Strange Dream

This weekend I woke up in a panic after I had a strange dream. I dreamed that my local homestudy agent was retiring and I was worried that I won't be able to finish my post-placement adoption appointments, etc.
Well, tonight I got a call from my homestudy agent. I haven't talked to her in months. She was passing through and needed a place to park her van and sleep for the night. Could she sleep in our driveway?
As I visited with her, I flat out asked her if she was retiring? Her jaw hit the floor. Sure enough she had been contemplating it this weekend. I told her my dream and she responded that that was the same day she had felt directed that it was time to retire. We both got goosebumps and she told me that the dream confirmed to her that she should retire. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Anyway, she reassured me that she would finish up with the current adoptions, etc. that are in place, but would not be taking any new clients. It will probably take her a year to retire. Phew! She said 2 families she deals with got babies this week and they weren't expected to get babies for 3-4 months. (domestic adoptions). So, she feel optimistic that our referral will happen soon. Let's hope so! The wait is driving me crazy!

Hair Frugality

This weekend I did something I have never done. I colored my own hair. This was a huge step for me as my hair is my splurge. I am sick and tired of feeling like I'm getting ripped off every time I get my hair done. The hair places where we live charge an arm and a leg. I have thick hair and they always charge me for double color. So, I pay around $250 every time I go just for a cut and a color. I can the same thing done in Utah for around $80 and the skill level of the hairdressers seem about the same to me.

Some people would say, just skip the coloring. No way! After I had my first child at age 24, my hair all of the sudden got gray spots. I think it may have been due to a 42 hour long labor. Maybe my body got so stressed out that it turned my hair gray. I don't know, but that's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

So, I have been coloring my hair for a long time and I'm not ready to look like an old lady. My friend told my that she uses "Nice and Easy" hair coloring and I must say it was nice and easy. I think I did a great job matching the color and I'm happy with the results.

This year we are financially strapped and we are challenging all financial purchases. We hardly ever go out to eat anymore, and have cut back in every area possible.

Speaking of hair, I cut all of the boys hair and my husbands. I figure this saves me $75-$100 every time I cut their hair. I have no training other than just by experimenting. They got some pretty scary cuts at first, but I must say that now I'm pretty handy with the scissors.
I'd love to hear your money saving tips and ways that you are cutting back financially.

Typhoon Morakot

We still have not received our referral, but are waiting anxiously for news at any time. I want to post a few pictures of the devestation Typhoon Morakot left behind. It is a very sad situation. Most of the children that our adoption agency places are from the southern Taiwan area -which suffered the worst devastation. The children already in the orphanage are safe. Since we have not received our referral, I often wonder if the typhoon will somehow affect our own child. Perhaps sadly, it will create more orphans, or perhaps her family or extended family might have been affected by it. I can only pray that the relief agencies will be able to help out as much as possible in a timely manner!

So, here are a few pictures, so I can keep them for her scrapbook.

An aerial view of flooding caused by Typhoon Morakot in Chiatung, Taiwan

A man carries a baby as a family is rescued from flooding brought by Typhoon Morakot in Chiatung, Pingtung county, in southern Taiwan, on August 9, 2009.

A hotel building leans before falling in a heavily flooded river after Typhoon Morakot hit Taitung county, Taiwan, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009. The six-story hotel collapsed and plunged into the river Sunday morning after floodwaters eroded its base - all 300 people in the hotel had been evacuated and uninjured, officials said.

A girl is carried out from mudslide caused by Typhoon Morakot in Chiashien, Kaohsiung county, in southern Taiwan, on August 10, 2009.

Four-Wheeling Dinner

Tonight we decided to take a four-wheeling ride up the road. Gerry's knees are finally well enough to go riding. We turned off the road to a remote place that we knew had a fire pit. We didn't know we would have company for dinner.

There was one bull that checked us out for quite a while. We were a bit nervous that he was going to charge us, but finally he went up the hill to join his harem. Whew! They left us many pies - and not the good kind. Eww!

We cooked our hot dogs, and had a great time.

It's great to be riding again!

Guess the Songs

Lately, I've been noticing funny songs that my kids have sung incorrectly. See if you can guess the songs:

"Cheese my cherry pie." - sung by Ian, Jeremiah and Parker.

"Rock the Cashbox." - sung by Jeremiah

"Give me the BEACH BOYS, and free my soul...." - sung by Jeremiah