Jeff and I are Grandparents!

... and all the accompanying kin relationships that entails--i.e. my parents and Jeff's are now Great Grandparents! We adopted LB's dad officially on Monday (the first day of Autumn.) He is keeping his name--and LB is a "Jr.", so since our new grandson is still officially in foster care, I still need to be circumspect with names and pictures. Once our new son gets back from overseas (he deploys in a few weeks) and gets physical custody of his son back, I can share all kinds of pictures. (They are both so cute!)

I feel so peaceful knowing LB will always be in our life--and our 19 year old son (20 in Nov) is a good kid--who really needs a family. He has a dad who adopted him and raised him, and whom he loves, as well as his birth mom who didn't raise him, but after court he made the comment, "I've never had a mom AND a dad before." I look forward to sending him lots of care packages and updates on LB--and I know Jeff will make a good mentor. Jeff and Little Buddah and (Big Buddah? no. Big Brother? That'll work.) BB plan on traveling to see BB's extended family over BB's leave.

I went to my annual woman's retreat last weekend. That is such a good thing for me. I drove Myrtle up there (our '82 butt-ugly awesomely gas-efficient Honda) with Zadina and dropped her off with my parents. Then I got a haircut (just a few inches) and then went to the Swanson Center to spend 24 hours in the nurturing company of women: laughing, talking, reading poetry, and spending time in quiet reflection. I made two major goals this year. One was to focus on my marriage. The proces is a little too personal to share here, but Jeff is pleased with our time together so far. (grin)
The other goal is for me to get back into size 8 jeans by the end of next September. I've been eating better and walking: I'm ready to end my "fat decade".

I got two teeth pulled yesterday--the spot is tender, but I was in such pain for the last few months, it is a relief (rather like my feeling after a cesearean....) I still have wisdom teeth up there--maybe they will come down now that there is space for them....

I got a phone call yesterday and one of our pillar members of our church died a few days ago. It's made me very reflective. She was a good woman and I'll miss her sweet smile and gentle words....


We saw Juno last night. It was a fun movie and a huge propaganda for adoption. I wonder if some fundamentalist group helped fund it?