This is my last blog for the year 2006, and I couldn’t tear myself away from the television to write it before now. My family just watched the San Francisco 49’ers beat the Denver Broncos, thus completing the last of four dominoes that needed to fall to allow the Kansas City Chiefs to be in the playoffs. It was a tense, close game, won in overtime, but I sure have some happy guys around here right now. They can’t talk (they are hoarse) but they are happy.


Amy joined us tonight for dinner. She has been over to the house nearly every day since Christmas Eve… perhaps she missed one or maybe two. I invited her… And I invited her because she actually has been pleasant to be around. In fact, she was brushing my hair tonight as part of our trade-off for me letting her take home my leftovers from the Cheesecake Factory last night.


I have SO much to share about the changes I have seen. Actually, my family members (my parents, the older kids) commented that based on their observations she had “matured”. I wasn’t so sure.


But on my birthday, the 27th, we went out to dinner. (Been doing a lot of that lately… I’m becoming a blimp!) My birthday gift was a gift certificate to a spa! Not a box of chocolates from the grocery store. Stephanie was way worried about the money Amy spent (and shouldn’t have) but the consensus is, Amy is making a clear statement that she actually thought about the recipients of her gift giving this year.


After we returned home, most of the family started playing cards. My parents were still here at the time, and my mom acquiesced to my request to “work” on my back. She’s a retired physical therapist and even at age 82, has magical hands! So as I was lying on the couch, in a somewhat compromising position (my backache was really, really, really low!!!) Amy sat at my head and hemmed and hawed… and then asked me about helping her re-establish contact with her birthmom. That opening topic led to an amazing conversation… and I will share some of it in the next blog.

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