I’m a little slow in getting this up, but here are some photos from our trip to Oregon two weeks ago…

We headed down straight south from Kelowna with our truck (mostly empty with a very large blanketed area we called “Maggie’s Palace” in the back,) towing our new-to-us 30 year old 17′ RV trailer, Gordon. (It’s a Bigfoot – get it?  Gordon Bigfoot?!?)

Our mission was to get away, relax together, recuperate from Hamish’s passing, and, drink a lot of Pinot Noir! The pinot was actually the original purpose to the trip… so we drove down through Washington with a brief stop in Yakima, Washington, (merlot etc, not PN) to check out a few choice vineyards, and then spent 5 days in the lovely Willamette Valley, Oregon (PN all the way…). 

The first few nights we stayed in Silver Falls Park, with lots of nice hiking and peaceful, quiet forests.  The last 3 days we stayed closer to the action and spend the hot sunny days floating from vineyard to vineyard, with stops in antique shops, parks and cafes along the way. We spent one morning at the aviation museum, where Jrock had the best time.  It took two days to get there and two days to get back, but I highly recommend this little area in Oregon as a family vacation – just lovely.

We came back with ‘somewhat’ healed hearts, a renewed appreciation for Maggie’s sweet little spirit, and 15 bottles of wine.

Enjoy the pictures!
(If you click on a picture, it will make it bigger… then just click on the small picture below/right of the big one to move you to the next one, and so forth…)

We always want to hear from adoptees, and understand their points of view.  Click here to watch some great videos narated by 11 year old HAnnah, adopted from Romania. I think her inspirational videos show us the power of young people and hope for children, one little starfish at a time.

We’re well approaching a year – in fact, it’s only a week out.  For months, we’ve been debating if we should broaden our age request.  So last week we made the jump and expanded our request to the agency for 2 children under 4 years old.

Why did we change?  The big reason is because of the time… the “1 under 1 and 1 under 4” was definitely eliminating the few sibling groups that did come in – the younger age bracket being the main reason. Obviously these children were not meant to be our children; but it gives a person pause.

We’ve also spent a lot more time with children of different ages in the last year.  L, who has a .5 and a 1.5 year old, our godson who is 2.5, and another friend T who has a 3.5 year old.  We’ve been able to see the different ages and are excited about parenting slightly ‘older’ kids.

You also have to think if we are waiting this long that there isn’t a need for parents who want a baby and a toddler.  For sure, there is a need in general, but for the groups of kids that come through the Canadian adoption process, parents for ‘older’ kids seem to be more needed right now. 

Lots of other factors and questions came into play – some serious, like: will I miss never having a baby, if we are referred two toddlers? These are our two only kids, according to the plan. -Some not as important, like: what if I never use the change table I painstakingly crafted? lol.  I suppose I wouldn’t miss diapers.  Are we prepared for the attachment and grieving challenges?  Do we have the support network?  Can we hit the ground running with appropriate and coordinated discipline?

Now that it is made, I’m at peace with the change.  Sometime next week Imagine will get the paperwork and email it off to Ethiopia.  Who knows?  we could still be refered twin infants (yikes – maybe I’ll leave that up to the Sandi’s of the world – a braver woman than I!)) or we might just have a 2 and a 3 year old.  Guess we’ll just have to see.

PS.  Our much appreciated social worker, if you are reading this, thank you so much for hustling out that paperwork!!! And more importantly, for helping us through this decision.  (I should actually saying helping me, since Jrock said “as long as I don’t have to teach them to shave when they arrive, we’re good.” )

This shower actually happened two weeks ago, but with all that was going on, I’m just posting about it now…

Our group Okanagan Families With Children From Africa hosted a shower for the Okanagan’s newest arrival from Ethiopia, little X.  He’s a cutey! The theme was baby boy blue stuff, and boy oh boy! did the moms pull through with the shower gifts, lol!  Enjoy the pictures.

Someone rubbed her nose against the wall I was painting

And again, later in the evening, Jrock was watching football and he let out a big yell.  Maggie came scampering down the stairs and curled up in the corner against a baseboard I had JUST painted – you should have seen it.   Her whole side was white! 

So she had a bath last night.

Two weeks ago we wrote that our dear dog, Hamish, was diagnosed with cancer.  It was a Tuesday when we discovered it, and Wednesday we learned that it had spread to his liver, lymph-nodes and spleen – making it inopperable.  The type of cancer couldn’t be helped by chemo.  He had been exrayed just two months before, and there had been nothing – it was really fast growing.  Really fast. 

On Monday he felt fine, on Tuesday he started to feel a little off, but by Saturday he was not himself anymore.  Despite all the painkillers and other meds, he couldn’t keep anything down, couldn’t walk much, and wasn’t even barking at skateboards or motorcyles. His last few days I took him for long walks in the chariot stroller down to the beach – he always loved the water and the wind.  Couldn’t swim worth a damn! but still loved fetching sticks with his knobbly little legs knee-deep in the water. 

Saturday, only five days after his diagnosis, he passed away in my arms.  Jrock and I were stunned and heartbroken.  We couldn’t write about it here – we sent an email to a few friends who would understand, and left town.  We took our very sad and confused cocker spaniel Maggie, who had never spent a day in 7 years away from Hamish, and left in our little RV trailer for Oregon.  It was our first vacation together (more than 4 days long) in 2 years, and we really really needed it, but we cried every day.  I don’t know what we would have done if we had stayed home afterwards… memories of Hamish are everywhere. I work at home, and there is such a silence right now, since we’ve been back… Maggie is a really wonderful little trouper but she’s so quiet, and quite depressed herself.

I miss his barks, his grin, his wagging tail, the smell of his fur, his tender little soul that would comfort me whenever I felt bad, and his crazy tongue licks that would somehow find your nose every time. 

He was my best friend.  I think this will hurt for a long time.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH_QW7T3InA]

Hamish, my best friend, has been diagnosed with cancer.  It’s in his liver, spleen and lymph-nodes – and it’s appeared since his last Xray in May.  It’s the bad stuff – he only has 4-6 weeks to live if we are lucky.  We are devastated.  You may not hear from us for some time…

I don’t know how we will make it through this.  I have slept with him almost every night for 9 years.

Congratulations to Jrock’s brother D and his wife R, who just welcomed their little son into the world on Sunday night.

We are so happy for you! 

This is the first time we’re officially an aunt and an uncle, and we’re very excited to spoil him rotten! (ha ha – better not do that to our kids!)

11 months = 335 days of waiting.

That’s all I’ve got to say.

It’s been a while since I last posted about my garden…

My vegetable beds were looking pretty forlorn when they were first planted… Now the veggie beds are full of lushious zucchini and peas and beans and parsnips and lettuce.  And that’s just what we can eat now.  What a treat.  I haven’t had a vegetable garden for years, and It’s wonderful.

The fruit trees are still little but happier looking. Apparently they will produce fruit next year but I’m supposed to cut it off and let the nutrition go to the roots.  In the meanwhile, I’m just frequenting the market gardens and the farmer’s market for my weekly dose of cherries.  Peach season is coming up! yum… then apples and pears…..  yummmmyummmmmyy…..