JOAN

Joan is the name of my mother-in-law. Just for the record, Joan is a two syllable name (pronounced JoAnn). Most people get that wrong until they hear someone call her name. I guess that it took me a while to get used to that at first too. Anyway, I have known her for almost thirty years and well... I am pretty lucky to have her!

I remember meeting her for the first time (as Allen's "friend") when we were dating. We came to their house after a date and Allen's parents invited me inside for pie. OH, MY GOODNESS!!! PIE WITH DR. AND MRS. MORK???!!! I was scared to death and I didn't really want to go in. Of course, I had nothing to worry about because they were both extremely kind and accepting. In the end, it all seemed to work out fine and here we are almost 30 years later!

Let me tell you a little bit about Allen's mom. She grew up in Worthington, she is an accomplished pianist and teacher (frankly, the best that I know) and she married her high school sweetheart who happens to be Dr. Mork. They had three biological children and adopted 3 children (all at different times). If you know me at all, you know that those things describe me too. (Well...I'm not exactly an accomplished pianist, but I do at least have a some interest in that area...) So...we really do have a lot in common and I consider her a valuable resource.

Anyway, today I drove to St. Cloud to have lunch with Joan. I am embarrassed to say that lunch was a belated Mothers' Day gift to her. She didn't seem to mind. The food was quite good, but the conversation was even better. We talked quite a bit about the adoption. Allen's mom is a good listener. As interested as people are, most do not want to sit and hear about the adoption for an hour or more. She has insight from her experiences that most people would never think of. Raising three boys has also put her high on my resource list! I am glad to know that she is in my corner and ready to welcome 3 new grand kids into the family! Thanks, Joan. It was a great day!

CHANGE

Well, as you can see, I made a small change to my blog. It's not complicated and it's not fancy...but it is a change, and I'm sure some of you have been wondering if and when I would take the time to figure it out. Frankly, I have been sick of my old one for quite a while, but I was too lazy to learn how to do it. Now that I kind of know how to do it, I might just make a change...every week! Or not.

I have always kind of thought that one of the keys of a successful and happy life is to graciously accept change. The problem is that we all like to be comfortable. It feels warm and fuzzy and good. I know that for myself, I like familiar things. I do have an occasional adventurous streak inside of me, but for the most part, I really have to push myself to "get outside of the box" to do something different. When I think about it, it was hard when Lindsay entered our family as a baby. It was difficult even when we moved to Cambridge. It was very hard for me when all three girls started school. (I cried on the first day of school every year for at least 10 years!), And it was painful when Lindsay and Kristin left for college. All of those things were good things, but were nonetheless uncomfortable for me. It forced me to move into a new stage of life and really...each one has been wonderful and a lot of fun!!! That is how I know that change is good and it is healthy.

So, please know that the changes that I have made in my blog were a tiny bit...stressful for me. I had to sit down and take some time to experiment and THINK! The good news is that I did it and I like it! Having said that, I know that there are SO many other creative possibilities out there for postings. If there are any of you bloggers that would love to give me a few tips on "blog perk-ups", I'm all ears. It's pretty obvious that I have a long way to go!

One more thing - If I can successfully give my blog a face lift, adding three children to our family will be a piece of cake!

ROSELYN and ROMEO

I was looking on the CSC website and found a few pictures with Romeo and Roselyn. They recently wrote to us about their science project and about making cookies. I'm glad that the staff at CSC takes the time for pictures because it is so fun to actually see them in action.

Romeo and Roselyn working on a science experiment.


Romeo is on the far left helping to make cookies.


Roselyn is in the middle of this work team wearing the orange t-shirt.

INDIAN LAKE

Last weekend, all five of us spent a few days at my brother's cabin near Ashland, Wisconsin. They have a very nice spot on a very private lake. We spent our time eating, swimming (in the rain!), playing frisbee golf, hangin' out and playing games (a family favorite!). On Saturday evening, a few of us took a pontoon ride around the lake. It was very still and foggy... kind of creepy. I tried to capture the mood. How did I do??? Mark and Kathy are gracious about inviting people to share their lake home. Thanks, guys! We had a great time!

PAPERWORK WOES

Monday morning. Time to make a few phone calls. We have been stuck in the adoption process again and are wondering if this is EVER going to happen. Today we were determined to try to get a few answers. Do you remember that my finger prints were denied delaying the process by several weeks?? Well, while we were trying to clear my prints, the process (for families adopting from a Hague country) and some of the paperwork has changed. So... our home study which we thought was approved a long time ago had to be reexamined. There are evidently some deficiencies that need to be satisfied in order for us to move on to the next step. Most of that can be handled by our adoption counselor (Jill), but she was unable to find out exactly what those deficiencies were...until today. The latest is that she is pretty sure that the home study is now compliant and that we can move on to the next step. She couldn't be 100% sure because she had already gotten 3 calls today from the National Benefit Center (each time) asking for more specific information about us. I should find out if we "passed" tomorrow.

I knew that our case was the first for our adoption counselor to proceed through this new system and it has been rather challenging. However, I didn't realize that it has been a major problem for everyone else adopting from a Hague country. She informed me that 100% of home study cases have been denied since they put this new system into motion. Not just in Minnesota... but nationally!! She also informed me that at Crossroads Adoption Agency (our agency!), our family is on the top of the list, but there are at least 20 other families in line behind us who are also waiting to work through this process.

I asked Jill..."Do you think this will be the BIGGEST hurdle for us to jump over? We are ready to go ahead with all of our other paperwork, etc... Will things start to move a bit faster? Can you give me any kind of timeline? " She wanted to be optimistic, but she was honest in saying that she just doesn't know. This is new territory for all adoption agencies and we just need to be persistent in taking one step at a time. I appreciate all of Jill's help and patience as Allen and I call her several times each week. I panicked this morning when I learned that she would be in for only a few hours this afternoon, then on vacation until next Monday. (I suppose it's much like when your doctor leaves town for a week and you are about to deliver!!)
At any rate, there will be another person at Crossroads that will monitor our case this week.

I keep thinking that this would not have been a problem if my fingerprints had been approved the first time. I know that there is nothing I could have done about that, but I sure wish we would have been able to move our paperwork through under the OLD protocol. Who knows, maybe we would have already been on our way to Cebu???

Here is what I need from you. 1- People ask us ALL the time-"When are they coming? Are they here?" I don't mind the questions. It is great to know that people care. Just know that we really don't know. It is a very helpless feeling, but we are at the mercy of all the red tape! 2- Please pray that this will move through quickly. We are starting to lose hope that they will be here by the time school starts. That wouldn't be the end of the world, but we think it would be best for them to come sooner than later. Roselyn asks frequently how the paperwork is going and if we have an idea of when we are coming. All of this is a bit stressful and it is hard to be patient. So... please pray that our kids will be in Cambridge by the time school starts. That is only about six weeks away. We would appreciate it. That's all for now. It's hard to explain all of what has been happening these last few weeks, but I hope this was helpful.

POSITIVE ENERGY!!

Last Thursday was such a fun day for Allen and me! We had the chance to watch Lindsay at her work- Kaleidoscope Place. She has a summer teaching position in a eight week summer education program. She is responsible for a classroom of 17 first graders.

Allen and I were the "mystery" readers for the day. The children tried guessing who we might be. There were a variety of ideas but the best guess was that we were...SPACE ALIENS! Yes, this was AFTER they saw us. Oh well, they were very cute, full of energy and perfect angels as we read... HORTON HEARS A WHO! It was so much fun to read to little ones again.

Kaleidoscope Place is right across the street from Abbott Northwestern Hospital. It is intended for children who live in the Phillips neighborhood. After observing for an hour or so, we could see that it is a very nurturing and positive environment. Of course, Allen and I were very excited and pleased to see Lindsay in her "teacher" role. I have absolutely no bias in saying that she will make an exceptional teacher. Teaching first graders requires a combination of patience, positive energy and a special ability to communicate ideas in a way that is both fun and understandable. Wow!! She did it all. I was exhausted just watching her for an hour! I know that Lindsay is tired at the end of her day, but it was easy to see that being in this role energizes her. Teaching is a good fit for her. This experience at Kaleidoscope is helping to shape her into a great teacher! (She will be student teaching at Parkview Center in Roseville this fall.) I can't wait to visit her in the classroom again. Good job, Lindsay! We're proud of you!!

ROBERT BRISCOE

One day last spring, my friend Barb and I went to a pottery show near Stark, Minnesota. It is part of an annual pottery studio tour featuring some nationally known potters. I had been there the year before and really enjoyed the work of a local artist, Robert Briscoe. I bought a coffee mug that day, fully intending to give it as a gift to a friend. When I got home, I decided that I would keep it for myself! I love the size, the color, and the feel of this particular mug and it has become my favorite. Mr. Briscoe has recently opened a small showroom of his work at his home and I was in need of a special gift for someone. I called to see if it was ok to come look at his pottery. He told me that he would be home in the afternoon and that I should come then. Well, I did! I brought both Kristin and Steph because I thought they would enjoy seeing his work. I also knew exactly what I wanted and I thought it wouldn't take very long.

When we got to his house, he graciously invited us into his studio to take a look around. He grabbed a slab of clay and began to work at his pottery wheel. He sat and talked to us for about 30 minutes, showing us his pottery, explaining how he creates, sharing thoughts about life. LUCKILY, I had my camera so I asked if I could take a few pictures. He didn't really know why I would put pictures of him on my blog, but didn't seem to mind that I was snapping away. After chatting with him, we walked up to his showroom (without him) and made our selections.

This was a such fun and unexpected surprise for us! It was a pleasure to meet this well-respected (and nationally-known) potter. To think that he lives in our community is a bonus! I feel like I found a secret treasure! If you ever get a chance to attend one of his shows, by all means, do it!!

SEATTLE AND MORE CRUISE PICS

About half of the passengers (800 people) were on the ship as part of the Insight for Living cruise. When we weren't looking for whales, or eating, or kayaking, or shopping, we were listening to a series of messages from Chuck Swindoll. We also had the opportunity to attend a variety of concerts by Christian artists. The musician in this picture is Sara Groves. One evening, Chuck wanted to identify the couple in the crowd that had been married the longest. Well, you guessed it, my parents were the last couple standing! Chuck came to where we were all sitting and briefly interviewed my parents. It was a fun and special moment. If you know anything about Chuck Swindoll, he has a great sense of humor and knows how to make things fun. We were all so happy that my parents were recognized for all their years together. I guess you could say that as far as the cruise went, it was the...frosting on the cake.

We had several hours to kill before our plane left Seattle so we took a tour of the city. The best stop was Pike's Place Market. It is an open air market where you can buy fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish!, and MUCH, MUCH MORE!! It was very crowded, but kind of energizing to walk through. My mom LOVED all the beautiful fresh flowers. My dad and I shared a cup of clam chowder. It was our last supper in Seattle and one to remember!

The best thing about the Alaskan cruise was the time we spent together as a family. I know how challenging it is to get everyone together in the same place at the same time even for my own family. I can only imagine what it must feel like for my mom and dad. I am so appreciative that my parents were deliberate about making this trip happen. It will be a memory that we will all cherish for a long, long time. We certainly can't go on big cruises every year, but this experience has inspired me to be intentional about creating special times together with my own family. It is well worth it!

JUNEAU, SITKA, KETCHIKAN AND VICTORIA B.C.

There were three Alaskan ports of call - Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. We had a number of different excursions at each of these places so the days went by very quickly. The adventures included kayaking, fishing, biking, hiking, a tram ride, an excursion on a crab boat and a lumberjack show. Allen and the rest of the guys went salmon fishing one day. They had quite the adventure and almost all of them pulled in a fish. According to the eye witnesses, Allen masterfully pulled his salmon into the boat...like a pro!! It was a fun adventure for all of them! Too bad I wasn't there with the camera!!



























Our last stop was in Victoria, British Columbia. We visited the famous Butchart Gardens on Saturday evening. Again, the natural beauty in this place was spectacular. We rented wheelchairs for both of my parents to make the trek a bit easier. It is a big place with lots of hills. My mother and Allen had a great time navigating through the sea of people and identifying flowers. It was very sweet for me to see those two having such a great time together.

ALASKA!

Sorry about not writing this last week. Allen and I were on a cruise with my parents, siblings and spouses to Alaska. It was so much fun and very, very beautiful. Allen and I have always wanted to visit that part of the country so it was a real treat to finally see it in person. There were 12 of us and I don't know if, or when there has been a time when all of us have been together like this for an entire week. It was certainly a treat as well as a blessing to celebrate family.

I will post a few pictures over the next few days to share some of the sights with you. Being on a cruise ship in and of itself is quite the experience. It was not uncommon for us to get lost the first few days. There were over 1500 people on this particular ship. The sensation of the ship rocking back and forth was interesting, but it didn't take long to get used to it. (A few of us wore those cute little patches... just in case!) I will have to admit that visions of the Titanic flashed through my mind on several occasions. It happened most often when we would take walks outside on the deck... at NIGHT!! The scariest part was walking around the back of the ship and looking over the side. It was loud, and dark and creepy! On the other hand, the best part was sitting on the top deck of the ship during the day, feeling the sun on your face and looking out at God's incredible beauty!! Cruising into Glacier Bay was beautiful. It was something I will never forget. Although pictures could never do this justice, I hope you can get a glimpse of what we saw!

ANNIKA

Annika is my great niece. That sounds so much better than saying that I am her great aunt! That, to me, sounds old! Anyway, we got to watch her a little bit this weekend and boy, was it fun!! Taking pictures of babies is so much fun because they never complain about it. They just sit there and have that "What are you doing???" look on their face.

I'll have to say that she is probably the easiest baby (besides my own three) I have ever taken care of...maybe ever! Several people have told us that she looks so much like Steph when she was a baby. I agree. Steph and I dragged out the baby book to take a look tonight and there is definitely a resemblance. The biggest difference is that Annika has red hair. She is definitely a cutie!!! Check out the pictures and see what you think! Hope they ask again!!