Moving right along

Today was Bear's first dental appointment. He got a clean bill of health; the Dr said his teeth look great and perfectly aligned as well as no spots of concern... and Bear of course had everyone at the office playing with him just to see him smile. I am telling you, if this is not my opportunity to share God with everyone I don't know what is. Bear can draw them in and God can use us (his parents) to share the good news to everyone around us! After all we do have quite the testimony (I have a rather large one even before I got saved and married) to share with everyone around us. And here we have a GINORMOUS Blessing/miracle living and breathing as OUR SON (in faith)!

So yesterday we had some dear friends come over so that I could take their pictures for Christmas cards.. we had fun just taking the pictures and getting to have pizza together afterwards. I was also able to finally get some fun shots of Bear for his "1 year" pictures (I know that he is now 13 mos, but isn't there like a one month grace period or something... ) haha. He does real well when there is someone making him smile! I just don't have it in me to take the picture and dance around like a monkey on a banana high (no offense Tia ahahhaah). So enjoy his wonderful smile and know that there was a cracked out monkey making him laugh! Whatever it takes right!
Excuse the poor lighting... we are working on getting a fun place to take pictures that has GREAT light. Any tips are always welcome Ü.




Tomorrow our CPS caseworker is coming out for what she said to be her last time ever. WHICH MEANS THAT WE ARE GETTING TRANSFERRED SOON! Before next month. We were told after NOV 20th that we were going to be transferred to adoptions so hopefully we will get some good news while we are in AZ.

We are leaving this weekend at 1AM woohhooooo. I am pumped (not by any means about the time) but about heading away from this place and getting to enjoy the mountains and hopefully some snow (at this point I would just appreciate some cold weather that resembles fall). Last year it snowed the day before we left AZ so we did get to see a small amount. I am so looking forward to having a week to be away from our home and daily routine. Not that relaxation sounds in the plans (Bear is coming) but fun definitely sounds like a MUST, especially now that he can walk and really enjoy things. Like our hike to the top of the mountain. I am sure he will be strolled most of the way but once we are up there he can explore to his hearts content. Pine cones are not poisonous right? hahaha!

Oh one last little tid bit. Bear is officially starting to potty train. I bought his potty yesterday, and he has used it. Now we just have to train mommy to empty it right away. I was emptying the tee tee out of it (hours later) while he was waiting (standing by it w/o a diaper on) to go and he peed on the floor. OOPS! He has been doing good today. I know he is young but it is doable! I think I am just going to get him used to it for now but when we come back from AZ we will go a little more hard core P. Training! Never too early to try to succeed. right?

Bear is up on twos!

He is finally walking without help. He will stand in the middle of the floor and just go. I knew it would not be long. It did seem like it took a while to get the hang of it but now he is going. He sometimes sits halfway and then crawls but he is getting there. I am so proud of him, It is fun to watch his face when he does it. Sheer excitement!



We have one week left before we are to be leaving to AZ! I am sooo excited I cannot wait! I can smell the cedar trees now and feel the warm blaze of the fireplace on the cool crisp nights. I can also taste the delicious foods that will be served up all the while we are there. Nona is an amazing cook (of course she is; she's Italian Ü) I also love to cook along side her. We make a great team in the kitchen I do think. She is so much fun and loves to have a great time with her family! I think that is probably why I love my MIL so much... She is her mother's daughter!

I am off to go play games with my hubby now! Yay!

Homestudy complete!

Okay so we are one step closer to Adoption. Today we had our homestudy for adoption. Our Agency comes out and updates all of our paperwork asking us how we function as a family... I tell them like dys!... hahahah dysfunction! okay, okay hold down the silence and cue the crickets!

So on with the homestudy... they ask us questions about our background; like abuse, violence in our home (I am so glad the dogs can't talk... they'd tell about the time that we took Duke and had him ... Well you know; but he can't so we are in the clear)... (Are those crickets?).

We told them that J's parents are recently recovering from a long line of drug and alcohol abuse and gun theft (hahahaha... for those of you not lucky enough to know them yet... his father is a Pastor and his mom... well she is the pastor's wife. She is MUCH MORE than that... She is AMAZING AND I LOVE HER!

It was about an hour and a half long and we got to air all of our dirty laundry and the clean ones too thanks to Bear pulling all my freshly folded laundry out... Good thing I put the panties away already... (ahahhahahahah okay sorry I am seriously distracted tonight but has anyone seen the movie ANGUS... there is this part on there where his undies get jacked and they are hung from the flag pole at school and as he sees them up there they are getting bigger and bigger and finally they fall off and land on his "crush's" face (i think that's how it goes)... so that's what went through my mind just envisioning Bear pulling my undies out in front of our caseworker... AND HER TRAINEE! But it also did not happen so I am again IN the clear... They were safely tucked away in J's lunch box (like you have never stashed something in a random place because it was convenient for the time) I sure hope he brown bagged it tonight! Surprise??? I hope he won't think it is like one of those little "love notes" preparing him for what is to come... I am going to go take some sleep meds guys.

Oh yeah back to the post. Any way our homestudy is done and now we are waiting for the case to be moved to the Adoptions unit (nov 20 or later this mo) then we get to carry on with the rest. The Director at our foster agency is saying that it should be no more than a month; two at tops but we will see... I am trusting God for this miracle before Christmas. WE are pushing limits and number havoc but numbers do not matter to God. He can and WILL perform what is to be witnessed by us and those around us in His time! AMEN! ( yes I have talked about God and my undies in J's lunch box all in the same post...and? I used a different paragraph hello!)

Mosieing right along now...We are getting ready for our Thanksgiving vacation... woohoooo... we are leaving for AZ for a week. We are headed to the mountains to visit J's Nonna at her cabin she had built there about a year ago. Beautiful and so relaxing. I am getting stir crazy just thinking about it; WE love spending time with them (his Aunt Catherine will be joining us as she lives with Nonna). there is something about traveling that just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside...It is getting to spend so much uninterrupted time together. I am praying for minimal melt-downs from Bear... He does wonderful and we have never had problems from him such as these so I am hoping that he will be able to function on the road the whole way too. It is a 16 hour trip one way sooooo... lots of Benadryl... hahaha j/k. Yes for me! (Gosh you are terrible)

I hope I don't have to drive. J loves to drive long road trips; so lucky am I. I just can't watch; He scares the tar out of me! Let's just hope this year it is tar... last year it was not so tarry, more like well I will spare you. I had a terrible virus that I caught just before leaving and it made for a terrible road trip to say the least (oh yeah and we had a 3 week old baby in tow). I took some immodium and then was scared to pass gas from there after, but felt like I was going to explode if I didn't... It was a scary toss up.... That stuff is no joke! I think you could use that stuff to stop leaky faucets or something... hahahahahahhahahaha... yes I am delerious... but it is my blog and if you are still reading I am terribly sorry... DId I mention that we are going AZ... Okay I have got to go now.

See you tomorrow.