Friendship Tree...

When I saw this picture, it brought back thoughts of when I first started this blog. I remember the excitement of getting my first comment (thank you Elizabeth) and wondering how anyone was going to come across my place in blogland.
I was the only heart on my tree.
Now I have met so many incredible people. Every day I know that my girlfriends will be checking on me. I check each of your sites daily and read all of your posts. There are days I am smiling and days I am crying with you. Each day has been a treasure. I do whatever I can to offer you support and guidance through my words, or in person if I can. You have no idea how much I appreciate the fact that you do the same. I appreciate every kind word and prayer. Thanks for sharing your lives with me. I would be lost in this craziness without you.

This Post is for My Dear Friend Kris...Soulsister...

Some End of the Weekend Photos..

Eli and the neighbor girls playing squirt guns. We call them his 'harem'. They played and looked after him all weekend. Brother Tyler is going to be jealous, they used to be his 'harem'.

Eli and Rachel.

How many men does it take to hold down a dock? Evidently 5!

Well, I hated to see this weekend end, but I'm a little sunburnt. My nails are caked with dirt from fishing with worms until 11pm tonight and I need a shower and some sleep! It looks like you all had a great weekend too.

3 Posts Today...Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Birthday! Ava Grace is 2 Years Old Today!!

Happy Birthday darling Ava Grace. I hope you have a wonderful day! Big Hugs and Kisses from us! Ava's blog is 'My Red Thread to Ava Grace YaHan'.

Good Morning! Yeah baby, I'm Home for the 3rd Morning in a Row!

I'm a little late this morning-big time sleepyhead. Stacy has probably already had her tea. I'm brewing the coffee. The neighbor girls showed up ringing the doorbell early, so they are playing with Eli.
I'm off to see what's going on in blogland.

Fun In The Sun...

Summer truly begins for me when my dearest friend Cheryl comes out to the lake and opens up her cottage. I live here year-round, but she is seasonal. I have known her for almost 13 years now and our children have all grown up together. This is Cheryl with her daughter Emily on the right and our neighbor girl Morgan on the left who is Zachary's Godfather's daughter.

Eli and Cheryl's daughter Rachel blowing bubbles. Rachel played with Eli all day long. She has incredible patience.

This is our new dock. Tim built it on his own and I think he did a beautiful job. It lights up at night so the children can see more easily while out in the dark.

We are very blessed to live in a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone else and most of their extended families. The majority of us have lived on this loop together for over ten years. We all take care of each other and each other's children. We have the neighborhood 'Grandmothers' who bake cookies for the kids and are always available for a hug. We have people who work in almost every field imagineable and are there to help. We truly live in Mayberry.

Sunday...Memorial Day Weekend

I love long weekends...Happy Sunday Morning!

Long weekends are the best! I'm going to make a great cup of coffee and browse some blogs. Eli's eating cereal and watching the Wiggles. It's Tim's morning to sleep in a little bit. Last night we stayed out late fishing. I fed a lot of fish (my worm kept getting eaten), but Tim caught quite a few fly fishing. It was great fun!
GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL!

Memorial Day Weekend...

My New Blog Header And Look...

I always get a l0t of comments when I change over the look of the blog. To be truthful, I just get easily bored and I am a huge fan of the seasons and holidays. Heather at Blogmeister designed four headers for me for each of the seasons. The new header you see above is my summer header. Last week when it hit over 80 degrees, I decided it was time to flip over the blog.

Last night while I was at dinner with Stefanie and Kelly, they remarked that they like the new header, but that it didn't have the seven diamonds on it. Well, it does. Heather designed each of my headers with seven diamonds, some are obvious and some you have to look for. CAN YOU FIND ALL SEVEN DIAMONDS?

Good MorningEveryone!

I slept in today after having a wonderful dinner with Stefanie from 'Never Too Many' and Kelly from 'What's Katie Doing Now?'. We had a fantastic Chinese dinner and wonderful conversation. I learned a lot of adoption details from these two veterans.
Now I'm off to check on blogs!

Memorial Day...What it Means to Me...

I was born into a military family. My father is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Both of my Grandfathers served in World War II. My husband's Grandfather was an imprisoned U.S. soldier for almost a year in a Nazi POW Camp. My brother-in-law is an active duty Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.

I love my country fiercely and have raised my children to do the same.

We understand the risks taken when enlisting. We understand the bravery required to serve. We understand the possibility of loss of life.

I pray for our soldiers all over the world who are currently defending the security and freedom of our country and many others. I am grateful to those who stood before them and for their service and sacrifice.

God Bless America.

For those of you from other countries, Carolyn just left a very meaningful comment. We should pray for all of the soldiers regardless of country who are currently serving or have lost their lives. A Canadian soldier was just reported to have lost his life in Afghanistan today.

3 Posts Today...What I Believe About My Daughter...

I believe that God held the souls of each of my sons in the palm of His hand and gently breathed them into their bodies. I believe that the plan for their lives was to begin with me as their mother. I like to think that my mother was there and that she kissed each of them as they came to me.

I believe that God holds the soul of my daughter in the palm of His hand and that He will gently breath her into her body. I believe that the plan for her life is to be born of a woman in China, but that I have always been destined to be her mother. I like to think that my mother will be there and will whisper into her ear, "Be strong my tiny one. You come from a long line of powerful women and your mother is coming for you."

Please Join Me in Praying for Amanda at 'Chinese Starfish'

Please join me in praying for Amanda and the babies who need heart surgeries. It appears that one of the babies is going to require much more extensive work be done on her heart than was previously thought.

Also, another baby girl has an extremely rare blood type that is not currently available in the blood bank, so her surgery has been delayed.

Please lift these babies up in prayer and continually pray and offer support to Amanda. She is one of the most giving and beautiful souls that I have ever encountered. The child she is working to save may be yours. The babies who Amanda nurtures through these surgeries in time become available through special needs adoption. Amanda's blog is 'Chinese Starfish'.

Send a Get Well Wish to Our Friend Kate at 'A Special Family'.

I hope that you are feeling better soon! Kate's blog is 'A Special Family'.

Fishing for the First Time...With Daddy...

When Tim and I first started dating he told me point blank that he wanted another child. Our daughter Katelyn is from his first marriage. I already had Zach and Ty from my first marriage, and had a horrible pregnancy with Ty so I didn't know if more were in the picture for me.

Well, I got pregnant. I was put on bedrest but I made it through. Tim was an angel. He would cuddle up behind me every night to help support my back and just rub my stomach to feel the baby. He cried at the ultrasound when the tech announced that it was a boy. He cried when he was born. It melts my heart and I fall in love with him over and over again when I see him with Eli. The pride and the love just beems from him. Whenever Elijah does something special, I look over at this giant man of 6'3" and see his eyes watering up. Imagine what I felt when I looked out my window and saw this.... It is the sweetest.

Tyler's First Heartbreak...Love in 5th Grade...

Tyler had his first 'girlfriend' named Britney. Life was bliss for three whole days. Then at lunch, while Britney went to the restroom, her friend turned to Tyler and said loudly, "Britney is dumping you!." This is the account that I got in the car through watery eyes from my precious boy. He went on to say that she and her friends "shun" him. I told him to shun her right back. And he said, "I can't Mom, she's just too hot!"
Who does that Britney think she is anyway???

Today Was Tough..But There Was Some Good...

What do I do for a living? I am a Technical Sales Engineer for a telecommunications and data networking company. I sell larger internet pipes and networks that tie company locations together. Most days it's a really cool job. The past couple of days it's been a BIG challenge. I'm making it through though.
One great thing that happened today was that I was so frustrated when I came home that I ran. I actually put on my old running shoes and hit the road. I jogged my old path from years ago when I was an avid runner. It felt great. My butt was tingling....for me that means I lost some of my back-end. YEAH baby!!!
So, for now I am dedicating myself to getting back into the jog. My butt has been holding me back for too long. Thank you complete frustration for forcing me back onto the path!

For Melissa at 'Awaiting Ava'

When I saw this, I immediately thought of you. Maybe you can use it on your blog or for a post. It reminds me of your new pooch.

It's Monday and I don't want to go to work..

This is really rare for me..to not want to go to work. There is a situation that I just can't believe. I feel completely let down by the people who are supposed to be responsible for a critical piece of what needs to be done. They dropped the ball. I'm in the middle trying to get things fixed for people who entrusted a mission critical piece of their business to me (yes I am being vague). The problem is of a magnitude that major players in the company are now involved. So most of the people involved are spending more energy covering their behinds than helping with the issues. You get the picture. So, today I find out where everything stands. Hopefully things were cleaned up while I was out with Eli on Friday. If not, I'm going to have a miserable Monday.

Tagged Again!!

Crazy Lady tagged me for this meme. It's got a lot of details!!

FOODOLOGY
What is your salad dressing of choice? Light Ranch or Thousand Island
What is your favorite fast food restaurant? McDonald's
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Noto's, it's Italian
On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant? 20%
What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? A chicken fajita pita from a dive called La Cantina.
What is your favorite type of gum? Whatever one has the winter fresh.

TECHNOLOGY
What is your wallpaper on your computer? Spiderman 3
How many televisions are in your house? 2
How do you listen to music? I'm a station flipper in the car, I'm always pushing the scan button. On the computer at home usually or a CD.
BIOLOGY
What’s your best feature? I have fabulous hair (on my head).
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? I shaved off a little mole accidentally once and it grew back big and funky so I had it removed.
Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? I have to go with my sixth sense in that I know when something is going on the kids-good or bad.
When was the last time you had a cavity? A long time ago, I avoid the dentist. Bad I know, I make the kids go though.
What is the heaviest item you lifted last? Eli at 38 pounds.
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? No.

BULL____OLOGY
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?Absolutely not, I would become a complete freak.
Is love for real? Love is absolutely real.
If you could change your first name, what would you change it to? Hmm..I like my name, but I could work with Marissa.
Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake? Yes, a bug.
Have you ever saved someone’s life? I think so, there was a small boat on our lake that was sinking quickly, there were very small children on it with no life jackets and we pulled them out.
Has someone ever saved yours? Once.

DAREOLOGY
Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000? Maybe not.
Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? Sure, pucker up!
Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000? No, I need all of my fingers!
Would you never blog again for $50,000? Yes, but I'd be sad and whiney about it.
Would you pose nude in a magazine for $250,000? No, my children's image of me is worth far more than that.
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1,000? Yes, but once again, a lot of whining.
Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000? Yes, it would probably be great for us.

DUMBOLOGY
What is in your left pocket? Don't have one, but if I did I could guarantee it would be a boogery Kleenex.
Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie? Only to my 14 and 11 year olds.
Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house? Carpet and linoleum.
Do you sit or stand in the shower? I stand, it's the shower.....
Could you live with roommates? I have.
How many pairs of flip-flops do you own? Right now, two.
Last time you had a run-in with the cops? Last Spring, cop was purposely driving under the speedlimit, enjoying the long line-up he was creating on the highway. So, I passed him. He pulled me over for going 2 miles over the speedlimit. No ticket obviously, what a moron.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Mother and then a Grandmother.
Last friend you talked to? Jessi, my boys' step-mother. She had called to see how Eli's surgery went on his ears.
Last person you called? Jessi, I called her back.

RANDOMOLOGY
First place you went this morning? The restroom.
What can you not wait to do? Pick up my baby girl from China.
What’s the last movie you saw? We rarely go to the theater, the last movie I saw was Pirates of the Caribbean 2.

OK, I have to tag some peeps here.

1. Elizabeth
2. Lori
3.Joannah
4.Liz
5.Rachael
6.Jonni
7.STEFFIEB. Yeah girl, I see that you have been tagged many times for this one, so I'm calling you out : ).

Sunday Verse...

Saturday Afternoon Smile!

I just took this picture this morning. At least he has his boots on! Have a great Saturday everyone~

It's Saturday Morning...I have a cup of coffee and I'm looking at what the New Bloggers are putting out.

Love my Saturday Morning quiet time and coffee. Eli is watching Noddy on PBS and I'm checking out some of the newer blogs. Eli said chocolate chip for the first time this morning, so he's eating chocolate chips, banana and milk for breakfast. Maybe not the best way to start a quiet day but I wanted to reinforce what a chocolate chip was. Plus it just seems like fun!

I love seeing starter blogs. I remember when I first started out with my blogger template trying to figure out how to upload pictures and link blogs. Hard to believe that was only 5 months ago!

Good Morning to you all my friends!!

Tagged! By my friend Sara at 'Journey to Mia Lin'

Seven Things You May Not Know About Me....

1) My favorite sport is volleyball. I played all through junior high and high school.

2) My favorite foods are Chinese, Mexican and Sushi.

3) My favorite television show is Brothers and Sisters, followed by October Road.

4) I truly believe I have a soul connection to my home. Really..I think we are destined to be together.

5) I am completely disgusted by our gas prices and the governments ability to do absolutely nothing about it. I run my truck on Ethanol because I would rather have my money supporting American farmers verses oil tycoons.

6) I believe in ghosts.

7) I am currently obsessed with finding a Little Tikes Basketball Hoop at a garage sale...has anyone seen one??

Jane at 'Much Ado' is asking for prayer...

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post. I care for this woman very much. Please pray for our friend Jane at 'Much Ado' and her husband Derek. They have been waiting a very long time for their baby from China and now due to a setback in the Review Room, their LID has been pushed back for what sounds like a year. They are obviously heartbroken. I know that she would appreciate any kind words you could send her way.

When I Read This I Felt Peace Come Over Me...

Eli is just fine!

Thank you to everyone for your kind words and prayers. Eli did very well this morning and is home now, as active as ever!

Please Pray for My Little Elijah...

Friday morning at 6:45am we are reporting to the local medical center for Eli to have tubes put into his ears. I know that it is a very common procedure but he will be under with anesthesia and there is always a risk with that. We have had a horrible year with constant ear infections and there is fluid behind the eardrum that will not go away on its own, so we really have no choice. Please think about us tomorrow morning and say a prayer for my baby tonight.
Thank you all so much. I truly believe in the power of prayer from our group.

Thinking about my Girl...

I want you and I love you.

I Need To Find My Inner Balance...

I am starting to get that feeling that life may just be on the verge of overwhelming me. Work is crazy busy. We are having the biggest sales month since I have been there. We have no housekeeper right now which my husband thinks is just fine, but when I got home today after working until 5, dropping off the kids and rushing to a meeting at our church, only to come home at 10pm and find the house trashed...you're getting my picture here. Momma got a little upset.
I don't want to work all day and spend all night cleaning this house. I have four children I'd like to focus on. A new hire who has my position is coming in from Indy tomorrow for me to train for two days, did I mention my job is insane right now? And we're having him to dinner tomorrow night, did I mention my house needs a thorough cleaning? I won't even mention the rest of the weeks schedule. If I can just maneuver gracefully through the next two days, I'll be happy.
Wow, I feel so much better now after purging all that on you guys!

Thank You Secret Buddy!...

Thank you so much to our Secret Buddy! I have been looking for almost a year for a blanket for Sophia and I couldn't find anything that was soft enough. This blanket feels like heaven. I absolutely love it. And being an English Lit. Major in college, your card and quote are very cherished.

Weekly Verse...

This is my Mantra...

Each one of us who stands in the endless line waiting for their child is making a difference, each one of us who brings a child home is making a difference, each one of us who supports others who are doing this is making a difference. Each one of us who supports organizations that support the worlds orphaned and hungry is making a difference. One child at a time....we are making a difference.