So Allie, Grace, and Hannah or the Terrific Triplets as we lovingly refer to them.. were doing some cleaning up after a TT tornado had swept through the family room causing what seemed to be every toy, puzzle piece and book stored in the cabinets, to be strewn about the room... and I was cleaning out our office, when Allie comes in sad as sad can be, declaring..

A: MOM, We have a situation. (kid you not)

M: OH no.. what is that Allie-o.

A: (as serious as one can be) When I was cleaning up, and I asked Hannah really nicely for her to clean up and stop playing, she yelled at me and called me a.... A pigeon. ( and the tears flowed)

M: (Doing everything in my power not to bust out laughing) I am very sorry that you got your feelings hurt. But honey, are you sure that is what she said, or that she was trying to hurt your feelings, cause I don't even know what that is, or what she means by that.

A: (indignantly) I DO. I know what it is. It's a type of Bird. And I AM NOT A BIRD!


To which she storms out, finds Hannah and and proclaims...

" I AM NOT A BIRD, HANNAH!"

I mean, come on. That is funny stuff right there.


So I am wondering, is Pigeon preschool slang for some insult, or can we chalk it up to error in translation? Or Possibly just a very clever way to work around our house rule of no unkind words allowed? hmmmm....

Baby Stellan is in the hospital with RSV! This will be a tough night for him. Please pray for him through the night, as well as for his sweet family.

Thank you friends!

Much Love~

I have been blessed with e-mails and comments telling me what you are choosing to G.R.A.C.E this Christmas.... Thank you for sharing. I DID NOT cry at each one. So if you think I did, quess you just don't know me very well, do you. ;)

My SIL pointed me in the direction of this video and charitable organization, and I thought I would share. In case you are looking for ideas. Which btw, if you are, shoot me an e-mail. I would LOVE to give you a list of organizations you could check out. Take a peek at the comments, others have already posted some great ideas!




Blessings!

So my super sweet hubby, who knows my affinity for acronyms and naming things, saw my call for help in my last post, and came to the rescue....

So how about we call it Christmas Grace O8??!!!

“Give and Request A Charitable Endowment”

G ive and

R equest

A

C haritable

E ndowment

I thought it was pretty clever, and just perfect.

So there You go. Won't YOU join us for,




Christmas GRACE 08?

Tis the season for Holiday Craziness. Is it just me, or do you sometimes feel like we kinda click on auto-pilot to make it through the Season? Do you think it is because we get all caught up in making all the parties, baking goodies, deciding what to buy everyone, shopping, shopping and more shopping, holiday programs, Choosing matching outfits for the family pic for the Christmas card, taking that perfect family pic, composing the Christmas Card, sending them out, trying to consume as much eggnog as physically possible because it is a seasonal item and you feel as though you must enjoy as much as possible because soon it will be gone for another year?... Maybe just me on that last one.

I think sometimes I get so caught up in the Holiday-ness that I might forget to stop and remember what this holiday is really about. The birth of our Savior. Not Santa, though he is fun, and I do love me a jolly old man. Wait. That didn't sound like I meant it to. Point is, I really feel like we need to take back this holiday and put the focus where it was meant to be, on Jesus. On doing as he would want us to do. Putting HIM first. Doing unto others. Oh and forgiving.. didn't we go over that a few posts ago? Just thought it was worth mentioning again. ;)

Christmas time is truly my most favorite time of the year. I love the lights. I love the music. I love the smells. I love that there always seems to be an endless supply of goodies around. And I LOVE how everyone is so cheerful. I think it is because they are giving. It just makes you feel so good to give!!! People just exude joy at this time. And it is catchy. Man I love Christmas.

So wouldn't it be cool if you could find away to bless more people than just the person you are gifting to? A way to multiply the blessing. Most of us have a long list of people to buy for... family members, co-workers, teachers, bus-drivers, lunch ladies(men), mail persons, etc. etc. etc.... Wow. That is a lot of people to bless. How Fun!

So here is what I am proposing, how about making a donation on their behalf to the charity of your choice. That way you not only will be blessing the recipient of your gift by doing something charitable on their behalf, but you will be able to bless those whom the donation will go to help. NOW think of how many people you could end up blessing. WOW-zers. That is some cool stuff there.

Pick a charity that is near and dear to your heart and make a donation in the amount, or more if the pocket book allows, to what you would have spent on all of the gifts combined. Did I just say pocket book? Anyways... then spend an afternoon with your loved ones baking some cookies. Good quality time. This just keeps getting better. Bag those bad boys up, tie a ribbon around them with a tag attached that say, " This year we have chosen to make a donation in your honor to _____. "

Its a win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win... Saves you time deciding what to get each person. Saves you time you would have spent schlepping all around town purchasing the gifts. You get to spend quality time with loved ones baking goodies. You get to eat the leftover goodies. Your children(presuming you have kiddos) will learn a valuable lesson about the importance of keeping the focus on what matters. The person you are gifting will love your thoughtfulness. (trust me) Money will go to a good cause verses another "thing" we might not really need. And in this simple act, you will have multiplied your blessing. Cool stuff. See win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win. That's a lot of Blessing and Winning going on. Not a bad deal, eh?

So I was thinking, if you wanted to join me in my bless-win-athon Christmas Extravaganza-Palooza 08 (huh?) , you could just send me the info on the charity you decided to donate to and I will make up and send to you via e-mail, a little donation tag to give out to your peeps. You can just print it out, slap it on your goodies, and you are good to go. And when I say I will make it, I will have most likely found a way to convince my mad-talented , way more creative than I could even ever dream to be, friends into coming up with something for me to pass along to you. (Hi Michelle!! Hola Rebecca! Love you girls) ..For your sake, lets hope I do. :)

So won't you join me in our Blessathon?..(nope, still not it).

Hugs to you all~

Amie

Will you forget and forgive me for how negligent I have been towards you? Pretty please.
Can I just say I have been super duper busy. In a good way. Lots of really cool things happening round these parts... And I could not be more thankful!

And now... on to the bribe.

Here are some pics of when we met J-man for the first time. I thought posting some pics of myself looking goofy with giddiness(is that a word?), might make you forget that you are mad at me for waiting so long to fill you in.



A very goofy mommy dying to get her hands on her little man.



Just plain GOOFY! And So Happy!


Thought a pic of all the kiddos in our big ol' van we call BIG MAMA, might make you smile. It does me. :)(David and Katie are so far back you can't even see them. Now that's funny stuff!)


J-man and mommy hanging out the first night.
I might have personal space issues when it comes to this sweet little man!

I stole this from Lisa. Thanks girl.(scroll down and click on pause button, to pause music)

WOW!!! sniff, sniff.

PRAYING for all who WAIT. Here... and There.

http://spotlight.news.yahoo.com/v/10836826

Top 10 reasons why a glass door on the front of an 80's entertainment center in a bedroom is DUMB!

10) It is a magnet for fingerprints made by your adorable grandchildren.

9) It is time-consuming to clean.

8) It is not FUNG Shei. I looked it up for you. Trust me.

7) It could create a glare in the sun that might wake you up in the morning before you are ready to get up...ANNOYING AND ALSO DUMB!

6) It could provide an unwanted reflection in an awkward situation. I'm just sayin'.

5) It could be hazardous to wayward birds looking to catch a 'lil late night cable.

4) It could cause a cat to see its reflection and get into a fight with itself...if you had a cat.

3) LESS is MORE!

2) It may emit invisible toxins that could build-up and eventually become dangerous...or even lethal. Again, don't look this one up...trust us!

1) It prevents golf lovers from being able to keep golf clubs near them if they have adorable grandchildren who might pick up said clubs and swing them into the glass in an effort to be like their Super Cool Grandpa Tom...shattering the door into thousands of tiny pieces all over the room!

WELCOME HOME GRANDMA AND GRANDPA!

WE ALL LOVE YOU... Especially your adorable Grandchildren!

:)

P.S. Won't you join us in a new "Welcome Home from Vacation" tradition in which we wear our shoes in our bedroom near the TV for at least 5 vacuumings. :)

This Bloggy world has afforded me the opportunity to meet so many other people who share my passion for ALL THINGS ADOPTION. I have made so many friends who inspire me to find a way to make a difference for these children who are still left behind. Who challenge me to go beyond what I ever imagined I could do for the cause. They encourage me to be a more vocal advocate for a cause I feel so deeply passionate about. And I thank God for placing them in my life! I am so blessed for knowing them.

Shelby started it off with The ELISON PROJECT. She is just an adoptive mom who decided she was going to do her part to help as many children home as possible. She started the Elison Project on her own, to place grants on WC as well as to families who could use a little help with their Adoption funds. We are one of the blessed recipients of one of her Grants. So was Stefanie's(Ni Hao Y'all) sister Andrea. She basically pulled cash out of her own bank account as well as cash contributed by a few of Elison Project directors, to finance these Grants. Just an example of how one can make a difference if you just decide to do it. Shelby did just that. She just decided she was going to do it, and she never looked back. When I think of how many children and families were helped by her generosity, It just makes me so happy. And Proud. And inspired. I love when that happens.

One of my other good friends has found a way to make a difference for the children who still wait, and for their potential families. Stefanie has had a dream for a while to start a site to educate anyone interested in SN adoption from China. She has finally brought that dream to fruition, with NO HANDS BUT OURS. And she is allowing Rebecca , Tonggu Momma , and me to come along and contribute to her labor of love(thanks TM).

NO HANDS BUT OURS was designed to be a resource for ALL things SN adoption. You will find information about specific special needs, links and resources, family stories, agencies, as well as information about current children who wait. A place where anyone who is considering the WC program or at any stage of the process can find answers as well as encouragement to help them along on their journey. I would have loved to have had a resource like this when we began the process to Adopt Hannah back in 06. It makes me smile to think of all the families who will be blessed by this. As well as all the children who will find homes because this site helped to educate as well as take some of the mystery out of certain SN thereby possibly opening people up to more than they knew they would ever consider.
I am a proud mom to 3 children from China, so far! :) Two of whom were considered SN. My oldest son David was born with a heart defect. I often think if he were born in China (I know, stay with me), he would have been TAGGED. Overlooked. He might have been left behind because he was considered imperfect. His orphanage might not have had the funds to get him the help he needed, as so often is the case. The thought sickens me. Thankfully that was not the case for him.

But for so many little ones who are considered SN, that unfortunately IS their reality. I praise God everyday, that that was not the fate for Grace, Hannah and Johnathan. For whatever reason, God allowed us to be the ones to care for these beautiful souls. I am so thankful that because of David's heart condition, we were not afraid of the idea of a SN but rather had a special place in our hearts for these little ones who had the potential to get over looked. The idea of life without each and every one of them is unthinkable. China was most definitely right about one thing. They are indeed SPECIAL!


I could NOT be more proud of Stefanie for making this a reality, or more thankful to be able to be a part of NO HAND BUT OURS! and to be contributing alongside these AMAZING women who share a passion for ALL children who wait. I pray it will be a blessing to others beyond anything any of us could have ever imagined. I pray that it will increase exponentially the number of children who will be coming home to their forever families!

Please, spread the word so that others can know about this awesome resource. And go check it out for yourself. If you are in the process of waiting for or searching for your WC, or if you are in the "regular program" and have considered switching to SN, I am certain you will find something that will be helpful. Even if you have never even entertained the thought, stop by. You just NEVER know. :)

Thanks Stef , for all you do for these children, and for these waiting families. I just LOVE you girl, and am so thankful for the opportunity to take part in this. You inspire. I AM, inspired.
:)

p.s. Don't forget to vote for OWEN. Click on the vote icon on the top left of the page(only if you like the blog peeps..No pressure) . And please spread the word!! If you have no clue what this is about check out this post for more info. GO TEAM OWEN!!

Right where they BELONG!

PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!

:)

One.More.Sleep!

Check out a post I hijacked from my sisters blog from last week... Yes. She is cool. And Yes again, I am BLESSED! ...




God is good...all the time. But some days my radar is more tuned in to this truth than others...Today was the first full day we relished in the reality that Johnathan was safe and happy in his daddy's arms. Today was the day that Johnathan ventured for 90 minutes in the outside world to meet the man that would have a thoughtfully packed bag of goodies just for him. And today is the day that Stripey Man got to hold his Stripey boy...the boy he had been praying for and anxiously plotting their times together. Today Johnathan got to meet his forever family on Skype...a video conferencing tool I knew nothing about five years ago but that has played a significant roll in my sister's growing family. Today is the day that six beautiful children got to laugh with and share together in the joy of their precious little brother...the brother who will snuggle to read books with them, sneak their french fries, and surely will want to do everything his big brothers are doing. And today is the day that I got to see my sister's life feel slightly more complete...She has dreamed and prayed over this day for days, weeks, months, and in many ways for years. Her family is her ministry and her life...I am so very thankful for this most amazing day when she could hear the laughs of all these children at the same time. Thank you Jesus. Truly, God is good, all the time. We can't wait to see you Johnathan. We love you!!

Seriously, Stef. What were you thinking? First off.. there is the matter of the "TAG FREE for X days counter." Which in and of itself should have been enough. It just should. But then, you throw in, oh I don't know... THIS!.. and it just leaves me scratchin' my head. Why girl? Why? Honestly... :) lol.

Because I love you... and because I know you give this in love, I will participate. I will once again humiliate myself and bore my friends with my mindless and brutally honest tid-bits about myself. ughhh... I am so sorry friends. I am just. so. sorry. You too, "TAG FREE FOR X DAY COUNTER". There goes the pizza party! ;)lol

In order to accept this Bloggy Award/Tag in disguise, you must do the following:

1)When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back.

2)Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in their content or design.

3)Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Honest Weblog’.

4)List [if you can and/or dare] at least ten honest things about yourself. And then, pass it on.”

And now, I shall bore you to tears...

1. I am a tradition Junkie. I make a tradition out of anything and everything. I am a child of divorce, and because of that, we didn’t have many traditions. I don’t know how I just made that connection there, but I think when you are a child of divorce you take license with that to blame everything and anything on that fact. Because we lacked in the tradition department, I strive to ensure our kiddos childhood’s are rich in tradition. Some might say I over tradition. I think it is better to have over traditioned than to have never traditioned at all. That is how Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote it, right? (Might have googled the name so you would think I was smart)

2. I am an eternal optimist, almost to a fault. Case in Point. Sometimes, I get a little crazy and think I might like to start eating healthy, and workout. So when this happens, I usually treat myself to something I wouldn’t eat while partaking in the healthy lifestyle. Certain sugary delights.. or something fried perhaps. Cause you know, tomorrow is DAY 1. Sometimes, just sometimes, I might get halfway(if that) through Day 1 and decide that day is not really a good day to start DAY 1.. but rather, tomorrow is feeling a bit more DAY 1-ish. So that day then becomes the DAY BEFORE DAY 1. And, once again I plan and partake in “my last meal.” Because I am an optimist… there is always another DAY 1. See the problem here? While I do see it.. doesn’t bug me. I’m an optimist. I am just happy giving myself credit for recognizing there is a problem. :)

3. Some might call me vertically challenged. I am 5’1” on a tall day. I don’t really even know I am short. Might be that eternal optimism thing. I have always been smaller than everyone else, and it has never really bothered me. Though my mom, in recalling my 1st grade year and the hazing that I suffered at the hands of Billy Quinimin due to my“shrimpiness”, as he liked to call it, may beg to differ. The horrible first grade year aside, it is not something I really think about. Though as my 7th grader catches me in height, I have come to the realization that I am going to be one of those moms who looks up at her kids. And that makes me laugh.

4. I often laugh at inappropriate times. It is a BIG PROBLEM! Always had it. Always will. Funerals. (Thankfully no one has ever noticed. Oh I would just die. See laughing there. I said the word die in talking about funeral. Very inappropriate. ) Weddings. My sister has the same problem, which I am thankful for. Not that she has it.. I am sorry for that. But that someone understands. It is AWFUL. If we both need to go to a funeral, we have to sit away from each other. Cannot make eye contact. Or a laughing fit will ensue. And let me tell you. There is nothing funny about it. I think it is just my awkward response to an uncomfortable situation. I spent a good amount of my time in high school choir in the hallway.. because I would start laughing, and could not stop. Might have had to step out of a few concerts, because I laughed so hard, I MIGHT have almost peed my pants. And I was not a trouble maker, mind you. Just an obnoxiously inappropriately timed laugher. I am SOOO VERY SORRY Mrs. B. Did I mention I am a child of divorce?

5. I frequently misuse words. If I am feeling bold and I want to try out a new word I am unsure of, I will throw it in there speaking really softly or speeding up when I get to the word in hopes that no one notices in case I have misused the word. Unfortunately if no one notices, they don’t get a chance to call me out on it, and then I never learn whether I used the word appropriately or not. That means there is a good chance I could repeat the same ignorant mistake. And no, I never think to come home and look up the word in the dictionary. That would be perspicacious of me. Or would it?

6. I am horrible at SMALL TALK. If I go to a party(sha, right.) and there is a room of people that I don’t know, I freeze up. Because I just.cannot. small talk. I don’t care what the weather is, nor do I want to pretend like I do. You want to tell me about your family, how your passion for something turned into your career, traditions your grandma passed on to you, How you met your spouse and how you proposed, I am all over it. I could talk to you for hours about you. But start chiming in about the weather and you’ve lost me man. I can’t do it. Exception: You are a weather man and weather is your passion. Then and only then can I hang long enough to chat about the weather.

7. I have memory issues. I have a hard time remembering things that are told to me. So even if I found someone at a party who would like to tell me their life story, chances are 30 minutes later, I’ve lost it all. I am a visual learner, so if I can somehow connect what you tell me to a picture, it has a chance of sticking. I try to blame it on mommy brain, but truth is, I have had this issue my whole life and I come by it honestly. Hi MOM! It is mom, right?

8. I am a WORRIER! I try not to be, but I can’t help it. It is funny because I am fairly laid back and a go with the flow kind of gal, but when it comes to my kiddos, my family and people’s feelings. I am a worrier. Did they make friends the first day of school. Was their zipper down and they didn’t know it? Did the bus make it to school? Ugghhh… This is something I am praying about and working on. Umm… I am pretty sure there is some scriptural basis that alludes to the fact that I am not supposed to worry. Can you imagine if I spent my nervous energy diving into scripture and in prayer, what a difference that would make? Not to mention the lines on my forehead that could have been prevented? If you are young and there is still a chance for your forehead, learn from me friend.

9. That Follower gadget haunts me. Remember we had a talk about it here. I love that it allows people to connect with other people. I have met so MANY people I would have never come across otherwise. I have met people that I didn’t even know read my blog, and it gave me the opportunity to have a chance to peek in on them and get to know them a little bit. So personally, I love it for that reason. What I don’t like is how it is displayed up there for all to see, as though it is a badge of honor or something. A popularity contest, if you will. Because it is not. It should not be a way to “show off” how many friends you have. Yet, I see so many comments from people about the follower gadget and how they don’t want to put it up because they only have x followers and someone else has y followers. Or they feel the same way that I do about it, they don’t want anyone to get their feelings hurt. You see what I struggle with. The inner turmoil. Another thing to worry about. Check.

10. I think I might be a Jesus Freak. I have heard about them, might have even laughed at the name a few years back. Didn’t know what it meant then, and still don’t. Is it a secret club or something? I am behind in getting this out, so I don’t have time to google it. If it is someone who is head over heals crazy for our Savior, striving everyday to be more like HIM, but always falling short, then Jesus Freak I am, Sam. Sign me up and send me the bumper sticker. I will display it proudly. But I don’t want to be in the club. I am not really a “club” fan. As far as I have been taught, everyone has the invitation to be a Jesus Freak, you just have to accept the invitation. Confess your sin, accept him into your heart as your savior, and you are good to go- Intro to becoming a Jesus Freak 101. If you’re not in the “not -a -club "Jesus Freak" club.” , and you want to be, shoot me an e-mail, as I would love to help you get started on your journey. And I will TOTALLY send you a bumper Sticker! :)

Please tell me that was 10 things.. Are we good now? Umm… Thanks Stef for the award/" TAG Free Counter for X days killer." Can we say I owe you one? :)

And now the part I don't like. If you have been around long enough, you might know I don't like choosing people for these things. AT ALL. I might have been made fun of last time for my random nomination method, but that's okay. I kept on keeping on. I was going to pass on passing this on, but I decided I am going to shoot you in the direction of blogs that have a cool story to share, so that you can be blessed. So If I didn't pick you, doesn't mean I don't love you. Cause I do.

1) MckMamma at My Charming Kids This gal rarely accepts a bloggy award/TAG IN DISGUISE... and she has been a little busy with her MckMiracle, and all!!!! But I am just going to send you on over there anyways, for some MckMuffin cuteness!!!!!!

2) Angie at Bring the Rain- Again, she has about 10,000 people following her, and no time in between caring for her little cuties and ministering to her thousand of followers, nor does she even know who I am , but I wanted to put her in case you haven't "met" her yet. I hope you take the time to head on over and read her story. Talk about laying it all out there... and blessing everyone for doing so!

3) Rebecca at China Baby! I am cheating, because I know she has already been chosen by Stef. She is doing a blog makeover giveaway. You can head on over to her blog and nominate someone for a blogover. Also, did I mention that she is doing a fundraiser to bring her son OWEN home? I can't even name all the things she is raffleing away. You need to see it for yourself. Head on over To China for Owen and get in on the fun. What could be more fun than helping to get a little man home to his family. Nothing. Get prepared for some SERIOUS cuteness!

4) Linn at A Place Called Simplicity. She has one cool story to share and I don't want you to miss out. Check out the picture in her header. Is that one big beautiful family, or what?

5) Sara at Football and Fried Rice. She got some good news last week, and I am still celebrating!

6) Tonya at Safe in His Arms. In case anyone missed out on hearing about Brent's story during our giveaway!

7) Gwen at Oatsvall Team. She always has an inspiring story to share.

If you don't frequent these blogs, I hope you head on over there to learn a little more about them and their stories. You won't be sorry!

Lots of Love~

If you want to follow along, see post below!


PRAISE GOD!

:)

p.s. If you left a comment to follow along, and you have not heard from me yet, you might want to try again. You might have left out your e-mail, and I had no way to contact you. I have also sent out many that did not seem to make it there for some reason...so if you have left a second comment, I am all caught up on the invites and you should have one in your in-box. If not, please let me know! :)

Our little man is FINALLY coming home!!!!!

If you would like to follow along on our JOURNEY TO JOHNATHAN, we would LOVE to have you. All you need to do is to leave a comment with this post, with your e-mail address, so that I know where to find you to send an invite.


I also ask that you please tell me a little bit about yourself, and, if you have a blog, I would love to have a link to it as well. I will NOT post the comments, so if you leave a comment, and it doesn't post, do not worry. I gotcha! Unless you don't hear from me in a few days, then you might want to hit me up again. 'Cause sometimes, things happen. And by things, I mostly mean my clumsiness or forget fullness. And there seems to be a lot of that going around here these days.

Thanks for coming along on our Journey with us!!

Lots of Love!

p.s. Please Remember to post your e-mail in the comment, as well as a little bit of info about yourself,(ie. your blog, how you found us! ) I like to know who is following along. If I don't have that information, I can't send an invite. Again, I will not be posting your comment.. only those that are unrelated to following along. :( Thanks!

This has been quite a week. I have been in and out of happy tears for the past several days.

Okay, you called me on it. Mostly in.

I have been overwhelmed, in a good way, in witnessing kindness and answered prayer all over the place this week!!!

Let's RECAP shall we?

We all got to hear about and celebrate the life of Brent, an amazing young man of God! We were blessed and we blessed others with our RAK in his honor. Your kindness touched the heart so deeply of a mother whose greatest fear was that he would be forgotten. My SIL had a giveaway in honor of Brent as well, and gave 5 entries away to Owen's giveaway as well. My friend Shelby, from THE ELISON PROJECT, won that raffle and not only did she do a ton of RAK in honor of Brent, one of her RAK was to give away her entries to bless our friend GAYLY, who could use a smile as she has waited FAR TOO LONG for approval to bring her son Nate home from China.

And to top it off... Yesterday, me sweet friend Gayly , on day 185, FINALLY received her LOA for her sweet little boy Nate!!! PTL!

My friend Andrea at the Happy Hippy Chronicles, offered to pay to have a linky thingy for the sidebar made for the ELISON project, so that we can put it on our blogs and people can link there and donate. She might be mad at me for telling you this, but I know she was next in line to get her blog made over by the Famous Rebecca at Uptown Design Studio, but gave up her spot so that Rebecca could work on the little Elison project do-hicky instead(Anyone know what that thing is called anyways?) Oh, and one other thing I learned about Andrea... as I was perusing the fabulous prizes Rebecca is giving away at her to China for Owen fundraiser giveaway, I learned that Andrea donated a video camera to that fundraiser! Could this hippy chick be any cooler?

Wait, there is more... Earlier this week, the very same Rebecca who is trying to raise close to 10,000$ to bring her son OWEN home from China through her fundraiser, decided she was going to donate 20% of what she raises to The ELISON PROJECT! No, that did not make me cry the BIG UGLY CRY, why do you ask? AMAZING!!

And, baby Stellan. Oh, baby Stellan. Answered Prayers. God's little miracle!

This has been one Powerful week! One that I will remember for a lifetime!!!

Thank you GOD!

As you might know already, Baby Stellan made his entrance into the world yesterday morning.

A very healthy, no signs of anything wrong with him, 9 (2x) on his apgar, No ICU needing,
BABY STELLAN!

A miracle!

PTL!

:D
(Smiling extra big today!)

I have sat down to try to write this post so many times, but I can't seem to find the words. Nothing seems right.

To witness how many people came forward to do RAK in Brent's honor, has just blessed me beyond words. To think of all the people who were touched by these RAK makes my heart smile SO BIG! To think about Brent looking down and witnessing people coming together to spread love, as he so often did, makes me do the happy cry. And to know that Tonya got to witness his spirit live on and touch so many people...there are no words.

The drawing for the name took so much time because each time I would look at all of those pieces of paper in my little shoe box(high class operation here), I would do the happy cry! You have all touched me. Each and everyone of you. I love you for what you did for Brent, for Tonya and for all the people who were touched by your RAK! Thank you GOD for blessing me this way!!

That being said, I know through your comments there was not one person who was not touched by Brent's story. And I know that it is impossible for you not to be blessed through doing your RAK. My point... each an every one of us has come away from this blessed in more ways than one. We are all winners. Love how God does that!

When I pulled this name out of my hat, it made me smile BIG. Though I don't know this person as they came over from Tonya's blog, I remember the comment they left. This person knew Brent personally, which makes it even that much more cool that she won. I hope she doesn't mind me sharing that it was Brent's conviction in Christ that solidified hers! She said meeting him touched her and changed her life forever. How he must be smiling at that one!


So... Susan Foster, come on down... You're the winner of Brent's Birthday Celebration Giveaway!!! WOO-HOO!!! You will get an e-mail with your numbers shortly!!


SERIOUSLY BIG THANK YOU to all of you who participated in our RAK Extravaganza, and to those who linked to me and helped spread the word!! Thank you for blessing me with your selflessness, and thank you on behalf of all of those who were touched by your kindness! May it be multiplied and paid forward ten-fold!!

Love you guys!!



p.s. If you didn't win, you can head on over to TO CHINA FOR OWEN and enter her Amazing giveaway. No one should have to feel left out! After you check out the AMAZING prizes she is raffle-ing away, and before you purchase your entries, take a peek at that little Man. Because after you see that sweet little face, chances are, you are going to want to give more. And then for some reason, I think you might want a cookie. I think I need to step away from the children's literature!

I know some of you know about Stellan over at My charming Kids.. those who don't can head on over here to read up on the Miracle of Stellan.

Tomorrow, will be MckMuffin's birthday. I hope you prayer warriors will join me in praying for a safe birth for MckMamma and for Stellan!! And let's cover them in prayer regarding his heart specifically. I am praying for a beautiful healthy heart that will work beautifully on its own with no cause for concern... that will give any unbelievers reason to pause, and believers another miracle for which to give praise!!!!

GO GOD!!!

Hugs~

p.s. Only a few more hours to enter Brent's Birthday Celebration Giveaway and get in on our Random Act of Kindness Extravaganza! ! See post below to enter. :)

(Shout-out To Michelle for this awesome Graphic.
Made me smile BIG, girl!!)

Happy Birthday, Dear Brent!!!
And Hugs and Much Love to you, Tonya. I am thinking about you today!!


Today is the last day of my giveaway in Honor of Brent.

Head on over here for details.


All you need to do to be entered is to leave a comment and include your e-mail. We are also asking that you bless someone with a Random Act of Kindness in Brent's Honor. This might be something that you already do on a regular basis, but just throw in an extra one or two in Brent's honor, if you don't mind.

If your name is chosen, you will win 5 chances to win these super-fly(that's right Michelle, super-fly) prizes over at the "TO CHINA FOR OWEN" giveaway. Not only will you have 5 chances to win one of those incredible prizes...but, it gets even better... You will also be playing a part in helping Owen come home. And a donation will also be made in your name to St. Judes as well.

Remembering and Honoring Brent, Blessing others with Random Acts of Kindness, Helping that little love, Owen, come home, and supporting St. Judes so they can continue to help other families like Brent... Man this giveaway makes me SMILE BIG!!!!!!!!!


I SO hope you join us in our Random Acts of Kindness Extravaganza in honor of Brent!!!
And please, spread the word and invite others to participate along with us. We would love to have all the friends we can get. The more RAK the better! Can't wait!


Bless and Be Blessed!!!

Hugs~
Amie

p.s. I will draw a winner at the end of the day today, and post tomorrow! :)

p.p.s. Tonya is holding her giveaway today. While I think it is too late to enter, I would love if you would head on over there anyways, and read about her giveaway. The prize she has chosen to give away is just so special, and I cannot do it justice here. And I am sure she wouldn't mind if you took the time to leave her an encouraging comment today, letting her know just how special she is, that you are thinking about her today and/or how Brent's story has touched you. :)

Head on over to My Charming Kids to read more NMM posts. If you don't mind, while you are thinking about it, would you please say a prayer for Baby Stellan and for MckMamma. I am praying for a safe delivery for both Mckmamma and Stellan, with no complications. As well as for a completely healthy Stellan!!! Most specifically for a beautiful and healthy normal heart!


These things did NOT happen this week, so DON'T think they did:



(I did not delete my original NMM post when I came back to add the NMM graphic. I might NOT have forgot something, and might NOT regurgitate it next week if I remember it. I am NOT annoyed)


One day this week when I got out of the shower and got part way dressed, I did NOT catch a glimpse in the mirror, suck in my tummy and say in my best "Joey" voice from Friends, "Now that's what I'm talking a-bout." I did NOT somehow manage to convince myself that my diet I had decided to go on (after a recent failed attempt), and all the exercising I had been doing was working, and I was looking trimmer already. It was NOT just day 3 of the diet. And I did NOT work out only 1 of the 3 days. Please do NOT tell anyone I did that. No really, DON'T.

This week, while I was NOT on my diet, I did NOT stop at Taco Bell because I saw a commercial, and wanted to try a couple of of the new HURRICANE tacos. I did NOT have to repeat my order 3 times because the drive-thru guy did NOT understand me. He did NOT ask me to speak more slowly and louder..and when I did and he did NOT understand me again. I did NOT get yelled at by the guy in line behind me who shouted (for all the cars that I was holding up to hear), "They're called VOL-CA-NO TACOS LA-DY...COME on!!!” I did NOT give him a big OL’ thumbs up, reorder my VOLCANO tacos successfully, pull up, grab my tacos and drive away breaking into a giggle fit at the whole event.

While sitting at a red light around the corner from TB, I did NOT break into my "HURRICANES" (just to spite you Mr. Disgruntled drive thru man) and start munching on them because the 5 min drive home was just too long. Mr. Disgruntled drive-thru man did NOT end up at the red light next to me, and I did NOT find him staring at me as I chomped on my HURRICANES (that's right, I said hurricanes Mr. Disgruntled-so impatient-I gotta have my tacos right now- drive-thru guy). I did NOT wave to him with one hand as I chomped on my tacos in my other hand. He did NOT just stare as I chomped. It was NOT awkward.

I did NOT tell my husband when he was being ornery this past week that I was so going to blog about him...and turn him into a NMM. We did NOT think that was funny because we are NOT weird like that. I think this might NOT come in handy as a bribe tool.

This weekend while I was shopping with David and Katie at Target for supplies for our trip to China to bring Johnathan home, I did NOT make it a point to mention Johnathan and our trip to China after every item we picked out for him (and at a level 2x louder than it needed to be). I did NOT do so in the hope that someone would ask just so I could talk about it and tell them about our little man cause I am just so stinkin' excited.

"These shoes would be perfect for Johnathan in China. He will need shoes to walk around in CHINA after we meet him for the first time...in CHINA.

Oh look, there are the diapers. We need some diapers to take to CHINA because Johnathan will need diapers in China, because he will POOP...IN CHINA.

Speaking of poop, did we take a baby enema last time to CHINA, and do you think Johnathan will need a baby enema in CHINA? What if Johnathan can’t poop when we meet him for the first time, in CHINA?"

The little old lady I followed into the shampoo aisle in hopes of getting a "bite" did NOT appear to care if Johnathan would need a trial or regular size baby wash for his first bath in CHINA. The AV guy was NOT the least bit interested if I needed extra batteries for our camera so we make sure we have no reason for not catching the first moment on film when we meet our son Johnathan for the first time...while we are in CHINA. The Halloween candy stock boy really could NOT care less that the party size pack of DUM-DUMS would be perfect for Johnathan in CHINA, as they might be a good distraction in case he is sad right after we meet him for the first time...in CHINA. The cashier was NOT at all intrigued as I called out each item that I placed on the belt and how it would be used by JOHNATHAN while we are in CHINA. They really did NOT. But guess what...my kiddos did. And that DID make me smile BIG!!

(Did I mention that in 7 days, we will be meeting Johnathan in CHINA? 'Cause I thought that I might NOT have!!!!!!!!!)

I am NOT immeasurably BLESSED!!!

BTW- Do NOT visit my blog here and enter my giveaway. You know you do NOT want to anyways. So DON’T..cause I DON’T want you to win something super cool, or even have the chance to take part in our Random Act of Kindness Extravaganza and, by doing so, help us honor a really cool kid. You DON’T deserve it.

And I certainly DON’T want you heading over here, checking out all the super fly prizes being raffled away, and then enter for a chance to win and, by doing so, do your part to help bring OWEN home. That would be nice of you.. and I DON’T like nice people. I LOVE them!

DON'T have a Happy Week!!!!

p.s. Michelle...I did NOT cry when I saw the little graphic you made for Brent's giveaway!! I am NOT a baby. I will pop it up later. Thank you, dear friend!! :)

Do you remember when we had our little chat not too long ago about the followers gadget? It is a fabulous way make some new friends and to be touched by others' stories . Well, I am all about doing that. I LOVE LOVE LOVE visiting new blogs and reading others' stories. And I have been touched. I have become connected to some AMAZING people, just from taking the time to peek around a bit and get to know who's out there. I just didn't want you to think I wasn't heeding my own advice. That would not be cool.

All I ask from you (per the suggestion of Tonya, Brent's mom), is that on Brent's birthday, would you please do an extra random act of kindness in his honor? (I say extra, cause I know y'all are all over the RAKs). But for that day, do one in Brent's honor. I just know it will make him smile big!!!

And please, feel free to post a link to this giveaway on your blog. The more people who have a chance to be blessed by his story the better. And what a gift it would be to Tonya, his mom, if we gathered as many people as possible to do a RAK in his honor on October 28th. Maybe it will bring her a little smile thinking about how his "spirit" is touching others and making a difference, on a day that is sure to be bittersweet.

When you find the time, I encourage you to visit his caringbridge journal http://caringbridge.org/ms/brentnason/. You can start at the beginning of December '06, if you don't have time to read the whole thing. You will witness God in so many of the details! Bring tissues, and prepare to be BLESSED!

Hugs~

***Edited***

They raised 6930.00$ from the giveaway. You might think that was a type-o, so I will give it to you again... $ 6930.oo.. not including a very large grant from the Elison Project!! If you didn't get a chance to give, and your heart was touched by what GOD did.. you can always head on over to The Elison Project and click on the donation page and make a contribution there through your pay-pal account. Anything you can find to give, no matter how little it may seem to you or how UNBELIEVABLY HUGE, is not insignificant.. it WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. And I love you for that! :) (Thanks for asking Debbie! )




I am sure most of you know of Stefanie at NiHaoYall. Who doesn't? If you have been to her blog in the past couple of weeks, then you know about her sister Andrea, and the giveaway Stefanie is doing to help Andrea bring her little boy Cole home(cutie pictured above). If not, read her story here.

When Stefanie first got the idea about posting her sister's story, she wasn't sure whether she was going to do it or not. She mentioned to me that she didn't want anyone to feel obligated to help out. She didn't want to pressure people into doing something they didn't want to do. She is sweet like that.

But she felt called to try to help out her sister in some way. So she chose to set up this giveaway. At first there was talk about setting the initial goal at $1000. I love how Stefanie says "How God must have been laughing at his doubtful daughters." So very true... often we forget just how BIG our God is.

Head on over to her site and check out the total now!!! Go on... come back. Then, in Unison we can shout a glorious PRAISE THE LORD!! Our God is so very Good! Look how many people showed up! Look at that TOTAL!!! Over 200% of the funds requested raised!!! Not only that but the ELISON project came through with a BIG grant for this family. (They are the organization who gave our family a grant to use towards Johnathan's adoption.) Again.. GO GOD!!!

Today is the last day for the Giveaway. I was planning on sending you all over on the last day so that she had a few people still entering at the last minute. How our Father must have laughed at that one....

Not only is she able to give away a sweet Cannon Rebel DSLR, but several other beautiful people have stepped up and donated items to be given away as well. Man how I love when people come together to help other people!!! Makes my Heart Smile BIG!

So I am sending you over there to check out this family's story, and to be blessed by the way so many people have stepped out to help get this sweet little boy home! Though they have met all of their fundraising goals, I want to encourage you to GIVE BIG!!!!!!!!! Andrea has decided to donate the extra funds to the ELISON project. And I KNOW they could use anything they can get, because since Andrea mentioned the grant on Stefanie's site , the ELISON project has been swamped with requests for grants!!! Here is the deal though... Shelby is the founder of the ELISON project and I happen to know that she has funded many of the grants with money out of her own pocketbook. After the huge Grant awarded to Andrea and her family, and with all the requests made for grants from other deserving families, she is not going to be able to continue to do this herself. She is going to need us to help out.

I hope you are touched by Andrea's story and that you find it in your heart to GIVE BIG! There is another "Andrea" out there trying find a way to get their "Cole" home... and it would make my heart smile big to know that we could play a part in bringing these families together. Thank YOU GOD!

Maybe I will see you over there!! And if YOU win the camera... You can take a picture of yourself with the BIG smile you will be wearing on your face from knowing YOU... made a difference!

Hugs~




I mean really...Could this little guy be any cuter?

My SIL,Kristen, taking her inspiration from this post came up with a clever way to count-down till "go time" for Johnathan. I came home to a bag she had left on my front porch and inside I found these....

















They are HO-HO's if you can't tell from the bad photography! One for each each day until he leaves. I think not only did she think it would be a FUN way to count-down the days, but there might have been mention of an intervention to cure me of my "problem".

HI-LAR-I-OUS!

9....9 days to go!!!

Or 8 if I get the munchies... :)