Slowly but surely things are getting marked off our "to do" list. We finalized the kitchen remodel and ordered cabinets, appliances, counter tops, tile for the back splash and new flooring. Chris and I agreed on colors for the walls. The structural engineer finished the measurements for the steal beam. I found an affordable moving company.
Last Sunday we spent the afternoon working on adoption paper work for our Home Study and online profiles. We have an outline for our "Dear Birthmother" letters and I'm hoping to sit down and spend some time writing those tomorrow and Thursday night. We need to snap a few pictures of our South Austin house and then I'll be able to send in our photos. Things are coming together.
I had a emotional breakdown last Friday, but it was good. I needed to let it out. A nice, big cry and I was better. Everything that is going on in our lives is overwhelming, but in a good way. We have had an out pour of support from our close friends about our adoption. I can't express how thankful I am for that. It's nice to know we will have a loving circle of people involved in our babes life.
Chris got a promotion last week. I'm proud of him. He's a hard worker and deserves it!
I have maintained a semi-normal schedule and think that this busy time in our lives has helped me manage my time in a better way. I don't have time for much outside of work, the gym, moving and adoption stuff, but that's OK. We still have a few things on the social calendar over the next couple of weeks to keep us satisfied and give us a break.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Everything at Once
We did it... Our Adoption paperwork is submitted and we are on our way. We still have a very long road ahead of us, but we are on our way. Lots to do... Home Study, websites, Birthmother letters. It's nerve racking and I'm anxious, excited and very hopeful! Basically, I'm full of emotions and will probably stay this way for a while. Guess I better get used to it.
On top of that Chris and I are moving again. Back to our house in South Austin. Crazy right? Our tenants, who were a total nightmare, finally moved out at the end of January. Chris and I had planned on doing some minor renovations and then putting it on the market, but after a few talks and financial planning we decided to move back in. It will be best for us and our future family. The house is big - 4 bedrooms, nice size yard, pool... Very family friendly. Since we are going to be moving back in, the minor renovations turned into bigger projects, but it's going to look great when we are done. Now, for the overwhelming part... All of this has to take place in the next 30 days - complete kitchen remodel, knocking down a wall, painting and moving all our stuff - 30 DAYS! Chris is cool as a cucumber and I'm freaking the eff out. He's all "Yaz, I thrive at multitasking." and I'm all "I can't breathe, think I'm having a panic attack" (insert big ugly cry here) and he's all "This is a happy time. Don't cry"! This conversation took place at a restaurant last Thursday; the same day we sent in all our Adoption stuff. I assumed that dinner was just going to focus on being happy and celebrating the huge step we took to build our family, but Chris doesn't work that way. He's always thinking two moves ahead. I spent Thursday night completely freaking out. Woke up at 5AM on Friday morning obsessing about how this was no way possible; had another big ugly cry. I just could not wrap my head around his plan. But, that all passed and by the end of the day I calmed down and we had a long talk.
I realize that my wonderful husband is just looking out for our best interest. He's thinking of our financial future. He wants everything to be set for when our baby arrives. I just need to trust him and know that he wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize our life. We just move at different speeds. He processes things like superman and is an amazing multitasker. I work better taking things one step at a time and easily get overwhelmed when I just hear him talk about everything we have to get done.
We will divide and conquer everything on our mile long to do list:
1)Meet with architectural engineer and find out how to knock down the wall without our 2nd floor colapsing
2)Meet with interior designer to discuss tile for kitchen.
3)Finalize kitchen remodel - cabinets, appliances, floors
4)Finalize colors for walls
5)Find a Home Study agency to work with
6)Send marketing materials to Adoption Agency
7)Write Birthmother letters
8)Pack House
9)Compile Free List for SXSW
10)Hire Movers
11)Settle into new/old house within 30 days and be ready for a home study!
12)Put current house on the market
(list does not include all the social obligations we have going on in the next month and thank the lawd for those!)
This is life, right? Everything happens at once and you just deal? Well, bring it on life cause we are coming for you!
On top of that Chris and I are moving again. Back to our house in South Austin. Crazy right? Our tenants, who were a total nightmare, finally moved out at the end of January. Chris and I had planned on doing some minor renovations and then putting it on the market, but after a few talks and financial planning we decided to move back in. It will be best for us and our future family. The house is big - 4 bedrooms, nice size yard, pool... Very family friendly. Since we are going to be moving back in, the minor renovations turned into bigger projects, but it's going to look great when we are done. Now, for the overwhelming part... All of this has to take place in the next 30 days - complete kitchen remodel, knocking down a wall, painting and moving all our stuff - 30 DAYS! Chris is cool as a cucumber and I'm freaking the eff out. He's all "Yaz, I thrive at multitasking." and I'm all "I can't breathe, think I'm having a panic attack" (insert big ugly cry here) and he's all "This is a happy time. Don't cry"! This conversation took place at a restaurant last Thursday; the same day we sent in all our Adoption stuff. I assumed that dinner was just going to focus on being happy and celebrating the huge step we took to build our family, but Chris doesn't work that way. He's always thinking two moves ahead. I spent Thursday night completely freaking out. Woke up at 5AM on Friday morning obsessing about how this was no way possible; had another big ugly cry. I just could not wrap my head around his plan. But, that all passed and by the end of the day I calmed down and we had a long talk.
I realize that my wonderful husband is just looking out for our best interest. He's thinking of our financial future. He wants everything to be set for when our baby arrives. I just need to trust him and know that he wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize our life. We just move at different speeds. He processes things like superman and is an amazing multitasker. I work better taking things one step at a time and easily get overwhelmed when I just hear him talk about everything we have to get done.
We will divide and conquer everything on our mile long to do list:
1)Meet with architectural engineer and find out how to knock down the wall without our 2nd floor colapsing
2)Meet with interior designer to discuss tile for kitchen.
3)Finalize kitchen remodel - cabinets, appliances, floors
4)Finalize colors for walls
5)Find a Home Study agency to work with
6)Send marketing materials to Adoption Agency
7)Write Birthmother letters
8)Pack House
9)Compile Free List for SXSW
10)Hire Movers
11)Settle into new/old house within 30 days and be ready for a home study!
12)Put current house on the market
(list does not include all the social obligations we have going on in the next month and thank the lawd for those!)
This is life, right? Everything happens at once and you just deal? Well, bring it on life cause we are coming for you!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Tis the Season
Funny how much that phrase is used during the holidays. Parties that involve lots of booze and snacks...lots of sweets and meats and cheeses. December has turned into the month of over indulgence the Andersons. We had 6 holiday parties and a trip to East TX to visit my Mom and Grandma. It's been a busy one folks. We spent Christmas in Austin this year. Missed seeing the family in CT, but enjoyed the down time at home.
Chris has been incredibly busy the last couple of months with school and the fixer upper house. The fixer is finally on the market. He's had a good amount of traffic through and heard some positive feed back from other Realtors. The property looks fantastic, so I'm confident that it won't be on the market for long. Once that sells we are moving full speed ahead on the adoption! I have been doing my best to be patient and enjoy every moment of our life before it changes and we have a baby, but I'm ready to be a Mom and Chris is ready to be a Dad. Next year we will hopefully have a little baby Anderson to share our life with. It fills my heart with joy to just to think about the little love bug we are going to be blessed with.
I went big this year people...BIG. Lots of baking throughout the month; cookies and brownies for almost all the parties I attended. Christmas Eve was all about feasting on fish...5 not 7.
squid salad with a crab cake
mussels with onion and white wine butter broth
scallops with corn coulis and spinach with cherry tomatoes
Christmas day I made savory bread pudding with leeks and sausage for breakfast and pasta with bolognese.
bolognese
All the food was fantastic. Austin Christmas was a success. Chris and I are off to Port Aransas with the pups on Wednesday. We are going to spend New Years Eve at the beach. It will be nice to get away for a few days.
Here are a few more pictures from December.
Mary in the middle. Cathy on the end.
Elkhart, TX
Peaches and Herb
indulging
chris and peach...those two are inseparable
holiday herb
Hope all of you out there in internetland had a fantastic holiday. Love and peace to you all for the New Year.
Chris has been incredibly busy the last couple of months with school and the fixer upper house. The fixer is finally on the market. He's had a good amount of traffic through and heard some positive feed back from other Realtors. The property looks fantastic, so I'm confident that it won't be on the market for long. Once that sells we are moving full speed ahead on the adoption! I have been doing my best to be patient and enjoy every moment of our life before it changes and we have a baby, but I'm ready to be a Mom and Chris is ready to be a Dad. Next year we will hopefully have a little baby Anderson to share our life with. It fills my heart with joy to just to think about the little love bug we are going to be blessed with.
I went big this year people...BIG. Lots of baking throughout the month; cookies and brownies for almost all the parties I attended. Christmas Eve was all about feasting on fish...5 not 7.
squid salad with a crab cake
mussels with onion and white wine butter broth
scallops with corn coulis and spinach with cherry tomatoes
Christmas day I made savory bread pudding with leeks and sausage for breakfast and pasta with bolognese.
bolognese
All the food was fantastic. Austin Christmas was a success. Chris and I are off to Port Aransas with the pups on Wednesday. We are going to spend New Years Eve at the beach. It will be nice to get away for a few days.
Here are a few more pictures from December.
Mary in the middle. Cathy on the end.
Elkhart, TX
Peaches and Herb
indulging
chris and peach...those two are inseparable
holiday herb
Hope all of you out there in internetland had a fantastic holiday. Love and peace to you all for the New Year.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Bison. The Other Red Meat.
Sometimes the only thing that gets me through the day is planning dinner. I love coming home after a long day at the office and spending the evening in the kitchen making a delicious meal. During the week it's usually something simple that doesn't require a lot of effort or prep.
Friday night Chris had to work on his last project for his business law class, so I decided to make him some brain food:
Bison Meatloaf
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Green Beans
Bison is a very lean meat, so I added a little bacon to step up the flavor.
FAT=Flavor! I sauteed the veggies - carrots, onions, celery, leeks, green pepper and jalapeno with the bacon. It's important to take time sauteing and let the flavors build.
After the veggies cooled I mixed them with the bison, an egg, Worcestershire sauce, a little ketchup and some bread crumbs. Since we are all about portion control in this house I decided to make individual meat loafs. Breaking things down into proper portion size has really helped me maintain my weight loss.
While the loafs cooked in the oven. I worked on the mashed potatoes and green beans. I'm usually my worst critic when it comes to my own food, but this time it was perfect. The meat loafs were moist and bursting with flavor; the sides were fabulous, too. Delicious dinner for a rainy, cold Friday night.
Friday night Chris had to work on his last project for his business law class, so I decided to make him some brain food:
Bison Meatloaf
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Green Beans
Bison is a very lean meat, so I added a little bacon to step up the flavor.
FAT=Flavor! I sauteed the veggies - carrots, onions, celery, leeks, green pepper and jalapeno with the bacon. It's important to take time sauteing and let the flavors build.
After the veggies cooled I mixed them with the bison, an egg, Worcestershire sauce, a little ketchup and some bread crumbs. Since we are all about portion control in this house I decided to make individual meat loafs. Breaking things down into proper portion size has really helped me maintain my weight loss.
While the loafs cooked in the oven. I worked on the mashed potatoes and green beans. I'm usually my worst critic when it comes to my own food, but this time it was perfect. The meat loafs were moist and bursting with flavor; the sides were fabulous, too. Delicious dinner for a rainy, cold Friday night.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Busy Fun
Hello internets...it's been a while. Things have been good with us. Lot's of social obligations over the last month:
Halloween - Chris and I decided to dress up this year. A few of our friends had a party. I'm not big into wearing full costumes or painting my face, so I found a cute and easy birds nest headpiece to make on Martha Stewart's website. Crafty and me usually don't mix, but the headpiece came out awesome. Chris went as Frank from 30 Rock. You know who that is? Frank? Watch 30 Rock, people! It's the best comedy on TV!
Wurstfest - 10 day salute to sausage which involved many encased meats, BEER, polka, fried food, carnival games and rides. Highlights of the night include - conga line to zippity do da, tilt-a-whirl and giving myself awful indigestion from eating too much sausage.
Fun Fun Fun Fest - Gah...it was the day after Wurstfest. Hopefully next year they will make these two fests on different weekends. With a name like Fun Fun Fun Fest you expect a lot, and they always deliver. FFFF is a small indie music fest. This year one of my favorite bands, Les Savy Fav, played. They never disappoint. I also got to see The Jesus Lizard. Chris loves them and now I see why!
Les Savy Fav - Tim Harrington
Eklhart, TX - Took a trip to the piney woods of East Texas to see myGrandma and Mom. It was nice to see them. My Grandma is the sweetest lady in the world. Seriously.
E.A.S.T. - East Austin Studio Tour. 10 days, tons of art studios all rightin my neighborhood. This was the first year I attended the studio tour. Some friends met at our house and we rode our bikes all over East Austin. Bloody marys, art, beer and biking...makes for a great Saturday.
Next up Thanksgiving! I'm so excited about cooking! A few of our good friends are coming over for a nice, laid back turkey day. I have been working on the menu for over a week and still can't decide on the side dishes. Off I go to read more recipes and find more inspiration even though I'm already overwhelmed with choices.
Halloween - Chris and I decided to dress up this year. A few of our friends had a party. I'm not big into wearing full costumes or painting my face, so I found a cute and easy birds nest headpiece to make on Martha Stewart's website. Crafty and me usually don't mix, but the headpiece came out awesome. Chris went as Frank from 30 Rock. You know who that is? Frank? Watch 30 Rock, people! It's the best comedy on TV!
Wurstfest - 10 day salute to sausage which involved many encased meats, BEER, polka, fried food, carnival games and rides. Highlights of the night include - conga line to zippity do da, tilt-a-whirl and giving myself awful indigestion from eating too much sausage.
Fun Fun Fun Fest - Gah...it was the day after Wurstfest. Hopefully next year they will make these two fests on different weekends. With a name like Fun Fun Fun Fest you expect a lot, and they always deliver. FFFF is a small indie music fest. This year one of my favorite bands, Les Savy Fav, played. They never disappoint. I also got to see The Jesus Lizard. Chris loves them and now I see why!
Les Savy Fav - Tim Harrington
Eklhart, TX - Took a trip to the piney woods of East Texas to see myGrandma and Mom. It was nice to see them. My Grandma is the sweetest lady in the world. Seriously.
E.A.S.T. - East Austin Studio Tour. 10 days, tons of art studios all rightin my neighborhood. This was the first year I attended the studio tour. Some friends met at our house and we rode our bikes all over East Austin. Bloody marys, art, beer and biking...makes for a great Saturday.
Next up Thanksgiving! I'm so excited about cooking! A few of our good friends are coming over for a nice, laid back turkey day. I have been working on the menu for over a week and still can't decide on the side dishes. Off I go to read more recipes and find more inspiration even though I'm already overwhelmed with choices.
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Girl and Her Bike
I remember a time not too long ago that I despised exercise. Wow, how things have changed. I can't imagine my life without it now. Exercise, especially biking, keeps me sane and helps me deal with stress. Riding my bike has done wonders to my mood and mental health...oh, and my legs, damn they are looking good. I clear my head while I fly down the trail, ipod in my ears, Kinks blaring. I'm not sure if the people on the hike and bike trail enjoy my singing, but I sure do like pretending they do. Never thought I would see the day when I was blogging about the joys of exercise. Seriously. I think the key to enjoying a workout is to find something you enjoy doing. It only took me 15 years to decide biking was for me...
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