Adopt Foster Kids

I laughed out loud when I saw these funny commercials (AdoptUsKids.org) when watching the Uruguay v. Netherlands game today. But then I realized what an awesome message was embedded inside these simple ads: There are many kids out there that aren't looking for perfection...just a parent.

The narrator at the end of the commercials stated, "You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent." And another ad stated, "Because kids in foster care don't need perfection. They need you." That is so true. There are thousands of foster kids in the world who were just unlucky when it comes to family life. Lots of them would love a good family to adopt them, and it would be so beneficial for them as they prepare for adulthood.

Jen and I are planning on taking care of foster kids eventually. We are planning on practicing our parenting skills on two or three kids at first, and then looking into foster care. It all depends on how Jen's pregnancy progresses. We would love to adopt kids for a long time...until we get too old to take care of them!

A friend of mine has a great quote on her facebook page: "If you're going to be against abortion, you had better be willing to adopt some kids." I think that quote is just awesome. So many people in this country are against abortion, and yet, so few actually do something about the group of kids who survived pregnancy and end up in families that don't want them.

Anyway, just some food for thought. Enjoy these funny commercials:

If you can't see the videos, go here and here.

Glenfair Community Garden

We have been keeping busy this summer working on the Glenfair Community Garden across the street from us. We were very excited last year when we started it with the planning committee. This whole process has been very new to me and extremely educational. Now I am faced with another role that is unknown to me: Garden Coordinator. I was elected to be the one who manages the garden, gardeners, paperwork, and upkeep. I am excited about the role and am happy to volunteer my time to do it. However, since I don't really know what I'm getting myself into, I hope that I am not too overwhelmed with the responsibilities. So far, I'm pumped because I'm all organized and ready to sign people up!

If you are in the Glenfair/Glendoveer/148th MAX Stop neighborhood in East Portland and are interested in a FREE garden plot, then have them contact me or visit glenfaircommunitygarden.com and fill out an online application.

Here are a few slideshows to show you what we have been working on:

The Fence


Tilling, Digging, Spreading


Breaking Ground

Tasty Photos

Cinnamon Raisin Bread 9/7/09

White Chocolate Cake with Strawberries 4/4/10

Light Cheesecake 2/20/10

Turkey Pot Pie 1/10/10

Whole Wheat Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting 3/19/09

...and from long ago...

My first apple pie as a Riedl 12/1/07

Preggo Visit #2

We just got back from our second baby appointment to see our midwife! Jen is doing just wonderfully. She is right on track with the baby-making process and is feeling much better now that the second trimester has begun.

After a few more weeks of thinking about this whole pregnancy thing, I am much more excited than I was originally. It is beginning to seem real, now that I can start to see her belly getting bigger.

I have talked with friends over the past few weeks and I have definitely nailed down the #1 coolest thing about having a pregnant wife: The miracle of life. It completely baffles me how there is a little human being forming inside the abdomen of my best friend. I have been interested in science for many years now, and I think that nothing has made me shake my head in amazement as much as pregnancy. It gives me a new perspective on Psalm 139:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Jen thinks it will be a boy, and I think it will be a girl. It'll be fun to see who turns out being right. We've already chosen a boy first and middle name, but are still discussing girl names. We still have a lot of time to figure that one out. All I know is that it is going to be so awesome when I can feel the little fetus kicking. I can't wait.

Lastly, on the last day of school, my cooperating teacher and the class surprised me with such a loving gift basket full of baby stuff. Jen and I felt so loved after such a wonderful display of generosity! We couldn't be more thankful to all of those who chipped in.

New Blog Design

I really love Blogger's new "Template Designer" function. It helps the blogs look much more pleasing to the eye!

What do you think of the new Riedlblog design?

Jen is pregnant!

Last week we went to see a midwife at a maternal care clinic and heard our baby's heartbeat! It is difficult to describe my feelings about it. There are just so many feelings all at the same time! I am very excited to become a father and am ready for the responsibilities that come with it. I am a bit nervous because I do not have a teaching job yet. Jen wants to stay at home with our baby once it is born, and I need to have a job so that she has that as an option. I am also very fascinated with the biological aspect of it. Hearing the rapid heartbeat of our little fetus was mind-boggling! How can a little life form inside of my wife's body!? Quite strange, indeed.

Honestly, I don't have much else to say. It seems as though I'm just along for the ride with this whole pregnancy thing. Of course I will check out some soon-to-be-father preparation books from the library and learn what I need to about changing diapers and such. However, I feel like the majority of my preparation to be a father has been over the bachelor days of my life. When I was single, I worked hard to become the man I want to be and the type of man that can be a good father.

It's going to get busy from now on. I will not have a whole lot of time to be working on improving my own behaviors--that's what I was doing when I was single. Now, I'll be working on improving the behaviors of my own children. Even though I still have much to learn in this new phase of life, I can honestly say that I am happy with the direction I am traveling. Thankfully, Jesus will continue to lead me down the right road and I don't have anything to worry about.

Both Are Winners: Steelers vs Yankees

It is an interesting experience living in Portland. Because we do not have a professional football or baseball team, we get a wide variety of sports fans of cities from all over the country.

For example, I have lived in Portland for the large majority of my life. However, I am a die-hard Cleveland Indians fan because my mom's family lives in northeastern Ohio. At the same time, I am a Seattle Seahawks fan because I began to appreciate football when my college friends introduced it to me when I lived up there.

I have recently encountered a large number of Pittsburgh Steelers fans. This has baffled me because of the size of Pittsburgh. Its population is around 313,000 people. That's it. And as for Pittsburgh's greater metropolitan area, it's roughly the same size as Portland's (about 2 million). How can it be that I look around and find so many Steelers fans when the city is relatively small.

I also see a lot of New York Yankees fans. Now this actually makes sense! New York City's metropolitan area is approximately 19 million. It is very understandable that the country's largest city would have the greatest number of fans for their team. So I would certainly expect to see a lot of Yankee fans here in Portland.

So...why do I see so many Steelers fans?

I discovered the answer when I looked at the number of championships won by each team. The Yankees have won the most number of World Series (27) and the Steelers have won the most number of Superbowls (6). It seems as though people are fans of sports teams that win often.

This makes sense to me. I can understand why people would want to be fans of a team that wins more often than it loses. Winning feels good. Losing is hard. I know that losing is hard because I am a Cleveland Indians fan. We have lost a lot more than we have won over the past few decades. Many heartwrenching losses.

Still, it makes me think about how people so desperately want to be winners. They don't want to fail. I think this is a normal, natural desire built into our design as humans. God wants us to strive for our very best and He wants us to follow a winner. It makes sense why so many of us are fair-weather fans. Why so many little boys pretend to be superheroes when they are growing up. If our desire is to follow the best, then that seems like a perfect design to follow Jesus. His perfection will always something that people will try to follow--just like a sports team that wins championships.