REFERRAL BAKING

Oh man... I only wished ya'll lived close by.... I need to SHARE my referral baking!!!! I will bake when unhappy about the lack of referrals as well as the HUGH amount of referrals..... I am hopeful.....

LEMON AID

When the CCAA hands you a LEMON ......

MAKE LEMON BARS!!!!!!

This referral baking was inspired by the lack of referrals for the month of April

1 cup Butter
2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
Melt butter and mix flour and powdered sugar.
Spread evenly in a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
Bake at 350degrees for 20 minutes.

While baking crust, mix the following ….
4 Eggs
1/ 2 cup Fresh Lemon Juice (2 lemons)
5 TB Flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups White Sugar
Mix by hand, pour over baked crust…. Bake an additional 25 minutes (more of less). Sprinkle powder sugar over hot lemon bars. Cut after cooled.

EARLY AGAIN

It's another early morning for me... Too much on my mind and a full day ahead.... At the first of my early rising Mesa would whine for me to let her out of her room (seperated from the rest of the house with a dog gate). Then she graduated to just glaring at me like "you've got to be kidding.... get back to bed". This early morning she didn't even MOVE... I guess she couldn't be bothered to give me any kind of reinforcement for my BAD behavior of early prowling around in the house..... A shout-out to Holly who is awake also!!!!

SHOWERS AND FLOWERS FEB SP

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MEI FLOWERS

This was on my porch today after taking the 90 lbs of snuggle lovin' for her walk.... It is a box brimming full of treasures for ME and MESA and TATE!!!!

TATE'S SHOWERS AND FLOWERS

This is the bag full of Tate's Treasures!!!! As I was opening each little pocket, I keep thinking how much fun Tate will have hiding her own little treasures in each pocket and carrying them around with her....




Hidden inside this bag of treasure was.... Adorable bath towel, bib, head bands, watering can, touch and feel book featuring a pup Hugs who is a dead ringer for MESA.... And the flower where just sqeezing the lady bug makes music!!!! Each item matching the color scheme of the nursery!!!!

MESA MEI MUCHO

Mesa Mei Mucho.... Just loves her gifts and treats!!!! Everytime she see something on the porch, she assumes it includes her in some way.... She was given chew bones and this ball rope thingey... This toy has kept her busy all day!!!














Mesa would like to give a shout out and thank you February Secret Pal!!!








WOOF... WOOF!!!

FLOWER POWER FOR ME

I got some PEEPS (!!!!) and decorating stuff like sprinkles (we call them HAPPY STUFF in our house growing up) and spring cookie cutters. So the cook part of me is completed.... And lily bulbs for the gardener in me!!! I have just been itching to go out and do some dirt-work planting these bulbs... and CHOCOLATE.....

Each gift had a special personalized card for each one of us .... Stuff I will add to Tate's lifebook...

I totally love ,all the gifts but the thing I love the very most is the personal notes from my February Secret Pal!!!! I only wish I could get to know you as you are knowing me....

THANK YOU FEBRUARY SECRET PAL!!!!!

EARLY

It's a freakin' 3:30 am in the morning.... Too much on my mind with a full day yesterday and a lot to do today.... So what am I doing?????

QUILT SQUARES AND WISHES!!!

I have just completed another batch!!!!

REJUVENATED

I had to do it.... I called in sick to work on Saturday.... I was in need of some time to rejuvenate myself.... self fulfillment. Boy, was it the best time I have had in three weeks or more even. Sucking power like I have never experienced. I couldn't stop myself!!!! I continued way longer than planned..... so light weight, yet so effective. Such managable control beyond any expectations. I couldn't stop!!!! Aching lower back, trobbing feet.... Finally all was done and I could do no more...... I reached down and turned off my neighbor's Oreck vacuum which I had borrowed for a test ride.... My carpets never have looked or felt better.... I'll be running out to buy one of my own on payday!!!!

Its amazing how a clean house makes things just seem so much better!!!

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

Oh man it was a bad day on MONDAY....
It was the first 8 hour day on the PHONES since getting back to the airlines..... "Continential Airlines, this is Lisa" I am not a great sales person and pushing an airline ticket to a customer just is not my "thing".... I have too much compassion and when someone calls me with an immediate need to fly due to the death of a parent, I have a hard time selling the $1200.00 COMPASSION fare to a greiving person. To quote Donald Trump, "It's not personnal, it's business"... I know that the airline industry is having a hard time. I love all other aspects of my job though.... I digress (oh there goes that word I hate... DIGRESS). So the first time a call comes through and you don't know who it is and what they will want and how quickly you can do it and if you are indeed doing it correctly and if you are sending the passenger to the right place and and and and .... I came home just plain stressed out!!!! In my mail besides some totally hated bills was an envelope from Virginia Beach!!!! I opened it and to see this adorable fabric and cute play on words for a wish. Not only was it personalized to Tate, it was from one of Tate's little Chinese sister's grandmother "Giggy" or Jacquelyn Slattery. This random act of kindness, an unsolicited quilt square and wish just made my day!!!!

But wait.... Two days later another bad day and I came home to another Slattery Save.... Shannon, Jacquelyn's daughter and fellow February DTCer and Blogger send me these.....


TOTAL RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS!!!!! Each one made a difference in my day.....

Oh, by the way..... It is now day 5 and I am doing fantastic on the calls.... I still have a hard time selling COMPASSION fares to people at such a cost..... Something I am sure I will never get over.....

WEIRD TAGGED

I’ve been tagged by Lisa, Sheryl, and Amy….

6 WEIRD things about me…. What only 6?????? I will have to categorize this

1- I have the Toilet Paper roll hang from the top so that the paper is inviting me to come and help myself and refresh my tooshie….. I have even been know to visit the “powder room” in other friend’s houses and have to change the roll hanging from the top before I can use it.

2- I am obsessed by BLACKHEADS…. I am an elitist and only pay attention to the blackheads and stay away from zits….. If I see one on a loved one, I have to get rid of it…. If I see one on someone who I can’t “pop” I will fixate on that and it will be a distraction.

3- Eye sleepies on Mesa…. Need to get rid of this immediately!!!! On other dogs I don’t really care if they are there.

4- Kitchen light switches need to be going the same direction. If one in up and the other one are down, I will have to correct it or I will drive me crazy!!!! I guess this is the price I pay to have lights switches on both sides of the kitchen.

5- I cannot have ANYTHING wet touching my cake or pie…. I would rather not have ice cream available with cake or pie so I don’t have to justify my preference….. DO NOT SERVE ME ICE CREAM, please!!!

6- People talking to me on the phone and eating or drinking!!!! Hate it!!!! It makes me want to stop talking to them…. And CELL PHONES…. Don’t get me started on that weirdness… I am against, enough said.

I am tagging the lovely waiting mommas.....Tiffany, Donna, and Julie

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT

After work on Easter, I went to my Brother's house for Easter Dinner.... I know that this might be shocking, but each member of my family are TALKERS!!! There is never a Quiet moment around the dinner table and sometimes we barely have a chance to hush up before we have the meal prayer..... This dinner was no exception. But the subject this time touched me to no end... The subject was TATE... Her name was brought up so many times that day.... It was almost like she was real not just to me but to my entire family!!!! They talked about how she will be sitting with us all next Easter (most probablly) questions about traveling to get her, wishes to accompany me to pick her up.... I later found out that Tate's name was brought up many other times earlier before I arrived. My sweet little nieces, Twinkle Toes and Sparkle (I will have to post a picture of her) talked about how much fun it was going to be to have a little cousin. My Sister-In-Law talked about the things she was saving from her girls for Tate..... I think that TATE is becoming a reality, not just to me but to EVERYONE....

I will say the longer I wait with the amount of working that I am doing I am starting to feel like Tate might not be a reality. It really helps me now when others carrying on with her presence while I wavier with mine.

Somewhere in China Tate is waiting to come to me and my entire family.....

We wait with open arms!!!!!

DAZED

I have been working 18 DAZE in a row with the end in sight...... I'm working TONS but LOVING the training I am doing!!!! Travel is such an amazing industry and the thought of all the people and places I get to talk to and think about each day is invigorating!!! Did you know that CONTINENTAL Airlines flies Non-Stop to Beijing???? Hmmmmmmmm... I will not be going standby to pick up Tate, but maybe in the near future, while waiting for her, I just might hop the flight and visit for a long weekend.... I do get first class over the waters!!!!

NAIVE

Happy Easter to everyone.... Whether you believe in the religous part of Easter or the fun part with the chickies, chocolate and jelly eggs, PEEPS(!!!!!) Bunnies, and the new Spring outfit... HAPPY EASTER.... it's still a great excuse to get together and PARTY!!!!

Now the part of Easter that I wanted to share.... if you are BUGGED by the spiritual side of me..... do not read and STOP now.....


When I was younger I had a perfectly lovely life.... Two devoted parents who cherished us kiddos and protected us, indulged us, and life seemed so simple. I remember in Sunday School learning about the steps that lead up to Christ's Crucifixion the way he died and his Resurrection. To a kid this all sounded so MEAN but the thing that really hit me was the thought of Christ bleeding from his pores for our sins.... What kind of sins could be so bad that Christ would suffer so much that he BLEED from his pores???? I could only think of a few things that were sins..... Murder, stealing, lying, swearing and talking badly about people.... Boy was I NAIVE.... Now as an adult, I have learned quickly of the evils of man.... No wonder Christ suffered so for all MANKIND'S sins. This year as I nibble my PEEPS and suck on my velvety smooth chocolate Easter Eggs I will think of my life and the love that I have in it and appreciate the sacrifice that Christ made for me.

JOY OF A BLOW-UP POOL

The birds are singing and the grass is greening up..... The mountains above the city are still white with snow and each warm day causes the canyon rivers to swell from the melting snow.... SURE SIGNS OF SPRING in the Rocky mountains!!!

I am perusing my K-Mart ad and see that the large blow-up pools are on sell for an amazing one day only price of $9.99!!!! Ah...... Reflections of the fun I had with my blow-up pool just last Summer. Sadly the pool had to be trashed due to an unpatchable leak!!! But the JOY, the unexplainable joy that I had with that POOL!!!! Many a hot 100F day would be relieved in that pool.... I would be working in my back yard and the crystal clear waters would beckon to me, pulling me away from the dirt and sweat of gardening, inviting me to take a dip in the 18 inches of ice cold hose water. I would succumb to the temptation and strip off and splash in.....Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... Memories.

I'm heading to K-mart to get me one of those amazing blow up pools!!!

INSPIRATION

~~~~MY INSPIRATION~~~~

this is what is on my fridge right now....

This is what is pulling me through three weeks of forty hour a week training at Continental Airlines while working my full time primary job..... Oh, I just found out that once trained, I will be working 7 days a week between the two jobs..... Until June 4..... It is all worth it once I get my Little TATE home and can sit back and snuggle with her in an overstuffed glider chair that this extra income will provide......

DISAPPOINTMENT COOKIES

A little something about myself.... When I get stressed out, I love to have the mindless activity and the amazing smells of baking..... Hense the baking the other day as I was VENTING my disappointment over the referral delays. You will not be disappointed in the cookies....

DIASPPOINTMENT COOKIES
(Aka Ranger Cookies)

1-1/2 C Butter (softened)*
1 1/2 C each Brown and White Sugar
3 Eggs
1-1/2 tsp Soda
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 /2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla
2-1/2 C Flour
3 C Oats (quick or old fashion)
3/ 4 C Nuts
2 C Chocolate Chips
1 C Coconut

Cream together butter and sugars, add vanilla and eggs one at a time. Add dry ingredients. Last add chocolate chips, coconut, oats, and nuts. I will sometimes substitute SKOR or Heath bits in place of nuts…. Mix well. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. *Chill dough overnight if using melted butter.

ENJOY!!!

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

When I started my BLOG, I decided that I was going to keep things fun and light hearted without TOO much complaining....FAMOUS LAST WORDS!!!! I will repent and try to keep it lighthearted and somewhat fun....

Thank you all for the encouraging words and taking me out of my own PITY PARTY. I was not aware that some agencies don't even get LIDs!!!! Shannon your can look for your disappointment recipe posted tomorrow.... I have had a looooooong and boooooooring {{snore}} day re-training for my Airline job.... My butt is asleep, my shoulders ache, and my mind is numb..... Only 14 more daze until I am done with the training!!!



Confucius Say:

Man who go to bed with itchy butt,

wake up with smelly fingers.

Okay I know that was gross, but was it light hearted and funny????

FRUSTRATION

The Facts….
My DTC was in the hands of the Chinese Facilitator Jan 27. The day that I thought I would be DTC….. JANUARY!!!!! But was “batched” with other Dossiers and was DTC on Feb 3…… REPEAT FEBRUARY!!!!! What happens if the CCAA actually starts referring babies for FULL months???? This holding of my DTC just made me wait one more month for Tate….ONE FREAKIN MONTH LONGER!!!! So I am going along, patiently waiting for the illustrious LID… I keep consoling myself by saying that by me knowing the LID will not change when I get my referral…..

In February end when I ask my Chinese Coordinator when my LID will be known, she tells me that it will come out with the March referrals. We did not have any referral for the February batch. I am totally looking forward to March referrals since my agency will have some referrals.….. NO WORD!!! It is a freaking TWO MONTHS since my DTC. Finally I get an email answer….. I will have to wait until the TA will be sent. In another freaking three weeks!!!! That would put me a FREAKIN' three months since my DTC!!!

What can I do at this point???? Is there someway that I can find my LID based on my brown envelope number???? Can I demand my agency to call???? I guess this is the price I pay when I am working with a small agency…… Any advise what else I can do???? Someone hand me some PROZAC!!!!!

JAN SECRET PAL

January Secret Pal you are awesome!!! I love the theme you have chosen for me.... Each book has a wonderful message about what it means to be a family and to be loved!!! Thanks you for putting such thought into each book!!!

I love the book, I Love You Because You're You, becauses it depicts only a momma in the book. I am a little conscious that I will be raising Tate as a single parent without providing Tate with a father....

Will you just look at this illustration???? ABSOLUTELY BREATH TAKING!!! Velveteen Rabbit has always been one of my all time favorites from my childhood.... Now it will Tate's.....

THANK YOU JANUARY SECRET PAL.... YOU ARE AWESOME!!!

ROOT CANAL UPDATE

STILL IN PAIN.....OUCH!!!

BEAU BUDDY

Who can this be??? No other than the infamous BEAU the stud muffin from Eliza's Story...


Finally the two blog buddy mommas got together to meet and greet and share... not far behind were our fur babies Mesa and Beau. Mesa, all 90 lbs of snuggle lovin, made herself at home at Beau's pad, devouring wee size chew sticks and denta bones.... Which totally embarrased this fur momma. For such a little guy, he actually stood his own, even if his whole body was the size of Mesa's head..... Mesa stayed clear of that furious mouth of Beau .... that little stud muffin can hold his own!!!