth it.  We started the new year in the best way...

Now we're two months into 2019 and it's been a heavy year already.  When I started writing this post, my Dad was suffering from the effects of amyloidosis.  His heart was struggling and mine was breaking.  I tried to write some of this post while visiting him in hospice, but when I went back and read it, I realized my brain was on auto pilot.  He has since passed, and I have returned to edit this post.  To be honest, right now I feel a strong dislike for this year - I can't even imagine writing the next Christmas post...I love my Dad and I've always been Daddy's girl.  None of this is easy.  And to be honest, I wasn't sure I was even going to put anything in the Christmas posts about this b/c I thought it would drag everyone down.  I don't like that.  I like throwing humor around and getting people to lighten up.  But this is our real life, and not every Christmas letter is 100% cheer-filled with rainbows and anecdotes about our perfect family.   On the flip side, the joy of being with my kids and the hope of things to come keep me afloat.  We've recently celebrated another wedding, there's 2 babies on the way, spring break is a̶l̶l̶  *mostly* planned and we have 1 step left before adoption day!  The fact that I have all these good things from the past year to reflect on and then some tough stuff too is an accurate depiction of our world right now. Friends, I pray this next year includes hope and joy for you!  I am sure your life is not w/o struggles but please know that you are not on this road alone.  Let me know if you want to chat - we can share our joys and struggles!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
PS - I'm sorry that this year's post didn't include many photos.  I don't feel like chasing them down...I had every intention of tossing in a couple, but w/my Dad's passing, I don't think that will happen for a while.  I have some modest goals for my blog this year...beginning w/posting more often!  I already have 3 posts this year which means I have tied the number of times I posted last year - winning!  It's  only the end of Feb and I've already made great progress on achieving my goal! 

Merry Christmas 2018 (part 1)

(Once again, we are not sending Christmas cards out in the traditional way - see the end of this post for more on that...We hope you enjoy this online version! If you know the story of Dave and Mel, some of this might sound familiar.  Either way - buckle up - it's a long one!)
To our children - Since your Dad and I have spent half of our lives together building our own family (apart from the wonderful ones we came from) and since I'm a sentimental sap!, this year's Christmas post is going to be a little different.  We are about to make Bert and Ernie's adoption official (FINALLY!!!)...I feel like every time something large like this happens in our family, it causes me to look back at how we arrived at this point.  Consider this a personal history of how your family began and changed over the years!

Our First Christmas (Dating)

The first Christmas photo of your mom and Dad!  All fresh faced and carefree!  We had been dating about 3 months but that didn't stop us from joining each other's family Christmas celebrations.  We spent time in Madison too, where your Uncle Carl lived.  We took some goofy photos in the state capitol building but this is a pretty nice shot.  Would you believe that we already had a conversation about marriage at this point?  If you knew us then, you would have believed it!!  Once, I told Dad that I wanted 13 kids and he didn't get scared off.  That was when I knew he was perfect for me!! 

Our Second Christmas Together (Newlyweds)

If you're thinking, geez louise, that was fast - YEP!  Just after Christmas of '98 we got engaged and then married in the following summer!  It just so happened that we were both in school, needing to do some credits in a Spanish speaking country.  Right after Christmas we hopped on a plane and moved in w/our host mom.  Someone else stole the camera and snuck this pic of us - ay yi yi!!  Look at that hair!!!  It's hard to believe that was us...but I actually appreciated finding this photo - I take a lot of pics but I'm only IN a few of them. 

Our Third Christmas Together

Christmas that year felt like a double celebration!  I got a job right out of school too, that was icing on the cake!  It was one of my favorite times - lots of memories that are precious to me.  It was also a time of change - thinking of moving again, finding a place to put down some roots.  It was easy to think about moving during this stage of life since it was just us two!  

Our Fourth Christmas Together 

HA!  Yes I did just put those side by side - see the theme?  Another double celebration!  And more hair!!  At this point we had moved for my job and Dad's student teaching, so the future was a little less open ended.  

Our Fifth Christmas Together (First as homeowners)

This was a sweet Christmas - IN A HOUSE!!!  THAT WE BOUGHT!!!  W/help, of course...oh man, I'm telling you, Christmas in a house was a learning curve!  We brought the real tree inside while it was wrapped, so when we went to remove it, it didn't fit through the door!  I never laughed so hard...I have photos of your Dad using a saw to cut branches off inside the living room!!  

Our Sixth Christmas Together

By this point, we had found a great group of friends at church and one sneaky little lady asked us if we would be in a Christmas musical with the kids.  She told each of us couples that the others had already said yes and pressured us into doing it too!  (I'm telling it like it is, the others can testify to this!)  When we each heard the others had said yes (they hadn't yet), we said yes ourselves and lo and behold, she had all the adult parts filled!  We had to dress up and dance (I still can't Charleston!), practice our parts, and perform in front of the whole church!!  It was fantastic fun and we miss that group TERRIBLY and FIERCELY.  No regrets.  Grateful for the memories and so glad that woman conned us all!! 

Our Seventh Christmas

Well, I couldn't find a photo for 2004, please forgive me! In fact, I couldn't find many from that year at all??  Odd.  But I think it was that weird phase where we stopped printing from film cameras and started using digital cameras (or maybe our first cell phone camera?).  At any rate, they didn't print up so well and I have no idea if they are saved somewhere...*shrugs* - I plan to investigate further but in the interests of getting this post up sooner - let's just move on!

 Our Eighth Christmas Together For the first time - we shared our Christmas w/someone new!!  There is no joy quite like baby's first Christmas, am I right?  Mo, you're wearing the Santa suit Dad wore when he was a month old!  It was a lot of fun taking you to the mall and getting your photo done!  Little did we know how much our joy would increase each Christmas to come w/kids.

Our Ninth Christmas Together

I'm also lacking a photo from the next year - our 9th Christmas.  I found one pic of 'the baby' drooling while wearing a Rudolf hat, but it was clear he was teething and not a great shot.  On to the next!

Our Tenth Christmas Together

I absolutely love this pic.  We fixed up 2 rooms in preparation for foster children to join our family.  Auntie Becky's parents had some extra furniture and bedding and blessed us by passing it on.  We needed to put together a book showing potential future kids what our house looked like, what we looked like, and what we like to do.  We were so excited!!!  Mo, you kept asking when your brothers were going to come (didn't really ask for sisters, I wonder why?) and we just waited for the phone to ring.

Our Eleventh Christmas Together (First as Foster Parents)

Ta-da!  And just like that we were a family of 4!  Having 2 boys pretty close in age was fun.  There were times I'd dress you in matching motorcycle shirts or let you use drumsticks on coffee cans...then we'd be out in the yard playing w/all kinds of balls and Mo would pull the little guy in the sled.  You both loved dancing around during music time at church and testing out the piano keys.  There were twice as many presents under the tree that year and our hearts were definitely full!

Our Twelfth Christmas Together

Oh my word.  You guys!!  When I stumbled onto these pictures I nearly cried...happy tears!!  In the August before this year, we met our sweet girl.  You were so small!!  I think in part due to your tube/medical need, I didn't really have it all together that year.  Fancy Christmas pics were not a priority!  This one is from a trip to a museum where we all crammed in a large human powered fan or something.  Baby girl, you didn't get the point of selfies, but look at those cheeks!  I remember how you would toddle after Mo, calling his name in your baby talk, trying to keep up in your foot braces.  It seems so far away and yet so easy to remember, how can that be?

Our Thirteenth Christmas Together

These special photos bring back memories!  We took them after the kids' Christmas program at church.  I'll never forget it b/c at one point Mo discovered they were projecting the program on the big screen behind the kids, so he got excited and started clowning around to see himself!  Colleen, you just talked, laughed and were pretty oblivious to everything else.  I'm sure you sang a little but it was so cute to see you up there w/your peers!  Shortly after this Christmas our adoption became final and we officially/legally became parents to you 2 kids forever!

Our Fourteenth Christmas Together

Two sweet kids joined our family for this Christmas - the girl is almost the exact same age as Colleen and suddenly I needed to learn how to do girl hair!  We had experienced 4 kids in the house before, but it was the first time one of them wasn't a teen.  So....yeah....we fumbled around a bit, trying to contain 4 little people and the drama that comes w/it, but I remember the baby gasping every time he saw presents, or Santa, or anything 'pretty' like the Christmas tree display at Shopko!  I also remember taking you kids to the Dollar Store and letting you pick out presents for each other...so sweet.  To see and hear what you thought your siblings would like and why really helped change my perspective.

Our Fifteenth Christmas Together

This picture may look similar to the last.  Our family held steady and didn't change much over the year.  The baby learned some new words, the girls started sharing a room, and Mo, you happily looked out for your sisters at school.  You reveled in the fact that the girls treated you like a celebrity - waving and pointing you out to their friends every time they saw you =)  

Our Sixteenth Christmas Together

Hmmm...I found no photo again.  I know that we decided to take a break from foster care and re-apply to adopt.  We filled out another fat packet and requested another home study.  And the waiting began all over again...

Our Seventeenth Christmas Together

We moved!  Literally, over Christmas break.  I don't recommend it.  BUT - we were sooooo excited to be in the new house that we didn't want to wait!  We had another home study done on the new house - before we left the old one, we had been 'matched' w/some kids who were waiting to be adopted.  We did a lot of praying and none of the cases they presented to us worked out for various reasons, some on the kids' part and some on ours.  Some we felt relief about, for others, we were disappointed.  Either way, we were happy to keep in touch w/the social worker and grateful they were considering us for some more children.  

Our Eighteenth Christmas Together

Before Christmas, we met a pair of brothers who we thought might be a good fit for our family!  We visited w/them over Christmas break and got to know them better.  It turns out it was our last Christmas as a family of 4.  We continued our (1 year old) tradition of hiking in the woods on Christmas Day and that's where we took this goofy photo.  

Our Eighteenth Christmas Together (part 2)

I could not let the last photo stand alone!  As I said, we visited the boys over Christmas break and guess what?  We took our first family (of 6!) photo!!  When I got home and looked at the pics, I cried b/c I couldn't believe how good it felt to see us together.  It felt like a good match - they are active and silly just like the rest of us!  I felt like we were ready, at the time.  One of the first weeks they lived w/us, one of the boys got mad that there were no pics on the wall of him.  This was one of the first photos I put up, making sure to have as many of Bert and Ernie as the other kids.

Our Nineteenth Christmas Together

I'm not gonna lie, the first year w/the boys was a blur.  The one family shot I have from Christmas is blurry - ironic, no? - and I remember it being very chaotic.  It's hard to grasp how something as fun as Christmas can be so stress-inducing for people w/trauma in their background.  I think it caught me off guard since none of our other placements had experienced such deep trauma.  What I remember most about that Christmas was the way our extended family was there for us.  They supported us, encouraged us, treated us no different than they had any other Christmas even though we were fumbling to figure it all out.  We have the best family!

Our Twentieth Christmas Together

By this time, Nana had moved to LaCrosse, near Auntie Liz and family, so we went over there early to check out the new house.  I decided that her stairwell was the perfect place to take a family photo! Kids, remember how many takes this took?....or did you erase that disaster from your memory?....I'm not a great photographer and I'm hyper-critical of myself, so I realize now that the angle is weird (you're looking up at us!) but I was still proud of me for getting a family pic where no one seemed too washed out or too much in the shadows.  Kinda hard for trans-racial families!!  

Our Twenty-first Christmas Together

Back in late 2016, a dramatic, funny, about-a-family-but-not-necessarily-for-your-whole-family type of show premiered.  The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frames.  (It also includes grandkids and grandparents along the way.)  There's themes of transracial adoption, anxiety/stress, relationships, struggles w/weight and infertility, parenting, grief and loss, etc.  A lot of big emotions woven throughout some powerful scenes...but basically, it's the story of a family.  So many people can find something to identify with and something that touches them - it's become very popular in the past 2 years!  In fact, when they killed off one of the characters, the whole crock pot industry took a hit.  I'm not really sure if the makers of Instant Pots paid the writers to put that in the show, but some conspiracy theorists are probably out there!  (Sorry, if you didn't watch the show, spoiler alert!  Chances are you could probably ask someone w/in 5 feet of you though and get caught up if you wanted.  It was the hot topic of many conversations for a while!!)  The reason I bring up the show, though, is that I feel like this post is an attempt to say 'This is us'.  You will not find a perfect family in our Christmas post.  You will not find a straight line to how we got here.  You will not find only joy, but a reality that includes the gamut of other emotions.  This family may not yet be complete, but here we are.  Kids, after spending half our lives together, your Dad and I are blessed, proud and happy that our family includes you!  Merry Christmas to you and the others that have made it to the end of this post!  Here's to many more!!

We hope you enjoyed this green version of our Christmas card! (If you still wish to receive a paper copy, leave a comment.) There are lots of reasons we decided to do things differently this year (again!)...here's a few:

1) Save postage. We love you, but we're cheap!

2) Save paper. You just recycle those cards after you read them...you do recycle them eventually, don't you??

3) Save printing costs. See reason #1!

4) Save stress. Nothing to print, sign, stuff, address...

5) Expand our options! Now you can see a practically limitless amount of photos.

6) Our greeting to you is saved in cyber-space for posterity! 

7) It went so well the past years...we heard a lot of positive responses, and even some people who said they'd try it themselves. Welcome to the dark (green) side! (Sorry that was a goofy Star Wars joke...)

Coming soon....to a blog near you....

In general, my life is discombobulated.  I'm kind of flaky and all over the map.  Right now, I am really frustrated w/myself b/c before Christmas I started a post/Christmas card on the blog...I knew I wasn't going to finish it on time and I was giving myself grace for various reasons, the first of which is that I'm flaky and all over the map!  I got almost all the way done w/it and then I just wasn't feeling it.  If it was paper I would have crumpled it and chucked it!  I am still deciding if I should post it or not.  I am, however, going to write up something else and get that up soon.  Ish.  That's not what I came here to write about though.

THERE IS NEWS IN ADOPTION LAND PEOPLE!!

All appeals are DONE.  Nothing but paperwork and waiting for a date remain.  Bert and Ernie will become members of this family PERMANENTLY and LEGALLY soon.  SOON.  For once I can say that and mean it =)  Bert is mad that it's still taking too long.  He really doesn't want to talk about it much.  I don't blame him since we've been saying it would happen for a long time and it still hasn't, even w/this news.  Ernie fluctuates between helping plan the party, grief over loss of/connection to first family, mad it hasn't happened yet, and just plain joy that it will happen!!  He's a little discombobulated too =)  2019 has been a wild ride already...

...I still want to post a 2018 recap/Christmas letter.  Right now it's looking like it's going to be 2 parts.  Maybe 3.  Every time I sit down to write, it gets longer!!  I have a lot to say, mostly so we can look back and remember what was important to us.  I know I could accomplish that in other ways, but this is currently my chosen outlet or method of delivery.  At any rate - please celebrate the adoption news w/us!  Go hug someone and tell them you are glad they're in your life!  

When?

Yesterday Moses had a wrestling meet.  My Dad came.  Dave dropped Ernie off after school so he could cheer Moses on too.  It was in the back gym, not the big one.  There were metal folding chairs set up.  I sat between my Dad and Ernie.  It was loud since the chairs were right on the edge of the mat.  Parents cheering, coaches yelling, kids screaming at their teammates...you get the idea.  Ernie was so excited to be there!  First match - he asked all kinds of questions about why this guy is doing that, why that guy has those shoes, why it's in this gym...you get the idea =)  Second match - he asked if he could color.  I offered a pencil and suggested we look for paper in his backpack.  Nah!  Clearly he was already bored. 

"When am I going to be adopted?!" he said, annoyed and seemingly out of the blue.

I was caught off guard.  I shouldn't have been, for various reasons.  Bert is usually the one who asks that.  A lot.  Often.  I'll never forget how early on we were out in the yard, when Bert took his shoe off and threw it at me b/c I wouldn't adopt him already!  Bert and I have a lot of conversations about the steps to adoption and why it's a long process.  We talk about how I would adopt him RIGHT NOW or even YESTERDAY or maybe even BEFORE YOU WERE BORN!!! if that was possible.   Sometimes Ernie is present for these conversations.  Sometimes he is not.  Usually Ernie is 'meh' (as the kids say) about all this adoption stuff.  He seems indifferent.  I know that is not entirely true but even if it was, that's totally ok, acceptable and understandable.  At any rate...I should have seen it coming, but maybe not during a wrestling match like that. 

As I moved on to answering the question, in the middle of a loud wrestling meet, it seemed like time slowed down.  You know how in a movie, the stuff around the edges goes slower and blurrier while the center scene is in real time and full focus?  Like that.  There's probably a cinematic term for that, but I don't know it.  Anyway - it was one of those moments.  I sat between my Dad and my son, while another son was across the aisle in wrestling gear and I tried to explain life, the complicated foster care adoption system and my heart.  My momma heart that aches and loves and beats for my kids.  Life that is crazy and dumb and awesome and contains moments like this one where God is present and real and we just have to hold on and hurry up and wait.  'The system' that says it's for the kids but it's the kids who get a raw deal b/c, well, just b/c it's a system and not necessarily the solution.  All that.  I tried to explain all that.  To a kid.  A kid.  When I feel like a kid myself.  I wanted to turn to my Dad, my Dad who is going through his own stuff but is, still, and will always be my Dad, and I just wanted to be a kid again.  A kid.  A kid who doesn't have to explain all these things.  A kid who believes she can do anything, be anything, fix everything....thanks to her parents.  But I also love that I get to be the parent.  I love that I get to do what I can to convince my kids of those very same things. 

(Just to keep things in perspective, I have been told that nobody wants to be in my family mere hours after being asked about adoption.  This I understand too.  This is 'normal' for our situation.  This is what makes our world turn.  But those moments make the above described moments even more sweet.  And blog-worthy!) 

A roo-roo-roo!

Winky face!

Hi!  My name is Bailey!  I'm new here.  I had a long ride all the way from Memphis!  My Dad met me and my driver in a Walgreens parking lot...I was pretty overwhelmed but happy to have the big guy drive me to my furever home!  It was a long drive to my house but they had a kennel ready for me and some toys, food and water bowls.  The next morning there were all these little people!  I could not wag my tail hard enough!  They were a little loud but then all of a sudden Mom went out the door w/them and came back all by herself.  We had a pretty good first day together.  When I went out to pee, I noticed that they also have these funny looking dogs here.  I think they live outside.  I didn't see a kennel for them or any food bowls either.  They're kinda furry and they say meow a lot, especially when they're hungry!  There's also these other things in the back yard...not sure what to call them. 

They are all different colors and make some really loud noises, like they are freaking out!  They flutter around a lot but this one they call Reba sure likes me.  Sometimes Wynona comes over to say hi too.  Those girls need to tell their friends that I'm cool b/c sometimes they get a little excited and run away.  I just want to play!  I'll make friends w/them yet!
Since I've been here, I've gone on a lot of walks.  Did you know they have water here?  Once I went down there and it was LOUD - but it looked like fun!  Mom says we can go swimming when it's warmer.  She said I would like camping too - whatever that is.  I've seen this 'camper' thing and it looks like a little house!  On wheels!  That's crazy...anyway - all this activity and making friends w/the little people wears me out sometimes.  Sleeping is good.

The other day Mom took me to my first vet appointment.  There was a nice lady who put out a few crumbs of treats and then she put cheese on the wall!  CHEESE!!  She kept trying to put this black thing on my back but I wasn't having it.  I was smart and waited until she left the room to eat the cheese.  The vet came in and he talked to Mom about ticks, food and the little people.  It was a good day but I came home and took a nap since I was tuckered out.

I've also been to puppy class.  There are all these puppies there w/their Moms and Dads and a really nice couple who is helping us play together.  Mom tried to get me to lay down for a treat but um, hello?  I don't do stuff like that on the first class!  I learned a lot from my previous foster parents and Dad says I'm really a good dog.  I don't beg, I listen well, I have only jumped on the couch once!  My foster family was so nice to teach me manners!  I love people and dogs too.  I'm even starting to like the little furballs that live outside!  At puppy class, I licked every dog there.  I just went around the room and licked 'em!  The big dogs liked it, some of the little ones tried to hide but my tongue still reached them.  The teacher said I did a good job.  Mom laughed and said that I was a wet bandit.

Recently I stayed over at the vet.  I was sore when I came home and I had an owie on my belly.  Mom won't let me run much, she said it's not good after surgery.  Things w/that were going pretty well for a while but then today - UGH!  Today she took me back to the vet and this happened!!

Yup, that's a cone.  This dumb thing keeps getting caught in doorways and seriously restricts my ability to easily lick people and other dogs!!  I did discover in the wet snow today though, that if I put my nose down to sniff, when I lift up my head, I can scoop the snow!  Then if I come up fast enough, I can actually toss the stuff I scooped!  I tried to catch that and Mom kept laughing!!  Scoop, toss, jump, scoop, toss, jump!  This cone is annoying and it doesn't come off when I scrape at it w/a paw, but it is a little fun in the snow.  Just don't tell the vet I said that, ok?  Mom tried to get a video of me playing but maybe next time she'll have a little better control w/her bad arm. 
Anyway - I thought I would introduce myself since I'm sort of a big deal around here!  I'm super friendly so if you see me sometime I will demand to greet you and probably lick half your face off, just so you know how much I love friends!  I'm happy to be part of a furever family now and the coolest thing is that I'm not the only one here who was in foster care and adopted too - some of my little people went through the same thing.  If we're not a match made in heaven, I don't know what is. 

Goals 2018

Before writing this post, I looked back at some of my past year's goals...yeah...I feel like writing a big fat TRY AGAIN over them or just copy and pasting them here!!  But that's boring and doesn't make for an exciting post...so....how about I just write some of the new ones here?  If you feel like it you can take a look at the older ones here.  Before I spit out a big to do list for 2018, I'd like to highlight what went well in 2017.
I cleaned and purged in the alcove!  That means I emptied the huge bin of mostly kid papers and projects that I moved to our new house 2 years ago!!  This felt sooooo soooo soooo good, even if it took me forever to do it.  School papers are better organized now and have a real home.  I'll be ironing on that latest "You're a grown-up!" badge real soon. 
Dave helped me in a big way to get a garden cage up.  I really hope this year to get some things started in the house.  Overall, the garden is set up and ready for the next year.  Big win for someone who 'has to' grow stuff!
We camped quite a few times w/family and friends - this was so good for my soul - I really hope we can plan out more of this in 2018.  I like the long trips too, but sometimes a girl just needs to see her besties and hearing the kids make mischief w/their cousins is definitely priceless.
I've been able to get to bible study w/some women from church on a semi-regular basis.  Still working on relationships and my own personal faith journey, but meeting w/people IRL is a good thing.
Guys - I've been cooking!!!  COOKING!!!!!  Now don't go thinking I mean that fancy pants restaurant kind of stuff, I'm talking casseroles, quiches and Mexican dishes, but being that we are at the Y at least twice a week for a number of hours, I've pushed myself to make real food for my family.  I even tried a new thing today!  I'm getting to be a master of all things 9 x 13...another 'grown-up achievement level' unlocked!  Where's my bouncing star and tinkly electronic theme song? 
I've been decorating the house...there are pictures on the wall...still no decorating theme or coordinating put together rooms but I'm trying!  I am even thinking of hiring a professional for some advice.  I'm ready for grown-up furniture (bought one piece already) and an actual 'style'.  Other than "I'm too lazy to do this, I have no interest, and no eye for what looks good", that is.
Alright!  Now for some new stuff!  First of all, the kids are doing well.  It's been 2 years since we added to the family and we've reached a loose routine and sense of peace in the house.  I know I can step up my game as a momma and some of my goals are related to that.  I'll begin meeting Moses at the library after school to work on his online Spanish class next semester.  I need to carve out at least 10 minutes a week w/each kid.  That sounds easy, but Lord help me, my scrambled brain can never remember to slow down and focus.  I steal moments here and there but so much of our lives happen in a group...it just needs to be a priority for me to make that connection w/each one on purpose.  Another thing I'd like to do more of is hosting people in our home for meals, Bible study or 'play dates' for the kids.  Hang outs?  Are they too old to say play dates?  Maybe!  We are always willing to have people over but I feel like I need to make everything BETTER for that to happen.  "Maybe when we get better furniture....maybe when we re-paint in here....maybe when it's not so muddy outside..."  This year I commit to trying to host someone(s) once a month!  We already hosted a family in the month of Jan, I think...which means I need to get working on a Feb date!  I feel like that one is not a super new goal, but oh well.  Here's another one - get active more.  I think this one will be a little bit easier this year, for various reasons.  Back in the day, I used to run.  I miss it and wonder if my 40yo self can muster up the strength and energy to get back to where I left off?  I once set the goal for a sub 30min 5K and came really close!  I think I technically achieved it but didn't count it for some reason.  I'll have to look that up.  Anyway - living on a country road, I still need to decide if I want to run along the shoulder out there or just drive the 3 mi to town to run on sidewalks.  That seems ridiculous but there is pretty much no shoulder on our road, just a big ditch!  Road running sounds better right now, but we'll see when I actually do it.  Finally, a big goal I have never written down but always wanted to do - design a photo book for each year since I met Dave.  I'm talking about setting it up online and having it printed.  I can't stand the thought of sitting in front of a screen editing a year's worth of photos but I know my kids love the photo books Nana has made!!  It would be totally worth it, even if there were only 100 photos in the book.  (Dude, I take THOUSANDS of photos each year, granted, not all of them are keepers, but narrowing it down to 100 for each year would be tough!!)  Lots to do in 2018!!!  Can't wait to get started on all the good stuff!!

Merry Christmas 2017

(Once again, we are not sending Christmas cards out in the traditional way - see the end of this post for more on that...We hope you enjoy this online version! If you regularly read my blog or see my Facebook posts, some of these stories will sound familiar...buckle up - it's a long one!)

A is for AL Amyloidosis - For those of you that don't know, my Dad was diagnosed w/this rare disease months ago.  He has undergone chemo, an autologous stem cell transplant (it just means they took his own cells out, treated them and put them back in, rather than those of someone else), and a few other medical procedures for his heart.  His heart was/is the organ most affected by the disease.  Currently Dad is in 'isolation' of sorts, since his immune system is like that of a newborn baby =)  Please continue to pray for his appetite to return, for his heart/physical well being and healing but also for a peace and joy to fill his soul.  It's been a tough year and 'hiding out' at home, away from family and friends is not easy.  We have missed having Dad at birthdays, concerts, and just random gatherings...We are hopeful for the New Year, that we can get back to 'normal' and celebrate special events together! 

B is for Basketball Hoop and Band - This year we were talking about getting a hoop for the kids, when my Uncle John mentioned that he had one in his basement.  He promised it wasn't pretty but it would get the job done!  Sure enough - we picked it up one day and got the supplies to set it in the ground.  The hoop has been up for a while and there were lots of days where you could find all of us out there shooting around!  In other news, Moses is in band class this year.  He is playing his Dad's saxophone!  Just like the piano, his talent and ear provide us w/much entertainment - it was so easy for him to pick up this instrument he has never played and play whatever he wants!  We've heard commercial jingles, songs from the various genres on the radio, and random stuff they are practicing at school.  I am constantly in awe of the fact that both him and his Dad have this gift/talent.  

C is for Chicks, Chicago and Camping - A high school classmate of mine put a plea on face.book for someone to take some baby chicks off the hands of a friend who hatched them in her classroom.  I happily drove to my hometown and collected a box full of babies!  They cheep cheeped all the way home in the passenger seat!  It was so much fun for the kids to see how they grew and how the cats were around them.  Always an adventure out here!  Another big adventure this year was camping in Chicago.  Yes, IN Chicago!  It is permissible to 'camp' in the parking lot of the convention center.  There are no amenities, unless you count proximity to all that the downtown area has to offer.  Which for us, was plenty!  We did lots of outdoor free stuff, so pretty much a ton of things!  It was BLAZING hot and sweaty...aka memorable.  No electricity means sweating while you sleep, especially since there are no shade trees in parking lots!  Despite that, we would do it again in a heartbeat.  We camped many other places with many other people but some of the best times were when our kids were with their Arnold cousins!  So many giggles and inventive games!  We are truly blessed to be able to have a strong bond between our families.
D is for Duck Creek Campground - This particular campground gets a specific mention in the Christmas letter for various reasons.  We first camped there with one of my besties and her family.  One of my other best friends came up and visited while we were there and it was awesome!  There is a pond/lake, where you can fish and/or swim.  One of the first times fishing, my lucky fisherwoman/daughter Colleen caught a fish bigger than her Daddy's foot!!  As for swimming, there are these huge inflatables that *I* even had fun on!  I laughed so hard trying to get onto that Jupiter ball....I am severely out of shape and bottom heavy, so my spindly arms could not haul myself up there!  After an assist from Dave, I finally managed to climb on!  I haven't laughed like that in a long time and I went to bed that night sore, tired but beyond happy.  It was such a good time that when we were planning a camping weekend with Dave's sister and her family in the area, we suggested it again.  I'm certain we will go back next year too!  The funniest thing was that this fall, Dave was in the closet and he put on a hat we had found while camping in IL last summer.  Would you believe me if I told you that it was from Duck Creek Campground?!  IT WAS!!!  We both laughed and commented on how it was the hat that sent us subliminal messages to go there all along.  

E is for a lot of things, but nothing that really applies in 2017.  So....we hope your state of ennui is ephemeral, and please do not exculpate us as we expatiate and elucidate the other exciting things from 2017!  Consider it an education as you explore a dictionary and encounter some E words from the SAT exam!

F is for FORTY - Both Dave and I turned 40 this year.  No, there was no big bash or anything, but throughout most of the year, Dave was willing to help me knock some things off my 'life list'.  Some of them are mentioned in this post!

G is for Garden and Gymnastics - Two things that are on our list every year!  This year Dave built a serious garden 'cage' to prevent critters from getting to my plants.  Like always, there were plenty of experiments going on - we learned that beans do REALLY well, especially when I double plant them!  Cabbages do well, too.  Some other things did not get into the ground early enough though, so that's a goal for next year.  As for gymnastics - there are 2 of our kids on the team this year!  Both Moses and Bert are on the team and have competed in 2 meets so far.  At the second one, Bert came home with a 1st place medal in almost every event!  His face light up so big when they called his name!!  It's been fun to watch them both grow, learn and enjoy the sport.
H is for Hollandfest - The town we live in is Dutch.  No, I mean they are VERY DUTCH.  They celebrate their heritage every other year.  One of the things I wanted to do this year was attend the festival where they wash the streets, dance and race in wooden shoes and serve ollie bollen.  It was fun to see people we knew from the community and the kids saw lots of their friends.
I is for the Ice Age Trail - One of the things Dave wanted to start was hiking the IAT in segments.  Obviously with small kids, work and WI weather, we are not able to hike huge segments at a time, but we did have some 11 mile days in there!  It's been fun traveling to other parts of the state and hiking in different weather too.  We've been to where it starts/ends in Door County and might do more of it over Christmas Break.
J is for Jesus - Christmas is a time to celebrate His birth...yet so often the season is JAM-PACKED with decorating, shopping, parties, kid's concerts, baking, wrapping, eating, etc...please know that the Lord sent His One and Only Son Jesus to the Earth in the form of a man so that He could live, suffer and die for our sins.  (John 14, specifically verse 16, but the whole chapter is good!)  Even when life drags me down, I have a joy in my heart because I have a personal relationship with Jesus.  The gift of eternal life is for everyone, not just me, and I pray that all who read this letter know that they are LOVED!  If you have questions about my faith or want to learn more, you know how to find me!
K is for Kayaking - Six people, four kayaks...it works!  Sometimes there are 3 little people in one kayak and sometimes there's a kid in with one of us grown-ups, but Mo is almost always on his own.  We've done some kayaking in rivers and lakes this year, mostly in Waupaca area and the river here, maybe once we got out into Lake Michigan.  I think next year we might investigate a better trailer...we thought about adding to our fleet, but so far the little people are not so great at paddling and steering, so they usually get towed.
L is for Lineage - This year I really wanted to get all the cousins on my paternal side of the family together.  I see the cousins from my maternal side quite often, mostly because they live in close proximity.  You know how you always say "We should really get together!" but don't?  I hate that.  Call it part of my birthday present to myself, I was determined to pull the cousins together!  Not everyone was able to make it (hello?  Work, plane tickets are not cheap, etc...) but it was so good to be together with family!!  I chose to kick the weekend off with a visit to the cemetery where my grandparents and one set of great-grandparents are buried.  The legacy those people left, both in terms of people created, physical traits and character traits, is absolutely overwhelming.  I am so blessed and grateful that I was able to share some laughs and get lots of family hugs that weekend!!
M is for Middle School and Mom Moving - This year Moses started Middle School!!  Yeah, did you blink too?  It just seems not possible but it is.  He's doing online Spanish, band and STEM as his interest classes.  He is learning a lot about responsibility...let's just leave it at that.  For the most part though, it seems to be going well!  I think we could say the same for Dave's Mom - she moved last weekend!  It was a big move - almost all the way across the state, to the same town where Dave's sister lives.  Now when we visit, it will be a two-fer!  We'll get to see 2 factions of the family on the same trip!  We're excited to have family Christmas at her new house this year and the cousins will be together again, which will probably lead to another M word = mayhem!
N is for the Ninja Mud Run - This is an annual event in my hometown.  My parents love watching my brother's son and my own boys in this event!  We had great weather for it again this year and even bumped into some friends.  The boys are already looking forward to doing it again next year!

O is for Optometrist - This year Moses got glasses.  We had a lot of laughs trying on different frames and the ones he liked the best were a pair of prescription safety glasses!  There ya go, kid, you're all set to work in the factory...(no, I did not let him get those)...but it reminded me how little I know and/or care about fashion.  Like the 40 year old Mom that I am, I was looking at all these practical, functional frames while he was looking for flashy, trendy, sporty, what in the world is on your face kinds of frames!  Ah well, in the end we found a good compromise and the poor kid can see the clock and the scoreboard.
P is for Play, Packers and Pudgie Pies - In the beginning of the year, I had a very small part in another play.  It was so good to see 'my peeps' again!  I know I've said it before, but it means a lot to me that I am able to participate in things like that.  The next one is Packers - we drove up and took in a Packers practice this year!  Bert kept tracking Clay Matthews, giving me a play by play report of which end of the field he was on, while the other kids had fun yelling for AARON!!!!  Thankfully Aaron Rodgers was willing to wave and make faces at all his adoring fans =)  Afterwards, Mo got high fives from a bunch of players as they left the practice field and Ernie got an autograph!!  It was a big day.  Also, just recently Davon House was at our local grocery store so the kids got another autograph and photo op!  The next P is MY favorite one of all!  At some point, my cousin posted something about a Pudgie Pie cookbook and I had to have it.  I love making pies when we are camping and this cookbook had all kinds of recipes!  I'm not exactly a foodie, but I do like to eat...anyway - I promise that if you camp with us next year, we can make a bunch of these recipes!
Q is for Quotidian - You didn't think you were going to learn so much from a Christmas letter, did you?  The truth is, learning is a quotidian activity.  This year I attempted to slow down and focus on the quotidian tasks of providing security to the little people.  I learned a lot about their needs and tried my best to improve the quality of our quotidian lives.  (I think that's enough of that word now!)
R is for Rock Painting - Early in the year 2016 there was a viral news story around here about someone who painted rocks for kindness or something...well the kids started seeing them around and there's a facebook group for painted rocks in our community.  So we joined!  The kids like painting rocks, hiding them, and hunting for them!  We've found rocks on hikes, at grocery stores and therapy.  It's been interesting to see the artwork and hear about who found what rock.
S is for Summerfest and Sibling visits - It was the 50th year for Summerfest and as part of my 40th year celebration, I requested to go and see one of the bands I love from 'back in the day' (when I was less than half my current age).  Dave and the kids sat through some early 90s rock for me but we got to sample lots of other bands and styles of music!  We heard the Badger Band which is always a highlight!  Another highlight has been foster family visits.  Starting in October, we began meeting with Bert and Ernie's biological siblings and their foster families (they had been previously meeting as a bio family, including their mom, with no foster family members present).  It was a new experience for all of us, since it was the kids who had something in common and not the grownups!  We have shared some laughs and look forward to getting together again in the future.
T is for TPR and Timm's Hill - TPR stands for Termination of Parental Rights.  In fall the boys' bio parents rights were terminated which means they are legally free for adoption.  It also meant that visits with bio parents ended.  No adoption date has been set - there is an appeal process so we are waiting out that time line.  This was a huge step in the legal process though!  We feel like we are halfway up the mountain.  Speaking of high points, this year we climbed the tower at Timm's Hill, aka the highest point in WI.  I am that weird girl who plans trips to see odd landmarks.  I tried looking for the lowest point but since Lake Michigan levels are constantly changing, that data doesn't really exist.  Also, did you know that there are a large number of world city names for towns in WI?  Lima, Florence, Paris, Troy, Vienna...
U is for Unanimous - some events of the year have left uloid marks on our hearts, others reminded us that we don't live in a utopia...still we are unanimous when we say that we are blessed!
V is for Vegetate - we plan to do plenty of that this Christmas Break!  At one point this season, an ad came into the house with a family on the cover all decked out in matching jammies.  The kids kept saying, "Awww!" and commenting on how neat that was...personally, I think it's a little corny, but later that night I was researching the cost of 'family pajamas' (no, it's not one big pair of jammies that everyone crams into - that's what I think of when I hear that word!!) and wouldn't you know, I found some I could stand.  We passed out the jammies over Thanksgiving weekend and slept around the tree!  We have some fun family photos of everyone in the Christmas jammies and I have officially retired from snorting whenever I see a family all matchy-matchy.  My crew looks pretty cute and VERY happy in their matching pajamas!  WORTH IT!
W is for Wildlife - as always, we see a lot of wildlife in the yard and woods.  This year we even saw a buck!!  It never gets old.
X is for Hexagon - yeah, ok it doesn't start with x!  Neither does Six, but I'd like to use these to describe our family right now.  There are 6 people in our family and consequently 6 sides to every story.  This blog post, though, is pretty much one sided since I'm the only one writing it!
Y is for Youth Group - this year Moses is old enough and has begun attending youth group through church.  I have chosen to go along and it's such a joy to see how the kids are learning and growing.
Z is for Zip Line - This year Dave installed a zip line in the backyard.  He researched all the equipment, including what would hold 300 pounds so guys like him could ride it!  (No he's not 300 pounds, but better to over-estimate than under, right?)  We put a deer stand under it and attached both a swing and a bar from a playground set.  It's about 100' and a quick ride between 2 trees!  It's given us a lot more ideas for how to get around in our woods!

So now you know our ABCs and stuff, next time won't you make memories with us!  (Terrible rhyme, but you can't blame me for trying!)  Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  May you have many blessings and friends to share them with in the New Year!

We hope you enjoyed this green version of our Christmas card! (If you still wish to receive a paper copy, leave a comment.) There are lots of reasons we decided to do things differently this year (again!)...here's a few:

1) Save postage. We love you, but we're cheap!

2) Save paper. You just recycle those cards after you read them...you do recycle them eventually, don't you??

3) Save printing costs. See reason #1!

4) Save stress. Nothing to print, sign, stuff, address...

5) Expand our options! Now you can see a practically limitless amount of photos.

6) Our greeting to you is saved in cyber-space for posterity! 

7) It went so well the past years...we heard a lot of positive responses, and even some people who said they'd try it themselves. Welcome to the dark (green) side! (Sorry that was a goofy Star Wars joke...)