Selah

Come on over!

2006-09-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

For the next few weeks....or possibly months....we will be found regularly at oneblessedfamily.com You can find our blog there under the link "Travel With Us". Come on over, sign our guestbook, and join us as we travel to meet our precious daughter, Lydia!

Packing for China

2006-08-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

We haven't even received Travel Approval yet for China, and yet I'm almost done packing the suitcases. We are traveling carry-on-only on the way over, with the exception of a HUGE duffel bag filled with orphanage donations, and then we will probably stuff that duffel bag full of presents and souvenirs on the way home.

So, anyway, I hit all the local thrift shops last week and found 2 very decent brand new carry-on suitcases with wheels. Those will be Doug's and mine and then we bought Gwen and Lydia matching backpacks with wheels and pullstraps. Gwen's is purple, Lydia's is pink.

We got Lydia's measurements today! She's 113 cm tall.....that's about 44 inches, and 19.5 kg....about 42 pounds. So, she's a tad bit bigger than Gwen, and probably wearing size 6 clothing. That helps us so much in bringing *something* for her to wear before we take her to the Chinese Walmart. She and Gwen are close enough in size, though, that they will be capable of sharing clothing.

Please, everyone, pray that our other house sells....now! NOW! It would be such a relief to have that done before we got on a plane for China!

Mary

Still alive

2006-08-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

So, ok, it has been...erm...forever since I updated. Sorry, and I do get e-mails from those of you nice enough to check occasionally. And we're okay here. It's just been that we are still computerless, which has been wonderful for making sure that I'm properly cultivating my relationship with my family, but not so wonderful in that I can't stay in touch with people that I used to talk to so much.

Update? Would you like to hear one? Well, first and foremost, our China adoption is still going on. It' s like the Energizer Bunny. It won't stop. We had issues with our paperwork there for a bit, but now our dossier is at the CCAA and we are waiting for travel approval. Of course, we are still praying this comes sooner rather than later, but it really honestly could be October before we travel. It won't be much later than that, though.

And I know you all want to see the most precious picture of our little girl! This was taken in April by the orphanage director. All the loot she is holding came from that fuzzy pink bag on her shoulder and we stuffed it FULL of things for her! So, she looks happy, right?

I also realized that we had never really updated anyone on the grant situation. It's AWESOME! We did get that grant from Life International, and it was for $2,000, so we sent out notes to all our friends and family asking for donations. And we received.....over $3,500. $2,000 of that was matched , so they sent over $5500 to our agency. Of course we were SO thrilled, then we took a step back and wondered how the other $10,000 would come in. A couple weeks later we found out that we were given a $4,000 interest free loan from The ABBA Fund, a group that helps people bring home their adopted children. And again, we were really encouraged by this, and we started not to be really worried about the last $6,000 because God just kept providing.

And He didn't let us down. Again, right when we needed it, we got a letter from Shaohannah's Hope saying that we had received a $4,000 grant. And all we have left is the money for our plane tickets, and we are going to put those on the credit card. So, we are good to go!

Doug is now recruiting in Joplin, MO. When he got back from Iraq he swore he would never recruit. He didn't want to put kids into the war. But, when faced with being in the Army for 16 years and then getting out, it seems better to just go the 4 more years until retirement, no matter how much it stinks.

And boy, does it stink! The station commander is a dufus. He has zero integrity. Doug says recruiting is like playing a game with a 3 year old....they're always changing the rules so that they can win. "Okay guys, you can leave early if you make 2 appointments!" So, he works hard, makes 2 appointments, only to be told, "Well, they don't count because one of them was a walk-in and the other only has his GED, not a high school diploma." Doug doesn't see why it matters. Either one could end up being the Sergeant Major of the Army some day.

So, yeah, he doesn't like that very much.

And Gwen...she's about to turn 4. She's HUGE and talking like she's in first grade or something and she can't wait to be a little sister! She's already named our next child, Kathryn Truth. Except that wasn't the name we were planning on, but I don't NOT like it.

And my time is officially up at the library. Good night.

Almost having labour pains

2006-03-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday we completed what can only be described as the Second Trimester of the adoption process. We filed our I600A, the petition to adopt an orphan. We are blessed to be living in the state of Missouri (now that's a sentence I never thought I'd say), and the process is taking less than 3 weeks on average. So, we should be DTC (dossier to China) by March 31.

Oh my word. I'm about to hyperventilate! That's unreal! All we have left is the waiting. And, yeah, the earning of the money. That's a big part too. ;-)

Happy and Sad? Good and Bad?

2006-02-24T08:19:00.001-08:00

We've been applying for grants. Tons and tons and tons of grants. There are many many adoption grant organizations, and they have all heard from me. We aren't exactly relying on grants to get us through the adoption, but they sure would help! $17,000 is difficult to come up with quickly.

So, we applied for a grant with Life International. It's actually a matching grant, designed to get you out there asking for donations.

We survived through an interview asking us all about our spiritual beliefs, making sure we matched up with them. We survived through 3 weeks of waiting to hear if we were approved.

And, today we get a call! Yes! We are! We're approved for a matching grant!!!

Yay!

But, for how much, you ask? Well, yeah, therein lies the problem. We don't know. They don't know. They don't have funding right now, and the director is on a funding trip, so we might find out next week that they have the funding for it, but then, we might not.

So, um, yay? We're approved?

Happy and Sad? Good and Bad?

2006-02-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

We've been applying for grants. Tons and tons and tons of grants. There are many many adoption grant organizations, and they have all heard from me. We aren't exactly relying on grants to get us through the adoption, but they sure would help! $17,000 is difficult to come up with quickly.

So, we applied for a grant with Life International. It's actually a matching grant, designed to get you out there asking for donations.

We survived through an interview asking us all about our spiritual beliefs, making sure we matched up with them. We survived through 3 weeks of waiting to hear if we were approved.

And, today we get a call! Yes! We are! We're approved for a matching grant!!!

Yay!

But, for how much, you ask? Well, yeah, therein the problem lies. We don't know. They don't know. They don't have funding right now, and the director is on a funding trip, so we might find out next week that they have the funding for it, but then, we might not.

So, um, yay? We're approved?

One Step Closer

2006-02-21T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well, we just got news today that we will be on our way to Kansas City, MO a week from today to file our I600A and the rest of our immigration paperwork. This is *awesome* news and a complete answer to prayer that we will be able to do this before Doug leaves for South Carolina for 6 weeks. Thank you everyone for praying!!!

Wow...it's been a long time!

2006-02-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

So, here I am thinking of an update and all I can say is, take pretty much everything I ever wrote about and flip it upside down, and that's what's happening with us now. Here is a little update on the basic stuff.

Our family: We will be bringing Lydia home this summer. It's been really awesome watching the progress with the money. We started the process with no idea where the money was coming from to finish the full adoption. We are now finished the homestudy, and have the money to get through the next full stage of the process....immigration. And we have the money for the translation and authentication part. Tomorrow we have a phone interview with a grant organization that gives matching grants up to $4,000. We already have $2,000 waiting to be matched, if we get the grant. That would get us through all the fees until travel.

Gwen is just this happy bubbly normal 3 year old kid. We have been spending some time with my parents in New Hampshire, and my mom presented her with a bunch of clothing that somehow turned her from a toddler into a real live kid. Like she looks like a miniature adult. Very odd sometimes, when it just seems like yesterday that I was hearing a German midwife pronounce that she was "long, like spaghetti noodle".

Doug and his work. Ah, Doug and his work. After many many many declarations of being done with the Army and getting out and starting his own business and yada yada yada, Doug got orders for recruiting school. Recruiting. For a recluse and someone that "hates" the Army. Huh. So, he re-enlisted. And he will be in South Carolina for 6 weeks this Spring learning how to legally push young vulnerable kids into a life in the Army. This was his last re-enlistment ever. Now, if he wants to get out of the Army, he will have to apply to get out.

We are hoping for a post here in Missouri, since we have been accepted by St Louis Children's hospital for treatment to Lydia's cleft lip and palate. Ideally, we would stay on our little farm and keep raising more and more animals. I will miss it desperately if we must move.

So, that's what's happening. Hopefully, we'll have full internet access again soon, and I'll be able to catch up with you all soon.

Resurfacing....

2005-11-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

We will be back in a few days. It's just been a very long couple of months. Until we're back, enjoy this picture of wonderful puppiness. Jacob, born September 5, a Great Pyrenees, and our new companion to the goats and chickens.

Avast there, ye land lubbers!

2005-09-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ahoy! Today is September 19. It's the International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

What? You didn't know this? Clearly you have lost time to make up for! Go! Now! Talk like a pirate!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2005-08-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the 27th, I turned the big Three-Aught. Yes, that would be thirty. Twitch twitch. Shudder.

Doug has never been one to, say, roll out the red carpet on birthdays and such. He's a quiet, steady man who doesn't like a disturbance in his routine. And a birthday party would be a disturbance.

But this birthday was, well, very significant for us right now. And you can see why when you look at this page. If anyone else had been interested in adopting Lydia, we would not have been approved to be her parents. But as of yesterday, we officially meet all requirements!

One fun little birthday present, that really wasn't a birthday present, so much as someone giving them to us coincidentally on the eve of my birthday, was this. We were given these three gorgeous and so beautifully odd looking roosters. They were given to us because they had formed a tiny little mean mob over at the farm they were living on, so the owners thought they should split the mob up, with them essentially keeping the Sharks, while we took the Jets. An Aves-like West Side Story.

So, yesterday, we packed up the car and headed out for a long long long day. First we went to Mansfield, MO, where Laura Ingalls Wilder spent a majority of her adult life. It was fun and interesting, but in the tradition of many small Missouri towns, most of the houses looked like they were about to fall over. Except for Laura's. Hers was well manicured and beautiful.

Then, we drove to Branson. Now, we haven't spent a lot of time in Branson. The last time we did go there, I was still in a wheelchair and we spent hours (literally, hours!) waiting for various people to stop shopping in the outlet malls. This time we avoided all outlet malls and mall-type activities. Instead, we visited the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery, which was completely spontaneous and so much fun! I got a little squeegy watching all those baby fish writhe beneath the surface. I don't know why, but I did.

Then we went to the main event. Doug got tickets through MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) to go to the Dixie Stampede. This was way more fun than we expected and so worth the money. We ate and ate and ate. Every time we thought we were done eating, they came along with more food. Doug was thrilled, not being a Yankee, that we sat in the Southern section, and when our side ultimately won what was apparently a "once and for all decision on the Civil War", he was happy. Gwen enjoyed the ostriches and buffalo, the pig races and the chicken races, but was a little overwhelmed with all the noise.

Today, at church, very dear friends finally brought home their adopted son, only 2 weeks old. I held him and cried and just thought how amazing it will be to bring Lydia home to this church that is so supportive of our efforts.

Scenes From a Hammock

2005-08-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

Today is one of the first days of sunshine we've had in about 2 weeks. I'm certainly not complaining about the rain. It was the first we'd had in almost 3 months and the grass was so dry it cut your feet if you dared to walk barefoot. So, yesterday, after almost 2 weeks of rain, we cut the grass and cleaned up the dead branches in the yard, and then this afternoon, we enjoyed a couple hours in the hammock. All of the following pictures were taken from our swinging seat.

Scenes From a Hammock

2005-08-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

Gwen likes nothing better than finding a flower or a black walnut husk or a crabapple to present to Mama. (As you can see, she still doesn't quite know what to do when someone says, "Smile!")

Scenes From a Hammock

2005-08-21T12:38:00.001-07:00

Scenes From a Hammock

2005-08-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

Having a chat with Papa

Scenes From a Hammock

2005-08-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Zoe, relaxing in the bed of Black-eyed Susans.

Scenes From a Hammock

2005-08-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is our neighbor's barn. We hope, eventually, to purchase the plot of land that this barn is on. It would be a shame to have someone put in a row of track houses or something, right across from our peaceful little plot of land. But right now, I'm happy to look out and see this little barn.

Scenes From a Hammock

2005-08-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Anna is finally big enough to start climbing trees. She'll take a long running start and then jump, and only make it up about this far. She'll get there, though.

Tree down

2005-08-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, after a massive thunderstorm, we decided to head off to Walmart for some food. We had none left in the house, except eggs, and since Doug doesn't have a huge appreciation for a supper served with breakfast-type food, we thought we'd better get some.

So, we started down the driveway, and about 1/3 of the way down, we ran across this huge tree blocking our way. It doesn't look so big in the picture, but, let me tell you, when you're trapped on your property and when you finally decide to leave for necessities, anythign that totally blocks your path seems just huge. So, we looked at the tree, and thought about what to do, and looked at all our tools. We only had a hatchet and a small hacksaw. And a rope. Oh, and a lawn tractor, which we thought would be our greatest ally, but it turned out that our muscles were.

After hacksawing through some of the smaller limbs that were latched onto the fence (that you can't see in the picture), we then sort of chopped through the bit still holding on to the tree. Finally, about 45 minutes later, and in pouring rain, we looped the rope around the downed limb and hauled it to the side of the road.

We would have had more pictures, but both of our muscles were needed and Gwen is not yet savvy enough to use the camera.

Riding For the First Time

2005-08-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

We had friends come over for a barbeque about 2 weeks ago. They only live a couple miles away on county roads, so they road their horses and mule over and let the kids take turns riding around the barnyard.

2005-08-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is Gwen in the back and Kylie in the front riding Bob the Mule. Just a neat thing...Gwen and Zeke are just a couple weeks apart, and Kylie and Lydia are 1 day apart! It's been really neat to watch Gwen and Kylie interacting. It gives a good idea of what we can expect when Lydia can finally come home.

2005-08-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is Gwen's friend, Zeke. She adores him completely and loves holding hands with him when they go for a walk.

2005-08-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's been weeks since we updated. The reason? Well, we wanted to have good news about Yonghua, who will be named Lydia once she is adopted. So, from now on, we'll refer to her as Lydia. Confused? Probably so, but no more than we are with all this paperwork!

So, we're still awaiting pre-approval for Lydia. What happens is, we found her file on a "waiting child" list...a list of children with special needs that cannot be adopted as "healthy children". Lydia had a cleft lip and palate when she was born, but it has been fixed and she is living in a foster home in Nanjing, China.

When we reviewed her file and prayed about submitting a Letter of Intent to Adopt, we felt very much at peace about it, despite the fact that we have none of the initial funds we need. But, since then, we've collected almost $400 worth of inkjet and laser cartridges to recycle, and have earned over $300 on the Google Adsense program at our adoption blog. Go click some ads, if you feel so inclined. Each click brings in roughly $.30.

After submitting the Letter of Intent (LOI) and a financial statement, we sat back to wait. And wait. And wait. And honestly, I hear from other parents who are in this same stage that it just takes so long, but a couple more weeks doesn't really matter to us. That will just help us get the rest of the money we need for our first payment to the adoption agency and to start our homestudy.

We will be sending a letter out to all our friends and family. People that we love and care about, and hope that they will be just as excited with this addition to our family as we are. If you are not a family member or a "friend" that I know in actual real life, and you want to get this letter from us, you can e-mail me your address at themorris3 @ jobe.net (remove spaces). And in this letter there is not one plea for money. It's just an explanation of why we're making this choice and more information about Lydia. And it will list a bunch of ways that you can pray for us and for Lydia and her birth mother.

There will be pictures posted soon of all our recent adventures. We've had a tree crash down across our driveway and having no chainsaw, and no way to make it to the outside world, we hacked it apart with a hatchet and a hacksaw. We're reevaluating buying me and actual "birthday present" this year. I may need a Birthday Saw and possibly a Birthday Snowplow instead. Winter is coming and we have a really long driveway.

Two Sad Dogs

2005-07-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

These 2 poor dogs didn't get to partake in tonight's adventure.

Doug came home from work to find the neighbor's cows on our driveway. When he tried to chase them toward the gate, they ran into our field. We got both cars and the riding lawn mower out (yeah, we made quite the sight!) and tried to round the cows up. The oddest thing happened though. They just disappeared. Now, I realize that there is probably a hole in the fence that we just haven't found yet, but it was weird. And a little freaky.

And also, having a cow run straight at you while you're sitting on a lawn mower....very scary. Very very scary.

So cute!

2005-07-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

So, 4 of these cute little chickies have hatched out over the past few days. We had 7 more left to hatch and then the next was raided by a bullsnake and now there are none.

This one is named Shannon, in hopes that she hatches her little one soon!

Cicada

2005-07-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

When we went out to feed the chickens yesterday morning, we found this beautiful cicada near the hen house. We're assuming it's a cicada. If we're wrong, please someone tell us!

Our big announcement

2005-07-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

I've told you all that there are big things happening in the Morris household. They are so big, in fact, that the earth is practically shaking from all our running around and excitement. Below is a picture of what has had us in a tizzy.

Her name is He Yonghua. She will be 5 at the end of August and she's living in a foster home in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. And, Lord-willing, within a couple of weeks we will be initially approved to adopt her.

I (Mary) have wanted to adopt a Chinese girl since I was 7 years old and a friend who had been a missionary explained to me the One Child Rule and why a majority of Chinese families would prefer to keep a boy. And I've told various members of my family since the age of 7 that I would be adopting many many Chinese children.

Doug and I started talking about adoption months ago, and after he looked at all the programs from all the countries (including the US), he expressed his preference for a Chinese daughter as well.

So, here we are. Many hurdles to go over and probably difficulties to overcome (a house being renovated and bringing a daughter into our family older than the 3 year old we now have), but with the Lord's grace and help, we can do this!

If you would like to help in some way, you can do this. Go to allthingsadoption.blogspot.com and click on a Google ad that catches your interest. We receive a very very small amount of money for each ad clicked, and every bit will go into our adoption fund.

Thank you!

Happy Anniversary!

2005-07-03T22:47:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago tonight, I was sitting at a Cajun restaurant with Doug and his father, chatting away happily and getting to know my future husband. I asked Doug if I talked too much for him, and he said, "No, but I'd think you'd at least like to stop and take a breath now and then." Or something like that. It's a line that's been repeated many times over the past years.

If you had told me then that we would be separated for 4 of our first 6 years of marriage, I would have said you were crazy. But, it happened. And, now, after a full year and a half together, filled with moving 3 times and buying a couple of houses and acquiring animals of all shapes and sizes, we're finally starting to blend back together into a normal American family. A year at Fort Leanord Wood has turned us into a family that is not defined by deployment and field time. At times it seemed like that would never happen, but here we are!

Setting up the tent

2005-07-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our seven years, Doug bought fireworks and prepared Gwen for her first night of camping (that she can remember).

2005-07-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

This tent was just the perfect size when we would camp in Europe. The other people we would camp with would always laugh in the morning when we unzipped the tent and shoved a cooler and 2 backpacks out and then out crawled Doug and then a dog or two and then me. The tent looks so tiny from the outside, but is perfect for 2 inside.

While Doug set up the tent and laid down mats to make it comfortable for the night....

2005-07-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

Gwen helped by holding a lantern.

2005-07-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Looking at the "campsite" from one direction, it looks like we're in the middle of a huge field, miles from anywhere.

2005-07-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

But when you go to the other side of the "camp", you can see we're only a few feet from the house and an escape to a normal bed when Gwen gets scared!

2005-07-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

As we waited for the sun to set, Gwen brought camp chairs to the tent so we could sit down....

2005-07-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

....and put our feet up!

(Gwen's a good little nurse!)

2005-07-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

Gwen and I relaxed and took pictures before it got dark enough to light the fireworks.

(This is a scary scary picture of me! The bags under my eyes are horrible!)

And Doug said that surfing the net wouldn't do any good!

2005-06-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

So, ever since we moved into this lovely house, we've had potty issues. Well, one big issue. It doesn't flush. It requires 3 flushes on the normal....erm....use, and usually you still end up with, well, not everything flushed. We thought this was because we're on a lagoon, and maybe there was an issue with that.

Well, thanks to a couple readers of Enon Hall and the fact that they posted info on the forums, we now have a toilet that sort of actually flushes! And tomorrow we'll follow the rest of their advice, and then, hopefully we'll be able to use our toilet with great gusto and reckless abandon.

Ick.

Happy Father's Day!

2005-06-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

7 years ago I fell in love with a man. We met on July 3 at his father's house and we spent the weekend getting to know each other. On my drive from Texas back up to New Hampshire, I called my mom and said, "I've met the man I'm going to marry."

Doug proposed on New Year's Day, 1999, and on October 2 of that year, we married. After a 3 week honeymoon to Scotland, we settled down to life in the military. Well, I settled down. Doug had already been in for 9 years, so he was pretty much settled.

We had all the usual struggles that come with a couple that dated long distance. And the struggles that go along with being a military couple. But, on New Years Eve of 2001, the best thing happened to us. We had a fight. I recall there being some voices being raised. And possibly a dish got broken. I don't really remember. But, Doug went out for a walk, and brought home a pregnancy test. And 20 minutes later, when I tested negative, we sat down to eat dinner. 30 minutes after that, when I glanced at the test before throwing it in the trash, our lives changed. Completely and utterly changed.

September 5, 2002. Gwenivere Hope was born at 7:27 in the morning. She was born into the hands of a midwife who didn't really know enough English to give me any instruction, but she did know enough to tell us that "Gven ist long. Like spaghetti noodle."

When I try to think back on that morning, I remember three things clearly. Doug's arms were around me. His face was close to mine. And we cried like crazy when we saw Gwen in the arms of the midwife, although he has been known to deny this last part.

The presence of a father is so important to a child. I have been so blessed to grow up with a dad that knew the importance of family. And to marry a man who believed the same.

Happy Father's Day, Doug. And Dad. :)

2005-06-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've been downgraded from Druggie-With-Super-Good-Pain-
Pills-Please-Can-You-Slip-Me-One-Under-The-Table to Oh-You're-Not-A-Druggie-You-Only-Take-Darvocet. This is a good move, but will probably involve a bit more pain over the next few days as my knee gets used to it.

The super good news? I actually WALKED today! With a doctor supporting me, but I walked! Real steps! And funnily enough, the pain wasn't in my knee. It was in the bottom of my foot, probably since it pretty much hadn't touched the ground in 2 1/2 months. Physical therapy starts in 2 weeks and I am praying with all my heart that it doesn't take the 9 months that they are anticipating.

In other news, I think I mentioned that we have a renter for our other house? Well, today a girl that Doug works with ran into her at one of the medical clinics. She said that she was really excited about the house and she's going to use one of the 3 bedrooms as a walk in closet. (Wow!)

In our heads, we assumed that the house would rent quickly because housing is extremely difficult to find here at Ft Leonard Wood. The rental rates are skyrocketing and it's virtually impossible to find a decent place that allows pets. Well, our old house is certainly decent, or as my grandma said when she visited, "You must have really loved that new house of yours if you gave up that old one!" We also have no proplem with pets, or livestock at the other house either, as it's 3 acres, completely fenced.

So, because we scrimped and saved for so long in anticipation that we would have 2 mortgages to pay, we now have a good chunk of money in savings. Enough to start doing things to this house. Painting, refinishing, tearing up carpets, laying down floors, and *maybe* enough for a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. We'll see, but that just sounds like a marvelous thing right about now.

I have to get off the computer and sit and wait for the UPS man. Word has it that a box is arriving today with BOOKS! Thank you Karen in MN!

2005-06-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

It looks like I may be starting physical therapy next week! The doctor said that it can take up to 3 times the amount of time the muscle has been deteriorating, so that's 36 weeks. 9 months. That's a lot of physical therapy. And I've been warned that my percocet consumption will go anything but down.

So, we're battening down the hatches and preparing for a few weeks that may be more difficult than after the initial break.

I've been a bit worried that I'm liking percocet just a wee bit too much. There's that warm toasty feeling that spreads to your toes and the sharp stabbing pain ebbs away, and it's just so easy to fall asleep. But, when I mentioned this to the doctor, he said, "That's what it's there for. If you can't sleep because of the pain, then you need to keep taking it." So, I'll have no problem refilling the prescription tomorrow.

Also, today we got *wonderful* news!!!! Our other house was rented out, just hours before we planned to put it on the market. We have been praying about the decision to rent vs sell, and had decided that if it didn't rent this week we would be putting it on the market. And, out of the blue this afternoon, we get a call from a realtor who showed it and then, within an hour, collected a full deposit and rent and handed out the key.

This takes a tremendous "burden" off Doug's shoulders. We weren't worried about it, per se, but have been living extremely frugally just to make sure the payment was covered in case it took months to rent. So, now, we can loosen the purse strings a bit, and start saving for our next big project. Which is a doozy.

I don't want to say too much about it, but be assured, big things are happening in the Morris household.

Just a quick note

2005-06-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

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2005-06-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

Everyday I see new and beautiful things on this property that I wish I could share with everyone. But, by the time I crutch over to get the camera and come back, those beautiful things have changed to something....well, still beautiful but not the same.

There's a whole 15 acres that we haven't been exploring on yet, but that day will hopefully come soon. It's funny because the day we saw the property in February, we got the impression that there really weren't that many trees. But now, in June, with all the leaves out and all the glory showing, it's so perfect here. The house is shaded by huge sycamore trees, populated by the guineas in the evening through the early morning.

Last night something really struck me as being wonderful. When I was growing up, I lived in a house in the woods. A warm cozy friendly house that welcomed you in so many ways when you walked in the door. And when I looked out my window every morning, I was greeted with the same trees that I knew. I could probably go back there now and tell you the curve of every branch on the trees that my eyes fell on every day.

Here in Missouri, Doug and I are sleeping in the dining room on a bed situated under 2 windows looking out toward the driveway. I like to sleep "backwards" on the bed, with my head down towards the foot of the bed so that I can look outside when I'm awake. And as I lay there last night, I saw the branches of these trees with gaps through them to see the stars. And the fireflies....hundreds of fireflies....lighting up the sky. These are my new trees. And after 6 weeks of being in bed here and staring at the sky, I know them well.

I hope Gwen will grow up loving them like I do.

I'd like to thank everyone for the little packages that keep arriving at our door. Clothes, books, cookies (yay!) and assurances that even if we *must* miss your wedding, you still love us.

Please be praying that the doctor gives us good news this week. I have so many things that I really want to tackle, and I'd love to stop sleeping in the dining room.

Following: pictures of what's happening here!

Satellite View

2005-06-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

I sent this to some family members before we had closed on the house. The area in red is our property, with the exception of the sort of thin bit that winds at the top of the picture. That is our driveway, which is actually on someone else's property. The area outlined in pink is the house and 2 barns. The blue squares are 2 tiny ponds. And the green square is the site of an eventual guest house.

2005-06-15T06:42:00.001-07:00

If you're ever looking for a way to exhaust your toddler, just send her on a goose-chasing expedition.

2005-06-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

All those long days of thunderstorms finally came to a good ending!

Gwen's rainbow

2005-06-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

Yay! I got to get out of bed for THIS!

Fitzie's car?

2005-06-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

After hearing many clunks and bumps one night, we walked out on the porch to find this.

2005-06-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

Gwen with Anna
Originally uploaded by airehead.

Gwen's new kitty! His name is Anna. (Hey, we're just glad she came up with an actual name!)

2005-06-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

Um...help?
Originally uploaded by airehead.

This poor cat will always wonder what Gwen has in store for him next.

2005-05-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

A long week has come and gone. My grandmother came for a visit, and it threw everything into a giant tizzy of cleaning. I worry a bit thinking that she could very well believe we live this way. With our bed in the dining room, the cat penned in the bathroom, laundry not done for 7 weeks now. And truly, that is our reality at the present time. Give us a few weeks, however, and things will change.

But, now, all our laundry is done! My grandma did over 30 loads of laundry. Washed, dried, ironed, and put away. Our bookshelves (yes, bookshelves. Not a dresser.) are stocked with enough clean clothes to last until the next relative comes for a visit and undertakes their washing. Who will it be? ;)

How did you all celebrate Memorial Day? We threw rocks in our pond.

Seriously, I have a hard time with any day that makes me think about what Doug has gone through. And what other loved ones are going through right now, as I type. It makes me want to sob with gratefulness that my husband was able to walk off a plane and embrace me, and also with a little bit of worry over who maybe won't come home.

So, for Memorial Day, I held Doug's hand, gave him kisses, and thanked God all day that he is safe at home for today, watching Gwen grow up and shoveling enough percocet down my throat to keep the pain away.

2005-05-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon was my last CT Scan. Maybe not THE last one, but hopefully for a while. Yesterday I was informed by my doctor that I am doing great! The bone is healing wonderfully, but I still have another 3 weeks of bedrest. However, with a wheelchair, I can leave the house now! And go to Walmart. And sit in the shade under our apple tree.

This would be longer, but my grandmother comes to visit tomorrow and we are attempting to at least have things unpacked for the most part. So, we have to clean first. And before that, we have to put on goggles and breathing masks. Who knows what's in this house?

One Room at a Time

2005-05-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

My grandmother comes to visit this coming week. On Wednesday. She's coming to help us settle in, which is something she's amazing at. Scrubbing the floors on her hands and knees is something she describes as "therapeutic".

We decided we needed a room ready for her. A room without spiders floating down from the ceiling at every turn. A room with a door on it. A room that doesn't smell musty or of cat urine. Last week, there were no rooms that fit that description. So, one afternoon, in the middle of one of my drug-induced naps, Doug drug (ha! Doug drug. Heheh) all the furnishings out of the 1930's room. This room is located off the living room. It's attached to the bathroom by a large walkthrough closet.

This is the room that used to have the picture of the turkeys hanging on the wall. And the fuses. And about 30 bouquets of dead marigolds stuck in the walls where small holes had been drilled for blown insulation. The carpet stunk of something. We weren't sure of what until Doug pulled up the top layer and was hit by the smell of urine. Hopefully from an animal. After peeling the padding from the floor, he took a break, and I woke up from my nap. I was pleasantly greeted with this:

It's so difficult to tell in that picture, but the floor, with the exception of a few spots, is in wonderful shape! The wood is just gorgeous! Especially compared to a stinky carpet!

Well, as I sat in the room looking around, it occurred to me that the room would look so much brighter without the wood panelling on the walls. So, after a break with his Dr Pepper, Doug started prying one of the pieces of panelling off. I didn't take a picture of this. And we didn't finish. The plaster directly underneath the panelling is the original and crumbling badly. It was just something we didn't want to tackle before I could get out of a wheelchair and help.

But, as Doug was prying fake wood off the walls, and we were all being covered in a thick layer of dust and grime, I happened to glance up through my dirty goggles and see a place in the ceiling where the tiles had started sagging. We had been told when we bought the house that the roof had leaked about 2 years ago...not badly, but enough to cause some staining on the ceilings. (It was completely replaced that summer.) I started wondering what was under the ceiling tiles and before I knew it, Doug had taken off one of the sagging tiles.

Underneath the tile were thin beadboard strips....slightly water-damaged.

Of course, it was just a big tease to take off one small tile. How much more had been damaged? 5 minutes later, an entire strip of tile was removed, and so far there was no more damage!

(By the way, sorry if these pictures make you seasick. All are from very odd angles, aren't they?)

Now, we couldn't just leave one tiny strip of the ceiling done, so Gwen and I donned appropriate headgear and stayed in one corner of the room while Doug took more down.

Time for the gratuitous toddler photos of the week. Trying on goggles, and odd faces.

30 minutes later, the ceiling tiles were completely removed, and we were so happy to see that there were no other damaged places, and it appears that fixing the ceiling will be relatively easy.

We don't have any other pictures yet, because we haven't done anything else. The floor was cleaned and the ceiling and walls vacuumed, but other than that, we'll be waiting to finish after my leg heals.

I can't wait to see what else is in store for us here!

Miscellaneous ramblings....and a good blog to read!

2005-05-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

We think the duck may have been eaten by a snapping turtle when he dove down for something. That's all that anyone has come up with at this point, so, now we're attempting to get a snapping turtle out of our pond.

The wildflowers are coming out all down our driveway and it makes the drive just beautiful! And just when you turn the corner to come down the main stretch to our house, there are usually a few wild turkeys hanging out there. The other day, we took a detour, and Doug chased one through a field with our car.

If anyone's looking for a good blog to read, here is my brother in law's journal. Derek is a chaplain serving in Iraq right now and has been sending updates every 2-3 weeks. It's so encouraging to read about what the Lord is doing through him, and also to know better ways to pray for the troops.

2005-05-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

I guess I spoke too soon. This morning Doug found one of our ducks belly up in the pond. The strangest predator must have gotten him because only his neck feathers and his bill were missing. What kind of animal would do that?

Shannon? Maria? Any ideas? Because we're stumped!

2005-05-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be mark 2 weeks spent in this house. Inside the house, there's not a lot to report. Most of the boxes we moved are still sitting in the dining room area waiting to be assigned to a room. There are still several rooms that haven't seen the light of a Hoover, or heard the swish of a duster. But, slowly we're moving into the different rooms.

Outside. Well, that's a different story. This instant, through an open window we hear 2 or possibly 3 coyotes. They sound far away, but I'm not absolutely sure. The chickens, ducks, geese, and guineas (I could just say "poultry" couldn't I?), are out roaming every day, and the ducks that we brought with us from our other house are really enjoying having an actual "pond" to splash in.

The pond isn't really a pond. It's a water hole for the cattle that used to be here. But it comes up to about Doug's waist in the middle, so it's not like it's teeny. Doug bought Gwen a Tigger fishing pole, and we've been taking turns trying to catch fish. So far, the biggest has been about 4 inches long. I couldn't even begin to guess on the weight. But, I'll try. Maybe 2 ounces? 1? Very tiny, anyway. But, we have fun, sitting on the bank watching the ducks go bottoms up and start chasing the bobber.

Hopefully in the next few weeks we'll get a livestock dog. We're shooting for a Great Pyranees, as they are stubborn and great to bond to animals if raised correctly. That's the important part, huh? Raised correctly. :)

Also, because of our location and the number of fields surrounding us, we are going to need a couple of good mousing cats.

I can already hear you....especially you, Mom....."That's the LAST thing you need! More animals!" But, we're coming to realize, a good dog, bonded to his animals, is an extremely valuable part of the family farm. Cyrus and Zoe really have no bond to the poultry. In fact, the polar opposite. If you hear a stir among the chickens, if you see feathers flying over the hedges, if you hear a muffled "Sqwwwaaaaaakk!!!!", the chances are one of the dogs will come trotting innocently from the direction of the barn, completely oblivious to the tuft of feathers sticking out of his mouth. So far, none have died, and we are hoping before the dogs can get in a good grab, one of the geese sticks up for the flock and charges.

Thank you to everyone who has sent a note of encouragement or little housewarming things. It's been so wonderful to hear from you all!

My new best friend

2005-05-11T05:27:00.000-07:00

Doug was given an Amazon gift certificate for his birthday, and waited until we moved into this house to pick out the books. They arrived yesterday and I just love this book.

For those who hate following links, the book is Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self Reliance. There are some awesome things, and some "Enh...." things about this book. The chapters on gardens and butchering are extensive and give easy to follow plans. The pages on crafts like knitting, sewing, chair caning and such aren't so hot. Those could be designed to just get you interested enough to purchase one of the many other Storey books.

But, anyway, for today I will be propped up in bed lost in a book.

And they beheld the dirt, and yay, they did tackle it with bleach and scum remover, and it was no more

2005-05-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

5 days after moving, this entire project seems a little more possible.

The amount of dust and dirt and grime in this house is unbelievable. The kitchen is finally to the point where we can put dishes in the cupboards and touch the cabinets without fear of disease. Doug has finally had a chance to put some handyman skills to the test and has emerged shining from the experiences. He's replaced some plumbing under the kitchen sink, fixed the kitchen stove, and in his spare time has mowed a 1 hole golf course in the field behind the house.

Something about having your kitchen put in order makes everything seem brighter and better. The baby blue color on the cabinets even seems easier to deal with when it has been bleached and scoured and finally bears no trace of the grease that once coated it.

A friend took some pictures last weekend that make us giggle (and gasp and shudder) every time we look at them.

This is a single blade of a ceiling fan in the living room. And that is a good 1/4" of dust covering the top.

This is a small corner of a wall in the tv room. Eventually, all fake wood paneling will be removed, but for now we were content just to take down about 25 bouquets of dead marigolds stuffed into little drilled holes near the ceiling. And the fuses. And the picture of the turkeys.

This is one of the funny things about the house. We don't know when the upstairs was ever used, because the door to get up the stairs is about 3-4' tall. It's very small. And while it makes going up to the second floor a funny experience, coming down is downright scary.

Lastly, here is a bit of the view I see every day from my bed. What a pretty sight!

2005-05-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well, we're moved. With all our bags and baggage.

Last week, the majority of Doug's time was spent cleaning. My mom came to visit and scrubbed down the bathrooms and finished the laundry for us. Then, all week long, bunches of people showed up from church with food and offers to help with the cleaning. By Saturday morning, the house was packed and immaculate. The carpets were cleaned and fresh, the walls were scrubbed and Gwen was properly prepped to move to the new house.

What made this move difficult was that the owners sold us their house, and then didn't have a place to live, so we offered to rent our other house out to them. On Saturday, we swapped houses. By 9:00 they were there with their first load of stuff, and Doug helped unload and then we loaded up the cars and followed them back here to the new house. When we arrived, I think we all were in disbelief.

The house was a disaster! In an effort to keep spiders away, "the Missus" had hung dozens....no, hundreds....of dead marigolds from the rafters. They were there when we first saw the house, but had mistakenly assumed they would be removed before they moved out. The kitchen was a big ball of grease and dog hair. The floors were sticky. Chickens kept running in and out of the house. And the amount that they had left to pack up was going to take all morning.

Doug helped to load the trailer and then when they pulled away, Doug and some friends started unloading our truck. Because I'm in a wheelchair or on crutches for at least another 9 weeks, nothing was put upstairs. We'll live in the downstairs rooms for the next 2 months and then move up when I can handle stairs at all.

The first thing I did was watch my friend Bobbie vacuum the living room. After tackling a corner area where the tv had sat, she had to empty the bag. She brought it back and started again. 5 minutes later the bag was full and the air filled with dust. 5 bags later the carpet was sort of clean.

The next day, Sunday, we were relaxing in the living room, contemplating which room Doug should tackle next, when a car pulled up and ladies from our church got out with food and cleaning supplies. They had heard how dirty the house was and came to get us to a point where we could at least live comfortably.

We all headed into the kitchen and bathroom, and 4 hours later, when the ladies left, the 2 rooms were at least disease-free. The shower required several cleanings before the water runoff wasn't black.

Pictures were taken! Wanna see?

This picture was really taken to show how much grease and grime is on the kitchen cabinets. But, also, to show that Doug is a super cleaner!

We even put Gwen to work vacuuming up seeds on the floor.

There are more pictures of the inside, but it's too depressing right now. :) So, here are some of our menagerie.

This is my favorite of the roosters that we have inherited. I'm not sure what kind he is, but he's gentle and very very pretty and comes up to the house a lot.

Gwen loves playing on the remains of one of the haystacks.

This is feeding time at the barn. As soon as Doug shows up and reach for the trash can that holds the corn, all the animals come *running* from all their nests and roosts. Except the guineas, who can't seem to find their way from the garden (behind the white wire fence) to the barn. They show up several minutes late, after all the good corn has been eaten.

And the last photo for this evening. One of the few guineas who managed to find his way to the feeding frenzy. The guinea feathers are so pretty, too! Black with little white polka dots or gray with black stripes. Gwen always comes running to the house after feeding time with lots of little "fevvers" to show us.

Maybe, instead of marigolds, we'll hang feathers around the house. I wonder what they'll deter?

Excitement

2005-04-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago, Doug and I purchased a home in Dixon, Missouri that had us excited and eager to start various experiments in sustainable living. Chickens for the eggs and meat, goats for the milk, a garden for the produce, etc. We loved our 3 acres of land, but still wondered what life would be like with more privacy and room to grow.

A realtor that we had been in contact with before we bought our first house, called us in February of 2005 to let us know a man had just walked into her office saying his house had to be sold as soon as possible since he and his wife had received orders for a base in Germany. I called Doug and that evening we headed off to look at the house.

The drive out to the house was filled with my oh's and ah's and Doug's we-will-not-be-buying-this-house's. As we bounced along the driveway, a long 3/4 mile dirt road-turned-path, Doug said, "We will not be buying this property!" But, as we pulled up to the house and saw the small orchard, the vegetable garden, the barns and the tidy little house, we just looked at each other with eyes wide. The main frame of the house was built in 1850 and there are various additions added later (1930) and even later (1960). Behind the house, surrounded by a white wire fence, is a very large vegetable plot and garden shed. Only a short distance from that is an animal barn with large chicken coops on each side and 8 stalls, good for our goats and any more animals we are likely to acquire.

We went home that evening and talked, and on Sunday headed back out to the property to walk the lines and find out more about the renovation that had already taken place. As we walked, we prayed about whether or not this was the right place for us. When we came home that evening we decided to put an offer on the house.

Several days later we put the offer in and 2 days following that, it was accepted.

It's been a long up and down ride, but finally, on April 27, we closed on the property, and tomorrow, April 30, we will move out and spend our first day there.

The move is made slightly more difficult by the fact that Mary broke her leg several weeks ago and cannot put *any* weight on her leg, but we have great friends from our church helping all day tomorrow and on Sunday, if need be.

So, here we go! The adventures begin.