New Callings

I know, I'll get pictures up again soon. It's hard (relatively speaking) when I don't blog off my own computer.

But, here in sunny California, Marcus and I have new callings. We actually got them our second week here...but I just haven't really talked about it yet. So, for those of you interested...

Marcus is teaching the 12 and 13 year olds Sunday School class. And I'm the 1st counselor in the Young Women's presidency. So, I'm over the Mia Maids -- freshman and sophomore girls. We'll both be working with the youth and we're really excited. I actually think Marcus will have a busier Sunday than I will. Everything is planned out for the rest of the year for me...but Marcus will have to prepare a lesson every week and work with chatty kids. He'll be great. We're both excited. We'll see if that lasts. :)

A-D-O-P-T-I-O-N

It's that time again folks!

That's right. The crazy Green's are gettin' in gear to crank out the paperwork for adoption --second time 'round. It seems like only yesterday we were doing this for Callie. Time goes quickly. But we are really excited to start this process again. We've been feeling a lot of similar feelings and emotions that we had when we started the process for Callie, so it's just a really exciting thing for us. Perhaps this time we won't have our baby in 8 months, but if that is the case, we'll be ready. (At least, I'm praying the Lord prepares us so we really are ready.)

We've officially begun the paperwork and we're hoping to get it done as quickly as possible. We've been busy gathering everything we need and getting organized. Here in California, they say the background checks go pretty quickly -- which was what took the longest time for us in UT -- so we're happy about that. Here in CA, there are only about 45 couples looking to adopt through LDS Family Services. But, we were informed by our case worker that there are also far fewer babies put up for adoption in the state of California.

So, dear friends, we ask you again to keep us in your prayers and in your minds. If you hear of anyone who is seeking the choice of adoption and is looking for a family, think of us. Pass our names, emails, blog, anything along. That's how we found our Callie. What an amazing experience it was for us, but also for that family that connected us.

I can't begin to explain how grateful we are for those mothers out there who selflessly put aside their how heartbreak for the future of their child. I'm truly awestruck when I think of it. Because without that, without them, our family would be incomplete. I can't imagine my life without Callie -- and it's because of the love of another mother.

You Never Know Where It'll Be

Lately I've been trying to make some big changes in my life. #1 Fitness/Health and #2 -- though maybe it should be #1 is my spiritual health. I really feel like if I want other areas in my life to improve, I need to make sure I'm doing my part spiritually, so all things can align correctly. I've tried to be better about reading my scriptures, about saying personal -- thoughtful and sincere -- prayers. I try to keep the Savior in my thoughts as much as I can remember. I'm working on it.

On Wednesday, I had to go down to a Downtown San Jose office. I was there for quite some time doing paperwork, getting finger printed, etc. Samantha came with me....and she was quite the attraction. One woman approached me asked how old Sammy was. We got in a more in-depth discussion. I shared with her Sammy's story, Callie's adoption, etc. I briefly mentioned that we were living in Utah at the time. She asked what part. "Provo. We were at Brigham Young University." I asked about her life. She proceeded to tell me about some horrible things that are happening for her, and then she said, "I need to go back to church." I boldly said, "You do. There's no question about it." I didn't know where she went to church, what her religion was, but I do know that as we try to bring ourselves closer to God, it's an improvement in our life. We will be blessed for the small steps we take towards finding the truth and turning to Him. She then told me that her daughter's father had just left her because he didn't want her to take the daughter to the Mormon church. (Woa, did you follow that sentence?)

"Oh, so you're LDS?"
"Yeah, but I haven't been inside a building for over 25 years."
"Well, you need to go back, especially if you've been thinking about it lately, you need to act on it. Come to church with me Sunday."
"Ok."
"Here's my name and number. Give me yours so I can give you a call."

Of course I found out that she lived close by and all that. This was an interesting experience for me for a couple reasons. One, I've never been so bold. Even when I was a missionary and met someone for the first time, I don't remember making statements like "you need to go back to church" and "come to church with me Sunday." I normally invited people "will you come to church?" or "will you read the Book of Mormon?" But Wednesday, I felt so comfortable flat-out saying these things.

I was also reminded that the Lord is involved in our lives. I'm not sure if this lady will end up coming to church with us on Sunday. I'll certainly call her, but I don't know what will happen. Maybe she'll be busy. Or maybe she's not quite ready to make that jump. I don't know. But, how much of a coincidence is it that as she's been actively thinking about how the gospel is lacking in her life, and the steps she needs to make in order to come back to where she would like to be...and then she meets me at an office downtown? How cool is that for her? And for me, I got to thinking...you never know where it'll be when you need to give some of your deepest feelings in a 5 minute conversation. I really felt like the Spirit was there guiding me what to say. It was a really cool experience.

Funny thing is, that trip I made to the office was completely useless in terms of the "work" I needed to get done that day. I ended up having to leave and come all the way back home to get different paperwork and then go back up and spend a couple more hours there. But I think it was a time well spent nonetheless.

Thanks....

for your jewels of wisdom. Really. Some of your tricks...backwards on the seat...wow. And I never thought of going in during nursery to take her to the bathroom. I mean, it seems so logical. Why didn't I think of that? See now, this is why we have friends. I feel much more motivated to get this thing done!

Potty Training

I have a question...and I need your advice.

We are potty training Callie. Actually, she's been doing it herself. It's been going on for some time now. We didn't tell anyone -- but a few of you -- because I know there are a bunch of you thinking we are crazy because she's too young, etc. But, I'm stuck; so we need to break our silence and come out and just say it. When Callie was 19 months we started the potty training process -- and it has been great so far.

But, here's where I need help.

She's pretty consistent. She tells us when she needs to potty. She poops and pees in the potty. We decided to progress to underwear...but then I thought "Gosh, if she's in underwear, what happens when we go out? She'll really have to use the potty and #1 that's gross (public potties) and #2 she's too small for a potty without her potty adapter (or whatever you call it). Plus, what do we do when she's in nursery?" Now, I guess it's not a big deal. They just take her to the bathroom, but she needs help because she's so tiny. So...after buying the undies, we decided to hold off for just a little bit longer. Well, something has happened in the past week. She has stopped telling us she needs to go potty except if she wants out of her high chair. Does she go potty? Noooo. Of course not. Diapers are getting wet again. She's regressing.

I feel like this means that we need to move forward. I don't want the potty to be a struggle. She's the one who wanted to start using the potty -- so we let her. We bought the seat. We bought a stool (though she still struggles getting up there). And I feel like if we wait on this, let her get used to not using the potty, that we'll lose her to the potty wolves. It'll be a definite struggle to get her back.

Any input here? And, tell me about the transition to underoos. Can you ever leave your house again after the diaper comes off? Any other helpful hints would be appreciated.

Smile?

Oh Callie. That smile just looks painful!

Shopping Cart

Sammy and Callie have a toy that they both like playing with. The shopping cart. That's right. It's just their size and there are just so many things they can fit in it. Callie likes putting her little babies in the front so they can sit there while she shops for toys around the family room. Sammy likes pushing the shopping cart, and then taking an occasional stop to shake it around. The other night, the girls discovered that they could share this toy! What a wonderful concept! Sharing! Who knew it was so easy? (Callie also learned from Sammy the excitement of shaking the shopping cart. Way to teach your little sister Sammy!)

Little Runner

While I was in Utah, Lori's son, Taylor, did the cutest thing. He crouched down, and Lori said, "On your mark, get set, go!" and off he went running. He loved running as fast as he could. When I got back, I thought I'd try it on Callie. Lo and behold, she is a fan! Here's our little track star...

Callie's Puppy

Callie just loves puppies. So, a couple days after we got here, Grammy took Callie to Build-a-Bear to build her very own puppy. She loves loves loves it! Thanks Grammy.

Quick Trip to Utah

The week of our move, Samantha and I headed down to Utah for a very quick trip. She had an appointment with her neurologist. There were a lot of people that I wanted to catch up with, but our time was really short. Lori -- THANK YOU for letting me stay with you and use your car -- was a lifesaver. And it was so fun to catch up with her. Lori, I didn't get any pictures of us together! Grrr Dumb Jenny. We stayed up way too late watching Grey's Anatomy and talking talking talking, but it really was a fabulous short trip. (And, I learned that trip that I think I want to buy some Proactiv. Does anyone else out there use it? I want more testimonials from people I know. I used it one day and felt like I saw a difference. One day? Is that possible?)

Me and Arielle before the appointment

The day of the doctor appointment I caught up with some freshman friends. That was 10 years ago! Yikes. I was already in SLC, so we met up at Marci's place. It was so fun. I love these girls. You know those people that you don't see forever, you don't have a conversation with in forever, but when you see each other, it's just like the good ole days? Yep. These are those girls.

Reagan, Me, Marci and the gang after the appointment

After I went to the doctor, I met up with the ladies at the zoo. The Hogle Zoo isn't really anything to jump up and down about, but it was a whole lot nicer than when I went 10 years ago. I'm impressed. They've really worked on this zoo. And the kids loved it of course. Thanks Marse for the zoo pass. It was fun.

After a few too many late nights and a trip to the zoo, Sammy was pretty tired on the way back down to Provo...but even with her eyes half shut, she still has a little grin. That's my little sweetheart.

It was also fun to be in Provo to see Bryan. He's a busy man but made time for his #1 sister-in-law and Sammy. (Annie, you're a really really close second...and my feeling is at Christmas you'll pass me up. Heads up Bryan, our gift for you isn't too hot.) Anyway. It was fun to hang out with Bryan. I met Bryan before Marcus and I were dating. I felt like we always clicked -- maybe he just has enough social intelligence to make me feel that way. But either way, I just like being around him. Even though this picture looks a little vampire-esque, I think it's darn cute.

Goodbye to Friends

Somethings I won't miss about Spokane...namely, the snow. But I will miss my friends that I made. I will miss the Knighton's house. I loved going over there, though I didn't do it enough if you ask me, and having Samantha and Callie play with Jacob and Anna in their yard. I loved that they had a yard! I loved that they had a garden with a small plot of dirt set aside for the kids to play in, and Callie would regularly put handfuls of dirt (unfertilized) in her mouth. I loved the swing that they had on the patio that Samantha loved. And I loved this meal that Amanda and Holly put together for us. It was yummy,and it was just a fun way to say goodbye.

Looks like Sammy was playing in that dirt too!

Me, Amanda, and Holly

Jacob and Jaden. Love these little boys! I love that Jacob was always so excited to see my car pull up and to play with Sammy and Callie. And I love that whenever Jaden saw me, he'd say "It's Jenny Green." So cute!

Callie was on a huge watermelon kick around the time we left. I learned something new: watermelon can stain. I had to oxyclean it and use bleach (thanks Holly)

Goodbye to Therapists

Leaving Spokane was sad, but one of the hardest things for me was saying goodbye to Sammy's therapists. They were just so great! We are still waiting to see if we can get Sammy into some therapies here...so I'm still praying we'll get some good ones like we had in Spokane.

April (OT), Sammy, and Carly (SLP)

Shawna (CST) and Sammy. For a couple years now we've been doing what is called craniosacral therapy. It's categorized as "alternative" but I'll tell you, I love it. And Shawna was amazing. She didn't take our insurance at first, so we only met occassionally. But, she wanted to be able to make it so we could see her more and she could work on Sammy, so she went through the process of getting our insurance accepted in her place. It's a long process, and she did it for Sammy. She had just recently bought the place, opened a new one in the valley, and then went through the mess of insurance. I love her for so many reasons. She is great! If you are in Spokane, her place is Synergy -- they do OT, PT, and massage therapies as well.

Cute Callie. I just love this picture. When we ask her to smile, this is what we get these days. It's a little devious, but I think it's sure cute.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hess

Loved this book. I had to read it a few years back for a class and I really loved it then. But recently, I reread it for our book club and I love it more if that's possible. I'm on a lucky streak of good books right now I guess. I kept forgetting that the little girl is a little girl. I kept thinking of her as older with all the stuff she had to go through. I can't imagine living during the Depression in the dust bowl. I was impressed by the writing (unlike my quick review) that was filled with beautiful description. I could feel the dirt scratch my eyes each time I blinked and feel it grit between my teeth. It was tragic, yet very hopeful. Each time I've read this book, and I think this is my 3rd or 4th time, I walk away feeling so sad for the situation, but also very hopeful for the future. This last time, I did more self-reflection than I've ever done in the past. Am I a person who puts her roots in the ground and stands firm, no matter what? Am I that stubborn? Or am I a tumbleweed who floats around from place to place...a little flippant, but also more willing and able to adapt? Anyway, it's a great book. It's an extremely quick read -- I read it in about 2 hours. So, everyone should take time to read it. It's a Newberry Award Winner. It also got me into writing some poetry myself. Amazing what good literature will inspire you to do!

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

I loved this book. My sister-in-law suggested it to me. I had been wanting to read it for awhile, just didn't around to it. So it sat on my bookshelf for quite some time. Then, the day came, and I fell in love. I haven't read a book like this in some time. I was so interested the entire time. I wanted to know how Francie's life would shape and the girl she would become. I wanted to know how her family would survive...everything that they were going through. I, particularly, enjoy the omniscient point of view. Recently I've been reading a ton of first person, which I really enjoy. But I found myself so interested in knowing the thoughts of everyone. I think it was important to this book to have an omniscient point of view because this book, to me, was more than a story about this one family's life. It was about Brooklyn. As I read, I found myself completely disgusted with our society. We feel like "sacrifice" means not getting our nails done, or lowering our cell phone minutes. Give me a break! These people during this time were all starving! They were lucky to have bread, and yet we complain that we can't buy the house of our dreams? It was a big reality check for me, and I was tempted to suggest this book to list full of people I know! I loved reading it. Just loved it. I know a lot of people who said, "Oh, I hated that book." But I just loved it. And perhaps it was different for me because I didn't have to read it in high school. Maybe my stage of life has something to do with the appreciation I have for the book. Either way, I highly recommend it! This one's a classic for a good reason. 5 stars!

I Have No Pictures to Post

So, is it even worth posting if I have no pictures? Probably not. But alas, I continue to type. I just feel like I haven't been in touch with anyone in so long, yet we've only been here a week. Here's the update:

* I have an appt. with Sammy's new school on Wednesday -- Argonaut Elementary
* We are waiting to find about certain other programs, which includes therapies
* We're pretty much all moved in
* Marcus is sick
* We think Sammy was/is sick
* I got sick today...but seem to be feeling a little better already
* Callie is the lone survivor on the sick list
* I've been trying to work on Christmas presents
* Decided to send out Christmas cards -- yikes -- and need to get on those (we'll see if it really happens this year)
* We started the paperwork for adoption and want to get that rolling
* We already bought the girls' Halloween costumes (so cute I could barf! isn't that a pretty picture?)
* Marcus is headed to Provo next week to meet with his professors to work on his dissertation
* Planned on starting Callie's quilt, but think the sewing will have to wait until after the New Year
* Started The Book Thief, which I already really like, but have had no time to keep reading it
* We have Direct TV in our room -- thus no time to read these days. Boy did I miss cable. HGTV,TLC and I have had a great reunion and found out we're the original BFFs -- internet is not in our room, and well, Blog, I loved you but you've definitely taken the back seat.

I feel like we've been so busy, but we haven't really done anything. You know that feeling? I really don't like it. Like you're always going, but nothing is really getting done. Grrrr But, pretty soon we'll have a schedule again...Sammy will get into school, therapies will start up, and we'll be much more structured. I thrive on insane busy life. I feel like I get more checked off my to-do lists.

Anyway. That's our quick update. More to come!