The Halloween Blog Contest!

Ok everyone, it's getting close here! There have been a lot of votes cast and we have a last minute entry, so if you have not already voted....please do. Send me an e-mail and let me know which blog is your favorite.

And if you want to have a little fun today....take a look at these blogs, they really are wonderful!

ALSO IF YOU VOLUNTEERED TO JUDGE...please send me an e-mail and let me know you are still participating because I have only heard from one judge so far. timnkim@gmail.com

THE KENWARD BLOG

THE MONKEY KING

CATCHING BUTTERFLIES TWO

SHE'S A-DORI-BLE!

ADVENTURES IN JUJUBOO

LIFE WITH 4J'S

HUMMINGBIRDS DON'T LIE

THE PRICELESS PRINCESS

K1

The winner will be announced on Halloween Morning!

How to set up your blog reading list...

Ok everyone, this really is a great tool and it is easy to use....this is what you do:

1) Click on the B Blogger icon on the upper left of your blog.

2) It will take you to your dashboard...this is where you want to be.

3) Scroll down a little bit and you will see Reading List...this is where you will enter the blogs that you like to follow

4) Click on the add button and wait a few seconds...a box will appear for you to enter the address of a blog you would like to follow...enter it entirely in the box.

5) Hit next and it will be added to your reading list and each new post for it will come up under the all blogs heading, or you can click directly onto the blog name and see many recent posts.

You'll love it!

Some Pics From Tyler's Birthday...

Here is Tyler with his close friend Alistair. They have been best buds since 2nd grade.

Tyler does not like cake, so we do a chocolate fountain for his birthdays with all of his favorite treats to dip into it. I put his candles into the marshmallows so we can still sing to him and he can blow out his candles.

This year was all about guitar hero!

My children's birthdays are emotional times for me. I spend the day thinking about when they were born and what a priveledge it has been to be the one holding their hands through their lives. Tyler was my miracle boy. I was in crisis at 9weeks and he was never supposed to make it . My OB sent me home and told me I would miscarry. I found a new OB who nursed me through the next 7 months and never gave up hope. So, a big thank you to Anita my doctor who did everything she could to keep us stable and to my God who blessed me beyond what I could ever deserve.

Keisha's Having a Giveaway at her Hairbow Blog!

Hi there ladies! If you love hairbows, here is the place to go. Keisha is re-launching her hairbow blog and is having a give-away.

Click here to head over and get signed up!

http://www.reignbowprincess.blogspot.com/

I Am Engaged...With You All.

I have had a couple of blogfriends note that I have been sort of 'out of it' lately. And I want you to know that it is not my intention. I have bitten off a lot right now, not more than I can chew, but a lot and I'm trying to do everything justice.
I will get through this and be on top of my game again soon, it's just that a lot is going right now in my family, with my blog, with my church and with many of you who I care about.
Adoption has really become so important to me and I want to do everything I can to support it here on-line and also in my local community. I will find the balance to be able to do both, it's just taking some tweeking.
One huge help to me has been the new blogger tool. I learned about it from Keisha. I just click on the B Blogger icon on the top left of my blog and I can input all of the blogs I want to follow and their latest posts show up right there for me. It's a dream! (I never could figure out bloglines).
So please don't give up on me right now. I'm still in the game and I have big plans for events coming up in the future that will help waiting children and our families.

Sunday...

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

Good Morning and Welcome to the Saturday Morning Chat Group!

Laura/Lala's Baby Shower is next Saturday starting at 10am Eastern Time, so please mark your calendars and join us. It would be wonderful if any of you could do a post to advertise the shower. She is registered at Target, so send me an e-mail if you don't know her name and would like more information on how to access the registry. Just go to target.com and enter her name under baby registries.

I will be checking in and out today as it is my son Tyler's Birthday today and I will be making breakfast for him and his friend Alistair who stayed over last night.
Happy Birthday my beautiful boy!


THE SAT CHAT IS CLOSED...TAKING TYLER FOR HIS BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST :) HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND EVERYONE!

Has Breast Cancer Touched Your Life or the Life of Someone You Love?

I really want to acknowledge that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you have been affected by breast cancer or if someone you love has, please acknowledge them in a comment. I think we will all be surprised to see how many of us are affected by this terrible disease.

My Aunt Pam is a breast cancer survivor. The experience changed her life and she believes it played a role in who she is today. And while she wouldn't want to go through it again, she sees how despite the pain and fear, it made her a stronger woman. I love you Aunt Pam!

Family Reading Time

Every night at 7pm the television in our house is turned off for family reading/homework time. If the boys have homework, that's the time to start it and if they don't, then they can read a book. Last night Tyler didn't have any homework because they are taking Meap tests. So, he read for an hour to Eli. I think you can see by the look on Eli's face how much this meant to him. When they were done, Eli told me he was very proud of Tyler :)

Tyler Got Braces!

Here is the last shot of Tyler before braces. Let me tell you ladies, he was not happy at all about me pulling out the camera. But I had to take a couple of pictures.

This one is a little fuzzy. They use such a bright light when they put everything in.


This is the last photo he would open his mouth for. But there they are! In two months, his bottom braces go in and he gets the Herpse Appliance put in to move his lower jaw forward. He's the 3rd child in braces for us, so we're used to all of this :)

Starfish Foster Home Board of Directors Donates Bracelet to Daleea's Auction!

Cindy Klaja from the Starfish Foster Home Board of Directors is donating one of the Starfish Fundraiser Bracelets to Daleea's Auction 'One Child At A Time'. The board recognizes the hard work that all of the women in our network have done to raise funds for the Starfish babies and are happy to make this donation.

Below is a description of the bracelet and the fundraiser that inspired its creation. Please go to Daleea's blog and place a bid on this beautiful piece. One Child At A Time

November is National Adoption Month

Support the Starfish Babies Bracelet Fundraiser and Help Fund Four Surgeries

There is a Chinese proverb that says "an invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance." The red thread on this bracelet is far from invisible. Instead, it is designed for those who wear it to show their support of Starfish as we help those children connected, but not yet united with their forever families.

This November, we hope to raise $20,000 to sponsor four additional surgeries through the sale of the Starfish Babies Bracelets designed by Ettika. Ettika, a boutique artisan firm that accessorizes many celebrities, is supporting our mission through a special price break on these high-end bracelets. Each piece is crafted from genuine Greek leather. The starfish jewel is cast using pewter metal and individually hand-dipped in 14K gold.

Friends of Starfish may purchase this lovely bracelet for $222.08 by clicking on the
yellow Donate Now box at the top right corner of this page. Please make sure to select the "Starfish Bracelet Fundraiser" option to ensure that your donation is directed toward the right program. You may also email Cindy Klaja (cmklaja@yahoo.com) for more information.

Happy Monday!

Enjoy your Monday everyone! Mine's going to be quite busy. Please keep watching the Halloween blogs and send your support to April as she is in China.

I want you all to know that I have a very exciting project planned for next month that involves helping an orphanage in Haiti. Stay tuned for more details!

Also, Starfish has launched a new fundraiser that I will post tonight. It is already posted on 'No Place Like Home'.

Happy Birthday Mr. Brian!!

Oh yes, it's the Happy Dutchman's Big Day!! Happy Birthday Mr. Brian!! Leave your birthday wishes at 'All In A Day's Work'.

Sunday...

Good Morning and Welcome to the Saturday Morning Chat Group!

Good Morning Everyone! Welcome to the chat group. We do have some news today.

April is still in China bringing Eliana home. Please visit her travel blog 'Letters From China'. I know she'd love to hear from you.

Laura/Lala's Babyshower for little Coby is coming up on October 25th. Please help me get the word out by doing a post of displaying the sidebar graphic. It is not an html, so you can just copy and save the image. She is registered at Target.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

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

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month...

Please Pray for Us...

You all have become my true sisters through this journey and I have come to rely on you all so heavily. I apologize for not visiting you all as often as I should. There is a lot going on right now. I would like to ask you to pray for my family. We are going through a very stressful time.
Our family has been coming under some pretty substantial attacks.
We have a truly wonderful, loving and supportive family, but there are a couple of members who have been in attack mode since Tim and I were married and they have done whatever they can to twist words, spread untruths and hurt our family. Their favorite tool is Tim's daughter and it has reached a point where we are in crisis in our relationship with her.
I have done everything I can to seperate us from these individuals, but they never miss an opportunity to attack.
This has been going on for so long that I have really tried to leave it behind me, but just recently it has come to light that someone I have loved dearly and supported has been a part of this all along too and it has broken my heart. I guess that I have always known because I have heard things over the years that she has said that are clearly untrue or twisted versions of things that I have said but I just let it go. Recently though, I have heard things that are so hurtful to me and to my husband, things said that were completely untrue or only part of the truth.
This is such foreign territory for me because my family stands together, we do not do this to each other. I have really struggled over what to do and how to handle all of this. I have tried to seperate us from the most damaging individuals, but evidently that wasn't enough.
Please pray for us. Pray for all of our children, as this affects all of them and all of them are loved and cared for by us. When you are a blended family, sometimes it is difficult for the different families to see you as a whole and to care for all of your members as a whole, not just the ones related directly to them. Please pray that these individuals will walk away from their desire to control, that they will see how what they are doing and saying is affecting us and truly care about that. Help them to see how each member of the family needs to be an active part of it and how each member needs to be treated equally with the same rules, expectations and guidelines.

Announcing a Blog Baby Shower for Lala and Baby Coby!

I am thrilled to announce that we will be having an on-line baby shower for Lala/Laura's little man Coby on Saturday, October 25th here at the the Seventh Diamond!

Their family blog is 'Ladybugs and Dragonflies'. Laura is registered at Target. If you are unable to attend the shower but would like the gift list, send me an e-mail and I will get the info to you that you will need to access the Target registry.

Please help me get the word out and display this graphic on your sidebar or please do a post. A BIG THANK YOU TO VERNA for the design!

Laura is also collecting items for Coby's orphanage. They need: clothing in sizes 0-24 months, cloth diapers and children's medications.

Prayer Needed...

Please join me in praying for Mr. Brian's sister. She has had a stroke and they are waiting for more information from the doctors. Mr. Brian is such a dear friend to so many of us. His blog is 'All In A Days Work'. Please leave him some words of comfort and encouragement.

I am praying for peace and healing for you and your family my very special friend.

The Blog Contest

Ok everyone, I haven't received a vote in a while. Some new blogs have been added to the Halloween Blog Contest. If you signed up to be a judge, t's time to start keeping an eye on the contestants!

THE KENWARD BLOG

THE MONKEY KING

CATCHING BUTTERLFIES TWO

SHE'S A-DORI-BLE!

ADVENTURES IN JUJUBOO

LIFE WITH 4 J'S ***NEW ENTRY!

HUMMING BIRDS DON'T LIE***NEW ENTRY!

THE PRICELESS PRINCESS***NEW ENTRY!

P.S. It's still not too late to enter, so if you'd like to join in, send me an e-mail timnkim@gmail.com

20 months

Please Pray for April...She Is In China Bringing Eliana Home.

Please keep April and her family in your prayers. They are in China bringing home Eliana. Their travel blog is 'Letters From China'. Please visit their blog and leave them some loving words of encouragement and congratulations.

Sorry Ladies...No Sat Chat!

Sorry Ladies, there will be no Saturday Morning Chat Group. We have to go to Detroit to cheer on my FIL in a model boat race bright and early!

Have a wonderful weekend!

It's Friday....Come on and Sign Up for the Halloween Blog Contest!

Votes are really coming, so great job voters, but I'd love to see some more contestants join in. Last year we had a lot of blogs participating. There is no time limit on when you can enter, but the earlier you join in, the greater chance that you will receive more votes :)

I must say we have some fanastic entries this year:

The Kenward Blog

The Monkey King

Catching Butterflies Two

She's a-DORI-ble

Adventures in JujuBoo

Take a look and cast your votes.

For the Girls Afraid of Clowns...

Unbelievably Beautiful

I received this blanket in the mail last week from Kim at 'Isabella Bison'. This photo doesn't come close to doing it justice. Her mother made it for my Sophia. It is so beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes. I wish you all could smell it, it smells so wonderful. I cannot imagine how many hours it took her to make it. There is so much care in it and it truly is just perfect.
Thank You honestly doesn't seem like enough, but here in this post I will say thank you. I want your Mom to know Kim that this will always be treasured. I will have Sophia photographed with it when she comes home, I will put it at the end of her bed and I will save it for her so she will have it when she is grown and has her own children.
When I opened the box, I thought to myself, 'this is a gift that a grandmother would give'. And since my Mom is gone, it really touched my heart that Isabella's grandmother would think of my daughter and make her such a treasure.

Quote for the Week...

Happy Hump Day!

Starting An Adoption Ministry at Church...

I am working closely with Kelly/Truly Blessed and a couple of other ladies at our church to begin an adoption ministry. We go to a large church where there are so many families who have adopted and yet we have no support group. Our church has been leary in the past of allowing one to be started and is just now giving us the green light to meet at the church. We are trying to put together a very firm foundation for our group and good goals that are attainable and a timeline for when we would like to have certain projects ready to launch. We are building a list of adoptive families and are hoping that we can encourage our church to see the need for this ministry.

If any of you have started a group at your church, I would be very interested to see how you did it. Any advice would be cherished. You can e-mail me at timnkim@ gmail.com. We have Shaohannah's Hope info.

Please pray for us.

Happy Monday Everyone....Time To Sign Up For The Halloween Blog Contest!

Happy Monday! It's time to start getting your blogs ready for the Halloween Blog Contest! If you would like to register your blog, please leave a comment below. I will list the blogs so that everyone knows to start visiting them. Your visitors will vote for their favorite blog by sending me an e-mail at timnkim@gmail.com. There will also be secret judges who will be visiting your blogs to cast their votes. To win, you must first be one of the judges top choices, then the blog with the most votes that is a top choice is the winner!

There will be a prize for the top winner. Last year we had two winners. The Monkey King and K1's blog.

CONTEST BLOGS:

The Kenward Blog

The Monkey King

Catching Butterflies Two

she's a-DORI-ble!

It's My Birthday!

Sunday...