Taking Time for Some Fun

I'm in my element lately -- I love new things!!! and I love being busy and meeting new people and so the last couple of days have been good ones, but very busy!  So I'm taking some time for fun this weekend.

My meeting Tuesday morning is something I probably shouldn't talk much about, but last month I ran uncontested in a non-election to volunteer to serve as our state's Task Force on Permanency facilitator (did I tell you this?)  Since matching is my passion, this is a great opportunity to make an impact.  We had a very good turnout and there was lots of positive energy and interaction in the room.

Then Thursday night I met with some wonderful women who are putting together the 2nd Annual Christian Foster and Adoptive Parenting Conference on October 27th.  Please save the date as this is going to be a great day.  We are calling the conference "Choosing Hope" and anyone who is a person of Christian faith who either is or is considering this type of parenting should be there.  Bart, Kari and I as well as my friend Deb will all be speaking and several others who are not in the current "circle" of adoption support speakers in Minnesota which will be great.

Yesterday morning I drove down to meet a new family who is interesting in adopting.  I always love those initial meetings.

But once I got home from that around 1:30 and made some phone calls and sent some emails it was time to have some fun.  And that we did.   Before seeing the play "The Church Basement Ladies" we went to dinner at the restaurant at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Plymouth.   They had a pasta bar which was really really good.  It was sort of a Mongolian grill concept where you chose your meats and veggies for the pasta and then had them sauteed in front of you by a chef.  Choose one of three noodles and one of two sauces, add some parmesan cheese.. to DIE for.  Included in the price were decadent desserts -- all you can eat buffet sample, so tried three.  And, to make it even better, some of our new parishioners bought us a membership to a new dining club and we had a buy-one-get-one-free card so the whole meal for Bart and I was $21.00!!!!

The play was great, the food was awesome and, oh, yeah, we went with fun people (Deb and Nate) who also let Dominyk hang out at their house.   The night was wonderful.

Today I get to meet the BFF for coffee at a Dunn Brothers here in the Cities.  Kari is doing a presentation and so I'm going to have the opportunity in just a couple of hours to see her Big Fat Fanny.... and then this afternoon I'm going to relax and watch a movie on Netflicks on our huge TV.   (of course, I will still work some, but tomorrow I go from being the parent of 2 at home back to six, which is more than we've really had since May 29th.  Alone too as Bart is going to Florida.  But on the 23rd Sadie and Tony go back to Job Corps and Jimmy leaves on the 24th to head to Wisconsin to be in Job Corps with Tony....

Sometimes life is just really good... in spite of the drama of our adult kids and the stolen van ... funny plays, good friends, make your own pasta, and unlimited deserts.. and a day with only two kids to worry about....it just doesn't get any better than that.