The Queen B

Taking Pause

Another day, another plan.

Basically, we are pausing to catch our breath.

God has so clearly been opening doors for us as we have followed the plan originally given to us by the Guatemalan judge.  

The news about La P's parents came out of nowhere and completely threw us off.  The King & I don't want to make a decision based on a reaction to unexpected news.  

We want to make a decision based on prayer.

So.  The King is not going into the mountains today.  Instead, he will be meeting with an attorney that is not associated with the orphanage.  We are so unfamiliar with their legal system and want to be sure we have a clear understanding of what is actually taking place.

We are getting conflicting information from people with various agendas.

We need to make a decision for this little girl based on truth.

Thank you so much for your prayers.  The King and I both felt uneasy about the mountain trip.

Partially because it's, you know, the mountain trip.

But I think mostly because of the prayers on our behalf.  

While he may still end up making the trip, it will be because we are completely confident that it is God's plan.  Not because we want a quick solution.

And that is the plan o' the day.

For now anyway.

Out Of Nowhere

Well.

A lot can change in 24 hours.

Yesterday we were going down one path and today it's a completely different journey.

Quick(ish) version:

In July, we communicated with a Guatemalan judge who gave us instructions on how to proceed in order to have an opportunity to adopt La P.

We have been following those steps to the letter.

On Sunday, The King had an appointment that, if things went well, would finalize all that the judge had asked us to do.

Things went very well.

The King was preparing to meet with the judge on Wednesday.

I was preparing to share the amazing things that have taken place.

Then a bomb was dropped.

The orphanage informed us that they had received a letter from the court IN JULY that stated when her medical care (which we would provide) is complete, custody will go back to her parents.

The parents who left her at the hospital.

I don't say that in a judgmental way.  Many of the kids at the orphanage have been left in alleys or dumpsters.  I very much appreciate that her parents realized that they would not be able to care for her and wanted her to have a better life than they could provide.

(Here's where it becomes The Palace version of a Made-For-TV-Movie.)

On Wednesday, The King and two of the missionaries from the orphanage are going to drive 6 hours into the depths of Guatemala to try and find her parents.

The King is going to ask La P's parents if they will allow us to adopt the child whom they gave up 6 years ago.

Will they care?

Will they want her?

Will they want money?

Will they even be found?

I'll be honest...I'm still pretty new at this this whole "living without fear" thing, and this is pushing me past what I feel like I can handle.

I'm so scared for The King to travel into the middle of a third world country.  It's likely that I may go a few days and not hear a word from him.  

How many news stories have I heard about buses plummeting off the mountain roads of Guatemala?

But I'm so proud of him.  

He is doing exactly what a father should do for his child.

Please pray for his safety.

Pray that her parents can be found.

Selfishly, I want to pray that they will let us have her.  

But if they want her, I pray that they are able to care for her and provide for her.

That they will love her as much as we do.

Earlier today, a sweet friend reminded me that the more impossible things seem, the bigger God gets to be.

Isn't that true?

I know that when this journey is complete, we will all stand amazed at what God has done.

I am already amazed at what God has done.

9 months ago, I was begging God to not make me go on some stupid mission trip.

Begging.

Now I'm (relatively) ok with my husband driving to a Guatemalan village to ask an unsuspecting family if we can have their daughter...?

Only God can pull that off.

I can't wait to see what He will do next.

The King Has Returned. Sort Of.

So The King's been working in Boston.

Since mid-October.

He has finally come home.

I would not even consider complaining...I'm so thankful that he has work.  I know there are many in need of a job right now.

However.

We are kind of in that re-entry phase.

We are getting adjusted to living together again.

And I'm reacquainting myself with the massive amount of laundry he creates.

During his time away, The Princess and I did ok.  We were not afraid.

Except for once.

We had a little visitor on our front porch.

Nothing major.

Just, you know, a bear.

A BLACK BEAR.

Thankfully, we only heard it and saw its bear prints.  

And the carnage of my little Japanese maple.

I looked up info on what to do if we meet Mr. Bear face to face.

The info said not to block his exit.

REALLY.  Well that's incredibly helpful. I'll try to go against my natural instinct and not stand in the way of his departure route.

(You caught the part where I said it was on my front porch, right?)

But back to The King.

He is now in Guatemala.

I really, really can't wait to share La P news with you.

I need to wait until a few details are worked out, though.

God has recently opened doors that have blown me away.

He has shown His power.  He has (again) demonstrated that He is in control of all things.

Our adoption is in no way imminent.  But I do believe that she will be here soon.

I have no reason to expect it.  

I just believe it.

La P and The King skyped The Princess and me tonight.

(Is skype a verb?)

The Princess showed her two of the kittens and she said (in Spanish), "My cats at my house!"

And then she started petting the screen.

We sent her a coat and a My Little Pony and some Christmas hair bows.  My mother-in-law sent her a few pairs of pjs and a pink crocheted hat.

During our conversation, La P tried it all on and modeled for us.

When we were telling her bye, she kissed the screen and said (in Spanish), "I love you, Mommy".  

I hadn't heard her little voice since July.

If you think about it, please pray for us this week.  The King is working so hard to bring her home.  He will be meeting with officials in a foreign land.  He will be sharing with them what has been on our hearts since we met her...

She is a 6 year old girl with a tumor on her face that is growing.  The tumor and scar tissue and bone fragments rest dangerously close to her optic nerve.  

Her eye does not sit in the right spot.  Her nose is misshapen.  She has chronic sinus issues.

The King sent me a picture and she appears to be wearing her bangs so that they cover that side of her face.

She has been abandoned since birth.

She needs a family.

And a family needs her.

A Pathetic Attempt At A Post

It's me again.

Sorry I've been on the lam.

I am working on an update on La P.  There's been some activity.  Nothing major.  

But some.

However.

Today I'll be posting on something frivolous involving little thought:  

The Unfortunate Use of Botox* for The Upper Lip

Really.

While watching the Country Music Awards last week, I found myself perplexed by Nicole Kidman's current lip situation.

I have a similar reaction when viewing Courteney Cox.

And Meg Ryan.

I cannot think of a single person who has looked new and/or improved by the plumping of their upper lip.

Instead, it looks as if they've had a tragic encounter with a stinging insect or food allergen.

I just want to issue a proclamation...Botox* for the lip is not a good decision.

If there is ever a time that you feel it might be an option, google the aforementioned women.  

Please.

If, after googling, plumping is still a consideration, then have someone throw a baseball into your mouth and live with the consequences for a few days.

See how many compliments you receive.

I feel better now.  Your thoughts?

*I'm unsure if Botox is actually what people use to create this unattractive lip condition.  Is it collagen?  I don't know.  I just know it is not good.

The B Stands For BRAVE

One option is that I've become brave.

However.

Another option is that I've lost my mind.

It began with that whole Zip Line/Screamer fiasco a few weeks ago...

And now this.

Gaze upon that, my friends.

100 feet of tower terror.

(I have proof.)

Here's the deal.

My mother-in-law, The Princess and I went on a little day trip earlier this week.

We've been waterlogged with ALL THE RAIN for a few weeks and the lovely sunshine just made it too tempting to stay inside.

Apparently, The Princess has missed the sun so much that she felt the need to be closer to it.

She spotted this tower early in our day and asked if we could climb.

I blew her off and said "maybe".

However.

By "maybe", I really meant "surely you'll forget by the time we come back because there's no way in the world I'll climb that dumb tower."

She didn't forget.

This was the cause of my initial concern.  Well.  My initial concern other than the 100 feet.

 

Do you see how rusted the money box thing is?

Does that give you a tiny inkling of how old this dumb tower is?

Here's the cause of my SERIOUSLY MAJOR CONCERN.  Well.  My SERIOUSLY MAJOR CONCERN other than the 100 feet.

 

Read it.  

I'm not kidding. 

Take the time and read it.

I'll wait.

...YOU CAN DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO GO UP?????

Are they for real?

OH MY WORD.

I made The Princess pay with her money.

There's no way I'm using my own money to fund my demise.

(My mother-in-law is a total chicken and went shopping.)

(She's reading this.)

(But I called her a chicken then, too.)

The steps were incredibly OLD AND RICKETY.

I had to, of course, go first so that I'd plummet to my death before The Princess.  

Who me?  Mother of the Year?  Why, thank you!

About half way up, I begged her to stop.

 

 

This is the view from the top.

100 FEET ABOVE THE EARTH.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  It's pretty. 

Look!  It's my chicken mother-in-law!

She's the teensy orange dot coming out of the store.

I'm sure you are wondering about the wasp infestation.

We didn't see any on the way to the top.

Nope.

We saw them on the WAY DOWN.

Like, between me us and the ground.

Flying underneath the rickety, rotted stairs.

We had to dodge zillions of wasps to get to the precious ground.

It was pretty much horrible.

Except for this...

Your Confusion Is Justified

So those of you who are confused by the layout of my house can feel better... Turn right into the doorway that can barely be seen. (thanks for the emails) (And I know it posted twice. Working on that.) (I blame it on Friday)

Well. It's A Start.

I know, I know.  

I am way tardy in the sharing of the house pictures.  

We are almost settled, so I am going to try and get motivated to take pictures...or to recruit a friend who takes better pictures than I do.

Here we go.

(As usual, forgive the photography.)

 

Welcome.  This is my front door.  There is another light on the other side of the door, but I chopped it off with my camera.

See that window?

Guess what room is behind that window?

You'll never believe it.

 

This is what you see when you walk through the front door.

Well.  

Except for the front part that didn't make the shot.

We'll get to that another day.

(If you are super observant, you'll notice the blue tape on my stair wall.  I'm going to be hanging a shelf there eventually.)

Anyway. 

If you turn left through the doorway that you really can't see...

You'll be here.

The stained door goes into the master bedroom.  That door was in my great-grandmother's home.  We stripped it and stained it and were able to use its original hardware.

I love it.

The door on the left is a closet which you'll never see.

The door on the right opens into the powder bath.

Yep.  That window gives you a view right to the potty.

I love the powder bath.

As you tour our home, you'll see lots of wall treatments.  

Is that a phrase?

Is there a better phrase?

You'll also hear a lot about Sarah.

Sarah works for our builder.  She helps you pick out stuff.

Sarah rocks.

I had SO many pictures of what I wanted and Sarah helped me make it happen.

We love Sarah.

Anyway.

The wall treatments helped me create the character of an old farmhouse.  

Did I tell you that was my goal?

It was.

I wanted a new, old farmhouse.

So.

I love this light fixture.  It has a chrome chain.

We used an oil rubbed bronze hardware, but have also some chrome stuff here and there.

I hate putting all my eggs in one basket.

 

 

 

Sarah helped me make great choices on my countertops.  We were really trying to save money, so we went to a remnant sale at a granite place and found this little scrap of loveliness for a steal!

I love these exposed hinges.

 

I love this curtain.

I especially love this curtain rod.

Sarah & I went to Lowe's and had some plumbing pipe thing cut to be our rod.

That is exactly how I wanted this house...silk curtains on a galvanized pipe.  I love it.

 

Can you imagine if this curtain did not exist?

Why hello, Mr. UPS man!

I don't think so.

(P.S.  That big lump in the drive is not a dead cow.  It is a pile of rocks.)

Thanks for visiting my bathroom. 

More to come.

Oh.  If anyone is interested, I'll post paint colors and stuff after I show the rooms.  I repeated most colors A LOT.   Unless you need the info sooner or something.  Then you can email me.  Or.  Maybe you would never use these colors in a million years. Don't email me about that.

Have a lovely weekend.

Catching Up

1.  This is the creepiest Halloween costume I've ever seen.

 

2.  The Princess and I went to Riverdance with Beachy Mimi yesterday.  I mean no disrespect to Irish dancers, but I am concerned that they will suffer some long-term knee joint issues.  I was not aware that knees were made to move in so many different directions. 

Another concern that I have after attending the Riverdance performance is the combination of shoes & socks that my mother is choosing.

 

I do believe that is a hiking sock with her sassy boot.

Please let her know that we, as a group, do not approve.

3.  The King is traveling for work.  He had a really long drive yesterday.  Like, 28 hours.  

At 3 a.m. I received a text that included this picture...

 

I replied to ask if that was his current location.

He confirmed that it was, in fact, his current location.

I then asked if it was open at 3 a.m.

He informed me that it was nature, and nature doesn't close.

Here's The King at Niagara Falls at 3 a.m.

 

So, in case you ever find yourself in the area at 3 a.m. and are wondering if Niagara Falls is open...it is.

4.  I need your opinion on chiropractors.  I know that it is often controversial.  I've never been to one, but think that my spine needs adjusting.  Thoughts?

This Weekend, I Lost My Senses Entirely

There are two words that, when used in combination, have historically struck fear into my soul.

Can you handle it?

Youth Retreat.

Since The Princess is now a part of our church's youth, the King and I are serving as co-co-co-co-leaders. 

The Youth Retreat had been on the schedule for a while.  For the longest, it seemed way off in the future.  The move, etc. had caused it to slip my mind a bit.

But frankly, I'd been dreading the entire event.

I do have to say that it was quite a lot of fun.

The kids were not scary.

The topics of conversation did not cause me to convulse.

I slept well.

(I wore earplugs.)

Then came Day 2...

Day 2 was Adventure Day.

Now y'all know me well enough to know that I am not the biggest fan of the "adventure".

Our day started with a kid or two "falling" into the lake.  

In 38 degree temperature.

One of those kids had one pair of shoes and the other had one pair of underwear.

(Yes.  They were both boys.)

I gave the underwear boy my hair dryer to dry his unmentionables.

He promised that my dryer would not touch his undies.

After lunch, we immediately went to the adventure area.

Our first activity was the zip line.

 

Do you see how high that is?

I mean..really?  Do you see?

The Princess has no fear.

 

Me?  Tons of fear.  I climbed really quickly.  I just didn't think about it.  Until I had to step from the pole to the platform...not so easy.

See how my right hand is attached to something?  It was some teensy piece of metal. I couldn't bring myself to let go of it.  

I asked the fella (who, by the way, said he'd never done the zip line) if he could please, please double check my harness.

The King asked if he could go backwards.  

I was asking how the heck to get off of that thing.  

The King was asking if he could run and jump.

I realized that my options were to either glide down or climb down.

Gliding then became my only option.

I couldn't step off of the platform.  I just couldn't do it.  

So I squatted.  And sort of rolled off.  

Like a semi-somersault.

I'm so grateful that there is not a picture of that roll.

 

That's me.  Gliding.  Without an ounce of grace.

So then the next device of torture was The Screamer.  

Here's the deal.

IT IS CALLED THE SCREAMER.

At the point at which I decided to be a cool, hip, youth leader...my brain quit functioning and The Screamer became a possibility.

Basically, you get pulled way high in the sky...like a million feet...and then you are dropped in a free-falling plunge.

Here's The Princess.

Here she goes...

 

 

Her little arms are pumped in the air in complete ecstasy.

Here's her mom.

 

The King is trying to encourage me.

When I look at this picture, all I can think is "if only".

If only I'd known what I was about to experience.

If only someone had truthfully explained what my body was about to endure.

 

I've spent over 30 years trying to avoid the feeling given by The Screamer.

 

The minute that I began plummeting to earth, I realized the mistake that I'd made.

I couldn't scream.

I think I swallowed my tongue for a second.

It was super quick but also incredibly slow.

It is the reason that I don't do roller coasters.

The reason that I'm terrified of airplanes.

The reason that my legs turn to jello when looking down a stairwell over 2 stories tall.

I don't like adrenaline.

I will never, never, never, NO NOT EVER be experiencing The Screamer again. 

Ever.

Am I clear?

The King was understandably scared to try The Screamer after my HORRIFIC experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hot shot.

Still No Photos

I almost didn't post because of the immense amount of guilt I feel for not having house pictures.

Y'all.

I have taken dozens of pictures.

They all stink.

Is it my camera?

My lighting?

My skillz?

All of the above?

I don't want to take a photography class.

I don't want to spend a fortune on a camera.

What to do?

Do you like your camera?

Is it easy to use?

Do you like your friend's camera?  Your sister's?  

Is there a camera you are hoping to purchase?

Please share.