Address Change

Due to some design challenges, we've moved.....

http://susansunderthecherrytrees.blogspot.com/

Get Well Card Challenge

This week, I chose to participate in the Get Well Card challenge from She's A Sassy Lady.

The first card is a twist on one of my favorite frame cards. Using the Ultimate Creative Sampler, I created this card. I used masculine colors and patterns for manly card.

The next card is a new frame card for me. I used the cat frame from the Cindy Loo cartridge. I used bright colors for a teenage look.

Both cards were created using Recollections blank cards as a base and DCWV papers.

Hinton, WV

This is the town where my dad grew up. Well, it's the closest town to where my dad grew up. This is what it looked like 2 weeks ago.

Inevitable Phoebe Gets Roses

I've accepted the inevitable. I'm eventually going to get a new stepdad and 4 stepsisters, 3 step-brothers in law, 2 stepnieces and a stepnephew. (So that means my parents will have a daughter for each day of the week!)

Recently, daughter #6 (a.k.a. Rachel) came to visit with her daughter, Phoebe. She's the cutest little rascal!! We'll miss her when she's goes home!!

This week was especially bad for several reasons: I had a fibro flare, I quit my amitriptyline, the cat peed on me and I had all the rude people of the world as customers in one day. Since the rude customers and the cat peeing on me happened all in one day (one would have been plenty, but I had both), Carl wanted me to have a great day and sent me roses!! I got a dozen, long-stemmed red roses to cheer me up. I was the envy of all the ladies at work! He knew exactly how to make my day!!

The Birthday Bash!

Moma Ruth turned 80 this week! Our family threw a great party! Yep, that's the birthday girl at 20!!

Muffin & Frankie

I told you all about getting some goats about a month ago. Well, last week, we brought them home. We knew for sure that we were getting one female kid and probably taking a male until the next litter is born and ready to be separated from the mother. However, we ended up with all 4 kids! Larry had friends that wanted a male kid so we brought all 4 to our house temporarily. The 2 male kids left the next day. We had our female and 1 male kid left. The female is mine and I named her Muffin long before she actually arrived. Emily has named the male Frankie since he'll be staying indefinitely. Her female kid will be named Xena. :)

How I Knew

From the time I was 5, I always knew that I wanted to be a mommy. I liked being a big sister and "helping" my mom. I've always loved kids and grew up in a closely knit family. I've always wanted a houseful of kids. I grew up in house that always had all the neighborhood kids playing in the yard; my mom was the coolest mom on the street. I wanted to carry on that role with my own kids. So, when my doctor told me at 21, I was reproductively challenged, I was a little devestated. I started looking at other options: adoption, surrogacy, embryo implantation, etc. I also started looking for doctors to help me achieve my goal. (Tip: WFUBMC has a great reproductive medicine team!!) Once I found the right doctor, I needed to find the right guy.



So, I started dating. I tried a lot of different ways to meet guys. And I met lots of guys that weren't right. A lot of them talked about wanting kids, but they're weren't speaking my language. Well, after a lot of searching, I've finally found the right guy. He, unknowingly, made it safe to talk about my reproductive challenges and desires to be a mother when he uttered the super secret magic word - adoption.



Why, do you ask, is it the super secret magic word? I've found that a lot of guys aren't willing to accept adoption as a viable method to becoming a parent. Adoption is by no means an easy process because you have to be willing to allow a third party to learn all your secrets and basically air your dirty laundry to the world. You have someone poking around your house, your life and checking references. No matter if you have children or how many children, you're required to take a parenting class. (It's 13 weeks of classes and it's tough work. I know, I did it.) I don't know anyone who wants to be told how to raise their child. So, to voluntarily consider adoption, you have to be a special person.

Ding, ding, ding! We've got a winner!

In my quest to find Mr Right, I've dated a lot of guys. Each guy possessed a quality that I was looking for, but none of them were the total package. I've been looking for some time for a guy who was willing to commit to and, work towards happily ever after with, me. I want someone who enjoys spending time with kids and is up to being a father someday. He's also got to accept me for me because trying to change me is a losing battle.

So, ten days ago, when a former flame text messaged me that he had someone for me to meet, I was a bit hesitant. But I took a chance and we emailed each other for almost a week before we met. However, he turned out to be a great guy with lots of attractive qualities! Finding someone who was raised like I was, has similar interests and wants the same things I do is always great. But to find out that he's a genuinely nice and a gentleman just adds to the total package!

Stress Relief

The best kind of stress relief....

New pictures!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=85028&l=f50eb&id=634797714 - Christmas
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45720&l=619ca&id=634797714 - B's pictures - a couple of new ones
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=4618&l=68fc8&id=634797714 - some new random stuff