Foster Parent? Adopt? Possibly Both?

It is interesting that in reading my friend Lauren's blog she stated that she and her husband have started taking foster parenting training classes. Just prior to reading that, Brandon and I went to the local branch of the Utah Foster Care Foundation here in Ogden to get some information about foster parenting.

That was a month ago, and after playing some phone tag (in which I was "it" most of the time) we were able to set up what is called an "initial consultation" with a recruiter for the foster care program. So Tuesday night, the recruiter came to our home and sat us down to give us the low down on the down low of foster parenting. She explained the process of applying for foster care, the training classes, and the age group with which we expressed interest. The meeting went really well. We asked a LOT of questions and got the answers that we needed. I am sure that we will have more questions as we attend the classes. The classes start next Tuesday so Brandon and I will be going to that, but since we are both going to be out of town, we will miss two classes, but we will be able to make them up later.

We are both just thrilled about doing this. We know that some of you may be thinking that we are in for a rude awakening, but believe me we know that with doing this there is going to definitely be the good, the bad, and surely the ugly.

We were told that the classes are on varying topics, and the requirements of foster parenting. The recruiter said that she knows the instructor and that he is completely frank in talking about things in foster parenting. I am totally open to that, because I would rather know the good things AND the difficult things that foster parenting entails.

We have decided that to start we want to take newborn to 2 years. We talked to the recruiter and she asked us how open we would be to adopting a child if their parents' rights are relinquished. Of course we would adopt! With my health issues adoption is/has been something we have strongly considered. It just sucks that there are so many kids out there that need homes, but adoption is SO friggin' expensive. Foster parenting could lead to the possibility of adopting a little person, and we wouldn't pay anything for it. But I am totally supportive of any way that people decide to start or have a family.

So that is what exciting in our lives right now. This just feels so right.

The 3rd Blonde Dopf...

A few people I know have asked for pictures of me in my blondeness... so take a look-see!



But do Blondes REALLY have more fun?

Bag Tagged!

My sister bag tagged me, so in following the silliness behind all this, here we go.

What you do:

1. Take a picture of your bag.

2. Show a picture of ALL the contents in your bag. NO CLEANING OUT FIRST!!!!

3. "Bag Tag" five people. (That may be more than how many people actually read this)

So here goes:

1. My Purse: A Shopko Special! But I have seen the brand of bags at Mervyn's!



2. The contents



Inside is really a reflection of my life...boring! I have my glucometer, wallet, 2 Tide to Go pens, chapstick (a must), lip gloss, business cards for Interwest, blush, powder, some change, a syringe (I'm a closet drug addict;) ), pens, car keys, gum, a necklace, earrings, Biolage hair repair sample, and an old testing strip (gross I know), and a "feminine hygiene product".

3. I now tag Rachel, Tammie, Mary, Ellen, and Lauren!

Love you all!

I am now Blonde, but not because they have more fun!

In the long run, I think that laughing at all those blonde jokes, and all the years of teasing my oldest sister Jenny for being blonde have caught up with me.

After some serious hair woes these last 4 months or so, I decided I had had it. After self-imposed/even "professional" botched hair jobs, I came out of my "blissfully unaware" state of mind (yes, it is possible for me to do that on occasion) and realized that I needed some serious help in fixing my hair's appearance. After the great hair disaster of Fall 2007, I still had to deal with the after effects of dyeing my hair. Luckily, I am not bald from the myriad of chemicals I have put on my head. Over a month or so ago, I tried going to get my hair highlighted in order to try to blend in some of the splotchy colors by stripping some of my hair with the bleach they use for highlights. As luck would have it, the gal that did my hair did the absolute worst job on my hair possible. She left chunks of blonde in my hair, and didn't weave the foils correctly to make a continuous pattern of highlights in my hair. Then when I asked her to go back and fix some of it, she left some of the highlights kind of an orange-y color. I couldn't wear my hair up for an entire month because she hadn't even taken the care to try to get to my roots evenly. So I suffered with REALLY bad hair for a little over a month. And this type of bad job could only brought to you by the WALMART salon! Then last Monday morning, I decided that I wanted to really strip my hair of the rainbow of colors. I went in to a professional hair salon and made sure that I clearly communicated what I wanted to the stylist. She ended up weaving blonde all over my head. She did end up leaving some brown in my hair because I didn't want to look like a Play Boy Bunny bleach blonde. And while it was a shock to see myself with much lighter hair in the mirror, she did a fantastic job.

I was afraid what Brandon was going to think, but he actually liked it. The next phase is hopefully letting my hair recover from yet more trauma and then dye it as close as possible to my natural color and then letting it grow out.

And another thing I am considering is getting contacts because I am sick of having dirty glasses and wiping them about every hour or so. But I don't know if my eyes will be able to handle contacts because they are kinda dry. It is just something that I am willing to try because glasses are such a hassle sometimes. There has even been once or twice that I really put on a show for my clients who are Deaf because while interpreting, I would sign something near my face and my glasses would fly off, or get nearly knocked off my face. Talk about my middle name being "grace".

That's all for now, tune in next time for the next Dopf Details!

Battle of the Muffin Tuff!

The other day I went to put on some pants that I haven't worn in quite a while since I wear professional clothes everyday, and GUESS WHAT??? They DID NOT FIT! I have gained enough weight in the last couple of months that one of my cutest pairs of pants don't fit anymore! How sad and depressing is that? So for those of you that can relate, you know what feelings (and expletives) ran through my mind!

After trying as I might to get those pants on (and failing miserably), I looked up into my closet and realized that there are two piles of pants that are too small for me. I have kept them around in the hopes that I would be able to fit into them again one day. It was then that I had an epiphany... hoping is not enough! "Doing" is what will get me wearing those pants again. So starting last Sunday, I started eating much better than I have been. I mean, the holidays were NOT kind to me at all. Something else that bothers me is that in looking at the facebook pictures of some of people I went to high school with, they all look fabulous! Many people have lost weight that they carried around in school, and now they are healthy, fit, and beautiful people! (except for the big partying people) Then I have looked at my old wedding pictures and my "skinny" pictures and started that whole "wishing" thing again. And then on Saturday night, there was a date night for couples in the Deaf branch with dinner and dessert (dang them). I was talking to a friend of mine, and she has had 6 kids, and she is now middle-aged. I told her that I had to buy the next size up in pants, and she said "but you are young and haven't even had any kids!" That was another blow to the unrealistic, head in the clouds, lazy frame of mind that I have had in just thinking that the pounds will just fall off, or go somewhere and not come back.

My family, (heaven bless them) is so kind when it comes to the topic of weight. My sister Katie and I lovingly and laughingly joke that we are the bohemian bertha sisters with our big derriers, stating that "Baby Got Back" is our theme song. My other sister Jenny who just had twins a month and a 1/2 ago and is already back in her size 6 jeans is just sweet and says "well I don't have diabetes, or thyroid disease like you do". That is also what my mom says too. My dad is the smart one in the family of women and says absolutely nothing about the issue. Then my mother in law who is unhappy about how she looks too says I should just hang out with fatter people than I am in order to feel better about myself! (I've tried that, it doesn't work either). And I was just totally kidding about that last part. But in all seriousness, the lady I used to go to church with was right... I haven't had any kids, and I am young. I really don't have any excuses to look the way that I do. So here I am, posting all this on the internet, and I have a belated New Years Resolution:

I am going to eat better; exercise when possible; think positively; and forgive myself when I make a mistake. So there, I've said it. This is something that I want so that I can control my BS (blood sugar) better, and be less likely to suffer from complications of diabetes when I'm older. So send some positive thoughts my way from time to time. I need all the help I can get!

M

Snow, Snow, Go AWAY! Come back another day! (Or how about year!!)

In the last month, we have been up to our ears in snow (better snow than crap!). It is getting really old. While it is beautiful when the whole world is fresh, white, and bright outside, now is the period of time when people are either wishing for more snow to cover the old, crusty and dirty snow, or just trying to wish it away period. Everywhere in the valley looks gray and foreboding. The mountains are still gorgeous though.

Something that has come to our attention is the desperate need for new tires on our Neon. At times while I am driving, it feels like I am in the icecapades. I have seriously nearly gotten into probably 10 or 12 accidents in the last month or two because our tires are in need of replacing. I feel like there has seriously been the hand of a Higher Power on my side as I have driven in seriously crazy weather. I have had a few scares! God be thanked nothing serious has happened.

Other news I have decided to share is that we are now looking for a new job for Brandon! While Brandon and I have been grateful for the straight out of college hiring that Brandon's job gave us, and the invaluable experience it has given Brandon; we are not satisfied with the benefits (or nearly the lack thereof), and the failure of his company to give him the pay, recognition, and help of more people to help him run his team in the IT department. The pressure and responsibility keep piling on but the pay is still the same, and the benefits are not any better. So we are actively searching for other careers in the same field. So if y'all get wind of anything, let us know!

We know that possibly getting another job might even mean moving out of Utah, but that is also something that we feel totally open to doing if the price was right. We really want to stay somewhere in the West, because this is where our family is. Now that my parents are closer, we'd really like to stay in the West. And as much as I love the agency that I am working for, sometimes you have to sacrifice the things that we love so that we can move on to better things! So we will see what happens!

Super Snow Sunday!

We woke up on Sunday and not only was it Super Bowl Sunday, but the entire day turned out to be Super SNOW Sunday as well! Brandon was supposed to go to Stake Conference, but just as he was getting ready to leave, he looked out the window to see lots and LOTS of snow! So he changed his clothes, and started shoveling! It was almost to no avail, because the snow just kept on falling! He ended up missing Stake Conference, only to help our neighbors shovel their driveways as well! Talk about a good workout!




The first two meetings of my ward were canceled, so we just chilled at the house for while. Then we went to church for sacrament meeting. It was a really neat meeting because so many people talked about Pres Hinckley's funeral on Saturday. We were lucky to have one gal talk about her experience as a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and being a part of the service and the music. I won't soon forget that meeting.

Well, Brandon got a little worried today when I went to turn on the TV and their was no dish signal. He was a little afraid of not being able to watch the Super Bowl, but it turned out okay because the signal finally came.

A while before the sun started to set, Brandon and I were able to go out and play in all the snow! It was so cool! We played in the snow, and tried to build a tunnel through one of the "walls" of snow surrounding our driveway, but that would have required too much work. We ended up working together to build what turns out to be my first snowman (Brandon was great to teach me) and it turned out well! We ended up freezing our butts off because we were soaking wet, but hey it was well worth it! So enjoy the pictures we took!