tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22360302177233277422024-03-14T13:35:26.975-04:00The Wait For KateYvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-68881394474913641512010-06-17T20:44:00.006-04:002010-06-17T20:48:08.331-04:00Suzie Wolf Photography<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRqIV1o1bp8Epgzh6Ac8LA4htZ0Mb2kA0-ys9nCLOfAr2_RIQOnw8NEuy63En__kVVf5IkAdEtAfedEMVoTF1RCWWedrIP8VX1ISphYLplxRYuqVqfD7ndcAzw2amYGWci_DfDH9KbqUR/s1600/Alex+and+kate+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRqIV1o1bp8Epgzh6Ac8LA4htZ0Mb2kA0-ys9nCLOfAr2_RIQOnw8NEuy63En__kVVf5IkAdEtAfedEMVoTF1RCWWedrIP8VX1ISphYLplxRYuqVqfD7ndcAzw2amYGWci_DfDH9KbqUR/s400/Alex+and+kate+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483909014794526098" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvIOiq_z61PCyWIc4HKch1qM_MqMyWGJnDqgYgWq5gkCqidUYIz8uVJbb_10BIPVr6iZ-uca8AuvLK92SOoEsE6eh2ZgXsyJhrFku3Y8XFIPi7ff8v7ENMeKfUjEFwK1Mbb1nzeFyAbKr/s1600/alex+wow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvIOiq_z61PCyWIc4HKch1qM_MqMyWGJnDqgYgWq5gkCqidUYIz8uVJbb_10BIPVr6iZ-uca8AuvLK92SOoEsE6eh2ZgXsyJhrFku3Y8XFIPi7ff8v7ENMeKfUjEFwK1Mbb1nzeFyAbKr/s400/alex+wow.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483908915872051874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFLLOtqOpXBBjuyaVsrijGyn5ocXIfTWUn087KiPsK0hyNf6YlTbHewFC2_zbniKI_8voZvRHn7StDL1IaT9puR7ywqHys5ngyGpud6HtI_5q5vpV8ZrFh2NsbgRymEMp16jii7P8FxbZ/s1600/kate+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFLLOtqOpXBBjuyaVsrijGyn5ocXIfTWUn087KiPsK0hyNf6YlTbHewFC2_zbniKI_8voZvRHn7StDL1IaT9puR7ywqHys5ngyGpud6HtI_5q5vpV8ZrFh2NsbgRymEMp16jii7P8FxbZ/s400/kate+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483908707706158658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8XxCJGgVblJ8SfpRj9ErNj2eVc__PO4Q7e9OHLNIXn35iuy5P0dk78KCOlcE5A5rCbIzx-0Horg74jWLsCp07eS7Nm9zx9mQY_Ur_G0BJ1G42Wgj4ot2RMbrMyroZLhtDqz7i3gcPdgW/s1600/alex+and+kate+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8XxCJGgVblJ8SfpRj9ErNj2eVc__PO4Q7e9OHLNIXn35iuy5P0dk78KCOlcE5A5rCbIzx-0Horg74jWLsCp07eS7Nm9zx9mQY_Ur_G0BJ1G42Wgj4ot2RMbrMyroZLhtDqz7i3gcPdgW/s400/alex+and+kate+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483908507688771922" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-63178589230885233152010-05-03T14:31:00.008-04:002010-05-03T14:44:44.725-04:00LIVE! One Night Only!! KATE MCKENZIEKate's school is a creative arts and science magnet and as such they have an end of the year program extraodinaire! They are given total access to the Time Warner Music Pavillion which is such a great venue and such a fun, huge stage for the kids to strut their stuff. All grade levels were fantastic. It was obvious that they have top notch teachers working with the kids throughout the school year to produce such a professional show. Second grade's performance theme was the seasons and Kate was a snowflake. Brrr.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7BMV6eydJfZGRJttQMuMDkGm8y9pS_kaBb8cbl-hCcVY7CRo1HF7nf6EpKtLcmT4TXUFHkeHIf5SSekkqCbxAeVoiRDh0-5W7As_zzscireoLhRVlpDOeGsUteXXiNLa9jwOYOMNdVV_-/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7BMV6eydJfZGRJttQMuMDkGm8y9pS_kaBb8cbl-hCcVY7CRo1HF7nf6EpKtLcmT4TXUFHkeHIf5SSekkqCbxAeVoiRDh0-5W7As_zzscireoLhRVlpDOeGsUteXXiNLa9jwOYOMNdVV_-/s400/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467115329342639842" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrMyDbNKgVcTnqN1HrV0jO7QY7TD5v1GeRDBC5VvnAoQESENEcvFGE9Gi4ko2jCwX6PwPgiPekj8XNNHqcFZlA5MPqq4MT6c_Di-JSG749F0juXm3XNa0y7qjhY86VyokRQoNZtzWMqwM/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrMyDbNKgVcTnqN1HrV0jO7QY7TD5v1GeRDBC5VvnAoQESENEcvFGE9Gi4ko2jCwX6PwPgiPekj8XNNHqcFZlA5MPqq4MT6c_Di-JSG749F0juXm3XNa0y7qjhY86VyokRQoNZtzWMqwM/s400/005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467115005371592322" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihi0BsebaA5gVz-3ZgP-XN0ibvGU4A1v3wx6WVssna5r6Jmz5wyIRRwhsXAkop5lS3ztdJ-e3gk7iI7NPQF3GVvgGVAfCjCJHHMZHOrYv2JL1xFufskXNp2jW7YYIBJJBuaSRJ81tm5cUq/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihi0BsebaA5gVz-3ZgP-XN0ibvGU4A1v3wx6WVssna5r6Jmz5wyIRRwhsXAkop5lS3ztdJ-e3gk7iI7NPQF3GVvgGVAfCjCJHHMZHOrYv2JL1xFufskXNp2jW7YYIBJJBuaSRJ81tm5cUq/s400/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467114592951424610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC9yDoprw4RyVfkP3ecJXXil412c6oDyOxl1HrhgEcWL0T7qeP7kpMXWtFnFl7bT8TlxN8d1mQNO3euMzPfWtXAgP1D5GDG0BDkaF9_0R9G1HI-NSjxKpwY7wj1nQ-Inkd2Vr5LGeHwak/s1600/008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC9yDoprw4RyVfkP3ecJXXil412c6oDyOxl1HrhgEcWL0T7qeP7kpMXWtFnFl7bT8TlxN8d1mQNO3euMzPfWtXAgP1D5GDG0BDkaF9_0R9G1HI-NSjxKpwY7wj1nQ-Inkd2Vr5LGeHwak/s400/008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467114376725685650" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2NbDtwzytX7xv2K-yIRxPjzitwyiDDUwJ8BQ7iuwDs0lTxDBsFzb-UErStuTjh76fDep14lUz7PjhYvDVTCXvNSTYzhQWZKjXLLu0FMECEv-ps0NYfxH4tel8-m6uoKEVkvKbyfNkJXx/s1600/029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2NbDtwzytX7xv2K-yIRxPjzitwyiDDUwJ8BQ7iuwDs0lTxDBsFzb-UErStuTjh76fDep14lUz7PjhYvDVTCXvNSTYzhQWZKjXLLu0FMECEv-ps0NYfxH4tel8-m6uoKEVkvKbyfNkJXx/s400/029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467114016537411986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00WBVXzvUAboxhnR95aAnP_fujFYYEWXP6L9-609U5_syQhFlrTtKb5v-u-xAK4fiR16QbpZZx4crOkFbFREdrpvXJG5_ba-tFH6ssOW3bTy5K39ECgI_ZMmb5g-2WakosAl2d5BGypKf/s1600/031.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00WBVXzvUAboxhnR95aAnP_fujFYYEWXP6L9-609U5_syQhFlrTtKb5v-u-xAK4fiR16QbpZZx4crOkFbFREdrpvXJG5_ba-tFH6ssOW3bTy5K39ECgI_ZMmb5g-2WakosAl2d5BGypKf/s400/031.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467113613244576530" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-31440994344950602502010-04-19T11:21:00.004-04:002010-04-19T11:48:10.374-04:00Outward Bound Bound<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1y-JB7rBgBW39BpxjxtIMebg3yvd_o1ULOEdmZynHVQvdgJZZSjxU2SGVEl4nMp69G0X7iMbgxC5VBGOWR3-HVG_Sepg4BWqUjfJ9wSIodC1WvUONlvhXivJktIOPvZ27EIVeFJ-ICtQ/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1y-JB7rBgBW39BpxjxtIMebg3yvd_o1ULOEdmZynHVQvdgJZZSjxU2SGVEl4nMp69G0X7iMbgxC5VBGOWR3-HVG_Sepg4BWqUjfJ9wSIodC1WvUONlvhXivJktIOPvZ27EIVeFJ-ICtQ/s400/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461869415876228786" /></a><br />Alarm went of nice and early today (although not as bad as when Alex went to Japan last month) so we could drop Alex off for his 8th grade trip. They'll be spending the week out in the western part of the state with NC Outward Bound. <br /><br />They left Raleigh this morning at 6:30 and should meet up with the Outward Bound instructors at 11:00. They'll be assigned to groups (of 10-12) and leaders, go over and pack their gear and then start walking. They won't return to base camp until Friday around noon. Everything they'll need for the week they'll pack in with them. They are taught how to use a compass and read a topo map and then are responsible for making sure they get to each evening's camp location. They have no tents, but will be taught how to make a canopy (if needed) with a tarp. They'll do some rock climbing and rappelling. <br /><br />On Thursday they have reflection time, where each student is plopped down in the woods alone (although within earshot of the group leaders; each student has a whistle) for 2hrs of reflection time. They're to spend that time thinking and journaling about ????? The past few days; this past year; the past three years at Exploris; what the future holds; fears, concerns, excitement about the challenges ahead in high school; 2 hours worth of doodling? It's actually an exercise (minus the sitting alone in the wilderness to do it) that these kids are pretty comfortable with at this point in their Exploris career. Every semester they compile a portfolio of work they've done to present to their teacher and parents. They open with a letter of reflection, looking back at the semester and what they've accomplished and how they hope to grow. Alex' teacher this year has been a sixth grade teacher up until this year. When we had his portfolio conference in December his teacher commented that she needed to schedule longer conference sessions because these 8th graders are so much more verbose than the 6th graders . . . they've grown in their time there and are capable of really looking inside and sharing what they see.<br /><br />Friday when they return to base camp they have a ceremony to celebrate the challenges that the students faced during the week. The students are each presented with a pin which the student can take if they feel they lived up to the expections they had set for themselves at the beginning of the trip. In the past, some students have chosen not to accept the pins, have gone home to continue the journey and at a later time contacted NC Outward Bound to tell them they had reached their goals. And a pin was sent to them.<br /><br />Then they load up on the charter bus (poor, poor bus driver . . . I'm sure the stench will be beyond compensation)and head home. <br /><br />I'm so excited and envious and I cannot wait to hear all about his week. And hopefully he'll remember to take a few photos!Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-53752687407730337872010-04-18T08:54:00.012-04:002010-04-18T09:21:26.880-04:00More Dog Walk Pictures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3mHakHMnNOt1xDaFqhZm_FD5O0yjiQPZAbnShOqc8-3W061QrceqBtmU5q8zNF870dvH2cTUWLyb_NWIwaO4Usion6qhtnnPuOrfz4EFIJh2m2eZXs4xRX7DKK_YqzoNR5igBj-H_UJD/s1600/036.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3mHakHMnNOt1xDaFqhZm_FD5O0yjiQPZAbnShOqc8-3W061QrceqBtmU5q8zNF870dvH2cTUWLyb_NWIwaO4Usion6qhtnnPuOrfz4EFIJh2m2eZXs4xRX7DKK_YqzoNR5igBj-H_UJD/s400/036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461465450572994546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZ67gpw42ybeabgxoiHZtgq5eXxROY_N-86KJGKTMHoYTBkj8jYlg0H6vbovnwfEn2LDTU3TSOgXV_JL6-Ez3TRWUjd3cJsb4ASRXgbEOoRSsIA-WLDJn5wXVuB4-lV3znXllCY_i-n_i/s1600/015.JPG"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23VXlgLtuKsQTJSIRWFeLkiwKXnInjCbWYk4AdRz1OBAqedVNcEvHX9KjuyQuPckuvVQ4B0YQmORo3rFksuGoia2HRwAOf605euLjkfdQvBk5PoXzaYQwjvQBoXwkkRQuSOUDn8EdbfJf/s400/032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461463015798119186" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvFFnDKuIoFTEVgk1rzOyQ1tP8hBLbJBae9-ya41BFfY9B2PEZ1rxAhJruIdULdr0XTkjwlOrfmNiBoUBtVcqwuH-AmcRPWavp3WebFLtZ3RzJjXgdBMmxHrKePQuBLLW79zHqKqnUi4P/s1600/033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvFFnDKuIoFTEVgk1rzOyQ1tP8hBLbJBae9-ya41BFfY9B2PEZ1rxAhJruIdULdr0XTkjwlOrfmNiBoUBtVcqwuH-AmcRPWavp3WebFLtZ3RzJjXgdBMmxHrKePQuBLLW79zHqKqnUi4P/s400/033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461462527947481874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lTWbKOmnnx0TtJdb5TDAdQXk-cEgZyaYmJ8TuVafBObPfpICRe2nK6FC4_0ad7o9tfwqRvLtNBIzlHxNSiQy53jR-YNAlGzMzGxt5j3kZLo_lID98zFLt4bJgaolHPDuk91f_m0BJp0l/s1600/038.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lTWbKOmnnx0TtJdb5TDAdQXk-cEgZyaYmJ8TuVafBObPfpICRe2nK6FC4_0ad7o9tfwqRvLtNBIzlHxNSiQy53jR-YNAlGzMzGxt5j3kZLo_lID98zFLt4bJgaolHPDuk91f_m0BJp0l/s400/038.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461461901026416770" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPstXRsxmuRLsiL4bOLy6hfaUFThyphenhyphenl9fPNWmg9EEzEbVHivvjZxhxwkcr9_TTZvQuwp2ijdOBPig8PQ9ROgIuqV5vjiEQmXZwv0GUsa_fp0DRKgpC9FZ3Yyd2DasFQnkHoAWPIdzcDEWNP/s1600/040.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPstXRsxmuRLsiL4bOLy6hfaUFThyphenhyphenl9fPNWmg9EEzEbVHivvjZxhxwkcr9_TTZvQuwp2ijdOBPig8PQ9ROgIuqV5vjiEQmXZwv0GUsa_fp0DRKgpC9FZ3Yyd2DasFQnkHoAWPIdzcDEWNP/s400/040.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461461505021803602" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVvGPgUZwkHzBvYkbxdT7W7rBUHqenNo7shkth22coYOIR_6LnLguqDhnoAw-HzQIawpNU8haYP4ZhTetQKrch2GGKN-GmH93VxfynLm9hX7GR0VoSTOYKZEFPDg7enA5OfjKjfnXEN4M/s1600/044.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVvGPgUZwkHzBvYkbxdT7W7rBUHqenNo7shkth22coYOIR_6LnLguqDhnoAw-HzQIawpNU8haYP4ZhTetQKrch2GGKN-GmH93VxfynLm9hX7GR0VoSTOYKZEFPDg7enA5OfjKjfnXEN4M/s400/044.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461460462034136882" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-74673890951387797792010-04-17T20:34:00.003-04:002010-04-17T20:46:04.827-04:00Saying Hello<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZN1nTgsyfzchWJb2unf0UinXkvkkl2prkii9DeQbXiiQLKQfp3pY0mRqq1D_wkILfkKOl-zmEDyuwhMfy_VjJL8gmiA3adDlEDKNC5zCTpC6K03wd-ioSOsM5xIfDayfetTmnZJHoATL/s1600/011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZN1nTgsyfzchWJb2unf0UinXkvkkl2prkii9DeQbXiiQLKQfp3pY0mRqq1D_wkILfkKOl-zmEDyuwhMfy_VjJL8gmiA3adDlEDKNC5zCTpC6K03wd-ioSOsM5xIfDayfetTmnZJHoATL/s400/011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461271620855552562" /></a><br />It's been a while. A long, long while. I'm sure that anyone who was following me oh those many, many months ago has long since given up on me posting anything ever again. Can't say that I'll make amends and be a conscientious poster. I'll try. It just seemed like there wasn't 1. enough time (and facebook was so much quicker) and 2. not enough worthwhile to write about. There will probably still not be enough time and I'm sure that when (and if) I do find the time, my postings will have inane little tidbits about what cereal I had or how many gray hairs I discovered lounging on my head. Or not. One can hope.<br /><br />So today, Kate, Alex, Tux and I went downtown to participate in the SPCA of Wake County's K9 3K Walk. Aside from alot of sniffing and barking, about 2 dozen businesses in Raleigh were dog friendly for the day. Opening their doors or at least patios to families and the pooches. <br /><br />The walk had us meandering through the Historic Oakwood District of Raleigh, past some lovely bungaloes, four squares, the Krispy Kreme and the Governor's Mansion. After our walk we headed over to an Italian restaurant for lunch, then to my favorite gallery to visit some artists that we enjoy. Topped it off with the purchase of my Holly Aiken/Casey Porn messenger bag that I've been lusting after for quite some time!<br /><br />Good Day!Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-52689122820350198052009-09-03T21:31:00.013-04:002009-09-03T21:54:07.732-04:00Saying GoodbyeToday was the last day for Alex in the middle school building that has embraced him for the past two years and one month. It's a long story, one which started the fall of his 6th grade year when their building (along with several surrounding buildings) was purchased and they were told they would need to leave. Thanks to a tanking economy, the anticipated interest in their space was nonexistent, so they'd been able to stay put while locating a new location.<br /><br />A new location they do have. It's been revamped, remodeled and updated to accomodate our kids and their teachers, and will welcome them on Tuesday morning.<br /><br />Today was my last day in the old school helping with pizza, so I took the opportunity to snap some shots of the school in transition. Bittersweet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcjMQFHyEhjsTyclK0nE8ZKx_JGsIneLF6J6EPhi7Oz03G1Iq34Fu9Gq_1qQHZ_a83DIlHjlAxrwwDJFsl-RrzfjG9dYY9KV5O2kqsNyg5HOpSgknd19BNfEsDnntTXEYBPhoUDG4-iid/s1600-h/093.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcjMQFHyEhjsTyclK0nE8ZKx_JGsIneLF6J6EPhi7Oz03G1Iq34Fu9Gq_1qQHZ_a83DIlHjlAxrwwDJFsl-RrzfjG9dYY9KV5O2kqsNyg5HOpSgknd19BNfEsDnntTXEYBPhoUDG4-iid/s400/093.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377423984357429074" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZWAK2YCzc_ZkwOkMYfcAIwpNkVhzCWFRISaFdNFzOhfyh2wdlTD6u_I39dXg-p_QQ-PKOICC-MNjznR29fMhmmgYHKzKJYS8jYzb-KqVNYN06kEiCVYJEvsCyJFrEItS30bsTBuVppI6/s1600-h/074.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZWAK2YCzc_ZkwOkMYfcAIwpNkVhzCWFRISaFdNFzOhfyh2wdlTD6u_I39dXg-p_QQ-PKOICC-MNjznR29fMhmmgYHKzKJYS8jYzb-KqVNYN06kEiCVYJEvsCyJFrEItS30bsTBuVppI6/s400/074.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377423571373604354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkaW-Dd72okWZdQ__YMxuYyLVVO1Jt8Lt4dZziMggiNF1Mrr__sDlLc9F3X2zlzrRRsn-viwKQt8GjaE8v1OP4pZ67BcHjGFbOljXV-coHFkjk94GptTaEsbbhY1sVQK9uM2VOqqXGqr_/s1600-h/076.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkaW-Dd72okWZdQ__YMxuYyLVVO1Jt8Lt4dZziMggiNF1Mrr__sDlLc9F3X2zlzrRRsn-viwKQt8GjaE8v1OP4pZ67BcHjGFbOljXV-coHFkjk94GptTaEsbbhY1sVQK9uM2VOqqXGqr_/s400/076.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377423218389910274" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxpHmFPJQ0hVYuSy0v7ZgRzizDDiBUoOE1N9WKcGpiLZFAJi7ijOHdd56afaZYRxs7uuQxiA9Ld6-omucNdlT9E594ZSB-X-gUMQ3kGtWTBvxRLd9r6bGUlQYDVC1YXshC8nxGbzWMyIq/s1600-h/091.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxpHmFPJQ0hVYuSy0v7ZgRzizDDiBUoOE1N9WKcGpiLZFAJi7ijOHdd56afaZYRxs7uuQxiA9Ld6-omucNdlT9E594ZSB-X-gUMQ3kGtWTBvxRLd9r6bGUlQYDVC1YXshC8nxGbzWMyIq/s400/091.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377422865895675426" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQcVn4HMecqyX9LkDgJCBYvyq5EkgiO0hdd_6Jk6VhxSC2RmPGxVkU5Rj1Rn4GFAOlU6JCLAG5oktdjJ1tt3w8SnuhILuxqooTJAFgGNR2tLk6OhSpdSIETZba5lmpEb6ELJm5l9r8vEQ/s1600-h/088.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQcVn4HMecqyX9LkDgJCBYvyq5EkgiO0hdd_6Jk6VhxSC2RmPGxVkU5Rj1Rn4GFAOlU6JCLAG5oktdjJ1tt3w8SnuhILuxqooTJAFgGNR2tLk6OhSpdSIETZba5lmpEb6ELJm5l9r8vEQ/s400/088.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377422541866181970" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcOEHObKy2OMHFXyo9bkAkXdECP7ZBDJOwUGwJkWe7SBJFcoyLTNCfz3RfM97XAZIENwMGJ1Kd921Si9t2baC5uJXi9DVFShla496PZrLalhT83OasouGtCPBiWkt_nSLjddIVPfOjC71/s1600-h/080.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcOEHObKy2OMHFXyo9bkAkXdECP7ZBDJOwUGwJkWe7SBJFcoyLTNCfz3RfM97XAZIENwMGJ1Kd921Si9t2baC5uJXi9DVFShla496PZrLalhT83OasouGtCPBiWkt_nSLjddIVPfOjC71/s400/080.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377422110699714818" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqAE8T6kgI4ZfOWQUKJY2Q-DCJTgDBHudBt-GdnZKDdT6SflxU3GNMZ3PRtUNUFpUBC9DJ5DXi3Wx1tatRSL8VyMhAD4ULxEDscIFt2Bltz10ZGurXGTbxfXSYuFVY14XASWsvSX7bze_/s1600-h/083.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqAE8T6kgI4ZfOWQUKJY2Q-DCJTgDBHudBt-GdnZKDdT6SflxU3GNMZ3PRtUNUFpUBC9DJ5DXi3Wx1tatRSL8VyMhAD4ULxEDscIFt2Bltz10ZGurXGTbxfXSYuFVY14XASWsvSX7bze_/s400/083.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377421791807737586" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5dPH3eaW4AZEQe8RUGMM52n1ZgVjmkZz-yc4yVbi8uLDFIwWZ3ZdSO_VNlLKUAJIx6zKJzZ4DNBXIDTqxd4fylQ0tz7zuoR993smDAFgXsiutKkKKNZchz4aFeBRv4KZqI84LlHmfy6g/s1600-h/084.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377421329891739586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5dPH3eaW4AZEQe8RUGMM52n1ZgVjmkZz-yc4yVbi8uLDFIwWZ3ZdSO_VNlLKUAJIx6zKJzZ4DNBXIDTqxd4fylQ0tz7zuoR993smDAFgXsiutKkKKNZchz4aFeBRv4KZqI84LlHmfy6g/s400/084.JPG" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-53111368518573958562009-05-21T21:16:00.007-04:002009-07-16T15:10:53.466-04:00One Year<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAhVHRs9KmHp5PgYLrdmsc8GwwOQ5z6kKDGYYlJ43pHxVXdcwqZi4QQcwRdTZd2A4yyhg-mL1Trt-QOcw9S9PeELFzWuRlXkmUyg7ibaWuAXT24OA0Cou2HPFUwQ_jCZayXjS2TlP3THa/s1600-h/IMG_0449.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAhVHRs9KmHp5PgYLrdmsc8GwwOQ5z6kKDGYYlJ43pHxVXdcwqZi4QQcwRdTZd2A4yyhg-mL1Trt-QOcw9S9PeELFzWuRlXkmUyg7ibaWuAXT24OA0Cou2HPFUwQ_jCZayXjS2TlP3THa/s400/IMG_0449.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338452944467848418" /></a><br /><br />We officially started our adoption process July 2005. Unofficially we had begun long before we were married. The idea of providing a home for a child in need of one was something that I had harbored, nurtured for a long time. Of course, perspectives change. I realized that I wouldn't be coming to the aid of a needy child, so much as that child would be a gift of joy for our family. We would be the lucky ones! The summer of 2005 we began our process to bring Kate home and filed an application with Children's Hope International. At the time it should have only taken about 8 months from log in date to referral. Well, we all know that <em>that</em> time frame changed. If we hadn't seen Kate and been selected to review her file (in January 2008) and ultimately decided that she was the one our family needed, we'd still be waiting. I read today that they are matched up to March 14, 2006. Our log in date was March 29, 2006. Close, but still not there.<br /><br />Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of Kate's arrival in the States. One year that she has been on US soil. With completely foreign sounds, sights and smells. One year that she has had to deal with the grief of leaving everything familiar. Any hope that she may have had of her biological family finding her, bringing her home. I'd be lying if I said it's been a breeze. There were a few times the first couple of weeks home that I sat in the bathroom crying, incredulous that I had actually wanted to do this. <br /><br />But then I would consider the fact that no matter how stricken I felt, her anxiety had to be off the charts worse than mine. And unlike us, she only learned about her new family the day before she met us (this she shared with me a few weeks ago). And I think she was pretty much content at her "house in China" (which is what she calls the orpanage). <br /><br />Today, a year later, she is a happy girl. She loves High School Musical. She loves elephants. She loves pizza, but hates cheese :). She loves dresses, especially pink ones. She loves to ride her bike and hunt for bugs. She loves to draw. <br /><br />And she loves us. And we love her. And we cannot imagine what it was like without her, just over a year ago.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogjKPqrtZTdKfJKlda5igOVxW0zEalPA5R1aU_PXg76-Kicb-uanrg4tXRcccISiRJd6_RQjOjq4Nd1FsDDSX0WpIo5Gh8KBbXxZ3HDkHzcG4M1RMOMD3B1-GZBW3xrGH-nXpBaTI28zv/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogjKPqrtZTdKfJKlda5igOVxW0zEalPA5R1aU_PXg76-Kicb-uanrg4tXRcccISiRJd6_RQjOjq4Nd1FsDDSX0WpIo5Gh8KBbXxZ3HDkHzcG4M1RMOMD3B1-GZBW3xrGH-nXpBaTI28zv/s400/006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338453886629939554" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-45295902730173119002009-04-29T21:34:00.002-04:002009-04-29T21:36:01.691-04:00Another Layout!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FeNVX8oUX58E4hWl86g1P2VCmd4isG9_P2aCFwX-0-JeFerLaET2EtI0Rh52Bqaelbfj10JnQ7Q0ER_vijfSxF3rtFvAdpWC1rCQmje68D6B4caOhzBBTzGm-tLS5OOibUZ4iJtuhP9s/s1600-h/cross-country1-web.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FeNVX8oUX58E4hWl86g1P2VCmd4isG9_P2aCFwX-0-JeFerLaET2EtI0Rh52Bqaelbfj10JnQ7Q0ER_vijfSxF3rtFvAdpWC1rCQmje68D6B4caOhzBBTzGm-tLS5OOibUZ4iJtuhP9s/s400/cross-country1-web.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330291856475575266" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVXNXbMoBiCl4yAgKoRcwO5SKnOfc0sMcCDFyx8CTSw_C8qL4fvbdRDeqZp1hzIrrCDQUaAT-qbTrtj2Fd4HhlKvoZnkpnVNOdZlBviBqXRzKbZa21-5_CCUorc5BvJoZ2ArfWQfEK5Pz/s1600-h/Cross-Country-2-web.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVXNXbMoBiCl4yAgKoRcwO5SKnOfc0sMcCDFyx8CTSw_C8qL4fvbdRDeqZp1hzIrrCDQUaAT-qbTrtj2Fd4HhlKvoZnkpnVNOdZlBviBqXRzKbZa21-5_CCUorc5BvJoZ2ArfWQfEK5Pz/s400/Cross-Country-2-web.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330291997883391330" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-32292698583139969752009-04-25T09:49:00.003-04:002009-04-25T09:54:50.214-04:00I think I'm in Love!!After posting last night with my first attempt, I whipped up these two pages in no time! I'm no Ali Edwards, but I think they look cute. And I think this may restore sanity to my life!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIIlU9bDBWtYYEedl6jHtMQcLBEWav-9i6t_W-jdYz5DAh0HIfOHxMclyj6ps9I25VFuuLVJnQoeFAaTnsCnbvtgs0kBXrRjYnGUJo6YrMfNfmpjW-xfNK1_8Q6gEcofvWedahC0el1hk/s1600-h/Whats-missing-web.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIIlU9bDBWtYYEedl6jHtMQcLBEWav-9i6t_W-jdYz5DAh0HIfOHxMclyj6ps9I25VFuuLVJnQoeFAaTnsCnbvtgs0kBXrRjYnGUJo6YrMfNfmpjW-xfNK1_8Q6gEcofvWedahC0el1hk/s400/Whats-missing-web.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328625920816459618" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBph-N3CQWA6bDyIFygOrY46cHa8B_K39craGmEXZ7rH16RAKZBn4I2rojC8UMIIsiBpIRpl_S6z4C87WLLEjlOOv3z4r_quMbbpfzlZhonWN1qnWDdb2FJQaISsOr1uTxYD6J3EDLPCt_/s1600-h/no-training-wheels-2-web.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBph-N3CQWA6bDyIFygOrY46cHa8B_K39craGmEXZ7rH16RAKZBn4I2rojC8UMIIsiBpIRpl_S6z4C87WLLEjlOOv3z4r_quMbbpfzlZhonWN1qnWDdb2FJQaISsOr1uTxYD6J3EDLPCt_/s400/no-training-wheels-2-web.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328626086759617490" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-7582320541130525102009-04-24T17:10:00.003-04:002009-04-24T17:27:32.371-04:00Experiments<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpsY6KSp1QuFRlj21oneEVC8uu4DnRLZAf-Xb61nyp_CIbsLdm8BYd8KBqwtpppOJvUzAZpEv0VAEV6v3IV2CSLHcKNgn24N2Jm20SSuBK0e2ioLFZIox04Pa3NHudV0YkhYxSgIlfioG/s1600-h/Kate-science-fair-web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpsY6KSp1QuFRlj21oneEVC8uu4DnRLZAf-Xb61nyp_CIbsLdm8BYd8KBqwtpppOJvUzAZpEv0VAEV6v3IV2CSLHcKNgn24N2Jm20SSuBK0e2ioLFZIox04Pa3NHudV0YkhYxSgIlfioG/s400/Kate-science-fair-web.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328368447711714034" /></a><br /><br />I've had Photoshop Elements collecting dust for over a year now. When I first got the software I installed the program and opened it up. I was hoping there would be a little Mr. Paperclip that would hold my hand and walk me through the entire process. That digital scrapbooking would be my new favorite way of saving our memories. Bringing beauty and joy to our lives.<br /><br />Well, when after a few minutes of clicking and cursing, a beautiful page did not emerge, I returned to my old fashioned way of scrapping. Standing up at the draft table and cutting, pasting, stamping, and embossing . . . all by hand.<br /><br />A few weeks ago my back started hurting. Not a big deal, just an annoyance. Two days ago the pain shifted from the lower back to radiating pain straight down the back of my right leg. Today went to the chiro and was told to get off my feet. So I decided that this forced inactivity would be the perfect time to sit around with my laptop and really figure out digital scrapbooking.<br /><br />I've spent the better part of this afternoon experimenting with photoshop and some free downloads and came out with the above (lame, but fine for a first attempt and free downloads) layout. <br /><br />An experiment about Kate's experiment she submitted to the school science fair. Granted she had a LOT of help in the entire process (when they got back from the fair last night I was eager to learn if I, I mean Kate, won anything), but it provided an opportunity for some new vocabulary and working on a big project for school. And a chance for Tux to play ball. He can never get enough of that!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzygLIKeUF-GxkHqRGbIFYhP0TUAGcnSshrK2ltee-haTIMJW9SkUI70nXrX3AycFJVQn-xi6bahOSl38qm6-_ByyWsIRjSouO5CsN7ozCCuYlcn_4xv3hnVq-uxxC3VpARcatmN3nwnA/s1600-h/024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzygLIKeUF-GxkHqRGbIFYhP0TUAGcnSshrK2ltee-haTIMJW9SkUI70nXrX3AycFJVQn-xi6bahOSl38qm6-_ByyWsIRjSouO5CsN7ozCCuYlcn_4xv3hnVq-uxxC3VpARcatmN3nwnA/s400/024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328372551354323442" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-71308894573146646362009-03-29T17:45:00.001-04:002009-03-29T17:46:38.252-04:00Kate On Two Wheels<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HfX01F0Ilww&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HfX01F0Ilww&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />We took away the training wheels today! It was really amazing! She hopped on and away she went! No spills. No tears. No bandaids. No kidding. She was fantastic!Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-47411165290142823202009-03-25T20:13:00.006-04:002009-03-25T20:37:24.298-04:00Where's Alex?The 7th grade spring class trip was a three day adventure in Philadelphia so Kate had the chance to be an only child for a while. We thought she'd love being the princess . . . oh wait, she's ALWAYS the princess . . . love having our undivided attention for 3 whole days. And she did enjoy it. But she really missed having her brother around. <br /><br />She told me that she was going to make a card for Alex (she's BIG into making cards right now). I told her I thought that was an excellent idea, that Alex would love to get a card from her. On the day that he was getting home (late, late that night), she ran upstairs afterschool and was busy for quite some time. She came down later with a sealed envelope and announced that she had made her card for Alex. Groovy.<br /><br />When Alex got home (after 11pm) that night, this card was waiting for him on the kitchen counter: <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mfWyoGZ4gqwQzoOurrEvpLoNapzs-zVFcTukEpgs2apf0YThVOvvn8cmDEZTsmHQo_XnBQUw4oOIBQdxPN3nkkG4-TYiU3yHe94jZpS-PUwPXqqmogP512zA_Lkwp2chU-Ha63-rzb8G/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mfWyoGZ4gqwQzoOurrEvpLoNapzs-zVFcTukEpgs2apf0YThVOvvn8cmDEZTsmHQo_XnBQUw4oOIBQdxPN3nkkG4-TYiU3yHe94jZpS-PUwPXqqmogP512zA_Lkwp2chU-Ha63-rzb8G/s400/003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317284512560011954" /></a><br /><br />When she says go home she really means come home. And wes is wish. So sweet. And just as wonderful was that Alex had used some of his spending money in Philly to buy Kate a gift. A key chain (she's got this amazing jingly key chain collection on her backpack) that said Philadelphia on one side (with a flag and some other patriotic stuff), and a flashing #1 Sister on the flip-side.<br /><br />Happy sibs watching Stuart Little together!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhullXMrdZLNYAT2ot6KqPLX8o43gT3J0bBRAazC4OcqmkYy46v_VQRYUyNOjy40qO7HbUE7PJ-oU-FDGm_MMHftIwoWkzGtWF9rJvnFy4BcdrtbrBIj027MIdy7hJ7gDpP8OytMcfzfSTe/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhullXMrdZLNYAT2ot6KqPLX8o43gT3J0bBRAazC4OcqmkYy46v_VQRYUyNOjy40qO7HbUE7PJ-oU-FDGm_MMHftIwoWkzGtWF9rJvnFy4BcdrtbrBIj027MIdy7hJ7gDpP8OytMcfzfSTe/s400/001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317284299104665042" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZT2BYRwkFZkBcgNAV47REE0TtPYGflpK_vOV5DyhjdFKF9W6ExIQ-RiBawZOa5iFZLA0h_nvrt6AohK5OyjatbsMoOEZmHpk_lEHI6hHLSOlIfOiZUxoIRiDdAd-WP2fu9QoR_JnYYd-/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZT2BYRwkFZkBcgNAV47REE0TtPYGflpK_vOV5DyhjdFKF9W6ExIQ-RiBawZOa5iFZLA0h_nvrt6AohK5OyjatbsMoOEZmHpk_lEHI6hHLSOlIfOiZUxoIRiDdAd-WP2fu9QoR_JnYYd-/s400/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317283288005961026" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-14756698825989014252009-03-23T09:23:00.002-04:002009-03-23T09:33:46.506-04:00Vista and Valentine's<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpKa6LBYXseUGkASky9P67vRPbhoAjKkJf9QrPvysvLOIMwXEbX5T1OEUA-xb8i_qqFb01X1hapv86S6fsxTVRtlGbmjCDvzaNirnATDzyNyoCHlBNeYy7tox8kAThoErWhE_ZIZ6cu4l/s1600-h/P1010419.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpKa6LBYXseUGkASky9P67vRPbhoAjKkJf9QrPvysvLOIMwXEbX5T1OEUA-xb8i_qqFb01X1hapv86S6fsxTVRtlGbmjCDvzaNirnATDzyNyoCHlBNeYy7tox8kAThoErWhE_ZIZ6cu4l/s400/P1010419.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316374631126711282" /></a><br /><br />For my birthday I got my very own lovely laptop! It's fast. It's green (my fav color)! And it uses Windows Vista. Previously I was an XP girl so this has taken some adjustment. I'm not really digging the photo storage, but I'll get there. So I'm going to blame my slow learning curve on the reason why I haven't posted in ages. Or I could blame facebook.<br /><br />Pic thanks to Shawndel who sent this to me from Kate's Valentine's Day breakfast at school (oh, about a month ago . . . oops).Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-31098418596952866672009-02-28T21:20:00.002-05:002009-02-28T21:22:20.100-05:00Frog for Chelsea<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqeDYBri3MuWQ0l80z5XJXidFiiigFmOIEhWJWbNfuh5lshyXaJRAMIPC6jdSKjGi1ctVs6Y9LJ8Cq3ji_4V2M20V6FSYE93qGAzI8R8t7En55jPoTNC9Vy_BN3KKoAyK9PaI47u6oGyX/s1600-h/P1020348.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqeDYBri3MuWQ0l80z5XJXidFiiigFmOIEhWJWbNfuh5lshyXaJRAMIPC6jdSKjGi1ctVs6Y9LJ8Cq3ji_4V2M20V6FSYE93qGAzI8R8t7En55jPoTNC9Vy_BN3KKoAyK9PaI47u6oGyX/s400/P1020348.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308038955785248818" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-13299614187097689372009-01-20T07:29:00.003-05:002009-01-20T07:31:31.219-05:00No School Today<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_z1eoYR-fyZbSsXNMkpITtMqoJZuAyLjSTgKkC5j7X0hhT8SMvUMEMi_IrM8KxaY-pffXL4sv6PS7lHkcUeQmaCqzlGj2WdNRTLoFKgwRPiXH__Ab_Orfs1SYiDXinv_R37JpVDzMOeq_/s1600-h/snow+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_z1eoYR-fyZbSsXNMkpITtMqoJZuAyLjSTgKkC5j7X0hhT8SMvUMEMi_IrM8KxaY-pffXL4sv6PS7lHkcUeQmaCqzlGj2WdNRTLoFKgwRPiXH__Ab_Orfs1SYiDXinv_R37JpVDzMOeq_/s400/snow+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293352256404560674" /></a><br />It's 7:30am, the wind is whipping and the snow is falling!!! I wonder if the kids will let me curl up with a good book and a latte . . .Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-17694425206274249282009-01-18T10:03:00.008-05:002009-01-19T21:16:52.962-05:00Ants<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIIcec5lhmwXnQzGXdEuoRjCGhWuBNyCR3WpL9I6F1nrRL1F-WPfWe4ItJFKiArI7dvvKzIDBaw_psWDWDt5HXZTPJasS78q8t0a74tCf8Qk32VSpcp-mpjPnmiMkassmexnnxUQ1uGX1/s1600-h/IMG_2127.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIIcec5lhmwXnQzGXdEuoRjCGhWuBNyCR3WpL9I6F1nrRL1F-WPfWe4ItJFKiArI7dvvKzIDBaw_psWDWDt5HXZTPJasS78q8t0a74tCf8Qk32VSpcp-mpjPnmiMkassmexnnxUQ1uGX1/s400/IMG_2127.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292649807386184210" /></a><br />He really wanted a hamster. Knowing that we have a very inquisitive cat and due to a poor track record for keeping pet enclosures clean, Santa opted to bring Alex an ant farm. It's actually pretty cool. It's filled with a gel that is not only their home, but their source of food (lots of little Hansels and Gretels). <br /><br />We ordered the little guys on line a few weeks ago and had been eagerly awaiting their arrival. Of course the day of their delivery was the coldest we've had so far this year. And they had to hang out in the mailbox for hours until we returned home in the evening. They were in a little vial. No blankets. No mittens. No hot chocolate. They were not looking very happy. Or active. Or alive. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ne5HK0EPA_eQga06M555_ALqS9_kJsTDHvNhoTQDMq3jONCMF0oYvndPwsxhhq7KQ5vRpiAsJ3Gp1krWkvPoQ944KY9NiH9lCa_f8asru0Y3wirEb-gHQ0vPyrXOACO2Bw1SF5cT2xsA/s1600-h/IMG_2128.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ne5HK0EPA_eQga06M555_ALqS9_kJsTDHvNhoTQDMq3jONCMF0oYvndPwsxhhq7KQ5vRpiAsJ3Gp1krWkvPoQ944KY9NiH9lCa_f8asru0Y3wirEb-gHQ0vPyrXOACO2Bw1SF5cT2xsA/s400/IMG_2128.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292653033005297810" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VbtKwNURGCBFTv9Fw-5IZDL-VXUGkOy9QqcoTU7e3VMVtL2f9fYpyNw2lTpChgM5KvKFKjlPiscBaGXw5B3gSEY0cIGSrWbjw6dhnw0eEAOmE5HPlM1H0Y6TAhYjSm4PcwU0choBIaEh/s1600-h/IMG_2130.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VbtKwNURGCBFTv9Fw-5IZDL-VXUGkOy9QqcoTU7e3VMVtL2f9fYpyNw2lTpChgM5KvKFKjlPiscBaGXw5B3gSEY0cIGSrWbjw6dhnw0eEAOmE5HPlM1H0Y6TAhYjSm4PcwU0choBIaEh/s400/IMG_2130.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293188759652940738" /></a><br />Much to our surprise, and quite the test of our reflexes, the little nippers were far from dead (well, most of them anyway) and those little Steve McQueen wannabees tried to escape! Only one brave soul perished in the ill fated prison break, may he rest in pieces. The surviving soldiers proceeded to scoop up the hypothermia victims, deposited them in one corner of their new home, and began tunneling. According to the literature it takes about a week for the ants to begin digging their new digs. Ours must be overachievers (Steve McQueen was no slouch) for they have moved and grooved and have a quite impressive 3 day old subterranean habitat.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunFOnGymuVN_RkAScHmmRAiKq3NTQW39snAs9kadPZn3CfWKz3xXADhdmZM7eQwx7NPHx7Lt6S-RLaWNGpUMfDBBqybHgbsu7KGt5rSyEVG9zuLq1eSVV8KxA-4MFJSMDaZRhZLXqdmjo/s1600-h/blog2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunFOnGymuVN_RkAScHmmRAiKq3NTQW39snAs9kadPZn3CfWKz3xXADhdmZM7eQwx7NPHx7Lt6S-RLaWNGpUMfDBBqybHgbsu7KGt5rSyEVG9zuLq1eSVV8KxA-4MFJSMDaZRhZLXqdmjo/s400/blog2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293193587045664370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcDbCKlNKTjCh51uPQDaKnTPZ2v4fOBz9b2BKBSbF9S2tYHV1RdEkl8BB5aFYBKzTNRQbbfJBctiGny3-qz0QceXkUo9fZcYCZY-aZAjiPRMifeCORCiv52XcRlSjw1XPMRAJEp5OGcFk/s1600-h/blog1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcDbCKlNKTjCh51uPQDaKnTPZ2v4fOBz9b2BKBSbF9S2tYHV1RdEkl8BB5aFYBKzTNRQbbfJBctiGny3-qz0QceXkUo9fZcYCZY-aZAjiPRMifeCORCiv52XcRlSjw1XPMRAJEp5OGcFk/s400/blog1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293193210449572770" /></a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-63034577066976260722009-01-14T10:38:00.004-05:002009-01-15T12:49:23.020-05:00Bunny Clock<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtM9e9QQItdqWTIfvKYqIDaEz7EJ6hJYpriDbJ_lVpBbsvgSL6eQQjV-nJ984VC37cA2UaxVJqVh5dp_EeiQpXlCjiI5xuL4VvrAmDDI0oSoc1lOOJ4yOY7ZN0dhu38yzx-ak6N6SjHvH/s1600-h/ice+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtM9e9QQItdqWTIfvKYqIDaEz7EJ6hJYpriDbJ_lVpBbsvgSL6eQQjV-nJ984VC37cA2UaxVJqVh5dp_EeiQpXlCjiI5xuL4VvrAmDDI0oSoc1lOOJ4yOY7ZN0dhu38yzx-ak6N6SjHvH/s400/ice+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291174794299615746" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6Y5yhjlnKdDjuTzR_j3pnLB9HOndHIbqCzPl51XixgH1hm24erQtvDogn74rMD93vYe18B6tGzXmHNw1Q2CHqaEiklrL8YZMh0BeO-0U1HE54tq1SU5vL6Xa_VoHEtZUPO4Z7Xjg0Y1H/s1600-h/ice+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6Y5yhjlnKdDjuTzR_j3pnLB9HOndHIbqCzPl51XixgH1hm24erQtvDogn74rMD93vYe18B6tGzXmHNw1Q2CHqaEiklrL8YZMh0BeO-0U1HE54tq1SU5vL6Xa_VoHEtZUPO4Z7Xjg0Y1H/s400/ice+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291174418339656082" /></a><br /><a href="http://confessionsofaplateaddict.blogspot.com/">Debbie</a>, a new blogging friend, posted a photo of a soup tureen that looked a bit like my bunny clock. I mentioned to her that I would snap a photo and post it for her to see. It's not an antique but I find it to be quite charming! Voila!Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-80086591170976948652009-01-14T10:33:00.002-05:002009-01-14T10:35:53.010-05:00There's Ice in My Birdbath!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUU9cv0jBgcQPXgbYK59ghaW_WGr-oQaY11QhC-enAMMZjRjR1g-Ym2RqVWvWLVjdiKdQHt_xOpVhh1YZLcunsPDLf71xScDxbzIJOQXrOS5mOZpGx_Yh5VwObPcCsrX8eNFOCYQKtMRl0/s1600-h/ice+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUU9cv0jBgcQPXgbYK59ghaW_WGr-oQaY11QhC-enAMMZjRjR1g-Ym2RqVWvWLVjdiKdQHt_xOpVhh1YZLcunsPDLf71xScDxbzIJOQXrOS5mOZpGx_Yh5VwObPcCsrX8eNFOCYQKtMRl0/s400/ice+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291173226874153522" /></a><br />How wonderfully seasonal! Although my family in Chicago may feel differently, I'm so happy for the cold!Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-69998735139683227072009-01-09T08:25:00.007-05:002009-01-14T13:21:08.638-05:00Nine on the Ninth of Ohh NineOne year ago today we logged on to our agency's website to see the new list of waiting children. That is when we first saw our Kate. I could say that hers was the only face that spoke to me. The shy smile and the hand on the hip. But there were others. Other children that we would have been very lucky to welcome into our fold. One thing that did stand out about our Kate was that the very day that we were looking at her picture was her birthday. My first thought was I hope her family finds her today on her birthday.<br /><br />When we got the call the following week, it was my birthday wish that was being answered (our birthdays are two weeks apart)! And our life and family took a new, exciting turn. We took this picture one year ago to send to our daughter waiting for us in China.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTs8J0pLUwwyrMH-tCTFwJSOXn4Of14WJTepML52H1fJDanKtppAH12c9f102BP_aBsAaEtIk0GbzpnydKZxnt1hrX4z6sOBj9Vngg-UBRluoI_F3X-048uFOrqNwvniQvZg_7GQoIC2lU/s1600-h/IMG_0026.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTs8J0pLUwwyrMH-tCTFwJSOXn4Of14WJTepML52H1fJDanKtppAH12c9f102BP_aBsAaEtIk0GbzpnydKZxnt1hrX4z6sOBj9Vngg-UBRluoI_F3X-048uFOrqNwvniQvZg_7GQoIC2lU/s400/IMG_0026.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291146694226588338" /></a><br /><br />It's amazing to think that 9 years ago today this amazing, spunky, loving creature was born. And 1 year ago today this amazing, spunky, loving creature was born to us.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGWfdT8i0ZH10yEM-puQD-NZ4IpY0ZMtFRJAaKUvxnarX3KHMqG3vwbgSeX6YZtAr0tyT2KV1l8U5KL9oiScCpj2CHoOhmA_qkYnlMSLcNVCp0NPPBXZ8wwzciHqwx2S6tBY1uQxvWexM/s1600-h/birthday+017.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGWfdT8i0ZH10yEM-puQD-NZ4IpY0ZMtFRJAaKUvxnarX3KHMqG3vwbgSeX6YZtAr0tyT2KV1l8U5KL9oiScCpj2CHoOhmA_qkYnlMSLcNVCp0NPPBXZ8wwzciHqwx2S6tBY1uQxvWexM/s400/birthday+017.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291145024321124674" /></a> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2060O0WVcMqh_qY2shUj5t1gFOlQxxMHybLZtjWmuLRMJj-t-VbBeCahp8RKjgt27JVdgFWnt6RSuGuGQxd1C4D9aQrvDDvUwqCJRu1iVemki-9ZQj1LlstXQPr-azu3Hn4Jl3IVAOzHs/s1600-h/birthday+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2060O0WVcMqh_qY2shUj5t1gFOlQxxMHybLZtjWmuLRMJj-t-VbBeCahp8RKjgt27JVdgFWnt6RSuGuGQxd1C4D9aQrvDDvUwqCJRu1iVemki-9ZQj1LlstXQPr-azu3Hn4Jl3IVAOzHs/s400/birthday+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291145264754417874" /></a><br /><br />Happy Birthday Kate!! We love you and are lucky beyond compare to have you as a part of our family!Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-1327853530021041002009-01-08T21:35:00.003-05:002009-01-08T21:56:16.215-05:00The Lemonade Award<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNr4uo7UcNbTAYVSXD3AAdlcX3oxGba0p06jENGZ1PHEWqhEb9n5sNb4jAysqn8xoeEdKUSw8yhsCjf-jJJP9YL_wVJX4hCtYZcnIpAv_jihgOgkmEIQ0ACjqIyPxP0kvdSBL8R0FJKvv/s1600-h/lemonade_award.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 126px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNr4uo7UcNbTAYVSXD3AAdlcX3oxGba0p06jENGZ1PHEWqhEb9n5sNb4jAysqn8xoeEdKUSw8yhsCjf-jJJP9YL_wVJX4hCtYZcnIpAv_jihgOgkmEIQ0ACjqIyPxP0kvdSBL8R0FJKvv/s400/lemonade_award.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289117418181837602" /></a><br />The purpose of this award is to give it to someone who is showing gratitude or a good attitude ("if life hands you lemons, make lemonade") within their life or blog.<br />The rules:<br />1) put the logo on your blog<br />2) nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude and/or gratitude.<br />3) have your 10 pass it along to 10 more!<br /><br />I wish I had enough blogging friends in my arsenal to pass this along to and do it justice, but I think the few friends that I do have tagging along with me on this journey will be able to spread the wishes as strongly as 10 friends would!<br /><br />Thank you Kimberly! A wonderful friend to me and my family here in North Carolina. I appreciate the Lemonade Award and will pass it right along!<br /><br />Below are a few friends that have been very supportive in many ways, being there when perhaps I was the "lemon" that they had to deal with! Some I think I was able to be on my best behavior with. An old blogging friend that has had to deal with the lemons that were dealt out to our agency, but has hands down handled them with grace and whose blog brings so much beauty to those that visit it. And one new friend that I have yet to have met, although I did know her husband in college, and I hope to meet her in person someday!<br /><br />Lynn at <a href="http://wishesquilt.blogspot.com/">http://wishesquilt.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Lori at <a href="http://ajourneytoourdaughter.blogspot.com/">http://ajourneytoourdaughter.blogspot.com/</a> (who I know is very busy getting her business started up, but your blog has brought much joy!)<br /><br />Lynn (a different expat Lynn) at <a href="http://lifeaccordingtolynn.blogspot.com/">http://lifeaccordingtolynn.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Chelsea at <a href="http://gourfamilyadoption.blogspot.com/">http://gourfamilyadoption.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Jolie at <a href="http://www.little-latham.blogspot.com/">http://www.little-latham.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Carla at <a href="http://gulke.blogspot.com/">http://gulke.blogspot.com/</a>Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-18540087569505905692009-01-08T21:20:00.003-05:002009-01-08T21:34:08.750-05:00Picture TagMy friend <a href="http://lifeaccordingtolynn.blogspot.com/">Lynn</a> tagged me for picture tag. Sounds like fun, so I think I'll play along.<br /><br />The object of picture tag is to:<br />1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.<br />2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.<br />3) Explain the picture.<br />4) Tag 4 people to do the same.<br /><br /><br />No Cheating! (cropping, editing, etc)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8BL0iGysPaE-ExGxNePJSySfaCRJSFSoViMIDkgJd8zd7pDyRerMivSbAnielE0N1iqMwhOyvGTm5Ili-JotK2Mvms6_71CXIhIJafR9T__Ug8hNniWKJqAsXD9wGMWzqw-wMRDm3s3b/s1600-h/new+camera+097.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8BL0iGysPaE-ExGxNePJSySfaCRJSFSoViMIDkgJd8zd7pDyRerMivSbAnielE0N1iqMwhOyvGTm5Ili-JotK2Mvms6_71CXIhIJafR9T__Ug8hNniWKJqAsXD9wGMWzqw-wMRDm3s3b/s400/new+camera+097.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289114346559598226" /></a><br /><br />So this is a picture of one of our Virginia Tech friends, Brian Self, at his wedding in July 2006 to Eileen. They were married in Colorado in the shadow of Pikes Peak. They are now living in San Luis Obispo, SLO, (not sure if I spelled that correctly), California. He's an engineering professor at Cal Poly and she is working on her Masters in Sustainable Architecture.<br /><br />So, Kimberly, Chelsea, Carla, Kristy? Photos anyone?Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-52980224347538569632008-12-20T09:55:00.008-05:002008-12-20T10:26:58.772-05:00Kerbie's VisitWhen we traveled from Beijing to Nanchang on May 11, 2008 it was just two families, the McKenzies and the Lathams. Jolie and Shawn met their precious daughter Kerbie in that same conference room just minutes after we had met Kate. We really enjoyed their company while we were in China and were thrilled that they live in Richmond, VA. We were certain that we would visit with them once we got back home.<br /><br />We were so excited when they planned their trip down to Atlanta with a stop-over in Raleigh! Kerbie is such a sweet thing! She is 20 months old now and has started talking. She loved the dogs (she has a couple of her own) and enjoyed making sure they ate all their food. She also helped Phil work on his squatting (very important resting position in China). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6c1rTX0mPx-uZVisViFIcwNPYb7e8LsYBK8t2LQ7wlJUhFq_EpG8vw2GOewlfZ2BU_gL2z9kqosxuPIUSj4KjGghIdZ2iiIOpYrGjAFWEVUZHXNWTgHCs1vLWdWptO0vrkSrhtDN5wao/s1600-h/george+005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6c1rTX0mPx-uZVisViFIcwNPYb7e8LsYBK8t2LQ7wlJUhFq_EpG8vw2GOewlfZ2BU_gL2z9kqosxuPIUSj4KjGghIdZ2iiIOpYrGjAFWEVUZHXNWTgHCs1vLWdWptO0vrkSrhtDN5wao/s400/george+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281886565967401762" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_P54APS7sqIWAVG8YtBfX7uUtSKvEdXSeo1Eu2AJp7n2CmjEfjsO0qIETYj-X3jeCNm6hni7zXpYC-V9fQ8M5BRh92Y31R1LGXzHgK70d1p_ounCD82h9CyeZXySUs6y97hy7M0A2Djq/s1600-h/george+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_P54APS7sqIWAVG8YtBfX7uUtSKvEdXSeo1Eu2AJp7n2CmjEfjsO0qIETYj-X3jeCNm6hni7zXpYC-V9fQ8M5BRh92Y31R1LGXzHgK70d1p_ounCD82h9CyeZXySUs6y97hy7M0A2Djq/s400/george+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281889013466017346" /></a><br /><br />After all the kids had gone to bed, we started swapping "horror" stories about the first few weeks back from China. All the adjustment issues. Trying to figure out how to be a working family again. Feeling totally disfunctional, disillusioned and afraid to let on how low some of the lows could be. It was reassuring to know that we were not alone in our stress. I felt like an idiot for not realizing that they were probably experiencing at least a little of the same and, even if they weren't, that they at least would be supportive, having made that same journey with us back in May. <br /><br />It was great spending some time with them. Lots of laughs. Lots of stories. Good therapy!Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-68138281825858513042008-12-18T17:10:00.001-05:002008-12-18T17:10:13.925-05:00He's Going to Hate This !!<div style='background-color:#e9e9e9; width: 425px;'><object id='A289548' quality='high' data='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=bmYBT7TmAJ7bamS1&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=JibJab' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='transparent' height='319' width='425'><param name='wmode' value='transparent'></param><param name='movie' value='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=bmYBT7TmAJ7bamS1&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=JibJab'></param><param name='scaleMode' value='showAll'></param><param name='quality' value='high'></param><param name='allowNetworking' value='all'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /><param name='FlashVars' value='external_make_id=bmYBT7TmAJ7bamS1&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=JibJab'></param><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'></param></object><div style='text-align:center; width:435px; margin-top:6px;'>Try JibJab Sendables® <a href='http://sendables.jibjab.com/ecards'>eCards</a> today!</div></div><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIyOTYzODE3MDY*MCZwdD*xMjI5NjM4MTk5ODI4JnA9MTkxMTMxJmQ9MjAyMzEwJm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTImdD*mbz**YWNmNzE3ZGZmMmE*NDZmYWI2MDUwNzBhZWQ1Mjg2Zg==.gif" />Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-9664490723360965092008-12-16T15:02:00.001-05:002008-12-16T15:02:43.800-05:00She's Going to Love This!<div style='background-color:#e9e9e9; width: 425px;'><object id='A269819' quality='high' data='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=5yHnRSbuZGPSCuv2&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=JibJab' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='transparent' height='319' width='425'><param name='wmode' value='transparent'></param><param name='movie' value='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=5yHnRSbuZGPSCuv2&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=JibJab'></param><param name='scaleMode' value='showAll'></param><param name='quality' value='high'></param><param name='allowNetworking' value='all'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /><param name='FlashVars' value='external_make_id=5yHnRSbuZGPSCuv2&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=JibJab'></param><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'></param></object><div style='text-align:center; width:435px; margin-top:6px;'>Try JibJab Sendables® <a href='http://sendables.jibjab.com/ecards'>eCards</a> today!</div></div><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIyOTQ1NzczMTg1OSZwdD*xMjI5NDU3NzU1MTU2JnA9MTkxMTMxJmQ9MjAyMzA5Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTImdD*mbz**YWNmNzE3ZGZmMmE*NDZmYWI2MDUwNzBhZWQ1Mjg2Zg==.gif" />Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2236030217723327742.post-19637701197705373622008-12-12T08:40:00.003-05:002008-12-12T09:16:34.804-05:00Elf PartyIt is so easy to take for granted how lucky I am. I never give a second thought to the fact that I live in a safe and loving house, with all my needs met and a whole lot of my wants, too. And it's been a couple of years since I was actively serving in the community, so it's easy to have a kind of happy bubble existence. And easier still to put off new volunteering starts because we were "expecting". At any moment we would get word from China. I would need to be a full-time, kid at home, 24/7 Mom. Not that it would happen quite that dramatically, but I didn't want to commit to something that I couldn't follow through. <br /><br />I realized last year that I needed to pop that bubble and find a way to contribute here in our "new" hometown. I got an application to begin volunteer training with <a href="http://www.interactofwake.org/">Interact</a>, an organization that helps battered women and their children in the Triangle area. Then we found out that we were picked to adopt Kate! <br /><br />It's been a busy 6 months since our trip to China, but it's time to dust off that application and get moving. Wednesday night, Alex, Kate and I spent the evening at Interact's annual Elf Party. We organized toys, clothes, books, and other gifts for Interact's Holiday Bazaar. The bazaar is an opportunity for their clients to come with their children and pick out gifts for one another. We helped set up "shopping" areas for Mom's to "shop" for their children and another area for the kids to pick out gifts for Moms. The bazaar will be held this weekend and will have volunteers helping the kids "shop" for their Moms, helping Moms by keeping kids out of the way while Mom shops and getting all gifts wrapped up to keep secret until Christmas.<br /><br />Both Alex and Kate had a great time and I had numerous complements on how helpful and hard working my two Elves were! Hopefully next year, after having gone through the volunteer training, I'll be able to help out during the bazaar itself! While we drove home Wednesday night, I had two tired kids both agree that we definitely need to do that again next year.Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738984492696753732noreply@blogger.com1