Name Puzzles

Y'all know I like a good fundraiser.

I think it is great to see families working so hard to raise the ransom they need to bring their child(ren) home.  I enjoy reading their stories and supporting them whenever possible.  The Evans family has a unique and creative fundraising going right now to bring their daughter home.  They are making wooden name puzzles.

We got one for Carson for his birthday.  He loves it.  He calls it "My puzzle".

You can request colors or designs, too.

Take a look at their blog to see all the neat name puzzles and order information.  These would make great Valentine gifts, too.  (And I think you should give sweet, little gifts on St. Valentine's day...I'll share why later this week.)

Click:  Our Hand Picked Angels

Speaking (or reading) of St. Valentine's day don't forget about our Valentine GiVeAwAy.  We'll pick and post the winner of our goodie basket pictured below on Feb. 1.  All you have to do is share the picture and our fundraising site, www.gotloveadopt.com.

Share on your blog, facebook, twitter, pinterest, door-to-door, whatever.  Let me know and I'll enter your name in one time for each share.  (If you commented on the earlier post, you don't need to comment again unless you have shared again.)

Mom photo challenge. Are you game?

Some of you may remember this blog post about an article titled, "Mom Stays in the Picture".  You can read that post HERE and the article HERE.  If you haven't read the article yet, take a minute to click and read. I posted that after reading it I was a bit convicted at how many pictures of myself I delete or avoid being in.

I vowed to change that.  And with the help of a dear bloggy friend, Melissa, I am.  Since that article we have been occasionally taking photos of ourselves with our kiddos.  We share them on facebook and tag one another. :)  It always make me smile.

Our new thought is to be sure to take (or have someone else take) at least one picture a month of us with some or all of our children.  At the end of the year, we can do a post on all of our Mom pictures.

Here is my first attempt at my January picture:

Here is my second attempt:

Thankfully right after taking this, our teenage neighbor came out to play in the snow and she was able to take a better one.

Finally, here is my January "Mom Stays in the Picture" picture:

So, are you up for the mom photo challenge?  I really think your kids will thank you one day.

SnOw!

We finally got our first really good snowfall a few days ago.  The kids were all so excited waiting for it to start.  The snow prediction encouraged them to get all their school work done.  No one wanted to have work left when the snow started to fall.  This was a good thing because when it started, it dumped!  We got about a total of 8-9 inches in a few hours.  I think it was one of the hardest snow falls I have seen.

At about 7PM, I updated my facebook status to read "A husband that takes the children out in the freezing, dumping snow leaving you to the quiet crackle of the fire is worth more than gold".  It was Carson's first real snow to play in and he was not about to be left inside with his boring momma!

The next day was declared a "snow day".  Our school's snow cancellation policy is that it closes for 6+ inches of snow.  (I may or may not be guilty of adjusting the ruler when measuring if close but this snow was way over 6 inches.)

So, instead of school books we headed outside.

I really like when the days following a snow storm are sunny and a bit warmer.  It makes if much easier for this momma to go out and play!

This picture was taken at the top of our neighborhood's really big sledding hill.  I think some sleds and college students had some rough late night sledding.  It is a bit of a cross between a sled graveyard and a can recycling center.  (Gotta love living in a college town.:)  I'm thinking it was a rough night for sleds and brain cells, alike.

 The sun's glare kept me from getting any good sledding pictures.  I was a bit sad I couldn't capture Carson's face coming down the slope--cute, cute, cuteness!

A thank you to all that left comments on my last post of encouragement.  It was so great to hear from some of you.  I appreciate you taking the time to let me know you're still reading.  A special thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, my niece Brittany, for the snow posting idea.  I only wish she and her family had been here to enjoy it with us. 

The Blogging Wagon

I think I have officially fallen off the blogging wagon.  I'm blaming it on a very active, curious toddler, 4 children to school (one of which is like schooling myself because most times I'm learning right alongside him), a small side business and a home to run.  Please--there is no complaint in my list but I miss writing on my blog and reading many of your blogs.  I need to remember that this is just a season.

Is anyone still reading and/or following this thing?

I'd love a small bit of encouragement in the form of a comment if you are.

I have spent the last several weeks working on some Minus 1 Project fundraising site business.  I am so excited about some new items, new designs and a renewed vision! :)

And now that most of the big changes and decisions have been completed and made I'm looking forward to getting back to a regular blog writing and reading routine.  Stay tuned...

St. Valentine GiVe AwAy!

I've put together a fun, little basket of Minus 1 Project goodies to be given away just in time for St. Valentine's day.  Take a peek:

St. Valentine basket give away to include a 16 oz. Tervis tumbler, blue tee (you pick size) and a sticky notepad.

How do you win?

You can win by sharing our above picture and site, www.gotloveadopt.com, on your blog, facebook and/or twitter.

Leave me a comment letting me know how many times you shared and I'll enter your name in the hat the same number of times.

Winner to be chosen Feb. 1.

If you are looking for other St. Valentine ideas, look no longer.

We've got your Valentine gift(s) covered:

Order soon...Tervis selection is dwindling.

Disclaimer:  Basket and candy not included.  The basket would be too expensive to a ship and the candy was inhaled by the Apisa children about 1 minute after the above picture was taken. :)

I need your email!

I have about 3 half written posts in my pages and many more in my head but I just can't seem to fit it in right now!

Dear poor and neglected blog,

I have such great plans and hopes for you.  Just wait!  Be patient and I'll be back with fun stories, cute pictures and a bit of adoption inspiration...I hope. :)

With the beginning of the new year, we have been praying and working on our Minus 1 Project site.  Our hope is that it will allow us to adopt again (in the future) and our heart is that it will allow us to give and assist other families in the adoption process right now.  In order for these to be accomplished, I have been giving more time to that lately.  Not to mention getting through and fully enjoying Christmas and new years, forcing my children and self back into our school routine.  I think Carson has had more of an uproar about school than the other kids.  He doesn't quite understand why he is being shooed and pushed out of his brothers' rooms. :)

One of the first things we began working on was a mass emailing list of past customers.  I want to be able to share new designs and products when we add them AND include coupon codes.  I was all ready to hit send when I was alerted that ALL (over 300) of site's email address were invalid...WhAt??

And so we start from scratch, more determined than before to make this work. :)  If you and/or anyone you know would like to be included please email, takva73@gmail.com, or comment with your email address.  I hope we are up and running BIG by the end of the month!

Stay tuned this weekend for a Valentine give away, too!  And, once again, our family thanks you for your support of our Minus 1 Project.  We couldn't have done it without you...well, really without the Lord, but you know what I mean! :)

Here's to a fantastic new year!