Chicago Connection

Saying Goodbye…

admin — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 21:31:20 +0000

We are running around saying goodbye and trying to see everything that is on our list. Danny’s boss sent this to him and it’s pretty funny.

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you live in Chicago

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don’t work there, you live in Chicago

If you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in Chicago.

If you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in Chicago.

If “Vacation” means going anywhere south of I-80 for the weekend, you live in Chicago.

If you measure distance in hours, you live in Chicago

If you have switched from “heat” to “A/C” in the same day and back again, you live in Chicago .

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Chicago.

If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you live in Chicago

If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in Chicago

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph — you’re going 80 and everybody is passing you, you live in Chicago

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in Chicago

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you live in Chicago.

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in Chicago

If you find 10 degrees “a little chilly”, you live in Chicago

One Family - Two Blogs

admin — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 17:08:30 +0000

I know most all of you know this, but I thought I would make a posting here as well.We are excited to announce that we have decided to adopt a little girl from China. We have a long road ahead of us. We are “guessing” she will be home the summer of 2008, (it could be longer) but we are excited just the same. We know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers and are so grateful that this door has been opened to us through many miracles. We are grateful for answers to prayer and for the knowledge that our daughter will be there waiting for us. I just know that Heavenly Father is in charge of our lives, and I’m so thankful for that.To keep everyone in the loop, we will be keeping two blogs. Chicago Connection- this blog- (Name to change again soon)
www.heidtech.com/andrea/wordpress

This blog is our main family blog and will stay the same. When I do an update to the “China Blog” (as Grandpa Heid named it) I will make a note of it here on our family blog so you can go check it out.

Our Journey to You
http://heid-ourjourneytoyou.blogspot.com/

Our Journey to You is called an adoption blog. It is specifically for the adoption and helps to keep track of the whole adoption process. The adoption blog serves a few purposes.

1. It helps by trying to give waiting parents something positive to think about and do for their child during this paper pregnancy.
2. It serves as a learning tool for family and friends about the adoption process, and keeps them up to date on the latest news and progress.
3. I would like to mentor another couple that decides to adopt from China, so I am trying to document everything as far as feelings, timelines, progress, and road bumps, so they can read my blog and get an idea of what to expect.

Don’t forget to stop in and make a comment when you can because we will print off everything for our daughter and it will be an important part of her “lifebook.” She will read your comments throughout her life to see that her family loved her and planned on her coming to our family from the beginning.

Because the Adoption blog will become an open blog, (not password protected) please make sure to not make any comments that will personally identify you (ie-where you work, first name and last name, etc). It will be open so that other couples from our adoption agency and China adoption boards can visit the blog as well.

Now that that is clear as mud, hope to see you on both of our blogs!

Love-Andrea

PS- Update to China Blog

Snow and Sirens!!

admin — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 20:43:55 +0000

Connor had two firsts last week, the “first time that fireman ever came to his house” (us too), and his first snow day! Last week, about 12:30AM we heard a loud pop sound followed by a blackout in our apartment. Soon after there was a funny smell, that was kind of like melting plastic. We really did not know what to do so we called 911, and told them we did not know if it was an emergency, but here is the deal. They told us to leave the building and wait outside for the fire department. In just a few minutes there were 5 fire trucks, 1 ambulance, and a fire chief car. I kind of felt like my apartment better be on fire now!

Danny flagged them down and they went running in. They said there was definitely an electrical burn happening and turned off some things in the boiler room. We were put in another apartment that night for safety and because they could not get the electrical/heater working, and we were getting our first major snow storm! The next day when the heating guy came he found burnt wires and ash up in our bathroom ceiling. So we said thank you prayers, because things could have been much worse.

The next morning we woke up to canceled school, and lots of snow! So Danny decided to take a snow day too, and work from home. I love Motorola! Danny got the best Dad award and played in the snow with Connor while I watched and took photos from the balcony.

It was so beautiful outside, there is nothing like the beauty and peacefulness of the first snow. Now we really feel like its Christmas time. Peace on Earth.

PS- I really wanted to take a photo of the fireman, but I just thought it would be a little inappropriate.

Thanksgiving Weekend

admin — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 21:14:19 +0000

Friday morning we left for downtown and took Camille and Owen on a little drive around the city. It was such a beautiful day we decided it was best to see the city by boat so we took an Architectural tour on the Chicago River.

Next we went to the Museum of Science and Industry, we saw a great train exhibit, Christmas Around the World (took our photo next to the China tree,) visited a submarine and more.

That night we visited Chicago’s Magnificent Mile . It was fun to see the holiday decor, and just walk around. The Magnificent Mile would be comparable to Rodeo Drive in LA with all the best shops, so needless to say we had fun walking not shopping.Saturday morning we were off to the outlet stores and Camille and Owen picked up some great deals, then it was off to the races for the BIG GAME. What could end the night better than the huge BYU win!!

The guys were in such a good mood there was no complaining when we went to go to see Santa Clause 3 (Don’t recommend). That night we drove around looking at Christmas lights, and the next morning they left on a six AM flight. It was a great weekend!!

Thanksgiving Dinner

admin — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 00:27:36 +0000

We had a great Thanksgiving. The weather was perfect. The sky was blue and the temp warmed up to 65 deg. right in time for Owen and Camille to fly in for the weekend.

Danny picked them up from the airport on Thanksgiving day, and our friends that just moved here that we knew from Prague along with their three kids all came over for dinner. We let Owen practice his surgeon skills on the turkey, and dug in. We laughed all night and had a great time.

Happy Happy Birthday Sisters Dear

admin — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 05:40:43 +0000

Thanksgiving is a great time because I have three sisters to be thankful for that all have birthdays in the same week!!

So Happy Birthday to Missy, Camille, and Carlene!!

I am so thankful for all of these sisters who make my life so happy and who have given me so many fun memories.

I love you all so much and I wish you so much happiness and joy this next year.

A quick post.

admin — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 04:44:29 +0000

What is wrong with my blog, any guesses? The righthand toolbar is at the bottom of the page. I have tried to resize and make all the photos smaller, but that does not help.

Anyway, Connor said something funny today that I just thought I would write down before I forgot. When we drop Danny off to take the train in the morning there is a lane we drive through called the “kiss and ride.” He hops out of the car and we kiss and drive away.
When we droped him off at the airport this morning we followed the signes to “kiss and fly,” (Chicago seems to be pretty clever with their transportation slogans), so when I was dropping off Connor and school this morning he said, “OK mom, ready to kiss and work!” I thought it was so cute!

When I’m not so tired I will write about Connors duet, and my Sunbeams and how they did in their primary program last week, it was so funny.

PC vs. MAC

admin — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:30:21 +0000

Here is our picture from our little Halloween party a week ago.

If you don’t get our costumes, go to http://www.apple.com/getamac/ and you will understand.

Here is our little Bat!

Connor did Trick-or-treat for UNICEF this year and had so much fun doing it. It will be a tradition from now on each year for sure. We started the Monday before Halloween with an FHE about kids around the world that don’t have the things we do and what we could do to help them. Then our project was building the little UNICEF box.

The people at the door were so sweet and giving. They emptied their pockets and all told Connor he was doing a good thing. He collected a little over $20 in an hour. His line was, “Trick or Treat for UNICEF, were collecting change for poor kids around the world.” That night we deposited the change in a coinstar machine in a local grocery store and they send it to UNICEF. Connor loved it. We were cracking up watching him “stick his foot in the door” as he gave the speech. Danny and I were so proud, we just kept laughing and saying he’s a natural! Mission, pest contral, here we come!

(sorry you have to crank your neck, I need to figure out how to turn the photos)

Update from SL-Happy B-day Mom and Kyson!

admin — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 06:53:03 +0000

My Parents! They are so cute. I’m sure my Dad snuck up on my mom to get this photo, but I love it because this is what my mom is doing all the time, curled up reading. My mom just had her birthday! Happy Birthday! She turned 49 this year, and I still think that is so young considering I am almost 30! She said this will be her last birthday. Well, we all love my mom for so many reasons, she is our hero and she knows it. She is a little smarty pants, and the cute one in the family. She has raised five daughters and done a great job. Any one that gets five girls should get a ticket straight to heaven in my book.

I put a photo in here of my Dad too because he is just looking so handsome!! The doctor told him that he could get knee surgery or drop some weight and so he has lost quite a few pounds and is at 185!! I am so proud of him. He loves his new job, (working for Lowes) and of course they love him (who wouldn’t) and and have asked him to join the leadership management program.

Kyson is getting bigger every day, (passed Connor, to Connors disappointment) and just turned four, Happy Birthday Kyson!! He is in full day pre-school and doing great. Leslie is plugging along and hopes to join the job core soon. I miss her. I wish I could see her more often. I love you Les. It’s sad that Connor and Kyson don’t get to play very much, but when they get together they have a blast and get in loads of trouble!

My sisters adoption site

admin — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 05:30:35 +0000

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share some very exciting news. My sister Camille and her husband Owen are in the process of trying to adopt!

They are so excited! They have been waiting for this for so long and I think they are going to make the best parents ever! A lot of adoptions from LDS Family services now happen by referral; (meaning the adoptive couple finds out about a birthmother through family or friends) so please take a minute to visit their website and read it, then if you come across a situation where Camille and Owen could be referred please pass along their web site. Thanks.

Owen and Camille’s LDS Family Services Adoption Website

I just wanted to let Owen and Camille know how much we love you and your future baby! Fun times!!