Black Friday Bust

One of my favorite days of the year is Black Friday.  I am THAT crazy person that gets up at 4am to stand in line and shop for the latest and greatest deals.  I am also THAT person that is 100% done with all of my Christmas shopping by the end of November.  Well, this year was a bust.  This whole open at midnight madness really put a cramp in my style.  I talked my mom and sister into coming out with me at 11pm.  They are not crazy like me, and do not appreciate the glory of Black Friday.  They came anyway.  Let's just say that it didn't go so well.  The lines were unbelievably long.  The deals weren't that great.  The people were rude.  We didn't buy one thing.  Not.  One.  Thing.  We did make a stop at Wal Mart on our way home for milk and I picked up a striped cami that sucks all your fat in.  Thought that was fitting after the amount of calories I consumed the day before.

The weekend did end well after 2 trips to different tree farms and I think the best tree we have gotten thus far.  It is really tall, 10 feet, and smells like Christmas!  Tonight we plan on finishing our decorating with a cup of hot chocolate while we listen to Michael Buble Christmas.  Oh the joy of the holidays!


The girls at the tree farm.

We found it!

Isn't she beautiful?

And a random one of little man since he stayed with Honey while we tree shopped!

I just love a cute baby in footies!

Final Day of Thanks

Last, but certainly not least, I am so extremely thankful for the gift of adoption.  There are estimated to be 150 million orphans around the globe.  To give you an idea of how many that is,   

If every orphan (approximately 143 million) held hands & you drove past each 1 at 60 mph nonstop (1,700 each mile) It'd take 2 months to reach the end.

I cannot even begin to fathom that.  Can you imagine your sweet child not having a home, an identity, a family?  What happens to these kids if they don't get adopted?  Where do they go?  What do they end up doing?  How do they survive without support and encouragement?  Will they ever know that they are precious in His sight? 

Our adoption will not save the world, but it will give 1 of these orphans a family.  It will let one of these children feel love.  It will make one little family complete.  It will give us one more child to encourage and to raise in a home where he will learn to follow Christ.  

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

Isaiah 1:17

When we started this adoption process it seemed impossible.  We didn't have the funds, the paperwork seemed completely draining, we didn't have the biggest support system and we knew this would be the most emotionally draining obstacle we have yet to face.  3 months in and the funds have appeared as we have needed them, the paperwork is almost complete and we are #15 on the waiting list for an infant boy in Ethiopia.  We still have a long road to travel, $20,000 to come up with and I'm sure a lot of stress.  When we make that second trip to Ethiopia and pick up sweet Silas from his orphanage,  we will look back on these days and thank God for providing everything we needed along the way to bring our precious boy home.

I am so, so thankful that God placed adoption on my heart!

Week of Thanks #6

Today I am thankful for my siblings, Heather and Hunter.  I was lucky enough to be the oldest of the 3, and although I am suppose to be the one they look up to, I have so much adoration for them.  I'll start with my sister since she is next in line.

When we were growing up, my sister and I never had that sweet, sister bond people talk about.  We tolerated each other at best.  I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that we could not be any different if we tried.  I remember telling my parents one year that all I wanted for Christmas was a lock on my closet door so that Heather couldn't take my clothes everyday without asking.  It wasn't until we both got married that our friendship started evolving into what it is now.  Heather is the most selfless person I know.  She is a wonderful mother to her little boys and has the patience of Job.  She is the person you call when you need support because she will always be on your side.  She is sweet and giving and she had to sign her life away on a guardianship form for our adoption saying that her and her hubby would take all of our kids if something happened to us.  She better pray each day that we live to be 100.  If we don't, she would love those babies just like her own and be the best momma they could dream of.  But let's still hope we live to be 100.

When I was at the ripe old age of 9, my baby brother came along.  My parents say he was planned, but I still don't believe them.  Either way, he has been such a blessing since birth.  Hunter is an old soul with such a sweet spirit.  He never gets mad, he rarely makes bad choices and is just a peaceful person to be around.  He loves the Lord with all his heart and is completely grounded in his faith.  That is such a rarity these days and especially with someone as young as he is.  He is the "fun uncle" and my kids adore him.  In fact, a couple of months after he moved to Austin, #1 found a t-shirt of his and kept it on all day.  She finally said that if she couldn't see Hunter, at least she could smell him.  Hunter is going to do great things with his life.  I don't always agree with the paths he takes, but they are going to lead to greatness one day.  As long as he marries someone that loves to babysit our kids, I'll be happy!

Week of Thanks #5

Today I am so thankful for a job that I absolutely love.  For those of you that don't know, I am a hairstylist.  I didn't always know that I wanted to be a hairstylist, I just knew that I didn't want to go to college (I despise studying) and I needed to do something so I didn't have to wait tables for the rest of my life.  I actually loved waiting tables, just didn't want to do it forever.  I figured that beauty school would only take a year, so if I didn't like it, I still had a lot of time to figure out what to do with my life.  Once I started, I found out that I actually had a knack for it.  It just came easily to me and was so much fun!

After beauty school I moved to Plano and worked at a very prestigious salon that specialized in color.  It was there that I learned all about color and how much the right color on a person made them look so much better.  Let's face it, when you leave the beauty salon and have great hair, it gives you a little pep in your step and a little more confidence.
Once the hubs and I got settled, I came to work at Mirror Mirror Hair Studio.  I absolutely love the atmosphere at our salon.  There isn't any girl drama.  Everyone gets along.  The salon is inviting and comfortable.  You will also always walk out with fabulous hair!

I am so blessed to be able to set my own hours, set my own pay am self employed and have the most amazing clients that I love to be around.  I can wear whatever I want to work and can call in sick without question.  I can make people feel better about themselves and have a lot of fun while doing it!  What could be a better job for a momma that wants to feel like I'm home more than I'm at work, but still look forward to going to work the few days that I do?  Thank you Lord for leading me towards this career!

Week of Thanks #4

Today I am thankful for my parents (aka Honey & Poppy).  Bless their little hearts for putting up with me all these years.  Let's just say that I wasn't always the perfect angel that I am now.  The Hubby would insert a fake cough here.  My mom says that I was independent from birth.  Supposedly I never wanted to be held and just liked doing my own thing.  I was super bossy and always knew what was best for everyone.  I had a very sassy mouth and can still taste the Tone bar soap that was used on many occasions.

My teenage years were the best years of my parents life.  I never snuck out of the house.  I never lied.  I never pierced anything.  I never partied like a rock star or hung out with kids were less than ideal influences.  I never dated losers.  Oh wait.  I DID do all those things.  If I were my parents, I would have probably shipped me off to boarding school.  They didn't.  They patiently redirected me and I'm sure prayed for my soul 24/7.

Then there was beauty school and my first apartment.  I'm pretty sure that my mother took care of about 25 hot checks that I wrote.  Then they threw us a wonderful wedding in less than 6 months time.  After that were the 3 different occasions that the hubs and I have lived with them briefly while we were in between houses.  Then came the grandkids.

As if raising me wasn't tiring enough, they now help with our kids any time we need them without question.  We are so lucky to live just a few miles from them.  There is not a week that goes by that we don't invite ourselves over for dinner, or drop a kid or 3 over for a sleepover.  There isn't a day that goes by that our girls don't call Honey to tell her all about their day.  Then Poppy picks #1 up from school every Thursday while I work.  They would do absolutely anything for us and have shown us what it means to be a family.  We truly enjoy our time with them and appreciate everything that they do for us.  We are extremely thankful for Honey and Poppy!

Week of Thanks #3

I could write a 100 page essay on my third day of thanks, but I'll try not to bore you with a million funny stories about my little 3 amigos.  I always loved kids and started babysitting at a very early age.  Heck, I practically raised my baby brother on my hip.  There were those selfish teenage years where I swore I would never have children.  Kids would just tie me down, and I was a free spirit.  I even made a bet with my dad, signed and sealed, that if I ever had children I had to give him $1000.  Well, little did I know that he kept that little piece of paper for years.

As soon as I met Keith my ideas changed and we knew we wanted a big family, kind of like The Family Stone.  All of our quirky children and their families would come home for the holidays and we would all sit around the fireplace singing Christmas carols and drinking hot chocolate.  We would also be rich by then and live in that same house they lived in on that movie.  All of our kids would be super smart and athletic, and would buy me things from Anthro just because I am the greatest mom ever.  I digress.

The way we told my parents that we were expecting #1 was with a $1000 check.  It took them a second to figure it out, and then we quickly told them not to cash it because it was most definitely hot.  Now my dad says I owe him $4000.  Umm...don't think that was in the contract buddy.

I am so thankful for each of our children and for the place they hold in our family.  They are all extremely different, but all look the same.  They each have different needs and they each hold such a special place in my heart.  Here's a little tid bit about each one of my blessings.

#1 is an old soul.  She is the most observant child I have ever encountered and notices things that a kid should never notice.  She's definitely the first born in that she's bossy and knows everything.  She is very empathetic and is a worrier.  It takes her longer to try things out of her comfort zone, but when she gets the courage to do it, you will never see a bigger sense of achievement.  #1 is very organized and loves art and music.  I can see her growing up to be an artist selling her prints on the streets of New York.

 #2 is our affectionate free spirit.  She never stops smiling, is a great friend to anyone who will play with her and will make you laugh out loud at all her one liners.  She is completely fearless and very compliant.  She never misses an opportunity to compliment someone and her smokers laugh will light up a room.  #2 has decided that panties are over-rated and has been going commando for about a month now.  I can see her growing up to be the next Kelly Ripa...or Chelsey Lately.

#3 is a rough and tough, smelly little bruiser.  He would spend all day outside digging or playing in the fort.  He never misses a sighting of a ball, or anything that remotely resembles a ball.  #3 gets hurt at least once a day, follows his sisters around like a lost puppy and is the best snuggler I know.  He is going to be the next David Beckham, and this Momma's ticket to early retirement.

 Our favorite part of the day with our kids is bedtime when we all gather in the girls room.  The Hubby and I switch who we lay by every night and #3 climbs back and forth over all of us, stopping every few minutes to give us all slobbery kisses.  We have been reading the book of Matthew, one chapter a night, and then we discuss what we've read.  Tonight I started the prayers and asked somewhere in there that God would help us all remember the meaning of the holidays and focus on that, not just the presents.  #1 followed and asked that we would remember the meaning of Thanksgiving which is Jesus and the Pilgrims (obviously).  #2 then said her prayers and only asked that she would get lots of presents on Christmas.  It's never dull around here.

Week of Thanks #2

The second most important thing I am thankful for is the Hubby.  I love this man for so many reasons.  We had only known each other for not even 2 weeks when he "proposed" to me.  It was our 5th or 6th date and we were on our way home from bowling.  (I think?)  I am way more of a dude than a girl when it comes to sentiments.  It went something like this.

Hubby-Sooo, you know you're going to marry me, right?
I just smiled and nodded.

That was it.  Our big moment.  We started planning the wedding the next day.  Even though I knew without a shadow of a doubt he was the man God wanted me to marry, I didn't know all his dirt.  We had only had 5 dates for goodness sake.  All I knew for sure was that he was a really good kisser and he gave me butterflies.  Praise the Lord, years later, I've seen all his dirt and it ain't too bad.  There has never been a moment when I second guessed my decision to marry him, and I truly love him more each day.  (and he's still a good kisser)  Here are some other reasons why I am so blessed to call him my Hubby.

1.  He always puts the toilet seat down.  Always.
2.  He hugs and kisses me the second he walks through the door each day.
3.  He notices when I am wearing something new, or styled my hair different, or am having a good eyelash day.  Then he compliments me on it.
4.  He does the dishes every night, no matter what.
5.  He would rather go out on a date with me than do anything else.
6.  He doesn't hold grudges.
7.  He doesn't lie to make me feel better about myself.
8.  He is the funniest guy I've ever met.
9.  He is the hardest worker I've ever met.
10.  He tells the girls how beautiful they are all the time.
11.  He is very affectionate.
12.  He doesn't have to tell me how great he thinks I am.  I know by the way he looks at me.
13.  He is a great dancer, but never dances in public.
14.  He looks way younger than he is.
15.  He loves Jesus.
16.  He always backs up my parenting decisions.
17.  He is a crazy talented artist.
18.  He irons Sophia's uniforms every night for school.
19.  He never complains about me having some me or girl time.
20.  He is a way better husband than I am a wife and I don't deserve him.

Week of Thanks #1

Wow, did Thanksgiving creep up on everyone else?  I just realized that one week from tomorrow is Thanksgiving!!!  For some reason I still thought it was 2 weeks away.  Have you met my 3 children?  Yeah, they made me lose all of my braincells.  Not that there were many to begin with.  I am going to do a 7 day post about the things I am thankful for starting with the most important, my relationship with Jesus Christ.

This can be an extremely complex topic, but I am going to keep it very simple.  Let's start with the first bible verse many of us learned in Sunday school when we were 4 years old.  'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'  John 3:16  Easy enough.  Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and you will have eternal life with Him.  There is our gift.  That's it.  God loves us so much that he sacrificed his son for our sins and all we have to do it accept this precious gift.  You don't have to do a million good works, you don't have to be perfect, you don't have to go to church every time the doors are open, you just have to walk with Him.

Walking with Him is something I learned long after I had accepted Christ.  I knew right from wrong.  I went to church all the time.  I read my bible sometimes.  I knew that if I died, I would spend eternity with Christ.  What I didn't know, was how much God desired a relationship with me.  Even though he knows how many hairs are on my head, the day I'm going to die and what my deepest thoughts are, He wants me to communicate with Him.  To depend on Him for my every decision.  To seek Him in everything I do and to learn more about Him.  He desires to be married to me, not just to date me.

When I figured this out, my life didn't get easier.  Walking with the Lord is definitely not easy in this fallen world.  I did suddenly have a huge sense of joy and peace in my life.  One of my girls favorite songs is 'I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.' The bible talks a lot about joy as well. 

Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 19:8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.

Psalm 30:11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.

John 15:11  I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

When I am prayerful and persistent in my walk with the Lord, I have a peace and joy within me that is indescribable.  It doesn't mean that I don't stumble and that I always make the best decisions.  It does mean that He is there to guide me and He is there to pick me up when I fall.  What else do I need when I have God on my side?

My relationship with Jesus Christ is the most wonderful blessing I could ever give thanks for.  He knows my heart and He loves me still.  If you don't have a personal relationship with Christ, you should.  He will rock your world.

More of my Favorite Things...

This post has just been stressful for me.  It's so hard to narrow down all of my favorite things because there are just too many.  These are my favorite things when it gets cold outside, if that ever happens in Texas.

1. Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks.  Honestly, I have to change it up a bit because it has too much of something?  My version is a Triple Grande Nonfat Two Pump Pumpkin Spice Latte No Whip.  Did you catch all that?

2. Scarves.  I do love a good scarf, and you can never have too many.  They dress up a boring outfit, they keep your neck warm, they always smell like perfume because you put them on right after you've squirted your favorite scent and they just look cute.  This one is going on my Christmas list. (hint, hint)  It's only $199 from Anthro, so I'm sure I'll get it in my stocking.  Yeah. Right.

3. Peacoats.  I'm kind of a collector of them.  Hello, Old Navy has them on sale like every other day.  My favorite is my red plaid one, or my mustard colored one, but my black one goes with everything.  I can't decide.  This one just might have to be my next purchase.

4.  Riding Boots.  Need I say more?  Every girl should own a good pair of riding boots.  Period.  The whiskey colored ones are my favorite because you can literally wear them with any color.

5.  Fall Scented Candles.  I burn candles and my Scentsy constantly.  My favorite Scentsy for Fall is Pumpkin Roll.  My favorite candle right now is Acorn and Fig from Bath and Body.  It just makes your home more warm and inviting when it smells good!

More to come!

 

Meet My Monster

It's official.  We have a holy terror on our hands.  His name is Beckham.  He weighs about 25 pounds.  He is a climber.  He throws pretty dramatic fits.  He doesn't listen.  He doesn't talk.  He doesn't respond to any type of punishment.  We can no longer take him out in public.  We can no longer enjoy a meal with him.  Shoot.  Me.  Now.

So here's a great example of how my life has been lately.  Yesterday I had to run to Target.  Not for anything major, just a few necessities.  I love Target because you can get your kids some popcorn and a slush, and have about 45 minutes to get your shopping done.  Well, the monster has decided that he likes freedom.  This means that ANY time we try to confine him, he throws a freaking fit.  Yesterday was no different.  Get to Target, get some popcorn, give the boy a slush, try and strap him into the buggy while he's still excited about his icy drink, get about 5 feet when he notices he's strapped down and starts turning red with anger.  Great.  I try to drive faster to excite him (boys like that, right?), he screams louder and starts arching his back.  Just before I get to his slush, because I know what's about to happen, he throws it.  It was awesome.  Blue slush all over the diaper aisle.  Insert his first spanking in a public place.  Move on to the baby food aisle where I run in to earth momma.  You know the one.  No make up, Aunt Jemima head wrap, toddler sitting nicely in the buggy (probably snacking on a rice cake) and the other infant taped to her body.  Well, Miss Tree Hugger gives me one of those 'Oh, you let your babies cry?' looks.  Yes, yes I do.  I have about 10 things on my list that have to be bought TODAY and I'm not leaving this store until I have them.  It was then that I made the executive decision to let him throw his fit.  All through Target.  What do I care?  I don't even know Miss Tree Hugger and I can ignore her disapproving looks.

I grab my baby food, soap and humility and make my way to the grocery side.  It is then that I start getting a lot of those disapproving glances.  The one that bugged me the most came from a little girl that couldn't have been a day over 18.  Umm, why don't you get a few kids of your own before you start judging me?  Mmmkay?  Or there was the grandma that gasped when homeboy wiggled his way out of the tight seat belt to stand up, so I popped his little thigh, sat him down, and buckled him in tighter.  Are you too old to remember when YOU had kids this age? 

Last aisle.  Thank you Lord.  I haven't lost all of my sanity, yet.  Here comes Miss Tree Hugger leisurely strolling along with her little latte in hand.  She obviously notices that I am about to have to preform an exercism in the middle of Target and here comes that look, AGAIN.  Listen lady, I don't know why my child is the spawn of satan?  I don't know why I have such strong willed children?  I don't know why he is screaming like he's dying a slow painful death?  I don't know why he only does this in public places?  But I do know that you can keep your creepy eye rolls to yourself.

Next time you go to the store and hear a child that sounds like an injured hyena screaming, just give me an 'I feel your pain' kind of look and keep on movin.

These are a Few of my Favorite Things...

I could probably write 25 blog posts on some of my favorite things.  I just love stuff.  I love to shop.  I can't shop right now because we are trying to pay for this adoption.  I want to shop.  Everyday.  I could just be a personal shopper and work for some wealthy girl that's about my age, and my size, who is married to someone old and rich.  Then I could buy her everything I want and after she wears it once, she could hand it down to me, because we'd be the same size.  I am delusional.  Anywho, with the holiday's quickly approaching, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things so maybe they can be your new favorite things.  Today we will stick to beauty products.  Here's my top 5.

1.  Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mousse Foundation.  It's light.  It has great coverage.  You can't use too much.  It's not sticky or wet or gunky.  It is mineral based so breakouts are a thing of the past.  It's cheap.  You can get it anywhere.

2.  Revlon ColorStay Aqua Powder.  It feels wet when you apply it, but in a refreshing way.  It's light.  It covers easily.  You can't use too much.  It doesn't smell weird.  It's cheap.  It's mineral makeup.  You can find it anywhere.

3.  Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick.  It is smooth.  It stays on forever.  My favorite color for Fall is Raspberry.  It's cheap.  You can get it anywhere.

4.  TIGI Session Series Dry Shampoo.  Smells great.  Makes you go a day or 3 longer between shampoos.  Doesn't leave a powdery residue like some of the other brands do.  Did I mention it smells fantastic?  Pretty inexpensive.

5.  Tom Ford Black Orchid.  Hands down my favorite winter fragrance.  You can still smell it hours after putting it on.  I get compliments almost every time I wear it.  Is definitely very expensive.

Check back for more of my favorite things!

 

Patiently Waiting

I'm a very guarded person.  I don't let people in easily and there are very few people who really know me.  I'm also very guarded with my heart, especially when it comes to this adoption.  Take this as you will, but I don't think about Silas much.  I don't know if it is because we have no definite timeline to get me super excited, or if it is because my days are consumed with 3 little ones, but I rarely let my mind wonder all the "what if's".  What if he was born today?  What is he going to look like?  How old will he be?  What if he has a lot of medical issues?  What if he doesn't like us?  What if he is a horrible baby who never sleeps?  What if he cries all the way home on our 20 something hour plane ride?  What if I don't fall madly in love with him the first time I lay eyes on him?  What if he has a sibling that never gets adopted?  What if I get thrown in jail for punching somebody out that makes a snide comment about our multi-racial family?  I could go on all day.

I honestly think that my guarded heart is actually God's peace over this situation.  There were a lot of "what if's" when I was pregnant with my biological hooligans.  What if she is born too early?  What is she going to look like?  What if he has medical issues?  What if they are horrible sleepers?  What if I don't fall madly in love with them the moment I see their sweet face?  What if I can't handle another one?  There are always going to be "what if's" in any thing we go through.

This is where God's peace comes in.  You see, I don't have to stress about all of this.  We know that we are following God's direction for our life and we know that he's got all of this under control.  He has already picked a baby that is ours.  He might have medical issues.  He might be a terrible baby.  He might cry the entire plane ride home.  He might be freaked out by the only white people he has ever seen.  He might take months to attach to us.  He might be the hardest child we raise.  But, I don't have to dwell on things that are out of my control because no matter how easy or hard Silas is going to be, he is our child.  He is going to be loved unconditionally.  He is going to bless us way more than we could ever bless him.  He is going to have a place in this family and is going to be spoiled rotten.  He is going to be raised knowing what a special gift he is.  It's not going to be easy, as with every child it gets harder, but we can do it with the grace of God. 

As of 2 weeks ago, we are officially on the waiting list.  Our agency is still averaging about 10 months for a referal and several months after that to bring the baby home.  I am patiently waiting.  I know that Silas will be given to us at the right time, and that he will fit right into our family like he's been here all along.  I know that the peace I have about the whole situation can only come from the good Lord and that he is taking care of sweet Silas wherever he is right now, so I don't have to worry about it.