This Blog is Going on Vacation to Kansas...

There's no place like home and Kansas is my home. We're heading out on the road tonight driving to KC to visit family. Keep me in your thoughts tonight as I'm on the road for 12 hours with 4 kids. Check in on us...you know I'll be blogging a lot of pics!
What are your Thanksgiving plans?

Hey, Check Me Out...I'm A Top Momma!!

Ok girlfriends, I have signed up for Top Momma. I saw Noemi do it and it seemed pretty fun. This is my picture on their site. I guess the name of the game is to get as many people to click on your picture and visit your blog as you can. So....go to this link and click away, the more visitors I get, the longer I get to stay a Top Momma !

http://www.topmomma.com/mommas/referal/1136

Thank You!

Out Into The Woods...

I have been up since 5am making breakfast for this year's hunters. Yes, today is the first day of firearm deer season here in Michigan. Here are our hunters, Zach, my BIL Scott, my FIL Gary, Kate, Tim and Tyler in the front. They are heading out to the farm that has been in the family for over a hundred years. My BIL drives up from Florida every year to go. The kids have all been through hunters safety and this is Tyler's first year out.

Sophia's Christmas Ornament...

Each year I buy each of the children a christmas ornament. It is usually one that comemorates a sport that they are playing or a something that they are interested in that year. When they are grown and go out on their own, I will send their ornaments with them so that their tree will hold some of their childhood memories.

Last year I purchased an ornament for Sophia from Jiinkin Kids. It is really beautiful. I went back yesterday to choose one for her for this year. I saw this ornament on the site and my eyes welled up. Sometimes small things just hit me hard with this adoption. It was the word Believe that reached into my heart. I so need to continue to believe that Sophia is coming home, that everything is progressing as it should and that maybe next Christmas she will be home or very close to coming home.

So, this is the ornament that I chose for Sophia for this year. Maybe it's for me too.

I would like to say a special thank you to Stephanie the owner of Jiinkin Kids.

Thank You Noemi...

Thank you Noemi for this beautiful quilt square. I just could not believe it when I opened your envelope and found the Jiinkin Kids redmaryjanes pattern. I have seen it on Stephanie's site and loved it. This really means a lot to me. I just cannot believe that you took the time to stitch this for Sophia. It will be a highlight on her quilt. Thank you truly.

Happy Birthday Kimber!

Happy Birthday to my friend Kimber. She is an amazing woman and mother. Her blog is '3 Peanuts', I know that she would love to hear your birthday wishes, so please drop her a line!

Quote for the Week...

Thank You Veterans.

I Wish For You To Always Have a True Friend Standing Beside You...

If you have received a quilt square from me, then you know that this is my wish that I send out with with each one.
I just came home from a weekend with my dearest girlfriend Julie. I love her deeply. She has been my friend, advisor, confidant and walked this life with me for the last 13 years. There are no favors between us, we freely give what the other needs, there is no need to ask or to pay back. She has held my children when they were still brand new and I have held hers. I have wiped her tears and she has wiped mine. My family is hers and her family is mine. I was on the phone with her when she was in the hospital in North Carolina, I heard the overhead voices call out in the background and I knew her mother was gone. I flew there and stood beside her when they lowered her into the ground. Divorce, difficulties with pregnancy, joy, true love...we have been together through it all. We tell each other we love each other freely. I am her daughter's Godmother and she will be Sophia's Godmother.
I hope that each of you has a true friend...

Sunday Verse...

Have A Wonderful Weekend...

We will be visiting friends over the next couple of days, so the blog will be quiet. I hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing weekend! If you would like to comment on some things that you are thankful for in your life, I'm sure that we would all enjoy reading them...

Tyler's Teacher Conference...

Well, tonight was Tyler's Parent Teacher Conference. Usually I get a little knot in my stomach. You see, Tyler is my son who normally 'talks too much', 'doesn't focus', and 'doesn't complete his work with enough attention to detail'. So, when I go to his conferences, it's always with a little bit of apprehension. His grades are always good, but his behavior usually needs a little tweeking.

Until tonight....his teacher said he wasn't talking too much, he was doing a great job of paying attention in class and participating, he was responsible with his homework assignments, he was doing great in the 6th grade reading contest and a joy to have in her class.

I almost cried right there sitting in my short plastic chair. I still am beside myself. I hugged Tyler at least 4 times before we got out of the school, I kissed him at least twice and I don't know how many times we all told him how great a job he is doing. Parent teacher conferences include the child at his school. I just couldn't be prouder of him!

I'm Falling A Little Behind...

Things are starting to get a little hectic around here. Zach's hockey season has begun. Tyler is playing tennis. Eli is potty training. Work is getting VERY busy. We are renewing our adoption paperwork. I am finding it tough to get to everyone's blogs on a daily basis like I used to .
Please be patient with me. I'm trying to visit half one day and the other half the next.
If something is
happening that you think I would like to know about, please drop me a line. You know I always want to be in on the news. I'm still here and I still care, life is just blessing me with a lot of great things that I need to be doing.
I just love these squished fairies. I'm feeling a little squished myself right now!!

Check this Out!

I was doing my usual blog browsing when I pulled up Sara's blog 'Wish I May Wish I Might/Our Journey to Mia Lin' and I saw these shirts. They are so cool! She has an entire store at www.cafepress.com/adoptingchina . If you already have known this for months, don't burst my bubble.
If I knew where it was in China that my daughter was coming from, I'd order one of these right now.
Anyway, I think these are great and she has so many more things at her site. Drop by if you have a minute!

9 months...

Quote for the Week...

November Fund Raiser...Please Help Verna Bring Noah Home.

Collectively we are a group that makes things happen. I see it more and more every month. We are finding new ways to raise money, collect clothing and other items needed in the oprahanges and we are supporting the families who are waiting to bring their children home. For the past two months, Verna has worked to raise almost $2,000 to help the Shockley family afford the airfair necessary to bring their son Ethan home. The Shockley's left today for China.
Now Verna is working to raise the necessary money so that she can go and bring her own son Noah home. Please join me in helping her. We all know that Verna is the blogfairy. She is hoping that there still are some of you out there who are looking for a custom blog make-over, headers or LID markers. She does a lot of wonderful work for the Seventh Diamond. Please do what you can.
Also, each of you has a special group of people who visit your blog. If you would be willing to do a post for Verna or display the ad below in your sidebar to help us reach out further into the blogging community, it would be very appreciated.

Sunday...

Welcome Noah James!!

Welcome to Verna and Noah's Big Boy Shower!

Verna is registered on-line at target.com If you would like to participate in the shower, please send me an e-mail at timnkim@gmail.com and I will send you Verna's name and address which you will need to access the registry and send her your gift for Noah. The family blog is 'Families Grow-Watch Ours', please go by and leave some fun comments.

Please join in the comments to talk with everyone on-line who is at the shower. I will be checking in and out for new comments and e-mails.

Each 4th person to register for the shower receives a shower gift! They are posted on the sidebar if you would like to request something.

Shower prize winners!

Kim at 'Isabella Bison'

Amy 'When Love Takes You In'

Tomorrow is The Big Boy Blog Shower for Noah!

Tomorrow is the big boy shower for Verna the Blogfairy's little Noah. He is two years old. Verna is registered at Target. If you would like the information to access her registry, please e-mail me at timnkim@gmail.com I know that she is looking for clothing in sizes 2T and above. When purchasins jeans or pants, please check inside the waistband to make sure that they have an adjustable waist. You will see buttons and elastic on the right and left sides of the waistband. Their family blog is 'Families Grow-Watch Ours', I know that they would love to hear your good wishes!

If anyone would like to help support the shower, please do a post with the above graphic. I would really appreciate it!

All Saints Eve...

Being the Irish family that we are, each year on the night after Halloween, we celebrate All Saints Eve. We light a candle for each person in our family who has passed on and we think about them and tell some of their stories. This year there is a new candle. We miss you Grandma Fran.

Some Halloween Photos!

This is Eli as Super Spiderman. He kept arguing with me that he was Superman, so we settled on Super Spiderman.

Eli and our neighbor Snow White.

We put flashing lights in the pumpkin and skeleton so that his Halloween wagon would light up!

This is Tyler and his teacher at his class Halloween party.

This is Tyler and his friend TJ who came over to trick or treat with him. Scary huh??

Blog Contest Winners....It's a Tie!

Wow, this was really tough. This is how the winners were determined: the celebrity judges (Steffie B., Mr. Brian and Christy) chose the blogs that they felt were the top 3 . I scored each of their choices and averaged them to come up with the top 2 blogs. One blog won the judges choice by one vote. Then I added up the popular vote for the top 2 blogs and the other blog won the popular vote by one vote. So...I went back to the judges asking for a tie breaker, but they could not choose between the two. So...the winners are: K1 and the Monkey King.
Congratulations!!! I will be sending each of you a Halloween Light Set. Please e-mail your addresses to me at timnkim.gmail.com

Thank you so much to everyone who participated. I hope that you enjoyed the contest. You did a fantastic job! We'll do it again next year.

Winners: I would be thrilled to see you post your award on your blogs!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Happy Halloween Everyone! There have been so many votes for the blog contest, I'll try to announce a winner today, but it may not be until tomorrow. Enjoy your day! Stay safe~and take lots of pictures!! I have Tyler's school Halloween parade this afternoon and tonight Eli is going trick or treating for the first time. Tyler is a spooky skeleton and Eli is Spiderman!

UPDATE ON HALLOWEEN BLOG CONTEST: 2 finalist blogs have been chosen, it was neck and neck when the judges votes and the popular votes were averaged. The judges have been asked to go back and re-visit the two blogs to make a final decision!

Halloween Blog Contest Update...

We have 12 blogs signed up to participate in the Halloween Blog Contest!
Here they are:

ASENND
Bringing Maura Home
Finally Five
Journey to Baby Lem
Our Journey to Gracie
Parker's Paradise
K1
The Monkey King
Makeup, Mess Up's, Me
LayDFrog
Nipper Family of 4
Salome and Cael

Please feel free to take a look at the blogs. If you would like to vote for your favorite blog, you can e-mail me at timnkim@gmail.com We will be having some surprise celebrity judges!

If I missed anyone or if you would like to add your blog to the list, please leave a comment...

Votes are coming in, so please vote for your favorite blog. Also, leave them a word of encouragement when you drop in to visit...they have worked hard to create their creepy places in blogland.

There are 25 votes in so far, so send an e-mail to support your favorite!

Sunday...