My Dad- I love you and Thank you.

Today I got to spend the whole day with my Dad. My Dad and I traveled to Dover Delaware to shop for a new horse trailer. I throughly enjoyed the drive however our 'talks' top it all. I have always been able to talk with my Dad about anything and everything. He is the type of Dad who simply understands... He listens without judging, he gives his opinion when asked, he makes me laugh, he tells me the truth if I like it or not, but most of all he is my Dad and I love him.

Wordless Wednesday

Carson's birthmother on the left, Carson's foster mother holding my sweet baby boy.

Thank You

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being such a forgiving Father. Thank you for your love and mercy. Thank You for bring Carson into my life. He is such a joy, blessing, and unbelievable little boy. Thank You Father, Amen!

He is a cleaner!

Carson loves to clean. He even cleans under the refrigerator without asking him to. Now- that's a keeper!

FFF- Then and Now

The first time I saw my favorite little boy. I knew it was love at first sight.


However I never realized I could love my favorite little boy so much.

Wordless Wednesday

Greta Jo and Holly

Guess where I am going in eight months?

A place where we fell love...
A place that holds a special part in our hearts...
A place where we wonder how the children are doing...
A place that many of us can not 'thank enough' for giving us life again...
A place where dreams do or did come true for many of us...
A place that is filled with children without parents...
A place that will always be part of our vocabulary...
A place that we pray for...
A place that we have in common...
A place where we met new friends...
A place that God put on our hearts...
A place where a birthmother wanted her son or daughter to have a better life...
A place that needs our help...
A place that many of us can not stop thinking about....
A place where the Lord has called many of us to do missionary work...

Can you guess the place? More details to come...

Happy V Day!

Sleep?! What is that?!

For the past four nights Carson has slept a maxium of 4 hours a night. He is cutting a few teeth, and I believe he is coming down with an upper respiratory infection. So needless to say, I have been extremely miserable, lack of patience and wanting a good night sleep.
oh, the joys of Motherhood!

You've made a difference in my life.

The Starfish Story by Loren

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy he asked, "What are you doing?" The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean." The surf is up and the tide is going out. "If I don't throw them back, they'll die."
"Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!"

After listening politely, the boy bent down and picked up another starfish and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man he said..."I made a difference for that one."

Carson- You have made the biggest difference in my life. Thank you for being my sweet baby boy! I love you more and more each second of the day.

Favorite Foto Friday

The photo below is one of my favorites. Joey my favorite brother (oops, he is my only brother) and Carson enjoyed swinging on the swingset last summer. Carson really enjoys spending time with his Uncle Joey. However, we only get to see Joey about 6 times throughout the year due to his high demanding career. Joey is a commerical pilot and lives in Reston Va. So, the times we get to spend together are very special and important to all of us.
We miss you and love you Joey AKA Jaybird!


The photo was taken July 2007.

Wordless Wednesday

Stroller recommendations

Can anyone recommend a light weight, compact stroller for the mall, boardwalk, etc.? I have a Maclaren MX3 for jogging and powerwalking however, its WAY to big to haul around for every day activities.

Thanks, Have a blessed day. ;)

I've been tagged

I have been tagged by a few blog buddies: Becca. Marlene and Christina
Here is what you do:
The rules are to link the person who sent this and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit yours~
Post the rules on your blog~
Share 7 strange/weird facts about yourself~
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and link their blog~
Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
So, here are 7 wierd/strange facts about myself.

1. I am a huge Rod Stewart fan. I have seen him in concert over twelve times.

2. I can not stand to hear people chew or crunch their food.

3. One of my biggest fears in life is having morning sickness.

4. I use to have a fear of the elderly.

5. I could sit and people watch for hours.

6. My feet are a size 4. Yes, it makes it very difficult to buy shoes.

7. I gag when people lick their fingers while they eat.

Wordless Wednesday

Priceless...

You know you are an adoptive mother (or you should be!) if:

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has ever made you lose sleep.

2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.

3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.

4. The fact that if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child, there would be no orphans in the world is convicting to you.

5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.

6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about your adopted child's "real" parents.

7. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth (2 years!)

8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway knowing where God calls you He will provide.

9. You have ever taken a airplane ride half way around the world with a child you just met.

10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.

11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacy's you could ever leave on this earth.

12. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have them in your life.

13. You know what the word Dossier means and you can actually pronounce it!

14. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.

15. You know full well that the journey of your child coming into your family is one of the most wonderful, miraculous things that has ever happened to you.



Thanks for the copyright Nat!

Vitamin D anyone?

I thought if I posted a warm sunny photo...the winter days would not feel so cold and gloomy.

Where are we going?

Carson loves to sit with my beau Jonathan. This evening Carson and Jonathan were reading through a vacation travel guide. Hmmm, I wonder where we are going?

Why do I blog?

A couple of people have asked me recently "why do you blog"? So, I pondered the question for a few hours and my reasoning is the following:

I was a 'blog lurker' of Guatemalan adoption blogs for many months before I decided to take the plunge into the blogging world. I began blogging after Carson's first birthday. My initial reason for blogging was to keep family members and friends updated on Carson's life. However, after blogging for a month I decided I wanted to keep a general journal of his milestones, my feelings and thoughts about him, life challenges, life lessons, friends who love him and family members who truly adore him.

So, why do you blog?

Favorite Foto Friday

Oh, I can not put in words 'how much I love my sweet baby boy'. I am sure if you met Carson you would feel the same way.

Must read, watch and pray...

By Victoria Corderi, Dateline NBC Correspondent

I witnessed the joy of a successful foreign adoption when my sister came home with a baby boy from Guatemala more than five years ago. Today, my nephew is thriving and my sister is as thrilled as she was when she first held her son in her arms. There are many people who've had similar life-changing experiences. But there is also a dark side to Guatemalan adoption: corruption, lies, forgery, kidnapping, broken hearts. The market is driven by the demand for adoptions from prospective parents in the U.S. And, as so often happens when there is high demand and the potential for a profit, swindlers appear to exploit the system.

Guatemala has been an adoption magnet because the wait for a child is months rather than years. When we traveled to Guatemala City, we saw hotel lobbies brimming with Americans meeting with lawyers and foster mothers and cradling the babies they were in the process of adopting. The sheer numbers of babies and strollers and anxious adoptive parents milling about the hotels and streets made for a surreal sight. At first blush, it seems like a win-win situation: unwanted children escape the dire poverty that plagues much of this country while Americans longing for children are able to fulfill their dreams.

But what if the children up for adoption were taken under false pretenses? Or, if poor, pregnant women are pressured by brokers offering money? And what if the children have been kidnapped outright? These are not rhetorical questions. We learned what happens during our investigation. While we were in Guatemala, we found out about three young girls who'd been kidnapped by a ring that gave them new identities and tried to sell them for adoption. We also tried to go inside the system by posing as a new adoption agency from the United States looking for contacts. We set up meetings with a controversial adoption facilitator whose name kept coming up when we were looking into complaints about unethical operators in Guatemala. What happened in both situations was eye-opening and dramatic.

Dateline's special on adoption in Guatemala airs on NBC Sunday, Jan. 20 at 7pm ET.

Wordless Wednesday

Mr. Croup has...

left our home. YEA!
Thank you all very much for your prayers and phone calls while Carson was suffering from croup. A special 'thanks' to my mom (essie) and my sister(Tracey) for giving me an extra hand.

A hard lesson to learn.

They say that if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water,
it will leap out right away to escape the danger.
But, if you put a frog in a kettle that is filled with water that is cool and pleasant,and then you gradually heat the kettle until it starts boiling,
the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late.
The frog's survival instincts are geared towards detecting sudden changes.

Reflecting on my life there has been numerous times I was/am 'like a boiling frog'. Carson my prayer for you-- you will always do what is right, you will always fear the Lord and you will be the best little prince you can be. And remember Carson, you do not want to be the frog in the boiling water, leap out before it's to late.

Guess who decided to hang around?

Mr. Croup, Mr. Croup go away, do not come back another day.
Mr Croup, Mr. Croup go away, do not come back another day.

I've been singing the above chant to Carson for the past three days. What I have read on the internet, 'croup' can last from 3-7 days. Uh! I do not think my little prince can handle coughing for that many days. Carson is a happy go lucky boy however, Mr. Croup has really taken a toll on his happiness.
Please continue to pray.

CROUP?!

Carson was diagnosed with croup today by the pediatrician. The pediatrician prescribed a steroid for him.
This is his first exposure to croup. Oh, my heart hurts every time I hear Carson coughing. His cough sounds like a terrible 'bark'.
Please pray for a quick recovery.

Blessed beyond measure

Lately I have been reminiscing about the 'adoption process' and the uncertainties that comes along with it. I truly believe God hand picked Carson to be my son and does the same for other adopted families.
How have you been blessed?

Toilet paper fun

Last weekend, Tracey, Levin, Ali, Jonathan, Carson and I traveled to Dallas, Pa. for my cousins 40th surprise party. While we were getting ready in the hotel room for the party Carson decided he was going to play with...

Favorite Photo Friday and Congratulations

Carson has two God-Mother's, Tracey(my sister) and Kelly a life long friend. Kelly and I have been friends for many years. We have shared many stories, laughs and cries together. Kelly along with a 'few' other friends were beside me every step of the way during Carson's adoption process. Kelly is the most giving person I have ever met. She is an incredible friend along with a wonderful God-Mother to Carson. Carson and I are extremely blessed to have her in our lives.
Kelly also got engaged during the month of November.
Congratulations to Kelly and Ryan!


Kelly at Gret's home 2007.

Wordless Wednesday