At Long Last!

It took me 3.5 years, but at long last, I have managed to add a few more letters to the end of my name.
On Sunday I graduated with my Masters is Business Administration.


My parents came up to help us celebrate.


John Henry had a hard time sitting through the ceremony, but when I walked across the stage to get my diploma he recognized his mama and called out to me! What a smart little guy!


This day marks the end of our formal education. Either one or both of us has been a student for all 8 years of our marriage. It was a great day for us. We made it!

The Living Cabbage Patch Baby

I know, I know, no knitting, I swear, there will be knitting a plenty after this week!

But my poor little sister, who may actually die of the anticipation of meeting this adorable little Cabbage Patch Baby, needs photos of her and her giddy daddy. (seriously, he hasn't stopped grinning for two days- it is seriously silly.)

So enjoy! (Oh, and that is a hand knit sweater in the first photo, you can't see it very well, but it is there. . . see knitting!)

Daddy's Little Girl

We are so happy to welcome our newest little girl to the family. See how much she loves her Daddy! (My little brother- you're gonna be a great daddy.)

Serious Problems on the Knitting Front

I've never gone this long without knitting. I am having serious life overload. The socks are on hold. The lace is on hold. This sweater, something I cast on for some mindless knitting, has about three inches left on the second sleeve. It's been that way for over two weeks. School has killed my most effective stress relief. Well, at least put it in a coma. The only good thing about it. . . I GRADUATE IN 3.5 WEEKS!!!



Other good news??? Well our stairs (the only entrance into our house) have been torn up for three or four weeks. The Duke decided to hire someone to finish them. Ivan did a great job!


The risers looking up from the bottom.


Yeah! No more entering the house via a ladder to our second story living room. No I am not kidding.


Oh and just because they are beautiful. . . My mom and my adorable new nephew.

Beautiful Women

The women in my family are so beautiful and I am so grateful that my little sister arranged for us to have a wonderful day and to capture how much we mean to one another.

Thanks Justin!

What is sounds like in my head

This is why I am not blogging right now- kudos to you if you actually are able to read it.

Hello all, I am off to Utah on Friday to spend Mother's Day with all my favorite Moms. School, adoption, Little Sir, and sleep are consuming me. I am actually going days at a time without knitting (yes, I am loosing my mind.) I only have 5 weeks left of school, though. I am nearly finished with a sweater for Little Sir (couldn't handle turning heels, so socks are in waiting.) We are hopeful for some adoption progress soon (although that wouldn't free up any more time, would it?- Still that is one additional commitment I'll happily add!) I will try to blog about something interesting while I am there, but no promises. I all ready have "appointments" on several days and I am taking school work with me. Ugh- graduation you can't come soon enough. I am all ready frazzled about not being in Utah long enough to see everyone (hello! My best friend had a baby and I MUST go see her. When? Kerst? Sunday?) Also reminding myself that I will be in Utah again at the end of June and I will be there for longer then and I will be graduated by then (is that really going to happen? It seems so unreal.) Also, I want to finish the Duke's quilt and I NEED to finish the lace for my MIL's dress while I am there (which I am knitting- um, Princess and Queen, you may get a crash course in lace knitting while I am there.) But I am so getting ahead of myself. Before I go I have to buy Little Sir several pair of new pants, his 18 mo ones are all too short now, oh and onsies too, they all fit in the body, but too short in the arms. I am raising a monkey child. Speaking of which, did I tell you all about how he peed all over me today. Yup, he had a bad diaper rash (which appeared out of nowhere- he didn't have it this morning,) was crying because it hurt so bad when I changed his diaper, didn't want me to put a diaper back on, just wanted me to hold him and comfort him, so I did. Next thing I am SOAKED in baby urine. Yep, that is love. OK, and I need to do laundry, I have NO clean clothes and I want to buy a new outfit for the pictures we are getting taken on Tuesday. Hopefully something that make my massive breasts look smaller- I am thinking of having something done about them (read surgery,) they are so annoying and heavy. TMI? Sorry, I didn't think anyone would actually make it this far. Well, there you go, I blogged. This is a tribute to my mother (who not only thinks like this, but also talks and lives like this- can you imagine?) Love you, Mom. Thanks for passing on the never ending voice in my head. At least it sings sometimes. It is also a tribute to my education (may it come to an end soon) think about how much effort it has taken for me to learn how to write in a coherent way when I am thinking like this!



Now, your reward (or reprieve)- I can not believe this was my boy last summer. OOOOH, I so need another one of those sweet smelling, big deer eyed, cooing little, adorable beings. (Taking nothing, of course from Little Sir, who is the most perfect toddler on the plant- did I tell you he unloaded the silverware from the dish washer today for me- he can barley reach the drawer they go it, so I would wait until he went back to the dishwasher - this was a one by one process- and I would put the one he just put in the drawer into its proper slot- he is simply a genius, what can I say?) I just can't wait for another little bundle to come to our home. I guess I will get my temp fix this week with ET, the Princess' new little man. Gah! I can hardly wait to hold him. (I think I just started lactating a little- not really, just water I spilled on my previously mentioned massive breasts- they do get in the way.) Oh and I just wanted to let you know that this manic post was brought to you completely caffeine free. Imagine what happens after I've had a Coke! Now you know why I don't drink it very often!

Awful Awful People

The Duke and I have been victims of our first (and hopefully last) adoption scam. No, we were not taken for any money, just taken on a bit of an emotional ride. I am posting it here so that it search-able and other people will be able to easily and quickly discover that this is a scam.

First Email

Name: Melissa
E-mail Address: melissalood1987@gmail.com
Phone #:
Affiliation: Birthmother
Comments: ----------------------------------
Dear adoptive parents i am considering the the adoption of my lovely baby Cerli. She is 6 months old. Due to the circumstances that has brought me to taking this decision which has not been easy, i just wish that baby Cerli goes to a home that she will grow up with parental love and care. I read through your profile and was strongly moved so i decided to contact you since you would be very good adoptive parents for baby Cerli. I will wait to here from. Here is my email address you can contact me for more information.have a nice day.

Second Email

Good day ***** and ******,
I want to first of all ask how you both spent your weekend ?
Baby Cerli is doing find and she can't wait to be in her new home.
I stay in East Sussex ,in a place called Brighton . It is a nice place
but i do not really like it much. Brandon(Cerli's father) died a few
weeks after his right were terminated . He had a car crash, I really
don't want to talk about it since it makes me feel really bad , It is
sad situation we have,
About my family , I am the first from a family of three and the only
girl , my father is on a wheel chair and lives with my brothers in
Ireland ,My mother died while i was still in High School. They are all
supportive on my idea about considering Adoption for baby Cerli,
I also have some questions to ask both of you as well. I think this
would make us get to know each other very well too. Since i am
considering you as Adoptive Parents for baby Cerli ,i would like to
know the following information about you :
What state do you live in?
What religion are you?
Do have have any other children?
Why do you want to adopt?
How do your family and friends feel about adopting children?
Do you have any pets?
What kind of schools do you intend to send baby Cerli to?(private / public)
How did you and Lincoln meet?
How long have you and Lincoln been married?
How big is your extended family?
What do you do during holidays?
What are your hobbies?
Are you willing to give me the type of contact Such as visits,
pictures, videos, letters, etc after Adopting?
How often ?
I am really sorry about all the questions but it is a hard decision i
am making and i want the best for baby Cerli , that is why i am taking
time to ask all the questions which would make me get to know the kind
of couple and family you are , and also the kind of home baby cerli
would be leaving for.Please also feel free to ask any information or
questions about me or baby Cerli , i would be very happy to answer to
your questions. I have been discussing with mr willian connor a lawyer
helping us through this adoption process . He promise to get in
contact with you and ******* .
Hope to read from you soon.
Melissa Mckayla.