Another year together..

 

I Love You
Wayne

How do I begin to tell you how lucky I am
to have you in my life?
I'll start by saying what an honor it is
for me to be your wife.
You're my best friend in the good times,
and my rock in times of sorrow.
You're the reason for sweet yesterdays,
and my promise for tomorrow.
I never thought I could feel this loved
until I became your wife.
You made this year and every year
the best one of my life.

Happy birthday honey.
Love always,

Your wife

Karen

xoxoxox

What's going on

 

The clean up from the tornado is moving along.  Wayne is busy sketching plans to redesign the damaged house's.  We think it will be 6-9 months before everyone is back in their house, and many many years, before the plantation looks anywhere close to normal.

I am still sick, but slowly feeling better.  The combination of medication I am on for my sinus infection has left me with horrid heartburn.  After throwing up several times yesterday I decided I am done with the medication.

We have mandatory training tonight with our foster agency.  "Dealing with the teenaged foster child", is the subject.  Since we are licensed for 0-7yrs old, I asked if we were required to attend.  I was told "yes". 

Still no foster placement, not even a phone call.  I am still going back and fourth, about switching over to DFAC's I just cant make up my mind.  Wayne says we have to stick it out with GA SAFE for a few more months. 

We've been licensed for nearly THREE months, everyone I know has had a placement with three days, not three months.

I backed into a fire hydrant last night, and put a nice lil dent into my new mini van.  This was after I scratched the entire passenger side, while trying to drive through the downed trees.  Someone needs to revoke my license.  I have backed into more things in the passed year than I care to share.  Parked cars, mail boxes, telephone polls, and now a fire hydrant. 

YIKES..

Yes, I did..

 

Not only have a I lost my passport, I have also lost my alien card, marriage license, birth certificate, and both mine and my husbands social security cards.

HELP!

Clean up

 

We have spent every waking minute helping my in laws clean up after the storm.  We managed to get them moved into another house on the plantation.  We went through the damaged house and took out clothes, dishes, pictures, the kids toys,etc. 

The men spent several hours going through the woods, looking for things that had been blown miles away from the house. 

We are not sure if the house is fixable, or if it needs to be torn down, and rebuilt. Either way it will be several months before they can move back into their house.

It's sad to drive around the plantation, it doesn't look the same, and it never will.  Most of the trees that were knocked down where 30-100 years old.  There are no birds singing in the trees, they are all on the ground life less.

In the last four days I have seen one live deer, usually you see ten or more a day.

Its a shocking sight to see, but in the end we are all thankful that no one was killed.

Material things, can be replaced, and houses can be rebuilt.

So shocked pt 2

 

 

So shocked..

 

Last night I lay awake in bed, listening to the wind, rain and thunder.  Each time I closed my eyes, another thunderous bang woke me up. At 1:24am my sister in law Tracey called screaming down the phone. They had just been hit by a tornado.  I jumped up, screaming for Wayne to get out of bed. I sent Wayne  to check the weather to make sure there were no more tornado warnings.. As he opened his computer the power went out.

I called my sister Nicola who lives in Virginia, and asked her to check the weather for me online.  She gave us the all clear, and we tried to make our way to their house.  We got about 2 miles (they live 4 miles away), before being stopped by a downed tree.

We tired several times to get around the tree, after half an hour we made it passed, only to be faced with live downed power lines. 

We knew Tracey, and her family where alive and well, but her husband was bleeding from glass cuts.  The fireman told us it would be sunlight before we got anywhere near their house. So at 3:30am we returned home until the sun came up. 

EMS, fire fighters, and forest rangers tired to reach them, but they were unable to do so.  By 8:30am we were able to get a tractor close enough to take Mike (Tracey;s) husband to the hospital. About 20 minutes later, Wayne and I arrived to pick up Tracey and her two girls. 

The devastation is unreal. The disaster spans over 18 miles, within "our plantation" we have lost over 200 acres of trees, 3 houses, 4-5 builds, 2-3 cars totaled, with 5-6 other cars damaged.  Power lines are strew across roads, Roofs are laying in ditches, and there are buildings on top of cars.

I am speechless, totally speechless.

Q and A

 

Once people found out we were becoming foster parents the number one question I have been asked is:

Q "Do you suffer from infertility problems?"

A: As far as we are aware we have no fertility problems.  I have always wanted to foster, and when Wayne agreed I jumped at the chance.  We will be having biological children one of these years.

Q: "You said you were born in Scotland, why did you move to the US"?

A:  When I was 6 my Mum remarried.  My step Dad was in the US military.  The base in Scotland, was closing down, so we ended up moving too Virginia Beach in the early 90's !

under the weather

 

I have not been feeling well since Sunday..Today I am having a hard time breathing,..I got a snotty nose, sinus pressure, and a hacking cough.  Which all leads to a massive headache.  I just wanna curl up in bed, and go to sleep.

I promise I will answer the questions that some of you asked, as soon as I nix this headache.

spur of the moment..

 

We're back!

On Tuesday my boss asked if Wayne, and I would like to tag along to the beach.   It would involve work, but also plenty of time off.

We arrived late Thursday night, spent a few hours chatting, before heading to bed around midnight. Friday morning we ventured to the breakfast club, where we ate enough to last all day.

Wayne, and I then took the boys to Oatland Island wildlife park. 

The park was massive, and the exhibits where far apart, but it was a lovely day so the walking was nice!

 

 

When we visited the wolf exhibit William was shouting a doggie a doggie! Parker enjoyed feeding the baby gator!

On the other side of the park, there was a petting zoo. Parker had fun chatting with the chickens.  William was fascinated with the "moo cow"

Near the end of our visit William refused to ride in the stroller.

 

He also refused to walk, so he decided to lay down in the middle of the woods, and take a nap! 

_____________________________________________

Wayne, and I celebrated Valentines day a day early.  We  had grand plans of having a picnic on the beach for valentines day.   Mother nature had other plans, it was pouring down!  We searched the Island for a new place to dine. we ended up a Charlie's, a formal restaurant.  I had roast duck, and Wayne feasted on lamb chops.

Wayne surprised me with a lovely peal necklace.

Saturday we took it easy, lazed around in our Pj's until noon! We then walked the beach, and went to a few shops.

Saturday night we took the boys out for some sea food.  There was a live band playing, and the boys enjoyed dancing in their seats!

Sunday Wayne, and I woke up sick.  I think we both have sinus infections.  We took Parker to climb the light house.

It was the highlight of Parkers day!  He wanted to re climb the light house. Afterwards we headed back to the beach house, packed up, and headed back to T-ville. 

Questions

 

A few people have emailed me question regarding "stuff" I post on my blog.  I will post the answers on Friday.  If you have a question for me post it in the comments section, and I will answer it as well.

A little update..

 

I have kind of given up counting points, but I am still following a low fat, high fiber, diet.  I have lost 17.5lbs in a month!!  Wayne has lost 14lbs!! 

My nephew Alex, had another seizure today.  After a dramatic/traumatic trip to the hospital via an ambulance it was discovered that the seizure was caused by a slight fever brought on by an ear infection.

Wayne's hand is healing, just waiting to see how bad it is going to scar.

Still no placement, but hey that's the story of my life.

We are heading out of town tomorrow, and should be back home Sunday.

P.s congrats to my sister Nicola on buying her first house!

What a mess..

 

My husband is slowly falling a part.  A few day ago he  burnt his hand while cooking dinner. Causing second degree burns on the back of his hand.  The burns  cover the portion of his hand that is covered  in the picture below.

I am convinced he is trying to bankrupt us with all of his medical ailments.

 

Off to the doctor's we go first thing tomorrow..

Today I didn't do it!

 

I found this on another website, and it is oh so true, even for those who don’t have children.  Men just don't have a clue. Where would this world be without women?

 

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard. The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog.
Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.
In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.
He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.
As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"
She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world did I do today?"
"Yes," was his incredulous replied.
She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."

quote

 

"Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of others...for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received."
Albert Einstein

An angel or a Devil?

 

Me, and the hubby in St. Augustine.  I was shocked at how much I look like my Mum!

Enjoy!

Go away

 

MRSA, has struck its ugly head again.  Willie-B's mama now has it.

Today I went to Wal-mart and bought antibacterial everything. If it doesn't get rid of the MRSA, at least we will be clean.  8 bottles of hand soap, 3 big bottles of hand sanitizer, 2 antibacterial body wash, 5 small hand sanitizers, 1 bag travel hand sanitizer wipes, 1 thing of Lysol house hold wipes, and a container of antibacterial wipes. 

 

Now all six of us have to take bleach baths at least two times a week.  We have also to do daily nasal swabs. 

We've been dealing with this shit for eight months.  With a short break in the month of December. I am SOOOOO over it.

Placement..

 

I have been trying not to think too much about fostering,  but its really bugging me that we haven't gotten a placement.   I KNOW there are kids out there in need of a home, they just aren't with our agency.

We have had a few "false placements"

We have been called to do respite a few times, which we have agreed to do.  It's like we good enough to baby sit, but not to parent. 

We started our foster care journey back in June of 2008, got our license 6 months later, and here we are another 2 months after that with no placement.

We attend any required training, and even some that are not required.  We are members of the local foster parents association, we meet with them monthly.

I have the room all set up, we're just waiting for the phone to ring..

St Augustine, part 2!

 

We talked around the town looking at the beautiful

architecture!

After hours of walking around, we went back to the fort

and laid in the grass soaking in the sun, and watching the boats sail by.

Me sporting my diva hat lol.

We then took a horse and carriage ride around the city.

 

Afterwards we went to dinner, and headed home.  What a great weekend!

St. Augustine

 

We had a great weekend in St. Augustine.  My Mother in law, sister in law, and niece came up to hang out with us!

We arrived around lunch time on Saturday, walked about the shops, had some lunch, and went to the hotel to check in.  After everyone settled in we headed to the alligator farm, it was interesting, but not worth the money!

Afterwards we went to climb the Light house, which is located on Anastasia Island.  Four hundred and thirty eight stairs, up and down.  My legs are still suffering.

By the time we got to the bottom we were all starved! We went to dinner,  a few shops, and then back to the hotel for bed!

On Sunday we were up and out by 9am, which is unheard of for me on a Sunday.  We went to Castillo De San Marcos, which is the oldest existing fort in the United States. 

 

We watched them shoot off a cannon, it was pretty neat.

The view from the top of the fort was lovely.

 

After saying good bye to my in laws, Wayne, and I went for lunch at a little hole in the wall pub.  On our way to the shops we stumbled  upon this man..

 

He was playing a saw using a violin bow. Amazing!

Will post more later..