Two people-One story: 2011: Here's to new beginnings

Saturday, January 8, 2011

2011: Here's to new beginnings

I can't believe we haven't updated this since 2008! Wow....

This year, I resolve to keep up this blog. One of the reasons is that I have committed to reading 50 books this year and I want to keep track of them. I may be writing a little review or I may not.

Anyway, I'm excited to be keeping this blog up again and I hope you check back for updates. We've got some exciting things coming in 2011....

No comments:

2015 Books

Whiskey & Charlie by Annabel Smith 6/23/15
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall 6/12/15
The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak & Dave Runyon 6/6/15
The Hardest Peace by Kara Tippetts 6/3/15 so GOOD!
An Abundance of Katherines by John Greene 6/2/15
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell 5/27/15
Paper Towns by John Greene 5/19/15
The Precious One by Marisa de Los Santos 5/15/15
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler 5/9/15
Dept of Speculation by Jenny Offill 4/25/15
The Bear by CLaire Cameron 4/15/15
Toddlers are A#@holes by Bunmi Latidan 4/5/15
The Rose Effect by Graeme Simonson 4/5/15
Some Luck By Jane Smiley 3/28/15
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion 3/21/15 you've heard of it. I'll confirm it's as good as they say!!
interrupted by Jen Hatmaker 3/15/15 - game.changer!!
Spark by John Twelve Hawks 3/14/15 - fascinating! don't read the jacket description!
Mama Koko and the Hundred Gunmen by Lisa J. Shannon 3/8/15
Simplify by Bill Hybels 2/28/25
It Starts With Food by Dallas & Melissa Hartwig 2/23/15 2nd time through!
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant 2/23/15 meh.
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley 2/15/15 my new favorite author!
Yes Please by Amy Poehler 2/1/15 no thank you.
Some Luck by Jane Smiley 1/19/15 READ!!!
Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford 1/12/15
Dear White People by Justin Simien 1/10/15 HILARIOUS
The Circle by Dave Eggers 1/4/15

2014 Book List

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 1/7/14- must read!
2. David & Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell 1/19/14-interesting

3. The Tie that Binds by Kent Haruf 1/29/14- loved his other books, but not this one so much

4. The Color of Water by James McBride 2/8/14-so,so good!!
5. Those who save us by Jenna Blum 2/22/14- Book Club
6. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan 3/2/14- candy bar book (good, but won't fill your intellectual needs)

7. Help. Thanks. Wow by Anne Lamott 3/4/14 - Anne is a great friend to spend a few hours with. Worth the short read.
8. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling 3/8/14- Mindy is funny & real. I enjoyed this book!
9. The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett 3/31/14 - book club pick- didn't lovett.
10. The Orchardist by Amanda Copin 4/09/14 - book club pick- AOK

11. Notes from a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenrider 4/14/14- right up my alley!
12. It Starts with Food by Dallas & Melissa Hartwig 4/21/14- the Whole 30 inspiration book- good science-y information!
13. The Great Fitness Experiment by Charlotte Hilton Andersen 5/11/14- Meh. Blah. Don't bother.

14. Major Pettigrews Last Stand by Helen Simonson 5/17/14 - two thumbs up.

15. Drive by Daniel Pink 6/4/14- interesting but not life changing
16. Hands Free Mama by Rachel Stafford 6/18/14- this is a MUST read!

17. Wonder by RJ Palacio 6/19/14- Yes! Yes!!
18. Free- Range Chickens by Simon Rich - 6/20/14- ok...

19. Keep You Love On by Danny Silk 6/26/14- do you have any relationships? Then you need to read this book.
20. This is where I leave you by Jonathan Tropper 7/5/14- However many stars I give to the best books, this book gets
21. What is the What by Dave Eggers 7/30/14- Fantastic!
22. Sparkly Green Earrings by Melanie Shankle 7/31/14- Good vacation read
23. The Light Between Oceans- 8/1/14- AWESOME!
24. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 8/4/14- Yep!
25. The Wild Things by Dave Eggers 8/10/14- really great!
26. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 8/24/14- skip this.
27. Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist 8/26/14- great!
28. Looking for Alaska by John Greene 8/29/14- great!
29. Always Watching by Chevy Stevens 9/5/14- no.
30. Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan 9/11/14- good, but you may be paranoid while you are reading it that you will end up with a rare brain autoimmune disease. And you might. Who knows....
31. The White Mary by Kira Silak 9/21/14- so good!
32. City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell 9/24/14- another great novel!
33. The Vacationers by Emma Straub 9/28/14- good
34. Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler 10/08/14 - OK
35. Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster 10/22/14- NO.
36. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd 10/29/14- YES!
37. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain 12/15/14 I am questioning my lifelong stance on whether or not I am an introvert. Fascinating read!
38. Everygreen by Rebecca Rasmussen 12/23/14
39. Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy 12/29/14 I'm trying to get to 40 books and Maeve delivers with a quick enjoyable read!
40. The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin 12/31/14 GREAT book to end the year on. I LOVED it!!!

Our adoption timeline

June 2010- January 2011- Talk, pray, eat, sleep and research adoption

February 2,2011- Mail applications for home study (local) agency & international agency

February 14, 2011- Applications approved by both agencies

February 17, 2011- Signed contracts with both agencies and mailed first (big) payment

March 15, 2011- First home study

March 22, 2011- Second home study

April-June 2011- Everything on hold for moving

June 15, 2011- Final home study meeting at our house

August 11, 2011- Meeting with Angel Dance to finalize home study

September 8, 2011- I600A Application sent Fed Ex to USCIS (8-12 week wait for approval)

September 9, 2011- Dossier sent to One World!

September 19, 2011- Notice of biometrics appointment

October 11, 2011- Biometrics appointment!

October 18, 2011- I-171H Approval! (Thats 6 weeks if you are counting)

April 19, 2012- REFERRAL!

April 27, 2012- Documents sent to DRC

May 4, 2012- Entered court

June 25, 2012- Verbal notification that we passed court (no documents have been issued yet)

July 30, 2012- Official news that we lost our referral for E & E

August 17, 2012- Accepted new referral for Winner (F,2YO)& Malco (M,4YO)

August 22, 2012- News that we entered court

September 10, 2012- News that we have passed court (still need documents)

November 16, 2012- Received CONA. This means court is complete and we are the parents of two precious little ones!

November 28, 2012- PASSPORTS for kids ready!

December 9-16, 2012 Andy travel to Congo to file I600 & meet kids

January 8-17, 2013- Celina travel to Congo to pick up kids!

January 18, 2013- TOGETHER as a FAMILY!

September 3, 2013- Adoptiona FINALIZED by state of Colorado. New birth certificates issued. V&E are BALDWINS!

2013 Book List

1. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 1/7/13

2. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 2/14/13

3. Falling Together by Maris de los Santos 2/20/13

4. The Fault in our Stars by John Green 3/6/13

5. Taft by Ann Patchett 3/19/13

6. The Call by Yannick Murphy 3/21/13

7. Gap Creek by Robert Morgan 3/25/13

8. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls 3/30/13

9. Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon 4/9/13

10. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin 4/19/13

11. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver 4/22/13

12. The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler 4/26/13

13. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Cline 5/1/13

14. Some Assembly Required by Anne Lamott 5/5/13

15. Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin 5/10/13 (Loved!)

16. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear 5/17/13

17. Benediction by Kent Haruf 5/19/13

18. Cider House Rules by John Irving 5/22/13

19. When She Was Gone by Gwendolen Gross 5/25/13

20. Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman 5/30/13

21. Everyone Says That at the End of the World by Owen Egerton 6/6/13

22. The Time of My Life by Cecelia Ahern 6/10/13

23. The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory 6/18/13

24. Birthing from Within by Pam England & Rob Horowitz 6/24/13

25. The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory 6/29/13

26. What We Keep by Elizabeth Berg 7/4/13

27. The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman 7/8/13

28. The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg 7/11/13

29. Black List by Brad Thor 7/15/13

30. Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg 7/18/13

31. The Last Man by Vince Flynn 7/30/13

32. The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout 8/1/13

33. Topsy by Michael Daly 8/6/13

34. From Fear to Love by Bryan Post 8/10/13

35. The Honest Toddler: A Child's Guide to Parenting by Bunmi Latidan- This book was 2 nights of laugh out loud funny!! 8/13/13

36. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn 8/16/13

37. How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm and other Adventures in Parenting by Mei-Ling Hopgood 8/21/13

38. Where'd You Go Bernadette? Maria Semple 8/22/13

39. We are all completely beside ourselves Karen Joy Fowler 8/26/13

40. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson 8/30/13

41. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris 9/6/13

42. Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell 9/22/13

43. Grace (eventually) by Anne Lamott 10/6/13

44. Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg 10/29/13

45. & Sons by David Gilbert 11/20/13

46. Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick 12/6/13

47. Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres 12/9/13

48. The Good Braider by Terry Farish 12/14/13

49. The Power of Play by David Elkind 12/24/13

50. Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews 12/28/13

2012 Reading List

43. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann 12/29/12

42. Attaching in Adoption by Deborah D. Gray 12/23/12

41. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand 11/27/12

40. The Magicians Assistant by Ann Patchett 11/19/12

39. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller 10/30/12

38. Eat Mor Chikin Inspire More People by S. Truett Cathy 10/26/12

37. Off the Grid by Nick Rosen 10/19/12

36. Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard 10/9/12

35. Her Daughters Dream by Francine Rivers 9/23/12

34. The Harbinger by Jonathan Kahn 9/14/12 (if you only take one of my book suggestions, let it be this one!)

33. Run by Ann Patchett 9/10/12 (Ann has easily become my favorite author this year!)

32. Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons 8/28/12 (love it!)

31. Let's Don't Go To The Dogs by Alexandra Fuller 8/26/12

30. I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron 8/16/12

29. Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen 8/11/12

28. 7: an experimental mutiny against excess by Jen Hatmaker 8/7/12

27. Rescue by Anita Shreve 8/4/12

26. Dress your Family in Corduroy & Denim by David Sedaris 7/19/12

25. Radical by David Platt 7/19/12

24. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris 7/12/12

23. Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear 7/8/12

22. A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve 7/1/12

21. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver 6/19/12

20. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 6/7/12 (another excellent book!)

19. The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle 6/3/12

18. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett 6/2/12 (this is the most well written book I have read all year! I am considering bumping Extremely Loud and giving best book to this great read!)

17. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese 5/29/12 (excellent!!)

16. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear 5/21/12

15. Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis 5/9/12

14. Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien 5/2/12

13. Her Mothers Hope by Francine Rivers 4/26/12

12. Saints in Limbo by River Jordan 4/11/12

*11. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer 4/2/12 (*Best Book of the Year so far!)

10. The Girl with Three Legs by Soraya Mire 3/28/12

9. Bossypants by Tina Fey 3/14/12

8. Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott 3/11/12

7. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 3/4/12

6. Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond 3/3/12

5. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom 2/27/12

4. Just a Minute by Wess Stafford 2/20/12

3. 1984 by George Orwell 2/14/12

2. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers 1/24/12

1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 1/16/12