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Happy Thanksgiving!

Richard and I are thankful for you reading our profile. We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday.

This year we will be visiting my family...luckily we do not have to battle holiday traffic since they only live 24 miles away! Since my mother recently had surgery, my father is making the turkey, ham, and meatless lasagna (sister & niece who are vegetarians) while everyone else bringing a dish. We are bringing the traditional green bean casserole and Watergate Salad (marshmallow dessert).

Each year Richard and I have our own Thanksgiving dinner the day after. This year we bought a 26-pound turkey! Thank goodness for freezer bags! Chin Chin and Macy love our little feast too!

We stay away from the hustle bustle of shopping this weekend. We feel too many people get lost in the material side of holidays and forget the true meaning. We spend time together watching movies, sports, taking long walks with the pups, and playing games. We look forward to sharing the holiday’s with a child.

With the holidays approaching, each year gets a little harder because we still do not have a child to help us celebrate.

Before I left work Richard called and said there was a surprise waiting. Every day before leaving work, I call home so Richard and the girls can greet me outside; today for some reason there was no answer…hmm, strange! Now I know why. As I walked up the sidewalk there was my surprise, our home sparkling with Christmas lights! The bright twinkling lights made me smile.

Where are they? Here they are! Richard, Chin Chin, & Macy were inside waiting so they could smother me with welcome home kisses and licks! The surprise continued inside, Richard had set up our nativity and Christmas tree. Doing sweet things like this are just a few of the ways Richard shows his compassion and love.

Yesterday we returned from our vacation; which was a lot of fun. We drove north through Illinois and Wisconsin (the leaves were at their peak so the drive was very pretty), continuing through Minnesota onto South Dakota. It was nice because there were not a lot of people as in the summer months; however, we found that several attractions/shops along the way had closed due to being off-season.
We stopped along the Missouri River at a rest area, which had information about South Dakota and had a Lewis & Clark expedition exhibit. The rest stop grounds were very picturesque, however the sign “watch for rattle snakes” was quite unnerving.

En route to South Dakota we stopped at an attraction called 1880 Town. They had an actual replica of a town in 1880, which the buildings were actually from that time. They also had props from the movie Dances with Wolves. Our next stop was at Wall Drugs, purchasing some souvenirs and taking a break from driving. Many of the locations allowed our dogs inside the attractions/shops.

Once in South Dakota we visited Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. The drive through Custer State Park was awesome; however, with all the twists and turns of the road not good for people who get carsick. We saw many deer, wild turkeys, longhorn steer, cattle, prairie dogs, and buffalo. We had dinner in a restaurant that once stored gunpowder.

Next, we moved onto Deadwood where we saw the burial sites for Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The town is the site of the second gold rush and has quite a bit of history. From the colorful past, this town definitely was part of the Wild West.

On our return, we stopped at Devils Tower in Wyoming. We were surprised at how tall the tower is. The tower is in many movies, one being Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We visited Badlands National Park, which is amazing. Our last stop was at the Corn Palace. Indian corn and grains decorate the building exterior to create giant murals. There was a Native American museum but we were unable to visit due to time constraints.

While driving back, we planned next year’s vacation. Lake Tahoe, Reno, Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and several other sites.

We hope to soon have a child to bring with us on our trips.

We planned to purchase a wagon for our future child for trips to the park and zoo so he/she could take a quick nap or just lounge around while looking at the animals! We purchased a red wagon, which has natural colored wood sides so the child will not fall out.
However, today at the park Chin Chin sprained her left shoulder running around like a little puppy...she forgets she is 10 yrs old! Since she cannot walk a lot for the next few weeks and our vacation is soon approaching, the wagon comes in handy. We have been taking walks around the neighborhood to see if both Macy and Chinny will stay inside. I think they remember sitting in the wagon at an antique mall, we visited in Springfield, OH because they just sit inside like two little queens!

Today we changed our vacation plans due to gunfire at the reenactments since Chin Chin and Macy will be coming. Instead, we (Chin Chin & Macy too) are driving to South Dakota; somewhere Rich has never been and I was there in 1976. In 1976, my family took a three-week road trip from Chicago to California. Now that was definitely a vacation to remember, two adults and five children in s station wagon, but was a ton of fun. We even ventured to Tijuana, Mexico!

We are going to drive at a leisurely pace stopping along the way. Some of the sites we already plan to see are, the Corn Palace in Mitchell, Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and Badlands National Park. We have a list of other things are going to do those along the way.

The trees in the states we are driving through; Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota will be changing into their beautiful fall colors so that will be an added bonus. Despite being fall, there is a chance of us running into some snow...

Being we already had 3 days off for the Labor Day holiday, I also took Friday off. Had a dental appointment in the morning and then Rich, Chin Chin, Macy, and I ran a few errands. Later Rich and I went out on our own to a resale shop (looking for more dinasour for his collection) and grocery store for some weekend BBQ foods.

This weekend we plan to do some fun things. Tonight, we are going to the drive-in movies to see a Vin Diesel movie and the new Ben Stiller comedy.

Wednesday is my mom's birthday and parents 48th Wedding Anniversary so we'll be getting together with the family this weekend to celebrate. Mom likes to hold her parties at Chuck E Cheese. She loves watching the grandchildren all have a good time; along with her own children who play the games. She always divides the tokens evenly and gives Rich and I a tokens since we don't have children yet. Last year we won enough tickets to win a Chuck E Cheese baby bib, and the year before a Chuck E Cheese snack holder for when we finally are blessed with a baby.

Today we, along with Chin Chin & Macy, went to see my niece Devynn's All-Star game. Unfortunately they lost 10-3, but she had a lot of fun. She got to pitch, play short stop and right field.

We had a lot of fun and brought back memories of when Richard and I played baseball/softball as kids.

My parents were the coaches for all of my softball teams growing up; definitely no preferential treatment on the team. Dad coached softball and baseball from when I was in 5th grade until my brother Bobby graduated 8th grade. When he retired the league gave him an award for being the longest reigning coach, 17 years.

The girls loved to be on their team because we always were one of the top teams, plus every year we had an appreciation picnic at our house. Swimming in our pool, cook-out, water balloon and egg toss. One year every Tuesday night all the girls from the team would pile into our station wagon (before seat belts were mandatory) and go to a White Sox game.

Today we went to Michelene's cousin Valerie's graduation party. Many of the cousins were there with their children. We had a lot of fun seeing her Aunts/Uncles, cousins, and her cousin's children.

Michelene comes from a large family. Her father is one of nine children and her mother is one of four children. She has thirty-one first cousins on her father's side and eight on her mother's side; along with numerous third and fourth cousins.

Today our caseworker came for our annual 6-month inhome visit for our Foster Care license.

We are happy to say we passed with flying colors.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Today was a lot of fun.

We went for a walk with the girls at a local forest preserve. We walked along the lake and stopped on the pier so Chin Chin and Macy could see the fisherman and get their daily intake of petting!

It was great to see so many families out having fun. We even saw a few with their dogs out on the boats!

After the park we had a little BBQ at home.

Since the pups do not like the noise of fireworks we opted to stay home so they felt safe, snuggled on the bed with them, and watched movies. We didn't mind since we will be seeing fireworks in a week at a Kane County Cougar's game!

Happy Summer!

Today also is my dad's 72nd birthday so we went to wish him a Happy Birthday. My Uncles Ray and Paulie were there and brought a HUGE birthday cake, about 14" in diameter!

We stayed there for a few hours. My family loves to tease and were ribbing Rich about his Cubs. It was a lot of fun and we had a great time.

In my family if they rib you, they like you!

Growing up we had a family friend Matthew, my grandparents ring bearer at their wedding and was in Vaudeville. He loved to entertain the family, especially the children. When my father and his siblings were, little Matthew would act as the majorette march all the children up and down the street.

Happy Easter!

Today we spent the day with family.

This year since it was quite cold, Michelene and her niece Allyse hid the money filled Easter eggs inside the house. After all the eggs and baskets were found it was time for the annual Pennies Toss at the Easter eggs. This year the four youngest nieces/nephews realized the concept and didn't mind that their eggs were ruined by the pennies...they wanted the money! lol

Michelene's mother started giving her adult children a gift wrapped package of Reese's peanut butter eggs instead of a basket, and is now an annual tradition.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We wish everyone reading our journal and their families a happy and healthy new year.

We spent a quiet New Years Eve at home. Our neighbor, Debbie stopped over with Chloe, her dog to help us ring in 2008.

Rich will spend the day wearing his bright orange shirt, relaxing on his recliner with Chin Chin & Macy watching bowl games. His beloved Volunteers (University of Tennessee) play against Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl! Thank goodness, football is almost over, college and professional, so no more sports for a while in this house! lol

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We hope everyone reading our journal had a wonderful Christmas.

We started our Christmas weekend off with me spending all Sunday baking three different types of holiday cookies; Red & Green Cherry Blossoms (resemble the peanut butter Hershey Kiss cookies), Russian Tea cakes, and Andes Mints Cookies (taste like Girl Scout Thin Mint). It was hard, but Rich spent a tough afternoon watching football games. Chin Chin and Macy spent the afternoon chilling next door at their friend Chloe's home, Debbie's little black/white Dachshund/Poodle mix. lol

Monday, Christmas Eve, Rich made homemade Irish Crème (Bailey’s) to bring with us tonight. We also gave bottles to our neighborhood friends along with the cookies.

Each Christmas Eve we gather at my parent’s home after church for an evening full of fun activities. The night starts out with a huge buffet dinner whith everyone bringing at least one dish…and many different cookies! Once dinner is over the children take down their stockings Grammy/Poppy filled with lots of goodies. Next is a pass around game played by guessing the color of the drawn playing. If correct you recieve a gift, if not lose your turn. This continues until all the gifts are gone (everyone always gets the same number of gifts). We have three age groups, preschoolers, preteen/teen, and 16 and over. Next, Piñata time! Each child under 12 taked a turn. Finally, the gifts! Since my family has grown to 24 people we started children and adult grab bags. Our parents are the only ones who receive gifts from everyone. Once everyone has opened their gifts, some start to leave and others stay around and chats. This year I received a beautiful wall hanging of Chin Chin and Macy from my parents.

Today, Christmas Day, together after the hustle bustle from last night’s activities, we spent a quiet day at home. We started our morning off exchanging gifts. Then, since the weather was warm and sunny, we took a long walk with girls at the forest preserve. To our surprise, there were many families out enjoying the weather. After returning, we sat around and munched on shrimp, cheese, sausage, and home made spinach dip while watching Christmas programs on TV. We watched Elf, The Christmas Story…that poor Ralphie and a few other holiday themed movies.

Our friend Debbie and her daughter Danielle stopped over with a gift for us, a hot air popcorn maker. It was the perfect gift since on Friday’s we get together, have popcorn, and watch TV. Rich is the official popcorn maker, but burns it at times so this was the perfect gift!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yesterday Richard and I celebrate our own Thanksgiving dinner, something we have always done the day, either the day before or after. Rich's turkeys are always so moist and juicy...even the white meat! Once the turkey is stored away Rich, Chin Chin and Macy enjoy sharing the neck bone.

Later today, we will spend Thanksgiving with my family. Since my sister Janel & niece Allyse are vegetarians, my father includes a cheese lasagna with the other traditional fare. Each sibling also brings something; I usually bring the green bean casserole and sometimes potato & cheese stuffed Pierogi (litte dumplings).

One tradition I have continued from my childhood is watching the Macy’s Day Parade. I remember sitting with my Nonna (grandma) and siblings watching the parade anxiously awaiting that magical moment, Santa appearing. We would jump around from excitement and Nonni would always join in.

Richard, my sister Deanna and our dog Macy were all born on Thanksgiving Day, which is how Macy received her name.

Richard and I are both thankful to one day meet and share our lives with someone special who will make our dream come true.

We wish you and your family a happy Thanksgiving.

Road Trip!

This week we will be taking a trip back east to Syracuse for Rich's college reunion. It also marks our 5 years of being together, and my birthday.

Saturday will be a lot of fun attending a BBQ followed by an Orangemen's game...hope they beat Rutgers! We will also see family and friends, plus stop at the cemetery where Rich's parents are buried to pay our respects. Odd as it may sound, from his parents gravesite is one of the most beautiful views of the city.

Fall is a beautiful time in Upstate New York so we are especially looking forward to looking at the beautiful fall jewel tones of the trees.

Our trip will also be a nice time for us to just get away with the girls (Chin Chin & Macy). Since starting our adoption journey we haven't taken a vacation.

Garden time!

This year Rich's planting a bunch of basil, a tomato plant, and some flowers. He'd love to live where he can plant a huge garden, something his father and he shared growing up.

Chin Chin, Macy and I are looking forward to all the pesto Richard makes with the basil and a lot of garlic...yum yum! Yes, Chin Chin and Macy our two dogs love his pesto! lol

He enjoys giving the pesto to family and friends, so we'll be visiting them a lot this summer. It would be fun to create gift baskets to give with the pesto with pasta and some fresh French bread!

We both love receiving hand made gifts, which come from the heart.

Went exploring in our new neighborhood and came across a beautiful trail which has a waterfall. The trees are starting to bloom. It will be beautiful there this summer and especially in the fall when the leaves change to their jewel tone colors.

Rich and I enjoy taking drives in the fall in Wisconsin and Michigan to see all the beautiful colors of the changing leaves. We plan to do a lighthouse tour through Michigan one year which will be pretty both in summer and fall. Another trip we look forward to taking is to New England to see the beautiful fall colors.

Happy Easter!

Today we went to Michelene's parents house to celebrate Easter, it was a lot of fun. We help her mother hide the plastic eggs outside, which contain different amounts of money. One golden egg, which is hidden the hardest, contains the most money. Michelene made a Jell-O, which her aunt always made for family gatherings growing up which caused a lot of reminiscing. After dinner, Michelene helped her two youngest nieces ages 2 & 3 with the annual treasure hunt to find their baskets. Once that was done, time to go outside to find the eggs…of course once again one egg was the hardest to be found so everyone had to search. Found it! Now onto the final stage of the day’s festivities, the traditional throwing pennies at the eggs. This is a tradition Michelene’s father has done since he was a child. According to the Aunts/Uncles, this tradition was brought from Austria with her grandparents. The children place their decorated egg in front of the adults who throw pennies at the them (Uncle Eddie was using nickels), the children run around picking up the pennies which don’t go into the egg. Once a penny goes into the egg it is picked up and shaken; if the penny falls out they continue; if it stays in, the child moves on. This sounds easy but it is a killer on your shoulder…need to workout before going to the Easter celebration!

Yesterday afternoon we went to Chuck E Cheese to help celebrate Michelene's twin nephew's 4th birthday. We had a great time watching them open their gifts and helping them play games.

Here's a picture of Michelene and her niece Jillian playing one of the games...they won 15 tokens in one try!!!

We bought a cute bib with a huge Chuck E Cheese on the front...can't wait to see a smiling little face behind the bib!

We started our adoption journey on July 22, 2006 when we mailed our home-study application. This was a step we thought long and hard about and new the time was right to start on the road to becoming parents.

We cannot wait to hold a baby in our arms to love, cherish, and watch grow.