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Come visit us at our new site, http://www.gregg-n-rhonda.com

This is so exciting. Having so many great friends and family all supporting and encouraging us through the adoption process. We've got folks all over the country looking for the birthmom who will choose us to raise the child she's bringing into this world. The whole 'social networking' is an amazing tool. I've been able to find many old friends. In our mobile world, it's so easy to lose touch when a friend moves away. Today I found a dear girlfriend with whom I haven't spoken in five years. It's so great to be able to catch up with her, and if it weren't for the internet, I'd never have found her. Hope everyone is having the kind of day I am. It started with cool breezes, and is ending with the chirp of birds and crickets floating on the evening wind.

We had a fun evening, working on installing the roll cage in Gregg's Wrangler. He's been working on it for about a year, lifting it, adding skids, installing a stronger axle. Still a lot to do, but we've really enjoyed working on this together. I've turned a wrench or two on this puppy myself, and next weekend I'm going to make my first run with me as the driver the whole way. It's a very easy run, called Genoa Peak, in the Eastern Sierras, but for me it's a big step. In the past I've really just ridden along, but this time, I do the driving! One of the great things about wheeling is the great places you get to see. Isolated mountain peaks, broad wild vistas, incredible wildlife. On a run last summer we saw wild horses, it was incredible. Another time, we got to see a bunch of free range cattle, big old bulls, and mamas with their little calves. Things one just doesn't see flying down a straight interstate at 65 miles per hour! So here's to adventure and enjoying life.

What does a "great day" mean?

What a nice and relaxing weekend we had. This morning I stopped at the market on the way to work. The clerk told me, "Have a GREAT day!" with such honest enthusiasm, I had to pause and think about just what that might mean. I wondered, what thing might happen today that would make it truly great? Of course my first thought was that I might hear from my adoption coordinator that we'd been selected by a birth mother. That would be a great day! Then I realized that it really is a GREAT day everyday. Hope everyone is enjoying their day as much as I am mine.

Weekend Fun

We spent the day yesterday at Burnside Lake, and Blue Lakes with our dirt bikes. Gregg planned to go fishing. He even bought a fishing license and worms at the Big 5 here in Minden. Unfortunately, when we got to the lake, we discovered we'd left the bag with the fishing gear in the garage. There were several other friendly folks up there, and Gregg borrowed a fishing pole from one of the guys. He had no luck catching fish, but we really enjoyed sitting quietly by the lake enjoying the fresh breeze and the beautiful scenery. It reminded me of when I was a kid and my dad would take me fishing. I was the only kid in the family who had the patience to sit quietly by the water, watching a line for any sign of movement.
After our fishing adventures, Gregg and I got on our bikes and headed out on a rough, rocky trail, hoping to make our way around the lake. Pretty soon the rocky trail gave way to a grassy meadow, nice and pleasant, right? Well it was, really, until the meadow turned to a bog. We wound up turning around and heading back, but it was still a great ride.
Today we're off to Wally's Hot Springs Spa and Resort, in Genoa, NV. It's a very old establishment, once a favorite of Mark Twain, who said the warm mineral soaks eased his rheumatism. I'm sure it'll do as much for us as it did for him.

A little background

So my husband and I began applying for adoption in summer of 2008. It has been quite a journey so far. We've known for a long time that we wanted children. After our first few years of marriage we were finally ready for all the responsibilities and joys that come with parenthood. We're financially and emotionally stable and I'll be staying home with our child at least for the first few years. We have discovered that we're infertile and now have decided to adopt an infant. The process of qualifying to become adoptive parents is exhaustive, involving background checks, interviews, personal references, fingerprint checks and a lot of waiting. But finally about a month ago we received a letter confirming that we've been APPROVED! Happiest day of our lives so far. Now its all another waiting game and we're trying hard to be patient. Every day, I expect the phone to ring with news of a birthmom who has selected us. While it can be frustrating, it's also very exciting, knowing each morning, we're one day closer to finding the woman who wants us to parent the child she's going to bring into this world. We just keep on keeping on!

Here we go!

We're off on the greatest adventure of our lives. We're heading down the road on our journey to adopt.