Pulled into Greenville yesterday during torrential rains. It was a long drive especially when my '01 Passat decided to "stop" due to coolant issues just as we entered the mountains of Tennessee. Thankfully I had cell reception to flag Bob down (we drove in separate vehicles and he drives like a Formula car driver, which he was in his younger days, so he was far ahead of me). Apparently my car was burning oil like crazy and wasn't keeping the coolant cool enough. If adding oil didn't do the trick we would've been forced to tow my car to the nearest VW dealership, which was over two hours away. God was looking out for us for sure, because I experienced no problems after that. The other hiccup was a big landslide on the road between Knoxville and Asheville that set us back a couple of hours. But there were also a few trip highlights; one was seeing Lexi (Karen Kitzman, sans Pat and Nick) in Lexington, KY and the beautiful fall foliage along the way. The Smokies are stunning this time of year.
So now I sit in a Starbucks in Greenville with a Grande Latte and free Wi-Fi. Bob, Garrett and Cody (our dog) are heading back to the Twin Cities to sell the house; they're probably close to Louisville by now. It was hard to say goodbye this morning; I was a blubbering fool. The apartment is so darn quiet (no kids, TV or computer—a big contrast to life as usual). My furnishings are very sparse; card table and folding chairs, a blow-up mattress and two lawn chairs. I start work tomorrow at 8:20 am.
No grass grows under these feet. On to the next chapter.
P.S. I have tons of great pictures from my two buh-bye parties, which I promise to post once I find the darn camera.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Nine days and counting
Before we hit the road. How will it all get done? One thing's for sure—plucking gray hairs will not get the job.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Make a decision
This whole moving thing is hard. Besides all the obvious emotional stuff, there are a lot of big decisions to make—usually multiple ones at the same time. Which realtor do we go with? Is it wiser to spend our limited budget on a new granite countertop or an asphalt driveway? What should I get rid of and what should I take? You get the picture. So when I get this email today from Seth Godin, a marketing guru, it couldn't have come at a better time.
Make a decision.
It doesn't have to be a wise decision or a perfect one. Just make one. In fact, make several. Make more decisions could be your three word mantra.
No decision is a decision as well, the decision not to decide. Not deciding is usually the wrong decision. If you are the go-to person, the one who can decide, you'll make more of a difference. It doesn't matter so much that you're right, it matters that you decided.
Of course it's risky and painful. That's why it's a rare and valuable skill.
Make a decision.
It doesn't have to be a wise decision or a perfect one. Just make one. In fact, make several. Make more decisions could be your three word mantra.
No decision is a decision as well, the decision not to decide. Not deciding is usually the wrong decision. If you are the go-to person, the one who can decide, you'll make more of a difference. It doesn't matter so much that you're right, it matters that you decided.
Of course it's risky and painful. That's why it's a rare and valuable skill.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Fallen off the edge of the earth
That's how it feels right now. Big changes are in the works: we've decided to relocate to Greenville, South Carolina. Yes, you read that right. Me first--at the end of the month. Then Bob and Garrett will follow once the house is sold. Our decision was based on being closer to family. We want Garrett to grow up surrounded by his cousins. As for Bob, it's all about warmer temperatures. And me? Well it took some time but I finally got it through my thick skull that's it's not about me any more. Which was hard because it's always been about me. Ha. But having Garrett changed all that. So while visiting Greenville last month, I set up few "informational" interviews, never thinking in my wildest dreams that a city of 51,000 could offer me anything challenging or meaningful. Wrong. My third interview landed me at Erwin-Penland, a 250-person ad agency (sister agency to Hill-Holliday out of Boston) and, lo and behold, there was an opening for a copywriter. Call it karma, call it fate, but I got an offer and the rest, as they say, is history.
Leaving a progressive, vibrant city like Minneapolis will be hard. Saying goodbye to all my wonderful friends will be harder. Harder still will be living apart from Bob and Garrett, especially since we don't know how long it'll be. I'm going to really, really, really miss them. But we didn't want to uproot Garrett from his school mid-term; his teachers and IEP Plan this year are phenomenal. Besides the fact that he's still going to OT and making tremendous strides. (I'll leave that for another post.) And Bob still has lots of work to do on the house before it's ready to go on the market. So we'll have to make do with monthly visits and Skype.
Carolina, here I come.
Leaving a progressive, vibrant city like Minneapolis will be hard. Saying goodbye to all my wonderful friends will be harder. Harder still will be living apart from Bob and Garrett, especially since we don't know how long it'll be. I'm going to really, really, really miss them. But we didn't want to uproot Garrett from his school mid-term; his teachers and IEP Plan this year are phenomenal. Besides the fact that he's still going to OT and making tremendous strides. (I'll leave that for another post.) And Bob still has lots of work to do on the house before it's ready to go on the market. So we'll have to make do with monthly visits and Skype.
Carolina, here I come.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
My article on social media
I work for a small business-to-business ad agency and every month we publish an electronic enewsletter filled with articles pertaining to the branding and marketing world. This month I wrote one on social media, while personal in nature, is also a difference maker. It's about my wonderful blog experience and I owe it all to you, my amazing "extended" family. Happy reading.
Adopting meaningful social media. My social media journey: from observation to participation to extended family.
You hear a lot about social media’s “worthless babble.” I have to agree, much of what I receive on Twitter and Facebook falls
under “friendly chitchat.” The kind people have around the water cooler or out on the golf course. But isn’t that to be expected? After all, it is a social medium that builds relationships. Relationships that could over time turn into extended family as I was about to find out.
Never one to embrace technology, I dipped my toe in the social media pond in early 2007 when my husband and I began chartering the unknown territory of international adoption. Choosing a country, an adoption agency, the mounds of paperwork—it was overwhelming. Sensing my frustration, a friend suggested I look into the Yahoo adoption groups. Selecting a country to adopt from, Kazakhstan, got the ball rolling. I began by observing the group dynamics. But it didn’t take long before I was posting questions and getting helpful advice from complete strangers across the U.S.
Soon, strangers became friends. I began reading their adoption blogs—more than 20 per day. Together, we encouraged those just starting out. We high-fived those who were “paper” pregnant. We cheered for those in Kazakhstan, bonding with their children. And our hearts overflowed with joy for those who made it home safely with their sons and daughters. (Which included the successful adoption of our five-year-old son Garrett Nurlan on April 2, 2008.) Such a blessing, it inspired me to share my adoption story: http://littlekazman.blogspot.com. Little did I know where this blog would lead me.
July 31, 2007. The day I joined the community.
My first reason for “blogging” was to help other families (particularly those adopting an older child) through the arduous
process. The second was to create a memory book for Garrett. But the main reason I write today is for the sense of community
it provides. Many friends still post comments, excited to read about every milestone. Through the joy (meeting our son in
Uralsk) and the pain (the setbacks, the wait, the red tape) and the daily challenges of raising an older institutionalized child.
Blogging to meeting IRL (in real life).
Today, our “extended” family includes the Hot Kazakh Mamas—Suzanne, Susan, Shannon and Kristin—from Tampa. The two Karen’s (whom I affectionately call Lexi and Cincy) from Lexington, KY and Cincinnati. Then there’s the three sets of Jennifer’s, Sara's and Kim's, Eileen, Alaina, Cheryl, Kelly, Mary, Darlene, Catalina, Diana, Gretchen, Stacy, Muriel, Angela, Regina and dear friends Anita and Holly from the Atlanta area, mothers to Charlie and Jonathan—two of my son’s baby house buddies. Anita found us quite by accident while googling Uralsk adoption blogs. (Uralsk is the region where we adopted our son.) She saw pictures of Garrett on my blog and discovered he was her son’s best friend from the orphanage. She sent pictures of Nurlan (Garrett’s Kazakh name), Baury (Charlie’s Kazakh name) and Visily (Jonathan’s Russian name) from three years ago. It was one of those goose bump moments: to see my son at age four, goofing on the playground. What an incredible gift because, as far as I’m concerned, they’re his brothers (Garrett is an only child). Thanks to social media, we united last month in Atlanta where the boys (and moms) had the time of their lives.
There has been a shift again. Lately, the social networking Web site of choice has become Facebook. (Probably because we’re too busy chasing children to find time to blog.) Talk about meaningful social media, I can certainly attest to that first-hand.
Adopting meaningful social media. My social media journey: from observation to participation to extended family.
You hear a lot about social media’s “worthless babble.” I have to agree, much of what I receive on Twitter and Facebook falls
under “friendly chitchat.” The kind people have around the water cooler or out on the golf course. But isn’t that to be expected? After all, it is a social medium that builds relationships. Relationships that could over time turn into extended family as I was about to find out.
Never one to embrace technology, I dipped my toe in the social media pond in early 2007 when my husband and I began chartering the unknown territory of international adoption. Choosing a country, an adoption agency, the mounds of paperwork—it was overwhelming. Sensing my frustration, a friend suggested I look into the Yahoo adoption groups. Selecting a country to adopt from, Kazakhstan, got the ball rolling. I began by observing the group dynamics. But it didn’t take long before I was posting questions and getting helpful advice from complete strangers across the U.S.
Soon, strangers became friends. I began reading their adoption blogs—more than 20 per day. Together, we encouraged those just starting out. We high-fived those who were “paper” pregnant. We cheered for those in Kazakhstan, bonding with their children. And our hearts overflowed with joy for those who made it home safely with their sons and daughters. (Which included the successful adoption of our five-year-old son Garrett Nurlan on April 2, 2008.) Such a blessing, it inspired me to share my adoption story: http://littlekazman.blogspot.com. Little did I know where this blog would lead me.
July 31, 2007. The day I joined the community.
My first reason for “blogging” was to help other families (particularly those adopting an older child) through the arduous
process. The second was to create a memory book for Garrett. But the main reason I write today is for the sense of community
it provides. Many friends still post comments, excited to read about every milestone. Through the joy (meeting our son in
Uralsk) and the pain (the setbacks, the wait, the red tape) and the daily challenges of raising an older institutionalized child.
Blogging to meeting IRL (in real life).
Today, our “extended” family includes the Hot Kazakh Mamas—Suzanne, Susan, Shannon and Kristin—from Tampa. The two Karen’s (whom I affectionately call Lexi and Cincy) from Lexington, KY and Cincinnati. Then there’s the three sets of Jennifer’s, Sara's and Kim's, Eileen, Alaina, Cheryl, Kelly, Mary, Darlene, Catalina, Diana, Gretchen, Stacy, Muriel, Angela, Regina and dear friends Anita and Holly from the Atlanta area, mothers to Charlie and Jonathan—two of my son’s baby house buddies. Anita found us quite by accident while googling Uralsk adoption blogs. (Uralsk is the region where we adopted our son.) She saw pictures of Garrett on my blog and discovered he was her son’s best friend from the orphanage. She sent pictures of Nurlan (Garrett’s Kazakh name), Baury (Charlie’s Kazakh name) and Visily (Jonathan’s Russian name) from three years ago. It was one of those goose bump moments: to see my son at age four, goofing on the playground. What an incredible gift because, as far as I’m concerned, they’re his brothers (Garrett is an only child). Thanks to social media, we united last month in Atlanta where the boys (and moms) had the time of their lives.
There has been a shift again. Lately, the social networking Web site of choice has become Facebook. (Probably because we’re too busy chasing children to find time to blog.) Talk about meaningful social media, I can certainly attest to that first-hand.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
On to Greenville, SC
Thought I'd finish up the summer vacation before moving on to more current things. We spent the last five days in charming Greenville with Laura, Jeff and cousins Natalie and Carlie. Garrett just adores his cousins. 11-year-old Natalie is quite the dancer and it was so cute watching her teach him the "moves." Here she is performing at the baseball game (Greenville is home to Single A baseball—the "Drive" is the name of the Red Sox farm team); she's the littlest one in the first row.
Here she is, glowing after her performance.
Cutie pie Carlie and her faithful side kick:
Their stadium is a replica of Fenway Park.
I think Jeff is the spitting imagine of Kent Hrbek, retired first baseman for the Twins.
The following night we celebrated our belated July birthdays—Laura's was the 13th, Natalie's the 15th, mine on the 16th and Gman on the 20th.
The dads busted for watching the little league championship game during the party.
On a downer note, there are no happy pictures of Garrett and Bob's daughter Susie. Although she did come over for dinner one night, she didn't show much interest in Garrett. (Not sure if she even acknowledged him.) My hopes for an amazing moment like we had with her brother Ryan were dashed. Maybe next time.
Here she is, glowing after her performance.
Cutie pie Carlie and her faithful side kick:
Their stadium is a replica of Fenway Park.
I think Jeff is the spitting imagine of Kent Hrbek, retired first baseman for the Twins.
The following night we celebrated our belated July birthdays—Laura's was the 13th, Natalie's the 15th, mine on the 16th and Gman on the 20th.
The dads busted for watching the little league championship game during the party.
On a downer note, there are no happy pictures of Garrett and Bob's daughter Susie. Although she did come over for dinner one night, she didn't show much interest in Garrett. (Not sure if she even acknowledged him.) My hopes for an amazing moment like we had with her brother Ryan were dashed. Maybe next time.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Georgia leg of the trip
The last week of August we traveled to Atlanta to visit Garrett's baby house buddies, Charlie and Jon-Jon. I dreaded returning to that terminal. (See my October 08 post for all the gory details). But this time around my experience was all good (it definitely pays to buy tickets, no more flying standby for this girl). Except Garrett got sick while driving to Charlie's house. He seems to upchuck after every time he flies. Once Charlie and he were together, the two started playing hard, but he never strayed too far from the big pukin' pot. I wish I had gotten a photo of it. It was twice the size of Garrett's head. Despite it all, we throughly enjoyed our overnight visit with Charlie and Anita—they're like family to us. We missed hubby and dad, John by one week; he was to return the following Sunday from a six-month assignment in Iraq and I know he was sorely missed.
The next day Charlie had school, so the four of us poked around the charming, turn-of-the-century Marietta town square.
We discovered a great Australian bakery (of all things) and enjoyed a delicious lunch and dessert. Time flew and before we knew it was time to pick up Charlie and head north to Gainesville (yes, there is a Gainesville in Georgia—that's where Holly Trawick and her family call home) for the first annual Uralsk reunion. Before we got there, Charlie took a terrible spill outside. Scrapes on his knees, elbows and insides of his hand—and the biggest knot on his forehead. Apparently, Garrett and he were playing and Gman accidently knocked him down. (I'd say.)
After recovering from that mishap, we were on the road. And, let me tell you, the rush hour traffic in Atlanta sucks. I think it rivals Los Angeles. It took us well over two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic to get to Gainesville. But the trip was so worth it. Holly and her family (husband, Josh and three kids Alexis, Jackson and Jon-Jon) put together an amazing reunion. Her MIL generously donated her home for the event—a farm with acres and acres of breathtaking scenery. Here's the view from her backyard:
I joked because it reminded me of a Cialis ad—I could totally see two people in separate claw foot tubs, holding hands while gazing at the sunset. Ha. But let's get back to the reason we were here—the boys from Uralsk. Here they are having the time of their life. Besides the Trawick's, Khin's and us, there was one other family who made it. Not sure of their last name, but the mom was Celeste and her son Kiernan (who is also from baby house #1) Here are the four Uralsk boys: from left, Garrett (age 7), Kiernan (age 5) and Charlie (age 5-1/2). Jon-Jon is seated upfront and is the baby at 4 years old. It was very hard to get four wiggly boys to sit still as you can imagine. 
A BIG thank you to Holly for making this event a reality. It gave me such joy to watch our boys play with each other—knowing that their friendships will only grow over the years. And it was wonderful to meet her children, pretty, 11-year-old Alexis (who is a budding vocalist and who we may see on American Idol one day). Here she is making bubbles:
On the way home, Charlie declared his love for Alexis. (Fine choice, young man.) And handsome Jackson who seemed to enjoy hanging out with the boys from Uralsk. Here he's doing some manly thing with a stick. 
We had a hard time leaving everyone and didn't hit the road to Greenville, SC until way late. Next up is Aunt Laura, Uncle Jeff and cousins Natalie and Carlie. Stay tune for the finale.
The next day Charlie had school, so the four of us poked around the charming, turn-of-the-century Marietta town square.
We discovered a great Australian bakery (of all things) and enjoyed a delicious lunch and dessert. Time flew and before we knew it was time to pick up Charlie and head north to Gainesville (yes, there is a Gainesville in Georgia—that's where Holly Trawick and her family call home) for the first annual Uralsk reunion. Before we got there, Charlie took a terrible spill outside. Scrapes on his knees, elbows and insides of his hand—and the biggest knot on his forehead. Apparently, Garrett and he were playing and Gman accidently knocked him down. (I'd say.)
After recovering from that mishap, we were on the road. And, let me tell you, the rush hour traffic in Atlanta sucks. I think it rivals Los Angeles. It took us well over two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic to get to Gainesville. But the trip was so worth it. Holly and her family (husband, Josh and three kids Alexis, Jackson and Jon-Jon) put together an amazing reunion. Her MIL generously donated her home for the event—a farm with acres and acres of breathtaking scenery. Here's the view from her backyard:
I joked because it reminded me of a Cialis ad—I could totally see two people in separate claw foot tubs, holding hands while gazing at the sunset. Ha. But let's get back to the reason we were here—the boys from Uralsk. Here they are having the time of their life. Besides the Trawick's, Khin's and us, there was one other family who made it. Not sure of their last name, but the mom was Celeste and her son Kiernan (who is also from baby house #1) Here are the four Uralsk boys: from left, Garrett (age 7), Kiernan (age 5) and Charlie (age 5-1/2). Jon-Jon is seated upfront and is the baby at 4 years old. It was very hard to get four wiggly boys to sit still as you can imagine. 
A BIG thank you to Holly for making this event a reality. It gave me such joy to watch our boys play with each other—knowing that their friendships will only grow over the years. And it was wonderful to meet her children, pretty, 11-year-old Alexis (who is a budding vocalist and who we may see on American Idol one day). Here she is making bubbles:
On the way home, Charlie declared his love for Alexis. (Fine choice, young man.) And handsome Jackson who seemed to enjoy hanging out with the boys from Uralsk. Here he's doing some manly thing with a stick. 
We had a hard time leaving everyone and didn't hit the road to Greenville, SC until way late. Next up is Aunt Laura, Uncle Jeff and cousins Natalie and Carlie. Stay tune for the finale.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
