Sun, Fun and Baseball

We just got back from our annual Spring Training trip to Arizona.  We were there for 8 marvelous days and saw 8 games.  Pretty impressive considering I'm counting the day we flew home as a day and on Thursday we headed south to Tombstone.

We flew in on Saturday afternoon and headed off to Chase Field to see a WBC game after checking into our hotel.  It was pretty cool to watch Italy v US.  Thankfully the US won.  It was a little chilly on Saturday so we were happy that the game was inside.  Thankfully by Sunday the weather started getting warmer.  By Tuesday it was pretty damn hot to say the least.  While at Hohokam (winter home of the Chicago Cubs) we met the guy that runs the ballpark.  He told us that when the Cubs are playing away they are at Hohokam practicing and open the field up at 9:30 to fans so they can watch.  We went there on Monday and there were only a handful of fans.  It was awesome!  Mark also took us on the field and let us take a bunch of pictures in the dugouts, on 2nd base, on the pitchers mound.  What a great guy.

Thursday we decided to watch the Cubs practice and then head south to Tombstone.  It was a good 3 hour drive but it was worth it.  We got there a little late so we didn't get to go see all the shops but we did get to see the OK Corral and the Birdcage Theater.  J was super excited about the Birdcage Theater.  It's been known as one of the most haunted places in the US.  He was like a kid at Christmas when we found out they do a ghost tour at night.  We quickly signed up for the 8pm tour and then tried to figure out what to do to occupy our time for 3 hours.

The tour was pretty good.  The theater isn't that big so you did a lot of standing around while the tour guide told us stories of the Wild Wild West.  The tour is 1.5 hours long and for the last 30 minutes you're sitting in the dark on the stage.  We actually got about 45 minutes or so in the dark and it was probably the best part ever.  While sitting there I did have a few experiences.  They had a k2 meter on the table and I was watching the green light. All of a sudden I see a shadow in front of me that completely blocks out the light.  The shadow moves from the left to the right.  I got unbelievably cold and had goosebumps all over my arms and legs.  There was someone sitting on the other side of the table and they said they saw a shadow behind J, myself and the girl sitting next to me.  After about a minute the cold spot was gone and I was back to a normal temperature.

A little while later I heard an odd sound.  I thought it might be someone moving their feet on the floor but after I did that I realized that's not the sound I heard.  I couldn't quite figure out what the sound was.  When we got home on Saturday we pulled out the Ghost Hunters episode where they are at the Birdcage Theater. Imagine my surprise when I heard the same noise on the show.  They said it sounded like a deck of cards being shuffled and I immediately looked at J and said, "That's it!"  The sound I heard definitely sounded like a deck of cards.

All in all it was a great trip.  Can't wait for next year.

remember to smile often

Today was a tough day.  We went to a funeral for a 24 yo that left this world way too soon.  There were a lot of tears and even some laughter.  This kid was well loved.  There were hundreds of people at his funeral. There were probably close to 50 people that had to stand.  They did a slideshow for him and you could see how much he was loved and how much he loved life. He had a smile that was infectious.  My heart breaks for his family.  No parent should ever have to bury their child.  

An important lesson was learned today.  Tomorrow is not a guarantee.  The kid's Mom said something that will forever stay with me.  She talked about how people need to be kinder to people in general.  Her son was the type that would help out anyone.  Would smile and talk to anyone.  More people should be like that.

I'm certified!

And no, I don't mean certifiably crazy.  The verdict is still out on that one. HA!

Last month I passed a test for a pretty sweet certification in my field.  I had been studying for the test since September of last year.  I would go to a 3 hour class, once a week for 12 weeks.  Less than 50% of the people that take the test actually pass.  There are 175 questions on the test and you have 3 hours to take the test.  You find out immediately after submitting your test whether or not you passed.  It seemed like an eternity for the word "PASS" to show up on the screen.  I couldn't believe it! The feeling of relief that passed over me was indescribable   To keep my certification I have to get 60 credit hours within 3 years, I'll definitely be doing that.  I am not taking that test again!

J surprised me with a professional pen that was inscribed with my name and certification. He said that is what you get when you get a certification.  :)  I proudly use my pen at work.

Wrigley had his last training class last night. I put him in a 6 week training class through PetSmart.  That dog is smart, he's just stubborn at times.  I need to look at the class offerings and see when he can get in for intermediate training.

Valentine's Day

I love holidays. I especially love holidays where you can buy gifts for people.  Actually, I just love buying gifts for people.  I'm the type of person that likes to make sure I have the perfect gift for someone.  For Valentine's Day I surprised J with tickets to go see the Canucks in Vancouver.  Neither one of us had been to a NHL game before. We have been talking about going to see the Canucks for a few years now. The only problem is their games sell out just about the moment tickets go on sale.  I lucked out this year with tickets because of the strike.  I found a nice hotel on Priceline.com for a very reasonable price.  I love when a plan falls in order.

We dropped the dogs off at PetSmart on Sunday and began our trek up north. Thankfully we had pretty okay weather, there was no rain. We spent a couple of hours at Granville Island. Such a beautiful market there! We only experienced about a quarter of what there is to do there.  We did stop at Granville Island Brewing and did a taster set of beers.  Mm. So good we ended up coming home with a 12 pack.

Our hotel was about 2 blocks from the Rogers Arena where the Canucks play. It was perfect!  We headed over to the arena and were shocked to see that the beer they sell is... Budweiser!  Here we are in Canada and the only beer we can get is Budweiser or Bud Light?  The Canucks ended up losing but it was still a good game. The game went into OT and then a shoot out. Not bad for our first NHL game.

We headed back home on Monday but not after a little adventure trying to find a Tim Hortons for donuts.  We are both fans of How I Met Your Mother and we wanted to stop at a Tim Hortons to see what it was all about.  The verdict? They are good. :)  I love that Canada is so close.

Why so wonky?

The other day I realized I'm late for my period.  I looked at the My Days app and it said my period should have been here on Saturday.  I thought that was weird.  Sometimes I'm a few days late or early.  Yesterday when I still didn't get it I decided to test in the morning.  Of course my test is defective and nothing happened.  Last night I tested again and it came back not pregnant.  I know it's better to test in the morning as that's when the hormone is more concentrated.  I don't really think I'm pregnant.  I figure my period is just being wonky.  I wish it would stop this honestly.  I think it could also be the app not calculating my period correctly.

Oh the wonders of being a girl.

In other news, J & I are meeting with someone from CCS next Tuesday to learn more about their adoption services.  We are also meeting with our tax lady this Saturday to file taxes.  I have a few questions to ask her regarding the adoption tax credit and how all that works.  

Other than that, nothing too exciting going on with us.  Wrigley has been in training for 4 weeks now.  Man can that dog be stubborn. It's a good thing he's so cute though.  Ash is thankful Wrigley is back in camp during the day.  She's been able to nap without disruption from Wiggles.  Lilly is Lilly.  She's finally letting Wrigley come up and get near her.  Lilly's favorite thing is to go up and sniff Wrigley's nose when he's sleeping.

Uh how much?

Last night we met with our first adoption agency, Bethany Christian Services.  It was a little hectic because J was working at the academy and was trying to make it home in time. I was rushing to pick up Wrigley in enough time to get home and feed the dogs.  Thankfully the counselor from BCS was very easy going and didn't mind our crazy night at the house. 

Last night was very informative.  The counselor walked us through all the steps in the process. She gave estimated timelines and of course delved into costs. It is crazy how much adoption costs.  I think both J & I had a bit of "sticker shock" when she started to go over the costs.  We both know it's not cheap but at the same time we are thinking, "How in the world do people pay for this?"  BCS did say they were one of the highest priced agencies in our area and they explained why.  They do a lot of counseling for the birth mother and that cost rolls into our fees.  

I felt really good after the meeting.  The internet is a crazy place and all the information out there was extremely overwhelming.  It was nice to talk with someone face to face and be able to ask questions.  J & I have a lot to think about.  We need to sit down and talk about what risk factors we are willing to accept.  Is it okay if the birth mother has drank some during the pregnancy? What about drug use?  What level of comfort do we have with these?  This definitely isn't a process that you just jump into.

I am waiting for another agency to get back to me so we can meet with them.  I'm sure they will have a similar process as BCS, just different fees.  The counselor with BCS was really nice and told us we need to go with an agency we feel comfortable with.  This agency is going to be a major part of our lives and I agree with her.  I think the hardest part is picking the agency.

Head exploding in 3...2...

In the past couple of weeks I've probably scoured 30 websites, read numerous articles and sent off 20 emails for more information.  I'm seriously on information overload for the adoption process.  I would really like to go with a local agency.  Someone we can go and talk face to face with, instead of over the phone.  I found 2 different agencies that I'd like to work with.  Catholic Community Services asked that you and your husband fill out a brief questionnaire and either fax, mail or email it.  I went ahead and emailed it.  After a week I didn't hear anything so I faxed it along with a note.  A week later, still nothing.  I called and left a voicemail.  Are you sensing a pattern here?  I finally got a hold of someone.  Turns out the gal that does the intake process has been sick.  She got a little cold in the beginning of the year that turned in to pneumonia.  Poor thing!  She's back to work as of last week so she should be in contact with us shortly.

The 2nd agency I got in contact with local is Bethany Christian Services.  We actually have a meeting with them.  So far they have been pretty good at communicating with us. They have informational meetings twice a month.  We couldn't make the one that was closest to us because J was working.  The other one is about 45 minutes away, on a Tuesday.  That was just not going to work for us so the gal said she'd come to our house and talk.  I'm glad we'll have a 1x1 session.  She's going to come over Tuesday night.  

I hope that after talking with the gal from BCS we'll have a good idea of next steps.  There is so much information online that it's overwhelming.  So many different agencies and lawyers you can go with.  I want to make sure we are going with a highly reputable agency.  I think that's one of the most important things when it comes to adoption.  I know some agencies have ridiculously high fees and it makes you wonder, where do those fees go?

Other than that, life is chugging along for us.  I can't believe it's almost the end of January.  Christmas seems like so far away and it was only a month ago.  We have a cruise to the Carribean planned for next January so I guess it's good that time is going by a little fast.  J is getting excited because March is coming up and of course that means Spring Training.  This year we are planning on going down to Arizona for 8 days.  We are still playing around with the costs.  A lot of it depends on what our tax return looks like.  J would go down for the entire month of March if he could.  

St Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.  

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.  

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.