Happy New Year

2007 is near!
O, let us spread good cheer
Throughout the year.

Here's hoping the New Year brings you great joy! :-)

Just what does Auld Lang Syne mean anyway?

"Auld Lang Syne"

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll get your pint mug !
And surely I’ll get mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the hills,
and pulled the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-friendly draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

1 in 2... or 3 in 5 ?

Last Monday we attended a bereaved parents service hosted by the Grief & Loss Center of RMH. They are in about the 20th year of holding this event. The gentle words that were spoken about our babies and our feelings brought back the emotions like our m/c happened weeks ago instead of months. We took an ornament that read "Hope" and placed it on the tree there in memory of our baby. We did not name her but I had a feeling it was a girl. If you are at RMH and would like to see the bereaved parents' tree, it is in the Treatment Center. It was comforting in a way to be able to see faces of others who have also lost babies from miscarriage or still birth (since the support group has not been meeting). We spoke to a family who had 2 living boys with them and the mother had experienced 4 miscarriages. They attend the service every year.

Since then, I started researching more statistics about miscarriage, because I started to realize how many miscarriages seem to happen in the first pregnancy. I already knew that 1 in 5 or possibly 1 in 3 pregnancies end in miscarriage. (Could be as high as 40% because many happen early, even before a positive pregnancy test, many times without the woman knowing she was pregnant.) But a startling 50%-60% of first pregnancies end in miscarriage, which includes the estimate of women who don't know they were pregnant. That number comes from http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art12024.asp. And according to HopeXchange: "approximately 90% of women who have had one miscarriage, go on to have a normal pregnancy and a healthy baby next time." Yes, this is good news!

But a lesson here: Be armed with this knowledge, but please, don't quote statistics to someone who has had a recent loss. While it's common, statistically it is most likely not common for her or the couple you know. In time they may take some comfort in their own way in the numbers. Let them ask the questions in their own time. Everyone grieves in different ways and different time frames. When it's fresh, they most need you to acknowledge her individual loss, not everyone else's.

Recent Happenings

OK, time for an update... Jason has been very busy at work with projects... and another project... and, oh yeah, we can ask Jason to do this project too! All due yesterday, right?!?

Paige helped train a friend's horse a couple of weeks ago and got an awesome riding lesson from her at the same time. It was so fun to teach the horse and to be learning too!!!! Only the second time someone had been on Kiari. More training for her to come, maybe tomorrow.

Indy & Razor are well, though we suspect Razor has fairly profound hip dysplasia. This is a very common problem in the Labrador Retriever and is so sad when the popular breeds are literally "overbred" and create even more health problems.

And we are still TTC (that's cyber for trying to conceive). God willing, this time next year maybe we'll have one more with us "at home for the holidays!"

~ Merry Christmas ~

Happy Thanksgiving

We hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday and got to celebrate the feast with family and friends. Life is so precious... and so short. As Paige's cousin said, "enjoy each other." We sure did. Have fun in the upcoming weeks to Christmas, too. Take your time. Slow down. Live in the moment! Cherish these times. You won't get them back!

~ Happy Thanksgiving ~

Skidboot the Dog

We think Indy is mixed with the same breed as this dog (Austrailian Cattle Dog)!

A heart-warming segment from Texas Country Reporter, with Bob Phillips.

For more information visit www.TexasCountryReporter.com or www.skidboot.com

3 Years And Counting

That's right, we made it to 3 years. Being married that is. It has flown by. The gorgeous fall leaves remind us so much of that day, like it was last week!

To celebrate, yesterday we hiked about 8 miles of Blue Ridge Mountain beauty. One of the highlights was Crabtree Falls. Our understanding is that it's the highest falls east of the Mississippi. Google it for some amazing pix. It is just 2 miles to the top and worth every step!

On the Way...

For those of you who are interested... Jason should be on his way home from working in Mexico. He was to leave @ 2000 EST. He is VERY ready to be home, and we sure miss him here. He will stay overnight tonight in Phoenix and be home Friday. Thanks to those of you who have asked about him.
~ P

A Hero

Including Jesus... of course!

Sheri Lynch of the Bob & Sheri Show is my "hero." If you ever get a chance to download their podcast show, check them out. They are so funny together, and I relate to Sheri on so many levels. Today they took calls on creepy men and women we've encountered... Hmmmm let me check my memory archives... It's been a while...

~ P

Opening Up

The more you open up to people, the more stories you hear that identify with you. With 1 in 5 pregnancies ending in miscarriages, you are bound to come across another several women in your path in a day who have gone through at least 1. Over the weekend, I spoke with a former coworker who lost her son's twin when she was 4 months along. As though that were not heartbreaking enough, she went on to share about her relative who experienced 10 mc's before she finally had her son at age 30. I had read about another woman also who had I think 13, and she was still going to try yet again. What strength and determination those women must have had. And back then, I think in the 50s, the medical community knew even less about mc. She had no answers at all, and clung to hope all those years that "maybe this one, yes, maybe this one I will carry to term." Finally her 11th stuck. What a blessing. God's perfect little miracle had to wait that long. I cannot imagine the anguish she and her husband went through. I don't know her religious background, but I have to believe that her faith in God provided her much strength throughout it all, as it has for me.

Shenandoah Valley RR

Our Mom & Dad Kite have invited us to ride the Shenandoah Valley Railroad. It boards at Paige's workplace in Verona. We'll go next weekend after Jason is back home. Check it out: www.shenandoahvalleyrailroad.com

Are You Linked?

We have joined this bandwagon too. It is very much like Facebook, except for the professional community. It can't hurt in case you ever need the extra networking boost. It's how the world works! You gotta know somebody. So cover all your bases. Check out LinkedIn. Oh yeah, and Paige is on Facebook too. Maybe she needs a support group......

Deodorant O Please

Please laugh at this because it is too funny. In Tucson security asked Jason to dispose of his deodorant!! The packaging read 4 oz but even though you could tell less than 3 oz was in the packaging she made him throw it out! Now is this really security when we are being made to dispose of our anti-perspirant?!? We might all be sorry if too many deodorants are in the trash and not under our pits!

Another 1 in 5

I found out that a family member on J's side also has had a mc, after she had already had a child. It felt good again to talk to someone else who had been through it and somewhat understood my feelings. I feel very fortunate in another way (God has showered me with so many blessings) after talking with her, as she had a not-so-good experience with her doc, and mine was "OK." I have to admit that I cannot wait to be pg again. We kept it such a secret the first time, in case the unthinkable happened. But after it actually happened I wanted to tell everyone anyway, that hey, life is not hunky dorey all the time, look at this awful thing that has happened to me. Next time I want to tell the world so there is a chance for loved ones and friends to be happy for us. We will see...
~ P

The Patient

We took this pic yesterday. Razor had his neuter surgery today and all is well so far. He is still groggy but seems to be recovering fine.

Indy, on the other hand, started his leg lick again a month or 2 back when we let him get too bored. Now he won't let the spot heal and continues to work at it with that tongue. We're keeping an E-collar on him, hoping it will hurry up and heal, but it is slow going... He is so mad when that crazy thing is on him...

Mexico Schmexico

Jason prepares once again to head for Mexico Monday for work. Please pray
for his safe travels and low hassle flight!

Now Reading

Reserved this one from the library. I heard about it on a news report during an interview with the author on the anniversary of Katrina. I was curious to read it to understand better the views of racism and hurricane Katrina.

~ P

Please Pray for PA

Please pray for the families of the students shot and injured in the school shooting of Paradise, PA. The death toll now up to 6 as another student has died in the hospital. We have to believe that God is very present and is grieving with these families, too.

Maybe We're the Jackass

Does anyone else find it disturbing that the #1 movie right now is Jackass 2??

We Want to Know Why

As people, I think we all naturally want to ask why bad things happen to us. It reminds me of the book "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People." (No, I have not read it but I have heard it's worth the read!) Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, fatal child diseases, infant deaths, still births, and, of course, miscarriages. One friend told me, a couple of weeks after the mc, that when she was pregnant with her son, she prayed to God that if anything was wrong with his health that would make him suffer for a very long time, to please take him from her as early as possible. I appreciated her sharing that prayer with me. Very honest and real, and it brought a new perspective for me.

Last night at my Stephen Ministry Supervision meeting, a dear friend in the group spoke of her friend who recently terminated a pregnancy. Their baby had severe Downs Syndrome. Another S.M. member's nephew has lost 2 baby infants in a row who had severe defects. How sad for these families. In this respect, I am thankful that our baby went to heaven when she did. We may never know or completely understand why these types of unthinkable losses occur. Nevertheless, we have to know that God IS good and is watching over us... Somehow has a plan for each of us... And grieves with us.

~ P

Healing

I met a wonderful lady nurse, Julie, for dinner tonight to discuss the mc. She has also suffered a mc and has been very active with the support group through RMH (which is not meeting due to no participation). Julie was wonderful and very open with her feelings about how she dealt with her loss and learned from it. Personally, I still have learning and I'm sure emotional healing to do. I will never forget the baby we lost. I feel amazingly better and have felt God's presence and healing the entire time. I cannot believe it's been 2 months since my D&C. I still ask "why" but remember that we don't always get an answer for that question. I have definitely learned how fragile and precious life truly is. Through my readings I learned even more that so many hundreds of things have to fall into place exactly right, that the miracle of life truly is a miracle. I knew that but hadn't full realized it. I believe that my openness to seek help and do my own research has drastically helped and sped my healing process. Jason and I also met with the leader/counselor with the support group, Nancy. She is wonderful and I feel the urge to tell everyone I know about her program. I have not found anything like it in Augusta County. If you know of anyone who has suffered a mc and has not had the voice to express her feelings, please let her know about the RMH program through the Center for Behavioral Health. I hope they can get the group going again soon.

~ P

I Support Altering

We have scheduled Razor for his neuter surgery at the Shenandoah Valley Spay & Neuter Clinic. The Clinic states, "Scientific research shows that altered pets live longer and are less likely to develop some forms of cancer and infections." I think these organizations are wonderful as they strive to reduce the unwanted pet population. They also state: "Our mission is to reduce and ultimately end the euthanasia of healthy and adoptable dogs and cats in the Valley." Hey and Indy came to us altered since he is from a Border Collie rescue program. It would be at least $100 more at our vet... For me it's a given to have your pet altered if you have a Heinz57 (the best!) are you not interested in breeding. We have a bitch who roams our
neighborhood every few months and we do not want to be partly responsible for any more unwanted Heinz. ;-)

Please support these organizations by sending them referrals and/or donations!

Paige

Jason's Recent Project

Two Matching Barrister Bookcases

More Deadbeat Granddads Failing To Make Birthday Payments

Paige worked for the Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement in 2003-2004, and found this alarming news:

More Deadbeat Granddads Failing To Make Birthday Payments

ATHENS, GA—With truant payments on the rise, millions of American grandchildren are being left seriously undersgifted, officials say.

It's Been a Stinky Week

Now this post is not going to be "pretty,” but we hope at the very least humorous. Our puppy stays stinky, because, well... he is a puppy (now nearing 5 months old). Enough said. Razor's nickname was already "Stinky." Then early last week Indy decided to get diarrhea. Something he must have eaten outside... Lasted for several days but for the most part he kept it ouside. However on Thursday Jason came home and had to clean it up from 2 different rooms -- including carpeting AND a wall. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH we are dog lovers... right?? Therefore, Indy quickly became "Stinky II." (It was nearly unbearable.) And to end the week with a real "bang," Paige let Indy outside Sunday evening and he found, you guessed it, Peppy Le Pue... (For you French students, it was actually "La" Pue -- he was a "she.") Paige dragged Indy to the house, already sprayed and nose burning, trying to get it out of his nose by running his nose anywhere on the ground possible. She yelled to Jason "shoot the skunk!" Jason found her (the skunk not Paige) and killed her (sorry animal rights activists). The stench that ensued finally ran the neighbors off their porch into the house. Jason said it looked as though Peppy had been nursing. Did you know some people have the babies as pets? You can have their odor duct (or whatever) removed. They sure would make cute little pets. Kinda like having a ferret. The stinky ending to a particularly stinky week, in the literal "scents!" We never have found the babies... Sorry Peppy...

Jason's Recent Project!

Step Stools

Summer's Over

We had a great time with Paige's LVC housemates. They slept in a lot and didn't see a lot of the sites. :) But it was wonderful for Paige having them here to visit. Where has the summer gone? Jason expects to go to Mexico again in another couple of weeks. He stays busy at home mowing and woodworking projects! Paige is still trying to declutter STUFF! And train Razor when she feels the inspiration. He is still in puppy class and growing by leaps and bounds. He is almost 4 months old already!!!! Oh, and we also got Indy a DogWatch® unground electric fence. He is so much happier now being able to go where he pleases outside (on our property only of course). Perhaps Razor will need a collar later. We will see how he does. He is still a bit young to train for it. He still tends to want to keep us in sight.

Love to all,

P & J

1 in 5

Greetings all. Paige here. There is no easy way to say it. We've had a miscarriage. I'm writing this 8/29 but wanted to change the post date to the date of my D&C, so our events are chronological. The EDD of our baby was to be 2/11/07. We are healing. I am into the anger and seeking answers phase. I had next to no physical pain with the whole ordeal. We found out on an ultrasound that our baby had died around 6 weeks. We were devastated but we want to try again. There are so many questions. Of course, why? And, why did it have to be our first baby? Why couldn't we have experienced it at least once first? It is somewhat comforting that it is common (1 in 5 pregnancies), but WHY so common? Things happen for a reason... nature's way... God's way... blah blah blah. Those answers aren't really answers and don't make it feel much better. But I am finding strength in God. He IS healing. He is grieving with us. Please pray for the safety and health of our child who we hope will be with us one day. In God's time.

Dear child of God,

You were with us for only a short while, but I will never forget you. I love you.

Love, Mommy

Mexico ... & Hair?

Jason is off to Mexico again for about a week. Paige is eager for her Lutheran Volunteer Corps housemates to visit in a couple of weeks. And we have decided to bite the bullet as they say, and buy an underground electric fence for Indy (& Razor). We hope it will give them more freedom outside.

And... what happened to Paige's hair???? The stylist took a "bit" too much off, but at least it is July and she is in the right month to enjoy it! Oh, and she never wears it straight so she thought she'd better preserve "the look" with a pic.

What do you think?

Happy 4th of July!

We were bums and stayed in the whole weekend! Except we did venture out to see X-Men 3 at the Dixie Theater for $4 each. It was entertaining, seemed to meet expectations. We also got a few chores/projects completed. Installed a new mailbox (now it actually reads "Kite" instead of "Elmore!") and 2 ceiling fans, and a new light fixture for Jason's shop. Amazing what just 1 new light can do for a place!

Safe and Sound

Jason made it safe and sound to Mexico last night. He is to return Friday evening for a long 4th of July weekend. Here in Virginia it continues to rain rain rain! Streams and rivers continue to rise... We needed rain but... enough is enough! Blessings, ~ Paige

Six Feet Under

Last night (finally) we completed the series finale of Six Feet Under. A fantastic HBO series with a real and upfront depiction of death, loss, the funeral business, and the families who are a part of it. From HBO.com: “When death is your business, what is your life? For the Fisher family, the world outside of their family-owned funeral home continues to be at least as challenging as--and far less predictable than--the one inside.”

A few favorite quotes:

---

Claire: I know stealing a foot is weird. But, hello, living in a house where a foot is available to be stolen is weird.

---

Tracy Montrose Blair: Why do people have to die?
Nate: To make life important. None of us know how long we've got. Which is why we have to make each day matter.

---

Margaret: Just because both your parents are shrinks doesn't mean you're a shrink.

Brenda: Well, just because you're a shrink doesn't mean you're not insane.

---

Claire: Great. So I get nothing.
Ruth: You get an education, something not all people are privileged to.

Claire: Well, what if I don't want to go to college?
Reader of the Will: College is a necessity in life not only to excel in learning, but to survive.

Claire: Spare me the tough-love rationalization, just bottom-line it, please.
Reader of the Will: If you choose not to go to college, the money will be available to you when you're 25.

Claire: It's like blackmail from beyond the grave.

---

[Nate needs Claire to pick up some death certificates]
Nate: Uh, one's at a nursing home, and the other, I think... is also at a nursing home.

Claire: Ugh. I hate those places. All the old people want to touch my hair.

---

Brenda: You know what I find interesting? If you lose a spouse, you're called a widow, or a widower. If you're a child and you lose your parents, then you're an orphan. But what's the word to describe a parent who loses a child? I guess that's just too fucking awful to even have a name.

---

Nate Sr.: You hang on to your pain like it means something. Like it's worth something. Well, let me tell you - it's not worth shit. Let it go! Infinite possibilities, and all he can do is whine.

David: Well, what am I supposed to do?

Nate Sr.: What do you think? You can do *anything* you lucky bastard - you're alive! What's a little pain compared to that?

David: It can't be that simple.

Nate Sr.: What if it is?

---

David: You can't ever really know a person and if you think you can, you're living in a dream world.

---

David: [as a stoned Claire sits down next to him in a pink shirt] you could've dressed.

Claire: ...I couldn't.

David: The rest of us managed.

Claire: [looks at him] ... the rest of you win.

---

Nate: You can't take a picture of this. It's already gone.

Mexico

Jason is off to Obregon, Mexico again for work where they are setting up a new plant. He traveled the week of May 30, and is preparing again June 26, and then July 10. He tires from all the comings and goings (3 hour time difference) and would much prefer to be home with the wife and doing his woodworking (trying to complete some bookcases)! Please pray for his safe travels. ~ P & J

Happy Birthday Paige

She's 28 today! She'll take a half day off from work, and tomorrow Jason's parents are throwing a pool party for her and have invited her parents, brother, and sister-in-law. Should be the perfect day for it as it is supposed to be hot!

Our "Old" Site

Our previous website contains archive blogs and lots more photos! Check it out!

Razor is 8 Weeks Old

Razor is 8 weeks old today! Indy is a good step brother!

We Named Our New Pup

Razor! He is our new Lab X pup, born approximately April 18, 2006.

We are thinking a mix with Austrailian Shepherd, what do you think?


by pj_kite

~ Paige & Jason

Our New Blog Site

Visit our blog for Kite family updates!