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while we wait

2011-10-08T12:58:00.004-05:00

When we first transitioned to the wait list, our case manage encouraged us to stay busy while we wait. It is good advice because waiting can be hard. It seems like all you do is wait. You honestly don't have a clear understanding of when the waiting is going to come to an end.

My emotions and thoughts during this process have such a huge extreme. Sometimes I feel like we are never going to get off the wait list and the adoption process does not feel very real. Sometimes I think it is going to come to an end quickly. Currently, I can't imagine all the changes in our lives.

I generally embrace the life in the present and trust that God has the ability to prepare me for the future. I really believe that if I do what God has asked me to do, He can order the future. I am not going to change my approach to life but sometimes I wonder how we are going to do it.

What will our life look like as a family?
How do we continue to do what God has for us at Louisiana Tech and be a family?
How will we keep the house cleaned, the laundry done and everyone feed?
What does God have for us?

I don't have the answers to the questions but I trust God through the process. I also think they are normal questions for people to ask.

Here is a picture of how we have been doing while "keeping busy". It is the group picture from the Chi Alpha Fall Breakaway...we have amazing students at Tech.

FBI clearance again?

2011-07-16T14:48:00.003-05:00

This upcoming month is going to be pretty busy for us with the adoption. We are needing to update our home study. The length a home study stays valid depends on your state of residence. Louisiana is only valid for one year, so we are back getting documentation, letters of references, and the FBI clearance again. If you wrote a reference for us the first time, watch out...you will probably be getting a phone call soon. I am hoping that some of them go smoother the second time around, since I am pretty busy with Chi Alpha.

We also got some new numbers on the wait list. We are 34 on the girl's list and 23 on the boy's list...so we are moving up that and working our way through paperwork. I now have gained another appreciation of moving up the list, less paperwork has to get re done.

how is it July already?

2011-07-03T08:20:00.007-05:00

I find when summer finally comes, it flies by. I am not sure where the month of June went because it is already July. I know the month of June was jammed packed with a lot of different activities.

I started the month in San Francisco working with the SF Rescue Mission. I took five Chi Alpha students and it was a wonderful trip. I love serving the inner city and the people in the Tenderloin. I was grateful for the opportunity to go back.

Leland visited Kansas with his dad at the beginning of the month. They visited the area his dad grew up and took lots of pictures. It was a great time for Leland to just enjoy the open prairie and time with his dad.

In June, I also celebrated the one year anniversary of injuring my arms. The past year I have struggle with tendinitis in both of arms and I know this is not a normal thing to celebrate. Leland and I have had many up and downs through it all. It has definitely not been fun to struggle with pain but I can definitely see the blessings because of how God has worked in my life. I have learned to set limits for myself and ask for help. Leland has been an amazing support for me through all of this. We long for a time when I go back to "normal"... but for now we enjoy the progress. We also come up with creative ways to help reduce the possibility injuring myself.

One of the things we have done to help me gain mobility was selling the Vibe. I enjoyed the Vibe and had a lot of fun driving it. The only problem we had with the Vibe was that it hurt for me to drive. We made the hard decision to replace the Vibe with the Vue. The process of finding a car was definitely not fun. The car shopping journey ended in a different direction than expected but it has been amazing to see change in my mobility. We recognize that it is the perfect car for us, because it is so easy for me to drive.

Finally, I thought it might be good to share our latest numbers on the wait list. The list moves slower than we would like but we know that God is in control. We also know that the wait is worth it. We are 41 on the girls list and 29 on the boys list. For now we only have numbers to understand our process in the adoption, eventually a child will have a permanent family and it will be all worth it.

keeping busy

2011-05-27T10:38:00.002-05:00

When we first got on the wait list for the adoption, we were told to keep busy. Our adoption agency said the waiting can be challenging if it is your primary focus. Things move at their own pace and it is a continual reminder that we are not in control.

As the school year is coming to a close, I am reminded that our adoption agency contacted me at the beginning of the years first major event to tell me that they had all our paperwork. It was during that event they encouraged me to keep busy. I was thinking, I am at an event where we are feeding 300 people...I think I can keep busy.

I am always amazed how fast the school years fly by. The seniors have graduated and the students are gone for the summer. And I am writing an update to inform you about the wait list numbers.

We are 31 on the boys list and 41 on the girls list.

At times the wait list is moving slower than we would like but we are okay keeping busy with what God has asked us to do while we wait.

adoption update

2011-05-02T13:17:00.004-05:00

Many people have been asking us how things are going with the adoption and if there are any changes. I am sorry it has taken us so long to respond and post another blog.

The truth is that nothing has really changed with Ethiopian adoption. Ethiopian adoption is still moving forward as it was before they made the statement they were going to reduce their cases to 5 a day. Ethiopia does not operate like the United States, at times official statements will be made and not implemented. Fortunately, this appears to be the case here.

This is exciting because it means that children are still being placed with families. The process has slowed down some but there is no concrete definition of how long it will take. It is an answer to prayer and it is exciting to see things move forward.

Right now we are 46 on the girls list and 33 on the boys list. We have no idea how long it will be until we get a referral. We know that we are on God's timeline. Thank you for loving us along this journey.

truth in the unknown

2011-03-10T17:39:00.005-06:00

The last couple of days have been interesting with unknowns with adoption in Ethiopia (please read the previous blog to learn about the circumstances, it is important). We have gained a better understanding of why people call adoption an emotional roller coaster. In the midst of all the unknowns I have been reminded of what I know is true.

The helpless put their trust in you.
You defend the orphans.
Psalm 10:14

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.
Deuteronomy 10:17-18

God is the defender of the orphans.

I choose to trust that God defends the orphans. God cares more than I do for the orphans. He knows each orphan's name. He knows their need. His heart breaks when they hurt. God passionately loves them.

The word of God says, "He defends the cause of the fatherless." I choose to trust God. I believe God is defending the orphans in Ethiopia and all over the world.

Call to action

2011-03-09T08:45:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, I was hopeful for our monthly update on our wait list numbers and instead we got a very different update. Please read through the blog. This is heavy on our hearts. Please also sign the petition that's mentioned.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) has announced a proposal to decrease the number of adoptions they will process and approve — by as much as 90%. They are planning to accomplish this decrease by limiting the number of approved cases to only 5 per working day. This change is currently set to begin on March 10, 2011.

The announcement of the proposal was very recent and no one knows exactly how these proposed changes will be implemented nor the full impact on Ethiopian adoption. We also do not know the impacts it will bring for us as a family.

To attempt to counteract this proposal, the Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) has put a “Call to Action” in place. JCICS is an advocacy organization for families and agencies in the field of international adoption. Over the last few years JCICS have been very involved in Ethiopia and the result of this involvement has been very positive.

Please sign the petition and forward the information along to people. Many people care about Ethiopian adoption but are not informed of the situation.

Sign the petition to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi – and pass it on!

in the last two months

2011-01-12T14:31:00.006-06:00

One can easily determine how busy Leland and I are by how frequently the blog gets updated. I thinking I should update and then life gets moving. Since we last updated much has happened.

Here are a couple of the highlights (not chronologically):
Jessica and Daniel had their fourth child. Joel Patrick was born on November 11th. We can't wait to meet him.

We were able to spend Christmas with Leland's parents in Ruston.

We went to Washington and Vancouver BC. We enjoyed the cooler temperatures and familiar environment.

We were able to see lots of family and friends when we were in Western Washington. It was great to be there and catch up with so many people we love.

We have also gotten three new numbers on the wait list for the adoption since we last updated. The progress is not as fast as people would like but we are continually moving in the right direction and we are okay with it. Right now we are 64 on the girl list and 46 on the boy list.

Hopefully, it will not be two months between updates next time.

our first fundraiser

2010-10-29T14:31:00.003-05:00

Today, I have began the adventure of starting to plan our first fundraiser. Being a missionary I have a lot of experience fund raising but there is something different about fund raising for the adoption. It feels different and I don't know how to explain it.

We will be going to the Northwest in November and we have decided to do a fundraising event. None of the details are worked out but I am excited and a little scared. I am looking forward to share about the adoption and see people we love.

There is so much to do in the next two weeks before we are Northwest bound. Plan our trip, plan the event, and finish the quarter at Tech. I am excited to go back to Washington, it is always great.

latest update

2010-10-22T14:01:00.006-05:00

We are in a very different season in the adoption process. The dossier stage was a continual to-do list, while the wait list stage is complete lack of control. There is plenty we can do during the waiting stage but nothing we do will speed up the process.

Currently, I am enjoying being out of control and trusting God's timing in all of it. It is good. Everyday life is out of my control but too often I am under the illusion that I can control things. So it is refreshing to embrace the reality that the only thing I can do is trust God. I like knowing that God can take care of the adoption without me doing anything because He deeply cares about adoption.

Here is the update on our wait list number. AGCI will be giving us monthly updates on our wait list number.
Girls list - 85
Boys list - 62

It was a busy September

2010-09-18T14:07:00.006-05:00

I can't believe that it is already October. We wanted to give you the highlights of the crazy month of September and an apology for not updating the blog.

September 7th - We drove to Jackson, MS to get our fingerprints done for US Citizen and Immigration. It was a wonderful 2 hour and 30 minute drive there, 20 minutes getting our fingerprints, and 2 hours and 30 minute drive back to Ruston. It may have been a lot of driving but it was worth it.

It was also an afternoon full of events. Leland had a bunch of errands to run, so he dropped me off at Office Depot and I began to make photocopies. Our dossier got completed and we needed to make three photocopies of everything before it could be mailed off. After I completed the photocopies, I went to Applebee's and sorted the copies. The picture is from me sorting with a Coke Zero and chips and salsa.

September 8th - Leland took our dossier to UPS to get mailed off. The picture on the right is everything that got mailed off.

That day I was amazed at God's goodness. When I began working on our dossier I asked God for it to get completed before school started. Since both of our professions revolve around the university, we have limited free time when school is in session (especially the beginning of the year). When I began the dossier I knew it was an achievable goal but when I got injured with tendinitis I gave up on this happening. God still answered by prayer, we mailed if off the day before school started.

September 10 - Chi Alpha had our biggest event of they year, BBQ and concert, we normally feed at least 300 students. It was a great event. While I was there I received a phone call from AGCI, they had our paperwork and we were notified of the minor corrections needed.

September 14.15, or 16 - We received our letter of favorable determination from US CIS. It is the governments approval for us to adopt and allow the child to become a US citizen. Normally I might remember the day that happened, but it was the first week of school and chi alpha had my full attention. I actually told AGCI over 10 days later, they were very surprised I did not notify them earlier.

September 24 - We received another phone call from AGCI saying our dossier is complete and we are on the wait list. We are 98 on the girls list and 65 on the boys list.

So now we enter the season of waiting. We have lots of plans for our waiting season...but I can share those later.

finish line is in sight

2010-09-06T11:27:00.005-05:00

Right now we are at the home stretch of our dossier and the finish line is in sight. This morning I took the pictures of our house, so all we need to do is get pictures printed and make lots of photocopies. The end is so close and it is exciting to get the paperwork out of our house and to the agency. I am currently praying that God multiplies time and allows everything to get done before school starts (my prayer all summer).

we got mail

2010-08-30T16:22:00.006-05:00

On Saturday we received some important mail but it was also confusing. We received a finger printing appointment for me...but not one for Leland. With the office being closed on Saturday, all we could do is wait and hope another piece of mail comes on Monday.

Today, we got Leland's appointment. So the day before school starts we will be driving to Jackson, MS for our fingerprints.

All summer I have been asking God that all the paperwork gets done before school starts. There is a bunch of small things to wrap-up but I am excited to see God continue to help out.

home study finished

2010-08-14T06:29:00.007-05:00

Before we started the adoption I did not really understand the process or the work involved. I knew it was not easy but the details confused and overwhelmed me. We have come a long way since we started working on our dossier paperwork in the beginning of June.

This past week we hit a milestone by receiving our notarized home study. A home study is a report written by a social worker and is a key component to the dossier. One of the reason the home study is significant is because it allows us to apply for the last government clearance needed for a completed dossier.

It is exciting to finish something and get the last major thing started. While we wait for it to be completed we will be working on smaller parts of the dossier that we do ourselves.

Jenni's thoughts

2010-08-10T14:07:00.004-05:00

When I first started this adventure, called tennis elbow in both arms, seven weeks ago, I would have never thought it could take this long to heal. Nor would I have thought that God could teach me so much through it. I am physically starting to get better because I have pretty much tried to stop using my arms or I set a timer while doing activities. Things that used to hurt, like making the bed, no longer hurt. I am grateful for the progress and am blessed to have Leland and a physical therapist helping me.

It may seem strange to talk about tennis elbow so much but it is impacting my life greatly. It has made me ask questions of myself. Today, I recognized that I was feeling bad that I can't do things and worried what others think of me. I think, "People are working on the Chi Alpha house, therefore Jenni should work too. Leland is cooking dinner, therefore Jenni should help cook too."

My parents taught me a strong work ethic and I am incredibly grateful for it. The problem is that I can't work. The only way I can get better is if I experience the pain of not doing things, my tendons need to heal. So, I am still learning to do less/nothing.

The greater problem is that I am recognizing that I place my value in my ability to work. When I place my value in what I can do, I fail to recognize my true value. As a follower of Christ, I believe my identity and value is in Him. Being forced to limit all activity with my arms (which you can not believe how much that actually included) is also forcing me to recognize that I need Jesus to heal my perspective of my value as well. One thing I love about Jesus is that He will use the circumstances in my life to teach me...there truly are lessons through the pain.

rainy day thoughts

2010-08-06T09:02:00.011-05:00

I am sitting in the house listening to the thunder, seeing the sky light up and the rain pour down. I never experienced thunderstorms like this until I moved to Louisiana two years ago. I don't know how to describe them and sometimes I am still scared by the storms.

Today, I am just reminded of how grateful I am that we have a roof that does not leak. It seems like something you don't think about but for the first year and a half we lived here we had a leak. During storms like this, you could hear the drops in the bucket from the failing roof.

Here is a picture of the project. I often times consider this the process of our house being healed, stripping it down so it could be built back up.Thank you God, for a roof that does not leak. I am so grateful for your provision and taking care of our needs. Each rainstorm without the dripping bucket reminds me of how faithfully God took care of our needs.

just waiting

2010-08-04T10:21:00.006-05:00

Adoption is a unique process. It includes lots of work, lots of waiting, and a complete lack of control. If someone is a control freak, adoption is definitely something God will use to refine them. We are in a short season of waiting, just a little preparation for the long season of waiting to come. I am also reminded that it is out of our control.

On Monday, we mailed off the workbook that we have been working on for months. It is the last thing needed for our home study to be approved, which allows us to move forward with another portion of the dossier. All we can do is check FedEx and see that the package is still in transition. And once it arrives at the agency, we don't know how long it will take to finalize the home study, a day, week, weeks...who knows.

There is some more paperwork I could work on but it is not pressing. Or I could work on starting some fundraising ideas but my tennis elbow is suppose to keep me off the computer. So I am learning to wait patiently and take it easy because we are committed to me healing.

We know that God has a plan for everything and has the ability to take care of it all. Maybe the season of waiting is just part of God's plan to help us be with the child He has in mind for us.

working together

2010-07-29T10:38:00.006-05:00

For the adoption Leland and I have been working on a workbook for the past two months. The workbook challenges you to think through adoption from the eyes of the child. It has prompted some great conversations and encouraged us to think about new things.

The book is twenty chapters and it takes us around 45 minutes to finish a chapter. Simple math shows we have spent a lot of time on the book. We have created a routine of going to McDonalds, getting a dollar soda, and finishing about two chapters.

Right now our time of working on the book is come to an end, we have two chapters left. It has been great to turn it into a unique date but we are also excited to almost be done. Finishing the workbook and the revisions are the last things needed for our homestudy. It will be nice to finish one part of the paperwork and focus on the next.

while I was away

2010-07-23T13:47:00.000-05:00

I went on a whirl wind tour of the northwest and surprised my sister in Idaho. We went to a family reunion in Montana and afterward spend two days with my parents in Washington. While I was away, a lot of things happened for the adoption, thanks to Leland.

We received the all the documentations for our home study and we passed it on to the social worker. Currently he is working on the home study, so we can move forward.

Things are coming together nicely and it is good reminder that God can take care of things while I am gone.

Ethiopian food

2010-07-13T15:19:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Leland and went to the Dallas / Fort Worth area. It was a great opportunity for us to get away and spend time together. We also capitalized on the opportunity to try Ethiopian food.

We enjoyed our experience, since we like trying new things. We had two different meat dishes and vegetable dishes. We also had injera, which is a spongy bread that is used for the plate and utensil. Injera reminds me of a crepe and tastes like a sour dough. Leland really enjoyed the injera and it will be an acquired taste for me (I have never enjoyed sourdough breads). I did love using injera as a utensil.

Next time I have Ethiopian food I will remember to take pictures before the plate is almost finished. I finished plate does help you understand the food, it just shows we liked it. I also look forward to trying to cook dishes.

our life lessons

2010-07-06T20:39:00.000-05:00

It amazes me how everyday circumstances can provide life lessons and character development. One of the things I appreciate about God is that He does not waste circumstances in our lives...He will use everything to teach us.

About two weeks ago, my wrist began hurting. I decided it would be best to not paint the chi alpha house and give them a season to rest. A week later, we went to the doctor for some adoption paperwork and I shared with him about the pain. He was quick to diagnosis it as tennis elbow with Leland grinning because he earlier told me it was that. I have started physical therapy and have begun the 6-8 week healing process.

On Sunday, I was praying and asking God to teach me whatever He wants through this process. I have learned that if God wants to teach me I want to learn quickly. Especially if pain is involved. I quickly realized that I was placing value in my ability to work...I need my value to be in Christ (not my daily achievements). I shared with Leland what I was learning and he quickly responded, I need to learn how to serve better.

So, right now we are learning to do less...and learning to serve more.

miracles along the way

2010-07-04T08:29:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, I saw God answer a surprising prayer and I want to share. Before I do, I want to give a little background information. Adoption paperwork is different than most things I have worked on. We are currently working on about 10 different things for the dossier and many of them are dependent on different government agencies or people. Adoption teaches me life lesson, that I am not in control.

Thursday morning, I was talking to God about the FBI clearance paperwork. The FBI paperwork takes 6-8 weeks to receive and I have heard of people waiting up to 14 weeks. I started asking God for us to receive it in the mail soon. Then I realized I mailed it in June and it was unrealistic for God to get it to us...so I changed my prayer to, "God can we get it earlier than expected."

I got home and found these envelopes in the mailbox...our FBI clearance. Friday I talked to someone from AGCI (All God's Children International) and she was shocked that we received them so fast. She has never heard of anyone mailing in the fingerprint cards and receiving the paperwork in 3 weeks.

Thank you Jesus.

roadtrip

2010-06-26T14:22:00.000-05:00

This past week, Leland and I took a mini-vacation to Vicksburg, MS and Jackson, MS. It was a great opportunity to let leave our busy schedules and simply relax. It was also interesting to explore some history in the area.

Here are some of the things we visited.

The train station in Vicksburg. It must have been a hopping place during its peak.
The bridges in Vicksburg across the Mississippi.
Mississippi state capital.
The southern states know how to make elaborate state capitals. It is indescribable.
We ended our trip finding the old train station in Jackson, it was a surprise.

the garden

2010-06-22T10:53:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures from the garden. The vegetables are looking wonderful. They are also demanding a lot of water because this week the temperature is in the 100s.
The tomatoes are starting to turn red...now we are just waiting for them to get ripe.

We have a couple of little peppers.

It is wonderful to be able to cook with fresh herbs.

We doubted that the zucchini would actually produce fruit, this is the first glimpse at the possibility of having some. I am excited to see what happens.

joy of paperwork

2010-06-09T08:22:00.000-05:00

I knew when the summer came and students left my life would change drastically. When you spend the majority of your time hanging out with people, the mass exodus of summer changes things quite a bit. Things with Chi Alpha are keeping me fairly busy, moving facilities is a lot of work.

The biggest change of the summer for me is focusing on administrative things. I am working on the paperwork for our Dossier. It has been a long time since I have done an administrative project, so this is a stretching for me. I am growing through this process and remembering how to focus on details again.

I am focusing on one thing at a time and I am slowly plugging away at this project. I can see how God is going to change me through this process.

We are also celebrating the small victories. Here are some of them:

FBI fingerprints are in the mail and being processed.
We collected the addresses for every place we have lived since we were 18. It included 5 states for Leland and 10 Washington addresses for Jenni. Interesting fact from the process: WSU's recorded did not go back to my freshman year.
For every state we have lived in we have child abuse clearance we need to receive...the paperwork for them is completed.
We have finished a homestudy.
Three of our adoption education courses are completed.

Adoption is a unique process that includes a lot of paperwork, government departments (state, US and Ethiopian), and lots of waiting. The process is full swing forward and we are trying to take it one thing at a time.

adoption update

2010-05-21T09:47:00.000-05:00

We have not written much about the adoption process, mainly because we were in a stand still.

In May, we officially contracted with All God's Children International. Now we are in the paperwork phase. We received our planner and a workbook in the mail.
The paperwork phase of the adoption has officially begun.

break in a storm

2010-05-20T09:43:00.000-05:00

the yard

2010-05-19T09:18:00.000-05:00

This spring has flown and the summer is quickly approaching. We have slowly began making headway in the yard. This spring we rented a mini excavator and dug up shrubs in the yard. Here are a couple of before and after pictures.

We removed shrubs and trees at the front of the property and it opened up our front yard. The section was overgrown and had more vines than anything else. We are simplifying the yard and planting grass.

This is the side of the house and these shrubs left because they were too close to the foundation. I planted a garden because this spot gets more sunlight than any other location in the yard.

The little garden has tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, basil, cilantro, chives, parsley, dill, rosemary, and oregano.

Current picture of the garden. I have enjoyed using herbs from the garden and can't wait for some vegetables.

We dug up these shrubs because they were over grown. They are currently twice the size they should be so we decided it was easier to start over.

We planted 5 hydrangea in front of the house. They will look nice when they get bigger.

snow in Ruston

2010-02-13T09:41:00.000-06:00

We got our first snow storm since we moved to Ruston. School was closed. Students on campus were up till 4 am building snowmen and having snowball fights. We just enjoyed the comfort and familiarity with snow.

Looking down our street

This is a tree blooms from the end of November through February.

The snow started melting yesterday and will be all gone by the afternoon.

adoption

2010-01-19T13:36:00.001-06:00

This blog is an avenue for us to share about our lives. I realized that we have not really shared anything about our plans to adopt a child from Ethiopia on the blog.

We have begun the process have been accepted by an agency that has Hague Accreditation. Right now we are working on saving and fund raising so we can submit our contract and begin the home studies & paperwork stage. Adoption is a slow process and there are many steps along the way.

This Christmas we received the first present for the baby. My parents gave us the piggy bank in the picture. It really represents where we are in the adoption process...saving, fund raising, and saving some more.

We will keep you updated as we come up with more concrete ways to fund raise.

the house

2009-12-14T21:08:00.000-06:00

The past two days have been really nice; 6 weeks and lots of work is coming to a close. For the first time since we have moved into the house, it feels like a home. There is no roof caving in or massive amounts of work we need to do on the project. It is a blessing and we are simply grateful for God's help finishing it all before Christmas.

I decided to post some pre-remodel pictures...it is completely different.The picture of the den from the kitchen. Got to love the 4 by 4 and bucket catching the water...the reason this project began.
The picture of the room pre-remodel from the corner by the fireplace.
Picture of the den from the new hallway by the kitchen.
The view of the den from the fireplace corner.
The working fireplace...thanks Leland!
Before the ornaments went on the tree.
Leland's creative picture.

update

2009-11-19T20:31:00.000-06:00

On Monday, we flew out to Disney World. Leland had a conference and I tagged along. While we left the work continued at the house.
We have walls that look like walls now. It amazes me that the den is physically smaller than before but it looks bigger. They have been prepared to paint and we will start painting next week.
Now our hallway actually looks like a hallway...it has been a crazy to watch the transformation over the past couple of weeks.
Now we also have a big mess inside as well as out.

the house

2009-11-14T20:21:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago our house started a major project. The major problem was discovered over a year ago and we have been working on getting it fixed. Here are just a couple of pictures to show the work that has been done.
This is one of the before pictures. We said goodbye to all of the wood paneling.
The next thing we said goodbye to was the roof. The only way to fix the problem was to take all of the roof off and rebuild the structure. This was a good reminder for me that sometimes the pathway to something being right means it needs to be broken. I also learned that the kitchen is incredibly bright without a roof in the den.
They worked hard on Saturday to rebuild the roof structure.

On Sunday they worded to roof the house and frame up the rooms. They also took a lot of debris away.
We are splitting the den into two rooms. It will add a bedroom to our house and two closets! (Closet space is very exciting) We will use the extra bedroom as a train room/office.

This past week was full of the plumbers, electricians, and heat & air people. The work will continue next week...more to come.

the living room

2009-09-27T07:33:00.001-05:00

This weekend the living room got a little bit of a face lift. We moved the faithful futon into the den and couches into the living room. We drove to Shreveport with a trailer to pick them up and got the couches in typical Weiss fashion. We faced many obstacles throughout the day but at the end of the day, we watched the Hawkeyes win and the first half of the Coug game...or Jenni slept through the Coug game (I never realized how spoiled I was watching football in the pacific time zone...but that is an entirely different blog).

My favorite part of the new layout is that now the pretty rug is visible...no coffee table on top of it.

There are some pictures of the new couches and our long living room.

everyone collects something

2009-08-17T07:31:00.000-05:00

One of the things Leland and I enjoy doing is visiting antique stores. Most of the time we walk around and admire old things. I just appreciate things that have been used and imagining what life they had before. In some antique stores you are just guessing what the thing may have been used for. We both enjoy older things, so this is fun.

Frequently when we walk through the stores I wonder why some things are there. Leland always tells me that there is someone who collects them and everyone collects something. Then he looks at me and says, "but I don't know what you collect." Since I left my parents house I generally moved at least once a year, which taught me to get rid of things you don't use (they are just boxes to carry).

During the last two visits to the stores we have recognized that I am drawn to dishes. I really enjoy them and think they are beautiful. Normally it is easy to resist buying them because so much work is needed to make the collection. Two weeks ago we found a set in a store that was incredibly full, only missing 3 dinner plates and a sugar bowl). We decided against buying it and the next weekend Leland decided we should see if it is still there and make an offer on it.

It was at the store and now it is in our house. I have officially become a collector. I don't mind collecting dishes because amount you can purchase is limited to the space. I think it is a waste to have dishes you can't use but fun to use a wide collection of them.I am still amazed at how much we got. We now have an abundant amount of serving bowls and platters, we are ready for a feast and company. Luckily the new dishes also match our wedding dishes, so things can be used interchangeably.

They are a set from the 50s, so we have gone a little retro.

new horsey

2009-08-07T19:37:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we got a new addition to our family. We have been discussing what to do with cars for months now. The Honda's miles were building up quickly and it was becoming a wonderful second car...but we needed it to be the primary vehicle. We drove through Alexandria, LA earlier this week and test drove a Pontiac Vibe.
We decided to put an offer on the Vibe and were surprised when they accepted it, so we started to drive through a thunder storm to pick it up. We are glad to add Poncho to our family but I was sad to see the Honda leave. The Honda and I had many good memories together.

We named the car Poncho, short from Pontiota (Pontiac & Toyota combined, Leland's creation). The Vibe is the exact same car as the Toyata Matrix.

I am happy that the complicated search for a wagon is over, I can wait a long time before looking for another car.

LA to WA highlights

2009-07-09T09:11:00.000-05:00

Last week we drove from Louisiana to Washington. It was definitely a long trip and a lot of miles were covered but we had fun. Here are some pictures of the stops we made along the way.

We took a brief break in Chamberlain, SD along the way. It is an old Milwaukee Railroad town. Incase you don't already know, Leland enjoys railroads and the Milwaukee line is his favorite. It was a fun stop and a much needed stretch break.

It was pretty amazing to think about the details and care put into carving Mount Rushmore. It is definitely worth seeing.

Here is a picture of the back side of Mt. Rushmore. I found the overlook of South Dakota just as breath taking as the National Memorial.

We stopped in Deer Lodge, MT to see the newly repainted Little Joe. It was an engine named after Joseph Stalin. They were originally made for Russia and then the Cold War hit and the engine could no longer go to Russia, which is how it got its name Little Joe. The Milwaukee Railroad ran an electric line in the west and this was one of their powerful engines. It is the last one painted in Milwaukee colors.

Outside of Deer Lodge, MT we stopped at a national park which was an old ranch. Previously I had visited it and they had a wonderful chair that turned into a step ladder. We stopped so I could by the blue print of the chair. Not only did we get the blue print we got a special surprise. On the ranch property there was Milwaukee rail. The Milwaukee is an abandoned railroad and there very little track west of Terry, MT. So this was an unexpected surprise.

Sunday morning breakfast

2009-06-14T15:12:00.000-05:00

Breakfast every morning must begin with the morning tea. This morning I had a classic black tea purchased in Iowa City...it was a great start to the morning.

I decided it was time to make aebleskivers again. Aebleskivers are a Danish pancake ball. Last year Leland bought be the pan for my birthday, our first attempted was pretty challenging but after we learned the technique it became a staple in our house. It is a fun change to traditional pancake.

Turning the aebleskivers with a shish kabob stick.
Waiting to turn them again. It takes one quarter turn...and then later on another quarter of turn.
Waiting in the pan to be eatten. It was a great breakfast. Aebleskivers with homemade strawberry jam, yummy Sunday morning breakfast.

our first southern wedding

2009-06-08T09:05:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we went to our first wedding in the south and we had a good time. It was more like weddings in the north than different. The mission was the same, to have Courtney and Stephen married at the end of it.

They are two students involved in Chi Alpha. This past year I have had the joy of mentoring Courtney, she has a great heart and an amazing capacity to love others. It was great to watch them go through the process and be there as they begin their life married.

Here are some pictures from the event.

the reception site.

pretty flowers

The invitation made me laugh. Neither one of us like to be called by our titles but when I see them together it makes me smile...we are not normal.

life around the house

2009-05-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

The quarter is over and the pace of life has changed dramatically. I have slowed down because Chi Alpha wrapped everything up last week. Unfortunately, Leland's schedule has picked up; he is in the middle proposals and paper deadlines. We are still working hard at making sure we have time to see each other, the challenges just look different.

Lately I have been spending a lot of time around the house. The past week I have been recovering from an outpatient surgery/scope. I am doing pretty good and working through everything (I never knew the gas could be so bad). Hopefully in the next couple of weeks my pain will be gone and everything will be worth it.

Another thing the surgery has done is make me fall in love with dresses, they never rub against the surgical wounds. I have been on a mission to find inexpensive and comfortable dresses. I also feel like I am connecting to my childhood; I really enjoyed wearing dresses as a little girl.

Here is a couple of pictures taken around the house.

I was trying to take a picture of kitty and me; we were hanging out on the futon watching NCIS. Unfortunately I did not have much success and only got her leg.

Kitty knows what she likes: army blanket, remote, and not being woken up.

yeah for two years

2009-05-27T20:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Leland and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary. I know two years won't win us any awards but I am still grateful every day for our marriage. Here are some pictures from our simple adventure yesterday.

Yes we went to Dairy Queen. My Grandma thought it was silly but it was a wonderful place to go together. Even though Dairy Queen is a national chain sometimes it feels like we left it in Pullman. We attempted to go in Iowa City on Leland's birthday but it was closed. We also attempted on a trip back from Dallas but the ice cream machine was broken. So the last time we had DQ was in Pullman with our good friend Hamzah.

We have many happy memories of DQ in Pullman with each other and our friends. So a road trip to a DQ is what we decided to do. Hopefully it won't take as long for our next trip to DQ, it was about 40 miles away...just not a town we visit often.

Random picture:

When I was downloading the pictures I accidentally found this picture. This chain was one we made to count down to our wedding. It is fun looking back at all the excitement.

latest addition to the house

2009-04-06T20:54:00.001-05:00

This weekend we purchased our first piece of furniture together.

leland's handy work

2009-03-29T09:59:00.000-05:00

When we bought our house we were blessed to have a built in BBQ. Unfortunately it was rusted over and popular nesting place for red wasps. The first plan of attack was digging out the BBQ but the pole was deep.The next step of the plan was using the Suburban to pull out the BBQ, it had some success but it also needed to be sawed off the rod.But at the end of the day, the rusted BBQ left the yard and it is much prettier.

good old days

2009-02-16T09:00:00.000-06:00

Last night Leland and I were looking through pictures on my computer. We ran across these picture from before we were interested in each other and they made us smile. It is amazing to watch how thing change and develop over time...and yes, things even change for those still in Pullman.

Christina (my old roommate) and I had the idea of a night of taking silly group pictures. We started the night by picking up Leland in his office and wandered throughout Pullman.

I just realized that entire crew was in the bridal party. We love and miss all of them.

Christmas in Ruston

2009-01-07T08:20:00.000-06:00

The holidays this year was different for both of us than any other year. We made the decision to stay in Ruston for Christmas and we missed our families. It was good for us to celebrate Christmas together. It was nice to do things at our own pace and try to remember Jesus in the midst of the day. Here are some pictures of our adventures of Christmas without snow.

On Christmas Eve we walked to one of the churches in Ruston and after church we made a pizza. We had a quiet evening in our Christmas pajamas (a Madden tradition).

On Christmas morning we opened up our stockings and then made breakfast (blackberry scones and omelet). We opened up some gifts, went on a walk, and then went to have lunch with some friends. The day was peaceful and we just took the events as they happened.

What would Christmas pictures be without kitty playing in the fabric? An accurate picture would also include Kabuki chewing on ribbons and the tree...but the fabric pictures is a happier memory.

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebration.

flowers instead of snow

2008-12-21T09:20:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went to outside and picked flowers from our yard. We have a beautiful flowering tree and I thought it was time to enjoy it inside. It does feel wrong to have flowers blooming around Christmas time but Leland tells me if I can't have snow I should enjoy the flowers.

Here are a couple of pictures of the flowers.

Here is a picture of my parents house. They have gotten 23 inches of snow this past week and could not get out of their driveway for 2 days. I just checked the weather in Spokane and it is snowing again. Hopefully they get less snow than expected so they are not stuck in the house again.

Even though the snow can be a pain...it is so beautiful.

A Little Bit of Central WA

2008-12-15T20:34:00.000-06:00

Central WA is making a come back here in Louisiana - 1978 style. The final years of the Milwaukee Road in the west, right here in Ruston. A few photos of the train layout progress.

The Milwaukee Road's history is particularly interesting. It was the final transcontinental railroad built in the United States - and the only one to have been abandoned. The photo of Jenni and I that adorns this blog was taken in the shadows the old Milwaukee bridge at Rosalia, WA. Just one of many reminders of the old line's presence in the West.

Check in with the Lost Rail blog for more thoughts on "America's Resourceful Railroad."

Tree's Up

2008-12-15T16:07:00.000-06:00

Well, it seems as though it's December and mid-December at that. Here are some pictures of the Christmas tree that now proudly sits in the living room. Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas from both of us here in (warmer than most other places in the US) Louisiana to all of you.

Thanksgiving week

2008-12-05T14:45:00.000-06:00

Our house was full of people throughout the week. It was great to see so many people we love.

On Tuesday, Karen and Greg arrived and that morning the hot water heater broke. We were busy making phone calls and praying; fortunately it started working before everyone arrived. It was great to see old roommates and catch up on life.

Thanksgiving morning we went for a walk with our parents through campus. It was a pretty because the trees were beautiful. It was fun to see everyone enjoy each other.

We ended our week of company by having my Great Uncle Herbert visit. It was wonderful to share a day with him and listen to his stories.

company is coming

2008-11-23T09:07:00.000-06:00

The past couple of weeks we have been very busy doing different projects around the house. Some projects started because company is coming into town...and others started because we have more time because it is quarter break. No matter what the reason the project started, it has to come to an end quickly because company is coming.

I am starting to realize how quickly our house will fill up with company. Karen and Greg arrive Tuesday night for a day visit and the Weiss and Madden clans arrive sometime on Wednesday. That is right both of our parents and Morgan (Leland's sister) are coming for Thanksgiving. Most people think we are crazy but we love them all. So we said yes. The hardest thing has been deciding what pies to make because everyone has their favorite.

I still need to pick up the house, buy the groceries, and figure out how we are going to store all the food. I never realized how much I have depended on the outside "frig" to store food. Last year we put the pies on the back porch of the apartment because we did not have enough frig space. My family has always used the enclosed front porch and Leland's family has always used the garage. How do people do it in a warm climate? I am thinking creativity is needed.

We are hoping everyone has a good time, there is not a lot to do in Ruston.

bye, bye skunks

2008-11-16T08:15:00.000-06:00

Shortly after we bought our home we found many unexpected surprises...one was skunks living 10 feet from the front door. They had been nesting under a old tree stump and probably have returned every spring for years. I have plenty of experience with skunks, as a child it took years to get rid of the ones nesting under my neighbors shed (my family stills tries to forget how many times the dog and cat got sprayed). The two month process of digging everything up to put chicken wire down began and the process was made even more complicated because I hurt my back. So Leland had to dig up 10 over grown shrubs and remove the stump by himself. We are lacking a before picture, so you have to use your imagination.

Leland finishing putting the chicken wire down.

After we finished the chicken wire we place landscaping carpet down. We decided that after getting rid of poison oak and 10 shrubs...we were happy with a rock garden. The side walk at the bottom of the picture is to the front door, the front of house has a privacy wall.

Here is the almost final product. We finished laying the rock down but we did not take a final picture. In time we will add potted plants, a bird feeder, and a park bench. Our fall goal was just to make the skunks go bye, bye for good.

fall finally came

2008-11-14T08:38:00.000-06:00

I love fall. Autumn colors brighten by day. Here are some pictures Leland took.

Occasionally we have days that remind me of the Northwest, this was one. I took for granted the crisp blue skies until I moved away. Now I live outside, when the crisp sky is accompanied by a gentle breeze.

random pictures

2008-11-03T17:28:00.000-06:00

Leland took the Impala to a car show that one of the student groups at Tech put on as a fund raiser. He came out as one of the winners and the Impala looked pretty. Unfortunately I did not think to take a picture before she went back into the carport.

Chi Alpha had a costume party and I went as a railroad worker...although people kept asking me if I was Mario. A railroad worker is a perfect costume, the overalls I have because they were my dad's from when he worked for the railroad. Here is kitty and I after the party.

view from our patio door

2008-09-25T16:21:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share a funny picture from our back yard.

Everything grows really well in Louisiana...those grasshoppers are at least 2 inches long.

Early Morning Freight Drag

2008-09-25T14:26:00.000-05:00

There's not much that goes on downtown in the hours before the sun comes up, but don't tell that to the KCS.

Just a few minutes before sunrise, an eastbound freight drags a heavy train up the shallow grade to Ruston's downtown. In the background, the university's Wiley Tower catches the first rays of the coming day.

In a couple of hours, the local will be through, swapping boxcars on the siding just east of downtown, followed by strings of double-stacks and the occasional freight drag. Good morning, Ruston.

The Next Storm

2008-09-13T10:03:00.001-05:00

It's Saturday, 10am, and Ike has made landfall over Galveston and rolled into the Houston area. Hurricanes seem to set a tone unlike other storms. It's a tone of foreboding, waiting, wondering, and slowly being able to see it develop across the skies to the south. Unlike fast moving thunderstorms and squall lines, these hurricanes are tracked for days as they cross the Gulf, growing in size across the warm waters. In Northern Louisiana, Ike is expected to bring another shot of rain and wind over the next 36 hours, however, the real damage lies in the wake of its various landfalls. Damage and destruction along the Texas coast should be well covered and is expected to be quite bad due to a twenty-foot high swell that came ashore last night.

The ferocity of these storms, however, has not only been spent on the shores of the United States. Ike, Gustav, Hanna, and Fay have left a lasting impact on neighbors to the south that aren't as well covered.

Meager Living of Haitians Is Wiped Out by Storms

Hurricane season continues.

Between Squalls

2008-09-13T09:55:00.000-05:00

Between the hurricanes, a beautiful blue.

Shelter in the Storm

2008-09-03T14:44:00.000-05:00

Gustav was upon the state of Louisiana this Labor Day weekend and through the week. It came ashore west of New Orleans, leaving about 1 million without power and many, many small towns decimated in its wake. In the days leading up to its landfall, Ruston and other towns in N. LA, MS and Arkansas fill with people getting out ahead of the hurricane. Batteries were tough to come by and bottled water was in high demand.

While the news channels obsessed about New Orleans, most of the heavy damage was done to the towns and cities to its west and northwest. The forecast for quick return to the damaged southern part of the state is not good. Small towns like Houma, near Gustav's point of entry, are expected to be powerless for several weeks at best. Today, Wednesday, the state is still dealing with powerful lingering thunderstorms that remain in one of the rotating "fingers" of the tropical storm.

The following images were taken from relatively safe Ruston, LA, far enough north to deal only with "Tropical Depression/Storm" Gustav, instead of "Hurricane" Gustav. The morning arrives with Gustav making its way onshore. The eye is unmistakable as is the treacherous "east side" of the storm.

Clouds over Ruston are swirling with the counter-clockwise rotation that comes with a low pressure monster, but early in the morning, are still fairly light.

At about mid-day on Labor day, the rotating clouds of the storm have turned darker and the first bands of showers are upon us as the south part of the state continues to be punished with strong wind gusts to 115+ mph.

The local radar image shows the location of Ruston and the approaching rain bands at about 12 in the afternoon.

Rain begins in earnest in the early afternoon, forming the expected "lake" at the base of our driveway.

Night falls as does heavy, heavy rain. By 10 in the evening, the eye of Gustav is located south of Alexandria, poised to make its way along I49 towards Shreveport over night.

Even in the safer north reaches of Louisiana, power comes and goes as trees fall on power lines and circuit breakers trip throughout the night.

The next day finds periods of driving rain mixed with gentle tropical rains that are warm and can soak you in about 5 seconds. Even as the weakened Gustav makes its way north towards Arkansas, a new storm has been named in the Atlantic. This brings the current total to 4 named Atlantic storms, operating at the same time. The hurricane season looks far from over.

Perhaps direct hits on populated centers can be spared as these storms make their way slowly west. As bad as the damage to Louisiana has been, the damage to poorer nations to the south is greater and they are ill-equipped to handle the devastation and loss.

Pop Quiz

2008-08-26T16:11:00.001-05:00

Okay, here's a pop quiz for you: How do you change a $650 electrical repair into an $1800 repair? Give up? Here are some hints...

First, start with an electrical breaker box upgrade (because the old one is known to occasionally not break short-circuits and, in unfortunate circumstances, burn the house down)

Now, instead of the original 2 person job, add a third

Actually, you better add about 5 or 6 because we're going to need to move the electrical meter from the pole outside on the street to the outside wall of the house (new city regulation whenever "large" electrical projects are undertaken). So, let's bring in some city trucks too...

Auger out this hole...

And place the new pole in place. Now, we can run the wires from the street, to the new pole, to the new meter (mounted on the outside house wall, of course), back up the wall, over the garage, down the interior wall to the location of the new circuit breaker box.

And that, is how you do it.

Are there other projects waiting for their time in the spotlight? You bet, the roof is about to be inspected for a sag and some water damage that went unnoticed during inspection. Ahhh, home sweet home.

we are in LA

2008-08-13T14:48:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, Leland, my Dad, and I arrived to Louisiana. The past couple of days have proven to be an adventure...we will post some pictures in the next couple of days. Right now we are just trying to catch up on sleep, settle in the house, and adjust to life. I hope things are going well for you all.

new house

2008-06-26T14:58:00.000-05:00

We have successfully made it across the country and the house is officially ours. Everyone was happy that the Suburban was able to have a home after the trek across the country.

Here is the dining room, it is so great to be able to use the recently refinished table. It is beautiful Chuck!
YEAH an unpacked kitchen! We have already made our first batch of cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip.

Here is the living room that is the size of our old apartment (the picture does not include all of the room)...it is a challenge to set up a room which is so much bigger, yeah to new challenges.

Here is our new home and we are busy trying to get everything unpacked (or the boxes put away) and live able.

resting points on the journey

2008-05-15T12:21:00.000-05:00

Leland and I are close to our one year anniversary and I am realizing a lot has happened.

I have learned to cope with not working and accepting that my value as a person is not in what I accomplish.
We traveled to LA for a job interview.
Leland got a job at Louisiana Tech and we decided to move to the south.
Leland wrote his dissertation, defended, and graduated.
We traveled to LA to look for a house and bought one (now pending inspection).
We decided that I am going to work for Chi Alpha at Louisiana Tech.

One could easily look at this list and think it is all that has happened, but for me the resting places along the way have been the most significant. I am grateful that life is more about the journey than the destination.

Leland's graduation...yeah, he is done!

The mighty Mississippi behind us, this was at the MS and LA border.

A picture of us on LA Tech's campus...we did not really thing the statue was funny looking till after we looked at the picture.

Whistles in the Night

2008-05-12T10:08:00.000-05:00

Nighttime in a small southern town in early May. The cold gray clouds of the Northwest have been left far behind and the thick water laden air of Louisiana is with us now. The locals admit that this spring for them has been unusually cool, 80 degrees as a high much of the time. They also tell of the summer months when the air stops moving and the temperature rises to above 100 degrees -- summer time in the South.

Unlike the Northwest, or West in general, the South and the East are 'old' by comparison -- at least by our societal time line. The buildings are older, the history of the nation goes back farther, and the memories (and realities) of a divided country can be found with relative ease. While the western railroads were building and bridging the country in the latter and early parts of the 19th and 20th centuries, the eastern lines were well established and entrenched. Even today they have a different "feel" as they blast through the small southern towns between the long established large southeastern and eastern cities. The wide open plains and dramatic mountain scenery of their western counterparts is notably absent but still, there's something special about them.

Ruston finds itself along a vital transportation link that is not I-20 (which also passes through the town). Instead, passing directly through its center is a steel artery known as the Meridian Speedway connecting Shreveport and traffic from the west to Meridian and the large cities of the east. As night falls on small Ruston, the railroad stakes its claim and the howls that come from the passing freight trains can be heard across the city. Perhaps its that extra humidity that makes them so clear and haunting but there's no denying their lonesome, lonesome sound.

There's a story here and it is deep and it is complicated. It's a story that spans generations and entices us to pursue it. The lonesome whistles of the Kansas City Southern on its Meridian Speedway are just a taste of what's here, and only the beginning. I hope you enjoy our thoughts and adventures as we try to uncover what else lies waiting in the warm nights and thick air of this very different place.