Happy Birthday Kyle

Today is Kyle's 39th B-day. One more year until the big 40!! We had a great dinner w/ my mom at a restaurant called 53 South.

http://www.53south.com/restaurant_hm.htm

It was excellent. We all had the salmon special and it was UNBELIEVABLE!!!! We told the waitress that it was Kyle's b-day and she presented his dessert to him w/ the plate decorated. Of course I had to take a picture of it for the blog. Thank god for my cell phone camera. Overall, I think Kyle was happy with his day. Tomorrow we get to met our new doggie nephew Cuinn pronounced like Quinn, which apparently means wise in Gaelic. Below is a shot of our niece Alyssa with her new puppy!

We'll take more pictures of the new puppy tomorrow. Oh by the way, his breed is a red fox retriever.

We hope everyone has a great weekend.

Cancer Stinks!

I’ve wanted to write a post regarding cancer for some time now. My sister-in-law’s father was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. He is one of the nicest men I know and I just feel so bad and helpless. Cancer is just everywhere and I’m just fed up! My father’s wife Barbara is battling breast cancer for the 3rd time and last year my father had both prostate and colon cancer.

My sister Megan is doing the 3 day Avon Breast Cancer walk. I am so proud of her. See link: http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk2008/Boston?px=3961322&pg=personal&fr_id=1440 She will have to walk 60 miles in 3 days! She is doing it in my aunt Deirdre’s memory who died at age 37 of this awful disease and for Barbara and many other women! My aunt Maureen is also battling cancer as well as many other people. I just want cancer to go away!!!!!!!!!

Last week I watched this AMAZING documentary on PBS called “The Truth About Cancer.” I balled the entire time but I’m glad I watched it b/c I learned so much and was so inspired by the various individuals that they covered in the film. If any of you happen to see it on your PBS stations I STRONGLY encourage you to watch it but make sure you have a full box of Kleenex with you.

The PBS website also has this really great Disease Risk Index which allows you to gauge your risk of developing five of the most important diseases in the United States and get personalized tips for preventing them.
It was developed over the past ten years by the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, Disease Risk Index collects the latest scientific evidence on disease risk factors into one easy-to-use tool.
To try it, go to the follow link: http://www.diseaseriskindex.harvard.edu/

I know that so many of the cancers out there are out of our control but there is still a lot we can do. A few examples are as follows:

1. Don’t smoke
2. Eat well
3. Exercise-since the weather has finally warmed up we’ve gone on a 2 mile walk the past 4 nights. I’m really trying to just get out there and move!!!! Plus, I need to lose some of my winter weight.
4. Don’t microwave or freeze plastic. I know this is somewhat controversial and that it hasn’t necessarily been proven but I really think that we are better off if we don't microwave plastic and instead use glass containers.

I also just read that you can download the documentary for free for your IPOD or MP3 player.
You can read more about it below and you can also watch it online. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/cancer/

THE TRUTH ABOUT CANCER PREMIERES ON PBS APRIL 16, 2008
Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker Linda Garmon Takes on the Question "How Far Have We Come in the War on Cancer?"
News Journalist and Cancer Survivor Linda EllerbeeHosts Post-Broadcast Panel Discussion
What is the truth about cancer? Is it the same deadly killer it was 30 years ago - or are we making progress? Find out through the poignant stories of patients battling the disease. Written, produced, and directed by award-winning filmmaker Linda Garmon, The Truth About Cancer premieres nationally on PBS Wednesday, April 16, at 9:00pm ET (check local listings). Comprised of a 90-minute documentary followed by a 30-minute panel discussion, the two-hour broadcast event takes a deep look inside the cancer field gauging how far we have come in this decades-old war and asking, "Why does anyone still die of cancer?"
Part science, part personal catharsis, part character-driven storytelling, The Truth About Cancer is narrated by Garmon, who tells the moving story of her husband's battle with cancer. Over the course of the film, Garmon returns to the same Boston-area hospitals at which her husband was treated, and exposes startling truths about survival rates of metastisized cancers, and the limited success of drugs and clinical trials. Interwoven throughout are the stories of three additional cancer patients, and their families and doctors, as they navigate the deeply personal decisions surrounding the disease. The documentary also follows several medical professionals working to promote screening, research the latest developments in cancer treatment, and help patients and their families live with a cancer diagnosis.
"This film makes it clear that it's very much a part of American culture to believe that if you fight hard enough, you can beat cancer. But when it comes to having metastatic cancer, your survival depends on the biology of your cancer cells, and whether they are susceptible to state-of-the-art treatment," says Garmon. "In sharing my husband's story and the stories of other patients, I hope to shed light on this important truth."
The Truth About Cancer is the third installment of PBS's Take One Step—a campaign offering primetime programming and outreach tools to help people take the first step towards better health. Following the 90-minute documentary is a 30-minute panel discussion entitled Take One Step: A Conversation About Cancer with Linda Ellerbee. News journalist and breast cancer survivor Linda Ellerbee moderates the dialogue featuring a panel of doctors, all of whom are cancer survivors themselves. Having sat on both sides of a cancer diagnosis, the panel shares their unique perspectives, offering both personal and professional observations on how to handle a cancer diagnosis, what to say to loved ones, how to advocate for yourself, and how to best live your life, with cancer. Panelists include U.S. News and World Report health editor Dr. Bernadine Healy; breast cancer surgeon and Breast Cancer Research stamp mastermind Dr. Ernie Bodai; neurologist and leading palliative care expert Dr. Richard Payne; and counseling psychologist Dr. Paul Brenner.
The Truth About Cancer is a Carousel Films LLC Production for WGBH Boston. Laurie Donnelly is Executive Producer for WGBH. Funding for The Truth About Cancer is provided by Susan G. Komen For The Cure and the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.

Adoption Poem & New Outfit

Hi All,

We had a pretty low-key weekend b/c Kyle had to do an overnight shift on Friday. On Saturday, he was super tired as a result of working all night so I was left to my own devices on Saturday. I called a few friends @ that last minute but they all had plans. I wound up enjoying the gorgeous weather and sitting outside and finishing my book (The Year of Magical Thinking.) It was a good book but somewhat depressing. It hit 71 degrees here and I felt like a new person in the warm weather. It just makes me feel so alive. I must add though that today was back to the high 40's.

On Saturday night we went to the Bass Pro shop to get Kyle a few b-day gifts and then to the new LL BEAN store. My hubby let me use his gift certificate to buy myself an outfit. Like I really need any more clothes! I do love my new khaki pants and cardigan sweater though. What do you all think? Thanks Kyle!

I had to post an anonymous poem I found a few weeks ago online about adoption because I think it rocks. I'm not into poetry much but love this.

“I didn’t give you the gift of life,

But in my heart I know.

The love I feel is deep and real,

As if it had been so.

For us to have each other

Is like a dream come true.

No, I didn’t give you The gift of life,

Life gave me the gift of you.”– Author Unknown

Sunday Snuggle

Here is a picture of Cait & Rose sleeping. Just a rainey Sunday

in New England & a perfect day for a nap. We'll post a long post later. This shot was taken on Cait's cell so it isn't the best quality.

We Are Getting Fingerprinted!

Hi All,

I saw this picture online last week and thought it was super cute and had to share. You all know how I love dogs. If only I could get Rosie to do this.

We had a very busy weekend with our nieces Courtney and Lauren. We took pictures but Kyle has not uploaded them yet so I'll post at a later date. On Friday night we had dinner at one of our favorite Thai places. I was disappointed b/c the Pad Thai was really off. Every once and awhile the taste of it is off and it was also too soupy! Of course this lead to me decide that we had to have dessert. We hardly ever order dessert but I've always wanted to try the fried ice cream there. BTW, we go to this Thai place on a regular basis. The fried ice cream was yummo!! Of course I had to find a picture online in case anyone hasn't had fried ice cream. Ours looked pretty similar except it had chocolate sauce instead.

On Saturday, Kyle left home early to go to a home show in Providence, RI with our brother-in-law Jay. I spent the day with the girls. We went and saw the movie College Road Trip, see link below. http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/collegeroadtrip/ It was actually a really cute movie. Kyle met us for dinner @ Not Your Average Joe's, http://www.notyouraveragejoes.com/. Since it was Courtney's b-day weekend she got to pick where we ate. Lauren really wanted us to go to this Japanese steak house that she recently went to for a b-day party but since it was Courtney's b-day, she won. So, we promised Lauren we would do a birthday weekend for her & go to the Japanese place. I'm psyched b/c I've always wanted to go to a Japanese Steakhouse. Boy do the kids keep us busy.

My sister-in-law, Nicole (Courtney's mom) joined us with her four other kids at the restaurant. After dinner, we drove back to the condo and watched Princess Diaries Two. It was a really cute movie. The girls were very giddy during the movie due to huge amounts of candy consumption. However, they were really good and went to bed without hesitation. I have a spare wheelchair and they just want to play in it all the time! It is funny how my old dumpy wheelchair can entertain them so easily!

The next morning we were awaken by the girls. Apparently, the batteries had died during the night to the Carbon monoxide detector and it was giving the beep signal that the batteries needed replacing. Kyle pulled them out and we got up and had pancakes for breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes for the girls and blueberries for us. We then met up with my mom and all went to church. After church we drove to the mall to get a coffee drink that the girls had tried on Saturday-decaf for the kids of course! We then dropped off the girls and went home and took a nap. That night was kind of a let down. It was very quiet again. I did make a pretty good dinner for us though (bllackened salmon, wild rice and broccoli.) I've been trying to eat more salmon b/c it is so good for you but it definitely is not one of my favorite fishes.

Ok, so... on to getting fingerprinted. We got notification by mail last Friday that we have an appointment at the INS-immigration & naturalization services, to get fingerprinted. This is part of the I-600A process which allows us to adopt a foreign born infant. We were surprised that the INS contacted us so quickly because we just sent our application in a few weeks ago. So, things are progressing on the adoption front. We should receive our passports in a few weeks and we just finished an adoption training guide and 19 homework assignments that went with it.

There has been a lot of issues going on in Vietnam and there is a chance that the county could stop adoptions if things don't change. Evidently there have been cases when birth parents have been forced into giving up their children under false pretenses i.e. they will eventually get them back. Unless Vietnam gets this issues settled there is talk that Vietnam could close this September. We've been assured that if all our information in processed by then than we should be ok. I really hope that we can have everything completed by then. Please keep us in your prayers b/c if Vietnam closes we are pretty much up a creek without a paddle. At the same time, we don't want it to stay open if corruption is going on, so it is a hard situation. We have to just hope and pray that it will all work out. For more info on what is going on with adoptions in Vietnam check out the link below from our adoption agency:

http://www.vorf.org/?tab=2&page=4&id=28