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Monday, September 29, 2008
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Friday, September 26, 2008
Duluth Fall Festival
There are a few things that are a must for someone who grew up in Duluth Ga. First, you know that it is way better than Duluth Minnesota. Second, you get used to having and playing on a sucky football team. Third, you have to have to eat at the Rexall Grill more than 6 times per year. And fourth, you have to go to the Duluth Fall Festival.
I have been going since I was a kid. I took Jennifer the first year we were dating and the Grand Marshall, who we went to church with, Scott Slade called me by name from his parade float. What a great day.
Now it is time to pass the baton to a new Dove. We will let William skip his soccer game tomorrow and attend his first Duluth Fall Festival Parade. We will post some photos later, but I had to post, I am just too excited.
I have been going since I was a kid. I took Jennifer the first year we were dating and the Grand Marshall, who we went to church with, Scott Slade called me by name from his parade float. What a great day.
Now it is time to pass the baton to a new Dove. We will let William skip his soccer game tomorrow and attend his first Duluth Fall Festival Parade. We will post some photos later, but I had to post, I am just too excited.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
I've Been Tagged!
My blog friend Jen Kayser, “tagged” me (my first blog tag!). I’m supposed to give an account of what I was doing 20, 10, 5, 3, 1, etc. year(s) ago.
20 years ago: I was approaching my 13th birthday. I was in 7th grade, the first year of Junior High, and I thought I was big stuff. I had awesome group of girl friends, most of which I'm still friends with today. I was excited about becoming a teenager, and about hosting my first boy/girl birthday party!
15 years ago: I was nearing my 18th birthday and enjoying my senior of high school! But in just a few short weeks my life would change forever as I would become ill and go through several months of hospital visits and surgery before being diagnosed with cancer.
10 years ago: I was 22 year of age and a newlywed. We'd been married just 4 months. I loved being married (still do!!!) and was having a blast being a wife and getting our house all set up just the way we wanted it. I had been at my job for about 7 months and was on the verge of my first promotion.
5 years ago: I was 27 years old. I had just recently started a new position at my company, working in Accounting (and was already questioning my decision to move to this position). We had been trying to start our family for just over a year. Little did we know that our family had already been started, on the other side of the world! Our son was now 16 months old, and I bet he was quite the little trouble maker!
3 years ago: I was 29, and facing 30 in less than 2 months. I had just transferred from Accounting to Product Management. I realized that those 2 years in Accounting were worth it because they gave me more insurance knowledge and helped me network with the people in Product that ultimately gave me the opportunity to do what I enjoy more than any other job I’ve had. I was feeling frustrated that we hadn’t made any progress on our family, but looking back now I know it was all part of God’s plan!
1 year ago: We were just 41 days away from traveling to meet our son. We were excited, nervous, and curious as to what (and who!) was in store for us in Ukraine. We were hearing that it was becoming increasingly difficult to adopt younger children and that we should start considering increasing our age range.
Yesterday: I went to work. I managed to finally finish an essay for school during my lunch break. I finished a monthly report almost 2 weeks late (not my fault, the data wasn’t available). I went home. Zack & I sat pulled up the old flowers from around the mailbox while William rode his bike. I cooked dinner – barbeque, Brunswick stew, and corn on the cob. We were able to talk to Zack’s Dad on Skype (he’s on a month-long business trip to South Korea). I read William the story of the 10 lepers from a children’s Bible story book he brought home from school, and we talked about what it means to be thankful and named things that we’re thankful for.
Today: It’s my niece’s 12th birthday – wow, is she really that old?!?!? (Happy Birthday Anna!) I went to work, and created a problem agent report for our marketing reps. I went to Moe’s for lunch with Zack and my friend Melissa. I’m back at work now, and looking forward to going home in a couple of hours to see Zack & William . We’re meeting the Lambeth family for a picnic & play date at the park tonight!
Tomorrow: Friday is always my favorite day of the week: casual day at the office, finishing up projects here and there, and getting set to spend the weekend with my 2 favorite guys!, And tomorrow is also pay day :) We have no big plans for tomorrow, which is a nice change of pace.
That was fun!
Now I’m tagging Shay Ankerich and Kathy Johnson.
You’re it!
20 years ago: I was approaching my 13th birthday. I was in 7th grade, the first year of Junior High, and I thought I was big stuff. I had awesome group of girl friends, most of which I'm still friends with today. I was excited about becoming a teenager, and about hosting my first boy/girl birthday party!
15 years ago: I was nearing my 18th birthday and enjoying my senior of high school! But in just a few short weeks my life would change forever as I would become ill and go through several months of hospital visits and surgery before being diagnosed with cancer.
10 years ago: I was 22 year of age and a newlywed. We'd been married just 4 months. I loved being married (still do!!!) and was having a blast being a wife and getting our house all set up just the way we wanted it. I had been at my job for about 7 months and was on the verge of my first promotion.
5 years ago: I was 27 years old. I had just recently started a new position at my company, working in Accounting (and was already questioning my decision to move to this position). We had been trying to start our family for just over a year. Little did we know that our family had already been started, on the other side of the world! Our son was now 16 months old, and I bet he was quite the little trouble maker!
3 years ago: I was 29, and facing 30 in less than 2 months. I had just transferred from Accounting to Product Management. I realized that those 2 years in Accounting were worth it because they gave me more insurance knowledge and helped me network with the people in Product that ultimately gave me the opportunity to do what I enjoy more than any other job I’ve had. I was feeling frustrated that we hadn’t made any progress on our family, but looking back now I know it was all part of God’s plan!
1 year ago: We were just 41 days away from traveling to meet our son. We were excited, nervous, and curious as to what (and who!) was in store for us in Ukraine. We were hearing that it was becoming increasingly difficult to adopt younger children and that we should start considering increasing our age range.
Yesterday: I went to work. I managed to finally finish an essay for school during my lunch break. I finished a monthly report almost 2 weeks late (not my fault, the data wasn’t available). I went home. Zack & I sat pulled up the old flowers from around the mailbox while William rode his bike. I cooked dinner – barbeque, Brunswick stew, and corn on the cob. We were able to talk to Zack’s Dad on Skype (he’s on a month-long business trip to South Korea). I read William the story of the 10 lepers from a children’s Bible story book he brought home from school, and we talked about what it means to be thankful and named things that we’re thankful for.
Today: It’s my niece’s 12th birthday – wow, is she really that old?!?!? (Happy Birthday Anna!) I went to work, and created a problem agent report for our marketing reps. I went to Moe’s for lunch with Zack and my friend Melissa. I’m back at work now, and looking forward to going home in a couple of hours to see Zack & William . We’re meeting the Lambeth family for a picnic & play date at the park tonight!
Tomorrow: Friday is always my favorite day of the week: casual day at the office, finishing up projects here and there, and getting set to spend the weekend with my 2 favorite guys!, And tomorrow is also pay day :) We have no big plans for tomorrow, which is a nice change of pace.
That was fun!
Now I’m tagging Shay Ankerich and Kathy Johnson.
You’re it!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Blurb stuff
I've gotten numerous comments and emails about our blurb blog book from my last blog post. I even got to tell (brag) about it on frua, as someone just happened to ask about publishing their blog on the very day that my book was delivered!
(Hi to all my fellow frua'ers who've stopped by!)
Lots of questions have been asked, so I'll try answer some of them here:
Did you use any 9 point font?
Most of the book is printed in 9 point Georgia. It's very easy to read.
How much does it cost?
The prices vary depending on the size of the book. We made a 7x7, but there are bigger books. It also depends on the number of pages - ourss is around 170. With shipping, it was just over $50, which I think is outstanding considering the quality, the size, etc. It's 170 pages, color, and a hard back book with dust jacket!!
The prices vary depending on the size of the book. We made a 7x7, but there are bigger books. It also depends on the number of pages - ourss is around 170. With shipping, it was just over $50, which I think is outstanding considering the quality, the size, etc. It's 170 pages, color, and a hard back book with dust jacket!!
How long does it take to arrive?
We ordered the book on September 10, and it arrived on September 22 - less than 2 weeks!
How long did it take to design the book?
I worked on it in my spare time over about 3 months. (With a 6 year old, a full time job, a house to take care of, and taking classes for my MBA I have very little spare time, and that's why it took 3 months!)
Is the quality really that good?
Yes, it really is! I was surprised at how good it looks. And for those of you who are thinking about doing this with your blog, your book will look even better than ours! We got an email from blurb, saying that starting September 22 they are improving the quality of the 7x7 books, printing them on a better paper that will make the photos look better.
I am especially glad we added the Gotcha Day pages at the end – it will be a special place to record our memories & a picture each year. If you have more questions, feel free to email me: dovefamily@bellsouth.net
Monday, September 22, 2008
I slurped, it worked!
Now that I have your attention ;) We found out about blurb, an awesome self-publishing site where you turn your blog into a book. You download the software, "slurp" (upload) your blog, and edit it to make it look just the way you want it.
So we slurped our adoption blog, and worked on the book for a few months. We finally ordered it a couple of weeks ago. It arrived today, and can I just say that it is AWESOME!!!!! We designed a 7x7 book, and after we paid for it I started worrying that it was going to be too small. But it looks so good!
It's about 170 pages. And at the end of the book, we made pages for each annual Gotcha Day (all the way through his senior year of high school). Each page has a place to put a picture, a section for recording what we did that day, and a place to record height, weight, and all his current favorites.
Here are a few shots of how it turned out...
Friday, September 19, 2008
A heart is a house for Jesus.
When I went to pick up William from kindergarten today, there was a new group of pictures on the wall. The paper had the words "A ____ is a house for _____." The kids are supposed to sound the words out and spell them and write them in. I am so proud of William. I think he is starting to understand.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Big Moment!
Look what our big boy learned to do in about 10 minutes last night...
We're so proud of him!!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Ken & Joy
Our 'blog friends' Ken & Joy are scheduled to have their SDA appointment today. Some of you probably followed their blog during the adoption of their adorable son Kyle (like William, he's also from Mariupol). Well they are back in Ukraine, seeking to adopt Kyle's 2 older sisters.
We are very excited for the Rae family. Please keep them in your prayers as they seek to reunite these siblings, as they jump through all the necessary hoops in Ukraine, and as they deal with homesickness and their separation from Kyle during this time. They are using the same facilitator again, the awesome lady that was also our facilitator in country. She is fabulous, so they are definitely in VERY capable and caring hands :)
If you have a minute free, pop over to their blog and let them know that you're thinking of them!
We are very excited for the Rae family. Please keep them in your prayers as they seek to reunite these siblings, as they jump through all the necessary hoops in Ukraine, and as they deal with homesickness and their separation from Kyle during this time. They are using the same facilitator again, the awesome lady that was also our facilitator in country. She is fabulous, so they are definitely in VERY capable and caring hands :)
If you have a minute free, pop over to their blog and let them know that you're thinking of them!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Our second-favorite team
Anyone who knows us knows that we are UT Vols fans first and foremost. We all (including Adie) wear our orange jerseys on game day, and surround our big screen with a UT helmet, a statue of Smokey, and various other paraphernalia. I've even been known to plant orange & white flowers around the mailbox when there's a big SEC rival game coming up.
But as long as they're not playing each other, we also cheer for the University of Georgia. So on Saturday we drove to Athens with Eric & Michaele (they're both UGA alumni) and went to the Bulldogs' game against Central Michigan. Zack's been to one other UGA game, but this was the first time for William & me.
It was lots of fun, but extremely hot. We ran into a ton of people we know, including the Taylors (they adopted Madelyn about a month before we adopted William).
William had a great time and made it through the entire game. So he has officially been introduced to the craziness of college football in the south. If you're not from the south/don't live in the south, you can't fully appreciate college football mania like it is down here!
William & Mommy at The Arch. Eric says this will be a great pic when William is a student UGA... in 2021!
William & Daddy at The Hedges
Knowshon Moreno dives in for a touchdown
Fourth Quarter
Madelyn, Zachary & William
Post-game family photo op
The little ladies' man
But as long as they're not playing each other, we also cheer for the University of Georgia. So on Saturday we drove to Athens with Eric & Michaele (they're both UGA alumni) and went to the Bulldogs' game against Central Michigan. Zack's been to one other UGA game, but this was the first time for William & me.
It was lots of fun, but extremely hot. We ran into a ton of people we know, including the Taylors (they adopted Madelyn about a month before we adopted William).
William had a great time and made it through the entire game. So he has officially been introduced to the craziness of college football in the south. If you're not from the south/don't live in the south, you can't fully appreciate college football mania like it is down here!
William & Mommy at The Arch. Eric says this will be a great pic when William is a student UGA... in 2021!
William & Daddy at The Hedges
Knowshon Moreno dives in for a touchdown
Fourth Quarter
Madelyn, Zachary & William
Post-game family photo op
The little ladies' man
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
First day of Kindergarten
(I'm doing 2 posts in one day, so be sure to check out the one below here, too!)
Our little guy had his first day of kindergarten and it went well: much more smoothly than his First Day of Preschool, where he was on the verge of tears when Zack left. This time around, I took him and he did great. There are 2 kids from his preschool class, plus his new friend Samuel, and lots of new friends whose names he can't remember :)
Look how much he's grown...
First Day of Pre-K (Jan 3, 2008)
First Day of Kindergarten (Sep 2, 2008)
Here are some other pics fromthe morning...
Posing with his back pack (or as he calls it, his pack bag)
Samuel & William, getting ready to hit the halls together!
With his teacher, Miss Mary
And we had a VERY sad terrier this morning. I got back to the car after taking William to his classroom, and Adie was not happy that I was alone. She refused to sit in the front with me, and finally curled up in his carseat. At home, she moped around, and sat at the doorway to his room with her ears down.
But then she was so excited when we picked him up!
Our little guy had his first day of kindergarten and it went well: much more smoothly than his First Day of Preschool, where he was on the verge of tears when Zack left. This time around, I took him and he did great. There are 2 kids from his preschool class, plus his new friend Samuel, and lots of new friends whose names he can't remember :)
Look how much he's grown...
First Day of Pre-K (Jan 3, 2008)
First Day of Kindergarten (Sep 2, 2008)
Here are some other pics fromthe morning...
Posing with his back pack (or as he calls it, his pack bag)
Samuel & William, getting ready to hit the halls together!
With his teacher, Miss Mary
And we had a VERY sad terrier this morning. I got back to the car after taking William to his classroom, and Adie was not happy that I was alone. She refused to sit in the front with me, and finally curled up in his carseat. At home, she moped around, and sat at the doorway to his room with her ears down.
But then she was so excited when we picked him up!
Labor Day Weekend Fun
What a fun weekend....
On Monday we ran errands, went to Josh's for a while, then had a few people over to watch the [pathetic] Tennessee game.
We went to the Stone Mountain Laser Show on Saturday with our friends Eric & Michaele
.
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On Sunday Zack's cousin drove down from Knoxville. We went downtown to Centennial Park & the World of Coke, which was really cool (Zack & I hadn't been in years). William was the most excited about riding the Marta train, and about getting to drink Coke - he doesn't get it at home.
On Monday we ran errands, went to Josh's for a while, then had a few people over to watch the [pathetic] Tennessee game.
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