Please Pray

I'm asking my readers to please say a prayer or our family regarding adoption, thank you! Also, please pray for a fellow blogger who is in Bulgaria on the first trip to adopt to beautiful children.


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Emerald Isle

Along the coast of North Carolina is the most peaceful beach I've ever visited, Emerald Isle. There isn't a lot to do there, only a few places to eat and play. Needless to say we will be back and the company we used to rent our condo was top notch! If you are looking for a quaint little place to get away from it all I highly recommend you checkout Emerald Isle.








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Does That Really Have Potato In It?

Yes it does and it's delicious! I usually make potato candy at Christmas, but I had leftover mashed potatoes from Wednesday's dinner so I decided to make some for us to enjoy while we watch the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony.



Potato Candy

1 pound powdered sugar
2T mashed potatoes
2T unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla(1tsp if using imitation)
4 dashes salt
1T milk
Peanut butter

Warm the potatoes and butter in the microwave until the butter has melted, stir well add the vanilla & salt, mix well. Add the sugar and milk until you can roll into a ball, you need a little more sugar and/or milk. Roll with rolling pin on wax paper coated with powdered sugar to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, spread a thin layer of peanut butter on the disk, then roll into a log. Cover & chill for 1 hour. Slice and try not to eat the whole thing at once, LOL!








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Pinterest Recipes

I love Pinterest! It has saved me several dollars because I hardly ever buy magazines anymore. This week I have made two recipes; one dessert and these lovely little bite size morsels. They are mini corn dogs baked in a mini muffin tin, my husband and youngest son devoured them. What are some of the things you've made from Pinterest recipes?












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Spa Treatments at Home

I was in dire need of a pedicure today but couldn't justify spending $40, so I did what any red blooded American would do; I looked up how to do a French pedicure at home on YouTube. Low and behold there were several tutorials on the subject, after watching the seven minute video I set out to recreate what I had learned. The process was actually very simply once I learned to hold the brush the correct way. I will still get pedicures at the salon but when in a tight spot I now know that I can do it at home.





Have a great weekend!


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Practical Jokes & Boys

As I was walking through the house this morning gathering dirty laundry I noticed that the boy's bathroom door was closed and the lights were off, Johnson was at work with Tom and Jonah was on the couch waiting for me to get ready, I knew something was up. I cautiously opened the bathroom door and this is what I found, Jonah had taped all of Johnson's things to sink and faucet with black electrical tape. I laughed, walked away shutting the door behind me. Johnson thought it was funny and has vowed to get Jonah back.


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Fourth of July

We spent the fourth at our home away from home, Lake Cumberland. We were able to see our "old" campground buddies and to boat a little.



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The Economy vs Vacation

We have been going to Lake Cumberland for 16 years, this is the first year ever that we didn't have to wait for a table at the dock, could boat on a lake that isn't over run with boats, and could drive into town without passing a hundred or so boaters on their way to the many Marinas, it's really sad to see what the economy has done to our country. Please come November VOTE for ROMNEY.


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Blogging From An iPad

I have been trying figure out how to blog from my iPad since Christmas and it finally occurred to me this evening that there might be an app for it, I'm so technically challenged. Thankfully, my oldest son can do anything with electronics!

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Playing Catch Up In Photos

 Easter 2012

 Before church on Easter morning.

 Johnson played spring golf this year and it literally kept me on the roads 5 days a week.

 I had the privilege of taking my beautiful niece, Jessica, shopping for her senior prom gown.

She also graduated High School the same weekend.  The photo above is of me with my brother, Wayne, his two children, my mother & sons.

 In May we celebrated Tom's 41st birthday, yikes we are getting old!

 Our oldest son attended his Spring Formal the last of May, he didn't take a date this year because his date last year wouldn't dance and he said that he wanted to dance with all the girls.

 The boys & me four-wheeling in Knott County.

We love riding our Ranger!

This weekend I drove to Northern Kentucky to spend the weekend celebrating my godson's sixth birthday, we had a kicking good time at his Karate Studio.  You read his Mom's blog here.

Hopefully, I will be back to blogging on a regular basis, hope you all are having a great summer!

WooHoo

Our home study is final! We are approved to adopt a daughter in the age range of 3-9 years old!

Week One Update

Working with a personal trainer has been a new & wonderful experience! He is very knowledgeable and helpful, I work 3 mornings a week with weights for 30 minutes, 2 days a week I ride a stationary bike for 15 minutes and the elliptical for 15 minutes and I walk everyday. Also, I tried Zumba for the first time this week, I LOVE IT!! My knees hate it, LOL!

We attended out first foster parents meeting this week, it was very insightful to the types of children that need care and the process. We are looking forward to learning more in hopes of one day adopting.

Time For A Major Change

I have been overweight my entire life, with the exception of about 3 years in my twenties. Lately, my weight has spiraled out of control due to emotional eating and anxiety. After weighing myself yesterday for the first time in months and realizing that I weigh more now than I did when I delivered my children, talk about a wake up call, I decided to hire a personal trainer. I will train for one hour three times a week with Don and two days a week on my own at the gym with guidance from him. I'm scared and excited, the thoughts of failing again is frightening!

What is your exercise regimen?

International vs Domestic

I have been reading everything I come across that pertains to adoption from foster care and international adoption. It has left me wondering many things, the one that is really weighing heavy on my mind is; do you consider adoption of a child from the US foster care system still the adoption of an orphan? I assume the answer to this question is yes, yet I feel that children here are in real homes by mostly caring foster parents and children in orphanages are spending their days in an institution with no clue what a real family is like. With that said our plan is to adopt from foster care but my heart is still aching for the children in orphanages, I feel by adopting domestically I'm not doing enough to help the orphans of the world.


What are your thoughts on this? Have you adopted from foster care? Am I crazy for even thinking this way? Please let me know.

Eleven

I'm having a really hard time believing that my baby is 11 years old today!!! He has been one of most amazing blessings in my life and I couldn't imagine a day without him.



Friday night he had a sleepover party with two of his best friends, they had an air-soft war in the snow and played XBOX until the wee hours of the morning.

He requested a gun on his cake, I did the best I could to make it look like he wanted, working with chocolate icing is always a challenge but he doesn't like any other kind. For his party on Friday I did a UK Wildcats theme with cupcakes. He dreams of playing football for the Cats one day, here's hoping for a scholarship ;)

Fear of the Unknown

As my family embarks on this journey into foster care/adoption the fear of the unknown is slowly starting to rear it's ugly head in more ways than one, it seems the closer we get to our first meeting the more it's appearing. My boys(who are about to be 13 & 11) are starting to ask more questions and express their feelings on why they don't want to share their Mom & Dad. We have yet to tell my soon-to-be 17 year old step-daughter, she doesn't live with us, I personally think she will be thrilled to have a sister. I have only told one person in my family, Aunt Kathy, she is very supportive. Every time in the past that I have mentioned adoption to my mother or my husband's parents they think I'm crazy for wanting to take on a problem child when I've been blessed with two healthy, intelligent sons. Statements like that hurt me to the very core of my being! Adoption is one of the greatest ways we as Christians can show the world God's love for His people after all He has adopted us with our many faults, sins & problems into His family. The Bible speaks clearly on caring for the fatherless, orphans, widows and underprivileged and I have desire that is not of myself brewing in me, I can promise you if this was all my doing I would have backed out years ago but this desire has been in my heart for 11 years. Even as a child I remember crying and asking my parents to please adopt me sister, to this day I wish that they had, it's a lonely world growing up with three brothers.

Unexpected Gifts?

Have you ever wanted to give someone you hardly know an unexpected gift for no reason other than you think they are doing an amazing job raising their children? There is a teacher at my sons' school who has adopted a sibling group of three all while working full-time! She's supermom! I really want to do something nice for her, maybe a gift certificate for a pedicure or a casserole so she won't have to cook one night, which do you think would be best?

Hello!

Wow! What an end to 2011!! It was one for the record books. But everything has settled down and the new year is looking bright with new possibilities.

We had a wonderful Christmas with our families, the boys were thrilled with their gifts. We are starting the new year with a few resolutions that I hope will make it past January 10th. They are:

1. Etiquette lessons for the boys, I asked Miss Janice is she had any recommendations for a book that I could read to teach my children, she responded and we are starting chapter one this week.
2. We have gotten away from eating dinner as a family and I was making two to three different entrees for my picking eaters. No more! Tonight was the first night of everyone eating the same thing at the same time with no tv, cell phones or iPads at the table, only one child left the table in tears, LOL!
3. We as a family are starting to volunteer at the local nursing home one night a week. It's amazing to me that so many elderly patients have no visitors, EVER!
4. For years I've felt a calling to adoption, I have been searching scripture and my soul looking for the answer, I feel as if I have a clear answer and ask for your prayers as my family and I prepare to start foster parenting classes. Yes, it will be hard and it will be more than I can possibly imagine but I also no that God calls upon us as Christians to care the orphans and widows and that if we step out in faith He will lead our path.

I hope that your Christmas was merry and bright and that your new year is amazing!