So Blessed!

Howdy Y'all!

On Saturday, my husband inquired about a certain adoption scenario with our agency - and today, the agency sent us the specifics about the birth mom/situation.  We have decided not to pursue this situation for a couple of reasons (one I will explain a further along), but this girl's situation is just heartbreaking.

I was adopted at birth by my parents - and now more than ever, I feel so blessed that I was raised by them and that my birth mom had the courage to give me up for adoption.   I read a lot about this particular situation today - and like I said above, it breaks my heart.  This birth mom is in her twenties, unemployed, pregnant for the 5th time in her young life and separated from her husband (who is not the father).  While all of that is sad, her upbringing is even worse.  Her parents were only married for 2 years of her life - and she was raised by her father because her mom was a drug addict.  Her father wasn't much better because he was an alcoholic - and she moved out on her own at the age of 13.   She had her first child at the age of 15, however, impressively - she still graduated high school and has even completed 2 years of college.  She knows adoption is the best thing for her baby - because, sadly, she says she doesn't have any family that isn't addicted to either drugs or alcohol that could help out raising the baby.  I would like for you all to keep her in your prayers - I would love to see her turn her life around, finish school and start a career.  I know that I will not know what happens with her after today - but, I know God works miracles in people.

As I mentioned above, we have decided not to pursue the above situation for a couple of reasons.

1) The adoption is almost twice our budget - and while we could probably come up with the money, Tony says we have to pay for their college.  :)

2) After I received the details on this situation today - we received another email.  This one again is outside of our budget (but, an acceptable tolerance where we can still pay for college).  :)  I don't have much details on this one - but the birth mom has given interest in us.  We are emailing back tonight - and I will fill you all in on the details if we receive more.  Again, I would ask for your prayers for this birth mom - from the little that I know about her, she really needs it.

With this whole process, you have your ups and downs.  Some days are sad - and some days you just try not to think about the waiting.  I have so many pregnant friends and acquaintances right now - and while I am INCREDIBLY happy for them, it sometimes makes me sad a little.  I know my day is coming - I am just ready to make an impact on a child's life like my parents made on mine.

Thank you mom and dad!  I love you!

Toodles

Meow, Merry Christmas, Meow

Meow Y'all!

This is Sophie - and I commandeered mom's blog today to show you what I have been up to.

My mom decided it was finally time to put up the big tree in the foyer - so I decided to help her out.

Here I am checking out one of the bags to makes sure there wasn't anything scary inside - and it all appears a-okay!

Next, mom put up the first layer of the tree - and of course, I had to check it out and make sure it was sturdy.

Then came the second layer - it was just as sturdy as the first!

When she put the third and forth layers on the tree, it got a little tall for me - so I had to think of another plan.

Finally, the tree was finished - and I got to play.  Do you think mom caught me??

Even if she didn't catch me in the act - I think I left behind some evidence!  Whoops.

The tree is a beautiful site though - don't you think?

Boy, oh boy - it has been a hard day of supervision and play.  I think I need a nap!

My mom should be back next time - thanks for letting me steal the blog just for the night.

Meow!

Deep Thoughts...

Howdy Y'all!

I have a few things on my mind tonight...and they aren't really deep thoughts, they are more like random thoughts.  HA!  I feel like I am always so random and I always have a numbered list!

1)  We have a tradition growing up that we always, always, always watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  Always!  Because we were going to the football game this year, I knew I wasn't going to be able to watch the parade - so the DVR came in handy.  I have been watching bits and pieces of the parade over the last week - and I am proud to say that this morning, I finally finished watching it.

NOW, I can officially say that Thanksgiving is over and Christmas has officially begun.  So, maybe it will get me motivated to finish up the decorations.

I have the smaller of my two trees put up.

The mantel has been decorated...BUT...

...this is the state of my big 12' tree.  It is still hanging out in the foyer on the floor in it's bag.

2)  So, winter hasn't even officially started, but I am already over winter.  It is COLD, frigid, freezing, etc.  I do not like 20 degree temps...I am a Texas girl...we should not these kinds of temps without having the pleasure of snow on the ground.  Period!

3)  Have you ever had a best friend?  I have had the pleasure of having 4 in my life - and I can't imagine life without these girls.

First up is Crystal.  Our parents knew each other before we were born - we were destined to be great friends.  I don't get to see her much, but we pick up right where we left off when we get together.  Her family is my family...my family is her family.  I love that she has met my Bentonville best friend - and they act like they have known each other for years.  I am so blessed to have her in my life.

Next up is Lori.  When I was 6 years old getting ready to go to 1st grade, a lady and her young daughter was standing in line at Walmart.  Guess what, we determined that they lived down the road from us and that her daughter was going to be in the same class as me.  And, along came the friendship between me and Lori.  We had the best time - we would chase the Indian killer on the "mad man's" land, we would pour hot wax on our hands, we would fight and make up.  It was the perfect friendship...and still is!

Then, enter college and the friendship between me and Rebecca.  I was actually roommates with someone else the first few months of my freshmen year and at first, I tried to figure out a way to move Rebecca out of her room and move in with her wacky roommate.  Boy, that would have been a mistake. Bex and I were cut from the same cloth...it was kind of freaky.  I ended up becoming her roommate right before her birthday.  What better birthday present could she have gotten besides a best friendship with me??  Right?  I love that girl...Rebecca Becky Becca Bex Theresa.............Bizro Burrow Vasek.

And, finally there is Laura.  I have gone a week without seeing her and it has made me sad.  You know, I never get to see the three I talked about above - and I have accepted that...but, Laura and I pretty much see each other EVERY day.  Going a week without her is hard.  :)  She and I met about 7 years ago or so...and our friendship has just continued to grow and grow and grow.  I can't imagine my life without her.  She is the greatest!

So, many people go through life with just one very best friend - and like I said above, I have been so lucky to have 4.  I couldn't imagine life without any of these girls and I could never choose between them.  They have been in my life at just the right moment of life and I know that I will be lifelong friends with all of them.  (Gosh, I am being so sentimental tonight).

4)  Will Ferrell was in Bentonville today - and I missed it.  I am so sad.  I would have loved to meet him - he totally cracks me up.

5)  However, Steve Carrell will be here on Saturday at our Saturday Morning Meeting.  He is pretty funny as well - and I love Despicable Me.  Cute movie - check it out if you haven't seen it.

6)  I am sending out a big apology to my good friend Rhonda for making her laugh all day today.  That sounds like a good thing, doesn't it?  Well, not if you had oral surgery this week...sorry Rhonda, it is hard for me not to be funny.  :)

Is that enough for tonight - man, I am totally random.

Toodles!

The Magic of Charles Schultz

Howdy Y'all!

So, I ordered the children's book I was talking about the other day from Amazon...Happiness is a Warm Puppy.  When I was searching for the book, I noticed that he wrote several other books - so, of course - I had to buy those too.

I have received four of them - and I was going to share a few of my favorite quotes from the books.  Basically the books have a quote on one page and the adjacent slide is an illustration...so without the illustration, the quotes are quite as good, but I hope you enjoy anyway.

1)  "Happiness is a fuzzy sweater."  (So true, during a cold winter!)
2)  "Happiness is walking in the grass in your bare feet."  (I love this too, as long as there isn't sticker burrs in the grass.  HA!)

This one is all about Snoopy...I love that dog!  Such a cute book!

1)  "Show me a veterinarian, and I'll show you a man who loves to wield a needle!"

2)  "There's the ugliest sight in the world...an empty dog dish."

1)  "Love is wishing you had the nerve enough to go over and talk with that little girl with the red hair."  (Poor Charlie Brown)

2)  "Love is buying somebody a present with your own money."  (Especially if that present is a pair of sequined Uggs...HINT, HINT!)

3)  "Love is being able to spot her clear across the playground among four hundred other kids."

1)  "Christmas is hearing about those partridges and pear trees until you're ready to lose your mind."  (In my opinion, this is the worst Christmas carol ever!)

2)  "Christmas is giving your last two nickels to the Salvation Army...cheerfully."

3)  "Christmas is waiting for the grown-ups to finish eating so we can open the presents."  (Really, why did it always take the adults so long...)

Remember, as cute as the Christmas quotes are above - always remember what Christmas really is and keep the CHRIST is Christmas!

Hope you loved the quotes above - and I am glad I will be able to share these wonderful little nuggets with my future children.

Toodles!

The Story of a Wet Elvis

Howdy Y'all!

My niece said something over Thanksgiving weekend that is just too hard to pass up as a blog post.

My dogs (probably like all dogs) will go to the water bowl and slurp and slurp and slurp and when they finally come up for air, their "beards" are all wet.  See exhibit below (hopefully you can see what I am talking about).

Well, when we went to Texas for Thanksgiving - we had our dogs in tow.  And, of course - during our trips, the dogs went to get a big drink of water and the following conversation happened between my niece, Hailey and her aunt (my sister), Ashley.

Hailey: Look at Toby, he has a "wet Elvis" or whatever you call it.

Ashley: What are you talking about?

Hailey: You know, when their beard gets wet when they take a drink.

Ashley: I have never called it that.

Hailey: Yes - you say something about Shooter's (my sister's shih tzu) mouth.

Ashley: Yeah, I call Shooter "Elvis" when his lip gets caught on his teeth not when his beard gets wet.

Me: (Bust out Laughing)

Now, I can't help but call the wet beard, a "Wet Elvis".

I am sure this isn't as funny retold - but, it totally cracked me up.  HA!

Toodles!

Open Brain...Spill Contents

Howdy Y'all!

This post is going to be so random...and I hope you love it.  I know I love randomness!

1) I have two favorite places in the world.  #1 - Walt Disney World and tied for #1 is Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium.  I love going to games there...it is just the most fun.  Even my mom who doesn't enjoy sports had a blast going to a Longhorn game a few years ago.

Isn't this a grand sight?

Here is the reason why Bertha my gnome is called Bertha...I wanted to name her something that related to the University.  Well, here is her namesake.

And, for those of you that know my dad, you know that he is fairly quiet man.  He is probably just quiet because he can't get a word in when he is surrounded by me, my sister, my mom and Hailey.  Well, one thing that I always thought was funny is that he will talk to a stranger about anything...life, sports, the weather, you name it...  Tony, my brother and I were eating some pizza before the game and I look up and notice my dad is talking to yet another stranger.  But, this stranger just happened to be somewhat famous.  Here is his talking to none other than Colt McCoy's father.  (However, this one doesn't stack up to the time he talked to Matthew McConaughey for at least an hour and had no clue who he was.  HA!)

2)  While I was in Texas, I also got to meet the newest addition to the family...Miss Ava Grace Faucett.  She is just so beautiful, just like her mom (my sister Ashley).

3)  All the "Ward" girls (even though some of us are Poll's and Faucett's now) took a trip on The Polar Express.  It was cute and we all had a good time.  

I love this picture because of the word "Believe".  It reminds me of growing up and we always believed in Santa...because if we did, Christmas gifts showed up under the tree on Christmas Day.  Listen up Santa, I still believe!!

4)  I read something on Facebook yesterday that said, "Happiness at Walt Disney World is..." and when I read that, a memory rushed back into my brain that hadn't been there in years.  I loved a book when I was a kid called "Happiness is a Warm Puppy".  It was written by Charles Schultz.  I had totally forgotten about this book until yesterday - and now it is a must order on Amazon.com.  I wished I still had my copy, but my mom doesn't even remember the book so I am sure it is long gone. 

You all should check it out for yourself...it would probably make you smile!

5)  I recorded Oprah's favorite things - and while I could live without most of the things she mentioned - I think I need one of them.  So, listen up Santa (hey, I still believe, remember) or Tony.  I think I absolutely NEED (not just want) this Uggs.  I would take them in the black, silver or gold...but, I think I just need a pair.  HINT, HINT!  Aren't they the cutest??

6)  My brother told me over the weekend that he watches Glee.  Sorry, this one is totally random...but, I thought it was odd.  Glee is one of my favorite shows, but I never, in a million years, thought my brother would watch it.   (Sorry to rat you out, Chris!)

7)  I am pretty excited about Friday night.  My bestie Laura and I are going to a Christmas Cabaret Wine Party that our friends, Britten and Scott are hosting...and then afterwards, we are going to have an old-fashioned slumber party.  Of course, back in the day, we could stay up for all hours and we will probably be good to stay up past midnight.  (Man, we are so old!!!)

8)  Is it just me or is that song from the Hewlett Packard commercial ("I got a brand new pair of roller skates") the cutest?  I love it.  Need.to.go.download.now.from.iTunes!

Well, I think that is enough random for one night...thanks for reading!

Toodles.

Pickles and Similarities

Howdy Y'all!

I was contemplating the other day that my favorite fast food joints are chicken places...Chick Fil A and Zaxby's.  Yum, yum!  Now, let me tell you something about me, I HATE pickles.  Hate may not even been a strong enough word for what I feel about pickles.  When I order at restaurants, I always say no pickles - on the side, on the sandwich or anywhere near my food.

With all the being said, I was SHOCKED to find out that Chick Fil A marinates (or injects) pickle juice into their chicken.  I can't taste it at all.  I even ate it today for lunch just to see if I could taste it after I found out their secret.  Are you amazed by this?

But, have you ever tried the "rip off" version of the Chick Fil A sandwich from McDonalds.  I think they have also heard that Chick Fil A uses the pickle juices, but you can totally taste pickle in it.  I have only had the sandwich once...and I thought about how nasty it tasted the entire time I was eating it.  Yuck - I will never eat that again!  But, YES - I will eat Chick Fil A again...love that stuff!

Now, onto a completely different subject...my college roommate and I had lots in common.  I am not going to remember them all...but...

1. She graduated #1 in her high school and so did I.  
2. Her best friend graduated #2 and so did mine.  
3. She had an older brother named Chris and so did I.  
4. Her dad's name is Randy and my dad's name is Randall (but, called Randy by his work buddies).
5. She had a younger sister the exact same age as mine (both of their names started with A's)
6. We drove the same color car...mine was a Pontiac, her's was a Chevy.
7. We were both science majors - I wanted to be a doctor and she wanted to be a pharmacist.  
8. We both changed our majors - she ended up teaching and coaching and I am in finance.
9. We both dated guys in high school and college (one guy each) that we knew we were going to marry.
10. We both got married to two completely different boys.

We hit it off so quickly and we were like the same person...just one was blonde and the other was brunette.  We had the greatest time being roommates.  She was amazing and I wish I was able to see her more often.

So, she is pregnant and expecting a little girl - and as all of you know, I am in the process of adopting.  The name I have picked out for a girl is Kinley Aline Poll and the name she has picked out is Kenley Madden Vasek.

Even though we have only seen each other a handful of times in the last 10 years, you can see that we still share the same brain.  I just think that is hilarious!  If I end up getting a girl, I hope the two Kinley/Kenley's are very good friends.

Well, that's all folks.

Toodles!