Vietnam Adoptions

I have been thinking a lot lately about Vietnam adoptions and all the changes that are happening. It is hard to believe that we have been home with Spencer for 3 months. It has been a wonderful time. I can’t imagine our home, our life without him. He is the center of our lives. On July 1, 2008 Vietnam will be closing to America for international adoptions. This is a sad and discouraging time for many families.

Just a few months ago we were waiting & pacing & agonizing over the separation and the increasing tension between the US embassy in Hanoi and Vietnam’s government. The whole thing has been poorly managed and you would think that these diplomats would act with more diplomacy. Now, accusations, harsh words and unanswered questions have lead to the end of a relationship. It is not unlike an interpersonal relationship. Unfortunately it isn’t just two people who have been affected by poor tact and prideful retorts. There are hundred of families, aching to be united with their children and these beautiful children languishing, just waiting to be united with a forever family.

I just sit stunned, shaking my head. Part of me is so grateful that Spence is home where he belongs. And part of me is sick, just sick about this whole mess and what it translates to for families. All families involved, both VN and US.

So much has already been said. The emotional discussions have ranged from tense, to anguished, to disgusted, to resentful. I really don’t have much to add to the conversation. I guess my perspective is philosophical. We planned to adopt again from Vietnam and it looks like it is not meant to be. We know that Spencer was meant to be part of our family and we were guided to him. It looks like our path has changed yet again. Vietnam was the obvious choice for a second adoption, but as I have learned the obvious choice isn’t always the choice that the Lord would have you make.

To all the families who wait and wonder my thoughts and prayers are with you. I am filled with grief and the sense of loss that such news brings. My heart is with you.

Opera Highlights

I have always loved theatre and opera. When I was younger I enjoyed the contemporary music of Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Aspects of Love, Chess. . . but frankly could not afford opera tickets and had little access. I could listen to and appreciate the music, but opera is about the live experience. Of this I am sure! It is a breathtaking and a complete experience. When I was able to attend my first opera I was completely enchanted.

Although I do love the contemporary musical, classic opera holds a special wonderment for me. It is little wonder why this art form has been around for 400 years. I wanted to keep a record of my feelings and put my thoughts down about these experiences.

Carmen

When: Spring 2008
Production: Austin Lyric Opera
Who: Dave
Thoughts: This was the most passionate and violent opera I have seen. The leads, Carmen and Don Jose were absolutely amazing. The direction and music was lovely. The music was very familiar and listening to the French made it more exotic. The event was the debut for a new performing arts center. I loved it! Most of the performances we have attended have been in older building with uncomfortable seats lacking leg room, but this venue was great! It was odd to see all the liquor in the lobby. I guess living in Utah you forget that people like to enjoy a glass of wine during intermission. The views of the city skyline were breathtaking. The complete experience was perfect.

Opera Showcase

When: Fall 2007
Production: Austin Lyric Opera
Who: Dave
Thoughts: We had moved to Austin and this Showcase sounded wonderful. It was 19 selections. Some of the selections were from La Bohème, La Traviata, Aida, Carmen, & Faust. It was also great to have the symphony front and center. It lacked the spectacle that is opera, but I was introduced to some new music. After this performance, I knew that "Faust" had to be added to my must-see list.

Lucia Di Lammermoor

When: Fall 2006
Production: Utah Opera
Who: Dave
Thoughts: I had never heard of this opera, never. It looked the most interesting of the productions that year and I thought, it is set in Scotland. . . how can we miss? This was great. We attended the lecture before hand to learn more about the music, story and background. This was the first pre-performance lecture I had attended at an opera, certainly not the last. It added to the experience and we now make that a part of our opera night out.

La Traviata

When: Fall 2005
Production: Utah Opera
Who: Dave, Janelle, Tiffani & Jay
Thoughts: I LOVED this experience. I got to go with my cute hubby and my sisters and brother. We all went to dinner before and had Italian. This was my brother’s first opera and I think he liked it. I just have such a happy memory being with family and again the music and story were captivating. We all shared the field glasses, and it was great to see the details on the production. The ending is so tragic, but alas. . . that is opera.

Romeo & Juliet

When: Winter 2004
Production: Utah Opera
Who: Dave
Thoughts: This is the first opera I saw in French. The leads were actually husband and wife in real-life, so it added another layer to this tender and loving story. The acting and music was so touching. I was sobbing by the end. The music was light and deep at the same time.

Julius Caesar

When: Fall 2003
Production: Utah Opera
Who: Dave
Thoughts: We got these tickets from my dean (as she would be out of the country and couldn’t use them) and they were fifth row! It was an interesting opera, but I didn’t care for the libretto. I thought it either had a poor translation or it was pretty unimaginative to start with. I did love the elephant that was created by the set designer and the music, as always, was perfect!

La Bohème

When: Winter 2002
Production: Utah Opera
Who: Janelle & Tiffani
Thoughts: I have this opera on DVD, it is a Sydney Australia Production directed by Baz Luhrmann (of Moulin Rouge fame.) I love the music and when it came to Salt Lake my sisters and I instantly got tickets and couldn’t wait! We were on the floor (far right) and I think that is when I learned that I really like the mezzanine or balcony better. The music was magical and it was a great memory to share with my sisters. It is still one of my favorite operas.

Don Giovanni

When: Spring 2001
Production: Texas Tech University, music department with special guests
Who: Alone
Thoughts: This was the first full opera production that I saw. I had seen showcases but this is the first full-scale production I attended. I had the best seats in the house. (Still the best seats I have ever had.) I was 4 rows back in the center. The music was great, simply great. The title role was played by an opera singer from New York and he only had one arm. It made blocking an interesting challenge when it came time to serenade the leading lady under her window. But the whole thing was so well done! I was instantly enamored. I remember I felt like I was a part of it all. Near the end, at the feast, I could smell the turkey and see the steam rise. This was a great introduction to the world of opera for me.

Grandma & Spencer

The Mug

My mom arrived on Monday evening and we have had a fabulous week! Spencer LOVES his grandma. . . and perhaps even more intrigued by Grandma’s Diet Drink Mug. My mom adores diet Dr. Pepper. Well, the concoction she drinks could hardly be recognized by the casual observer as diet soda. My mom takes her beloved 52 oz. mug (yes you heard me right fifty-two ounces) and fills it with ice. She then adds room temp. diet soda and allows the ice to melt. . . then my mom enjoyed her half ice-water, half diet pop mixture.


Enter curious 10-month old into the picture. . .

Spence is enamored with the mug. . . he goes right for grandma and tried to figure out what this new thing is. Finally he was able to play with it. Pound the top, he was even biting on the straw. My mom and I laughed as Spencer was investigating the situation. Then all of a sudden, when he was playing with the straw someone got a slurp of 1/2 water, 1/2 diet soda. His eyes got huge and he couldn’t figure out where that came from. He loves the mug. . . but now that he has figured out how to use the straw, that is the end of his mug adventures.

Tonight my mom will watch Spencer as Dave and I go to Carmen. I am so excited. I just love going to the opera and it is a treat that I look forward to once a year. (AND as a bonus we ended up getting some pretty sweet seats at the last minute, when we traded tickets with some friends of ours who needed to go out of town unexpectedly.) We are going to a lovely Italian Restaurant before hand and attend a lecture before it starts. This is going to be great! Our first date in 4 months! I am so glad grandma could be here : ) It has been a wonderful week.

12 Apostles Song

I had a couple of people send me this apostle song as a wave file and thought it was so cute. I knew someone would have to put a video to the song, so I went to YouTube to see what I could find, sure enough. . . .

Enjoy!

My guilty pleasure

I love Spiderman. I know most 35 year old woman cannot claim this bold statement. . . but I surely can. I am the truest of true fans. When I was a kid I watched “Spiderman and his Amazing Friends” on Saturday morning cartoons. This great cartoon was a must for my 9 year old brain. I wanted to be just like Firestar and just wished I could fight the evil villains with Iceman and Spidey. I would pretend to have the crime fighting lab hidden behind my wall, just like Spidey.

This admiration of Spidey went on. When I was in college I collected Spiderman paraphernalia. Remember, this was back in the 1990s and the movies hadn’t made him a pop icon. I would comb garage sales and my family would give me Spiderman Lunch boxes and walkie-talkies when they could get their hands on them.

In Grad school I had a little shrine to Spidey in my office. My thesis chair said his 6 year old son loved Spiderman too and wondered where I got the plush doll. . . I sheepishly replied. . . “uhhmmm at a garage sale 3 years old.” (This was before e-bay made these items accessible to the masses. )

Oh yes, I had my old VHS copy of the original 1981 cartoon pilot and would pop that sucker in on a Saturday while I did chores around the apartment. When "Spiderman" the movie hit theatres in the summer of 2002 I was so excited, I was just as excited as the 6 year olds, I am sure of it. I saw a midnight showing of it with my brother Jay and my sisters Janelle and Tiffani. I LOVED IT. . .

After the movie hit, of course, all the charlatans showed up. Then again, Johnny-come-lately can’t help it if he wasn’t exposed to the best super-hero ever. . . until now and they have seen the light.

Although I am quite fond of the movies. . . quite fond. . . a better medium of the story and icon is animation. So that is why I have a new guilty pleasure, “Spider-Man: The New Animated Series.” Apparently it aired on MTV back in 2003 and has now found its way to NetFlix. I have been watching the 20 minute episodes and have been boomeranged back to 1981 in my PJs on a Saturday morning. Sure, the whole thing is geared towards 14 year old boys. . . I. . . don’t . . . care.

There is one thing I would change. Neil Patrick Harris is the voice for Peter Parker/Spiderman but his Spidey voice is weak. I still think that Dan Gilvezan, the original voice from the 1981 cartoon is superior, but hey. . .who am I? Just a fan.

Chili & Cakebread

It has been awhile since I posted about adventures in the kitchen, so I think this chili recipe should fit the bill. This is a recipe that I made on Sunday. I played around with it a little bit and this is the finished product. I am also including a recipe that I got from my sister in law for cornbread. . . or as Dave called it “cakebread.” I crock potted this recipe and it worked out quite well.

One-Pot Chili

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large can pure tomato juice (NOT V-8)
1 can diced tomatoes (Mexican Style with green chilies)
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can red beans
3 heaping Tbsp. brown sugar
1-2 heaping Tbsp. Red Rub to taste (see recipe below)
salt and pepper

• Brown ground beef with salt and pepper and chopped onion; drain.
• Add tomato juice, tomatoes (go ahead and throw in the juice from these cans, too) and beans.
• Bring to simmer, then add suagr and red rub.
• Allow to simmer for a while longer, then taste. If it doesn't have enough kick for you, add more red rub or chili powder or a few splashes of Tabasco sauce.


Red Rub

2 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 ½ Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. chili power
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients in plastic zip-lock bag.

* Use this to add great flavor before BBQing chicken, beef, pork. . . . You can triple the recipe to make a lot at one time. I find this size more manageable.

Cornbread aka “Cakebread”

3 eggs
1 ½ c. milk
3 c bisquick
3 heaping T. cornmeal
2 ½ cubes melted butter
3 t baking powder
1 1/2 c sugar

Beat eggs in bowl. Lightly beat in milk and butter. Fold in dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake 35-40 at 325.

*So sweet and cakelike!

We have a tooth people!

This was a big week for Spencer. His first tooth has broken through! We have been watching the progress of this little guy for some time. We have been watching the white bump become more and more prominent. Yesterday it was a full on tooth!

It has kind of sad to think that cute toothless grin is now a thing of the past. When we first saw him smile, there he was. . . all gums and sparkling eyes. Tomorrow makes 3 months since we met our little guy. Three months ago I couldn’t sleep a wink in our Saigon Hotel room, just knowing in a few short hours we would be going to his orphanage, meeting his nannies and making our family complete. It is an odd feeling knowing that your son is half a world away and you must wait before you can be united as a family.


So here we sit, with Spencer and his first tooth. I would much rather mark these miles stone then the ones we were marking a year old. . . waiting to for our I-171H (that would allow us to submit our paperwork to Vietnam.)

I tired to get a picture of the new tooth. . . but alas this is the best shot I could get. . .enjoy.

Chow Time

I am a believer

I decided to change the look of my blog again. I think this format it kind of cool, it has a search option and I love the colors. We’ll see how long this one lasts : )

My buddy blogged about something I had never heard of, she called it a “Ped Egg.” She said it is a “as seen on TV” type product and said it was amazing. I clicked on the link from her blog to the product site and watched a 30 second dealie on this foot file. It is suppose to make your feet soft and smooth without the mess.

Well, my friend said it was amazing and I knew that I had to try it. I am always on the look out for good pedicure items. Back in the day I used to give myself a manicure and pedicure every week (on Wednesday nights watching Party of Five.) It seems like so long ago. . .(probably because that show was canceled in 2000.)

So I drove to CVS to check it out and there it was, it didn’t look particularly amazing. I begrudgingly plunked down my $10 and thought this thing better work. . .

My friend said that they advertise it as “mess-free” but advised to not be fooled, so I tried it in the bathroom. My Friends. . . . (as John McCain would said). . . . I am a believer! I would have paid twice as much. This thing is truly amazing! My feet have never felt so soft and they are ready for summer. This thing is like prescription strength, so don’t get too crazy with it.

My feet and I are ready for summer, sandals and bare feet. . . bring it on!

I just need it!

Since we have been cable-free I have missed one thing terribly. It has almost been too much to bear. I have had a few conversations about it with Dave and finally decided that I had had enough! I found myself constantly looking and never seeing what I needed. . . a clock.

The cable box had a digital clock prominently displayed on the front, so any time I needed to know what time it was I glance in that direction. I have given up wearing a wrist watch and it has become quite annoying to not know what time it is, (since I lost the only clock on the front room.)

With Dave’s blessing I went out and picked a large clock to hang over the fireplace. It is slightly larger then your standard clock, but I felt like a moth drawn to the flame. I could see this from any vantage point.


Spencer also had a great week, he has been perfecting his acrobatic and investigation skills.

Where are all the socks?

Spencer has found a new activity to amuse himself. He loves to take his socks off. He will pull on them and play with them until they come off. Over the past week it would be impossible to walk into any room and not find a sock.

When he would go down for a nap he would have two socks on and only wake up with one. I could never find the lost sock in his crib or blanket. Yesterday, the mystery was solved. I was moving his crib away from the wall and found a pile of socks between the wall and crib. Now that I know his hiding place I am sure he will find a better one.

New Look

So I have been itching to change my blog for sometime. I have looked at TONS of templates and finally think this is the one to take for a spin. . .it might change again. . . we’ll see. So far I like it.

Ma-Ma

So, Spencer is saying “ma-ma” unfortunately he doesn’t seem to know he is saying “Mama.” He has been babbling with consonants for about 2 weeks now and has mastered D, B, M, N & G. This is pretty exciting stuff.

Yesterday I think he understood “Mama” for the first time. He was on the other side of the bedroom playing and I called for him to come over to me. (So I could change his clothes.) He looked up when he heard his name and then went back to playing. This time I said “Mama” and did the sign for mom. He saw the sign and heard “mama,” then stopped playing and came crawling to me a full force, (with a big grin of course.)

We have been doing sign language with him since he came home about 2 months ago. We have been doing the signs for mom, dad, food, more, bottle and no. It was so exciting to see his eyes light up with recognition. I hope it wasn’t a fluke. . . only time will tell.

Easter Family Pictures

We got our Easter pictures today. I thought I would share : )

We are now cable-free

You heard me right ladies and gentlemen. . . today we canceled the cable. We no longer have 16 channels of NASCAR analysis, 12 Shopping channels and eight 24-hour news channels with leads like "Is Brittany out of control? Text your answer to. . . ."

Since we have been home from Vietnam our TV watching has dwindled considerably. I never have the TV on during the day. We will go 3 or 4 days and not even turn it on. . . and when we do we watch, it is an old recorded episode of "Jeopardy" from when we were in Vietnam. Lame, I know!

We have been enjoying Netflix (watching some movies and our favorite TV series, 24 & LOST) and I never have the TV on during the day . . . and we don’t watch TV on Sunday either. It seems like a no-brainer. This will save us a few bucks each month and we can always get it again later if we feel like we miss it.

My brother (who also is cable-free) assures me that we will still be able to get all the shopping channels. . . so in a moment of TV withdrawal we can always surf the shopping channels. So if you get "The Magic Bullet" from us for Christmas you will know why : )