Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I can't believe it has been nine months since I blogged. I guess Facebook has become the new vehicle of communication, yet I still have the need to use my creative juices and write about our experiences. Today is Thanksgiving and Cory and I are thankful for life and the abundance of experiences God has blessed us with.

Toady, we are chillin' in Canada and are excited to be here. We have wanted to come since we got to Montana, so this was our opportunity. It has been over two years since I have used my passport!!! An extra surprise is we are here during the 2009 Gray Cup festivities. The Gray Cup is equivalent to our Superbowl, so it should to be quite the experience over the next couple of days. I am excited to see how other countries celebrate football since we are pretty fanatical (is that a word) about our love of the pigskin.

We are actually staying in a hotel with one of the teams and the festivities are about to be on!!! Pictures will be forthcoming....don't worry.

To catch you up on our lives, we have been approved for adoptions for up to two children and have been actively looking for children. It has been a process of ups and downs, but I believe the experience is making Cory and I closer. We are learning more and more amazing things about ourselves. We are currently looking at three sets of children, two siblings sets and one boy. We are praying for God's will in adding to our family....more to come. I will write more about the journey at a later date, but did want to update you on the new developments.

We have tried to travel as much as we can since being in Montana. In July, we went Philadelphia on a work TDY and Cory joined me. We had an amazing time. Philly is a colorful city with so many things to do. We saw Liberty Bell, went to the African American Museum, saw the Rocky steps along with many other museums and sites. We got to see some people we were stationed with in Germany which made it extra special. It was a good time.

In August, we went to Glacier National Park and was able to see some wonderful sites. We stayed in an historic hotel. It is actually the first hotel build in Glacier, so it was interesting seeing the pictures of the development of what is now Glacier National Park. We got to see a glacier (there aren't many left), pretty animals and took a tour on the Red Bus. The Red Bus is a historically refurbished bus that does tours all around the park. Our tour was a full day, but it was something I will cherish forever. Glacier is also where I had my first Buffalo burger and it was tasty. It was a nice way to celebrate our 13th anniversary and I look forward to going back.

We also adopted a German Shepherd / Collie mix named TJ. Yes, that is his real name. We adopted him when he was six weeks old and he has changed my life. He is a extremely smart dog with quite a personality. He thinks he is human.....but what can you say....he is a Smith dog. He is now six going on seven months and is over 40 lbs and still growing. Although he tested me in the beginning (I am the alpha dog), he is a delight. He protects me and loves me unconditionally....although I think part of his love is because I am the cook in the family and he gets one special meal a week. The special meal usually includes chicken, rice and veggies and normally takes place on Sunday. All other days, he hits the dog food.

I got to attend my 20th class reunion and visited with family in August. It was a good trip in spite of a difficult tragedy. My best friend's mother was murdered while we were there and that was difficult for many. I thank God I was able to be there to support and attend the funeral. Ms. Daniels was an amazing women and she will be truly missed. I am thankful for the time spent with her.

Since returning from Oklahoma, we haven't done any traveling until now. Although Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October, we just wanted to do something different this year and visit this country. Well, time to experience Canada. Talk to you later!!!!