Mason's Halloween Costume

Around our house, everyone gets in on the Halloween action - even the dog. Mason has a "costume" that he has been wearing the last couple years. It is a jester type collar complete with jingle bells. This dog absolutely loves this thing. We try to take it off of him at night. We have left it on in the past only to be awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of bells. As soon as it comes off though he gets very irritated and tries to stick his head back through the hole to put it back on. What can we say; we have a jingle dog. Incidentally, he also has a Christmas collar that has jingle bells.

Happiness Is . . .

Coming home on a Monday afternoon to find a clean home, one that you didn't have to lift a finger to clean. (Well, there was all that tidy-ing up. . . )

Finding that the toilet paper has been folded to a point--like in hotels.

Seeing the glow of clean floors (no dog-hair bunnies anywhere).

Knowing all the knick-knacks have been dusted.

Being greeted by the dog, who is ready to play catch with his squeaky football.

'Onies

Matthew and Hayden in Hayden's wagon.

Part of the fun of going home was getting to play with Hayden. He is acquiring quite the vocabulary.
'Onies--ponies
moon
tractor
Grandpaw
baby
dog
Dollie Girl (their dog)

He knows lots of animal sounds.
Oink--he shouts this when he looks toward the barn where the pig lives
Grr--Dave and I taught him that the tiger says, "grrr."
Baa--sound the goat makes
Bok-bok--chicken sound. He yells this when he sees chicken figurines.

But his favorite sound of all is the "brrrdg" sound of a car.

He points out lots of pictures in his Sesame Street books.
Kitty
Grover
Elmo
Bert
Ernie

He can parrot most words and does a great job with Dave and a pretty good job with Miranda.

Mine. One of Hayden's favorite games. He picks out an object that is not his--like Grandpaw's glasses or remote control. Hayden smiles and declares, "Mine." Then you engage with him, "No. Mine." A huge smile spreads across his face when he knows that you've taken the bait. "Mine." And the game is on.

Hayden had his one year check up this week. He weighs 30 pounds (in the 99th percentile) and measures 33.5 inches (the 99.5th percentile).

Traveling

We flew back to Georgia over the weekend. What had been planned a month and a half ago as a fun weekend visiting friends and family had a different twist with the death of Bert, my grandfather.

We had interesting flights to and from Atlanta. On the flight out Friday we sat in front of three Chatty Cathy's. These ladies talked incessantly and so loudly that I couldn't read my novel. Evidently they were in some way associated with 4H. They discussed the "lower" humidity in Georgia. They pondered whether or not Song airlines was a group of planes that musicians hired for travel. They dubbed planes with an "A" on the tail "Air Alaska" instead of Airtran.

Our return flight found a grandma and grandpa sitting behind us. While they were quiet and not disruptive, I did chuckle at the conversation that revealed that the little lady hadn't flown before. When the flight attendant made the announcement to turn off all electronic devices, the lady stopped a flight attendant to ask what the fasten seat belt light was and asked if it should be turned off with all other electronic devices.

Tenacity

Ever get something on your mind and can't rest until you've solved the problem? Welcome to my life. I hate it when I can't find something that I know has to be within the walls of this house.

Last night's search was for my Georgia Tech handbag to take to Saturday's Homecoming Game. My mom gave me this cute gold fabric bag emblazoned with a GT logo and adorned with cute dangling beads. I have very few occasions to carry said bag, so I should really take it with me, right?

Let's begin the search. When we lived in Austin, I knew exactly where this bag resided, the top left dresser drawer in the guest room. That's where I started last night. To no avail. Then I looked in the other dresser drawers: no dice. Perhaps it is in the closet where my other handbags hang out. Not there either. Could it be in one of the buffet drawers? (This buffet was in our bedroom in the other house functioning as a dresser--so it's not that big of a stretch.) Not there either.

Did I really look everywhere in that closet upstairs? I'll go back. . . . still not there. Hmmm, what about the bottom two drawers of the wardrobe in our bedroom? No; not there either. Maybe I should look in the guest room dresser again. This time, I'll take out the clear plastic boxes that store candles and gifts. Nope. Well, maybe I'll look in those drawers again. Yeah, still not there. What about the green guest room closet? Nope. What about the coat closet? Maybe it's stored with all of our hats. Nope. (But I did weed out about six hats for Goodwill.)

Really, where could it be? I'll go back to the guest room dresser. I'll take everything out of the left drawer this time. Still not there. Am I 100% sure that it's not in the closet with my other purses? I'll look again. Nope. Dang it! Where can it be I ponder as I stand in the closet. Marching out one more time, a decorated box that Letha gave me for our first anniversary catches my eye. Hey . . . that used to be in that drawer where the purse stayed. I wonder . . . EUREKA!!!! I found the gold (bag that is).

Now I can sleep.

Tenacity, insanity, obsessive-compulsive? You judge.

Texas State Fair

Saturday we went to the fair with Matt and Renee. Dave works with Matt.

Here's a funny story of "It's a Small World After All." Matt's parents and Dave's parents grew up and went to high school together in the same small Illinois town. Bob and Judy left Illinois in the late 1960s. Matt's parents still live there. What are the odds that these two boys would work as designers for the same company in Dallas? (Not knowing each other of course until some mention of Illinois was made. Then phone calls were made to parents.)

Fast forward to Saturday. We met at Matt and Renee's to head to the Fair Park. A drive which should have taken 20-30 minutes took an hour and a half. Finally, we hopped a curb to park in a man's yard. (We did pay to park in his yard.) Our spirits soared after the adventure of speeding over the curb at break-neck speeds in Matt's Element.


Big Tex welcomes everyone to the Fair.




Dave and Matt were impressed by the Ford display--something about trusses. Can't those guys leave work for the weekend?
I show my best Hollywood starlet look. (Oh wait, I wouldn't be smiling for the Dave-arazzi if I were a star.)
Part of the fun at the fair is the food. Matt tears into a smoked turkey leg. We also feasted on corny dogs, fries, bratwurst, and funnel cakes.
Another side note, the Texas State Fair is the home of the Corny Dog. Yes, it's weird to say "corny" dog instead of "corn" dog, but that's what they're called around here. And, when in Rome . . .
The Star of Texas Ferris Wheel is another big crowd pleaser.
And, you can't have a fair without blue ribbons. We all had a good time exploring the winners of various craft categories. Dave and I could totally be ribbon winners. We've got to look into how to enter crafts--yes in all of our free time. Dave had to photograph this blue ribbon "Holiday Kit" winner because his parents have an identical tree that they made years ago. Just think, Judy could have a blue ribbon.
What fair is complete without pig races? Contestants like Kevin Bacon, Lindsay Loham, and Brittney Squeals competed.
Another big fair attraction--the butter sculpture.
Another shot from the Dave-arazzi.

After a long day, the sun began to set. With our bellies full of fair food, we posed for a picture and called it a day.

Mason's New Bad Habit

Mason loves a belly rub from Dave.

In the past few weeks Mason has developed a new bad habit--raiding the trash cans in the bathroom while we're gone. We come back to find tissues and dryer sheets throughout our bedroom and bathroom. He doesn't eat them; he doesn't really shred them. It seems he just likes to spread them around.

Getting to my trash can is no easy task. He moves my vanity stool and drags it from underneath the vanity. Dave's is an easier target, but still Dave's trash can gets moved from beside Dave's sink to the rug next to our bed.

I guess a dog gets bored during the day. I'll be glad when it cools off enough for him to go back outside. It is cooling off some. I suppose then he'll get to resume his other bad habit.

Guatemala 5000

Jonas Emmanuel
The baby Mike and Letha hope to bring home soon

Dave's brother and sister-in-law are in the midst of an international adoption from Guatemala. On August 30th, they received a referral and pictures of a baby boy, whom they thought they would be able to bring home in late January through early March. Sadly, politics may hamper this. Guatemala is halting all adoptions to the US effective January 1, 2008; our hope is that the 5000 adoptions that are in progress but won't be completed until after that time might be grandfathered in. Truly our prayer is that Guatemala will not halt adoptions to the United States. I spoke with Mike and Letha last night. They are quite calm, and maybe even a bit hopeful that their adoption might be speeded up and completed before January.

Please take the time to read the information that follows and make a few phone calls next week.
And, if you would share this with anyone who would join the effort, we would appreciate that as well.

Certainly prayers of comfort for all the couples enduring this would be most welcome.

Guatemala 5000 - A Call to Action Details Following is a detailed Call to Action which we encourage all Member Organizations to distribute to their adoptive families. Joint Council successfully utilized this strategy with the Casa Quivira families and Haiti families in effecting action and a change in policy. We remain confident that we can, at a minimum, secure a 'grandfather' clause in Guatemalan adoption policy. GUATEMALA 5000

Dear Friends, Guatemalan President Oscar Berger has announced plans to suspend all intercountry adoption with American families on January 1 2008. The Joint Council on International Children's Services strongly opposes such a suspension and asks for your support in their efforts to ensure that all children retain the right to permanency through Intercountry Adoption. President Berger's plans also call for the suspension of adoptions currently in-process. Such a suspension would be extremely detrimental to the children referred to adoptive parents. If President Berger's plan is actually implemented, up to 5,000 will unnecessarily remain in foster care or orphanages indefinitely. This situation represents a pending crisis for the adoptive families who have lovingly chosen to provide permanency, safety and love to a child in need and most importantly a crisis for 5,000 children of Guatemala. What can you do? Make six simple phone calls and one email. 1. Call your U.S. Senator. · You can find your Senators' phone numbers at www.senate.gov · Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff 2. Call your second U.S. Senator. 3. Call your representative to the U.S. House of Representative. · You can find your representative at www.house.gov · Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff 4. Call or fax UNICEF Headquarter · Ask to speak with Ann Veneman, Executive Director · Their number is 212-326-7000 · Their fax number is 212-326-7758 5. Call or fax UNICEF Guatemala · Ask to speak with Manuel Manrique · Their number is 011-502-2327-6373 · Their fax number is 011-502-2327.6366 Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls 6. Send and email supporting Intercountry Adoption to guatemala5000@jcics.org · Write briefly or at length · Joint Council will use the cumulative email petition in our advocacy for Intercountry Adoption When should you call? Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (October 9th, 10th 11th) · For maximum affect, we are asking you to make these calls within a 72 hour window! What should you say or write to member of the U.S. Congress? Speak from your heart and give them the following information. · Inform them that you are calling regarding Guatemala 5000 · Ask them to sign the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) sponsored letter to President Oscar Berger · Ask them to sign the Joint Council on International Children's Services sponsored letter to UNICEF · Inform them that the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. · Inform them that President Berger's announcement also indicated that there will be no 'grandfathering' of adoptions already in process. · Inform them that if children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. · Ask that their office get involved and sign the sponsored letters to the President of Guatemala and UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws. Sample Statement Hello, We are calling/writing on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. We, as your constituents, are asking that the Senator/Congressperson add his/her signature to two letters. First, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute sponsored letter to Guatemalan President Oscar Berger. Second, the Joint Council on International Children's Services sponsored letter to UNICEF. As you may be aware, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there will be no 'grandfathering' of adoptions already in process. If children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. Your office must get involved and sign the sponsored letters to the President of Guatemala and UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws. Sincerely, What should you say or write to UNICEF? Speak from your heart and give them the following information. · Inform them that you are calling regarding the Guatemala 5000 · Ask them to support the right's of children and lend their considerable influence to ensuring that intercountry adoptions currently in-process be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws. · Inform them that the Guatemalan government has announced that all adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. · Inform them that President Berger's announcement also indicated that there will be no 'grandfathering' of adoptions already in process. · Inform them that if children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. · Ask them again for their support of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. Sample Statement Hello, We are calling/writing on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. As financial supporters of UNICEF (through our tax dollars), we are asking that UNICEF lends its support and considerable influence to the Guatemala 5000 initiative. As you may be know, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there will be no 'grandfathering' of adoptions already in process. If children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. UNICEF must get involved and help ensure that all intercountry adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws. Sincerely, Can you explain the problem behind the pending crisis? Here is some additional information… · Guatemalan President Oscar Berger has announced plans to effectively stop all adoptions into the United States including those children who have already been referred to adoptive parents · Over 5,000 children have been referred · The birthparents for these children have already relinquished their parental rights. As a result, they currently have no family and the Berger suspension will result in these children having no prospect for a permanent, safe and loving family · The government of Guatemala currently does not have the finances or facilities to even provide housing for these 5,000 children · The Berger plan is a crisis waiting to happen

What else can you do? In addition to your primary calls to U.S. Congress and UNICEF, you can call the following. SOSEP (Guatemala) · Director Teresa Echeverría de Bastarrechea Office Phone- 011-502-2383-8400 · Assistant Director- Edin Palma- Same office phone Office Phone- 011-502-2383-8400 · Jaime Tecu Office Phone - 011-502-2239-0000 ext 2766 Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls Guatemala Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Minister Gerth Rosenthal Office Phone 011-502-2410-0000, 2410-0010 · Vice Minister- Marta Altoaguirre Office Phone 011-502-2410-0020 Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls PGN (Guatemala) · Carlos Victor Hugo Barrios Barahona Office Phone 011-502-2248-3200 Ext. 207/208 Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls Procuraduria of Human Rights · Dr. Sergio Morales Office Phone 011-502-2424-1717 Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls Embassy of Guatemala in the U.S. 2220 R Street N.W. Washington, DC 20008 Office Phone 1-202-745-4952 Office Fax 1-202-745-1908 Website: www.guatemala-embassy.org/

Bert

Daddy, Granny, and Bert
Matthew & Cindy's Wedding
December 2003

My grandfather, Bert, has been in ICU for a week now. He has emphysema and his health has deteriorated rapidly this summer. Monday on the way to the doctor, he collapsed in the car, leading to his stay in ICU. Eight ounces of fluid were drained from the sac in casing one of his lungs. He has had several CAT scans this week which have helped the doctors determine that he has a collapsed lung, that the collapsed lung contains a mass, and that a lesion is on his spine. A biopsy will be performed on the mass found in his lung. Daddy, his mother, and his siblings have been keeping vigil at the hospital. Please keep the family in your prayers.

Thankfully, I visited Bert and Granny last Christmas. Though I must say, I'm carrying guilt now at not having visited in July when I was in Georgia. Dave and I are going to Georgia in two weeks, and I will visit him then.

I have fond memories of the sweet smell of pipe tobacco--the cause of his illness. Bert didn't want to be called "Grand Daddy", "Grand Paw", or anything remotely close. He just wanted to be called Bert by all the grandkids, and so he is. There's a picture of two hounds hanging in the dining room at Bert and Granny's house. Evidently, when I was younger, I had conversations with Bert regarding which dog was his (the brown one) and which was mine (the white one).

Bert loves to fish. If Dave and I lived closer, I think a great fishing relationship might have developed between Dave and Bert.

My heart is full and my prayers are being sent up. I hope you'll join in sending yours.

I Create My Own Reality

Across the highway from our neighborhood is a farm that sports buffalo roaming in its pastures. A few weeks ago, imagine my surprise as I drove by I noticed a camel in the midst of the buffalo. For a moment I contemplated just how a camel came to live with the buffalo. My best guess--the camel was won in a poker game.

Now, I have absolutely no reason to think the camel was won in a hand of poker. I don't know the owner of the farm. I imagine camels aren't often put up in high stakes games of poker.

But in my own little warped world, I can see the scene--men gathered in a dimly lit, cigar-smoke filled room. Dawn is beginning to break following this all night gambling match. Down to two middle-aged men--one with flashy jewelry and slicked back hair, the other donning a Stetson hat and a plaid Western style shirt, complete with pearl snap buttons. A pile of cash in front of my cowboy, nothing left in front of the slick-man. In an act of desperation, slick bets his camel and loses him to the rancher.

In an unrelated matter, the camel pictured is being ridden by our friend Mr. Glen, a Delta pilot. This is how he spent a layover recently. I bet this camel's owner would never put him up for grabs in a game of poker. This camel is a valuable source of tourist income.