Our Story of Adoption--Part 9

I told Bryce about my prompting. "Don't get your hopes up," he said. "You know the odds are not in your favor, being that she has not one, but two parents trying to regain custody."

It was true. Her birth mother and father were no longer together but both wanted their baby more than anything.

But in the meantime, we got to care for 6-month-old Baby Mary. She was the most feisty, strong-willed, precocious baby we'd ever seen--meaning that when she wasn't a terror she was a delight. She began talking at 9 months, walking at 10 months, and bossing around the other kids soon after. Several nights at dinner when the kids were rowdy, Mary stood up in her high chair, pointed her finger, and commanded in her baby voice, "Eat! Eat! Obey!"

In keeping with the plan of service, Mary had regular visits with her birth mother. As with all of our foster children, we took her to the Casa's Rocket Center, where we handed Mary to a caseworker. The caseworker took the child to the parent; the middleman was there to buffer any awkwardness or impropriety. However, there were sometimes brief face-to-face encounters between foster parents and birth parents.

One morning as I dressed Mary for a visit with her birth mom--Cee--I had the distinct impression, "Smile and be friendly."

So when I dropped Mary off, I made sure Cee and I saw each other. I smiled and waved. I thanked her for the cute outfit she sent and told her that her daughter was a joy. Then the caseworker closed the door.

I did this for every visit until one day, the three of us--Bryce, Cee, and I--met around a table for a court-ordered mediation.

After months had passed and hardships intensified, Cee knew that she was not in a position to care for her baby, now or in the forseeable future. This was also the position of the court, and in such cases the parent's rights are usually terminated. However, Cee looked at me and Bryce and said, "I want the best for my baby. I want to relinquish my parental rights, but only to these people. They treated me with respect, like a real human being. That's more than I can say for most of you people."

The room was silent.

"I can tell you love her," Cee said, turning her gaze back to us. "Will you adopt her? Please?"

Tears filled my eyes. "Yes, of course, Cee. We love her so much."

Time stood still. Was this really happening?

Impatient, practical lawyers interrupted our special moment. "It'll take time to draw up the paperwork. And don't forget, her father is still in the picture. This is not a done deal. This case has a long way to go."

But in my mind, we'd come so far. Not only were we a step closer to adding Baby Mary to our family, we had gained an ally in Cee--what a gift it was to have her blessing.

The lawyers were right; we had a long way to go. What we didn't count on was the birth father throwing a major wrench in the works with his insistence we put our fate not in the hands of a seasoned judge, but in the hands of 12 strangers.

Our daughter's life depended on the ruling of a jury trial.

Bump, Set, Spike!

The twins and I attended our second volleyball game, where Basic emerged victorious over Foothill in the best 2 out of 3 games. It was a nail-biter until the very end; Basic lost the first game, won the second, and it was touch-and-go until the Wolves pulled it out on the third. Tyce did a great job the whole time, and I just love his team spirit. He always stays positive and cheers on the team, even when he's on the bench. His positions are setter and server. I really think this is his sport--he seems to shine on the court.

"Mine!"

Perfect serve.

Sometimes you just have to dive to make the play.

Go go Gadget flexi-arm!

The ball is in the stratosphere.

Cheering from the sidelines (and posing for me).

Coming in for the huddle.

It's definitely a team effort getting that ball over the net.

Tyce is about to set the ball.

In our book, #2 is number 1!

It has been a blast watching him play! I look forward to the rest of a great season. And fingers crossed that he remains too busy with volleyball to get into trouble everywhere else.

Dreams Come True

Mary, who has always, always wanted a dog, is in heaven since Katie arrived. You know you love your pet when she takes your better pillow and sticks her bum in your face--and you like it.

Two sleeping beauties!

Luck o' the Not-Really Irish

Aye, ye be havin' a lucky day or me leprechaun be cryin' green tears t'night over his rootbeer

This is a text I sent yesterday to Tyce. Have you noticed that Irish-speak makes you sound like a pirate? Or am I just bad at typing like an Irishman? In any case, if you can believe it, he did not respond to this St. Patrick's day gem of a text. O'Rude!

If you read my Kiss the Cook blog, which I happen to know YOU DO NOT because my stat counter says 0 views in like forever, I gave each child their own box of Lucky Charms cereal for breakfast. Yes, an entire box because they were on sale for $1.99 and I don't have to deal with their sugar rush and crash--that's what school is for. (Thank you, teachers!) Props to me for being the "fun" mom this week.

They're magically addictive!

I also got each kid a pair of St. Paddy's day socks. How cute are kids with little green feet!?

The boys post-kindergarten with their friend J.J. I watch him two afternoons a week. It looks like they've all eaten a poisoned shamrock.

So being the "fun" mom that I am, I made the boys lunch. And by made, I mean I let them get out their box of cereal pour it themselves. Thank goodness for those 12 vitamins and minerals in every serving to turn marshmallows healthy.

This table seriously needs a centerpiece. Harrison can't even bear to look at the emptiness.

For dinner I made beef stew, which I renamed "Irish Stew", and biscuits, which I called "Soda Bread" (because real soda bread . . . well, it's not that delish). But the best part of the dinner was my leprechaun magic on our drinks.

First I gave each person an empty glass.

Before.

Then I poured the clear Fresca in the glass.

During--what the claddagh?

And finally we had the finished product, a nice tall glass of green goodness.

All thanks to the magic of food coloring.

I was going to serve root beer, but that just seemed wrong. Hey kids, let's offend an entire nation by pretending to be alcoholics! I don't know . . . those catchy drinking songs probably make more sense though, when you're downing a pint of frothy root beer rather than citrusy, no-cal Fresca.

We had Mary's friends Bella and Emily join us for dinner. Emily is our friends' 12-year-old newly-adopted-from-the-Ukraine daughter. She knows just a little English but it's heart-warming to see how Bella and Mary pantomime the words Emily doesn't know. They all had a really fun time together. As you can imagine, Emily is not fond of many American foods yet. She didn't even want to try normal, non-green soda at first, let alone eat our dinner. Her mom says she likes pizza though, so she's mastered an essential food for middle school lunch room survival. I can't imagine what she must have thought about the whole wear-green and watch-out-for-mischief "celebration" day.

Hope you kept from getting pinched . . . unless you wanted to be, of course!




 

****Post Edit****

When I installed my new Kiss the Cook blog template I lost my stat counter. No wonder it says there have been no visitors--my blog and the counter aren't linked to each other. Ugh. Sorry.

To My Friends and Family

May God grant you many years to live,
For sure he must be knowing.
The earth has angels all too few.
And heaven is overflowing.

Thank you for being part of my life . . . stick around a long time, will ya? Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Finding a Birth Mom: An Attempt

My philosophy on adoption is, if a mom can love more than one child, a child can love more than one mom (or dad). I think that most adopted children already do, even if they know nothing about their birth parents. I think it's innate to feel a connection to where you came from, and to fantasize about your first parents' looks, talents, and temperament. I know I would. Even though it's not my biological family, I am thirsty for information about my children's genetic (and social) history.

When it comes to our birth mothers I would like to initiate a relationship with those ladies--to let them know that their children are making good choices and doing well. I think that would help us all bridge the gap. I would like to send pictures and ask a ton of questions--whatever they might be comfortable with. Based on what I do know, I don't think that is very likely; however, it would be my ideal. Then when my kids are older and they want to find them--if they do--I'll have information to help them make an informed decision. The reality is that some birth parents are not emotionally or mentally healthy enough to have a relationship; I hope for the best, but that could be the case.

I have compassion and gratitude for those women who gave birth to our four amazing children. Though they haven't been physically present in our lives, they are part of our family every day. I have always tried to let our kids know that they can love and miss their birth parents and siblings, and that it's normal. I tell them I'm sure their birth families miss them, too.

So here's something interesting.

I found one of our birth mothers on facebook.

I knew her name and her hometown and her profile pic looked familiar, so I was pretty sure I had the right person. What sealed the deal was her "About Me" section. She wrote that she was missing some children and created this account so that they could find her.

Well!

I created a second facebook profile, just for the purpose of communicating with her (whom I will call Bee). I messaged her and said that I was the adoptive mom and hoped she was doing well. I told her a little about her offspring and asked if she would like to see pictures. I don't think I was too over-the-top, but maybe I was because it's been 2 weeks and she's not responded to me. I had found her once before on Myspace but she had already abandoned that account by the time I got there. Maybe she's already abandoned the facebook one, too; I'm sure there are plenty of people who set something up, never to return. I don't know. But I do hope to establish contact with her, that she's healthy. I wish her and our other birth mothers the very best--I want nothing less for my sisters in this journey.

Anyway, that's been on my mind.

I would really like to know more.

A mom can love more than one child, a child can love more than one mom, and I hope to have an opportunity to love them all.

Obedience Training

I took Katie to obedience training last Friday. Our sweet border collie summoned her inner Lassie to become the class superstar. All the other dogs were adorable little spaz-bots but Katie got every command (her name, sit, let's go) on the first try. One of the fellow attendees, owner of the shitzu-terrier, was being dragged down the aisle at PetSmart by her 6-pound fur-ball. I looked at Katie on the leash beside me, trotting along beside me as taught, and I smiled.

Heaven help me but I think I am turning into one of THOSE people. Am I crazy to feel proud of my dog? Is it weird to think my dog is the most beautiful canine in class? Next thing you know I'll be posting an album of Katie photos to facebook. Oh my freak out, I already did!

Anyway. Our dog is the best. You know that sweatshirt that says I {heart} my Border Collie? I'm totally getting that for my birthday, but with a picture of my own pup because mine is superior to the one silk screened on it.

So you may have gathered that I went to obedience training alone, even though 3 other family members were scheduled to join me. (But to be honest, it would have been non-stop drama with "It's my turn!" and "Give me the leash!" so I'm glad they weren't there.) Mary decided she'd rather play on the computer, which meant I could cancel the babysitter. Tyce's a capella group opened for the Yale Whiffenpoofs' concert, and so he and Bryce went there. Bryce said they were amazing, and Tyce had a great time.

Basic's a capella group, Project B. Tyce sings bass and beat-boxes.

Our next class is this Friday night. Who will join me? Maybe I should let Katie choose. Haha. But for the record, I do believe she is smart enough to do it.

Not surprisingly, the command-clicker-treat trifecta is very tempting for me to try with the twins.

List of 5

1. Tyce made the freshman volleyball team! Woo hoo!

2. The kids didn't have school yesterday. I took the three younger kids to see the movie Gnomeo and Juliet. This movie will be up your alley if you: a) think garden gnomes are cool, b) like Elton John's 70s rock, c) appreciate really, really lame jokes such as, "I'm not illiterate . . . my parents were married!" and "Who's your gnomie?", d) believe that British accents can redeem even the most stagnant of characters, e) have absolutely no knowledge of Shakespeare's original version of the tragedy. If any of these apply to you, then this movie is for you! (This does not apply to children, who like everything.)

3. Our dog is just the cutest and sweetest thing ever. She is mild-mannered and doesn't bark. She doesn't jump up on people or eat stuff off of the floor. She is well house-trained and understands basic commands. How did we get such an easy-going dog?

4. The missionaries came over for one last dinner at our house before Elder Flowers gets transferred today. He and Tyce were quite close, since they not only had compatible personalities but Elder Flowers is also biracial and from Houston. They formed a bond that I hope will be able to continue after the mission. I know Tyce really looked up to him.

5. This list is short, sweet, and a bit on the boring side. haha. Sorry about that. In real life I have a million things to say but sometimes I sit down to write and it seems like nothing is going on. But I have kindergarteners plus a friend about to walk in the door any minute, so I'm going to go for now. As Tigger would say, TTFN (ta-ta for now).

The Big News

We got a dog. Did you hear that? A DOG!

Oh my word, I always said I never wanted a pet . . . not even hamster. Not even a fish. Certainly not a dog. But then our friend Stephanie decided that she needed a home for this sweet 8-month-old border collie. And suddenly . . . my cold, cold heart melted for this little pup. I called Bryce to plead my case but he was not amused. For our entire married lives we'd been on the same page regarding our desire to remain pet-less, and here I was, trying to convince him to love a canine as his own.

Somehow I succeeded. (Between you and me, I can be quite persuasive). When Tyce and Mary found out they were ecstatic! In fact, I have never, ever seen them so excited about anything in their whole lives. That night both kids pounced on my bed, where I was preparing the next day's seminary lesson. "We're getting a dog!" Tyce giggled. Mary came armed with pen and paper and began to brainstorm all the things we'd need to get ready for a new addition. After half an hour of bouncing on my bed and asking a million questions (Can I pick out her collar? Can she sleep in my room?) Bryce and I shooed them off to their rooms, where I'm sure they didn't sleep a wink.

Yesterday I called Donna and my dad, to get advice on what supplies to get for our impending arrival. I spent 2 hours at PetSmart agonizing over leashes, collars, toys, and brushes. Everything was so confusing! I think I would have been less overwhelmed had I only a few hours to outfit a baby instead of a dog.

But that afternoon our new dog KATIE SPRITE SHADOW arrived, accompanied by Bella and Mary. Bella helped the collie transition from her home to ours, but when she left . . . oh, the poor furry creature was pretty confused. Not only was she unfamiliar with her new surroundings, but there were six new humans all vying for position as pack leader. The later the night got the more distressed she felt, until she unleashed a heartbreaking HOOOOOOWWWWWLLLLLLL!!!! that made us all want to cry. In fact, Bryce took her on another walk at 11:30 p.m. just to calm her down, but after she came home she ran upstairs and howled on the landing. Cameron let out a middle-of-a-dream scream, which he later told me was because he thought Katie's howl was a vampire's wail!

I took her to the dog park today and she was terrified of the other dogs. Can you blame her for being wary of anything new? A nice older George Lopez look-alike took me under his wing and introduced me to some other dog park friends--can I just say that dog people and super, super friendly. They talked to Katie and introduced her to their little dogs; even though Katie towered over the chihuahuas and yorkies she still preferred to hide behind my legs. After a while she got comfortable and we walked the perimeter of the park (on the advice of my new friend Manny, owner of Poquito). She never did run around and play--but we will try again tomorrow.

She has been here almost 24 hours and we just love her. I know things will settle down soon. I can't believe we have a dog--I guess that proves that in life, you should never say never!

Alert, hearing another dog. I love those eyes and ears.

Our Katie and her retro-BYU-blue collar and leash (chosen by Tyce). Is she a beauty or what?

Just a Mom?

My patriarchial blessing says, three times: Be concerned in following your chosen field of endeavor, teaching and helping others to enjoy life.

What in the world does this mean. Is being a mother my "chosen field of endeavor"? Should I have become a school teacher? Do my various callings in the church count? Have I missed the mark on a career path I was supposed to take? This has stumped me for over half of my life.

Sometimes I wish I could clone myself and do two things at once: care for the home and family (a full-time job) and also go back to school (a full-time job). You might already know that I'm leaning towards a masters in social work. There are dozens of branches in that field and I think at least one of them would be a good fit. I could even become a counselor like I'd originally planned, working with mental illness; or maybe work for an agency like Casa, which changes children's lives. I think I could really help people; even teach and help others to enjoy life.

But I know in my heart of hearts that now is not the time for school, or even a job. My service is more needed at home than in the world. What good would it do to make 100 people's lives better if I fail the four that God entrusted to me as my children? This is my calling, to lead and teach and train my children.

But motherhood: it is hard. So dirty. So draining. So repetitive. So unglamorous. So ordinary. Some days I feel like I give and serve and chauffeur and cook and counsel and correct . . . and no one cares. Or they care and they rebel. Sometimes I would love to have a job so I could abdicate my responsibilities at home. I could get some praise and recognition for my work.  Let someone else take care of everything at home. Or just let the kids raise themselves.

Those are the bad days. And I'm sorry for evening mentioning them, because if you are in my situation you're probably depressed just reading what I just wrote.

But here's the good thing: It's all a matter of perspective. As always, my attitude is a choice.

David O. McKay said: “[The] ability and willingness properly to rear children, the gift to love, and eagerness … to express it in soul development, make motherhood the noblest office or calling in the world. She who can paint a masterpiece or write a book that will influence millions deserves the admiration and the plaudits of mankind; but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose influence will be felt through generations to come, … deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God” (Gospel Ideals [1954], 453–54).

So if I take those bad-day feelings and turn them, I might instead say:

Motherhood: it is hard. It teaches me that I can't control everything. It's an emotional and physical work out. I get to improve my techniques by practicing every day. I am one of many unheralded but dedicated women who labor at home, and I am in good company. Some days I feel like I give and serve and chauffeur and cook and counsel and correct . . . and I know my service has long-term benefits even if I don't see them day to day. Sometimes the children rebel and disobey but they are learning boundaries and consequences which will help them learn how the world works. If I went back to school or got a job I would enjoy using my talents-- but not at the expense of using my talents at home. No praise or recognition at a job compares to a hug or a thank you from a child. There is no one who can take my place here. I am entrusted, called, and made equal to the honor of raising these precious children of our Father.

How about that?

There may well be time for me to pursue other dreams. I believe there will be time.

Now is my season for full-time dedication to the rearing and educating of my children--to really be there for Tyce, Mary Rachel, Cameron, and Harrison. So I guess maybe I've answered my own question, at least for now? I hope I am on the right track, that this is the right path. And I pray that along the way I am teaching and helping my children (and my husband!) to enjoy life.

Every day is a choice. Today I choose to be happy and strong.

You know that when I write it's like I'm talking out loud. And even though you don't say anything back you've helped me by listening. But you can comment any time you like. (!)

Seminary last week was great. It will take me a while to get in the groove but I've really, really enjoyed teaching the scriptures to a really great group of young people. I feel blessed to have the opportunity study and use my mind and heart to serve in this way. It's a challenge I'm really beginning to enjoy.

Day of Love

Valentine's Day seemed to be celebrated in pieces this year. First there was our little get away the week before, followed by Mary's school party (which was also before the 14th). Bryce was out of town for the big day, and Tyce had volleyball practice during our heart-themed dinner!

I saw so many cute ideas for hand-made valentines. And yet we still went to the store and picked up some pre-boxed character-themed cards. Mary had dogs, Harrison had Prince of Persia, and Cameron and Tyce got Transformers. (No, Tyce didn't have a party, but I thought he would like handing out cards to his friends.) Everyone seemed happy, so woo hoo for that.

I got each kid a little box of chocolates because I am lucky to have four handsome/beautiful valentines. Well, if I give them candy they're pretty willing to be called whatever I want.

To me, Valentine's Day is a family-and-friends holiday, a day to celebrate the many people who make your life rich and fulfilling. It's too much pressure to be romantic on that day--not to mention too expensive. Haha. We have had many "oo-la-la" dinners and outings that were pricey and crowded with like-minded couples in love. I told Bryce long ago that I didn't want Valentine's Day flowers; I think the first few years he didn't believe me and I did get some pretties. But I'm serious that I'd rather save that kind of thing for an occasion more personally meaningful . . . or for no special reason at all. If you have a happy relationship I don't think there's any reason to be beholden to a certain date for romance.

Well, now on to the pictures.

I like having a candlelight dinner with the family on Valentine's Day. I started by making the dessert first.

Brownies with ice cream and M&Ms.

Remember when I said I had cute table decorations? Well, are these just the cutest place settings you've ever seen?

"hi"

 This is the whole table.

Before we ate, of course.

The kids seemed to like the monkey plates the best but I loved the dinosaur.

We ate lasagna, French bread, green salad, and strawberries.

Tyce ate alone after practice. He wasn't feeling well--he has a cold.

 For Family Home Evening Mary taught us a Valentine's dance she learned in Music class. It was a little like square dancing.

The twins received instruction well, though they had a hard time remembering what to do!

The bridge portion of the dance.

Next year I hope we're all home to enjoy the evening together . . . I must say that it does get harder as people get older to have them all in the same place at the same time. There's nothing I like more than spending time with my family. Did you feel loved on Valentine's Day? I hope you did!

Pictures of our Trip

Did you kind of wish you were with us on our little vacation? Well, you'll feel like you were after viewing these pictures.

The world's largest golden nugget was dug up by a family outside their mobile home. Crazy!

We were VIPs and had a special check-in room. It was swanky.

Not only was it pretty inside, but they had complimentary M&Ms.

We had a special card to get to the 16th floor.

Look at this! Snacks outside the elevator!

The hotel was updated and redecorated in a modern style. I loved the lighting in the hallway.

These were cool sinks.

Our room! We couldn't find a light switch for about 5 minutes. I fumbled around and felt what I thought might be the switch but I couldn't work it. I took a photo so I could see...only to discover it was the thermostat!

Good news, we figured it out.

We went downstairs for the show. I passed this slot machine and fell in love. If I were a gambling girl I'd definitely choose the machine called "Kitty Glitter." Mee-OW. How classy is that?

Lovebirds are we.

The man has his own showroom. He's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Gordie Brown was an amazing impressionist. However, his show featured a lot of juvenile humor, like 7th grade locker room jokes. Come on, Gordie.

Besides spending time with Bryce, this was my favorite part of the whole trip--the bathroom mirror. I couldn't figure out what this gray part was; I ran my hand over it and figured it was etched for decoration.

But then I noticed a remote control . . . . I aimed it a the gray rectangle and it was a TV! What in the world!? Shock and awe. I've seen TVs in hotel bathrooms before but never so literally built in.

So now you know how it was, minus the conversations regarding toupees. There was also lots of laughing and smooching, too, but like toupees, one awkward candid shot can make a whole blogosphere uncomfortable. Some things are better left to the imagination.

I have the best Valentine in the world! It was a great little trip . . . and I am so glad we got to go!

Friday Confessional

1. I am reclining onto a nest of fluffy pillows in a bed in a room at the Golden Nugget as I type this. Seriously, fluffiest pillows ever . . . I must have these in my own home. Maybe that's an elderly person thing. This casino seems to cater to the retired folks. You know it's true when there's a franchise of The Scooter Store in the lobby. (Just kidding.) Oh man, Bryce and I lived out this week's episode of Modern Family. We discovered this in the Gordie Brown theatre, where every person looked like they'd debated vacation plans between Branson and the Golden Nugget; luckily they all came to the early show of Las Vegas' favorite celebrity impersonator. I wanted to shout, "Hey, Gordie! Over here! I'm not old!" But I didn't want to pierce the hearing aids of our fellow show-goers. Besides, it would have been rude to interrupt Gordie's 10-minute re-enactment of the touching scene from "On Golden Pond."

Clive and Juliana need to break out. 

2. This is our Valentine's Day get-away. Even though Bryce had to leave at 11 to sleep at our own house and get the kids up in the morning for school, we had a great time. He is so nice to me; he went back into the chaos while I slept in a fluffy cloud of feathers all night. The only thing is that everything smells like smoke. I think when a building is as old as the Golden Nugget (though very nicely modernized), nicotine must now be part of the structural chemical make-up.

3. I like Valentine's Day. Or maybe I should say that I looooooove Valentine's Day, because as you probably know, the signature design elements of the day--red and hearts--are totally up my alley. I bought the cutest table decorations at Target and I can't wait for our family dinner on Monday. I don't have the menu planned yet but I'm thinking I might do chocolate-dipped strawberries for dessert.

4. Oh, it just occurred to me that Bryce won't be here to join our family party. This is sad news: his great-uncle Don passed away this week in Ely, Nevada. Bryce is going to the funeral, which is Monday. Uncle Don was a good man and was important in Bryce's life as a grandfatherly figure (since his grandpa died when Bryce was a little boy). Uncle Don and Aunt Adele were at our wedding and I will always remember him with a twinkle in his eye. Now he can be reunited with his sweet wife, and while that brings comfort he will still be very missed.

5. This is my confessionyiest confession for the day and I am so embarrassed and if this were YOU I'd wonder why you don't just get your act together. But for Christmas I ordered gifts for my nieces online. I knew I'd waited too long to ensure on-time delivery so I was feeling pretty lame about it. I had to re-enter my credit card and my address several times. You know how when you do that you have to re-click certain boxes or whatever? Well, imagine my shock when a few days after Christmas I received a package from that online retailer. I couldn't imagine what it was and so I opened it. And it was the gifts I'd *tried* to send to the girls, but apparently shipped to myself. Ackkkk!

When I found out my brother was coming for a one-night visit I thought, perfect, I'll give him the presents to deliver to his daughters. But he came and went, and the box remained out-of-sight, out-of-mind the whole time.

So here it is, almost Valentine's Day, almost Xochi's and Maya's birthdays, and their Christmas gifts are sitting on top of a bookshelf in the casita. What is it going to take to get me to the post office? Ah, I hope that this public acknowledgment of my neglect will spur me to get it done. You know, like those people we saw wearing orange vests with the letters "DUI" emblazened on the back? Friday Confessional #5 is my orange vest of shame.

6. But that aside, I am feeling positive and happy about life. Things are going well.

7. I observed my new seminary class twice this week and they are going to be great. There were 19 kids on Thursday--and that's just 10th graders. I am so pleased to be teaching with Sister Bray because she's very good at what she does and the kids love her. Besides, she has whipped that bunch into shape, doing all the hard work before I got there. I am currently more excited than nervous to start next week.

8. Bryce is coming back here after dropping kids off to school. I need to get ready--after all, when you change the day you celebrate Valentine's Day you can extend it for as long as you want! Too bad he has to go to work today, but good that his office is just down the street. Oh, and as far as a gift goes . . . I shopped the after-Christmas clearance and Target and picked up a fancy box of chocolates that looked nice enough for Valentine's Day. A $10 box was only $2.50 and it was only red and shiny--no snowmen or reindeer in sight.

The difference between being cheap and being a deal-finder is in the eye of the beholder. High five for me!

Happy Friday to all, and to all a good heart-filled weekend.

P.S. I accidentally first posted this on my Kiss the Cook blog! Sorry if you went there hoping for some more confessions....but I will tell you that my kitchen is a mess and I don't want to do anything in there today.