Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Wear your green! Or don't if you like a pinch! Have a fun day everyone! Please leave a little note below for Zach, he plays for the championship tonight. Also, please vote in the Blogger's Choice Awards if you haven't, the links are in a post below!

3 Word Sunday!!

Pug Mama will be so proud of me! It's my first 3 Word Sunday. Zach's hockey team is playing for the championship tomorrow night.

Starfish Boxes in Alaska!

The latest update on our 6 boxes headed to China are that they are currently in Anchorage Alaska. If you are a participating family and would like the tracking numbers, leave a comment and I will e-mail them to you.

Sunday...

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

Good Morning Everyone! I'm a little late this morning. Last night was exciting for us, we went to Fed Ex and mailed six of the Starfish boxes. Anyone who participated and would like the tracking numbers, please send me an e-mail or leave a comment and I will get the numbers to you.
Anyone who would like a Saturday Morning Chat link for their sidebar, let me know and I will get one off to you.



And don't forget to vote today for Chinese Starfish and The Seventh Diamond for 'Best Charity Blog' in the Blogger's Choice Blog Awards.



Chinese Starfish Link: http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/14808

Seventh Diamond Link:http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/43160

Starfish Shipping Update...Please Pray That Our Boxes Arrive Safely!

Well, tonight was the night. We took all of the boxes and loaded them into the minivan and headed to FedEx. Lucky for us, they were open until 9pm.



Our FedEx man was very nice, but we were not allowed to photograph him. But below you can see six of our boxes ready to go.


We were only able to ship 6 out of our 10 boxes. The total for the six came to $814.69. They weighed 124.75 lbs. So, we will be shipping the last 4 boxes as money allows. For the families who donated, we have the tracking numbers and a photo of our shipping receipt, please e-mail me if you want this information or leave your e-mail on a comment below. I have never accepted money through my blog before, so I have documented everything so that everyone knows that their money went to what it was intended for. I deeply appreciate your faith in me and don't want to jeopardize that. I deposited all of the checks this morning, so if you keep track in your checkbook, you can log that in.

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR BOXES. I AM SO WORRIED ABOUT THEM GETTING THROUGH CUSTOMS AND ARRIVING SAFELY TO AMANDA.

Why Is Easter So Early This Year?

Why is Easter so early this year? You may ask......

I would imagine that you have asked "Why is Easter so early this year?
Well the reason follows and it is interesting to learn why. Enjoy.


Easter this year is: Sunday March 23, 2008
As you may know, Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon
after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20).
This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people
used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman
calendar.
Found out a couple of things you might be interested in!


Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22)
but that is pretty rare.
This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our
lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it
this early! (95 y ears old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will
ever, see it a day earlier! Here's the fact:


The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228
(220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if
you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).
The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year
2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818.
So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this
year!

My Friend...

Remember my friend who has been in a very physically and verbally abusive marriage for the past 6 years? She called me yesterday to tell me that she left him. Now, I have had this same phone call about 6 times now. But she's been gone for 3 weeks, she signed a 1 year lease on a condo and packed up everything she had while he was on a business trip....even half of the Christmas ornaments. I think this might really be true. Please pray with me that she doesn't go back this time. She has 3 children who have been been verbally abused, threatened and have witnessed everything that has happened to her. Two are grown now, but one is still with her. They need this to be 'real this time' too.

Don't Forget to Vote!

Chinese Starfish Link: http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/14808

Seventh Diamond Link:http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/43160

* Both blogs are doing pretty well with 9 & 11 votes, we are on in the top 20! You can also see everyone who has voted for us by clicking on the link. It's fun.

A Special Easter Gift...Thank You Denise!

For the past month, Eli has seen so many boxes come to the house with wonderful things inside and he has been told that they are not for him, but for the babies in China. He's been very patient, but was so pleasantly surprised when a box came in the mail for him. I wish I would have had my video camera with me when he opened the box. He kept saying "Is it for me?" and he hugged the book when he unwrapped it. Thank you so much Denise from 'Tucked Inside My Heart'! The book is a wonderful Christian Easter story. We read it last night before bedtime.

Quote of the Week...

The Bloggers Choice Awards...

Wow! Thank you so much Chelley for nominating me for Best Charity Blog at the Bloggers Choice Awards. I am very excited about it!
Chinese Starfish and The Seventh Diamond are both nominated. Please vote for us!

Chinese Starfish Link: http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/14808

Seventh Diamond Link:http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/43160

Enjoy Your Monday Everyone!

Today is going to be a very busy Monday at work. I hope you all have a great one!

Sunday...

Starfish Totals...This Was A Big Week for Donations.

Vicks 5
Tylenol 10
Motrin 17
Sunscreen 2
Oatmeal 20
Craisins 12
Teething 4
Onesies 21 (there are more than this because I counted packages as one)
Shoes 35
Boots 3
Pants 3
Coats 17
Shorts 18
Sleepers 106
Girls Outfits 88
Sheet 1
Bottles 6
Boys Outfits 48
Sweaters 15
Gloves 3
Booties 6
Socks 35 (there are more because I counted packages as one)
Sun Hats 9
Bibs 17 (there are more because I counted packages as one)
Baby Hats 19
Hats 3
Shirts 58
T-Shirts 22
Sweats 16

Postage Fund $740.00

Thank You Lisa!

Thank you Lisa for all of these darling summer outfits! I just adore each one of them. I can't wait to see them on the Starfish girls this summer. Lisa's blog is 'Osborn Odds 'N Ends'.

Thank you also for the coffee and gift card. I am so happy that I won the contest on your blog : )

Thank You Caroline!

Thank you Caroline for all of these wonderful clothes for Starfish. My children thought it was so cool that your oatmeal boxes are written in French! Caroline's blog is 'China Calling'.

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

Good Morning Everyone! I missed you all last weekend and have been really looking forward to today : )
I have 3 questions that I would like some help with. I can't seem to be able to find Kate from 'A Special Family'. We used to e-mail back and forth and I had access to her new blog, but it has been months now and I haven't heard from her, I can't get to her blog and I am worried. Does anyone know where she is?
Also, what is going on with blogger? I can't add anyone to my favorite blogs or make changes to the bottom of my blog.
Also, what is everyone using for a music player since e-snips doesn't auto play anymore? I got a good suggestion from Cougchick, but I couldn't get it set up right. Maybe I should get Tim to help me.
If you are new to the chat group, just go in to post a comment and you will see everyone in there talking.
If you would like a blue or yellow Saturday Morning Chat link for you sidebar, just let me know and I will e-mail to you : )

And a very special Thank you to Lisa from 'Osborn Odds 'N Ends' for sending me the best coffee I have ever had in my life. I am drinking it this morning and savoring every drop!

Still Packing...

Many of you have asked me what a space bag is and the photo above is of a space bag. You fill it with bulky clothing and suck out the air with your vacuum. Then you are left with this really funky looking bag that takes up much less space in your box. It doesn't damage anything.


Here I am tonight sorting and removing tags.

Tim's taping up the boxes.

Tyler has really been wonderful this past week. He just seems to get what this is all about and is so eager to do anything to help. I have been really proud of him during this project.

There are 6 packed boxes in the back waiting to be shipped, 3 very large Hefty storage bags filled with clothing that still needs to be packed, the Target bag is filled with shoes, even though I have been putting some into each box and there are 3 coats that still need to be packed up. Most of the medication has been packed up, also most of the oatmeal, and all of the Craisins are packed. Whew! I'm going to bed now.

Thank You to the Sisters!

Thank you Kelly and Karen! I tell you, I tried to get it all into the picture, but I just couldn't. Thank you so much for these donations! Kelly's blog is private 'Katie's Antics', Karen't blog is 'K1'.

Thank You Meredith Teagarden!

Thank you so much Meredith for your darling donations. I know that these clothes have been dear to you. Meredith's blog is 'Not So Long Ago'.

Thank You Crystal!

Crystal, thank you so much for these darling clothes for the Starfish babes. I think the Baby Einstein outfit is my favorite....can you tell? I am so glad to hear that Savannah Hope will be coming home soon! Crystal's blog is 'Johnson Angels'.

Thank You Glinda!

Glinda, thank you so much. The coats are very nice and those little dresses are darling. I like that frog too. These will be darling on the Starfish munchkins! Thank you also for your generous donation to the postage fund. Glinda's blog is 'Give Me Back My Slippers'.

Thank You So Much Liz & Ava!

Thank you so much to two of my favorite ladies in blogland. I watched these two come together in China and form the perfect family. All of these clothes are just beautiful! Thank you for always being such a great friend. I still have the ladybug on my cell phone after all this time : ) Thank you also for your generous donation to the postage fund. Liz's blog is 'My Red Thread to Ava Grace YaHan'.

13 Months Closer...

No Movement Today...

I couldn't find any good boxes at work today, so there won't be any packing tonight. I will look again tomorrow and so will Tim. Hopefully we can get our hand on 3 or 4 good sized ones.

I have heard from several of you that you are concerned about your boxes getting here in time. If you have mailed your boxes recently, please leave a comment on this post so I know everyone's that I need to look out for. I will use this post as a checklist. I will not ship out until I have everyone's items. So, please do not worry.

Quote for the Week...

We Started Packing Everything Up...

Well, tonight was interesting and fun to say the least. We began as a family to pack up the Starfish donations. First of all, we removed the tags from the clothing so they they don't appear new. This can keep Amanda from having to pay a tax on the boxes. We pooled together, all of the medications, oatmeal, Craisins, coats and shoes so we can divide them up between the boxes so that if one is lost, there will be similar items in other boxes.
Tyler removed the oatmeal packs from their boxes and put them into Ziploc bags for easier shipping and he helped me remove tags. Tim was in charge of sucking the air out of the spacebags (he loved that) and taping up the boxes. Zach carried some things downstairs for me. I folded everything up and got it organized.
All in all it went well, but the hubs and I don't agree on how full the boxes should be. I have been told not to overpack them because if they burst along the way, all of the contents will be lost. Tim is a pack rat and can't bear to have a spare centimeter in the box..so we had a few 'discussions' about it. I think we've found a happy medium.
After 3 hours, I think we're about 30% done. We have 4 boxes filled. I'll try to take some photos of us packing tomorrow night. We're getting a pretty good system together. : )

Connie...I am So Sorry!!

Connie, your Starfish donation came today in the mail and I opened it up and the clothes are absolutely beautiful. Since it came today, it was set on the floor by the desk downstairs while we had dinner.
After dinner we began getting things packed up to send out to Starfish in China. The boxes were brought down that we were planning to pack tonight. Your box was mixed in and the good news is that all of your items are packed up. The bad news is that I didn't notice and didn't get them photographed to post.
I am sorry! I feel awful that you won't be able to see your items posted.
Let me tell everyone that I know some children will be wearing those gorgeous outfits on their gotcha days.
Love You Girl! Please forgive me...if you could have seen the piles of clothes tonight, you'd have mercy on me : )
Connie's blog is 'Mommy 2 4 Treasures'.

6 Posts Tonight...Starfish Totals.

Starfish Totals:

Onesies 18

Shoes 34

Boots 2

Coats 10

Shorts 13

Sleepers 92

Girls Outfits 48

Sheet 1

Boys Outfits 22

Sweaters 4

Gloves 2

Booties 6

Socks 25

Sun Hats 8

Bibs 13

Baby Hats 17

Winter Hats 4

Shirts 43

T-Shirts 17

Sweats 15

Vicks 5

Tylenol 11

Motrin 17

Teething 4

Bottles 5

Sunscreen 2

Oatmeal 18

Craisins 12

Postage Fund $635.00

The Supply Raiser is officially over. I want to thank everyone who has responded. It has been a miraculous experience for me and for my family. I know that there are still more boxes coming, and I will be keeping a look out for them. I am hoping to have everything boxed up and shipped by this Saturday.

Thank You Kimber!

Thank you Kimber for your Starfish donations. All of these little clothes are so cute. And thank you also for your generous donation to the postage fund. It is all very appreciated! Kimber's blog is '3 Peanuts'.

Thank you Cathy!

I want to send out a special Thank You to Cathy. She is a friend of Kimber at '3 Peanuts'. Cathy is not a blogger or an adoptive mom. She's a woman who heard about our cause and wanted to help. Thank you so much for all of this medication. Your generosity is truly wonderful.

Thank You Fliss!

Thank you so much Fliss for calling me today and giving me such good advice on how to package up everything and ship it off to Starfish. I really had a great time talking to you. You are so funny! And I love your accent, it's fabulous!

Her blog is 'Fliss and Mike Adventures'. She mailed some clothing to Starfish last Christmas and was able to send me copies of the paperwork I will need to fill out with FedEx and also some helpful advice about how to ship our items.

Thank You Michelle!

Thank You so much Michelle! I know that these bottles are really needed and that sleeper is so soft! Michelle's blog is 'Searching for Sophie'.

Thank You Kim!

Thank you so much Kim for your wonderful Starfish donations! The sleepers are so soft! Kim's blog is 'Journey to Baby Lem'.

Time With My Friend...

Happy Monday Everyone! I spent this weekend with my closest girlfriend Julie. She has two little girls; Olivia and Savannah, ages 4 & 2 and I brought Eli who is in the middle at 3. They had a great time playing together. Savannah is my Goddaughter and Julie and her husband Joe will be Sophia's Godparents. Tim was away this past weekend in Florida taking care of his sister. Her husband (my BIL) is in the air force and has been sent to Korea for a year. She was having surgery last week, so Tim went down to help her.
Julie's husband is an airline pilot and was also away for the weekend. So, this was a rare opportunity for us to be alone together. Well, as alone as you can be with 3 preschoolers...but we had the best time. I am so renewed. I have known Julie for 13 years now and we have been through it all together. I love her very dearly. She is one of the key women in my life who I rely on for balance and advice.