State of Obvious

Let me clarify...after the last blog, my family called me and had all read it...and now they all know I like them! How awful. The only problem is, now I feel so much pressure to write something good! Because they actually read it! None of the normal slop I usually throw up here! Yikes! There is only one thing to be done for it - post pictures instead! So here is Carly, an official University of Arizona cheerleader! The cutest one ever I might add! And to add to her majesty's cuteness, she actually sat still while I painted her finger AND toe nails! She was delighted! I also painted my own toenails because every now and then I like to pretend I'm not a total slob. Josh is also wearing his matching UofA jersey, Carly does have to have someone to cheer for after all! (Note the super chapped lips....Josh is reluctant to do anything about it because he feels it looks like a moustache....sigh.) Special thanks to Bud, Jamie and co for making the cuteness possible....I'm mailing yo...

I love talking to my mom and dad. They may not actually know this. The speed and frequency with which I return their phone calls may have them convinced that I think its some kind of chore. In fact, I love hearing my dad answer the phone with "Yeah?" in that lovely familiar voice that sends safe waves down the phone line and into my soul. And I love hearing my mom relay all the news of home, sometimes for the third or fourth time, and the way her voice quavers when she is particularly missing me. There is something satisfying about missing and being missed. One reason I don't return the phone calls of my family, which I probably have never really adequately explained to them, is the waves of home sickness that tend to wash over me after hearing their voices. Some things I miss about home: The smell of mom's fabric - for Christmas my mom made Carly a sweet little doll in the image of one my sister (and I think I?) had when we were little. The doll is really cute and Ca...

Wishing you and yours the merriest kind of Christmas and love in the New Year! Eric, Sarah, Joshua, and Carly

Imagine my surprise when I glance at the comments for my last blog entry and see a comment from my dad. This is the dad that loves his routine, that won't buy you a Christmas present if he can't find it all Walgreens, who calls Eric to tease him about Penn State even on days they win, who stays up all night worrying about his kids and calls to make sure that no we really don't let Josh play in the dryer - it WAS just that once, the dad who calls my mom when she's visiting here to ask how to use the washing machine. My dad doesn't leave blogger comments, but he did! A few simple words from my dad and I'm all full of the warm fuzzies. And yes, I even laughed out loud with sheer, absolute delight and amusement. A few other things that bring me absolute delight, on a recent scale: ~ Hanging Christmas decorations on my tree that look like some my grandmother always had on hers. (Decorations made of straw that made Eric raise his eyebrows - "you want those ?...

1. I can actually cook a turkey and not only is it edible, but quite delicious! Now, you might ask, why is this a lesson I learned today? I never cook for Thanksgiving...but we will be this year because Eric's mom has been battling an aggressive cancer that requires chemo and sucks the energy right out of her so we are staying home and cooking for her and the rest of the clan. And the last attempt I made at a turkey was at least six years ago, and didn't come out quite as I'd planned. Edible but not "go for seconds". Alas, the turkey for tonight was not ours to keep as it was going to a church function, but sampling it beforehand was quite satisfying. And I'm quite pleased to know I will actually be able to make a good Thanksgiving turkey for the family! 2. I can cook it but man I can't carve it! Who knew carving a turkey was so difficult. I mean I looked at the diagrams and directions, made my first cut and went "whoa!" The mess I mad...

So I was checking out one of the world's very best blogs and as usual I felt my own troubles become lighter in the face of true trials. I have narrowed down the real face of some of my dark mood to a couple of things: 1. Lack of control. I have no control at all over the future of Carly. It could be a month, six months, a year, or never before the adoption process itself actually takes a step forward but I have no say in that whatsoever. The process has now dragged on so long that we have to redo our physicals to update our homestudy. Because, dear reader, our homestudy is now two years old+. Despite the fact that we have had Carly for 1 year now, its like we are starting from the beginning so far as the homestudy is concerned. 2. Lack of discipline. Whatever I might want to pin it on, I just have no motivation and discipline to get the things done that need to be done. Well, more like, to get them FULLY done. I complete those necessary jobs of everyday life, but the we...

It gives me quite a chuckle that the following article is a "featured" article from Yahoo! I'm also amused that online gaming is part of the "darker side" of the internet, particularly since Yahoo! has a whole section devoted to it....But I digress. Yes, I am an internet addict...I also enjoy chocolate, Dr Pepper, WoW, and my kids. Which therapist shall I call? "Are You an Internet Addict? Fri Nov 3, 2006 7:58AM EST I was reading through an AFP report on Yahoo! News that says Serbia is now treating people with Internet addictions. This counseling center considers anyone who is not interested in daily activities with family and friends as a potential Internet addict and looks for other signs such as spending prolonged hours online, turning to virtual friends, and isolation. I'm not sure exactly how they treat Internet addiction, but they say treatment usually lasts one year. After reading this, I headed over to Net Addiction and took an Internet Addic...