I ♥ Faces - week 12 - pets (anything goes)

I have seen so many cute kids and awesome pictures on I ♥ Faces and until last week I didn't have any pictures that I could post as part of the weekly contests. Now I have a ton of cute pics of Grace just waiting for the upcoming contests. :-) However, I don't have a picture for this week's 'Pouting' because Grace is such a happy little girl. Lucky parents.

And lucky for me, this week's other I ♥ Faces contest is a pet theme! I have thousands of pictures of Lizzie and Meeka! The good and the bad is that the theme is 'Anything Goes'. How can I choose just one?

I chose this picture of Liz because it one of my all time favorites. We were on the boat and it was just a couple months before we got Meeka - meaning Lizzie was loving life, loving fishing and loving having the boat all to her own!

This photo was also taken with my old point-and-shoot. The only editing was a crop and a little boost of light.

the Red we know

Here is Kyle and Miranda (again) at the memorial marker. As of today we are just under the 1882 Flood of 48'. There is a possibility that the river could reach 53'. Fargo is setting all new (and very scary) records as of 1 a.m. Friday morning. AND the Red River flows north.

I tried to get a zoomed in picture of the marker as of Thursday, but my hands were too frozen to get a steady picture. :-)

The first four images have been borrowed from a flickr photoset.

back to reality

Florida was great. Leaving Grace and the 80 degree weather was not so great. (more on the trip later!) I think we were ready to return to winter but I'm not sure we were ready to return to 'Flood 2009'.

We are safe and dry (right now). Unfortunately, many around us are not. It's insane and also very heartbreaking to see the rivers in full force. Our projected crest is not until Monday however the information is constantly changing...

So here is a glimpse into our current world. Remember - we do not have it bad AT ALL compared to other towns around us. Our town built very expensive earthen dykes, pretty flood walls and invisible flood walls to protect us from floods - we are just stuck with very high property taxes for eternity to pay for that safety!

Please note, there were a couple things going on during these photos... 1. We were in a hurry because it is illegal (during floods) to be where we were to take some of these pictures. :-) 2. it was freezing cold outside. 3. some pictures were taken on the fly while Dylan was driving.

Tonight's River Level: 47'
Projected Crest: 52'
1997 Flood Crest: 54'


downtown. north of Sorlie Bridge.




downtown. at Sorlie Bridge.

Notice the sign? It says, "Watch for ICE on bridge". I think they mean the usual ice and snow... not a ginormous ice jam raging down stream!



downtown. south of Sorlie Bridge.


For comparison, summer 2008.


down stream. Kennedy Bridge looking south.




downstream. Kennedy Bridge looking north.




For perspective of how vast the river currently is... the same tree spanning west to east. And I brought the wrong lens so this isn't even the entire picture.


downstream. at the walking bridge and boat launch.

not good

I think these two images speak for themselves...

No one wants to see this forecast with less than 48 hours until their departure to sunny fun! I'm trying to think of all the positives.

1.) At least this storm hasn't hit us out of the blue. I have time to prepare myself for any bad news about flight schedules.
2.) We live in ND where storms are normal. We have plows! And people know how to function through weather like this.
3.) I have had horrible flights lately - it is my turn for things to go my way. :-)
4.) We purchased trip insurance for this very reason. I have the entire contract (20 pages) printed out and phone numbers ready.
5.) My GIS field lab on Friday has been rescheduled due to the weather. This is really good because I am not sure I could have made up this lab's field work.
6.) We are now even more grateful for our Florida vacay.
7.) Jim Cantore is in Duluth. However, during his report from Duluth he specifically talks about our little neck of the woods...

Ok, I think I have tricked myself into thinking this will all work out and everything will be just fine! :-) Positive vibes!!

Side note: Kyle taught me about the Jim Cantore factor. If Jim Cantore, from the weather channel, is in your town it is not good news! Jim's not usually in a location with desirable weather conditions. Think of those images during hurricane season where Jim is standing in the rain and roofs are flying straight toward him...!!!

perfectly stated

A few people have already seen this picture but I had to put it on here...

Dylan took this picture last week with his cell phone while driving for work. He titled it, I found the middle of nowhere. I think it is absolutely perfect!

He has driven past this sign and all around this area for 6 years and never realized how removed from everything it truly is. And I completely understand. I try to visualize the remoteness of this picture from an outsiders perspective and it just makes me shake my head with disbelief and confusion...

If there were any questions as to why we are so excited for Florida this picture should answer all of those questions! :-)

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

an easy way to do something good everyday

Everyone likes to do their part (hopefully!). There are so many ways to give these days. And so many people and programs need support.

I think I have found the easiest way ever to give. Just use GoodSearch.com whenever you need to search the internet. It is just like google but with every search a penny is donated to an organization/program/project. You can select a specific organization or GoodSearch will give the money to the 'charity of the day'. It is super easy and the pennies really do add up! I know by seeing the amount raised for my chosen non-profit - our local animal shelter.

The next two websites are just about as easy too. They are Free Kibble and Free KibbleKat. Each day you answer a fun trivia question about dogs and cats and respectively 10 pieces of dog or cat food are donated. Again it doesn't sound like much but the 10 pieces add up fast. The best part - a 12 year old girl started both websites to feed animals at her local shelter and it has become a nationwide program!

Do you see my trend - I have such a weakness for animals in need. So these websites are something simple I can do everyday to help out.

Just a thought to pass on...

Happy Birthday Kyle!

Happy Birthday Kyle!

I am so thankful that you are my brother. You have influenced my life from the very beginning and I couldn't have asked for a better big brother. I love everything about you – even the stuff that drives me crazy! You are the best husband and father to your little family and nothing makes me happier than to see your joy of Miranda and Grace. Thanks for being such a great person. I love and miss you.

But enough of the sappy stuff. I want to take you down memory lane of our years growing up together. So on your birthday I want to thank you for always being that outstanding big brother.

The younger years:
Thank you for body slamming me for no apparent reason.

Thank you for whipping me with that stupid spikey plant in the front yard.

Thank you for rocking the mini van (while mom ran into the store) so violently I really believed it would flip. Or telling me you were going to drive off at the age of 12.

Thank you for always following through on your promise that you would hit me if I didn’t get away from you. Every time you committed.

Thank you for all those wonderful games of Monopoly. I refuse to play that game to this day.

Thank you for telling me I was switched at birth in the hospital and that Mom and Dad weren’t my Mom and Dad.

Thank you for taking me on a bike ride down Snyder Avenue’s hill at the tender age of 5. Narrow sidewalk, busy street, big hill, brick wall along the sidewalk and a 5 year old who just learned to ride a bike do not make for the best scenario. That was fun!

Thank you for throwing a baseball as hard as you possibly could and then yelling at me if I didn’t catch it with my mitt directly in front of my face.

Those are all such great memories for me. When we were younger you definitely inflicted a lot of pain; however, as we grew older you definitely saved me from a lot of pain (and trouble). You were always teaching me life lessons – who knew?!?

The middle years:
Thank you for throwing a party and then vacuuming the stairs the wrong way. You were so busted. Thanks though - I never vacuumed after a party.

Thank you for fainting in church because you were sick from the night before. I really thought you were dying.

Thank you for dry-ice-bombing the rich neighborhood and getting caught because of Rusty. You taught me to have fun but to keep your distance from the loose cannon friends during those fun times.

Thank you for falling down the stairs at Kevin’s house and breaking your collarbone. You taught me to think of better stories.

Thank you for drinking out of Dad’s liquor cabinet. I thought that those few bottles were for show but oh no we learned differently when you decided to sneak a little!

Thank you for stealing all of my babysitting money. At least sometimes you left an I-O-U note. Those have never been paid by the way. If you lived nearby I would hide my change jar.

Thank you for being a B or C squad athlete. Mom and Dad never paid for me to be on a traveling team because you never were on a traveling team. But you sucked and I was good. I plan to handle this differently with my children. :-)

And for some reason I truly do love you and miss you! I hope you have a wonderful birthday. Thanks for being my brother. I love you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE!

kelli cooks

Make this Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe. Don't ask questions. Just follow the simple directions and make it. It is very tasty.

photo from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

I was even the one who cooked the meal - the entire meal! Now if I can make something it must be fool proof.

I was so Betty Homemaker on Sunday. I also made turkey sausage and mushroom quiche for brunch! I can't find the quiche recipe online now, but I will have to post it because it too was fool proof and tasty.

Kelli's Recipe Notes: Nothing in our house is the full fat version. I used reduced fat mayo and it was delicious. Do not add ANY salt - maybe change out the garlic salt for garlic powder. I also didn't have fresh herbs and I didn't know about the frozen herbs.

in two fridays

6 a.m. will be the best - unlike this Friday at 6 a.m.

I will get to try more of these types of photos.

I only had my camera for a week before this picture. Hopefully I have learned something in a year. However, there haven't been too many beach silhouette opportunities since then!!

I will look at these in person. Not just as our desktop background picture.

Dylan will say this to me! He knows I love this more than anything. :)

And then we will spend the rest of the day with this little 1 year old!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

the 'A' word - adoption

I don't know who reads this blog - if anyone - but it is obvious what types of blogs I read. I read a lot of adoption blogs. For the most part the families I follow along with are nothing like Dylan and me. At this point in our life.

So why do I read these blogs...

I have a few things in my life that I truly feel passionate about. Adoption is on the top of that list. I feel adoption in my heart so strongly. However, I am not the type of person to shout my beliefs from the mountain tops so at this point in my life my thoughts/desires about adoption are mostly internalized.

When I first started reading adoption and family blogs I knew very little about adoption. I thought I knew, but in reality I had no idea. I have learned so much about the process of adoption. Not the paper process, but the real life process. The joys and the PAIN.

I do not feel comfortable enough or know enough about adoption to openly talk about it. I do not have the personal experience of adoption so how can I really act like I have any idea of what it is all about. My only connections are blogs and a few distant family friends. Dylan and I are far removed from even the beginning stages.

I do know that I can not stand people's ignorance about adoption. It is the one adoption topic where I have no problem speaking my mind! The ignorance I see and hear greatly upsets me. I even have family members who honestly do not get it. At all. Almost racist like. It is painful.

Some of the question and comments I hear are ridiculous to me. "Don't you want to know what your child would look like?" I honestly do not have that desire one bit. An adoptive child is my child - that is what my child looks like! I do not care who's eyes or who's smile.

"Why do you want someone else's kid?" To me, if that kid is my kid he/she was always meant to be my kid. "Why don't you adopt within the US?" Sure, I will, that is an option. I do not care about where the child was born. Like I said, that particular child that becomes our child was always meant to be our child. Our family will be made of God one way or the other!

I do not know how Dylan's and my life will play out. We don't have that magical crystal ball (oh goodness do I wish we did sometimes!). I do not know how or when our children will come into our lives or if we will be fortunate enough to experience adoption.

But, I am so thankful for the community of blogging adoptive families. They are my connection and my resource to a world I want in my life. I am so grateful to have found each blog I have listed as a favorite. Each family is different and real. I have learned so much about the world, about others and about myself by following along with their daily adventures. And each day I realize more and more my heart's pull toward adoption. Thank you families.


This post was very personal for me. However, I had to write it because I wonder what the few people who do read this blog think when they see a list of favorites full of adoptive family blogs! :-) It also felt great to shout my thoughts from this mountain top!