NCA Convention Time!

Every year, the National Costumers Association (NCA) has an annual convention. I really look forward to these conventions. They are in a different city every year, as different members volunteer to host the 4 day affair. The NCA is made up of independent costumers from around the country and in a few other countries too. My parents joined the NCA in 1989 when they opened Annie's Costume and Magic. Coincidentally, that year the convention was being held here in Hollywood, FL. My first convention was in Cleveland in 1994 and I have been hooked ever since. We have made so many friends and learned so much from our NCA friends and family over the years, it is hard to even put into words what a great part of my life my NCA friends and family have become.

This year, our convention was in San Jose/ Santa Clara, CA. Our host was Debbie Lyn Owens of Debbie Lyn's Costumes in Sunnyvale. We had a blast at convention. Myke was in charge of the youth group for the second year in a row. If that is not a perfect job for Myke, I don't know what is. This job entails taking the kids around to the local theme parks and other fun activities for the kids to keep them occupied while all the parents and adults are taking part in convention activities and classes, etc.

Here are pics of Myke and I dressed as King and Queen Neptune for the opening night party. The theme was "Under the Sea" and the awesome costumes were provided by our friends Kim and Ron at Spotlight Costumes in Pittsburgh. (We have costume friends all over the country now!)


I also modeled costumes that Kim designed in the Showcase, which is our annual costume competition. Her costumes won in her category and Floyd Nash, who did my makeup won an award for the awesome makeup. I loved modeling the costume and especially loved it when I walked through the crowd and heard several times "Oh, wow, that's Shari!" (pics coming soon)

My favorite event at convention (besides spending time with friends) is called the Creative Style Show. It really shows off the creativity of the costume designers in the bunch. Ten shops volunteer to partake in the show. Each of the ten shops then receive "the box" a few months before convention. And each of these ten boxes include the same fabrics and notions. The fabulous thing is to see the ten completely different costumes that come out of the same origin. It's so cool and amazing. The NCA members are so talented.

We don't have a designer anymore since we don't have the shop, so we don't participate in these events, so now I get to watch, and enjoy!

One of the highlights of this trip was an excursion to Monterey before the actual convention started. About 50 or 60 people took the day long bus ride to Monterey via the Santa Cruz mountain roads to The Pacific Coast Highway. The trip was about 2 hours and we got to see all the different landscapes and terrains that Northern California has to offer. We started off in Santa Clara, which is the heart of Silicon Valley; and we went through the mountains, forests, and farm lands. They grow strawberries, bib lettuce and is the artichoke capital of the world. We passed through Moss Landing and a small area called Elkhorn Slough, which I was particularly intrgued by since Debbie Lyn said that animals that are found there, are only found there and no place else in the world. I thought that the Galapagos Islands was the only spot like that! Soon we arrived at Monterey Bay where the waves were crashing on the shore. Only the second time I've seen the Pacific Ocean before and its quite different than the Atlantic Ocean here in Florida. We passed by Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf and ended up at Cannery Row. I loved Monterey! It was awesome to see the seals, sea lions and sea otters. It was quite a bit cooler there by the ocean. When the bus stopped, Myke and I ate at one of the seafood restaurants called Fish Hopper right on the water. Seals and sunned on the rocks and played inthe waters just below us and the food was amazing. After lunch we walked over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and spent a couple of hours there before getting back on the bus to head back tour hotel in Santa Clara. On the way back, we stopped at at a winery and Garlic World in Gilroy, which is billed as the Garlic Capital of the World. Myke tried some Garlic ice cream. (eeek!) This was all expertly planned out by Debbie Lyn, and I thank her so much! I can't imagine how much planning goes into hosting a convention, and I don't think I will ever find out.

Many often ask for us to host one in Ft. Lauderdale, but we are busy enough as it is! Myke is open to hosting one, but dad and I say NO! Too much un-needed stress!

Home Study Now Complete!

We had our home study visit today with Bonnie, our social worker. Everything went quite smoothly - except for my car breaking down at the mail box (see the Pep Boys Sucks post coming soon). We handed in all of our paper work and answered all of her questions. One thing that sticks out in my mind is when Bonnie asked me about my mom and what kind of a person she was. It's been 9 years now since she passed away and I still usually fight back tears and have to swallow real hard when talking about her. So I am proud of myself for not becoming an emotional mess during the "interview". I described my mom as a very strong woman who was always upbeat. I told Bonnie that to give her an idea of what my mom was like, I would tell her the story of one of her reactions to being diagnosed with breast cancer. My mom decided she would go out and buy some terribly ugly floral bed sheets and matching comforter. She hated floral bedding. So why buy some? "I don't want to and don't plan to spend much time in bed." Bonnie stopped me and said that pretty much explained my mom - no need to say anything else. Myke held my hand. : )

The I600A Scare

Ok, so this morning I drop Myke off at the dentist and I come back to the house to see some mail sitting on the dining room table. Hmmm . . . strange! I don't remember seeing this before! Myke has a habit of bringing in mail and not telling me - lord knows he's not going to open it, either. So, of course something very important is in there. I see the envelope with Department of Homeland Security in the return address. I am surprised that they got our I600A form and responded so quickly and then I am also surprised to see that we HAD appointments to get our fingerprints done YESTERDAY! AHHHHH!!!! So, of course I panic = then I read that processing time will take one year. So, I am now really upset and trying not to cry so that I can try and fix our missed appointment problem.

I immediately email my FCC Support group - and I get some immediate help! Whew!!

I also called the number on the paperwork and find out that Wednesdays are the makeup day and we don't need an appointment! Whew again. The nice man on the phone also gave me an email address to send an inquiry to about the waiting time.

So, I go and pick up Myke from the dentist and unload all this information on this poor guy who just suffered through a root canal! And off to the INS office we go!

Our fingerprints were done right away with almost no wait. How cool are those electronic fingerprint machines?!

Then on the way home I actually get a call from the INS office in Miami and the nice lady on the phone assures me that the wait time is not one year, it is 60 to 90 days - which is actually shorter than what I originally thought!

So, the crisis was averted! Whew [again]. And I am so glad to be reporting this to you feeling so much better than I originally thought!

FCC June Luncheon

We had a great time today at the 2nd FCC monthly Emerald Coast event we have attended. We are so lucky to have found this group of awesome people! Last month was a dinner; this month's Sunday luncheon attracted a lot of people, so there were lots of people to meet and greet. And the food at Emerald Coast was really good! It is so neat for Myke and I to get to visit with everyone and see all the children playing, knowing that soon our little girl can be among those playing with the bubbles and running around! WOW - what a cool thought!

Farewell Stargate SG1

Well, Stargate SG1 is gone! It wasn't the blockbuster ending I was looking for, but it was an ending none the less. I will miss the characters, hopefully they will sometimes make appearances on Stargate Atlantis and evidently, Samantha Carter is going to be on Atlantis next season, so that is very cool. If I can't have "the whole band together" as Mitchell says, then I'll take whatever I can get. Maybe she will take Weir's place in Atlantis since it looks like she might have bit the bullet. No tears for the demise of her character, unlike Dr. Beckett. I still can't believe he's gone and wonder what could possibly be the reason for that. Well, I am so sorry to see SG1 go away, but how many races of false Gods can they fight off anyway? I will miss the characters, the actors have all done such a grea job at making them real. Thanks for the memories and thanks for the last 10 years, Stargate! You will be gone, but not forgotten because you will probably end up on our shelf in DVD form along with our other favorites like Farscape & Alias! When Chianna gets old enough, hopefully she will enjoy watching them too.

BIRTHDAY DINNER SUNDAY

Dinner, party of 7: me, Myke, my dad, my brother, my sis in law (Pryscilla), Dee Dee and my Cuz Eric. We went to the Mai Kai in Ft. Lauderdale to celebrate my birthday and my brother, Jack's birthday too. Our birthdays are only 11 days apart (and 4 years difference). My parents expertly planned this out. At the time, they had a card and gift business and they planned for us to be born in June - a month with no major holidays - LOL.

We had a great time at the Mai Kai. The dancing always amazes me, I love that kind of stuff. Dee Dee was so intrigued and amazed. It is so awesome to see her experience things for the first time and I can't wait to be able to do that with Chianna as well. One of the dancers shook her hips so hard that her belt fell off. I thought it was kinda funny and amazing all at the same time. Eric said he fell in love at that very moment! I really admired how the belt falling off didn't even make her miss a beat, she stepped right out of it after it hit the floor.

I actually posted this so late because I was waiting for Jack to send me the pics, which I still don't have, so I will finally post the info and post pics whenever I get them.

I really can't talk about delay with pics though, I still have not picked out the professional pics from our wedding - I am such a procrastinator! UGHHHH - I need procrastinators therapy. Why do today what I can put off until tomorrow? That's my motto, unless its my blog, of course. HA!

Evan Almighty the Birthday Movie ; )-

I had quite a lovely birthday today! It was pretty unplanned - as usual -we are such "last minute people!"


I woke up to the yummiest smell - Myke made me Birthday Waffles for breakfast! It was such an awesome surprise and they were not just any waffles - they were apple struesel waffles with cinnamon and whipped cream and everything!


Then when he came back to bed to wake me, he proclaims: "Ewww who is this old woman lying in my bed??!! Where is the hot young chick I went to bed with last night???"


HA HA HA Very funny!

For the record, I am 35 today. Hopefully, I am not an old crotchety - YET!

We went to our fave movie theater - the Muvico in Boca with the Premiere Theater. We love it because we never have to worry about people talking in the theater. A pleasant side effect of $20 movie ticket. Yes, its sad that you have to spend so much to get a great movie experience, but it is so worth it! Besides, you get popcorn and valet parking for free (or for about $10 - depends on how you look at it). But, the reserved seats are nice, not to mention that they are comfy plush love seats - and you can order food at the bistro style restaurant there and eat it in the movies. I don't like to do that because it is too dark and I need to see what I'm eating. : )-
They also sell beer, wine and alcohol, so you can drink during your movie, if you want.

So, our good friends Jay & Bonnie took us to see Evan Almighty, which was such a fun and cute movie. They were also gracious enough to buy us dinner for my birthday - THANKS YOU GUYS! So, a good time was had by all.

I pretty much am happy to do anything these days because it seems like I am always in front of a computer!

It's My B-Day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Blowfish, Rosetta Stone & Pho A.K.A. "You Don't Need to Bring Costumes to Vietnam"

No, we didn't eat blow fish sushi, that is the name of the company on these cute sandals I bought today. Myke picked them out, so I am bound to get compliments on them. : )

Myke & I had a marketing meeting up in Boca today and we decided to take the rest of the afternoon to visit the "fancy mall in Boca". We had a nice afternoon together. We purchased the Rosetta Stone program to learn Vietnamese. So, hopefully [keeping fingers crossed] we will be able to communicate just enough to get by and know whats going on a bit when we travel to Vietnam. Plus, it will be something nice to have for Chianna when she gets older and might want to learn a little Vietnamese herself.

If this software works, BTW, it comes with a 6mo money back guarantee and was $200, I'm planning to get the Mandarin Chinese one and then maybe Japanese too. I always wanted to learn. Plus, with a basic knowledge of Chinese in addition to what we hear and learn while watching Kung Fu flicks, we will learn even more and maybe eventually not need the subtitles on un-dubbed films.

While walking through the mall, we saw some really cool, super sturdy luggage and popped in the store to take a peak. The largest piece was $900!!! AHHHH Well we can't get that since money does not grow out of my BUTT. So we then looked at some other reinforced plastic kind that was only $400 - still expensive, but I have gone through more than that in luggage in the past few years, so this would be a good investment and we would not have to worry about anything happening to it during international travel to Vietnam. So, we decided to think about it more - we still have quite a few months til we leave for Vietnam. But we are going to San Jose next month, so maybe we should decide sooner rather than later.

As we were leaving the store I started thinking about packing for Vietnam and what we would need to take. (I am sure lots of my FCC South Florida and new blog friends will help us out with this info when the time comes.) But, I started going on about how many cute outfits we will have to have for Chianna and how many costumes I will have to bring to dress her up in - LOL. Then Myke was all like, "OMG you don't need to bring costumes to Vietnam!" and I told him that I did because I was planning on bringing her off the plane in her first Lady Bug Costume! Then he just looked at me and smiled with tears in his eyes at the thought of his little daughter all dressed up so cute and I had tears in mine. So we just held hands and walked down the mall. : ) Luckily we avoided crying in the middle of The Boca Town Center!

Now that I am thinking about it, I have to find a Lady Bug costume now, since as it gets closer to Halloween, there will be less and less available. Dad, can you help me find one? I was thinking of the one pictured here because I love it but, the smallest is 12 - 24 months, and that might be too big since we are thinking/expecting that our baby girl will be about 3 or 4 months when we pick her up. Oh, I am now thinking I am way jumping the gun on all this, so maybe we should put it on hold for now. But, Dad, we should still order a newborn lady bug costume (just in case) and also because it will sell well! ; )


So, we finished our day with dinner at Stir Crazy - mmmm yummy. We shared Thai basil chicken and Pho with shrimp and beef. I love that pho soup and was commenting on how I could definitely live on that stuff for 3 weeks in Vietnam, then Myke said "yeah if its like this" and I had a bad thought of like fish heads or something floating in my soup in Vietnam - uh oh hope not! Well, the soup originated from there, so I am sure it is awesome there too! One of the first times I had pho was in Colorado while visiting my cousin Tracey and her family. We love it in Colorado. They eat at this Vietnamese restaurant a lot. Unfortunately, we don;t have any Vietnamese places around here, that I know of anyways. Anyone out there know of any Vietnamese places in South Florida? I know there are plenty of Asian Fusion places - love to hear about those too - but I am mostly wondering about Vietnamese restaurants. Yum Yum good. Sometimes I wonder how I am not 400 pounds.

This Pampered Chef Thing is Fun!

A big THANK YOU to Shannon for hosting a Pampered Chef party. It was the first time I had heard of such a thing and now plan on hosting one too - that is if I can talk Myke into it. Well, I had a great time, but pretty much had no idea what to buy since the kitchen is Myke's domain and, of course, I got it all wrong. He hates everything I bought and since I never cook, I won't get any use out of anything. I even bought a silicon whisk thinking we needed one and not remembering that we just bought one like last week. DUH

However, it was all worth the disappointment of buying the wrong things when Myke made me crack up laughing. I was trying to explain this mix and chop thing I bought without the picture. So, I was ineptly trying to describe this thing at a loss for words and using my hands. (Try to picture this with me here.) So he asks what party was this? Did you buy a [enter in name of bedroom toy here]? So I started laughing so hard that I couldn't breathe and then I almost threw up all the yummy food we had at the party. Luckily I was able to hold it all in though - whew! This is Myke and I almost all the time - he is laughing at me and making me laugh! : )

So, I still had a great time and would do it again regardless of my silly purchase decisions. It was great to get out from behind this computer - where I have been all week long. If its not work, I am playing on this blog or playing on Pogo, so I really need to get out more - who else wants to host a party??? And on top of it all, this was a fund raising party and Shannon raised a lot of money for Love Without Boundaries - YEAH!

My brain has been really fried lately. I think it may be too much work, but mostly I think it is the HOT FLORIDA SUN FRYING MY BRAIN ALIVE!!! What do you mean the first day of summer was yesterday? First day of summer my booty! It is summer here about 360 days a year. I am thinking of the Colorado mountains and trying to remain cool. But that is hard to do when your car air conditioning breaks for the 3rd time in 3 months. Pep Boys has no idea what to do when it comes to air conditioning (obviously!) (grrrrrr!!! and ughhh!!). So, now I have to find an air conditioning place and I am sure that the prices are high and lines are long this time of year.

Officially Accepted by Our Agency

Ok! We got our welcome packet today from A.D.O.P.P.T. and as exciting as that is, it came with what else? MORE PAPERWORK!. Not unexpected, but now we have more papers to sign and have notarized. We should have that done by next Friday - that is when we have our Home Study visit.

Woo Hoo Kung Foo!!!

So, we just recently switched to satellite TV.

I'm not sure if I am totally thrilled with it yet or not, but I am too peeved at Comcast to continue on with them. (Long story & you don't want to know - ughhh!) So, satellite currently seems to be the lesser of two evils right now; and I must get my TV one way or another!
We did lose the signal twice yesterday when it was raining, which is disconcerting. They insisted that was just a bunch of cable company hype! So, we will have to see if that continues to be a problem. I can tell you that if it goes out while recording one of our shows, then there will be an issue!

But, this blog topic is about a positive thing with our satellite and that is kung fu 24/7!!!! Our Dish service has The Kung Fu Channel!!! In HD!!!!! This is awesome - kung fu movies all the time! Myke is in total heaven and I have to say that it has cut into my usual food network addiction. (Although it does have two Food Network Channels - the regular and HD!!!) We both love watching kung fu movies, so there is now always something for us to watch - especially since a lot of our shows are not on in the summer.

Plus, we are preparing to bid a sad farewell to our beloved Stargate SG1. So sad! All our fave shows always have to go bye bye. But, at least we can say Stargate had a good 10 year run!
Oh, and for any other kung fu fans out there, you have to check out Condor Hero. We bought our DVD at Best Buy. Myke describes it best as a Chinese soap opera for men (or kung fu fans). It has a great story line and amazing kung fu plus really good special effects. It is quite long - it was on for several seasons, but well worth it. It has English subtitles, so you really have to pay attention, but it is enthralling! Myke and I learned quite a bit of Chinese while watching. Ok, there's my plug, now let me know if any one watches it.

Cereal Killers??

So what is this crap I hear about people actually wanting to get rid of all the cartoon characters on the cereal boxes and commercials?

Ridiculous, just ridiculous I tell you.

If parents don't want their children to eat certain cereals then getting rid of the cartoon mascots is not the answer. I'm sorry to have to say it, but it is just plain stupid. Its just another step towards an overly politically correct, bland society where the squeaky wheel gets the grease and screw everybody else.

Don't you dumb people dare try and ban these pop culture icons is just wrong.

WRONG, I TELL YOU!

Do you not know how to tell your child what he or she can and cannot eat? Tony the Tiger, Captain Crunch and that Silly Rabbit are a big part of pop culture history, MY history; and I take offense at some group trying to erase my history. I would hate for them not to be around for my kids growing up. Will my kids eat sugary cereal everyday, no - moderation is the key here people!

I hope that the cereal companies don't give in to these people. What's next? Maybe toy manufacturers shouldn't be able to advertise their products to children either.

If you can't say "no" to your kid, that's your problem, don't take it out on Tony.

Go play watchdog in your own damn kitchen and leave mine out of it, thank you very much!

Ok, RANT OVER!!!

Whew . . .

I feel better now. : )

A 4 Year Old's Dietary Habits & Other Ponderings

Tammie's comment on Dee Dee's diet has got me thinking - or maybe more like mulling over some issues. I figured that Dee Dee's diet was pretty much the norm, she does get a little bit of variety because her mom (my sister in law, Pryscilla) is Brazilian and Dee Dee spends lots of time over at Pryscilla's parent's house. They are Vo Vo and Va Va to Dee Dee and while there she only speaks Portuguese and evidently eats a much better variety of foods than at home or around her American side of the family. So, it is awesome that she is multi cultural. Pryscilla speaks like 5 languages, which I think is amazing.

Myke and I are planning on looking up some Vietnamese lessons ourselves. Anyone know any place they can recommend? We have always wanted to learn Chinese and Japanese, and now we have added Vietnamese to the list. I kind of speak Spanish, but not very well. Its just whatever is left over from school, which is not very conversational. i.e. "Paco es muy guapo". LOL Who ever says that in South Florida?

But, back to the food issue. Myke and I are such foodies that we are hoping to turn our daughter into one too. If there is anyone for the job,it is Myke. I have seen him get kids to eat stuff you wouldn't believe. He is so great with kids, its amazing. Myke is a little more adventurous than I am in the food department, but we both will pretty much try anything at least once. Myke always says, "You didn't know you liked chocolate cake until you tried some." So, based on that philosophy, we have found lots of new yummy things. I used to be pretty picky about food and without Myke around to get me to try things, I would still be pretty one dimensional in the food department. I grew up eating pretty bland food since my dad considers any food with some black pepper on it "SPICY!".

Our latest food adventure was at a relatively new Indian restaurant over in Lauderhill on University Dr. It is a vegetarian one - can't remember the name. We went two weekends ago and they had a buffet, which was great because we got to try a little of everything and just about everything was delicious and quite spicy, but in a good way. The only problem is, we felt a little out of place and uncomfortable, which is unfortunate because it was great food at a really great price ($8.95 for lunch). It was weird because there are plenty of other ethnic restaurants that we have eaten at and continue to eat at regularly when, . . . well lets just say, . . . I am the only blond in the building, and its no problem for us. I don't know if we will try it again, I am up for it, but Myke seemed like he was done with it, especially because they didn't bring our drinks out until we were almost completely finished and when you are eating spicy Indian food, the drinks are kind of a necessity. We had water, but Myke hates water. He and my dad are the same way about drinking water, they just don't do that. Weird, huh? I mean I don't love drinking water, but its ok sometimes.

Anywho - I have gone off on a crazy restaurant tangent here, which I will probably do from time to time. We eat out all the time (for now anyways). When it becomes two and a high chair, I am sure it will be a completely different story. I have been thinking about doing a restaurant blog, maybe I will soon - who knows? AHHHHH I am becoming a blogaholic!! I came up with that name the other day.

Now I'm hungry - when's dinner? : )-

Happy Fathers' Day!

Happy Fathers [to be] Day to Myke!

I am so glad to finally be able to say Happy Fathers Day to my Myke- well almost!

Plus Fathers Day wishes to all the daddies out there especially Myke's Dad, My Dad, Papa & Jack. Much love and kisses to you all!

Spending the Day with Dee Dee

Today, Myke & I had an awesome fun time with our niece, Dee Dee. We picked her up after her swimming lessons and headed out to Steak and Shake for a late lunch. Dee Dee dined on "the usual" which is consistent with just about every meal:
[counting off on fingers]
1. french fries
2. ketchup
3. chicken fingers
4. juice
5. and a straw

We didn't quite finish in time for our movie, so we decided to get some ice cream to pass the time while waiting for the next movie to start. Myke and I thought Dee Dee would get a real kick out of all the cool mix in choices and different ice cream flavors at Cold Stone and I was dissapointed when she chose chocolate ice cream with sprinkles. Oh, Dee Dee, you can get that anywhere! She is such a creature of habit when it comes to food, even with ice cream, she tries nothing new - she wouldn't even taste Myke's peanut butter & fudge creation with cake batter ice cream or my mint mint chocolate chocolate fudge! Hmmmph go figure?!?

One day we will get her to try something new, we will just have to disguise it to look like fries, ketchup and chicken fingers! [Evil laugh - HA HA HA!]

Then, it was off to the movies to see "Surf's Up". I think that Myke & I enjoyed the movie more than Dee Dee did. About half way through she wanted to know what time it was. Then a little while later started telling Myke she was hungry??? . . . huh . . .We just ate??? I kind of thought it was a ploy for popcorn, but after the movie was over she was still hungry, so we stopped by La Granja where she proceeded to eat chicken (of all novel things), rice, beans, & plantains. Wow - where does she put all that food? Myke wondered and I assume it is because she is a growing 4 year old. Well, all in all we had a blast playing with her today. We don't get the chance to do that often enough and she is getting bigger and bigger so fast. Where does the time go?

More Paperwork Mailed & Crossed Off the List

We feel pretty good because some more paperwork is crossed off the list this week. We applied for out passports on Wednesday and we also went down to the Broward County Sheriff's Office to get our local background checks done. I was surprised to see that all the times I called them to report something it was listed there. I was briefly shocked to see extra papers stapled to my results form since I know I was never arrested and relieved that I would not have to go through some process to prove it. I'm glad we decided to get our passport pics done on Tuesday at CVS since the camera was not working at our post office. I am also glad that I had not mailed the I600A form yet - I almost did, but had to ask our Home Study social worker a question or two about it. I did not know that they were going to mail away our birth certificates for the passport applications. I'm also a little nervous since my birth certificate that I brought was my original - not a certified copy like Myke's! AHHH I hope it gets mailed back to me safe and sound as promised. I would have got a copy if I would have known that ahead of time. So, we still needed to go and get two more copies each of our birth certificates from the Bureau of Vital Statistics. We got that done Friday and I mailed the I-600A form out Friday. So - it is off along with our home study contract, the FDLE form and the Children & Family consent form to check for any prior record there. Myke and I have sealed each envelope we mail with a kiss - silly huh? But its our way of sending extra luck and extra love every step of the way to our new daughter.

Happy Birthday Little Bro!

Well, my "little bro" just turned 30 on Tuesday and I can't believe we are so old!! I don't have any celebration pics yet since we are going to celebrate his birthday along with Father's Day this weekend. On his birthday, he went to get his right arm "inked". His tattoos now cover that arm from shoulder to elbow. Can't wait to see what it looks like. His best friend Ralph is a tattoo artist. I have been thinking about getting a little tat for a while now, but I change my mind too often to have something that permanent. Besides, I have dealt with enough pain, not sure that I would like to volunteer for some.

Jack is "The Wizard" of The Wizard's Apprentice Magic Shop. His website is http://www.wizardsapprentice.com/. And I mention it here not only for a shameless plus, but to say that I have decided to set up a blog for his business for his Birthday Gift. : ) Our tastes our so far apart that I can never figure out what to get him, so I think this is the perfect gift! Check it out: www.wizardsapprenticemagic.blogspot.com.

Lazy Saturday Afternoon

So the waiting begins. Even though I know it is only the beginning of many months of waiting ahead, I feel particularly anxious today. I guess its cause we are just sitting around today. A copy of Myke's birth certificate arrived yesterday so our agency application and I600A form are finished and in the mail. We are going to file for our passports next week. Our home study is scheduled for June 29th; so we wait. Kind of like the EPCOT video of the ocean it waits, and waits, and waits. . . .

All of our family is waiting too. My dad is "Papa" and he says to tell everyone that "the papa is waiting". He is already quite experienced in the art of granddaughter spoiling. My niece, Dee Dee is currently the only grandchild and he loves being a papa so much, so we are so happy to be able to be able to give him another granddaughter. Chianna will be the first grandchild for Myke's parents who are just so ecstatic and thrilled. We are probably most excited for Myke's grandparents, we know them as Nonie and Papa. We have the honor of making them great grandparents for the first time! They also can't wait to love on this new baby! So, yes, Chianna will have two "papas", maybe our papa will want to be called Great Papa or Grand Papa - I think Great Papa fits him since he IS so GREAT. I can't say enough about them both. They have become my Nonie and Papa too and I love them dearly. They have been my second chance to have grandparents since mine are already gone and I know they are all looking down from Heaven, smiling, protecting and sending love. I am so thankful for Myke's family, they are so awesome and so full of love. I have felt at home and so comfortable with them from day one.

All of our friends are also anxiously awaiting this baby girl's arrival. I am so proud and happy when we constantly here from them all that we will make great parents. It makes me feel so good that we have their vote of confidence and support.

And two very special individuals waiting on our daughter are Yogi and Aku! Yogi is our little Scottie and Aku is our crazy Boxer. They are gonna' love her and she is gonna' love them. I can't wait!

Clean Bill of Health to Travel

I had my follow up visit with my surgeon today. It has been 5 weeks since my surgery and I am feeling really good. He gave me the all clear for travel - so we are relieved and very excited.

I can't say enough good things about the Cleveland Clinic Florida. They have taken such good care of me during me visits there. When you are stuck in the hospital, scared & in pain, the extra love and caring their staff gives makes all the difference in the world; and of course, their medical team and doctors are second to none.

Well, along with the good news came some not unexpected bad news. One of the reasons for the visit was to discuss the possibility of having the surgery to correct the complications from the surgery in 2004 when my colon was removed. And my doctor told us that there is very little chance of a new surgery to repair my internal pouch being successful. With all the scar tissue from previous surgeries and the short size of the intestines I have left, there are too many obstacles; not to mention that it is a very long a painful surgery and recovery just on a chance that it might work. So I have a year before I can have any surgery anyways, so I will have to learn to live with this illeostomy probably for the rest of my life. But, as I said, it was not unexpected news and Myke and I were prepared for it. Myke & I have discussed it and agreed that we can both deal with it. The thing that makes it easiest for me is the fact that I have been feeling great. Much better than I have in the last 12 or 13 years, so that makes it easier to swallow. I have always said that feeling good and being healthy are most important.

So, that's the health update. I will be cleaning out my closet soon. I have a lot of really nice clothes that I have hardly worn - and a couple of dresses that I haven't ever worn. I won't be able to now, so I will be giving them away. As always, I find a bright side, and that is shopping for some new clothes!! : )

It's the hopeful Daddy!

Well, Now its up to me to say hello. It's the hopeful daddy. I'm' just gonna be honest and I'm sure everything I feel is normal but quite frankly I'm scared to death of this whole thing. Don't get me wrong I know for a fact in my heart that if I was meant to be anything it was to be a dad. Kids are awesome they are our future and In a odd way I think children can remind us who we wanted to be or who we where. Happiness in silly places. Fun in whatever they want to find in. Wonderment in the simplest of things. Alot of us forget these things because it gets replaced with the hustle and bustle of society, bills, traffic, and all that is adult. Remember when it was ok to wear your favorite cowboy boots with your favorite orange shorts and cape and it didn't matter were you where or what people thought? It didn't matter because your heart was lighter. I know I'm rambling!Anyway, I'm super excited to spend time with this little girl who will help fill that little empty space in my heart reminding me to let my heart be a little lighter as well. I've decided to make a video diary for my daughters eyes only. Once we get our referral I will begin it. I plan on being as honest as I can and when she finally finds someone who she loves and loves her back and gets married I plan on giving this diary to her. I don't know if that is kinda nuts or what but, its my plan. Anyway wish us luck!

The Journey Has Begun!

Myke & I cannot wait to be parents! We are so excited, words cannot even express. So where do I start this story? Well, we have decided to adopt from Vietnam. We first did a lot of research and decided the international adoption was ideal for us because of issues with termination of parental rights in domestic adoptions. We know that our adoption process is going to be filled with so many ups and downs, and that down is just one that we are not willing to face - no matter how remote the chance may be. So, we looked at the different countries that are currently open to US adoption and we were first drawn to China because of the popularity of the program and our love for Asian culture. In our early research stages, Myke met Tammie while shopping in Target - by chance or by fate? After speaking with Tammie, she introduced us to a local support community of families who have adopted from Asian countries - FCC South Florida. After further researching China adoption and learning about their program, we were pointed in the direction for Vietnam since China has a few restrictions that might have been a problem for us. Namely - you have to be married for two years and Myke and I are currently at 14 months of marriage, but going on 10 years together. We would have had to wait a few extra months to start. They also have some surgery restrictions and since I recently had surgery, we didn't want that to interfere with the adoption process. (More on that later.) Luckily for us, Vietnam does not have those restrictions and is currently processing adoptions faster than China - double bonus for us! So, after consulting with our new support group, I met Sandy, who has adopted two beautiful children from Vietnam - and 5 children in total. She has guided me and given me so much info already in such a short time of knowing her. She referred me to the agency she used: A.D.O.P.P.T. and we have chosen to go with this agency as well. So, our "paper chase" has now begun. We sent in our application to A.D.O.P.P.T. today and we have scheduled our home study for the end of the month. We are currently waiting on a copy of Myke's birth certificate so that we can send in our I-600A form to INS and apply for our passports. Stay tuned - its going to be an awesome ride!