Punkin' Festival

One of my best friends and old college roommates came to visit us this weekend. We had such a great time - we had other friends over on Friday night and ate sweet treats till everyone had to be rolled home. We went to the Punkin' Festival in Valle Crucis on Saturday morning and then a friend's awesome Fall Festival on Saturday night. (I'll post more pictures of that later.)


One of the desserts I made was an apple-pear pie that had a tiny bit of fresh ginger in it and a butter crust made from scratch with a turkey egg-yolk (supplied by my bestest-neighbor-ever) baked into it. It had a cinnamon-sugar crumble topping too. It was so incredibly delicious - they were our own apples and our own pears. There is nothing like making food from scratch using fruits from your own yard and fresh eggs from the neighbor's. Wow.

We spent an hour or so picking the last of the pears off our tree today. My daddy's cousin is a horticulturalist and he suggested wrapping them in newspaper and putting them in the basement for two weeks before eating them. It has turned out so well - they are perfectly ripe at the end of the two weeks and so juicy. The reason we picked the last of the pears today is because of this weather forecast:

Monday Hi: 40 Lo: 25
Partly cloudy; Turning much colder; Snow flurries at night; NW wind 15-25
mph with gusts to 40 mph late

Tuesday Hi: 33 Lo: 25
Lots of clouds & unseasonably cold; Flurries and a few snow showers

That is according to our very own local weatherman, Ray, who is surprisingly accurate. Flurries? In October?? We'll see...

While the weather changes over the the next two days, my goal is to make our home toasty with some English muffins. I plan to use the goat's milk our bestest-neighbor-ever gave us. It is supposed to be very nutritious to bake goat's milk into bread. Here's the recipe, especially for Kelly who asked for it a while ago. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do. You can make them in whatever shape you want too, but we always do boring ol' circles.

English Muffins

Mix and let stand 5 minutes:

1 T yeast

2 T sugar

1/2 cup warm water

Add and mix well:

1 1/2 cups warm milk

1/4 cup oil

1 t salt

3 cups flour

Add and knead in:

3 cups flour (you can use whole wheat flour here to make whole wheat muffins)

Let rise. Roll out dough and cut into 3 inch circles. Place on a cookie sheet sprinkled with a little cornmeal. Let rise 1 inch high. Cook on a heavy ungreased griddle, turning at least three times until both sides are brown. Split open with a fork.

Grandparents, Great Grandparents and Uncles

As many of you guessed from my last post, we went to Tennessee last weekend. We drove down to Sevierville on Friday night, after Bill got off work, and spent some time with some friends of ours there and then headed off to Goodlettsville on Saturday mid-morning.

Sam and Gong-Gong

My father was asked to speak at Vanderbilt for some function this coming Thursday evening, so he bought tickets back to America from Thailand. My mother called me a couple days later and told me she was coming too. We had already made plans to see Daddy, so it was just a bonus to see Mom.

I think we had a fantastic visit. Everyone was very happy and despite jet lag, awake. This picture is in Hermitage, TN, where my grandparents live (Sam and Angie). It was a beautiful day for a picture - and some blackberry cobbler! My Aunt Carlene brought some over for us. Yummy!

Four generations!

We also went over to visit my uncles. They always have these fabulous dinner parties where there is some theme. Lucky for Sam, they still had their cafeteria tray from when they served cafeteria food one night. Sam was thrilled to have such a special plate to eat off.

Can you tell that they're brothers? I only wish I had gotten a photo of Sam making the same face - which he does all the time!

We found beef ribs on sale, so I marinated them in Kraft Hickory-flavored BBQ sauce and wrapped them up by twos in aluminum foil. The day of our dinner, we threw them in a 300 degree oven for two and a half hours, then took them to my uncle's house for grilling. We basted them a bit more as we grilled them to a perfect taste. It's a very easy way to make perfect ribs. You can also see from this picture that we had grilled crab-stuffed jalepenos - which were awesome.

Here we all are: Brian, Patrick, me, Sam, my father and my mother. It was almost impossible to get Sam to look up. He had missed his nap that day (again) and wasn't cooperating for our pictures.

Next post: My English muffin recipe.

Need I Say More?

Just About There!!!

I just got this email - it is only an interpretation of what should happen, but if it does go through, then we changed the legislation. Thanks to everyone who helped. Keep those letters coming to your Congress (House and Senate) Reps, just to make sure!!


Thanks you, from the bottom of our hearts!!

Teesa and Bill

Dear Families & Friends,

After advocating on behalf of adoptive families for the past 6 months, Joint Council is very pleased to confirm that USCIS has announced a very positive ruling concerning the I-600A process.

In summary, it is our understanding that, effective immediately, families who filed Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, prior to April 1, 2008 and whose USCIS approval of that petition (aka the I-171H) has not expired, will be able to proceed with their adoption under the I-600A process if they take
certain steps while their approval remain valid. This means that families
with valid Form I-600A approvals will not be required to transition to The Hague process via Form I-800A. In order to maintain their status as ‘grandfathered’ cases, families with non-expired Form I-600A approvals must request a one-time free extension. Then, prior to the expiration of the one-time free extension, families must file a new Form I-600A and pay the appropriate fee.

It is also our understanding that families with a Form I-600A approval that has expired and who have not obtained an extension or filed a new Form I-600A, will need to undertake the Hague process. The Hague process will also apply to any petitioner who has not completed their adoption by 2014.

As we noted in our Position Statement, this ruling will save adoptive families thousands of dollars, eliminate countless sleepless nights and ensures that their adoption can proceed to completion.

On behalf of over 10,000 adoptive families, Joint Council extends its appreciation to the following individuals and organizations for their tireless efforts.
·
Diane Kunz, Executive Director of the Center for Adoption Policy
·
Dianne Pearce, Waiting Parent and Co-Organizer of the Fairness for Families
Petition
·
Debbie Reynolds, Joint Council China Caucus Co-Chairperson
·
Kathleen Strottman, Executive Director of the Congressional Coalition on
Adoption Institute
·
David Yurkovich, Waiting Parent and Co-Organizer of the Fairness for Families
Petition
·
Members of the United States Congress

·
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

We offer our collective congratulations to everyone who participated in
the Joint Council Call-To-Action and the Adoption for All: Fairness for Families
petition. And we also send our congratulations to all who participated in
the countless meetings, conference calls and emails over the past 6-months.
Joint Council is built on a principle of collaboration and this very successful
effort clearly demonstrates this principle in action. Our collective voice
is definitely stronger than any singular organization or individual.

Joint Council notes that our interpretation of the ruling is offered as a courtesy only and should not be used in making determinations or decisions. Please refer to the full text of the announcements by USCIS which can be found at USCIS Announcement and USCIS Q&A in making any decisions.

Joint Council will provide more specifics as they become available and asks you to visit our website for the latest news and updates.


Best Wishes & Congratulations,

Tom, Joint Council of International Services

Congressional Representative

Just a reminder to contact your Congressional Reps (both in the House and Senate) Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.



http://www.jcics.org/5WaystoHelp.htm

On October 14th, 15th, and 16th, contact your Congressional representatives, both in the House and Senate.

a. Joint Council is working with Members of Congress and seeks their participation in resolving this issue.
b. You can find your Senators’ phone numbers and email addresses at http://www.senate.gov/.
c. You can find your Representative’s phone number and email address at http://www.house.gov/.
d. Include the following in your calls and emails.
· A brief explanation of the situation.
· “I/we understand that USCIS is actively engaged in seeking a resolution to the I-600A issue. I/we respectfully ask the Senator/Congressperson to contact USCIS and express their support of efforts to find an immediate resolution to the I-600A Extension issue.”
· A kind ‘thank you’.
e. Stand ready to expand and intensify your efforts if needed.

Nigerian Dwarf Goats!

Please see the post below entitled "Adoption Emergency" if you haven't already. We, along with nearly ten thousand others, really need your help to change the legislation that is going to be discussed later this week.




You've heard me talk before about how cool our neighborhood is. Well, it just got a little cooler. Our next-door-neighbors just adopted three Nigerian Dwarf goats!! A grandmother, a mother and her two week-old baby.





Sam and I walked over today to meet the new goats and they are really neat. The baby, Sweet Pea, is especially cute.



Sam got to sit in a chair and hold her, but that didn't tickle him like playing with her back leg and tail did. I don't know why he has a fascination with tails, but he does. You can ask any random stranger with a dog at the Greenway. He loves playing with tails.





Our neighbor also has lots of chickens and a few turkeys. Sam and I brought some stale bread over and he got to feed them today too. Have you ever eaten a turkey egg? Well, I have and they are absolutely delicious. Really robust in flavor.



I am talking with a good friend of mine who knows tons about goats and asking her about recipes. I know from my time in China that goats milk is extremely healthy. I can't wait to fatten my boy up with some!

Response

Please sign the petition and send an email (see my previous post, if you have not already). It sounds like this might be working. We desperately want our adopted baby and getting affecting this legislation is one less stumbling block for us!

Here is the response I'm sure many of you are receiving, if you're writing those emails!

Thank you for taking the time to write and express your concern with the I-600A renewal issue. While we would prefer to reply to each of you individually, the overwhelming number of persons affected by this issue makes this type
of response impossible at this time. Please know that we both appreciate and share your concern and will be passing along your comments directly to the Members of Congressional Coalition on Adoption. Our communications with USCIS on this issue lead us to believe that your efforts are already making a difference.

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is pleased to work with JCICS and others to help ensure that your voices are heard in Washington. It is through efforts like these that CCAI works to bring the 215 members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption face to face with the issues affecting children in need of homes and families wanting to adopt them. We look forward to continuing to work with you toward making the dream of a family a reality for every child.

Thank you again for taking time to make your voice heard.

Sincerely,
Mark Moore
Associate Director of Policy
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute

311 Massachusetts Avenue, NE

Washington, DC 20002

202-544-8500202-544-8501 (fax)

www.ccainstitute.org

Adoption Emergency!

Update:
Thank you to everyone who is helping with this legislation. Please don't forget, on top of the petition:

Today, send an email in support of the Joint Council Position Paper on I-600A Renewals to Joint Council at advocate@jcics.org and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute at mark@ccainstitute.org

Please say something like:

This legislation violates the idea that was initially presented to
adoptive parents. Adoptive parents to be grandfather-claused in and not included in the new legislation. Please do not add time, paperwork and extra expense to
their already difficult wait. The orphans are also the ones suffering because of this change.

Thank you for your consideration,

(your name)

Original post follows:
ave a very important request to ask of you regarding international adoption. I need you to sign a petition to USCIS and Congress to get them to honor our original I-600A form (immigration), and nearly 10,000 other people's.

Congress' original intention was that ALL families who had entered into the adoption process prior to April 2008 be allowed to complete the adoptions with the pre-Hague regulations. Many families will not even qualify under the Hague regulations as they are similar to the new regulations that went into effect in China after May 2007.

What can YOU do?

There is an organization that is taking a petition to USCIS and Congress to get them to honor the original I-600A agreement. But it needs letters and signatures, before the 16th.

Please go to this website:

http://www.jcics.org/5WaystoHelp.htm

On #2 send a short email to the 2 links requesting they honor our I-600A original application and allow additional extensions until the adoption is completed. The burden of spending thousands more for the adoptions is not right.

On #3 Sign the petition and anyone else you can think of! You have to sign in individually to do this as only one person at a time can sign it.

On #4 Contact your Congressional Senators and Representatives to support granting additional extension to original I-600A applications until the adoption is completed - on October 14, 15 and 16th.

And in addition, be praying that Congress and USCIS will honor the families in the adoption process by granting as many I-600A extensions as needed to the families in process.



You know that we have been in the process of adoption for many years. Please please help us - the least you can do is to sign the petition. Please.

Party Pics

We had an awesome time at Sam's party yesterday. Unfortunately, no family members were able to be there, but our substitute family members filled in perfectly.

Jenny, one of my best friends and college roommate, came in from Durham just for the party. We had lots of other friends, some old some new, and it made for an amazing party.

Sam and Lillian

We picked raspberries, pears, apples, we had wagon rides, ate Carolina Treat chicken (grilled), homemade salsa, homemade dip, and, of course, homemade cake!


I had every one bring a train of their choosing for Sam and he also got a new train table. A lot of the trains he got fit perfectly into his new table and some of them are great for bath time fun or just rolling around the house. His grandparents in Thailand sent a large train-shaped toy box. Some people gave books about trains and I am here to tell you that he loved every single gift.




After the first few presents, he would say, "more presents, pweeze!" Then he began saying "more trains!!" I was surprised that there were only two repeats with the trains too. It's amazing how many train toys there are out there!


There were three little boys there who all have birthdays within three weeks of each other and one little girl who is the oldest of them all. This is Trathan (pronounced like Nathan). His birthday is on October 8th - my original due date.

Elijah is on the right, he's the oldest of the three. Everyone got along really well too.

Trathan's Daddy pulled them around the yard, which was no small feat, since it is a sloping yard.

I thought this was a sweet photo, because Jenny always helps open Sam's gifts at his birthday parties.
Last year she only had one kid waiting on her and this year she had two! Now that I look at the photos, I notice that both gifts Jenny had to help with were from Bill's Aunt Beth. Hmmm, I wonder why her gifts are always tied in so well?

Thanks to everyone who helped make it a great party. Sam's guayavera (shirt) is from Mexico given by his Aunt Julieta and Uncle Seth. His aunts and uncles all sent gifts via the mail and we really appreciated every one of them.

Some folks (who don't have kids) stayed until about 11pm last night. We watched a movie and looked at old pictures that Bill just brought back from China and laughed until our sides hurt. What a blessing to have friends like that in our lives!

Happy Birthday, Sam!

Birthday Video

Here he is eating the cake I made for him. I did a horrible job, so you won't see any photos of the actual cake. But, it was a practice cake, so it was okay.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Sam

Two years ago today I ended my 23.5 hour struggle of contractions (really three months, if you count all the bed rest contractions) and 4 hours of pushing. Sam William Klear was born to us in Hong Kong.

He didn't cry after he was born - not even for the first three days. All the nurses kept betting that he would cry before he left the hospital, and he finally did on day four.

Sam, Day 2

God really has His hand on this child. We never thought he'd make it when I was put into a Chinese hospital for a week for pre-term labor at 26 weeks pregnancy. I flew to Thailand for another week immediately following and then back to China. After two more weeks of pre-term labor and one very intense night of contractions 5-7 minutes apart, I flew to Hong Kong where I was transferred from the plane to an ambulance on a gurney. I stayed in the hospital for another week and a half and then went to an apartment where I stayed on my left side for three months.

I still can't believe he is with us. That doesn't even include all of the other issues we've had since returning to America, but you all know those stories.

What a blessing to have my little boy. I don't think it's a coincidence that I dreamt about his sister last night for the first time. By next year, we will have four in our family, celebrating his birthday together.

Happy Birthday, Sam!!

Formula

You know what I just realized? I'm so stupid for not seeing this before. Our baby, Carolina, who I said I wouldn't mention again until we go the referral, has probably had the bad formula in China. Can you pray for her right now? Pray for her to be safe and that her kidneys wouldn't be affected. She is in an orphanage somewhere waiting on us. I hope she's okay.

Out of Gas

Would you believe that Western North Carolina is running out of gas? I heard on the news this morning that Charlotte only had three stations with gas. Sam and I got caught up in the mellay yesterday when I realized I only had 1/8 of a tank left.

I drove all around town yesterday looking for gas and there was none. Big signs were posted everywhere reading, "out of gas." I found an Exxon that the tanker was just leaving. When I pulled in, a man approached my car and told me he was ahead of me and that I was definitely at the end of the line. He said things might not be very cordial. I conceded very quickly and said I would leave if that would make him happy. I did end up getting gas ahead of him, but only because my tank is on the left side and his apparently is on the right.

It's all from Ike. Governor Easley promises this will end soon. We're being told next week may show signs of relief. I read today that Asheville's community college was actually shutting down since there are so many commuters. There are a lot of things being canceled.

I went straight from the Exxon station to the grocery store, where I stocked up on supplies, then I came home. I haven't left since. I don't plan on leaving either. The Exxon station's restriction was 10 gallons per car, so I only have just under 3/4 of a tank left. Bill's car also has 3/4 of a tank, so at least I'll have that in case of an emergency.

We're hunkering down and plan on staying put until mid-week next week, at least. We have plenty of food, but I think Sam is going to go crazy unless the sun comes back out. He was expressing his displeasure at me not allowing him to go outside today.

When smoke from a burner got the smoke alarm up in arms around dinner-time, I had to open all the windows and doors. Sam took the opportunity to tempt himself at the doorway for about 15 minutes before he took the plunge and went outside in the cold rain. I heard his socked-feet splashing on the floor when he came back in a second later. That's how I knew. Kids never think of hiding things like that. He was quickly punished (his pretzels were taken away) and got some nice warm clothes on.

Now he's safely in his warm cozy bed with a thick comforter on him. I'm not far behind.

Poison Control, Round 2

Ever seen this berry growing in your yard? We have. It's right next to the raspberry bushes. And, exactly what you're thinking happened. Sam went right up to them and ate them, thinking they were grapes. He came back to me with purple hands, a purple tongue and a purple face.

Poison Control said they are indeed poisonous and cause intense diarrhea. This website, says vomiting can occur too.

I don't think he ate too many. I ate one too, to see what it was, and it was so bitter I had to spit it out. If he has more than two bouts of diarrhea in the next six hours, we'll call PC back and probably head to the hospital, since dehydration is cause for monitoring his heart.

He sure keeps me on my toes.

Impending Adoption

I know I haven't posted much about our adoption on here. If you've talked to me in person or via email, you know it's on the forefront of my mind all the time. I keep my blogging on the subject to a minimum due to some, er, political reasons. However, be assured that we are eagerly waiting our little Carolina. Whenever we are finally matched with her, I will post tons of pictures and give you lots of details.

Some friends I met via the internet, who live close by, are currently in Vietnam picking up their little girl. Every morning the first thing I do is check her blog to see if they've posted pictures of her and to hear their tale. I saw pictures of her this morning and my eyes just filled up with tears. I am so happy for them and I am so anxious to meet our own little girl.

We spend a lot of time with Sam's friend Elijah. He had the blessing of being adopted from Guatamala by his mommy and daddy, Trish and Brian. We went to their house this morning and I was reminded, again, how blessed they are. They deal with the same struggles as every parent with Elijah and it is obvious he is well-loved by the way they handle it. Trish is an amazing mother. They are really a tight family. I hope that Carolina will feel the same love from us.

I spoke to Sam this morning about Carolina. He can barely say her name (kay-lie-na) and says having a little sister would be "coo." I think he'll be a great big brother.

I haven't started working on her bedroom yet. I think we'll wait until we are finally matched with her before we do anything. It has almost been five years since we first sent in our application to our agency and it just doesn't feel real. But, lots of our friends have completed their adoptions recently and we are constantly reminded that ours is impending. We absolutely can't wait.

A little over five years ago, I bought a stuffed panda bear while we were in Chengdu (where the earthquake hit recently) visiting their panda refuge. It was for our adopted baby - the one we had just started the process for. That little bear was the first and only thing I purchased for the baby I knew we would eventually have. Even after Sam was born, I put the bear away because it was specifically for Carolina, not Sam. It is waiting in our storage unit now and Bill is going to get it next week. I cannot wait to take it with me when we pick her up and see her eyes examine it for the first time. A stuffed panda bear that will likely be five and a half years old by the time she finally holds it - a symbol of the hope we had that God would finally bring us our adopted baby and make our family complete.

This is likely the last time I will post about Carolina until we are finally matched with her. But, for those of you who were wondering, she is still on our minds all the time and we are continuing with our plans to adopt her. We feel that God has called us to become adoptive parents and we know she is in an orphanage or with a foster family right now, waiting to be united with her American family.

If you think of her, pray for her health and safety. Carolina is waiting and so are we.

Pear Pickin'

Did I mention we have a pear tree at our house?

Bill and Sam went out last week and picked a bunch for us. My cousin told us to wrap them in newspaper, put them in the basement and in two weeks, they'll be just ripe enough to eat. Here are some photos from the fun adventure. Sam loves picking apples or pears or raspberries or whatever else he can (my green tomatoes are a commonly picked item too).

Daddy's pointing to a good one.

Going in for the kill.

Got it!

Beaming with pleasure.

Aren't my boys handsome?

Look at the pride in that face.

Here's another one, a bit higher up. I love how you can see through the trees to his big grin.

And another one.

And, in the next photo I can still hear my words ringing,

"DON'T THROW THE PEAR, SAM!"

My favorite.

Sabbath

Sam and I had a great time in church today. It's not highly unusual to enjoy a service, but it is highly unusual for me to be able to pay attention to every word spoken. Sam was on his best behavior and colored or read through most of it.

Before I left for church this morning, I put in a load of cloth diapers. I remember thinking I shouldn't do this on Sunday, but I did it anyway.

Then, lo and behold, our pastor spoke about keeping the Sabbath, among other things. While we were overseas, we used different days of the week as our Sabbath. We almost always took one day every week and rested on it. We didn't meet any of our friends or do any work. We usually stayed home. It sometimes fell on Sundays, but more often than not, it didn't.

Since we've been in America, we've had a very difficult time keeping a day of rest for ourselves. Bill works five days a week, like most of you reading this, and has very limited time on the weekends to get everything done.

This morning, our pastor reminded me that in American culture, Sunday is the day of rest for Christians. Our neighbors watch us on these days and see our behavior. But, more importantly, my body needs a day of rest.

As many mothers out there are aware, it is very difficult to actually "rest" on these days. However, I do not need to do laundry, sweep, mop, wash dishes - all of the things that I used to abstain from on our day of rest. They're unimportant in the scheme of things, which are: First and foremost, obeying God's commandment to keep a day of rest. Secondly, to give my body and mind rest. Thirdly, to be a witness to those around me - showing that I can and will keep the Lord's commandments.

I have really been challenged. Something that used to be so important to me has fallen by the wayside and I am at fault for allowing that to happen. It is a sin. It is a sin because I was disobeying the Lord's commandment. Not only that, but I knew it was wrong - even this morning as I put a load in the washer - but I did it anyway.

I realize there are bigger things going on in the world - even in my own life. But, I am going to take a small step forward with this and obey His commandment.

I often see Sam doing things even though I tell him not to. Or, I ask him to do something and he won't. Do you ever resist what the Lord is telling you? Has He asked you to do something and you are hesitant? I hope today things can change for you.

I'm going to hang out at our home, think about His word in my heart, sing songs to my son and play my guitar for him for the first time in weeks and enjoy the Lord's day. A day that He has given me and a day that He has chosen to open my eyes to. I'm only glad that I responded. Have you?

Maggots. Lots of Maggots.

Please, for goodness' sake, do not read this if you are squeamish. Just skip to another post, when we were having happier times.

I had a gross experience today at the supermarket.

Before I tell you what happened there, here's a rundown of my afternoon:

I had taken the trash can over to the dump around 4pm and emptied it there. It was really heavy and I had to take everything out piece by piece. It had obviously been too long since we emptied it.

Then Sam and I went over to Old Navy, where they were having 20% off if you say BFF at checkout. You're supposed to bring your BFF, but I only had Sam. Oh well. They gave it to me anyway. By the way, Old Navy is at the mall, which is a tiny little place that has a Panera Bread, Belk, JC Penneys and now a TJ Max!

We walked the mall a while and it was nice. Just Sam and me. We visited the bookstore - where he ran from book to book saying "wow" the whole time. He is so cute. He told me it was time to eat, so I took him to Panera Bread and got him a bagel and cream cheese and split my turkey sandwich with him, along with tomato soup. He loved it, especially dipping the apple into cream cheese.

We had long conversations about how much he loves daddy and about all the cool things at the mall, his trip to Tweetsie this morning and, of course, we talked about cream cheese. Plus, the really neat rubber ball he found at Old Navy under one of the displays while having a little tantrum. It's really a cool ball and they said we could keep it.

After supper, we went to the supermarket.

Are you tracking with me yet? Do you know where I'm going with this?

I went in to get milk and mozz cheese. Of course, I got the wrong milk - I just bought milk for me yesterday, but today needed milk for him. I got more milk for me. Duh. Then I went out to the car, all the while having wonderful conversation with my beautiful son.

I pulled up to the back of the car and opened the tailgate. I opened up the black bag I keep in there to put the groceries in and there were maggots everywhere. Honest to goodness maggots.

I threw it on the ground. I'm getting grossed out just now thinking about it. Sam watched as I had to empty all the maggots from the bag while saying yuck the whole time. Then I turned my attention to the car.

I can't say anymore.

I'm getting grossed out thinking about it.

I just said that. I mean it.

ICK.

Needless to say, the trash can had released its thunder on me. I learned my lesson. Don't wait so long to take the trash to the dump next time. Even if it's not full.

This reminds me of a funny story that happened in China. If you have actually read to this point and you feel like they're all over you, you'll want to stop here. It's about to get worse.

One day, I was cooking in my kitchen with a friend. I was happily teaching him to make smashed potatoes. When I leaned down to open the gas line to our burner, I noticed an odd smell. I asked Tim if he smelled it too, and he did. "Smells like rotting flesh," I believe were his exact words.

I looked around the kitchen, but couldn't find anything odd. About a week later, give or take a few days, I was cleaning my kitchen. Sweeping, mopping...general sanitizing. I moved the gas tank a little (it was up to my hip in height) and saw a few maggots.

"Gross," I thought. So, I swept them up and went on my merry way.

Later, I recounted the story to Bill. To which he replied, "Teesa, if there are maggots, there's rotting flesh." What? No way. Surely there could be maggots without rotting flesh.

I should go back a little bit and give you some back-story. Our kitchen at the end of our dorm hallway. It was very common to walk into the kitchen, flip on the light and see a rat running at you. Very common. Our wonderful American goodies that we had in our cabinets (like chocolate chips and various mixes) were often eaten by these horrid rats. To which we responded, like any normal person, by placing rat poison everywhere.

Back to my story. Are you still with me on this one too? Do you know where I'm going?

Bill walked me into the kitchen and pulled the gas tank out from the wall. There, lying on the floor was...you know exactly what it was. What's your imagination telling you? Do you think it was a dead rat? Well, you're wrong. It wasn't a rat. I guess "technically" it was a rat, but only the sad, dried remnants of what used to be a rat. The flesh had been eaten by maggots.

All that was left was some fur, bones and a horrible tail. Oh, that tail still haunts me. I can still seei it showing from around the tank.

And, do you know how my wonderful husband responded? Did he clean it up and never make me see it again? No.

My brilliant husband did something that only he would have the guts to do. He made me clean it up. He knew that I was going to face my more dead rats while I lived in China, and some that he wouldn't be around for. Anybody have a husband make them do this with spiders? I envy you.

He put it on a dustpan and handed the dustpan to me. He told me, in all seriousness, to take it up to the roof and throw it off the building into the trash pile at the corner (where all of the rats were no doubt procreating and surviving off of the wonderful remnants of other people's garbage).

I cried. I pleaded. I begged. "Please don't make me do this." He calmly explained that I needed to do this while he was there to stand by me, in case he wasn't the next time. He loved me and wanted me to be okay without him. I think I remember him even asking me to do this and I actually agreed.

I was so mad. I took the rat up to the roof, hands shaking all the while, and threw it over the side into the trash pile that was almost half a story high.

And you know what? I survived. And, I learned a valuable lesson that day. Actually, two lessons.

Number 1: If there are maggots, there is rotting flesh somewhere. Look for it and be thorough.
Number 2: Let Bill find the dead rat first.

If you made it to the end, I'm proud of you. Now, go take a shower.

Check It Again

I deleted this post yesterday, because the owner of the blog went private. But, she's had a change of heart and since many of you are praying for her, here is her site. Please continue to lift up this little girl, who is struggling, along with her future family.

Pandora's Box

I think we may have opened a door we didn't realize was going to unleash so much fun. This is the scene at our house now that we're allowing Sam to go down the stairs forward-facing.