My Boys Are Home From Camp...

My two oldest sons came home today from Camp Michawana. They can't stop talking about all of the fun that they had and the awards that they won for learning their Bible verses and lessons and sporting activities. Thank you Lord for touching my son's hearts over these past two weeks and grooming them into the men you want them to be.

This was one of the parting songs at camp.

One Wish...

This picture is called One Wish. I'm hearing rumors about referrals and reports that TA's are arriving. People's wishes are coming true. All of us here share the same wish, for our daughters to come to us quickly. My girl is on my mind today more than usual. I love you Sophia Jane, wherever you are...your Momma loves you and I will come for you.

2 Posts Today...Help Wanted...

I would like to have 4 new headers designed. I am not interested in a blog make-over, I get too restless and need change too much. I would like 4 custom headers done that I can change at will. I am ready and willing to compensate. If anyone is up to it, please let me know!

Something Beautiful...

I'm so glad I found you all. If no one has told you today, you are beautiful! Now crank up this song and dance around your livingroom-that's what I'm doing!!

Do You Want To Be A Secret Buddy???

I have had several people mention to me that they would like to be a secret buddy. Well, if you are interested, please e-mail me at timnkim@gmail.com. DO NOT LEAVE A COMMENT AND GIVE YOURSELF AWAY! Just send me an e-mail and let me know what country you are adopting from and any type of LID information or other type of timeline data that I can use to match you with someone who is compatable and will be able to participate for approximately the same amount of time as you. I know that I have someone interested who is adopting from Vietnam, so please know that you do not have to be China only in order to be matched.
If there is enough interest, I will forward you a brief questionnaire that I will later forward on to your Secret Buddy so that they will have an idea of your likes and interests and your address so they can mail out your packages.
I am very fortunate to have an outstanding secret buddy. I really look forward to her packages each month. I also get a lot out of sending things to the family who I have been matched with. It's a great experience.

8 people have joined in so far!

Quote of the week...

Thank You All for A Wonderful Baby Shower!

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported Elizabeth's Baby Shower! It was unbelievable. What was intended to be a casual weekend shower turned into a continuous weekend long live-chat with 324 comments and 30 RSVP's. I can't remember the last time that I laughed so much. You are an amazing group of women.

I know that we had a lot of ladies who were away for the weekend. If you would like to RSVP for the shower, just send me an e-mail at timnkim@gmail.com, or leave a comment with your e-mail address and I will forward her address and wish list to you.

Have a wonderful week!

Day 3!! Elizabeth's Baby Shower Bash!! (What else do you call a party that lasts 3 days???)

Welcome everyone to day 3 of Elizabeth's Blog Baby Shower! If you are new to the shower and would like to participate, simply leave me a comment or e-mail me at timnkim@gmail.com with your e-mail address and I will forward you Elizabeth's address and her wish list so that you can send her a gift for Grace Ryan.
Every 5th rsvp that I receive wins a shower prize! Prizes are displayed on my sidebar. If you leave a comment that is particularly enchanting or hilarious, we'll give you a prize too.
Jump on in! This has been the most fun I've ever had on the blog!!
Aren't those the cutest baby ladybug toes??

I'm going to be in and out today, but will do my best to keep up with gift list requests and drop in a comment from time to time.

Welcome to Elizabeth's Blog Baby Shower!

Welcome to Elizabeth & Grace Ryan's Blog Baby Shower!

To participate in the shower, please RSVP by leaving me a comment with your e-mail address or sending me an e-mail at timnkim@gmail.com. I will send you Elizabeth's address so that you can mail her a gift for Grace. Each 5th RSVP that I receive will be mailed a special shower prize. If you look at my sidebar you will be able to see some of the prizes, if there is one in particular that you would like you can make a request when I e-mail you that you have won. I am also open to giving prizes for comments for Elizabeth that bring a tear to the eye or a smile to the heart, so bust us up or make us sob! I will be posting the winners here throughout the weekend.

Let's do this right ladies. Let's shower this baby with gifts! I know that Elizabeth hasn't done a lot of shopping yet. Grace will be close to two years old by the time they have her, so E. is thinking that 18 month old clothing or above would be good. I will share her detailed gift list with you when I have your e-mail address!

Shower Gift Winners!:

Daleea at 'Jewels of My Heart'
Lala at 'Ladybugs and Dragonflies'
Dannye at 'LayDFrog'
Steffie B. at 'Never Too Many'
Carolyn at 'China Calling'
Nikki at 'Life with Lily Lin'
Glinda at 'Give Me Back My Slippers'
Kim at 'Isabella_Bison'
Dawn at 'Eggrolls and Chopsticks'

Preparing for Tomorrow's Blog Baby Shower...

This blog is under construction tonight so that I can prepare for tomorrow's blog baby shower for Elizabeth and Grace Ryan. If you would like to RSVP early to participate and for prizes, feel free to leave me a comment with your e-mail address and I will get in touch with you!

Yes It's True...I have the Coolest Secret Buddy...

This month I received two gorgeous burp cloths and a set of silverware from my secret buddy. The burp cloths are decorated cloth diapers-look at those...they are way too cute!! She also made a donation to Half the Sky Foundation in Sophia's name which I think is the greatest gift of all. Thank you so much. I hope that you are able to reveal yourself one day, I would really love to know who you are. I am so grateful to you for making my secret buddy experience wonderful. I look forward to your boxes every month!

Grace Ryan...

I know that you all have already seen her, but you know me...I have to do a post. Congratulations to Elizabeth and her family on the referral of their daughter and little sister, Grace Ryan. She is such a strikingly beautiful child. I wish you all every happiness.
Their blog is 'DragonflyandLadybug'.

A Book That Any Adopting Family Should Own...

Please join me in supporting Elizabeth's newly published book, Lovebug. It is a book for children about adoption. Whether your child is adopted domestically or internationally, they will benefit from this beautiful story. We all talk about supporting each other and our dreams. Well, this is my friend's dream, so please go to the link and take a look, I think you will just love it. Elizabeth has a son who was adopted domestically and is awaiting the arrival of her daughter from China. Her blog is 'DragonflyandLadybug'.
Click HERE to be linked to lulu to order your copy!

Quote for the Week...

On My Mind Til Wednesday...

Making a wish and saying a prayer for you that all of your wishes come true on Wednesday. You know who you are...

2 Posts Today....Rocking Blogger Girl!

Thank you to Ashley at 'Absolutely His' for the Rockin' Girl Blogger award. It is my understanding that this award is for Christian Inspirational Blogs. I have seen many of my favorite blogs receive this award and am just thrilled to be added to the list.

I would like to pass this award along to Jane at 'Much Ado About Books' because she has never ceased to inspire me with her constant faith and devotion to God. I would also like for Amy at 'When Love Takes You In' to have this award. I really enjoy our Monday prayer group.

Missing My Best Friend Julie...

I called my best friend Julie last week just to talk. She lives near Detroit which is about two hours from me. She's been there for many years now, so we don't get to see each other as often as we would like. I actually haven't seen her since last fall. I told her that I felt like we were drifting apart and losing our closeness. She assured me that everything is fine. It's been on my mind. I always mean to go up there, but something always comes up.
I came home today and found this in the mail. She wrote me a wonderful note that I'm not posting. But I think you can tell from this just how much we mean to each other. I hope that each of you has a friend in your life who you can always count on and who has stood beside you through the best and the worst times of your life.

This is me on the left, Julie's little sister Lisa in the middle and Julie on the right.

Have A Great Monday!

The weekend is over and it's back to work. I'm looking forward to today, it's a going to be a relaxing one at work. Have a good one!

Sunday Morning Photos...

I'm going to quietly make some coffee and let these kids sleep. They had a big day yesterday of swimming and tubing behind the boat. We had 18 here for dinner since the Great-Grandparents and Great Aunt & Uncle dropped by. Lots of family fun!!

Grab Your Heart Band-Aids and Head over to 'A Special Family'

Please join me in offering some love and support to our sister over at 'A Special Family'. She is really going through a tough time and she is alone. She is one of the most amazing people I have met in blogland, so I am very worried to see her so low. I'm sure that prayer would be helpful also.

Saturday Morning!!

This Saturday Morning post is dedicated to our good friend Headmeister. When I saw this graphic, I about wet my pants. She's a true fan of DH. Good Morning Heather, Stacey, Steffie and anyone else who drops in this morning.. Leave a comment and I'll visit you! If you are a fan of 'The Hoff', check out hoffgallery.com.
The coffee is brewing, but it looks like rain.

What's Up This Weekend???

Tonight (Friday), it's just Tim, Kate, Eli and myself. I'm going to get some laundry caught up and go out for a boat ride.

Tomorrow both of my sister-in-laws are coming to stay over with 6 kids between them. We'll have 13 in the house. We'll be tubing on the boat and swimming. Grilling dinner. You know, traditional summer. (This is my 4th weekend in a row with a packed house).

Sunday I have a baby shower to go to and the Great Grandparent's to visit.

What does your weekend look like?

Congratulations to Gwen and the Oatsvall Team!!

Join me in congratulating Gwen and the entire Oatsvall Team on the referral of their newest little princess, Maggie Tara Chang Oatsvall.

They are asking for prayer for a quick arrival for their TA and a smooth attachment process.

Their blog is 'Oatsvall Team', I know they would love to hear your words of encouragement!

Please Pray for Jay...

Nikki from 'Life with Lily Lin' is asking for prayer for her husband. He is going in for a cat scan soon. There hasn't been a diagnosis of anything yet, but Nikki is obviously concerned and nervous. I know that they would appreciate any kind words.

Searching for an Identity as an Adopting Mother...

When I was expecting the boys, it was easy for everyone to see that I had a child on the way. People were so happy for me. They smiled and asked questions about when I was due and what names I had picked out. Now that I am adopting, I feel like I am missing out on the attention and joys that I experienced before my children were born.
No one can tell that I have a little girl on the way. No one seems really excited about it now that the wait is taking so long.
I drive into the babies r us parking lot and look at the expecting moms parking spot, I keep moving on until I find one for the 'normal' women.
No one asks me how I'm feeling or if I need anything. I do need some moral support from time to time.
It's like nothing is happening.
That is making me miserable. I want some way to proclaim that I am expecting! I want Sophia Jane to be just as anticipated as Zach,Tyler and Eli were. I'M PARKING IN ALL OF THE EXPECTING MOM SPOTS!! Any other ideas??

Ask Me Anything...I'm an Open Book...

I have had a couple of comments that have caused me to think that you all may not really know me, or that the part of me that writes this blog isn't exposing the full me. Does that make any sense? There are a lot of aspects to me and my life and a lot of different facets to my personality. So, here's your chance...ask me anything. If there is something you would like to know about me, leave a comment and I will address it completely by leaving a responding comment here on this post. My life's book is wide open, there is no taboo (unless it will cause my family to die of complete shame). Be creative and dig deep. This is an incredible opportunity...I'm a little nervous about crazylady and secret agent. But I'm up for it..Bring It On!

Enjoy Your Wednesday!

Well, at least I'm halfway through this week. The days have been flying by pretty fast. Today seems to be about money. I have to pick Zach up around noon and take him to the bank so he can learn how to access his account and deposit his birthday money.
Tonight we meet with our Ameriprise Financial Advisor. He's going to map out a plan so that maybe we can retire one day. I'm hoping that I don't end up depressed by the realization that we can never retire. We also have to get more life insurance and find a lawyer to draft a will. Not so much fun, but necessary.

Thank You Secret Agent!

Thank you so much to my dear friend at 'Loud Secrets'. This is a really awesome squish! I love the fabric and your wish is inspiring. For those of you wondering what Secret Agent's name really is...I know and it's very cool, I think I'm changing my name to hers.

Sending Hugs to Steffie...

Let's all send a hug to our dear friend Steffie at 'Never Too Many'. They were not matched this time around for a child on the Children of Promise List. Their LID is fairly new, so she knows that her time will come, but it is still hard. We all know just how hard it really is.

Quote for the Week...

Happy Birthday to My Son..

This morning I talked to God on my way to work. There were tears running down my cheeks. I thanked Him for blessing me 15 years ago today with the gift of my oldest son Zachary. I thanked Him for the miracle of his smile and the warmth in his eyes. It has been a priviledge to be his mother. One of the greatest blessings in my life... to walk beside him through his life, to be the one who held his small hand and guided him. He is my sunshine. My first pure love.

Normally I spend my sons birthday with him. But not today. Today I had lunch, just lunch. I sat accross the table at Olive Garden looking into the face of a young man. My boy was gone and there was this beautiful young man in his place. Just lunch, because I had to work and tonight he has his first hockey practice which can't be missed. He has his own life now with practices and commitments to be met. His life isn't meshed with mine anymore.

That's ok (I type that while I'm crying), because I have cherished every minute. I have hugged and kissed and cuddled. I have read books, watched all of the Disney movies and sang the itsy bitsy spider. The boy lives forever in my heart. The young man and I begin our next adventure together. We still walk side by side, but he opens the doors now and carries things for me. We talk about current events, relationships and life. He's driving me in the car. When I looked accross the table at him today, I knew that things were never going to be the same. Somehow today marked a new era for us.

To my son who sometimes reads my blog:
I love you . I love you. I am so proud and blessed. I remember being in the hospital when you were first born and watching you as you slept and I knew that the most incredible part of my life was beginning. But I had no idea how amazing and beautiful you would be and how much I could love another. You are such an outstanding young man. I love spending time with you talking and laughing. I am so impressed with your wit and intelligence. In you I see the makings of a great man. You carry my heart with you everywhere you go. For the third time...I love you.

No Sleep!

I can't get any sleep in my house! Usually if I can get to sleep before my husband does I'm fine. He snores. If I fall asleep before the snoring starts, I'm fine. If I don't it's a night of battling. I'm constantly poking at him, telling him to roll over. He mostly snores on his back (which is his favorite sleeping postition). Now Eli, our 2 year old is waking up every night and wanting to come to bed with us. He tosses and turns and I end up having to move to the couch. We're working to steer him back to his own bed-not working well. On the weekend mornings, I usually end up waking up earlier with Eli. Somehow the husband sleeps through him waking up-I think he ignores it and pretends to sleep until I break down and get up.

So, at this point, I think I have slept maybe 15 hours in 3 days. I'm exhausted.

The Family Nickname Meme...

I have been tagged by Kimber at '3 Peanuts' to reveal our family nicknames. Which is kind of funny because Kimber is one of my nicknames. You see the children all of the time as they are today, so I thought I would show you all how they looked when they were babies since that is where most of the nicknames began.

This is Zachary who is turning 15 tomorrow. He loved bubbles. His nickname was Juji. Don't ask why, it just was.


This is Katelyn. Her Grandmother called her Kateydid when she was little.

This is Tyler our 11 year old. His nickname was Poody which evolved into Poody Loo. This nickname followed him for many years until he demanded that we stop calling him that. Poor kid.

This is little Eli. His father calls him TJ sometimes for (Tyler Junior) since he's so wild like his brother.

I tag: Search and Destroy Twins, My Three Sons and a Little China Girl, Living the Florida Life, Always Wanted Four, With Six You Get Eggroll, What's Katie Doing Now?, The Monkey King, The Princess Diaries and Sophia + Alyssa.

Sunday Post...