Happy New Year!!

Normally, this time every year I have a couple of things that are on my "new year's resolution" list....

and I'm just not feeling it this year. I don't know if Christmas came & went so fast that I'm still in a Christmas fog, but it doesn't seem like it's time for the New Year yet!

Yesterday, I heard a lady on the radio that felt the same way - every year she had her resolutions of things that she was going to change...So, this year why don't we make a list of a few things that we wouldn't change?!

I know that I take for granted too many good things in my life - and I will regret it when they're gone.

Everyone says to live today like it's your last - 'cause one day it will be your last.

Just this morning a tornado hit Cincinatti & people we used to be neighbors with are gone - homes are gone, families &people's lives are changed forever. We are so fortunate that our family that still lives there wasn't hit by the tornado, but we are sending are prayers to all of the families in the community that have lost so much.

So, if you'd like - leave a comment of your non New Year's resolution & post something that you wouldn't change ~ Happy New Year!!

A Boy & His Dog

It seems like we've been extra busy this holiday season ~ but Jared & I did manage to find a little bit of time this past weekend to work on the baby's room!

As we were moving some furniture out & hanging some new blinds, I noticed that Bear was lying on a new rug for the nursery. He was very calm & still, but you could tell he knew we were getting ready for something new.

I got down on the rug with him & reminded him that we were going to have a baby & this was going to be his new room - I'm sure Bear understood everything I was telling him ;)

But as we kept working, you could tell he was lying there - protecting the room for the new little one. 

I can't wait to see our little boy & our Sugar-Bear together.

"A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance 

of turning around three times before lying down."
~Robert Benchley

The Legacy Of A Child.. .... .......

The Legacy of a Child in an Open Adoption  

By Brenda Romanchick 

 

Once there were two expectant mothers.
One carried and cared for you beneath her beating heart
She became your Birth-mother.
The other carried the hope of you within her.
She became your Mom.
As the days passed, and you grew bigger and stronger,
Your Birth-mother knew that she could not give you all you needed after your birth.
Meanwhile, your Mom was ready and waiting for you.

One day your Birth-mom and your Mom found each other.

They looked into each others eyes and saw a friend.
Your Birth-mom saw the life your Mom could give you.
Your Mom saw how much your Birth-mom loved and cared for you.

They decided that what you needed was both kinds of love in your life.

So now you have two families,
One by birth, the other by adoption.

And you have a home where you can get:
your questions answered,
your boo boos bandaged,
your heartaches soothed,
And much needed hugs.

And a place where you can find:
answers to your questions,
your image in the mirror,
a part of yourself,
And much needed hugs.

Two different kinds of families
Two different kinds of love
Both a part of you.

From Couple to Family ....

The past couple of weeks there have been some changes that will forever change our lives & we couldn't be happier! We met a wonderful young woman, whom  Jared & I both had an instant connection with, who is now our birth mother! I had the pleasure of  joining her for the ultrasound this week & it was an amazing experience :) There was the little baby we had hoped for & it all became so real~ 

So, we proudly announce the next chapter of our lives.... 

"From Couple to Family".

Coming March 3, 2011

Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails.

It's a Boy!

It's Official!

Chloe Beth is officially a "Conner" as of yesterday afternoon !

We are so happy to have her in our little family :)

We love you, Chlo!!

Miss Aayla Blair

We welcomed a new little cousin into the family on Halloween!

Her name is miss Aayla Blair & she is perfect - 

All in pink - just for fun :)

Welcome to the family, doll.

From Bat brains to mummy's nails...from pickled feet to cat tails - - this is part of my witches brew!

Spooks

There's a goblin at my window,

A monster by my door.

The pumpkin at my table

Keeps on smiling more and more.

There's a ghost who haunts my bedroom,

A witch whose face is green.

They used to be my family,

Till they dressed for Halloween.

 - by Sandra Liatsos

I can't say the we actually celebrate Halloween - but I love to dress up! It's so much fun to be dramatic with accessories & makeup etc. So, this year I was thinking how more glam could I get? Well, at the last minute I decided to become a "glampire". A few of our friends were able to join us with this fun task & we had a great night!

Amber made some very spooky treats ~ this was a hot snake sandwich...mmmmm!

Happy Halloween!

Sweet Sentiments From an Angel

Yesterday, I was driving home (in a rush, needing to let the dogs out, needed to get supper started etc.)

and to my surprise, there was a cute gift bag on the front porch! Now, as I'm approaching the porch, the "CSI/Mentalist" side of me thinks, "ok, is this a bomb?" or when I pick the package up, will it put me in the a sniper's cross-arrows for a clean shot in my back.......but then I just picked it up, got in the house & examined the contents. I first looked for a card - I mean this is so fun & sweet - who could have done this? No card. 

So, I read the outside of the bag - it had the sweetest poem. 

The whole thing just made me stop & think - this is what it said:

Just think, 
you're here not by chance,
but by God's choosing.
His hand formed you
and made you the person you are.
He compares you to no one else-
you are one of a kind.
You lack nothing
that His grace can't give you.
He has allowed you to be here
at this time in history
to fulfill His special purpose
for this generation.
~Roy Lessin

I stopped dead in my tracks - just stunned by what I had just read.
I live my life running and I have neglected to stop, be still & let peace come over me.
It's hard for me to just stop these days & smell the roses... after Tara passed, I feel like I can't stop & be still because then I will think about her & our whole lifetime of memories - I get overwhelmed & I can't control my tears. I feel like if I keep pushing & running, then I wont have time to be sad - but then if I stop then I wont be able to get out of bed. I know we all have something in our life that is troubling - but am I the only one that feels this way? Can I find comfort in the sorrow - so I can heal from this hurt?

So, whoever my angel is that dropped the gift off yesterday - thank you.
I finally stopped. I stood still & cried for my friend and I cried for myself.
This makes me more aware that I might need to be an angel for somebody else.

I Like It On The Kitchen Table.......

I Like It On The Floor Facebook Status = Breast Cancer Awareness

By now you've probably been seeing a lot of Facebook statuses that start with "I like it on the floor" or something along those lines.Well, it's not what you are probably thinking, it's actually for Breast Cancer Awareness!

Every year they are doing unique things to try to spread the word about breast cancer awareness and this year they decided to have women post on their Facebook state where they like to keep their purse.

Of course, this has spread so quickly and it seems fun because it sounds like women are posting where they like to .....do something else.  And since it is for a good cause to get

 attention about breast cancer awareness then I'm all for it!

 

Knowledge Is Power ~ Get The Facts!

Custom Made ~ With Love

She's a little bit of sunshine,
She's a smile to light your days,
She will steal your heart and
keep it with her warm endearing ways,
She's your precious little daughter,
With a sweetness from above
Who will fill your years with laughter
and your lives with lots of love!

My sister (soon to be) makes the most precious custom tutus with matching bows & headbands! 

This is just a sample of what she can do~

This is one she made for my cousin's new baby girl

and here is the matching flower headband!

This is one of her passions & she's darn good at it too ~
I'm helping her start a little business doing something she loves
for people who love the little girls in their life.

If you would like to know more about what she can make for you ~ please let me know!

Foster Parents!

As most of you know, Jared & I have been trying to adopt!

Our social worker told us to tell everyone we know - because so many adoptions are "word-of-mouth" adoptions. There is most likely someone that knows somebody that is wanting to to choose adoption & knows us - ( I'm sure that all makes sense) and badah-bing, badah-boom! We have a baby :)

So, as we are on this wonderful journey - I can't believe it's so hard to get your foot in the door anywhere!

We've been referred to a couple of lawyers (both of which has not returned any of our messages), got the run-around with DHS & so on & so on. But we aren't losing hope.
In the meantime, we got approved to be foster dog parents!

We welcomed Chloe into our home Friday afternoon & we just smile seeing her so happy :)
She is an 8yr old lab from the Fayetteville Animal Shelter - they are renovating part of the shelter & need foster parents for the dogs, because they can't stay at the shelter until the renovations are complete.

Welcome to the country, Chloe!

Chloe & Bear hit it off & played hard together....

 ...relaxed together.......

sniffed around together.....

(This happened quite a bit... bear would jump over her, sit on her, but mostly acted like she was one of us - as you see here with his tail in her face.)




By the end of the day we were all exhausted -


This has been such a good experience for us & I urge you to go to the animal shelter's website
and see what animals are available to foster/adopt.
Everyone deserves a good home with lots of love, even if it's just for a short time. 
www.petfinder.com/shelters/AR47.html

 

Even though we love our furry babies, please remember us during our adoption process - we can't wait to become parents & need all the support  we can get. Love you all!

 

 

Woo pig Sooee!

I found this & thought it was hilarious, so I had to share it with y'all!

"Relieve Yourself" on Alabama ~ Go Razorbacks!

Forget the girl you've learned to love .... and buckle up! Because she's back... in black!!

Well, as you know - I love change, at least with my looks.

I've had every hairstyle from short to long and almost every color . . . until now :)

I've had some crazy-fun looks, but this one is one I NEVER thought I'd experience.

I think changing up your look is rejuvenating & almost liberating - 

I mean, who I am is very dimensional, my personality & style doesn't fit into just one "box".

You can't be scared to try new things,because if you don't then you will never experience the best things in life!

Personally, I LOVE sushi - but I had to try it first in order to find out that is was amazing :)

"Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have."

~Louis E. Boone 

Fall Is In The Air

Fall is in the air ~ you can feel the crisp bite in the midnight breeze.

I love fall & I love to decorate for the season! I just got my fall decor out & starting changing things all around the house...  ha ha I love it! I hope my kids love to bring out new decorations for the season too - so it can become a family tradition.

I have already "added to" & "fluffed" some of the pictures that I'm posting - enjoy!

 WELCOME !

(I took this at night, so you can't really see the details of it all-but I have little 

black crows nesting in each topiary on each side of the door)

( I've added a black spider to each napkin ring, which isn't in this shot.)

( There is a large, silver - hammered vase that has curly swigs & crows in it.)

Full Mantel

(I have redone a few things on the mantel... you will just have to come over to see them!)

Y'all Come Back Now!

Clean Up!

The past couple of weeks I've been cleaning house and I don't mean I just dusted, vacuumed & mopped. 

I went to that deep dark hidey-hole full of things that have come & gone, but never thrown out or given away...the place where you stash the things that you don't know what to do with. 

You don't dare open the door, peek through the curtain or pull out the drawer where the stuff might be stashed. 

If you actually have the nerve to look at the things in this hidey-hole & really confront them as a whole

- it's overwhelming & gut-wrenching to think how everything got there, then you get mad at yourself because you are the one that put it all there - because at some point we talked ourselves into thinking that throwing these things behind the door was easier than just dealing with them.

I have to admit that it was hard to deal with my "stash" of stuff. 

The whole process was very emotional & at 1st I was in denial.

I wondered how I could have caused this stash of chaos. 

Once I started pulling things out I got upset that I was making such a mess,then I got determined to throw out everything!!

My sentimental way of thinking took a vacation - because nothing was 

getting between this pile of nothingness & the trash can. 

Once everything was cleaned out - I felt very calm. I didn't realize how the stuff effected how I felt.

But isn't this also true in life? 

We have to deal with a lot of "stuff" every day.

And it's up to us what we do with it - whether we deal with it head-on & then file it away where it belongs or just throw it as far out of our mind as we can. I think we trick ourselves into thinking that stashing everything away will just make it all disappear - But we start stashing this stuff away & then push more stuff on top of it & keep adding more to the pile where we finally go on overload & then crack!

Believe me, I've almost "dropped my basket" a time or two ( Ya! Ya! )

Nobody likes to deal with the "junk" we get handed everyday by life - but once you face it, sort it out and then clean it up you feel peace & calm. And let me tell you, a little peace & calm never hurt nobody :)

 One way or another the stress that we let surround us starts infecting us.

I've done some soul-searching about the issues I try to hide - but I can't handle life by myself.

  But I take comfort in knowing who can take my cares away so I don't have to bear the burdens of life alone.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

~ Matthew 11:28

Thought For The Day

There is a choice you have to make, in everything you do. 
So keep in mind, that in the end, the choice 
you make, makes you.

Becoming a Crotchety Old Man ~

Getting married, having a real job & getting older in general has really affected me.

I have to admit that I can't go to bed at 1 or 2am & wake up at 6 or 7am to get ready for work anymore.

Now, I hit the sack around 10pm & wake up at 6:30am - it's a scheduled routine that we've slowly fell into.

So, this weekend some of my old girlfriends from high school got together for a bachelorette party!! Ya!

But, it wasn't suppose to start until 8pm ....which meant, I wouldn't be hittin' the sack until LATE.... 

I will confess that I dreaded being out this late - it wasn't my scene anymore & I didn't know if my tired bones would make it on a night on the town. I really felt like an old grandpa - once I get home, I want to stay home etc. But I put my crotchety feelings aside and had a fabulous time! And I didn't get home until 2ish a.m. (I think), aren't you proud?!  :)

So, I'm sending a big "THANK YOU" to all the ladies we were with for Meg's party - I had one heck of a time!

Growing Old is Mandatory; Growing Up is Optional

This year my sweetie turned 27 and is just now realizing how close to 30 he actually is!

For a man that doesn't want a birthday party, let alone a surprise party, a calm & quiet night 

with a few friends fit just right.....As If!

Boys and their toys....

We never take these boys seriously :)

Happy birthday lover man! XoXo

The Instruments of the Quick and the Nemesis of the Dead

This past weekend Jared & I took a quick trip to Claremore, OK

where we visited the J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum. 

This is the LARGEST private gun collection in the WORLD!

I have to say that I was excited to see this immense collection - my mind couldn't

even fathom what a collection of this caliber would even look like. 

This was such a neat place full of history & charm. If you get the chance to

see this awesome collection, you should take it.

This was posted in the museum & I loved it so much that I though I should share it.

My Arms Collection

These are man-made Tools of War or Peace, of Love or Hate
Labeled at will by man, their Creator.

Tools, ingeniously designed, used by Aggressor or Defender
classed again by man, their Maker.

Blameless, products of metal and wood, shaped by the skill of
Master Mechanics, embellished by the hand of an Artist --
condemned because of mis-use by man, their Possessor.

A mighty Protector on the side of right -- A Destroyer on
the side of Evil -- an eternal Chameleon.

Look upon them as they are displayed -- impotent Curios of a
day now past, outliving their Masters.

Let their purpose and history be forever in the eyes of the
beholder; romantic, destroying or preserving; weaving untold tales
of daring or cowardice, of chivalry or cunning. But see them as
they shall always be -- ominous reminders of sudden action --
the instruments of the Quick and the Nemesis of the Dead.

Ray Riling 1960