Dinner and a Show

Last weekend we made a quick trip up to Denver to see Brad Paisley in concert!! He put on a FAN-tastic show, as usual. I don't think he could sing a song I would hate. Though, admittedly, I could certainly do without "Remind Me." Not sure why, but that song just annoys me.

Brad Paisley

The Band Perry

Scotty McCreary (sp?) and The Band Perry were also there. Scotty was okay. Not a bad voice on the kid. I was so excited to see The Band Perry, though! I love their Rock'n'Roll-Twang-Country style they've got going on and man, can that girl sing! That have some great new songs out there. Looks like they won't be just one-hit-wonders!

Before the concert we stopped and ate at an old western saloon built in the 1800s, called Buckeyes. What an eclectic place. Ace Ventura would not have appreciated the hundreds of stuffed animals lining the walls! From elk and deer to zebras and birds. They also served a variety of meats! We had elk, quail, and ostrich. It was all so delicious!

Aside from our night of fun, things have been pure chaos! Not only is the adoption process enough paperwork to last a lifetime, but we are also moving next month. The paperwork to apply for  a mortgage loan is next to impossible. Literally. They were asking for things that didn't even exist. After the last three days of scrambling around, thinking we weren't going to get this dang loan approved, it looks like we are finally in clear waters again. We will be moving (fingers crossed) into our new home on Valentines Day! Boy, what a present! 

Our adoption process is momentarily put on hold, just for a few weeks, until we get moved and into our new place. About a week after the move we have our final home study interview planned! Our caseworker will come and check out the place, make sure we have room for our child in a safe environment and we aren't going to make them live in a closet, and finalize our home study paperwork. Once that is compiled we will be so close to turning in our dossier to Ethiopia! So far we've completed everything from fingerprints, to blood tests, to background checks... even parenting classes. Gee, some of this seems like reasonable preparation for any new parent! Once we get all our paperwork in, we could possibly wait another year before we get our referral... basically we are hurrying up to do a lot of waiting. With over 210 million orphans in the world today, its frustrating that there are so much legal paperwork and fees to get these children into loving homes.


With everything going on, including hectic work schedules and plenty of school work for each of us, we can't wait until our cruise next week! Thank you, Poppo Barros! Rest and relaxation, here we come! And snorkeling and the Mayan ruins! A family vacation with the whole Barros clan will be a blast. What  wonderful family we have both been blessed with. When our caseworker asked us why we wanted to adopt, one of our answers was simply because we both had such wonderful childhoods; we want to be able to share that with another person.

Sunday Drive

Fröhliche Weihnachten

So my Christmas greeting is a little late, but as some of you may know, we had a German Christmas this year! No, not in Germany (too bad...), but there was roast goose, red cabbage, gingerbread, and tons of other delicious cookies and goodies!

My family and Jeff's dad came to visit and having a house full of family was lots of fun. There was tons of food, some good wine, and laughs to share. There was also a lot of Michael Jackson dancing...

Jeff and I cut down our first real Christmas tree this year! That was certainly an adventure. We ended up with a huge and beautiful tree. So huge and beautiful in fact, that our tree base wasn't enough to hold it down and it ended up toppling over and breaking some of our ornaments. Jeff had to secure it tighter in the base and even tied it to our railing with some fishing line. Good times...

Jeff and I got tons of camping gear! We can't wait until it warms up outside so that we can use it all. Jeff has already "broken in" his sleeping bag, as he puts it, by taking naps in it on the couch and our bed. I got Jeff some Toms shoes and he got me a travel book to Ethiopia! Plus, some other cool things like a new vacuum, too. :) We are praying we will be going to Ethiopia by next Christmas to pick up the best Christmas present ever!

P.S... We saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie with the fam: LOVED it!

 

A Fighter for His Family

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

2 Timothy 4:7-8

2011 saw a lot of fighting. Friends were deployed overseas to fight for our country, Jeff joined the Air Force to be a spiritual supporter of those fighting for our freedom, and we also witnessed loved ones fighting for their lives, right to the very end.

Fighting can be a vital part of life. It is very difficult to learn of a teenager's suicide attempt while your grandfather is lying on his death bed, just fighting to breath. So many emotions bubble to the top, but the question that plays over in my mind is: What does my grandpa have to fight for that this kid doesn't? People like Gandhi promoted non-violence, but he also said, "A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave." Two of the bravest people I know fought hard this year. They were both awarded with heaven.


My grandpa passed away on New Year's Eve, bringing an ultimate close to the year. I was honored by getting to say a little something at his funeral. Or in the words of Derek Zoolander, I was a "eugoogoolizer." You know? "One who speaks at funerals?" Anyway... here is a thank you from his children:


Words cannot express our love and gratitude to you, to God, for blessing us with your presence in our lives. We shall try anyway. If our love were a light, this place would be shining brighter than the sun, like a beacon of hope in this dark world. And though we are grieving and will miss your earthly presence here with us, we are grateful, and maybe a bit envious, that you are finally home; that you have begun your eternal life praising our Lord and Creator; that you are now living in a perfect body with no more fear of pain or death; that you are now basking in the glorious light of the man we call our Savior and get to hug his neck and kiss his cheek; that you are looking down upon us with Jesus by your side, whispering in your ear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."


You have been a light to us, instilling in us all the importance of faith in your life. One of my greatest memories growing up was coming to visit and driving over the crazy hills to go to grandma and grandpa's church. As a young child, hearing my grandparents sing what is now my favorite hymn, I'll Fly Away, I didn't have a clue of the impact that experience would have on my life - honestly, I didn't understand the impact of Jesus in your own life just yet; not until the day He impacted mine. That was when I reached that understanding, when I realized, that's what my grandpa was talking about, what he was singing about. Victory in Jesus was just a hymn my grandpa and grandma sang, but on that day it became a hymn, a song of worship, my heart sang. So thank you for that memory and for that small seed of light that is part of the foundation of, not only mine, but of many growing faiths. Though we may have argued, shied away, and maybe even disappointed you at times, we thank you for your love, not just for us as your children, but for our hearts and for our eternal souls.