A head-banging video... courtesy of Miss Hannah. (Yes, we rock out to Ke$ha... and we have a blast!) And remember that eating grapes is way more important than dancing sometimes :-)
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
New Blog!
'Couponing' is a hobby of mine... well, really it's more of a passion. Or obsession. Whatever. I love it. I love the thrill of finding that amazing deal. I love the therapy that clipping coupons gives me every week. I love knowing that our family is saving thousands of dollars because of a hobby of mine.
I'd love to share my passion with you so I've started a new blog and I'm so excited about it! Head on over to CouponIsAVerb to learn more about what to expect from this new blog. I'll do my best to give you a heads up on all deals relating to baby, daily deals, couponing at Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart, and how to ensure that your mailbox is CHOCK FULL of freebies every week (see what came in the mail today....)
I'd love to share my passion with you so I've started a new blog and I'm so excited about it! Head on over to CouponIsAVerb to learn more about what to expect from this new blog. I'll do my best to give you a heads up on all deals relating to baby, daily deals, couponing at Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart, and how to ensure that your mailbox is CHOCK FULL of freebies every week (see what came in the mail today....)
Make sure you follow CouponIsAVerb so you don't miss out on great deals... some of them don't last long!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Guest Post
I am so honored to feature my first 'guest (re)-post" today and I know it will touch you like it has touched me!
I have been following Jill over at The Happiest Sad for months now. She's an incredible writer, she's profound, she's hilarious, she's strong in her faith... and she's a birthmom; a First Mom. Jill is a birthmom that any child (namely, Roo) will be honored to have as her First Mom. She's also a woman that any adoptive mom would be honored to have as her child's First Mom.
I'm honored just to know her.
For months (and without knowing it), Jill has offered me many many priceless insights into the heart, soul, and mind of a birthmom. She fearlessly and selflessly puts herself out there and speaks directly to the hearts of not only other birthmoms, but adoptive parents and hopefuls, too.
I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about birthmoms and the painful plan that has been chosen for their lives. I'm a mom now (thanks to a woman like Jill) and my process as an adoptive mom wasn't flowers and puppies, either but I think I see their sacrifice in a completely different light than I used to. I'm on the other side but I want so badly to understand, at any level I possibly can, the heart and mind of a birthmom. Jill's helping me with that.
Jill's most recent post touched me. Out of the 10 times I've read it, I've cried 8 times, laughed hysterically once (don't ask), and the third time I just knew that I wanted all of you, my blog friends, to experience her words, too. I don't know that I can preface this post and do it justice so please read, please absorb, and please applaud Jill for her honesty and incredible heart and faith....
Did you know that Glenn Beck's son was adopted? Maybe you did. It's probably one of those things that people who know a lot about adoption already knew. But I'm a little slow, and I only just discovered that the other day when I read birth mom Brit's blog. Her post included a fantastic quote from Glenn's address at the 2007 FSA National Conference. You can read both Glenn's and wife Tania's remarks at the American Fork FSA blog. I read them, and while I very much liked the entire text, one thing in particular jumped out at me from the end of Glenn's talk:
Isn't that beautiful? I believe it. I absolutely do, and no one will ever convince me otherwise. My little Roo, this tiny girl I love so very much, wasn't supposed to be my daughter. She was meant to grow in my belly, but she was meant to be with P and M. I know it. She knew it, too. When she met P and M for the first time, it was as if she already knew them. I believe that she did. She knew who was holding her. She knew they already loved her.
As impossibly hard as placement was, I have never doubted for a second that Roo is in the right place, in the right family. I am so grateful that I was led to P and M, because how sad would it be if Roo wasn't their daughter? Last Friday was the first time that I looked in the mirror and saw maybe a little of what people mean when they say that Roo looks like me. It surprised me - it always surprises me to see any of myself in Roo, because she is a [P and M's last name] through and through. She is perfectly suited to their family. She is their daughter. She's exactly what and who I would expect a child of theirs to be. I love it!
I don't think that I could have said so a year ago. Not because it was any less true, but because for a while I clung to the belief that being this happy with where Roo is was some sort of betrayal of my affection for her. I felt like if I willingly, even happily acknowledged that she was where God meant for her to be, it must mean that I loved her less. Lies! Believe me when I say that I would bleed for that little girl in half a heartbeat. There is nothing in this world that I wouldn't do for her. I love her every bit as much as I ever have, with everything I have in me. She has my heart, and she always will.
There are those who say that the idea of adoption being "meant to be" is a crock, that this is all happenstance, people trying to make the best of a bad situation. Maybe it is for some people. I can't speak for anyone but myself. But it's not that way for me. I believe with everything I have in me that my Father in Heaven meant for Roo to grow in my belly but grow up with P and M. I believe that He has a hand in each of our lives, and that He loves us so much more than we can ever begin to understand.
I don't have words to say how grateful I am to be Roo's birth mother. Just by being born, she helped me get to where I needed to be. I'm glad I could return the favor.
~ Thank you, Jill for allowing me to share your perfect words. Thank you for sharing your heart. Your testimony is touching so many lives, as is sweet Roo's and I am honored to know you and call you 'friend'.
I have been following Jill over at The Happiest Sad for months now. She's an incredible writer, she's profound, she's hilarious, she's strong in her faith... and she's a birthmom; a First Mom. Jill is a birthmom that any child (namely, Roo) will be honored to have as her First Mom. She's also a woman that any adoptive mom would be honored to have as her child's First Mom.
I'm honored just to know her.
For months (and without knowing it), Jill has offered me many many priceless insights into the heart, soul, and mind of a birthmom. She fearlessly and selflessly puts herself out there and speaks directly to the hearts of not only other birthmoms, but adoptive parents and hopefuls, too.
I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about birthmoms and the painful plan that has been chosen for their lives. I'm a mom now (thanks to a woman like Jill) and my process as an adoptive mom wasn't flowers and puppies, either but I think I see their sacrifice in a completely different light than I used to. I'm on the other side but I want so badly to understand, at any level I possibly can, the heart and mind of a birthmom. Jill's helping me with that.
Jill's most recent post touched me. Out of the 10 times I've read it, I've cried 8 times, laughed hysterically once (don't ask), and the third time I just knew that I wanted all of you, my blog friends, to experience her words, too. I don't know that I can preface this post and do it justice so please read, please absorb, and please applaud Jill for her honesty and incredible heart and faith....
Did you know that Glenn Beck's son was adopted? Maybe you did. It's probably one of those things that people who know a lot about adoption already knew. But I'm a little slow, and I only just discovered that the other day when I read birth mom Brit's blog. Her post included a fantastic quote from Glenn's address at the 2007 FSA National Conference. You can read both Glenn's and wife Tania's remarks at the American Fork FSA blog. I read them, and while I very much liked the entire text, one thing in particular jumped out at me from the end of Glenn's talk:
I know with everything in me that our children selected us in the premortal existence. I know that we stood around and we were honored when that soul looked at us and said, “I want you as my dad, and I want you as my mom. Somehow or another we’ll find each other.” It’s not just getting any child. It’s sometimes waiting for that soul who is trying desperately to fulfill their side of the bargain and to fulfill what you guys set out to do in the first place and to be reunited with his family for time and all eternity.
Isn't that beautiful? I believe it. I absolutely do, and no one will ever convince me otherwise. My little Roo, this tiny girl I love so very much, wasn't supposed to be my daughter. She was meant to grow in my belly, but she was meant to be with P and M. I know it. She knew it, too. When she met P and M for the first time, it was as if she already knew them. I believe that she did. She knew who was holding her. She knew they already loved her.
As impossibly hard as placement was, I have never doubted for a second that Roo is in the right place, in the right family. I am so grateful that I was led to P and M, because how sad would it be if Roo wasn't their daughter? Last Friday was the first time that I looked in the mirror and saw maybe a little of what people mean when they say that Roo looks like me. It surprised me - it always surprises me to see any of myself in Roo, because she is a [P and M's last name] through and through. She is perfectly suited to their family. She is their daughter. She's exactly what and who I would expect a child of theirs to be. I love it!
I don't think that I could have said so a year ago. Not because it was any less true, but because for a while I clung to the belief that being this happy with where Roo is was some sort of betrayal of my affection for her. I felt like if I willingly, even happily acknowledged that she was where God meant for her to be, it must mean that I loved her less. Lies! Believe me when I say that I would bleed for that little girl in half a heartbeat. There is nothing in this world that I wouldn't do for her. I love her every bit as much as I ever have, with everything I have in me. She has my heart, and she always will.
There are those who say that the idea of adoption being "meant to be" is a crock, that this is all happenstance, people trying to make the best of a bad situation. Maybe it is for some people. I can't speak for anyone but myself. But it's not that way for me. I believe with everything I have in me that my Father in Heaven meant for Roo to grow in my belly but grow up with P and M. I believe that He has a hand in each of our lives, and that He loves us so much more than we can ever begin to understand.
I don't have words to say how grateful I am to be Roo's birth mother. Just by being born, she helped me get to where I needed to be. I'm glad I could return the favor.
~ Thank you, Jill for allowing me to share your perfect words. Thank you for sharing your heart. Your testimony is touching so many lives, as is sweet Roo's and I am honored to know you and call you 'friend'.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
We love new friends!
Thanks to so many amazing people (some we know personally and some we don't but can't wait to get to know) who have shared our pages, we have lots of new Facebook and blog friends! We're so thankful for every one of you!
Welcome!
We are so excited that you're joining us on our journey to bring home our next precious baby(ies) and grow our family once again though adoption!
Feel free to browse around and get to know us.... and please comment or email us at onloanfromheaven@yahoo.com so we can get to know you, too!
* Click here to start from the beginning of our story
* Visit our Facebook page to learn more and help us spread the word
* Visit our Hoping To Adopt profile
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Stream of Consciousness
This is a hard post to write. I guess for no reason other than the simple fact that I don't know what to say. I have plenty to say, don't get me wrong. But... what is saying too much? Where's the line? Where's the rule-book?
I guess we'll just see where this goes. Someone I consider to be one of my greatest friends recently called it the Stream of Consciousness. I'll stick with that versus my creative title; Brain Vomit.
You're welcome :-)
Hannah and I have been sick this week. Not just sick... really really sick. Hannah had Flu Type A (think, H1N1, but it wasn't... it was just that bad) that turned into Pneumonia. Thankfully, her tiny body responded well to her antibiotics and she was back to normal early this week... minus a lingering cough. I was another story. I can't remember a time when I actually wanted to be in the hospital before this week. I was in bed from Monday to Thursday and my amazing husband got to take care of both me and our sick baby-girl. He stayed home all week, cooked for both of them and cleaned up after himself, went to store a few times, took Hannah in the car to get her out of the house, and managed to stay healthy the whole time. Meanwhile, I had high fevers, an awful cough, was throwing up, and basically convinced myself that I would never get better.
Oh, but I did :-) Thank goodness! And I'm SO thankful that baby-girl didn't have to go through half of what I did... I know God was protecting her and I would do it a million times over to keep an illness like that from touching her body.
I've been having a tough time lately. Waiting for your family to grow is an excruciating process. It's painful. And awful. And ... wonderful. But right now, it hurts. I look at my sweet Hannah and I SEE the reward of being faithful. I get to experience His greatness every single day when that precious girl calls me "Mommy". She is a living testament of how much God loves us and of how awesome His plan is.
But this adoption stuff? It still hurts. I'm not sure if it gets better and easier as you continue adding to your family through adoption or if it always hurts like this. It doesn't seem to me that waiting is something you practice over and over again until you're a pro. I wish it worked like that... because I'd be a pro. And I'm not.
I stink at this, friends.
Over the past few months our story has changed and evolved into a more powerful, more incredible, more inspiring testimony of God's love and power and control over our lives than I ever imagined. I know this to be true... and I can't wait until the day when I can share this story with every one of you. But when that time comes, I don't want anyone to read it and think, "Wow. They have it all together. They're so good at waiting." Or whatever you might be tempted to think....
This is hard. This is brutal. It's painful and awful and heartbreaking, at times and depressing and it makes me angry and makes me doubt and makes me lose all the faith that I have spent years and years and years trying to build up in a vault inside my heart for times like this. Like now.
And I can't find it. Where is my faith? I have it. I desperately need to find it.
I know that the reward is great. I see how great it is every day. But right now, that doesn't seem to be enough. It should be. And it's not. And you know what?
Those feelings just add 'guilt' to the long list in the excruciating process.
Our story is already unbelievable. It has been made even more so over the past few months. There are quite a few babies who have become part of our story recently and though none of them are yet in our home, they will NEVER be far from our hearts. Each one of them has become a part of our family and our hearts and our story.
We dreamt of them. We planned for some of them. We pictured our home and our family with them as an integral part of us. We fell in love with their birth-parents. We celebrated them all.
We even named some of them.
They're all a part of our unbelievable story that continues to grow. I'm thankful for it. I wouldn't change it. But right now...
I wish our story of waiting could read....
"The End."
I guess I have a little more left to learn.
Definitely not a pro.
I'm off to dig up some faith... it has to be here somewhere...
I guess we'll just see where this goes. Someone I consider to be one of my greatest friends recently called it the Stream of Consciousness. I'll stick with that versus my creative title; Brain Vomit.
You're welcome :-)
Hannah and I have been sick this week. Not just sick... really really sick. Hannah had Flu Type A (think, H1N1, but it wasn't... it was just that bad) that turned into Pneumonia. Thankfully, her tiny body responded well to her antibiotics and she was back to normal early this week... minus a lingering cough. I was another story. I can't remember a time when I actually wanted to be in the hospital before this week. I was in bed from Monday to Thursday and my amazing husband got to take care of both me and our sick baby-girl. He stayed home all week, cooked for both of them and cleaned up after himself, went to store a few times, took Hannah in the car to get her out of the house, and managed to stay healthy the whole time. Meanwhile, I had high fevers, an awful cough, was throwing up, and basically convinced myself that I would never get better.
Oh, but I did :-) Thank goodness! And I'm SO thankful that baby-girl didn't have to go through half of what I did... I know God was protecting her and I would do it a million times over to keep an illness like that from touching her body.
I've been having a tough time lately. Waiting for your family to grow is an excruciating process. It's painful. And awful. And ... wonderful. But right now, it hurts. I look at my sweet Hannah and I SEE the reward of being faithful. I get to experience His greatness every single day when that precious girl calls me "Mommy". She is a living testament of how much God loves us and of how awesome His plan is.
But this adoption stuff? It still hurts. I'm not sure if it gets better and easier as you continue adding to your family through adoption or if it always hurts like this. It doesn't seem to me that waiting is something you practice over and over again until you're a pro. I wish it worked like that... because I'd be a pro. And I'm not.
I stink at this, friends.
Over the past few months our story has changed and evolved into a more powerful, more incredible, more inspiring testimony of God's love and power and control over our lives than I ever imagined. I know this to be true... and I can't wait until the day when I can share this story with every one of you. But when that time comes, I don't want anyone to read it and think, "Wow. They have it all together. They're so good at waiting." Or whatever you might be tempted to think....
This is hard. This is brutal. It's painful and awful and heartbreaking, at times and depressing and it makes me angry and makes me doubt and makes me lose all the faith that I have spent years and years and years trying to build up in a vault inside my heart for times like this. Like now.
And I can't find it. Where is my faith? I have it. I desperately need to find it.
I know that the reward is great. I see how great it is every day. But right now, that doesn't seem to be enough. It should be. And it's not. And you know what?
Those feelings just add 'guilt' to the long list in the excruciating process.
Our story is already unbelievable. It has been made even more so over the past few months. There are quite a few babies who have become part of our story recently and though none of them are yet in our home, they will NEVER be far from our hearts. Each one of them has become a part of our family and our hearts and our story.
We dreamt of them. We planned for some of them. We pictured our home and our family with them as an integral part of us. We fell in love with their birth-parents. We celebrated them all.
We even named some of them.
They're all a part of our unbelievable story that continues to grow. I'm thankful for it. I wouldn't change it. But right now...
I wish our story of waiting could read....
"The End."
I guess I have a little more left to learn.
Definitely not a pro.
I'm off to dig up some faith... it has to be here somewhere...
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day; From Our Love Bug
I wanted to post our Love Bug's 2011 Valentine before it's too late!
We hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day!
We're taking a rain-check on Hannah's Valentine's Day festivities since she and I have been so sick. Daddy is staying home for the next few days to take care of us so after our doctor appointments yesterday, we still managed to watch movies, read books, take LOOONG naps, and snuggle... not too bad, all things considered. (Now, I'm just praying that Joey doesn't get this... though I don't see how he won't :-( )
We're praying hard that next Valentine's Day, we'll have a bigger family of 'Love Bugs' to love on :-)
* More recipes are coming... make sure you let us know when you try a new one and it's not too late to send one in if you haven't yet!
Freezable Recipes: Mom & Dad's White Chicken Chili
Mom and Dad's White Chicken Chili
* 8 Chicken breast halves (boneless, skinless), cooked & chopped
(Daddy said he used 4 cans of cubed chicken and loved how it turned out)
* 4 cans (15 oz) Great Northern Beans
* 2 medium onions, finely chopped
* 6 cloves minced garlic
* 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
* 9 oz. chopped green chili's
* 2 tsp. cumin
* 1 tsp. oregano
* 1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
* 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
* 3 cups chicken broth
* 3 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese
~ Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender
~ Stir in green chili's and remaining spices
~ Add chicken, beans, and broth
~ Simmer 30 minutes
~ Turn off heat, stir in cheese
~ Serve topped with a bit of shredded cheese and/ or a dollop of sour cream
~ Freezes well!
** Thanks Mom & Dad!!
Monday, February 14, 2011
I've started posting some of the amazing recipe's everyone has sent over the past week so make sure you scroll down so you don't miss any!
Hannah and I both have Pneumonia so I'm not promising to get all of the recipes posted today... keep checking back!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!
* I hope your day is MUCH better than our's has been, so far ;-)
Freezable Recipes: Megan's Chicken Tetrazzini
Megan's Chicken Tetrazzini
* 1 (16 oz) package vermicelli (or spagehetti noodles of any kind)
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 4 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts
* 1 can cream of mushroom soup
* 1 can cream of celery soup
* 1 can cream of chicken soup
* 1 (8oz) container of sour cream
* 1 (6oz) jar of sliced mushrooms, drained
* 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon pepper
* 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
~ Cook the noodles according to the pkg. drain and return to pot, toss with chicken broth.
~ Stir together chicken and next 8 ingredients, add the noodles and toss well.
~ Spoon mixture into 2 11x7 baking dishes, sprinkle with cheese.
~ Bake at 350 for 30 min.
** Thanks Megan!!
~ Bake at 350 for 30 min.
** Thanks Megan!!
Freezable Recipes: Sara's Pepperoni Casserole
Sara's Pepperoni Casserole
* 1 box of rigatoni
* 1 jar of sauce
* 1 bag of mozzarella cheese
* Pepperoni
~ Cook rigatoni
~ Layer in casserole dish pasta,sauce, pepperoni and then cheese.
~ Bake 30 minutes uncovered.
* 1 box of rigatoni
* 1 jar of sauce
* 1 bag of mozzarella cheese
* Pepperoni
~ Cook rigatoni
~ Layer in casserole dish pasta,sauce, pepperoni and then cheese.
~ Bake 30 minutes uncovered.
** Thanks Sara!!
Freezable Recipes: Ashley's Pasta e Fagioli
Ashley's Pasta e Fagioli
* 2 tbsp. butter, divided
* 1 (20 oz.) package sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
* 1/2 large (or 1 medium) onion, finely chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 4 carrots, thinly sliced
* 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
* 2 cans of black beans
* 48-64 oz. reduced-sodium beef broth (depending on how much liquid you would like)
* 1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
* 2 tsp. dried parsley
* 1/2 tsp. dried basil
* 1 tsp. salt
* 4 oz. small dry pasta (such as ditalini)
* 1 (20 oz.) package sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
* 1/2 large (or 1 medium) onion, finely chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 4 carrots, thinly sliced
* 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
* 2 cans of black beans
* 48-64 oz. reduced-sodium beef broth (depending on how much liquid you would like)
* 1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
* 2 tsp. dried parsley
* 1/2 tsp. dried basil
* 1 tsp. salt
* 4 oz. small dry pasta (such as ditalini)
~Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a Dutch oven or large stockpot over medium-high heat.
~ Add the sausage to the pot and brown, crumbling as it cooks.
~ Once the sausage is browned, remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon and discard any excess grease.
~ Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pot.
~ Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery, and saute over medium heat until vegetables are soft, 8-10 minutes.
~ Return the sausage to the pot, add the can of diced tomatoes with juices, stir briefly, and simmer for 10 minutes.
~ Add the beans, beef broth and tomato sauce to the pot.
~ Add in all of the seasonings, stir well, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
~ Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer at least 30 minutes.
~ Add the dry pasta and continue to simmer on low for another 35-45 minutes.
~ Freeze or serve :-)
** Thanks Ashley!!
Freezable Recipes: Megan's BBQ Sandwiches
Megan's BBQ Sandwiches
* Large boston pork butt
* 1 cup of Coke
* 1 cup of BBQ sauce
~ Place the pork butt in the crock pot for about 4 hours on high
~ Remove pork and shred into pieces
~ Remove all juice from the crock pot and place shredded meat back in
~ Pour Coke and BBQ sauce over the shredded pork
(You can also double the Coke and BBQ sauce for a larger pork butt)
~ Remove and serve on hamburger buns
~ Freeze or eat... hamburger buns freeze well, too!
** Thanks Megan!!
Freezable Recipes: Megan's Chicken Pan Pie
Megan's Chicken Pan Pie
* 3-4 chicken breasts
* 1 can cream of chicken soup
* 1 bag of frozen mix vegetables
* 1 cup milk
* 1 box of stovetop stuffing mix.
* Optional: shredded cheese
~ Cook the chicken breasts in the crock pot for 3 hours on high
~ Shred with a fork after 2 hours
~ While chicken is cooking, cook the vegetables according to package directions
~ In a large bowl, combine chicken, vegetables, cream of chicken soup, and milk (and salt and pepper to taste.)
~ Spray the bottom of the 2 pans/dishes and pour half of the mixture in each (you will freeze one)
(Optional: Cover both dishes with shredded cheese)
~ Make the Stovetop mix according to package directions and cover each dish lightly with the stuffing
~ Bake one of the dishes on 350 for 30 minutes and freeze the other
**Thanks Megan!!
Freezable Recipes: Jessie's Homemade Tomato Sauce
Jessie's Homemade Tomato Sauce
* Sausage, ground beef, or chicken slices
* 29 ounce can of Hunt's tomato sauce
* 2- 6 oz. cans of Hunt's tomato paste
* 6 oz. can of water
* 1 onion
* 1tsp. garlic
* 1 bay leaf
~ Brown/ cook sausage, beef, or chicken with onion and garlic
~ Add paste, sauce, water and bay leaf.
~ Simmer on low for a couple hours (sounds like a great sauce for the crock pot!)
~ Double the recipe and freeze leftovers to use on pasta dishes or remove the meat and use it in yummy sandwiches!
** Thanks Jessie!!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Storm...
I started this blog because I crave honesty. I crave trust. I craved it during our first wait... and I crave it now, during our second.
In turn, I crave faith;
"TRUE faith is trusting Him BEFORE the blessings come."
I will be honest:
Tonight, I'm sad. That's all there is to it. BUT... every time I'm sad, God speaks to me. In some disgusting way, it makes me want to be sad more often....
I also crave to hear Him speak to me.
So today, I heard a song that spoke to me. And I like to believe that it was a song that Jesus was giving to me. Like a gift. So I'm sharing part of it with you....
God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping
Be my everything
God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting
God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing
.....
Be my everything
Be my everything...
You are everything
~ I'm sad tonight. And that's okay. God's speaking.... and I'm waiting... and I'm weeping... but God's still speaking. My job is to listen... that's another song, entirely.
As much as I try to hide it, Hannah just knows when Mommy's sad. Every time I'm sad she says, "Daddy, hold Mommy's hand please...." and it makes everything better.
I'm abundantly blessed.
~ Heavenly Father, be my everything.... and please keep speaking. Our family isn't done... and neither are You.
** It's quiet... crank it... you'll love it!
In turn, I crave faith;
"TRUE faith is trusting Him BEFORE the blessings come."
I will be honest:
Tonight, I'm sad. That's all there is to it. BUT... every time I'm sad, God speaks to me. In some disgusting way, it makes me want to be sad more often....
I also crave to hear Him speak to me.
So today, I heard a song that spoke to me. And I like to believe that it was a song that Jesus was giving to me. Like a gift. So I'm sharing part of it with you....
God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping
Be my everything
God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting
God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing
.....
Be my everything
Be my everything...
You are everything
~ I'm sad tonight. And that's okay. God's speaking.... and I'm waiting... and I'm weeping... but God's still speaking. My job is to listen... that's another song, entirely.
As much as I try to hide it, Hannah just knows when Mommy's sad. Every time I'm sad she says, "Daddy, hold Mommy's hand please...." and it makes everything better.
I'm abundantly blessed.
~ Heavenly Father, be my everything.... and please keep speaking. Our family isn't done... and neither are You.
** It's quiet... crank it... you'll love it!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Preparing Our Home... and our Bellies!!
Hi Friends! Happy Monday... or something :-)
One thing we did during our wait to bring Hannah home was make double meals and freeze one of them for later. It was SO helpful in those first few weeks home with her to have yummy meals ready to go. I also found it easy to help out when a friend or family member needed a meal, too!
History is repeating itself in our wait to bring home our next baby(ies) and while our hearts are MORE than ready to bring home the rest of our family, we are making preparations in our home, too! The nursery is ready, the closet is full of diapers and clothes and now it's our freezers turn...
I'm working on a HUGE blog post that consists of (hopefully) dozens of meals that freeze well. My hope is that everyone who is waiting for their sweet baby (through adoption OR pregnancy!!) or maybe just needs freezeable meal ideas for a Meals for Mom's-type of program will have one stop to make (here :-)) to find lots and lots of easy ideas.
Here's where you come in :-)
Will you email me one favorite recipe that you know can freeze well? And while you're at it, if you have any tricks to keep meals fresh while frozen (great containers, labeling methods, etc), pass them along, too!
I'll collect recipes for the next 6 days and will post them all next Monday. We'll keep adding to it and eventually have the longest, most helpful blog post ever :-)
onloanfromheaven@yahoo.com
One thing we did during our wait to bring Hannah home was make double meals and freeze one of them for later. It was SO helpful in those first few weeks home with her to have yummy meals ready to go. I also found it easy to help out when a friend or family member needed a meal, too!
History is repeating itself in our wait to bring home our next baby(ies) and while our hearts are MORE than ready to bring home the rest of our family, we are making preparations in our home, too! The nursery is ready, the closet is full of diapers and clothes and now it's our freezers turn...
I'm working on a HUGE blog post that consists of (hopefully) dozens of meals that freeze well. My hope is that everyone who is waiting for their sweet baby (through adoption OR pregnancy!!) or maybe just needs freezeable meal ideas for a Meals for Mom's-type of program will have one stop to make (here :-)) to find lots and lots of easy ideas.
Here's where you come in :-)
Will you email me one favorite recipe that you know can freeze well? And while you're at it, if you have any tricks to keep meals fresh while frozen (great containers, labeling methods, etc), pass them along, too!
I'll collect recipes for the next 6 days and will post them all next Monday. We'll keep adding to it and eventually have the longest, most helpful blog post ever :-)
onloanfromheaven@yahoo.com
(Frozen meals meant that we got to spend much more time loving on and snuggling with this sweet baby-girl in her first few weeks home!)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Daily Deal
Happy Saturday, Friends!
Hannah and I didn't have much planned yesterday but really needed to get out of the house... can you imagine why?! (The snow isn't melting yet but the sun is out.... we're making progress.)
Michaels is one of my favorite stores but since I'm completely lacking the creative gene, I try to stay away because I get super overwhelmed BUT yesterday, I was SOOOO excited to see all of the new Valentine's Day and Dollar Spot things that Michaels has right now. Hannah and I stocked up on the cutest Valentine's Day craft that we're going to make for her friends and family ... and Joey loved the idea so much that he's really excited to help, too (which is good for Mommy because I have trouble with even the easiest crafts and he's a pro).
I am a complete sucker for anything monogrammed and the Dollar Spot was an inexpensive little slice of heaven for me; stationary, luggage tags, cute gift boxes, pens, bright colors, paisley, florals... all for $1. It took a little brain-power to go through all of close family and friends' names but I managed to stock up on some little Valentine's Day gifts, birthday presents, and even some Easter basket stuffers for Hannah!
The best part of our impromptu trip yesterday? All of their Valentine's Day stuff was 30% off and they have a great 20 % off coupon for your entire purchase!! (It's the little things that get me SOO excited, can you tell?!)... So if you're like me and need some help with math, all of the Dollar Spot stuff I got ended up being only $.80 and the Valentine's kit that makes 24 Valentine's was less than $4.50! Can't beat that!
Do you have a lazy Saturday planned? Head over to Michaels and let me know what you find... it ended up being a fun, productive, and really cheap trip out of the house for me and Hannah :-)
I'll post pics of our Valentine's when we're done making them!
Have an amazing weekend!
Hannah and I didn't have much planned yesterday but really needed to get out of the house... can you imagine why?! (The snow isn't melting yet but the sun is out.... we're making progress.)
Michaels is one of my favorite stores but since I'm completely lacking the creative gene, I try to stay away because I get super overwhelmed BUT yesterday, I was SOOOO excited to see all of the new Valentine's Day and Dollar Spot things that Michaels has right now. Hannah and I stocked up on the cutest Valentine's Day craft that we're going to make for her friends and family ... and Joey loved the idea so much that he's really excited to help, too (which is good for Mommy because I have trouble with even the easiest crafts and he's a pro).
I am a complete sucker for anything monogrammed and the Dollar Spot was an inexpensive little slice of heaven for me; stationary, luggage tags, cute gift boxes, pens, bright colors, paisley, florals... all for $1. It took a little brain-power to go through all of close family and friends' names but I managed to stock up on some little Valentine's Day gifts, birthday presents, and even some Easter basket stuffers for Hannah!
The best part of our impromptu trip yesterday? All of their Valentine's Day stuff was 30% off and they have a great 20 % off coupon for your entire purchase!! (It's the little things that get me SOO excited, can you tell?!)... So if you're like me and need some help with math, all of the Dollar Spot stuff I got ended up being only $.80 and the Valentine's kit that makes 24 Valentine's was less than $4.50! Can't beat that!
Do you have a lazy Saturday planned? Head over to Michaels and let me know what you find... it ended up being a fun, productive, and really cheap trip out of the house for me and Hannah :-)
I'll post pics of our Valentine's when we're done making them!
Have an amazing weekend!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Hot, Sexy, Sweet & Charming
Yesterday was my hot, sexy, sweet & charming husbands birthday... so glad he'll always be older than me :-)
Joey and I met through friends at the church he grew up in. I was the new girl in town and let me tell you... I DID NOT want to date this boy. He tried and tried and tried to get me to go out with him and I ignored him, dodged him at church, and I'm ashamed to say that I even stood him up!!!
Now don't get me wrong, I thought he was incredibly good looking, very polite, chivalrous, and well, he obviously liked me... and I was just mean. That's all I got... no excuses.
I was working at a Lexus dealership and Joey came in one day and asked for a 'tour'... yeah right. I gave him a tour and in return he gave me a ticket to the Rascal Flatts concert that was the next weekend. I took the ticket... and didn't show up.
Again... no excuse.
Nice, huh? That's what I get.
He was polite enough to walk VERY slowly around the car to give me a minute to recover. So much for a great first impression... oh wait! I had already ruined any chance for that :-)
Joey didn't give up. We went to an amazing Italian place for dinner and had a PERFECT first date... and we've been together since :-)
I threw the box across the bed (WHY IN THE WORLD did he keep putting up with me?!). Nope, I'm not a morning person. In my defense, Joey knew this and this was all part of his master plan... thanks, babe.
Anyway, he recovered the box and I realized that a big family Bible had fallen out of the box... and it was open to 1 Corinthians 2:1
"... each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband."
I looked up and Joey was holding the most beautiful ring (that was originally tied to the place-marker in the Bible but ended up lost in a sea of packing peanuts when 'someone' woke up grumpy... Joey was frantically digging it out when I was reading the verse and trying to wake up and put it all together).
To be honest, I can't remember all that Joey said but I did hear the words "marry me"... and that was the most important part :-) When we came out to the kitchen we were greeted by my teary mom and dad and my excited brothers.... and an hour later in came my aunts, uncles, cousins, and some friends for the most wonderful (and VERY well planned) engagement party!
Joey and I were engaged for 14 months and were married on the most beautiful Southern June day!
He is my Prince Charming. He is my rock. He's a dreamer, full of integrity, attentive, and he is the most amazing Daddy! Joey sacrifices so much for me to be able to fulfill my dream of staying home with our kids. He works hard... but he plays harder :-)
Joey and I became parents over-night... we brought Hannah home with 13 hours notice, after 2 years of 'trying' and 3 months of 'waiting' (with our agency). We didn't have time to plan, prepare, discuss... but he fell into his role like he was made for it! And he is. Watching Joey and Hannah together makes my heart melt... she's a daddy's girl and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Our family isn't complete yet.... and Joey has much more "Daddy" to give. I simply cannot wait to see our family fully together and complete, at last.
Joey and I met through friends at the church he grew up in. I was the new girl in town and let me tell you... I DID NOT want to date this boy. He tried and tried and tried to get me to go out with him and I ignored him, dodged him at church, and I'm ashamed to say that I even stood him up!!!
Now don't get me wrong, I thought he was incredibly good looking, very polite, chivalrous, and well, he obviously liked me... and I was just mean. That's all I got... no excuses.
I was working at a Lexus dealership and Joey came in one day and asked for a 'tour'... yeah right. I gave him a tour and in return he gave me a ticket to the Rascal Flatts concert that was the next weekend. I took the ticket... and didn't show up.
Again... no excuse.
A few weeks later my mom was in town and came with me to a friends' house for dinner and that was the first time she met Joey. Mom loved him right away! She and I were shopping the next day when he called me... and I pushed 'ignore'.
Still... no excuse.... and this time Mom wasn't too happy with me.
SO... one night Joey dropped by Lexus 5 minutes before I left for the night and asked me out to dinner. I was caught off guard and had run out of excuses so said "why not" (nope, he couldn't even get a 'yes' out of me!). We walked out to his truck, he opened the door for me, and as I hopped up to get in ... I SLAMMED my head into the door.
Nice, huh? That's what I get.
He was polite enough to walk VERY slowly around the car to give me a minute to recover. So much for a great first impression... oh wait! I had already ruined any chance for that :-)
Joey didn't give up. We went to an amazing Italian place for dinner and had a PERFECT first date... and we've been together since :-)
Joey proposed to me 1.5 years after our first date. We were helping my parents move into a new house and he was sharing a room with my brother. He came in my room early in the morning (umm... like 8:30) and sat on the edge of my bed with a moving box and said that my mom wanted me to open it so she knew where it belonged in the new house.
I threw the box across the bed (WHY IN THE WORLD did he keep putting up with me?!). Nope, I'm not a morning person. In my defense, Joey knew this and this was all part of his master plan... thanks, babe.
Anyway, he recovered the box and I realized that a big family Bible had fallen out of the box... and it was open to 1 Corinthians 2:1
"... each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband."
I looked up and Joey was holding the most beautiful ring (that was originally tied to the place-marker in the Bible but ended up lost in a sea of packing peanuts when 'someone' woke up grumpy... Joey was frantically digging it out when I was reading the verse and trying to wake up and put it all together).
To be honest, I can't remember all that Joey said but I did hear the words "marry me"... and that was the most important part :-) When we came out to the kitchen we were greeted by my teary mom and dad and my excited brothers.... and an hour later in came my aunts, uncles, cousins, and some friends for the most wonderful (and VERY well planned) engagement party!
Joey and I were engaged for 14 months and were married on the most beautiful Southern June day!
(Us and our first baby, Biscuit. She passed away when she was 1.5... 30 days before we brought our second baby home... Hannah)
He is my Prince Charming. He is my rock. He's a dreamer, full of integrity, attentive, and he is the most amazing Daddy! Joey sacrifices so much for me to be able to fulfill my dream of staying home with our kids. He works hard... but he plays harder :-)
Joey and I became parents over-night... we brought Hannah home with 13 hours notice, after 2 years of 'trying' and 3 months of 'waiting' (with our agency). We didn't have time to plan, prepare, discuss... but he fell into his role like he was made for it! And he is. Watching Joey and Hannah together makes my heart melt... she's a daddy's girl and I wouldn't have it any other way.
(Our first family picture)
Our family isn't complete yet.... and Joey has much more "Daddy" to give. I simply cannot wait to see our family fully together and complete, at last.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY! Hannah and I love you more than Reece's Peanut Butter Cups... and that's a whole lot!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Storm.... It's Here.
"Snowapalooza"... "The Blizzard of Oz"... "Epic Snow"... whatever you want to call it; it's here.
I'll call it cold. That's about all it deserves.
6 food snow drifts, 7-10 hours of interstate closed, people without power, cars buried under snow...
yeah, I'm over it.
Snow does something to me. Maybe it's being stuck inside. Truthfully, we couldn't go anywhere even if we wanted to. There's only so much you can clean, so many Dora episodes you can watch, so many princess dresses you can wear, and only so many nails to paint. Then, I go crazy.
Moving on :-)
Hannah refused to eat dinner last night. She ate her one bite, which was basically all we had asked of her so we were ok with that. But when she got super grumpy later on in the night, I knew it was because she hadn't eaten.
Me: "Hannah, what would you like to eat? A banana? Fruit bar? Cereal?"
Hannah: "Mommy, I NEED McDonalds!!!"
Me: "Uh-oh."
Well, that was my response last night but when I woke up this morning and saw what I knew was the beginning of a LOOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG couple of days, McDonalds is exactly where we went.
Sometimes, you just NEED McDonalds. I get that.
After McDonalds we went to WalMart to stock up, like everyone else, on the things that are necessary to get you through a couple LOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG days stuck at home:
~ Dog food
~ Diapers
~ A new Dora movie
~ And purple nail polish
** I'll leave it to you to figure out which of those 4 things match up with the 4 of us :-) HA! **
A neighbor got stuck in the cul-de-sac tonight when he was trying to pull into his driveway (yep, random post... random day). We were eating dinner and Joey ran out to help. Four big, grown men tried over and over to push, pull, run and push, pull and run to try and get his car up the driveway and into the garage....
and I stood by the window and cracked up!
Like, belly laughing-cracked-up. Crying-cracking-up. Hannah was belly-laughing, too (which only made me laugh even harder) but not because she knew what was going on. She just laughs when I do :-) It's SO MEAN when I look back on it but I couldn't help it. Something was SO funny about these big men and this tiny car.... the men won in the end but that tiny car put up a BIG fight!
Yep, crazy has set in.
So, Hannah refused to eat dinner again. McDonalds wasn't an option tonight... :-( She settled for a banana before bed. She didn't realize that you have to watch your back when you have food in this house....
"SWIPER, NO SWIPING!!!"
They're so cute :-)
So, the storm is here. Yes, it's a blizzard. Yes, it's epic. Yes, it's cold.
But... like every other storm in our life, we'll make it. And like every other storm, we'll come out stronger and fatter (because no matter what kind of storm is raging, food finds it's way in. Hopefully it's people food and not dog food, tho).
I hope it passes soon. Joey's nails are the only one's left I have to paint... and I'm pretty sure I know how that'll go over.... :-)