Quote for the Week...

A Dog's Life...

This is our black lab Cooper. His favorite summer activity is retrieving the tennis balls that we hit out into the lake with a tennis racket. We launch them out as far as we can and he happily swims out and brings them back to us.

Cooper has a friend Max who lives 2 doors down and it's a race between the two of them to see who can get to the ball the fastest. Max is about 4 years younger, and a faster swimmer...so he usually wins.
Eli loves to get out with Daddy and the neighbor guys and play with the dogs. This is Nugget, she lives a couple of doors down.

Here's the race between Max and Cooper. Pretty neck and neck, but Max is a little ahead.

Another pic of Eli and Nugget. She is a golden retriever pup.

Update for Starfish Book Drive Participants...

If you are still working on putting together your small package for Amanda at Starfish, here is a needs list that she just sent to me yesterday. I bought things off of the original list she gave to me, and she still needs though too, so do not worry if you bought products that she had originally asked for. There are two new babies at Starfish, Karlee and Nicholas and they are very small. Both of them have been ill with some type of a flu virus. Nicholas had to be sent to the hospital, but is doing much better now. They both are growing which is wonderful.

This is the the e-mail I received from Amanda:

We went through our boxes and here is an updated needs list:

1. Overnight Original Desitin
2. Mucinex Expectorant for children 2 to 11 (liquid)
3. Little Remedies Saline solution (http://www.littleremedies.com/littlenoses_saline.html)
4. Little Remedies Decongestant Nose Drops (http://www.littleremedies.com/littlenoses_decon.html)
5. Little Remedies Laxative http://www.littleremedies.com/littletummys_laxative.html
6. Motrin Children (2 years and older)
7. Preemie diapers

We do not needs loads of the Little Remedies Nose drops and decongestant but we are always in need of Motrin, Desitin and diapers. If you can believe it there are no preemie diapers to be found in China. Karlee and Nicholas used the last in our storage. They are now using newborn diapers but they are too big. Hopefully soon they will fit into them :)

Thanks so much for all your help. I really appreciate everything you do for the babies and me. More than what I can say.
Life, Love and Laughter,
Amanda

Starfish Foster Home
http://chinesestarfish.blogspot.com
www.chinesestarfish.org

Craziness...

Lately I've been reading quite a bit about anonymous commenters leaving nasty notes behind on peoples blogs. I've been hearing about people harassing through e-mails. I'm going to tell you that I think it's nuts and I know it's hurtful.
A blog is a journal and if you are blessed enough to be let into someone's life...even on the small level that a blog allows, you should be supportive and allow yourself to be enriched by it. If you think someone's blog is boring...don't read it. If you think their children never do anything fun...then stop dropping by.
Unless a fellow blogger makes a commitment to you, they do not owe you anything. It is not their job or their goal to entertain you.
I have seen too many wonderful blogs that I was benefiting from having to go private or shut down altogether because someone decided that it was their right to become hurtful and go into attack mode. It isn't your right. A blog is a reflection of someone else's life...not yours. It is their forum to speak their own thoughts and share what pieces of their lives they choose.
No one should feel outside pressure to post or curb their thoughts or ideas to please someone else out here.
I have been very fortunate and haven't had to deal with this, but I will tell you that if someone decided to start leaving me snarky comments...I would hope they would have enough spine to at least leave their name. Anonymous is a pretty cowardly way to launch an attack.

These issues are why I have the Blogging Without Obligation graphic on my sidebar.

The Next Baby Shower....Welcome Lucy Joy!!

This Saturday I am hosting a shower for Dawn and her Lucy Joy. Now, Lucy is almost 4 years old, so this is more of a little girl shower. Dawn is asking for hair bows and accessories and books. So please join us this Saturday. There will be shower prizes and a lot of fun. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISPLAY THE SHOWER GRAPHIC ON YOUR SIDEBAR, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL GET IT OUT TO YOU! The shower will run from 11am to 2pm. If you can't make it during that time, that is ok. I will be checking for comments throughout the day and you are welcome to rsvp by leaving a comment and I will get her address to you.

Monday...

I hope that you all have a great Monday! My SIL came back over with my two nephews yesterday and stayed over. They are heading out today to their new home in Missouri. My BIL was here over the 4th of July but has returned to Korea to continue his 1 year tour there. So, that leaves my SIL with another 6 months without him and having to coordinate the family move to the next Air Force base where he will be stationed. I am sad to see them go. My SIL is a very special person and I love being around her.

Sunday...

Good Morning Everyone and Welcome to the Saturday Morning Chat Group!

Good Morning Everyone! There is a lot going on in our group, so hopefully I don't forget anything this morning.


Next Saturday I am hosting a baby shower for Dawn at 'Our Little China Girl' to welcome her beautiful daughter Lucy Joy. Please let me know if you would like to display this darling sidebar graphic to get the word out. Thank you Daleea for designing it, it is absolutely darling!

April at 'The Road to Siji' is selling her taggies to make money for her adoption. These are the ones you all have been bidding on at the auction. They have bringing in some wonderful bids. So, if you want one, get over to her blog and place an order!


Lastly, Marina is home with her beautiful daughter Sarah, Congratulations to the family! Their blog is 'Over the Rainbow'. Please drop by and welcome their new child.

*THE CHAT ROOM IS NOW CLOSED...HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!

You Have the Power! Bring A Child Home from Ethiopia.

You know 'that girl', our gypsy friend of a thousand blogs? She's looking for a sign. She is looking to Ethiopia and waiting for confirmation that she is on the right path. Here's her barter with herself...if she raises $250.00 by her 40th birthday...she is going to Ethiopia for a child. She has $102 raised so far, so not much more is needed.

Let's support 'that girl'

7.09.2008

Ginormous Leap of Faith
If I raise the $250 application fee for our adoption agency, I'll take it as God's stamp of approval to go to Ethiopia. I made the deadline my birthday, August 8th. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. I have to at least try, I am tossing/turning over this every night.

Quote for the Week...

Zach's Birthday Photos..

Zach's cake..I tell you I was stumped at what to get for a 16 year old, but I think D&W did a great job!

This is Zach and his Godfather Walt.

This is Zach and I. It's strange to see him so much taller than me : )

Happy 16th Birthday Zachary!

Today is my son Zachary's 16th Birthday! I can tell that this is going to be an emotional day for me. This is a big birthday. He will be getting his driver's license and is buying a car from his father. I am so proud of him. He doesn't want a 'big deal'. So, I got him some chocolates from Mary Ann's which are his favorites. He has asked for money, so we are giving him money for his birthday. I have a cake to pick up at noon and friends and family will be sharing his special day with him.

Happy Birthday Zach. I love you more than I could ever put into words. You have carried my heart in the palm of your hand since the day you were born.

17 Months...

Our 17th month passed by on 7/6.

Busy Busy Busy!

We had so many visitors over the 4th of July that it was just a fabulous crazy time. All of our neighborhood kids were here in full force. Aunt Sandy and Uncle Dan came. Aunt Trish and Uncle Scott and Josh and Brandon were here. We had a fabulous time. Lots of food, fishing, swimming and campfires.
Sorry to the Sat Chat ladies! I ended up with a full house on Sat. morning, so I was unable to get our group together.
I hope you all had a fantastic 4th!

Sunday...

Happy 4th! God Bless America!

Straight to My Heart...

Strong Storms...

We had some strong storms come through yesterday. It pretty much rained all day long. Today is supposed to be clear though, so we are looking forward to spending the day outside.

The Starfish Book Drive...

Amanda at Starfish spends a lot of time in hospitals. When she was with Breanna for her heart surgery, she was required to stay in the hospital without leaving for many days. They did not provide her with a room or a place to bathe. She stayed on a couch in the hallway. This is a big part of her life as she travels all over China bringing the babies to different doctors who specialize in whatever their ailment is. While she was with Breanna I asked her what she did to pass the time and she told me someone had given her an old magazine. I asked her if she had any good books to read and she said she didn't. She spends her money on supplies for the babies and surgeries. She is very practical and very driven. She told me that she did not have access to a library, there weren't any in her area.
So, you know me....my mind started working. Actually, this one has been in the works for several weeks now. Thank you to my partner Verna for the wonderful header!

This is the project, if you would like to participate, please leave a comment and I will get you Amanda's address in China.

I would like to encourage anyone who would like to help to send Amanda a paperback book. It doesn't need to be a new book. It can be one that you have enjoyed in the past. Keep it paperback because shipping to China can be expensive, so the lighter the better. Please also send a card. I know that Amanda doesn't have a strong support group of ladies to help her face the challenges in her life. She is a strong Christian woman, so she relies on God. But I think that a kind word of encouragement would go a long way. She also spends nothing on herself, so if you would like to send something small and personal, like a bookmark or something..I think that would be wonderful. I did get out of her that she likes Robert Ludlum and books about Chinese adoption, that's all I could get without revealing what I was up to.

I asked her the other day if there were any small items that the children needed...I was thinking we could slide one in with our books.

This is the list she gave me:

Hyland's Infant teething tablets
Shaklee infant vitamin powder
Probotics for infants
Butterfly closures for wounds, small and large
Infant stool softener

If you would like to include any of these small items with your book, that would be wonderful!

Now, I want to prepare you that shipping to China is not cheap. The most cost-effective route is the US Postal Service, but the package will be handed over to the Chinese Postal Service where packages magically disappear on a regular basis. The best route is to use a major shipping company that tracks like UPS or FedEx. It's more expensive, but you know your package will get there. If you know someone with a discount at one of these places...ask them if you can use it. I know that Northwest Airline employees get a great discount.

Thank you.

A New Kind of Superhero!

These photos bust me up. Eli likes to dress up, but it is always as a superhero or Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty who defeats the dragon. Above is his Nacho Libre version of a Superhero...I don't know if that ring on his head is supposed to be a halo or what...

This is him ready to take on the dragon.

Sunday...

Tyler is Home From Camp...

Tyler had a wonderful time at camp this year. I am very proud of him. He goes to a Christian camp here in Michigan where the kids have a lot of fun swimming, tubing, doing archery, crafts..the usual fun camp things. But there is also a large emphasis on learning more about Christ and the Bible. There are two major awards given to campers who go beyond the daily requirements of memorizing their Bible verses and showing a great spirit and sense of sportmanship. Tyler won both awards this year. Above is Tyler receiving the All Around Bible Award for his Bible verse memorization.

This is Tyler (on the right) receiving the 'M' Award. You must first with the All Around Bible before you can qualify for the M, the M is awarded for displaying a good Christian spirit throughout your stay at the camp and exploring the different activities there.

This is Tyler and his camp counselor Ross.

This is his cabin and the group of boys who he stayed with. Tyler is very interested in archery and spent most of his days at the archery range. My father bought him his own bow last year after he completed Hunter's Safety, so I was glad to see it get some use. He won an award for archery also at camp along with 6 other ribbons for athletic events. ALSO, he never bathed the entire week except to swim in the lake and only changed his underwear once. Yuck!

Good Morning Everyone and Welcome to the Saturday Morning Chat Group!

Good Morning Everyone! What are your plans for this week? We are going to have a quiet weekend. Tyler just got home from camp and Zach is coming back from his church youth group trip to Colorado on Sunday. I am working until Wednesday and then I'm off for the 4th of July weekend!

THE CHAT ROOM IS NOW CLOSED...HAVE A WONDERFUL 4TH OF JULY WEEK EVERYONE!

Can't Keep On The Schedule...

I tell you, with this beautiful summer weather, I am really struggling to get Eli to bed on time. I get home from work and it is just warm and sunny and Eli can't wait to go outside. All he wants to do is get out and ride his Harley trike or fish or swim. I just want to get out too. This past winter was so cold and dreary and drug on forever.
Tim just got a new fishing boat, so for the past couple of nights we've gone fishing. Oh yes ladies, I love to go fishing. So, we have packed it up and went out on the fishing boat and it's been a lot of fun. Eli is a great little fisherboy and can cast his own line out. He sits and lets his feet dangle into the water, it is so cute. He caught two fish last night. He told me he no longer likes the 'white boat' which is our family boat, and only likes the fishing boat. That's fine with me I guess.
Eli's bedtime is 8:30pm. I stick to it like clockwork...except for summertime evidently. Last night it was almost 10pm when we got in and he went to bed. I have him shower with Dad before bed to get the insect repellant off and any fish smell he may have lingering. So, that's my confession...my 3 year old went to bed at 10pm.
I just love to check on him while he is sleeping. I think he is so beautiful. I know that all mother's think their sleeping children are beautiful...and they are. So, here's a photo of my boy dreaming of fishes and turtles.

Quote for the Week...

The Arte Y Pico Award

I received this award from Linda at 'Parker's Paradise'. Thank you so much Linda, I am thrilled to receive this and thrilled to know you. You have the gift of really just enveloping others in your kindness and giving them a sense of comfort and home. I love your blog and the words that you leave behind when you visit keep me going. You always seem to know what to say.

This the Arte Y Pico award and I did a little research on it and it is to award people who inspire others with their creative energy and spirit. I believe this is Spanish, so any of my Spanish speaking friends, please correct me if I do not have the spelling correct. I saw it spelled so many different ways.

This is what Linda said about me which is so kind.

Kim at the Seventh Diamond. She is outgoing, generous, compassionate and always available when you need that shoulder. She works constantly to help families with their adoption needs, often putting their needs before her own. Her blog always looks beautiful. She has a flair for design and a quick wit. She deserves this award much more than I do.

I am supposed to pass this along to 5 people.

1) Daleea at 'Jewels of My Heart' has a very creative soul and uses her talents to help others. I love her blog 'One Child at A Time' that she developed and is using to raise money for 'The Starfish Foster Home'. She is sewing daily to provide items for the auction. She is just truly a source of inspiration to me and blesses me with her friendship and keeps me grounded in the Lord with her comfort and advice.

2) Meredith Teagarden at 'A Mother Singing' is also an amazingly creative person. She is an excellent seamstress who is also using her talents to help the Starfish orphans. She has a heart for children and a desire to work hard to make a difference in this world. I have not linked this blog as it is private, but truly it is a treasure, she is an excellent writer also.

3) Verna the Blogfairy at 'The Bigs and Littles'. Verna is my right hand in everything that I do. She is always supporting and helping to develop the fundraisers and baby showers. She is a wizard with webpages and graphics and donates her talents to raise money for adopting families.

4) Robin at 'Red Thread Stitches' is an amazingly talented seamstress who in the midst of needing to raise money to bring her own child home has always come forward to donate funds to families and children who are in need. She is truly an amazing inspiratation.

5) Debbie at 'Pixel Fairy Princess'. I am just getting to know Debbie and I can tell you that she is an amazingly gifted and giving person. She has raised a large amount of money for the Starfish babies through donating her photography skills and still continues to give. If you haven't seen her photographs, you really should go and spend some time on her blog.