In My Living Room

This is not my living room. This living room is located on a yacht valued at 12.9 million dollars.
But I'm going to *pretend* this is my living room although the picture really came from businessinsider.com 

A couple years ago we had friends staying with us overnight. We've known them for years and they were here for an annual get together. While here one of them used the R-word while admonishing one of their kids for something.

You could have heard a pin drop.

Use whatever language you want in your own house. In your car. Wherever. But in my house, in my living room, it is pretty obvious that the R-word is one that will stop conversation.

I was nice about it, and didn't need to explain where the error was and it wasn't brought up again. (As an aside, why is it that people who have a potty mouth can go to church and manage to not swear out of respect for all things holy or whatever, but they walk into my living room and can't control their mouth????)

So here you are. On my blog. It is like I have invited you into my living room to participate in the conversation. I don't want my guests to be offended and leave because I throw a crappy party and have rude guests. Please remember that my blog is my own personal space on the internet. Every day I hold an open house and expect that my guests will treat one another with respect and not resort to name calling, hate speech or personal attacks.

That is all. Now lets have another cup of coffee! 

Neglected Blog

I know! I'm sorry! It seems most of the blogging I'm doing now, which still isn't very much, is over on my adoption blog. Things have been kinda busy!

But, I'll leave you with something cute. We had a bit of a snowstorm over the weekend. Sunday turned into a BEAUTIFUL day!!!

Do you see the snowball headed my direction?

Another Blog

If you're new here, you may not know I have several blogs. (Not all are public) If you haven't visited this one yet, you might want to stop over and take a look.

Spotlight on Adoptions?

A couple weeks ago a new blog showed up. "Adoption Spotlight" focus is pointing out issues with US agencies and organizations who are involved with international adoption. There is very little on the blog  that is actually written by the blog owner. Instead he or she lifts things from other people's blogs.

Several people have asked me if I'm behind the "Adoption Spotlight" blog. I can assure you I am not! I found the link to it on another blog reformtalk.net  (another blog I occasionally read but don't necessarily agree with!) I contacted administrators of Reformtalk and asked who gave them the link, since they posted it when it was brand new. They wouldn't tell me who sent it, and had no idea who was writing it.

The Adoption Spotlight blog has lifted a blog post I wrote regarding Serbian adoptions, and stated "it is something of a guest editorial." I was very irritated to find this, because 1) I would not have allowed someone to post something of mine without linking back to my blog or putting my name to it. 2) It was taken without my permission. 3) I don't like the tone or "vision" of this blog and would have never approved something of mine to be posted on it.

I have contacted Wordpress, the blog host, and notified them there is plagiarized material on the blog. Wordpress in turn sent me the copyright guidelines and told me what I need to do. I have notified the blog owner (through comments since there is no other way to contact them) that they MUST remove my post. Not only have my comments not been published, but the writer has refused to remove my post.

Having said that, it is pretty easy to go back and read through any of my blog posts and compare them to what is written on "Adoption Spotlight" and see the writing style is not anything close to mine. I may be an intelligent and educated person, but I tend to write the way I talk. Most who read here who know me in person say when the read my posts they can hear my voice. You won't hear my voice anywhere on "Adoption Spotlight" except in what has been stolen from me.

Yes, I did

Yes, I removed a post. (It is available in screen-shot form from lots of people.) First time ever in the history of my blog I have done it. However, if you think my blog post was the first time adoption authorities in other countries saw the letter I featured in the post, you are sadly uninformed and give me FAR more credit than I deserve! What my post DID did do was give people who know nothing about what goes on behind the scenes of one organization a little taste. An organization who claims to be run on Christian principals knowingly breaking the laws.

Now, a couple of things I must say:

1) I will not be posting comments to this post.

2) I have seen some very interesting screen shots in the last few days.  Facebook is public no matter how "private" you think a particular group is, and I have seen grown women who claim to be Christians threatening people with bodily harm. Don't think that won't come back to you.

3) I will continue to post truth on my blog.

Under Construction

I have not updated my blog in quite some time. I'm working on getting a new layout and header. Hopefully tonight I'll have time to finish it.!

I Am A Writer!

I don't know how many people have said to me, "When are you going to write a book?" Others have said, "You're a great writer. You should do something with it." I really am surprised at the number of people who read here, then say they keep coming back because they love to read me. Really? Because when I read back things I've written they seem dry, choppy and not really what I intended to say. I want my readers to be able to see in their heads what I've put to words and I don't know if I accomplish that.

But I do know this: In my heart I'm a writer. I have the right to pick up a pen - or put fingers to the keyboard - and write about anything I can dream up. Today I've taken a step. I've joined:



The first step in becoming a writer is declaring (admitting?) that I am one. So this is me, standing on the big rock in our yard, fist in the air, announcing for the world to hear, "I am a writer!"

How about you? Are you someone who wants to be more than just a closet writer? Join the challenge with me. It's simple. Just click on the badge above!

Helping to help in Hungary

Please go visit my friend Hevel's blog and find out how you can help someone become a full-time angel to kids with Down syndrome in Hungary!

When you get to the link you'll see a tutorial in another language (Hungarian I presume?) but don't worry, Hevel will walk you through!

Are You Following Me?

When I first started blogging way back in 2005 I was just looking for a place to write. Like many bloggers, I started writing here as a way to keep our extended family and friends up to date on life in our house. I remember telling someone about my blog and they looked at me like I was speaking martian speak. Nobody knew what the word  "blog" meant. At that time I don't think there was any such thing as "followers" on blogs. If there were, I didn't know how to do it. LOL

Then, very slowly, I started noticing new faces in my comments and the list of visible followers started going up.  It's been so fun to virtually meet some of you. I know there are a lot of people lurking too. (Hi lurking people!) and I'm always thrilled when someone says, "I've been reading here for years but have never commented." It reminds me of radio talk shows, "I always listen but have never called." (I call all the time, by the way.)

I've decided when I reach 300 followers I want to do something really crazy. Not dangerous, just crazy. And the fun part? I'm going to leave it up to you, my dear and faithful readers, to decide what I'll be doing. So start gathering your friends and adding your suggestions here. Remember nothing illegal or dangerous, and no I won't eat bugs. Also I am afraid of water so don't go there. And heights a little bit. Don't get too crazy though, because I might need to do this again when I reach 500!

Day 6

This post is part of a 30 day blog series.

Day 6: Picture of something you love. 


Well, I could post the obvious: pictures of my family. Those are the most important things in my life, of course. But what about something that is unique to me? I didn't have to think about this very long.

That's Nooner, loaded for a 2,000 mile epic journey with a group of women who I love. I'd never met them before that day, but I loved them just the same. They are my sisters in spirit. They "get" me. We are members of the F.R.O.G.S. There is only one way to get into the F.R.O.G.S., and the initiation requirements are secret, but when you've met the requirement, you can be sure you'll be welcomed with open arms. 

I'm going to repost something I wrote a few years ago that was published in Biker Alley magazine (which is no longer in print.)

......................................................................................................................

May 2007

Almost a year ago I reached one of my "Before I turn 40" goals. I took a motorcycle safety class and earned my "M" on my driver's license. I think I unconsciously set this goal way back when I was a teenager and I rode behind my mom, but later as an adult and mother of 5 young kids myself it seemed an impossible goal. Then, at age 35, I found myself divorced and with every-other weekend to myself. I started dating again, and one of the "prerequisites" of anyone I dated was that, not only did he need to have a bike himself, but he needed to ride regularly as well. It never occurred to me to get my own!

One of the men I dated had a sport bike (aka crotch rocket) and I found I loved the speed and rush of adrenaline that came with the ride. I even contemplated owning one myself, but our relationship was short-lived and suddenly that particular type of bike didn't seem to fit me anymore. As any adrenaline junkie will tell you though, it's highly addictive. The goal was now firmly etched into my soul.

Then I met Dean. Not only did he ride a Harley, but his entire extended family did as well! Dean and I fit together like a hand and glove. We rode together on his bike like we'd been doing it all our lives. What Dean didn't know was that riding behind him was a woman who was starting to have issues. Control issues, that is.

Like most people, when I'm riding behind, I loose myself to my thoughts. (Ok, I have a tendency to sing because Dean can't hear me!) I can look at the scenery and just enjoy it. Once in awhile we can have a conversation, but usually in broken sentences, or bits and pieces at a stoplight. Mostly though, I'm just by myself on the back of the bike. If I really want to feel "connected" to him, I can put my arms around him, or give him a squeeze with my thighs. Sometimes he might reach back and put his hand on my lower leg (the only part of me he can reach.). Those actions, however simple they may seem, are very meaningful forms of communication when on a bike.

Unfortunately there came a time when I developed awareness for other things around us. I've always had a watchful eye for hazards when on the back of the bike, but it's not been 100% up to me, so I could slack off now and then. But one day, out of the blue, I became very nervous. It was like somewhere deep within me a switch was flipped, causing me to be hyper aware of everything. Does he see that car? That pothole? That gravel on the inside of the corner? How good is he at quick stops? My ears became aware of his shifting, both up and down, which meant I also noticed differences if there was a problem.

I thought it was just me being paranoid. That is until I started talking to women riders who told me, "That's how I knew it was time to get my own bike!" So I took their advice, and got my license just before my 40th birthday.

The first few times out, (once I got over the fear of our daunting driveway!) I went alone, sticking to side streets where 50 mph felt very
fast! It didn't take me long to venture further, and on roads that had a 55 mph speed limit. My time is limited to ½ hr here and there squeezed in after household chores and while my daughter is still in school, but even so within a couple of weeks I was able to put a couple hundred miles on my bike.

One day, shortly after my daughter left for a weekend with her dad, Dean came home early so we could go for a ride. It was to be our "maiden voyage"; our first trip together on separate bikes. He decided we would ride to the home of his parents just 15 minutes away. "But we're taking the long way Honey. We're going on the freeway."

"The freeway? I've haven't done that yet and it's getting to be rush hour!"

His replied, every so calmly, "That's exactly why we're doing it. I don't want you alone the first time. It's only a mile or so of freeway. You'll be fine. So let's go!"

Suddenly I didn't want to go on this particular ride, but I wasn't about to let him see my fear either. After all, I do have control issues, and I'm highly competitive!

I quickly realized I needed a new goal, and it was to be to keep up with Dean. I knew he wouldn't go too fast for me, and I knew his ultimate goal was my safety. But I also knew if I did anything stupid, or showed fear, word would travel through the entire family before my feet even touched the pavement again. So keep up I did. For the entire mile and a half I stuck to him like glue at 70 mph, and even changed lanes once to get around a slower moving vehicle! I felt like I'd "arrived" and was now a legitimate rider.

The next day we ventured out more. This time it was on a three lane interstate with all kinds of cars (and semis!) merging and exiting. We
switched lanes more than I've ever dreamed we needed to, and I'm pretty sure he did this on purpose. I really didn't pay attention to WHERE we were going, because I was too busy keeping up to Dean, and staying away from the tires of big trucks. But I did it! All 60 plus miles of it. And along the way, I discovered something I never knew about the gift of riding my own bike.

You see, my daughter has a disability, and my life with her is often very complicated by doctor appointments, school meetings, and worry about whatever her current medical crisis is. I rarely get a break from her care other than a couple of hours each week. Even when I was riding behind on Dean's bike, getting "lost in my thoughts" often meant getting lost in my thoughts about the latest school report, or doctor's diagnosis, or how to help her achieve the next much-needed independent living skill.

What I discovered on my own bike is there isn't one single opportunity to think about my worries of the day or week. Every fiber of my being is involved in the ride. My nose smells everything there is to smell; from the diesel fuel of the truck next to me, to the lilac bushes in full bloom on the side of a country road.

My ears hear the subtle changes in my engine, they hear when I need to shift gears up or down. They revel at the powerful sound that comes from a fast acceleration.

My hands grip the handlebars, doing a subtle dance between brake and clutch. With just a very slight change I can accelerate quickly, or let the engine speed slow me down. My feet join in the dance, braking and shifting as the need arises.

My body feels the changes in the engine, the rumble of the exhaust. It feels the changes in the wind, instinctively adjusting to keep the bike upright, becoming one with the bike through curves in just the right way so as to make it one smooth and beautiful move.

My heart and mind are in the ride, taking a break from all the world has offered to me on any given particular day. Leaving it all behind, trading it in for the feeling of freedom, power, independence and pride that come from riding alone.

At the end of the ride, when the kickstand goes down and I take the key out of the ignition, I'm ready to take on the world again, and all that it has to offer. I'm ready to be a mom again, refreshed and energized to live each day to the fullest.

Day 5

This post is part of a 30 day blog series.

Day 5: My siblings

This is where you get to learn how complicated...and wonderful...my family is. My family story is long, there is just no way around it. I have to go back about 55 years to tell it.

When my mom was 18, she was dating a man and got pregnant. As was often the case in the 50's, when an unwed mother was pregnant she was moved to another community to have the baby so nobody would know. My mom moved down to the cities, and when the baby...a girl...was born she was placed for adoption. She never told anyone.

It wasn't long before she and my dad met. My brother Lynn was born just before their 1 year anniversary, followed 19 months later by my sister Sandie, then 7 1/2 years later by me, and we all lived happily ever after!

But wait, you read this post, and now you're confused, right? SO WERE WE!!!!

When I was around 15 or so, while digging around in boxes I had no business being in, I stumbled upon some confusing information about my mom. She referred to having 4 children, but...there were only 3 of us. In my young mind I decided she'd had another baby who'd died. Then when I was 17 and getting into my own trouble, my mom, in an attempt to use shocking news to set me straight, told me that she'd had a baby she placed for adoption. HA! The answer to the secret was revealed. But I was a cool cucumber, and not about to let on to mom that I knew anything. I gave no response, which left HER very confused. LOL She expected questions, instead I gave her the cold shoulder. She thought I hated her.

Just two months later, in my senior year of high school, I came home from school one day and my mom met me at the door. "I got a letter today." She said. You see, my mom had always kept her adoption records open. All those years, any time she moved, she contacted Lutheran Social Services and gave them the new address just in case her daughter ever wanted to contact her. This day a letter had arrived saying her daughter wanted to meet her. We met my sister Ila, and her baby Adam 2 months later. Ila has been a part of our family ever since.

So now I had a new sister Ila, my brother Lynn and my sister Sandie. We're still short one sibling, aren't we?

I was 20 years old, married, and had just had my first baby when Lynn, Sandie and I were called to dinner at my parent's home. There was another secret to tell....

When Dad met my mom, he'd been engaged to another woman and the wedding was right around the corner.  Dad broke off the engagement, and many family discussions with his parents ensued! A few weeks later the other woman told him she was pregnant. Dad didn't believe her and refused to go ahead with the wedding, and instead married my mom a couple months later. About a year down the road my grandmother called my dad. She'd just seen that baby and, having had 11 children who shared familial traits, there was no doubt in her mind that baby was my dad's. No contact was ever made, and the issue was dropped (but not forgotten!)

So here we were, many years later, having been summoned to dinner. My dad  had a son. Jeff. Dad had already met him, and we were going to meet him the following week. Meeting Jeff was a little freaky. It was like meeting my dad when he was 28 years old. Jeff is JUST like my dad and my brother Lynn. He is very close to our family, and sometimes we forget that we weren't raised together.

Now you know how all my siblings came to be, let me tell you a little about each one.

Ila, my oldest sister, is....50-something. (I won't tell her secrets. LOL) She is married to Bob, and they have 3 children and 2 grandchildren. She lives out of state. Ila has done a fantastic job of raising her children who are all now adults and on their own. Her kids and her family were her priority, and it shows.  I haven't gotten to see her for a couple of years. We used to talk all the time and I miss our long talks!

Jeff is next in line at 52 (I think.)  He is a programming engineer for a local T.V. broadcasting station. He is married to J'Lynne. Oh wait, I forget that's not her name. It's really "Lynne", but we already had a Lynn and got tired of referring to her as "Jeff's Lynne" all the time, so within a very short time she was renamed "J'Lynne". The have been married for (12?) years. Jeff and J'Lynne tried unsuccessfully for many years to have children. Then J'Lynne was diagnosed with MS. They have a beautiful home and an adorable toy poodle Miko.

Then there is Lynn. Also  52. (this is where my mom says people are not allowed to do the math!) He has had an interesting life, much of which I'm not at liberty to share. LOL He has never been married, and as far as we know he doesn't have any children. LOL Lynn now lives on my parents' property and does a lot of the grounds keeping. (there is a lot to do!) He recently had a health scare that caused him to make some dramatic changes in his life. My parents LOVE having him living on the property. (not in the main house.)  He gets SO much done there, and is really a blessing to them. There are some perks that come with living with Mom and Dad though, and my sister and I are trying to figure out if there is room for us to live up there too.

Next up is my sister Sandie. She started her own blog based on her age, so I'm allowed to say she turned 50 last year. Sandie has nine children. Yes nine. There is a his/mine thing, plus the four she and her ex husband adopted. Sandie is married to Bob, and she has 7 grand children. (Gasp! How did my sister become a grandmother to 7????) and I'm sure there are many more to come.

Then there is me, and you know all about me already! LOL We've learned over the years that being called to dinner could possibly mean there is another secret coming out of the closet, but you know what? We sure love our family! Considering all the different influences, our family could very well be a dysfunctional one, but it's not. We can communicate with each other, and we don't argue. We don't always agree, those things certainly don't stop us from supporting one another. It's because of my family that, when I started dating after my divorce, I wouldn't bother with anyone who didn't have a good relationship with his own family. Dean loves his family as much as I love mine!

Day 4

This post is day 4 of a 30 day series.

My parents

My parents are Ed and Dawn. This year they will celebrate their 52nd wedding anniversary. I think that speaks volumes.

My dad was raised on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin, and was one of 11 children. His dad's name is Axel. :-) My dad is full of stories of growing up on the farm, and the antics he and his brothers got into on a regular basis. We have our favorite stories of course, like "Face meat and boughten bread".

My mom was raised in Northern Minnesota on a resort her parents owned. Her dad passed away when she was just 18.

When my mom was 19 she was working in the big city of Minneapolis as a paralegal. She and her friend Joyce had to get a signature from a client. They were sitting at a red light, waiting to left. They heard someone whistle and turned to see two young, handsome men in lane next to them. They all flirted the duration of the red light, and when it turned green my mom turned left, and boys pulled out of their lane and followed them!

When they got the clients house, the girls were a little miffed about these guys following them. As it turned out, they needed someone to witness the signature so she told the guys to come up to the man's apartment with them. Once the business was done and they were back by their cars talking and flirting. Finally the girls said they needed to leave, but the boys said, "Well...umm....we have NO idea where we are!" These farm boys had driven to the big city for an adventure, and boy did they get one! LOL

My parents were married just 3 months later. My dad's friend who was with him in the car was George. He married my mom's friend Joyce, and they just celebrated their 51st anniversary too!

I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters and I was the complete surprise baby. My mom was determined she was DONE after my sister was born, so she was a little miffed when I arrived 7 1/2 years later. She wasn't happy about it. She told God, "If I have to be pregnant again, can you make it a girl, and make her look like me?" It just so happens I do look just like my mom, with some of my dad's features thrown in. I totally have my dad's nose. LOL

I was very close to my dad when I was little. Being the baby of the family, he called me "baby"...well...only after all the others had moved out of the house and I was the last one at home. Because of age differences, I ended up being raised very much like an only child from the time I was about 11 or 12. My siblings, having already graduated or in their final years of high school, certainly didn't have time for the little sister. I was on my own. A lot. My mom had her career, and I often felt like I didn't really fit into her life. I became a very independent child. Sometimes a bit too independent, I think. Even now as an adult I sometimes have to remember I have a partner who I need to communicate with.

My dad owned a very successful luxury homebuilding company with 2 of his brothers. My mom was a multi-million dollar real estate broker for many years. Thanks to the hard work of my parents I was raised in a home with money but I never knew it. We were not raised having things handed to us. We were taught we had to work for what we got so that we'd have pride in ownership. Life was good.

My dad retired about 15 years ago, and my mom retired from real estate about 25 years ago and decided to go to bible college.  They now live in Norther Minnesota. It's only 4 hours away from us, but we somehow have trouble getting up there more than a couple times per year. My mom is very busy, as she's now pastor of a church in their town, and she also travels all over the world preaching the Gospel  of Jesus Christ. My dad always has some project or another going on, and spends a fair amount of time on the golf course. Dean is determined to beat him at the game, but I told him if he wants to remain the favorite son-in-law he better not!

It's interesting to me that so much of my life has been a parallel to my parents. When my parents were 40 they bought motorcycles, and I grew up on the back of them from the time I was 12. Because of that, bikes are in my blood! I got my own bike when I was 39.  Another similarity is our children. Like me, Angela is 7 years younger than her next brother, (though she was very much planned and took two years of trying to conceive to get her!) and has been raised very much as an only child since she was about 8 when her brothers moved to their dads.

I adore my  parents. My dad was the best dad ever. He was calm and quiet. If we got into trouble, Mom would do the lecturing, but eventually dad would speak up, and we knew that when Dad spoke it was like God himself laying down the law. While I may not have been close to my mom was child, as and adult I know I can call my mom any time and ask her for advice. One of my ex's, thinking he was insulting me, would often say things like, "You're just like your mother!" I took it as a compliment. I have a lot of respect for my parents. There are parts of their story that are not for telling here; things that could have easily destroyed their relationship, but they didn't let that happen. They are strong people, who have raised strong headed kids.

Day 3

This is post is part of a 30 day series.
Day 3: Your First Love


Well, now this is an interesting topic, isn't it? Is this the first boy I *thought* I loved, or the first boy who I truly loved? Hmmm I'll do both!

The first boy I thought I loved was Tim. I was in 8th grade, and my best friend Nell was in love with his best friend Bob. We went roller skating together on Thursday nights, and I sometimes called him...obsessively. Sometimes he and I would talk on the phone in the middle of the night without our parents knowing! HOW DARING OF ME! I got my first kiss at Valley Fair, and then we broke up 2 weeks later. LOL Tim is now a hotshot attorney in central Minnesota.

I really didn't have a clue what "love" meant in 8th grade. I remained free and single until my Junior year in high school when I met David. David and I dated 3 times, and I'm pretty sure my relationship with David caused my mother a few gray hairs! The first time we dated there was lots of lying involved, and not coming home, and getting found at parties in the middle of the night.  We broke up during my senior year, and he started dating a girl named Debbie. My heart was broken. Truly broken. Shortly after we broke up I graduated early and joined the army. When I got home from basic and training 6 months later and went into the reserves, he and I dated again for a time. But David's life was taking a very different direction than mine at that point. One that involved habits I refused to have anything to do with. Still, I missed him.

After my first divorce David and I dated again. I don't remember how we met up again. During those several weeks I even brought him to church with me once. My mom was out of the country and a friend of hers told her, "Leah brought a man to church with her while you were gone! He was very good looking. I think his name was David." My mom knew right away who it was, and immediately started praying that God would put and end to this.

David was really good with my kids, but I was suddenly able to see the things my mother saw years before. He was a super nice guy, he just wasn't getting anywhere in his life. I was raising 2 kids on my own, and going to school full time, and he could barely hold a job and take care of himself. One night he and I met at a local hang-out a girlfriend of mine and I frequented. He came in, obviously buzzed, and asked if he could borrow a couple hundred dollars from me, "to get my car off the tow truck. I just got a DUI."

Yep, done with that! I had no room in my life for someone who was going to bring me down. I wanted to go places in life. This time it was David who was heart-broken. I think he thought I was good for him. His brother called me several times, "What happened? Please talk to him, he misses you." No. I was done. Moving on!

Fast forward several years. I was doing adoption reunion searches, helping adult adoptees and birth parents who wanted contact with each other to reunite. A birth mother contacted me with a child's birthdate that was SO familiar. And the baby's birth name...I knew that name. I searched the Minnesota birth index, pulled up the date, and there was the birth certificate for David. I was going to have to contact him again.

I was able to reunite David with his birth mother, something that I knew he'd always wanted to do. He had questions. They spoke with each other quite a bit, and then one day he just disappeared. About 3 years later his birth mother contacted me asking if I knew what happened to him. I didn't. As a favor to her I did do some investigating and found nothing of him anywhere. I even called his dad, who said he hadn't talked to David in several years.

I have no doubt that God brings us through various experiences in life to prepare us for what's ahead. I needed to date David more than once, because God had some things to show me about myself. There were lots of paths I needed to walk to become who I am today. I needed to become who I am now in order to meet Dean. My TRUE love.

Day 1

Today is my introduction day. This is for all of those who are new here, who haven't read all the way back to 2005 when I started this blog. LOL Seriously, I have been blogging since 2005. Wow.

Day 1: Introduction, Picture, 15 interesting facts

I'm Leah, and that's my guy Dean up there who I'm clinging to. We love each other to pieces! Seriously, life just gets better and better. Dean and I met on August 22, 2003, and committed our lives to each other in July 2005. We have trouble remembering the date for some reason. It's either the 23rd, or the 27th. Or maybe it's the 24th. (if we were smarter, we would have just done it on the 22nd so we didn't have to remember another date! Shees!) Seriously, every year we have this discussion, and I have to call my sister who's granddaughter was born that same day which is why she wasn't present for the event...cuz she was busy catching a baby. Except she's usually waiting to call me to ask when our anniversary is so she can wish her granddaughter a happy birthday. Clearly it's a family thing. We like August 22nd better anyway. And just so you know, there is a reason we can't remember the date, and it has to do with the fact both Dean and I have a couple anniversary dates running through our heads, mixed in with birthdays of kids. But really, August 22nd is that date that is important to us, because that's the day our lives changed forever.

July something, 2005

15 Interesting facts.  (this is gonna be tough, because I am not that interesting!) So, in no particular order:

1) I was in the U.S. Army for 8 years. I was active duty reserve for 3 of those years, and then I went IRR after my second baby was born. I LOVED the Army and wish I had stayed in longer. But I was young and dumb. And impulsive.

2) I have been married a lot. It goes back to that impulsivity thing. I first married when I was just barely 19. I'd known him 3 months when we got engaged, and we got married on our 7 month anniversary. I'm pretty sure I caused my mother some psychological damage. But, I had two beautiful boys with him, Noah (23) and Tyler (22). We were separated within 4 years and divorced shortly after. I was young. And impulsive.

3) When I was 26 I remarried. This was not on an impulse, and we'd known each other more than a year by that point. He had two boys who I consider my own, since I raised them for 10 years. Rob will soon be 25, and Bryon 22. Together we had Angela. We were married 9 years. I learned some things.

4) When I was ready to let someone into my life again, I made a list of qualities that must be met by anyone I dated. He must have a bike, (read the link, there are more details there) can't smoke, have good relationships with his parents and siblings, own his own home. Dean met 4 of the requirements, lucky duck!

5) One year ago Dean was 100% against adopting. It was great for other people, not for us.

6) Axel  has been with us for almost 4 months now.

7) Every day I catch find Dean scrolling through photo listings of children available for adoption.

8) Dean and I love dogs. We had four but recently had to say goodbye to our Rubee. We miss her a lot. Over the last few years we've had a lot of puppies here too. I love puppies, but they are WORK! I don't miss the work. Or the poop.

9) I hate snow. I hate cold. Minnesota is the wrong state for us to live in. Then I realized that neither of our parents are here for much of the year because they are snowbirds. But the services here for Angela and Axel are too good to move south, so we stay. Someday we will have a winter home.

10) I had a "Before I turn 40" list. One of those things was to get my own bike.

"Nooner" 2004 Vstar 1100 In this picture he's loaded for a road trip, making him look small! He's not!

What I didn't know is that before long I'd have to add "Spank" to the team. 

11) One summer I put 10,000 miles on my bike. Last year I only put on about 3,000. It was a sad summer for  Nooner, and for me.  You see, Nooner needed brakes, and all our money was getting put into the adoption. This year it will be better, I just know it! 

12) In the past year, God has brought me to the most amazing places. They are not places one would choose to go for, say...a vacation. But I went, and our lives were forever changed because of it. Pretty soon Dean will get to experience it too, because there are plans in the works.

13) I hate cooking. No, really. I suck at it even more than I hate it. 

14) Dean has a blog that he has abandoned. If you want to see him write more, you can go comment on it.  I happen to love getting his perspective on things. 

15) I am a full-time student. I just took this year off so we could complete adoptions and stuff. I go back to school in September, and have about 18 months left. Dean says he's retiring when I'm done and find a job. He cooks much better than me, so that will be a good thing.

And I've added one more:

16) I love my life. Every single part of it. It's the life God chose for me and He knows what's ahead. Everything from today is preparation for tomorrow. Whatever He's preparing me for, I can't wait to see!

30 days

Today I'm starting a 30 day blog series. Nope, the idea isn't mine. I totally stole it from my friend Shea. (Thanks Shea!) 

Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts

Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name

Day 3-Your first love

Day 4-Your parents

Day 5-Your siblings

Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 7-Favorite movies

Day 8-A place you’ve traveled to

Day 9-A picture of your friends

Day 10-Something you’re afraid of

Day 11-Favorite TV shows

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-A picture you love

Day 15-Bible verse

Day 16-Dream house

Day 17-Something you’re looking forward to

Day 18-Something you regret

Day 19-Something you miss

Day 20-Nicknames

Day 21-Picture of yourself

Day 22-Favorite city

Day 23-Favorite vacation

Day 24-Something you’ve learned

Day 25-Favorite memory

Day 26-Picture of your family

Day 27-Pets

Day 28-Something that stresses you out

Day 29-3 Wishes

Day 30-a picture

Networking and Voting

Are you a network blogger? If you are, would you consider rating my blog? It's not a voting thing, just a one-time rating.

The About.com reader's choice voting ends in a few days. It's pretty clear by the current results who the favorite is, since I am well over 1,000 votes behind. LOL The only way I could even come close is if all my followers got 15 people to vote as well. And did so several days in a row. ROFL If anyone did still want to vote, you can go here to do so. 

Its still a fun, friendly little contest and fun to watch the votes go up...or not.  If you haven't taken a look at the other blogs please do. There are some great writers in the running and I'm enjoying reading their blogs and getting to "know" them.

Networked?

I've noticed the "network blogs", as a lot of the blogs I've been reading for years are now part of this network, but I really didn't pay any attention to it.

So I'm networked now. Do you see it down there on the right sidebar? Yep, I'm my only follower! ROFL

Back on Track

Now that Axel is fully integrated into our family, and most of my blogging will be about Angela and Axel's antics together, I'll be back to blogging about our life here. However, I will keep the My Ianna blog open as I continue to post updates about Ianna.

To those who are new here, welcome!

All Blogged Out

I think I've *almost* covered my whole trip. Only took me 3 weeks, huh? LOL If you're new here, really my blog is mostly about issues related to raising a child who has Down Syndrome, but I'm also a biker, and a wife, and mom to a couple other kids so that stuff gets included too!

On the right side of my page are links to various topics. If you're looking for DS related stuff, click on "Angela", or "Down Syndrome", or "Independence" (LOL).

If you're looking for stuff about my biker life, click on things like "red" or "biker chick" or "independence". LOL

Butt Bling and Blogging

So, my very good friend Tink, who I joined in her Epic Journey, is learning to blog. She's started by telling the tale of her trip.

A very strange thing happened between Tink and I within our first 24 hours together on the journey. We realized we were twins, separated at birth who look nothing alike. I can honestly say this is the strangest thing I've ever had happen with another person. Poor Bev and Scharlett...there were many times Tink and I were bent over in hyperventilating laughter but neither of them knew why. Really, Tink and I probably didn't either. But you see, we didn't always have to talk to know what we were laughing about because we have the same thought patterns, we just KNEW! Then there was the fact we have the same hand gestures and would often accidentally smack each other as we were doing them at the same time.

So today Tink posted on her blog about meeting me for the first time. Her description is so accurate. Just the memories of what she describes...while they may not seem funny to you the reader... bring to me visions that cause me to laugh in my office chair.

Go have a read. Oh, you'll also find out how I got my new biker name. LOL

Oh, about the Butt Bling. Tink has done an amazing job on her bike, having bedazzled it with Swarovski crystals that make it twinkly in the sunlight. She's turned this into a business, and the stuff she's doing makes me drool and want to do it to my bike. (only I'm not positive I'll be keeping this bike so I'm hesitant to do that much cusomizing.) I like to call it "Butt Bling".