I Love You More Than Peanut Butter

Come On Over...

2011-12-09T09:48:00.001-08:00

to Lakeshore Cottage Living and follow me there.

As you can tell, it has been virtually impossible for me to keep up two blogs. So with the holiday season upon us, I am making the decision to blog on the Lakeshore Cottage blog from now on. That is not to say that I won't return to Peanut Butter once in a while, but wanted to extend the invitation to come on over and see me there for now. I will be blogging about our home, crafts, gardening, some cooking and the kids.

http://lakeshorecottageliving.blogspot.com if you want to bloglist me or FOLLOW.

or just click HERE.

Kristine

I Get To Be the One...warm wonderful memories

2011-10-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

in the form of a song...

Every time I walked out of the baby home holding one of my children I felt incredibly lucky and blessed. Everyone would always say...what a lucky child when in fact my husband and I were the lucky ones.

JJ Heller has written a new song about her new baby and when I heard it, all of those warm wonderful memories came rushing back.

It is a free download this week on GMC and here is the link:

http://watchgmctv.com/music/download/jj-heller-i-get-be-one

Enjoy!

Kristine

My Very First Giveaway...Come check it out!

2011-10-04T12:56:00.000-07:00

Over at Lakeshore Cottage Living, I am having my very first giveaway...a RAMSIGN house number...they are very charming. I hope you will go over and check it out!

Click HERE to enter.

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

2011-09-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

Football is in full swing at our house and Jiff is having a great season already. He was the practice player of the week this week and at last week's game he scored two touchdowns and two extra points!!! We were so proud of him. On defense he had some great tackles and a fumble recovery. So fun...I love football!

One of the moms takes incredible pics with her zoom lens and she shared several with me.

In addition to Jiff, PB Cup also had a great game...

she decided to join the cheerleaders. I kept telling her that she couldn't go under the rope and then as soon as I turned my back, one of the other mom's told her to go on out there and do a cheer. As you can see she wasted no time going right out and then the parents wouldn't let me go and get her. The little sweetie cheered the rest of the game with the girls! I don't think that for an entire quarter of the game that anyone was watching football. No one could believe how she copied all of their cheers and moves...including her MOTHER! lol

Life is pretty good, huh?

Have a wonderful weekend!

XO,

Kristine

Preschool, Dance and Gymnastics..OH MY!

2011-09-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have been very busy here getting little PB Cup in a schedule with the others at school all day. She is such a joy and a handful all at once. Needless to say, we are so smitten with this little princess!

She is so outgoing and funny and smart! and tiny too. She talks a mile a minute and charms everyone she meets. I apologize for the picture quality. My good camera was dropped (by me) in Colorado and the camera I am using now takes fuzzy pictures unless you are outside. I have changed the setting and tried numerous things; however, still fuzzy...but you get the idea.

Yes, that is a scab on her nose and knee...she took a tumble down the deck stairs after swimming...poor little gal. She bounced right back though.

All in all the first day of gymnastics went well...she told me that she got her back hand spring and her Kip but couldn't wait her turn! LOL Her older sister thought that was really funny as she is working on her Kip in gymnastics and hasn't mastered it yet.

Elmo is a girl at our house and she goes with PB Cup just about everywhere...including preschool. Good thing they are working on RED this month!

Giving Elmo a kiss goodbye.

Every day of preschool she stops at this bear to see if she has grown any taller...sometimes we stop in the morning and at pickup too...she loves it...all of my kids did the same thing.

And here she is ready for dance class. Oh she is so much fun!

I hope you are having fun with your kiddos too!

XO,

Kristine

Hey ya big loser...where ya been?

2011-08-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

I know that's what you're thinking! I have no real GOOD excuse for being such a blog-LOSER so I have returned with an apology and I hope that now that all my kids (minus one super cute toddler) are back in school all day that I might be able to squeeze in some more bloggy time. We shall see. But for now, I would love to share with you some of our summer highlights...in picture form...as usual. I sincerely hope that you are all well and enjoying your summer.

Ok, onward and forward.

I hope you are all doing well and I will do my best to post more soon. If you want to see what is going on with the house...you can click HERE.

Talk to you soon!

Kristine

Pictures, Pictures and More Pictures!

2011-05-02T12:12:00.001-07:00

So, what have we been doing with our time?

We cleaned out and started a garden…LOTS of work…

We celebrated PB Cup’s 3rd Birthday!!

We found baby squirrels in the backyard… We celebrated Easter! He is Risen!!! He is Risen Indeed!!!

We flew kites…

We pondered life…

Hope you are all doing well!

Kristine

I was featured at We Are Grafted In!

2011-05-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

It is such an honor to be featured from a blog post I wrote about an experience meeting a wonderful lady at a continuing education seminar a couple of months ago...I hope you will go and read more here:

We Are Grafted In

You should go over and check it out! This is a great adoption blog...I'll be back later with LOTS of pictures. Sorry I have been missing for a while.

Be sure to go over and check out how the house is coming along at:

Lakeshore Cottage Living

Talk to you all soon!

Kristine

So What Tricks Are You Going to Play On Your Kids Today?

2011-04-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

It's April Fool's Day!!! Don't forget!! Don't be a victim to your children's games...this year be the game player! lol

I have got to get some ideas for after school...

but so far I have:

Put their peanut butter and jelly on a hotdog bun
Provided a nice long piece of toilet paper for their napkin
and
told them that their Dad and I approved a looooong Wii playing weekend for them this weekend (they totally fell for this one and then were crushed...as if I would let them play Wii all weekend!) It was glorious and then they just giggled when I said "April Fools!!"

SO, I NEED MORE!!!

From Potty Training to Back Hand Springs

2011-03-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy time for us with the move and all involved. That doesn't even include all of the normal every day craziness involved with four busy kids. This weekend has been wonderful though. We went to PB Patty's last gymnastics meet for the season which was the State Championships. She is competing USAG Level 4 this year as an 8 year old. She amazes me with all that she can do. For the floor exercise, one of the requirements is a round-off back handspring and she can do it! She also does the vault, the beam and her best skill...the uneven bars. She placed 7th all around at State and scored a 9.5 on the uneven bars...2nd place for that part of the competition...only missing first place by .25 ...yes, that is only .25! The competition was fierce! We were so proud of her! Here she is at home with all of her medals. She looks like a rap star with all that hanging around her neck. So beautiful.

She is growing up too fast!

And little Miss PB Cup has decided that she is going to potty train herself...without her mother's help...lol!

My sister was visiting last week and bought her a princess potty chair for an early birthday gift. We laughed and laughed over that one. Any of you ever received a potty chair for their birthday? or should I say...any of you willing to confess that someone bought a potty chair for you for your birthday? lol

Anyhoo.

She has been using it...whenever someone isn't looking, she will pull down her diaper and sit for a spin. We only know this because the kids will come running to tell us...kind of like she laid a golden egg or something. It is really humorous. Well, on Saturday...she did the deed. You know...number two. Shhh. Don't tell anyone. We were again so proud. I have been putting this whole thing off and now she is just going to do it herself. What a big girl. What's that...do I have a picture you ask? Why, of course! She is going to kill me later!

Here she is in all of her glory.

It was a big weekend for my girls...lots of accomplishments.

And how are you doing?

Kristine

Kitchen Before and After Pics!

2011-03-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hey, you can come on over to my other blog and check out the kitchen...posted new pics today!

(that's where I have been for a while)...I'll be back here soon. LIFE IS CRAZY!

Kristine

http://lakeshorecottageliving.blogspot.com/

I hope I am as good a mother...

2011-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy catching up on therapy continuing education for my license renewal and getting ready for the big move to the Lakeshore house that I have really neglected this blog. Sorry! I think a few of you have abandoned me as well and I can hardly blame you!

I wanted to share a little experience I had the other day at one of my classes. We were on break and there was an older lady sitting diagonally across from me. We made eye contact and the uncomfortableness (is that a word?) of the moment made me talk....ok, I could talk to a rock, but still....so anyway, I just started rambling on about this and that and somehow we got on the topic of her mother. Her mother is 95 years old. She lives alone in Iowa somwhere and this lady (her daughter) goes to spend one week of each month with her. Her mother is completely independent. She lives in her home by herself and goes up and down stairs to do laundry...just aced her driving test and she has her own garden. She freezes her food for the winter months and gets one meal a day from meals on wheels. Truly amazing. She went on and on about how healthy she was and what an incredible lady she was...how she still drives to church, the post office and the store when she needs something....so I said, "Boy, you must be happy to have such good genes". She said "Actually, I am adopted, but I hope that the lifestyle my mother taught me will help me with that"...she kind of smirked and turned away towards the speaker who was just getting ready to start speaking again.

Hmmmm. Dangit. I didn't get a chance to share, I thought to myself. She doesn't know....did that matter? Probably not. Why did it matter so much to me that I share with her?? I knew I might not get a chance to talk to her ever again. Would she know how much she blessed me that day? I mean...do you as adoptive parents ever wonder if your children are going to love you so much that they will stay with you when you are 95? lol I mean...really with you, like come and stay with you for a week? every month?! Ok, the Momma in this situation CLEARLY did something right, right? I think I need to go and stay with her for a week to learn from her.

So, yes, I did grab the lady during the next break...and made sure that I told her that three of my children were also adopted. I told her that I hoped that I was as good a mother as her mother so that when I am 95 my children will come and take care of me for a week. She just kind of giggled and said how blessed my children were. I told her that "no, my children are in fact the blessing in my life". It was so interesting the connection we had during such a VERY short time frame. I guess it was just neat because here was this adoptive mother (me) who is in my very late thirties talking to a lady who was in her 60's and was an adopted child and we were able to share what a blessing that an adoptive mother and adoptive children are to each other. I know. I know...common sense right...but it was as if we had heard it for the first time. For some reason, it meant so much more to me coming from her than it would from someone who doesn't have any adoption connection.

Anyway, I hope someone out there "gets" what I am trying to say...I don't think I have relayed the whole experience as well as I would have liked.

I hope you are all doing well.

XXX,

Kristine

Unable to forget the orphans' cries

2011-02-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

Kent Bush: Unable to forget the orphans' cries - Augusta, KS - Augusta Gazette

This is a followup story to the one below...this is not light reading.

There will be one less orphan

2011-02-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

Kent Bush: There will be one less orphan - Augusta, KS - Augusta Gazette

You gotta read this! Our friends are in Ethiopia meeting their son! Click on the link above.

XXX,

Kristine

Can you believe we met her 2 years ago?

2011-01-26T12:04:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe that our little PB Cup was in our arms for the very first time just about 2 years ago. We travelled to Murom, Russia to meet her and we fell in love with her the minute they placed her in our arms.

She has changed a little don’t you think? Sorry the pics are a little blurry but it is hard to keep the little punkin’ still for long….can you tell?

Kristine

I just wanted to let you know...

2011-01-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

that I am still around, I am just blogging on the Lakeshore Cottage Living blog a little more right now. If you would like to follow along or see the updates, please come on over!

http://lakeshorecottageliving.blogspot.com/

I'll be back to my peanut butter blog soon. Hope you are all doing well.

XXX,

Kristine

Duck, Duck…GOOSE! Outdoor Wednesday

2011-01-04T17:39:00.001-08:00

I haven’t participated in Outdoor Wednesday in a while and I have really missed it! Being MIA from blog-land for almost a month hasn’t helped. I am looking forward to checking out what others have posted at Susan’s blog. You too can go over and check out all the Outdoor Wednesday posts at:

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com

Brrrrr! It is so cold outside. I captured these pictures from my car as I drove around the lake the other day. We seem to have an overabundance of geese who have decided that this lake of ours would make a great place to stay for the winter months. We have a few gulls that like it here as well….and of course ducks. Little PB Cup yells “Hi Duckies!” as we drive by.

I prefer the wild geese to these crabby ones. They like to honk and hiss at you when you run by them. Don’t you dare stare at any of them…they might turn and chase you! I have threatened to drop kick them a time or two. They just always seem grumpy and they act like they are royalty…you know?

I guess I would be grumpy too if I had to stand there all day on the ice. LOL

I hope you have a beautiful Outdoor Wednesday!

Kristine

Finally, Some Updates!

2011-01-03T15:37:00.001-08:00

***OOOPS! I accidentally posted this on this blog and on the Lakeshore Cottage Living blog but before I could catch it, a few of you had left some comments…so I will leave it up! Thank you for your encouraging comments. I guess I haven’t blogged in a while and have to get back in the swing of things! LOL***

Sorry Everyone. The holidays have had me somewhat busy and I have neglected this blog terribly. I won’t give you all of the details, but let’s just say that someone has been sick in this family pretty much since Thanksgiving….and remember, there are 4 kids ;) so we stair-stepped our illnesses and we kept sharing…

So enough of that, right?! I hope you are all doing well!

Here are a few pics and there has been even more progress since these were taken. Enjoy the progress tour!

Here is a picture of the large half of the basement before it was cleaned out.

And here is the other half of the basement. We opened up the stairs to allow for more light.

This is the other half of the large area of the basement. The fireplace divides the basement. This will be nice later and you will see why when it is all finished. We have different plans for each of these spaces.

This laminate flooring wasn’t bad, but wasn’t what we wanted so it is now gone…as is the desk.

Anyone want a green floral couch? We still have this little jewel. We can’t get anyone to take it. I think it says FREE, don’t you? It will go somewhere soon. We plan for this space to be my husband’s office. He works from home and needs a large space. This will be tucked away in the basement where it is quiet. It has an attached half bath as well.

Here you will find the store-room. It was filled half way to the ceiling with trash and items when we took possession of the home. We filled two large dumpsters with the trash in this house! Amazing. You can’t see them, but there are several deep shelves on the other side of that AC unit. Nice.

A weight machine was left behind and we plan to put it to good use. It was a nice surprise!

Below you will find pictures of the PROGRESS…yahooo!

This is the formal living room…it will be a different color soon. All of the ceilings throughout the house were scraped. No more 1970’s popcorn. They were re-textured with a flat knock-down and painted a fresh white.

Here you will see the basement again after carpet and flooring has been removed. And below you will see the other half…the larger half.

And husband’s office below…no more peachy pink wallpaper.

OK…time to go upstairs! Below, you will see a picture of the kids’ bathroom. We decided to put fresh knock-down on the walls in this room as well. It is a room that is going to get a lot of use and we wanted walls that would hide a few knocks and scratches. The tile is newer and we left it. It is in great condition as are all the cabinets and drawers. I think I can find some great art-work that will pull in some of the peachy/taupe tones that will freshen this space up a little. Here you will see the kids’ bathroom after it has been painted. We chose a neutral by Sherwin Williams called Kilim beige. It softens the peach and makes them look a little more taupe/neutral, don’t you think? There are double sinks here, I just couldn’t get both in the picture. This is the master bedroom. I LOVE the large window. There is a coating of sun-block film on the window and the birds flock to the Austrian pine right next to the house. I can sit there just two feet away and they don’t see me! And to think I thought about removing that tree! No way now. They are using this room right now as the “spray room” to paint all the doors in the house so there is not much to show you right now….but soon!

This space is the mud-room/laundry room. Underneath that paper is a beautiful new slate floor! I cannot wait to show it to you!!!

More of the mud-room. That large closet will be transformed to a pantry and cleaning closet. Believe it or not, I am most excited about this space because the kids can drop off their backpacks and shoes and coats and finally not drag them into the kitchen. This will make me one happy Momma.

The gutted kitchen. I am not going to reveal too much about that now…that will be later…

Here you will see the view from the formal living room into the family room…the painters did a little artwork on the plastic…not sure what that means? oh well, they are nice and they are doing a beautiful job so no complaints here!

And here you will see the family room with a view back to the dining room. You will soon see a new mantle on that fireplace….yeah!

Another view of the family room…and formal living room below to follow….

This is the front entrance and again, there is gorgeous slate tile under that paper!

This is the hallway back to the bedrooms. As you remember from the pictures in prior posts, this was filled completely with trash bags we filled from trash and items we found in the bedrooms. So glad that is all gone.

And last, but not least is the best room in the house. This was originally the sewing room. I know this because we found the original blue prints to the home! What a treasure that was. This will be my office…or as the contractor calls it….Kristine’s hidey hole. Nice. He has no idea how much blogging is going to occur in this space.

I hope you enjoyed the progress tour and I hope you will check back in again. I promise not to take so long with an update next time!

Kristine

Happy New Year

2011-01-03T09:37:00.001-08:00

Sorry, I missed Christmas merrying so I am here to wish you all a Happy New Year!!!

I have been MIA due to all kinds of reasons but I won’t bore you to tears.

So, as I always say…pictures speak a thousand words so here is a picture update.

First haircuts, cookie baking, gymnastics meets, basketball practice, the flu, Christmas at grandparents’ house, house remodel, school parties, school programs, church Christmas program, bell choir practice….and I am sure I am missing a hundred things….not to mention our house is for sale and has to stay clean for showings. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and I look forward to whatever God has planned for me this year!

God Bless YOU!

Kristine

Well, hello there!

2011-01-03T07:18:00.001-08:00

Sorry I have been missing in action. I missed you all terribly! I just updated the Lakeshore Cottage blog and will update this one soon too! We have been soooo busy as have all of you I am sure. Be back soon! Be sure to pop over there and check out the Lakeshore remodel when you get a chance.

http://lakeshorecottageliving.blogspot.com

Kristine

It's beginning...

2010-11-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

to look a lot like Christmas around here...or maybe Christmas spewed out all over my dining room table and floor. The realtor asked us to decorate and put the house on the market as soon as we could. No pressure...LOL. I hope the decorations will WOW the first person in the door and they will immediately write up a contract! Wouldn't that be something?! I hope, I hope, I hope. But we also need time for the Lakeshore home to be done. Anyone else decorating out there?

Hey Y'All! Remember this?

2010-11-12T16:13:00.000-08:00

So did I spell it right this time Ondrea?

Well, I don't know if you all remember the lake house that we were thinking about buying and the deal fell through? Well, we actually closed on the property today. The contractors start Monday and it is going to be a total GUT job. We will spare a few things...but not much. I would love it if you would all follow along on the RENO journey. Here is the link again:

http://lakeshorecottageliving.blogspot.com

Sometime soon, I will also add a bloglist on that blog of some of the home decorating blogs I follow that have some really GREAT stuff.

So I hope to see you over there! I may be posting more over there than here for a while. I'll just have to play that one by ear. We are getting our current home ready to sell and there are many memories here..it is going to be a very bittersweet journey.

I hope you are all doing well! Talk to you soon.

Kristine

Our November Orphan Ministry Project: An Orphan's Wish

2010-11-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

Every November our church sponsors an Orphanage somewhere around the world as part of our Orphan Sunday program and we raise funds throughout the month of November. This year we have chosen to work with An Orphan's Wish. They have the House of Love in China, a special needs home for children with club foot, cerebral palsy and other health conditions. We are excited to see how God will bless this effort and multiply all of the offerings!

Nov. 7th Orphan Sunday

2010-11-05T16:46:00.001-07:00

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

Pumpkin Palooza

2010-10-29T09:05:00.001-07:00

We carved pumpkins last night…or at least we started to carve pumpkins. Each of the kids has a pumpkin and then we carve one for Grandma and Aunt Jo every year as well. While PB Patty was at gymnastics last night the boys decided they would get theirs done…

Evidently, boys have to take their shirts off in order to carve pumpkins. PB Cup did the same…

and tonight we will carve more…

Kristine

Harvest Party 2010

2010-10-28T07:59:00.001-07:00

The annual Harvest Party at our church was tonight and it was a huge hit! The kids had such a great time. Jiff had to go to football practice this year which was a bummer for Mom, but really he is getting a little older and he really does enjoy football practices so it was all good. I had to include him in this post of course so here is his after-practice photo…nice and sweaty.

and now for the kids who got to go to the party…I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

SHARKY

The Cake Walk Champion!

and

THE CUPCAKE FAIRY

and last but not least…

PURRRRTY KITTY

another Cake Walk Champion!

There is more fun ahead this weekend and these costumes will be worn a few more times before it is all over…wait till you see what Jiff is going to be…

Have a great day!

Kristine

This is for all you Mizzou fans out there…

2010-10-23T08:44:00.001-07:00

gotta make that nice and big…

aren’t we clever?!

AND THIS IS FOR ALL YOU

SOONER FANS!!!

Favorite Photos Friday

2010-10-15T06:39:00.001-07:00

Last week during homecoming week they had themes each day and this was from mismatch day…they really enjoyed their week!

And Grandma and Grandpa found Daddy’s old college stuff in a closet they were cleaning out…and it already fits Jiff! Jiff seems to really like hats with flat bills??? I don’t get it.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

XXX,

Kristine

Would you just smile for the camera ALREADY?!

2010-09-30T12:41:00.001-07:00

trying too hard…

being too silly…

a little better and I gave up…

JJ Heller - What Love Really Means (Official Music Video)

2010-09-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful song...I really like this group and wanted to share this with you all.

Isn't she cute as a bug?

xxx, Kristine

Morning Routine…

2010-09-28T07:40:00.001-07:00

includes Mickey Mouse, Dinosaur Train, a soft blanket and a rocking chair…

We really need to get dressed…it’s a beautiful day!

editedcan anyone help with a translation?

2010-09-28T06:26:00.001-07:00

Вопрос: Я очень хочу познакомиться с гармоничной девушкой. Времени после занятий катастрофичеcки нет, а в праздники очень часто необходимо тоже трудиться. В общественных местах знакомиться не хочется. Пока на разных сайтах нахожу обычно продажных женщин. Предложите выход, пожалуйста. Наперед большое спасибо J)).

this was posted in my comments under the recent 18 Months Home update…anyone know what it says? hope it isn’t something yucky…maybe SPAM?

Thank you to whomever posted the reason for the above…that is kind of what I was thinking…

So J,

I am not able to introduce you to anyone because I am not a dating service and would have no idea how to go about this anyway. I wish you the very best in your search and hope that the love of your life happens to enter your world very soon…on your own searching…maybe find a church? I know working lots of hours will put a damper on things, so maybe you should just work on improving your own life and yourself. Someone once told me that if you focus on self-improvement and growing closer to a spiritual relationship with the Lord that God would provide the perfect person…and it is true!

I wish you the best,

Kristine

{Home 18 Months}

2010-09-27T11:09:00.001-07:00

First day of pig tails!

I hope this was enough pictures for you! lol

Kristine

G is for …

2010-09-24T13:51:00.001-07:00

Grasshopper!

And yes, it is real…perfectly dried in our garage.

Good thing it is G week in Kinder next week.

Have a great weekend!

xxx,

Kristine

Favorite Photos Friday

2010-09-23T19:52:00.001-07:00

Football Practice

Rain

Coaches who like to see little boys rumble in the mud

1 Happy Boy.

SO Proud.

I just finished cleaning all the grass out of the washing machine…after the load had already run!

He was filthy and that is an understatement. Thank you Lord for the rain and Fall weather.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

XXX,

Kristine

Have Ya'll Seen This? Really Funny!

2010-09-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

My husband could be the lead singer....which one is yours?

Well, really no news…but some news?

2010-09-14T19:41:00.001-07:00

I really am SO Brett Favre. I can tell you that sometimes things don’t work out and that is for the best. My news:

We were trying to buy a house on the lake, completely remodel it and then sell our home somewhere along the way and the deal fell through on the lake house today. It was a great house with a pool and just a little bigger than we have now but I have to be honest in saying…

Thank you LORD!!! I am so relieved. I cannot imagine trying to do all of this without checking into the loony bin. I don’t know how it would have all gotten done. I am thrilled also that we will be getting our earnest money back. We may look at it again in the future, but at least for now it is a dead issue…my husband may choose to resurrect it from the dead at a later date. He kept telling me he was doing all of it for me, but truthfully, he really likes the house.

Did I say I was relieved? I am so relieved. I feel like I can breathe again. This has been going on for over a month now and I am exhausted. We had met with the contractor, picked out many things and it looks like it was all for nothing, but did I mention how relieved I am?

So that was my news…sorry if any of you are disappointed. Sometimes God has to slam the door shut and lock it to keep a person from trying to wedge a foot in it to keep it open. I felt like He kept giving us answers but we really needed Him to give us some final closure to it all before we could give up the idea I guess…

Onward and forward without a move. I feel like throwing a party! Relieved, SO relieved.

XXX,

Kristine

Just Call Me Brett Favre

2010-08-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'm back, then I'm not back, I'm back, then I'm not back...what is up with that? I have even bored some of you to extreme measurements...abandonment...yes, I have lost some followers (I don't really like that word anyway).

We have SO MUCH going on and I can't reveal all of it to you just yet...in a week or so...so hang tight and please don't give up on me. I will really be back to the blogging world as soon as I can.

Thank you to those of you who voted for my poochie. No, she didn't win, but the ones who did were ADORABLE!! Fifi is so talented. Thank you to those of you who said you would have voted had you been at home to do so as well. And Barb, YES, I would have given you a copy if my doggy had won...

XXX,

Kristine

****Oh and NO, we are not adopting again if that is what you are thinking...are you crazy?! LOL

PLEASE go vote for my DOGGY!!!

2010-08-23T06:26:00.001-07:00

http://www.fififlowers.com

Fifi Flowers is a well known artist here in blog-land and I am sure many other places as well. Her art is so colorful and fun! She is doing a contest to raise money for guide dogs and will be painting 6 precious pooches for this fundraiser!!! Well, Flower, our sweet little westie is

NUMBER 26

http://www.fififlowers.com

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Go over and vote for her.

I would love to have a Fifi Flowers painting of my little furry child.

I am begging…like a dog for a

treat….

Kristine

Back to School

2010-08-20T12:50:00.001-07:00

The kids started back to school on Tuesday of this week and it was a rainy day…both outside and well, to be honest, I cried like a baby. They look so happy though don’t they? It was Skippy’s first day of Kinder and I did fine as I walked him down the hall to his classroom, but after arriving at the door and giving him a hug, I lost it. He trotted right in the door not even looking back…all smiles…and the teacher and I were left standing there. She reached out with open arms and hugged me. God Bless Her!

Jiff doesn’t normally stand like that, I think he was avoiding the mud puddles. We had to get our annual picture in front of the school sign though even with the rain coming down. I cannot believe he is in 5th grade this year and PB Patty is in the 3rd grade…time flies by so quickly. With football practice almost every night, gymnastics 12 hours a week and trying to keep the refrigerator stocked with food for 4 active children, I am really busy. The house is so quiet during nap time now with 3 at school all day and as a matter of fact, I have got to go now and pick them all up!

It is a busy time for everyone right now I am sure. Talk to you all soon and thank you for all of your very sweet comments!

XXX,

Kristine

Easy Button

2010-08-04T09:18:00.001-07:00

Do you ever wish you had one?
OR
A stand still in time button?
I would so push those buttons today.

San Antonio Vacation 2010

2010-08-02T08:42:00.001-07:00

Blogging has been on my mind a lot lately and I have missed you all terribly! My MIL is back on her feet (literally) and so is her sister so things are better there. As I posted earlier the beach vacation was replaced with a trip to San Antonio. Many of you are probably wondering about the bikini contest…well, I totally won the contest by 30 miles! but since the beach vacation got cancelled, we decided the bikini challenge would also be cancelled (love you Randa).

The kids will be starting school the middle of this month and football has already started! Crazy. 100 degrees and my poor baby has to go and roll around in the grass. We are off for gymnastics for the week. AND I don’t know if I have mentioned this before, but Skippy starts all day Kinder this year. I am so sad just thinking about it and will miss him terribly but he is ready. Someone asked him if he was going to miss his Momma and he said NO! Heart breaking. Then they asked him if he thought his Momma would miss him and he said “Yes, she will probably cry for me”. He is so right. The Kinder room is at the very end of the hallway at the school and it is a loooooong walk on the morning you have to drop them off for the first time. Memories rush back in my mind of the day I met him at the baby home and how little he was…and how much he has grown and blossomed. Ok, I have got to stop.

Let’s talk about San Antonio. It was wonderful. We had an incredible time with my sister and her family who lives just north of Austin. They were able to join us for a few things and we stayed with them on the way down and the return home. Ok, I know…show us the pictures. As I always say…pictures speak a 1000 words…so here goes:

Day 1…Remember the Alamo. Or as we called it…Elmo at the Alamo

Day 2…San Antonio Zoo

Day 3 Schlitterbahn Water Park

this is my sister and her beautiful family…

Day 4 Sea World

Day 5 Natural Bridge Caverns

Day 6 we travelled the looooooooooooooooooooong drive home. We had so much fun. It was a great get-away and fun time to re-group and spend quality time together.

I hope you all are having a great summer.

Kristine

Hey all you Alias fans…

2010-07-08T09:38:00.001-07:00

For the first time in a looooooooooooooooooooong time (you get the point) I am actually excited about a new TV show coming out. It is called Covert Affairs and is on USA Network. Check out the website by googling Covert Affairs and USA Network. It is about a brand new CIA operative and I think she is gonna kick some bad bootie. ha. Secretly, my dream…instead I have 4 kids 2 dogs and a cat. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I kick some bootie…or maybe I am just remembering when I run and can feel my bootie jiggle …maybe I shared too much? probably.

Anyhooo, the limited commercial (gotta love that) preview is this Tuesday at 10/9c. It is by the maker of the Bourne movies and who doesn’t love those…I mean come on Matt Damon…gorgeous. Just wanted to let you know as I usually miss all of these first shows and don’t get interested in a show until I have caught on to the 5th episode. I am going to DVR it and then I can watch it when I want and if I forget to turn the TV on Tuesday I will have it!

Let me know if you watch it too.

Kristine

So, What Up?

2010-07-06T09:26:00.001-07:00

I know, it isn’t grammatically correct.

It has been a whirlwind of a summer already. For starters, I will tell you that we cancelled our beach vacation…and I type that with tears in my eyes. For 12 years I have tried to get my husband to the beach and the one year I do, there’s an oil spill in the gulf. Go figure. Maybe another year.

We have had more to do than I have known how to do. Does that make sense? Some days have been absolutely insane….t-ball, softball, baseball (up to 9 games a week), gymnastics (9 hours a week), swim lessons for all 4, golf lessons, a mother-in-law with a broken leg and her sister who wasn’t able to walk due to blood clots in her foot and had to move in with us, John’s travel schedule, planning a new last minute vacation to San Antonio and this doesn’t even include my attempts at weight loss which is basically an every day schedule (I have lost 10 pounds YEAH!).

With all of that said, I am sure I have left out a hundred things and can’t believe I got it all in one paragraph when it seems like it all leaves me spinning.

So here are a few pictures to share…and I apologize to all of you…I really have been checking on your blogs, just have done it very quickly and haven’t been able to post much. I will visit soon. Thank you to all of you who helped with the Mackinaw Island suggestions…especially Amy…maybe another year. My husband goes North for work quite a bit and I think he just wanted something different. It sounds wonderful though.

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer.

Kristine

ok, ok…I know I haven’t posted in almost a month…but watch this…

2010-07-02T20:29:00.001-07:00

and I promise to post more soon!

anyone else feel this way?

Kristine

Mulberry Tree?

2010-06-09T11:00:00.001-07:00

I think these are mulberries? The box turtles usually show up in our yard as soon as these little berries drop from the tree…we have always wondered if they were mulberries…any mulberry experts out there? Here is my little PB Cup who just finished off a PBJ while I was out taking those pictures…please excuse the peanut butter and bread in her teeth.

Linking up with the outdoor experts today at Susan’s Outdoor Wednesday.

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com

Hop on over and check out the other Outdoor Wednesday posts.

Have a wonderful day!

Kristine

The Great Lakes…Mackinaw Island

2010-06-08T07:54:00.001-07:00

Due to the oil spill in the gulf we are looking into alternatives for our family vacation this summer and trying to MAYBE plan something last minute. Have any of you been to the Great Lakes and specifically Michigan…Mackinaw Island or Traverse City? I would love to hear from you! Please tell all.

**edited**We are still hoping to get to go to Panama City Beach and that is still our plan…BUT we would like to have a last minute alternative to get away and enjoy some time together as a family.

Thank you so much.

Kristine

Let the Games Begin Part 2

2010-06-05T19:48:00.001-07:00

Life is so crazy. Seriously…we have 3 baseball games for 3 different children at the SAME times Monday night. And my husband helps coach ALL. 3. TEAMS. How does that happen? Grandpa is going to have to rescue us.

Here are a few pictures during PB Patty’s game last week:

Yes, that’s my toughie in the catcher’s gear.

***prettiest little softball team out there***

I know this is not a very good picture, but can you tell PB Cup has got some attitude? She is terrible twos right now that is for sure! And would you check out those wonderful thighs? I just love ‘em! And of course we cannot forget Jiff. This was taken after his game (the same evening)…they won…can you tell? ha.

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

Kristine

{Wordless Wednesday} Summer…Let the Games Begin

2010-06-02T06:44:00.001-07:00

I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Things are crazy here with all the new summer activities so I apologize for being a bad blogger and especially for not visiting as often as I would like on your blogs.

Don’t let Skippy’s size fool ya…he’s a great little T-ball player and truly the scouts will be here soon signing him up for college ball ;)

I seem to have fallen into a summer sinkhole…and I am sure you can relate.

by the way…were you as blown away by the Guatemalan sinkhole as I was? ok…sorry, this is supposed to be wordLESS.

Kristine

Funny Friday…Swagger Wagon

2010-05-28T06:38:00.001-07:00

Many of you may have already seen this on Facebook or You Tube, but thanks to my friend Heather, I saw it for the first time yesterday…this is such a crackup. I am so glad we just bought a Suburban! lol. Although, I do really like this minivan…if I had to drive a minivan, it would probably be this one. I have to admit, I do see a little of myself in this video…how about you?

Hope you all have a fun weekend!!!

Kristine

One Million Arrows…Shaping Our Children to Be Arrows for Christ

2010-05-25T08:10:00.001-07:00

A little over 12 years ago I married the man of my dreams… and about a year and a half later we were blessed with Jiff. The doctors told me that having children would be difficult and that I would need lots of medications to help me get pregnant and that possibly, it may not happen at all. God had different plans. My pregnancy was as perfect as any pregnancy could be and then came a healthy …yet very large (laughing now, not then) baby boy. He is an amazing child.

Then, a little time had passed and we began trying again…nothing happened. We did go to the fertility specialists, and we did do all of the preliminary testing. We then decided to move back to a small town where my husband had grown up and other things filled our thoughts…and then later that fall…the doctor told me that I really needed to have a hysterectomy…another story for another time. It was at that time that I contacted an international adoption agency and we began our adoption process for PB Patty. Oh my did God have plans for us!

We began our adoption process in January and had her home May 19th! Wow…fast,huh?! Everything about this little baby girl told us she was to be ours. She is also an amazing child.

So then, we were done…at least that is what my husband thought (LOL). And all of a sudden we were paperwork pregnant with Skippy. God’s plans are perfect. We started our adoption process in April and had him home on his first birthday just 8 months later! Skippy is also an amazing child and has a heart like no other.

And finally, we were done, right? Oh no…..God still had a plan for us regarding children. Little PB Cup was out there somewhere…she took a little longer to process during the paperwork pregnancy and she finally arrived a little over a year ago. She is the little lump of love that makes us all smile daily. The perfect fit to our family of now 6.

I know I have left out a lot of details and those are all stories I may share later, but I really want to get to the post that I have planned…God put all of us together for a purpose…His purpose. He blessed my husband and I with these children. We know that ultimately, these children are His children. They are a gift.

Now jumping ahead…when Julie Ferwerda contacted me to ask me to participate in a book review tour for One Million Arrows, I popped over to the site she linked and of course agreed to read the book because the book says exactly what my husband and I have planned for our children. Read below to see why and I am sure that many of you will want to check out this book because it is your desire for your children as well:

"One Million Arrows is a great wake-up call for parents of this generation. If we want our children to take part in the powerful purpose and unique mission God has designed for them, we've got to take responsibility for raising our kids as disciples of Christ."

-Josh D. McDowell, Author and Speaker

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; —Psalm 127:3-5

Will the world change our children...or will our children change the world? Time is short and lives are at stake. Right now, God is inviting our families to become part of a bigger story—a vision that will engage hearts to make a radical difference. One Million Arrows is an inspirational call to raise our kids to impact their culture, community, and world for Christ. If we want our kids to discover their purpose, if we want them to live with passion for the Kingdom, if we want our family to go down in His-Story, accept the mission...and leave a mark for eternity.

A little bit about the author…

Julie Ferwerda is recognized for making the Bible exciting and relevant to everyday life through her writing and speaking. Her articles are featured in many Christian magazines and websites for both adults and teens, and she frequently volunteers her time and talents to international orphan ministry. Learn more at OneMillionArrows.com.

Please pop over via the link I have put on my blog and consider buying this book. It would be a great Sunday School study, a great gift for a new parent or any parent. Read this book. The best part is…all of the proceeds go to orphan ministry!

And for some of you who may not have watched the video that I posted a while back, please take the time to watch it now. You may even recognize a few faces (wink, wink).

I would like to close in saying that one of the most powerful thoughts I read (among many things I underlined in this book) was this…”Our children can either be pawns unaware, or they can be weapons of mass destruction against forces of evil in the unseen realm”. I love this. We are training our children to be superheroes for Christ…arrows that can shoot out all around the world to share His good news….maybe even in Russia.

Love it.

Kristine

Sweet Sunday Shoot

2010-05-23T17:05:00.001-07:00

This is my 250th post!

Can you believe it?

I started this blog a little over a year ago just after our little PB Cup came home from Russia and this blog was a continuation of my very first blog (which went private) documenting our adoption process and our Journey to the Princess Frog. So many of you have become REALLY good friends through the past 2 years and I thank you all for “following” along in our lives…some openly and I know there are some lurkers out there who are too shy to post…but I know you are there…because, well, there are gadgets that tell me ;) lol.

So, because this blog thing was started 249 posts ago because of my little princess frog or PB Cup, I think it is fitting to show you her latest photo shoot taken this afternoon. We couldn’t love her more!

AND if that’s not enough….

So, do you think there are too many pictures? LOL.

It’s been crazy at my house so I haven’t been able to spend too much time in blog-land, but Summer is here and the kids are out of school now so I should have a few minutes here and there to blog. I am participating in a blog-tour this week that will fill you in more on the One Million Arrows link I have posted in the upper right column. So check back!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Kristine

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes

2010-05-14T10:41:00.001-07:00

I know, Easter has passed, but I have been wanting to blog about this book for a while. The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes was a true favorite of mine when I was a little girl…hoping one day that I would grow up to be the Country Bunny with all of her beautiful well-groomed, well-mannered children. She got to do something really neat…and well, I also loved Easter…but not the same way I love Easter now.

I just purchased this book to read to my children during the Easter season and it reminded me of the joy it brought me at such a young age…silly how books can do that…you know? But now, I decided that I could be the Country Bunny. No, I don’t have 21 children…but 4 is close right? LOL

…and no, they aren’t always well-groomed or well-behaved…

but God calls us all to do things that we don’t always feel we are equipped to do…and He may even provide the “Little Gold Shoes” to equip us for His task. I think metallic-tone sandals are in this year, right? ;) Go buy yourself some and think of the Country Bunny when you slip them on!

I hope you will check out this book. It is truly one of my favorites.

Linking up today with Kelly’s Korner Show Us Your Life: Favorite Books

and with The Adventures of Motherhood’s Feed Me Books Friday.

(both in my blog listing)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kristine

Bikini Challenge…go ahead…laugh if you must.

2010-05-13T08:28:00.001-07:00

Ok…so in my never-ending pursuit of weight-loss (man, if only I could give up cupcakes)…I have yet again schemed up another idea. I know, I know…some of you are saying…Again? Yes, that is right…I am at it again.

Truly, either humiliation or reward works for me. I am the dog on the track that will only run if there is a rabbit. I have always been this way….sad to say.

No rabbit, no run.

SO, my good friend Randa (the one in the below post in the middle next to me in the after 10k pic) and I are going to Panama City Beach together along with our enormous families to vacation. We have decided to have a little fun challenge to ensure that we look presentable while laying on the beach this summer and so as not to embarrass our children or have anyone chuck us into the water afraid we might be some beached animal. We have decided to have a bikini challenge. Last month (April 1) we started. We have to walk or run as many miles as we can and keep track of our distance. By July 1st..whomever has the most miles wins and

the LOSER must wear a bikini (not a TANKini) for 1 day on our vacation. SCARY…but truly effective.

NO, there will be no pictures of THE event…people would run for the hills.

Every month on the 1st we give each other an update. Would you believe the first month we tied? That is crazy. We both had 78.5 miles. We also have extra points for hitting weight loss goals..and Saturday is a weigh in for me.

Do any of you have any fun/crazy plans for weight loss? I would LOVE to hear them. Please share. Weight loss can be fun…it doesn’t always have to be so mundane…

Talk to you all soon!

Kristine

Pink Peonypalooza

2010-05-12T07:54:00.001-07:00

I really like to play around with the pictures that I take…especially of flowers in my yard and of course my children. Well, no children in my pictures today…giving you all a break…lol. But these peonies don’t need any attention drawn from them. I think they are the MOST beautiful flowers in the world and this pink color is my favorite. They also take the lease amount of effort than any flower in my garden which is also why they are a favorite! The black and white photos really brought out the texture in the flower petals and the leaves. The leaves never get any credit, but for this flower, the leaves truly set the background…they are a beautiful, shiny green and they are smooooooooth. If you have peonies in your garden, you know that they have little gardeners on them…many, many ants. They have a relationship. Did you know that if you will cut your flowers with long stems and place them in a bucket of water overnight in your garage or garden shed, the ants will crawl off and go back home? Yes! It is true. I just did two large arrangements for Mother’s Day and there wasn’t an ant in sight. Hopefully that will help some of you to bring your peonies inside to enjoy them.

Please go over to Susan’s blog to see other Outdoor Wednesday posts and also go and check on Lisa at The Long Road to China to enjoy other Black and White Wednesday posts…she has been waiting 4 years for her little China doll and hopefully will get her referral soon. Both blogs are in my sidebar and I will list them here as well:

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com

http://thelongroadtochina.blogspot.com

I like to give the full http address so that you can link up easily if you want to join in on the fun and also so that you can bloglist these two blogs on your own blog. You will enjoy them!

I hope you are having a beautiful day!

Kristine

10k and 2 Mile Run…We did it!!!

2010-05-08T10:22:00.001-07:00

Jiff and I were ready this morning…waiting for the rest of our group…

and of course we needed a picture just before the 10k began…

and after I ran…It felt so good to finish and I beat my time from 2 years ago which was also a GREAT feeling!

Now it was Jiff’s turn…

He ran SO FAST. I was trying to get a picture of him running and didn’t succeed, and therefore didn’t get a good look at the clock..but we think he ran 2 miles in 15 minutes and around 30 secs. This was his first 2 mile race and he didn’t train AT ALL for it…He was so happy!!!

Me and the girls after the race…

Jiff and his running partner

We had a great morning together and hopefully we have sparked a new running career for Jiff. I think he is ready to run another one soon!

Kristine

{TISSUE PAPER POMS: Finally…some directions!}

2010-05-06T07:15:00.001-07:00

I have seen these all over on many blogs and I know I must have made something like this as a child…but I COULD NOT for the life of me remember how on earth they were made…thank you again Martha Stewart for your wonderful directions.

Let me know if you make some…

I would love to see yours!

Kristine

One Million Arrows

2010-05-05T19:14:00.001-07:00

Later this month I will be participating in a blog tour that involves reading a book called One Million Arrows. I have just started reading and it is just wonderful. It is truly about raising our children to love like Jesus and then sending them out into the world.

I just received this promotional video and of course I loved it…check it out and tell me if you know why! Kristine

{Weekend Photo Shoot}

2010-05-02T19:52:00.001-07:00

These pictures tell their personalities perfectly.

10k Training Update

2010-05-01T19:08:00.001-07:00

Hi! I hope you all are having/had a wonderful weekend. I am happy to say that I am right on track with my 10k training and plan to run it next weekend with my friend, Randa…who is younger and much faster than I am ;) but I just want to finish!

Yesterday, I ran 6 miles and took the day off today for PB Patty’s birthday party with friends and also her family party with Grandma and Grandpa. It was a VERY busy day.

Jiff and my husband are going to run the 2 mile race together next weekend also which is right after the 10k. This is Jiff’s first race and he is so excited. The other night I took him running with me to see how far he was able to run. We started out and I warned him to pace himself…and then soon after realized he didn’t have to. Girls, he was like a gazelle…running backwards talking to me…practically running circles around me…running ahead and then running back so he wouldn’t leave me…in true gazelle fashion. I was like a grizzly bear carrying 5 bags of potatoes running after him. Let’s just say the boy doesn’t need any “training”.

So anyway, that was our weekend. How was yours?

Oh…almost forgot…thank you all for your comments lately! You just don’t know how much encouragement I get from reading those. And I did figure out how to change my screen saver…Amy, I loved what you suggested, but I couldn’t get “Get to work, Momma needs a new pair of shoes” to fit. Dang it.

Kristine

Black and White Wednesday

2010-04-28T06:11:00.001-07:00

My husband thinks he is a comedian. My new screen saver…

What’s that you ask? Why, yes, it does rotate.

Anyone know how to get it off?

And any ideas of what should replace it?

I’d like to get him back!

I’m linking up for Black and White Wednesday today…I need all the ideas I can get.

Kristine

“No thank you, I just need some fried chicken”.

2010-04-26T18:08:00.001-07:00

I don’t know if you all remember, but a few months ago, I mentioned being in church and telling God that this year I would turn my life over to Him. I already have a relationship with Him, but I felt the need to formally tell Him to use me however he wanted to. The idea really scared me and I went into the week with anticipation and excitement for what He had in store. I knew that whatever it was, He would be there for me and would provide the skills that it would take.

Sooooo, that very same week, I went to the store to get fried chicken for supper (I know…not very healthy). Our grocery store makes really yummy fried chicken. As I approached the counter, the lady who I always talk to (she knows my kids names and knows their stories), asked me if I would like to have another baby. “No”, I said jokingly “I’m just here for fried chicken”. I didn’t know if she was serious or not so I went on to explain…”You know 4 kids is a lot and with the baby not even being home for a year, I don’t think I could add another”. So she replies “Well, do you know anyone?” I realized she was serious and said “YES, I do!” She went on to explain the situation and I was in shock that this was what God had planned for me. Could it be that he wanted me to have this baby? Or did he want me to counsel the birth-mom? Well, shortly after bringing the fried chicken back home and explaining everything to hubby…it was clear that we weren’t going to parent this child…”Are you crazy?!” was what made it clear. ;D LOL.

So a week or two passed and I got on my diet and didn’t return for fried chicken for a while, but one day I did go back for sliced turkey (better huh?). We again spoke about the situation…I will clarify and tell you that it wasn’t the girl at the counter who was pregnant…it was a friend of a friend kind of thing. She said she was going to call me soon and we would arrange a meeting.

Soon after, we did meet and I decided that this girl needed help. She seemed sure about her choice, but I usually like to push a little the other way and explore the option of keeping the child. When I do birth-mom counseling it helps me more than it does the girl who is pregnant. I get to see first-hand what a birth-mom goes through. I always explain to them that I didn’t get to meet my kids’ birth-moms and that by helping them, I felt like I was able to see what my children’s birth-moms may or may not have experienced. As you can imagine, every birth-mom has a different life story. Also, I will tell you that when I counsel them, I do not counsel them to give the baby up for adoption, but rather to make the best decision for them. I tell them that I am there for them whether they place the baby for adoption or they decide to parent the baby…and that is true. In the end, she did decide to place the baby for adoption.

Well, last week, the baby was born. Her water broke at around 9:30 at night and I am so thankful my husband was not travelling. I went to the hospital to be with the her and I called the adoptive family (a very exciting call….I loved it!). We were all there at 10:30 with a long night ahead of us. I slept in the birth-mom’s room and we talked all night (she had an epidural so she was very comfortable) and the hospital provided a room for the adoptive couple so we all had a place to rest. The birth-mom and I talked off and on when she or I wasn’t dozing off to sleep. It was truly an honor to get to help her through that night.

The next morning, the doctor arrived and things had progressed very quickly. We all gathered around (even the adoptive father) and the doctor told her to take a deep breath and to push…that we would get started with the pushing…(when I gave birth to Jiff, the pushing went on for 4 hours so I thought it would be a while) well, she took a deep breath, leaned forward and the baby popped out! It was the easiest birth I have ever been a part of! I was happy for her that she wasn’t in pain and that things went so smoothly. I couldn’t believe that God allowed me to be there to help with such an amazing experience. Tears of joy were on many faces in that room including mine.

I want to back up and tell you that the plan after birth was for the birth-mom to spend time alone with the baby. I always encourage the birth-mom to have the time with the child..to hold the baby and to look him or her in the eyes…to make sure she is making the right decision for herself. This is not usually a popular thing with the adoptive parents, but this particular couple is truly extraordinary. They knew that God called them to be a part of this. As many of you are aware, the birth-mom can change her mind and many times does after she lays eyes on the child. I hope that my kids’ birth-moms did the same thing…spent at least a little time holding my sweet babies in their arms before they made the decisions they made. I hope that someone was there to encourage them as well. I will tell you that during that time, I try to stay close by. I know it is a hard thing to do…to spend time with a child you will be handing over to someone else to love and take care of. I looked her right in the eye and told her “You can change your mind, you can keep this baby.” “This is your decision, not mine, not the adoptive parents, not anyone’s…but yours”. “I am here for you if you decide to keep the baby”. She handed the baby back to me after a little while…”this is a hard decision, but I know it is the right decision”. She wanted me to hold the baby and rock him. She wanted to look at him, but holding him was just a little too much for her. So I held him…that warm precious bundle…and rocked him for a while.

The same night, the baby went with the adoptive family…he had to be transferred to a larger hospital and be placed in the NICU. He just struggled a bit and needed a little time to adjust to life outside of the womb…and he is fine now…home with two brothers and a Mom and Dad to love on him.

I went back to the hospital the next morning to take the birth-mom home…get her settled in to her apartment. As she was showering, I cleaned her apartment with some stuff I brought from home and went to the store to fill her prescriptions and get groceries. She does have family support, but I wanted to do these things for her. In case any of you are wondering, I don’t take any money for doing the counseling. I am not paid…by anyone. I guess I feel that the gift that my children’s birth-mom’s gave to me could never be repaid, but that by helping another birth-mom, in some way, I am doing something to help with crisis pregnancy…does that make sense? I will continue to meet with the birth-mom in this situation to make sure that she is taken care of and that all of her concerns are met. Also, just to be there if she needs a shoulder to cry on.

So there you go….my fried chicken project. A little wordy, and many details not revealed…but there it is. I didn’t share a lot to protect those who need confidentiality. I will share with you the sweet face that I got to see…the best part of the entire process…the baby…God’s creation. Isn’t he beautiful?

Thank you Lord for blessing me with this experience….and just think…the year isn’t over yet!

**edited** I just wanted to add that I am not writing this post for praise or to TOOT MY HORN.

God deserves all the glory. I was just His hands and feet. Believe me, if He can use a goofball like me, He can use you too. I wrote this post to encourage anyone who reads it to turn their lives over to Christ, to be open to what He has in store for you…at the fried chicken counter, the play park or at the dentist. You just never know when you will be called to do something BIG! But don’t be afraid, He will help you through it all, give you the words to use and will provide the resources…you just have to be WILLING.

Kristine

Favorite Forgotten Photo Friday ~ Part 2

2010-04-23T12:19:00.001-07:00

So WHERE have I been? It has been an extremely overwhelming and exciting week for me and I hope to reveal more details early next week. I will tell you it has everything to do with the fried chicken counter at the grocery store that I told you about a couple of months ago. I laughed when you all wondered if I was going to be selling fried chicken. A messy and greasy, yet yummy idea.

Ok…so quickly, because my time is really limited today, I wanted to share a few pictures from our trip to Disney a few years ago. This was at the Disney dance party… we had a blast. The kids look so little…Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kristine

Favorite Forgotten Photo Friday

2010-04-16T08:14:00.001-07:00

Try to say that one quickly 3 times.

I had to scan some things this morning and happened upon a picture taken by Camera Angles last year of The Cup that I don’t think that I have shared with you?

She wore one of the bonnets we purchased in Russia…my goodness she has changed. So here you go…my favorite forgotten photo of PB Cup.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

XXX,

Kristine

So how do you feed YOUR baby? Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T07:58:00.001-07:00

BURP!

Birthday Part II

2010-04-12T20:14:00.001-07:00

Sunday we celebrated PB Cup’s family birthday but today was her actual birthday so we baked a cake and had her favorite meal…spaghetti of course.

A few more pictures for you…

::Look Who’s 2!!! Picture Palooza Parade::

2010-04-12T11:25:00.001-07:00

So, is palooza a word?..probably not. But it had to be a “P” word and give the idea of a whole lotta pics. Here you go…my

PB Cup is TWO

and home for 1 year.

Please excuse the lack of makeup…I didn’t have any eye makeup on because my allergies are really bad this time of year. PB Patty took this picture.

Just what every 2 year old needs…a new car. She was so happy with her new little coupe.

As you can see, little PB Cup is doing great. We finally have some hair and now that she is 2, I think it will just keep coming??? That is what people have told me when they have had a child with hair like hers. She is so fun to have around and is talking up a storm. She can say so many words. She sleeps through the night and as you can see she has just about all of her teeth. She likes to eat and her dinner bell goes off at 5:00 every evening. If you don’t feed her quickly, she walks around the kitchen banging on the cupboard door saying “hungry!" “hungry!” “eat!”.

She also has a fascination with dogs. She will get so upset if she sees a dog walking by our house and the owner doesn’t stop to let her pet it. Jiff and I joke that if we had to ever leave her at a daycare, she would be happiest at a puppy daycare. Don’t worry, I would never do that. She really likes to feed our dogs by hand and takes them their water bowl often to make sure they get a drink.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!!

We LOVE YOU!!!

Picking my jaw up off the floor...

2010-04-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

and trying to process the recent news about the little boy being returned to Russia by his adoptive mother.

I have been "stewing my pot over the news" for several days now. I have read all of the blog listings in the sidebar that you have written and I have taken everything to heart. This morning I sat in church and was close to bursting out in tears for some of you who are waiting for court dates for your children...and for another couple who is there right now waiting for their 10 days following court to end. I am heartsick for you all and want you all to know that I am praying for each and every one of you as well as your beautiful children waiting for you to return. Praying for perseverance for each of you and for peace while you wait to hear what will come of all of this.

My prayers are also being lifted up for the little boy. As I watched the video of him in Moscow being whisked away in the car to go to the medical clinic for an exam after being dropped off by a stranger at the Ministry of Education with a note attached, I saw a little boy who has no clue of what has happened. He was mistreated by his biological mother who was an alcoholic, taken from her and placed in an orphanage, adopted by another woman who would also abandon him...in the most terrible way a mother could...very cowardly and selfishly in my opinion. Some of you may say the boy was "disturbed" or who could she turn to?? Well, as a matter of fact, that child wasn't given much time to settle in and catch his breath. He is a CHILD who needed to be loved and cared for...not sent back to Russia as if he was a returnable good...

He will now be used by anti-adoption groups in Russia as their poster child to try to prevent future adoptions of orphaned children by GOOD, LOVING American families. What this one woman in Tennessee did was harmful not only to this child, but to all of the orphaned babies, children and teenagers who are left in the system and all of the beautiful families who are left waiting...wondering. How could she? I know that some adoptions are not able to work out and that the children and the parents don't always get what they "expected". But honestly, what do we expect from children? They are placed into our arms to care for, to love and to raise with the very best of our ability....our GOD-given ability. They are not placed in our arms to be forsaken. If you are not able to care for them properly, then you should disrupt the adoption and allow the child to go to a family who can provide for them the way they need to be provided for...not put them on a plane with a note taped to them...honestly, what is this world coming to?

This morning as I was headed into the sanctuary, I stopped to give a special person a hug and someone standing by her told me that he had been thinking about my family this week with all of the news coming from Russia. I was really touched. He is such a nice man and our family is very fond of him...I know he didn't mean ANY harm by his next statement..."now, you all haven't had that kind of trouble with YOUR children, have you?" Frankly, I was stumped...and I responded quickly with "My children are perfect". And in my eyes they are. I suddenly grew a very hairy fur coat and my claws started to grow...I became Momma Bear. Every now and then I transform to this creature...Momma Bear. Do you know her? I went on after the "transformation" to say..."That poor boy should have never been sent back" "The woman was not equipped to parent him and that what she did was so terrible...tragic" and "that there are plenty of good loving families who would have scooped up that child and loved him with everything they had, provided the very best counseling for him" The woman next to me said..."I would have taken him in a heartbeat" and you know...she would have. That's why I think she is special. So anyway, my point is not that this man was trying to be hateful, because he truly cares and I am not going to hold anything against him by what he said...but I do know that some people out there will side with the adoptive mother (if you can call her a mother...I think that title should be stripped of her...I don't feel she deserves to be called his mother) on this...and will think that older children are not worthy of being adopted or that all orphans have got "issues". I am here to say that this simply IS NOT TRUE. Sometimes love isn't enough for a child...but they are CHILDREN. You are the parent. You have to be wise enough to get them the help that they need. You have to intervene with any measures it takes to help YOUR child to be successful in life...and sometimes that is hard...well, who said parenting is EASY?!!! It's not. It is not easy...and it doesn't ever seem to get easier. No child is easy...whether you birth in your womb or you birth them in your heart...they simply are not easy. They are complex human beings that are created by God...just like you and me. I personally am not an easy person to live with...just ask my husband. God forbid he would ship me off with a note attached sometime..."this woman is crazy and I simply cannot live with her any longer"...LOL. Now, I will say that if he shipped me to an island with one of my BFF's that would be ok...for a little while anyway LOL. Sorry, got a little off topic there...Parenting is only possible with the help of God. He gives us our abilities and he helps us all through our troubled times. I am happy to say that two of my children know Him personally and He already lives in their hearts...and I hope and pray that the other two will also know Him. Speaking of forsaken...the Bible tells us that God "will never leave you or forsake you". He would never send us back with a note attached saying "I simply cannot parent this child". And I know some of us are pretty difficult children...

I am not trying to make light of a very heavy subject, just trying to get all of my thoughts, feelings and truly my anger out. Blogging is very therapeutic. Many of you who left me kind comments and "followed" may change your minds after reading this...all 12 of you LOL. I guess after adopting 3 times and giving birth once...and losing my own mother to cancer, and, and, and...well, life just isn't easy and I am so sad that this woman gave up so easily on this boy...this child who had no one. Now he will be Russia's media darling for a while...until he is old news. He will be placed back in a system that didn't want him to begin with. He will be treated just as he was before...hopefully smiled upon and treated kindly in the over-populated orphanage system and well...honestly, forgotten...and then when he is 16 or 17 years old, he will be given a pat on the back and a goodbye from that system and will be placed out on the street to continue to try to figure out life on his own...in a country that is already very difficult to make it as a young adult. My soul aches for this child. Am I being a pessimist? maybe. Am I being a realist...probably. I hope that all of you will join me in prayer for this child. I hope and pray that God would use his life in a better way than I have spoken of today.

Ok...so that is what I wanted to get out. Again, I am praying for you all...those of you who have been waiting for so long to have a child in your arms and especially those who are so close...sending hugs to you.

And one final note...if you have children at home who you have adopted from Russia...guard their precious ears from all of this. Reassure them if they have heard this news that you would never do such a thing and that this woman was not a fit parent...that she had no right to parent this child. Tell them again and again that you love them...that you will not forsake them...and if a kid on the playground tells them that their parent is going to send them back to Russia ...well, for goodness sakes...give them permission to punch them in the nose...just be prepared to visit the principal if you do.

Kristine

Thank you!

2010-04-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

I know many of you left comments regarding wanting to know who reads my blog. I just want to say thank you for making me feel very loved! I feel the same about all of you. As many of you probably guessed, I was trying to get a few lurkers to speak up...but didn't have any results there. I have some frequent visitors who would like to remain invisible and that is ok...I would just love to know who you are...especially with posting regularly about my children. But that IS the internet...you just never know. So I just pray that you are very kind people who just like to read my random posts.

Kristine

I'd love to know who reads my blog...

2010-04-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

So if you stop by regularly...please, would you mind leaving a comment or clicking the FOLLOW button. I don't like the term FOLLOW, but I don't think it is changeable...just think of it as following along for the ride? Anyway, some of you get bored of me and you can always UNFOLLOW later...it is not set in stone. It just helps me to know who is out there. If you don't have a blogger account, it is easy to get one. And if you still don't want to get one, please just leave me a comment letting me know you are out there. I love to read what you have to say...well as long as it is nice anyway. My tracker tells me the cities you are from and many other things as well but I would love to see your smiling face! Don't be shy.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Kristine

Favorite Photo Friday:: Marshmallow

2010-04-09T09:01:00.001-07:00

****SHE GOT ADOPTED**** YEAH!!! I am happy and sad too, and I just hope she got a good home****

Am I stupid for longing for this dog? I have been staring at her picture for a couple of weeks now. If any of you are in Oklahoma and would like to have a beautiful dog…please go and adopt her. She and her siblings are at Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue in OKC. They were a litter who grew older than the breeder wanted and couldn’t be sold. She is only 6-7 months old. Just look at her beautiful sweet face. If you adopt her, please let me know. I may need to make a trip and pick her up…my husband would KILL me. sigh. Maybe the Schuur’s need a dog to lick their sweet new baby girl they will be bringing home soon from Russia?

Ducks In A Row…

2010-04-08T07:36:00.001-07:00

Whenever I take all 4 children to the grocery store it is an experience of a lifetime…Every. Time.

I’ll never forget when Jiff was around 4 or 5 and we went to the store. There were just 2 kids at that time and it was challenging. I had just put PB Cup in the cart and we began making our way through several people to get into the main part of the store…all of a sudden Jiff yells out…”Mom, look out or you’ll hit that old lady!” Well, the elderly lady standing near us (who I was no way, no how going to hit) looked at me with this ugly look on her face…I guess she didn’t think she was as old as Jiff thought she was! At the time, I was humiliated and felt terrible for this person…and for myself :S. I just said “I am so sorry”, quickly and proceeded as quickly as I could to get away from her. I mean…there was really no explaining my way out of that one…how would you?

So moving forward to yesterday…now the number of children had doubled. Let me just explain my process when we I am at the store with all 4. Number 1: Stay focused and know exactly what you are there for. Number 2: Never stray from your list or elongate the shopping experience in any way. Number 3: Threaten them. Number 4: Threaten them. (did I mention that already)Number 5: Always tell them how you expect them to act in the store. Number 6: Set up a procedure of where everyone will stand in relation to Momma while walking through the store. Number 7: No head locking each other. Ok, so you get the point. But the number one rule is that the kids (minus PB Cup who is sitting in the cart buckled) have to walk like ducks in a row behind me…tallest to shortest. That way we don’t take up an entire aisle. Yeah, sure, the head locks, finger jabs and tickling still occur, but they tend to stay in the line…well, usually. And most of the time, I am moving so quickly that I don’t turn around to see it and if I do…well, then we go back to number 3 or 4…Threaten them. You probably get the picture by now.

So we finished our shopping without anyone tipping over the cart this time, no tears, blood or apparent injury and everyone seemed to be in a somewhat happy mood including myself that the shopping trip was somewhat uneventful….and then….

I handed each of the children a grocery bag to help carry to the car. Jiff got the gallon of milk, PB Patty a bag of somewhat heavier items and then Skippy was handed the baguette loaf of bread. “Please don’t drop this” I said handing it to him. “Hold it gently and please don’t drop the bread” I said again almost begging. I turned to get PB Cup out of the cart and then turned back around to leave the store. By this time, Skippy was about 15 feet in front of me heading towards the door. “Clear the Way!” He was saying. “Clear the Way!” he yelled again….oh. my. goodness. He was marching out the door as if he was leading a band in a parade….arms bent and out to his sides…using the baguette as a baton…stomping his feet..”Clear the Way!” stomp stomp “Clear the Way!” only turning just slightly to see himself in the television screen and smile at himself. I was too far away to grab him. People were turning and looking at the child drum major and smiling…some stopping to watch him. So Jiff and PB Patty and PB Cup and I followed right after him out the door…quickly…just like ducks in a row….in a parade. We giggled all the way to the car.

I think 4 kids has lightened me up a little and I have learned that sometimes, you have to be the duckling and let them be the Momma duck clearing the way.

I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Kristine

Gotcha Day!

2010-04-05T11:34:00.001-07:00

One year ago today we were in Murom, Russia picking up our little sweetie pie. It is hard to believe that it has already been one year…and she will be 2 soon! Here are a few pictures from Gotcha Day last year…

and her first bath…

And here are a few shots of her Easter egg hunting yesterday….don’t you think she has changed a little?

We just adore this sweet little girl!

Kristine

Lots and Lots and Lots of Things!

2010-03-31T11:01:00.001-07:00

1. First I would like to tell you all about my friend Tish who is in Haiti right now on a medical missions trip. We had lunch together (she is the one in the middle) the day before she left and I had to remind her to pack toilet paper! Can you imagine???

Here is the update forwarded to me from the gal (Chelle) on the other side of Tish this morning…

It’s been so busy!!!! I have been seeing about 100 patients a day.... a 15 yr old boy and 16 yr old girl running 106 fever.I had been trying to get it down all day while trying to see other patients, had a little boy whose toe was almost off screaming as I tried to fix it, a child who had an infection that has caused her to go blind, etc etc. and that was just today! I better go but please continue to pray for knowledge and safety we were under gunfire two nights ago while outside. Alot of people suffering!!!!! Thanks so much for everything
Love ya,
Tish

So needless to say…Please, please, please pray for Tish. She is young and needs our prayers.

2. Thank you also Amy, Ondrea and Tiffany for responding about my BEACH vacation! Yes, this is my first time to the Florida Panhandle and I cannot wait!!! If you think of anything else, please let me know.

3. Also, just want to mention that the Oklahoma Sooners girls’ basketball team made it to the final 4!!! Yahooooo. And a picture to celebrate:

4. The weather here has been BEEEEEUATIFUL! Yahhooooo!

5. I am going to run a 2 mile run on Saturday with my sweet friend Randa and am looking forward to that. Will also be running a 10K in May and that is something I am getting ready for. 2 miles is really no trouble, but the 10 K will be another story. I have run one before and didn’t even lose any weight! This time I am hoping to train harder, run faster and shed some lbs.

6. Shedding pounds doesn’t include these cookies….

that I made for Skippy’s preschool Easter party today. Good thing there weren’t very many left over…just the JESUS letters…I wonder why no one wanted to eat those? We didn’t have a problem finishing them off after lunch..ha.

7. Which leads me to my next topic…Easter Sunday. I don’t even know what my kids are going to wear! It’s a crime. I think PB Patty has a new dress in her closet somewhere…but I don’t think my kids are going to match this year and this really bothers me…really. bothers. me. Anyone else have this disease?

8. Ok…the most important thing of all…tomorrow is APRIL FOOL’s DAY!

and I need ideas!!! Every year

someone pulls a fast one on me

and this year..I want to get my

kids good…and especially my

husband…so PLEASE share!

ok…so leave me a whole bunch of comments and tell me some…don’t hold back!!!

Kristine

Panama City Beach…what’s there to do?

2010-03-28T16:29:00.001-07:00

We are headed to the BEACH this summer!!!! I cannot wait. Did I say…I cannot WAIT??!!! We are of course taking our clan and another family who is VERY fun is heading down there with us. The beach house is booked and now we just need to know…what do we do for fun? This is of course other than…laying on the beach, building sand castles, burying people in the sand…etc., etc. I would love to hear from anyone who has been to this neck of the woods…or should I say….this neck of the beach…can you tell I am giddy?

Don’t be shy…let’s hear it. We will have 4 adults and 8 kids aged 1 to 17.

Black and White Wednesday

2010-03-24T07:41:00.001-07:00

About 7 years ago this time of year we were travelling to Izhevsk, Russia to meet a little baby who we were hoping would be our daughter. God was so good to us and our dream for a little girl became real…

These were the first photos we received of her sweet face…

and now she is even sweeter…

Kristine…joining in with Lisa for Black and White Wednesday.

http://thelongroadtochina.blogspot.com

Thank You Lord for Our Food

2010-03-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

Prior to eating at our house, we always pray and thank the Lord for our food. Little PB Cup is getting the hang of it and she clutches her sweet little palms together with inter-locking fingers and bows her head....peeking over her hands with eyes wide open....waiting for someone to start praying so that she can dive into her food like a flying squirrel.

When Jiff prays...

"Lord, thank you for this food. Thank you Lord for this day and help us to be good tonight" ;)
He usually also adds in prayer for someone to feel better, the people in Haiti and is usually very thoughtful.

When PB Patty prays...

"Dear Lord, help us to have a good night, thank you for our food, Amen." short and sweet. She is always hungry and ready to eat. NO messing around.

And when Skippy prays...

"Lord, we like the food, we like our family and we LOVE Jesus, oh and Amen". Aren't 5 year olds great?

So how do you pray?

Survivor: NO computer ISLAND

2010-03-18T12:05:00.001-07:00

I survived. I missed you all terribly and I want to thank you…all of you who left me the sweetest comments and sent the nicest emails. I just got my computer back yesterday and have been sifting through many, many pages of emails and reconfiguring everything on the computer…downloading new programs and old ones that I liked. It is such a project. Thankfully, the computer guy was able to save all of our pictures and some music from the old harddrive. Everything should be back to normal now? ha.

Well, as far as an update. I’m still trying to lose weight. I think this will truly be my life story unless I truly decide to be more focused and disciplined. My dog is still in the closet..she is not healing as quickly as we hoped but she thinks she is ready to chase squirrels so that is a bit trying for us all.

Jiff celebrated his 10th birthday. I can’t believe I have a child with double digits. He is an amazing kid. His basketball team won their league tournament and they had to work VERY hard to do it too. The last game of the tournament was a nail biter. They had an undefeated season. Now that basketball season is over, Jiff is getting ready for baseball season. Is it just me or do all 10 year olds have to make noise every waking minute?

PB Patty is starting to compete in gymnastics level 3 AAU (for those of you who have girls in gymnastics) and is doing really well. She has placed second in both her first and second meets on the bars. Truly amazing what these girls can do at their age. Many, many hours spent at the gym. She will switch to the USAG or USGA ( i can’t remember :S ) this fall and compete level 4. Evidently, the scoring system is tougher. All I care about is that she has fun..because no parent in their right mind should encourage this much gym time if their child doesn’t like it…its just too expensive! She has the sweetest group of girls that she competes with and a really great group of Moms to support them so that makes it nice for me as well. We are getting ready for girls’ softball as well…it is going to be a busy spring.

Skippy is getting ready for Kindergarten Roundup next week. Kinder is all day here and the Roundup is done by his future teacher. They quiz him on numbers, letters and shoe tying, shapes, colors and his address, etc. He should do great with all but the shoe tying…I don’t know if he will ever be able to do this…thank goodness for velcro skechers. Every day he has been writing his alphabet, 1-20, his full name and address, phone number. We also bought a workbook at Borders Books that he really enjoys working on with dot-dot pages, color by number and alphabet worksheets. In addition to Kinder preparations, he is signed up for T-ball for this spring which should be really fun.

PB Cup is just as cute as usual. She is so fun and seems to be spoiled rotten frankly. She captures the attention of those around her easily and likes to be doing whatever her brothers and sister are doing. She yearns to go outside and gets really ticked off if they get to go out and she doesn’t. It’s still a little chilly here…with a few warmer days now and then. She is a trooper with as much car napping as she has to do. She spends a lot of time watching everyone else do their thing. Yes, her hair is growing…although slowly. I can’t believe it has been almost 1 year since she came home. She will be 2 soon!

And since I haven’t posted in a while, here are some more pics of my kiddos.

I can’t wait to catch up on all of your blogs and your families. I know some of you have just gotten referrals and some of you are travelling soon for court and am excited to read more!

Hugs to all of you!!!! Mwah, Mwah!

Oh, I almost forgot…we are planning a trip to Panama City Beach the last week in July…any recs on vacation homes? Talk to you all soon!!!

Kristine

Hello there...

2010-02-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

My computer is giving me trouble, my kids are SO busy, my dog is still residing in my closet and I am so sick of winter I can't stand it.

I know I haven't blogged in a while....and I miss you all, but until my computer stays consistently up and running...I am going to take a little break for a while.

Hugs and sweet thoughts of spring to you all,

Kristine

The Next Survivor Series

2010-02-11T10:40:00.001-08:00

I got this via email today from a dear friend…I am sure you all can relate…only some of you will need to add a kid or two ;)

THE
NEXT SURVIVOR
SERIES

Six married men
will be dropped on an island with one car and
3 kids each for six weeks.
Each kid will play two sports
and take either music or dance classes.
There is no fast food.
Each man must
take care of his 3 kids;

keep his assigned house clean,
correct all homework,

complete science projects,
cook,

do laundry,

and pay a list of 'pretend' bills
with not enough money.
In
addition, each man
will have to budget in money
for groceries each week.
Each man
must remember the birthdays
of all their friends and relatives,
and send cards out on time--no emailing.
Each man must also take each child

to a doctor's appointment,
a dentist appointment
and a haircut appointment.
He must make one unscheduled and
inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.
He must also make cookies or cupcakes
for a social function.
Each man will be responsible for
decorating his own assigned house,

planting flowers outside, and keeping it

presentable at all times.
The men will only have access to television
when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.
The men must shave their legs,
wear makeup daily,
adorn
themselves with jewelry,
wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes,
keep fingernails polished,
and eyebrows groomed
During one of the six weeks,
the men will have to endure severe

abdominal cramps, back aches, head aches,
have extreme, unexplained mood swings

but never once complain or slow down
from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings and
church,

and find time at least once to spend

the afternoon at the park or a similar
setting.
They will need to read a book to the kids
each night and in the morning,
feed them,

dress them,
brush their teeth and
comb their hair

by 7:00 am.
A test
will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be
required to know all of the following information:
each child's
birthday,
height, weight,
shoe size, clothes size,
doctor's name,
the child's weight at birth,
length, time of birth,
and length of labor,
each child's favorite color,
middle name,
favorite snack,
favorite song,
favorite drink,
favorite toy,
biggest fear,

and what they want to be when they grow up.
The kids vote them off the island based on performance.

The last man wins only if...
he still
has enough energy
to be intimate with his spouse
at a moment's
notice.
If the last man does win,
he can play the game over and over and over
again for the next 18-25 years,
eventually earning the right
to be called Mother!

After you get done laughing,
send this to as many females as
you think will get a kick out of it and
as many men as you think can handle it.
Just don't send it back to me....

I'm going to bed.

LOL, Kristine

Double Dog Dare Ya Fitness Friday

2010-02-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

(This is NOT my dog)

Ok...thank you to all of you for your supportive comments from yesterday's post...today is a NEW day.

So...it's time to do Fitness Friday!!!

Here's your dare:

30 times up and down your stairs
25 real situps (I orig. put pushups...I think I have gone crazy)
50 wall pushups

This is all in addition to whatever your regular workout routine is...
Remember, a dare cannot involve a treadmill, eliptical, etc.

I will do my dare this afternoon...I have GOT to get out of the house and get groceries this morning...

Leave a dare for me in the comments section and I will add that to my list!

Happy Friday!

Kristine

Is that a dog in your closet?

2010-02-04T12:03:00.001-08:00

Why yes, it is.

Wanna know what I’ve been up to?

Well, since you said “yes”, I will tell you.

Our sweet doggy, Belle, who is half lab/half border collie…you know…the “free” dog you get in the paper…tore her hind leg ligament and meniscus and had surgery two days ago. She is 9 years old and still a puppy at heart so we went ahead and threw down for the surgery. I know some would have just taken her out back and shot her or just left her with 3 legs…but, well, we love her and couldn’t see her suffer. In addition, our little westie, Flower (because she is as pretty as), has had “issues” that are resolving, but they require 3 pills a day and cream on her butt…how’s that sound?

So what do you have to do for your big doggy you ask?

Well, she is only allowed to take 1-2 steps at a time for the next 2 weeks. She hates to be pinned up, so we set up a little fort in our walk in closet for her. Every 2-3 hours, I have to carry her down our long hallway, down the front stairs and out to the sideyard so that she can do her business. Yes, carry her….all 60 pounds of her. My back aches. She is doped up too because she would go INSANE in the closet if we didn’t do a little sedation…not a lot….just a little… so she is totally dead weight. How on earth will I do this for 2 weeks? I don’t know. I need a little sedation myself. It is hard to go anywhere because we are afraid she will try to jump the baby gate in front of the closet entrance and make a run for it and injure herself… and honestly, we have made too many trips to the veterinarian lately.

In addition to all of this, it snowed again today…thankfully most of it melted when it hit the ground.

I feel like a caged rat. I have watched HGTV most of the day and have been hoping someone would come and do my laundry, cook supper and clean my house. I need a wife. I don’t drink (that’s a whole ‘nother post), but am thinking of taking it up as a hobby.

Oh and did I mention that big doggy has just gotten diarrhea? yes…isn’t that glorious.

Anyone else having a pity party today?

Kristine

Black and White Wednesday

2010-02-03T09:28:00.001-08:00

Well, my sweet friend Carolina Girl at http://andemmamakes5.blogspot.com got me hooked on Black and White Wednesday. The pictures are just beautiful and making them black and white really adds another depth to the picture. I decided today that I would participate so here goes…

Peanut Butter Cup is one of my favorite picture taking victims. I think she just gets tired of me following her around with the camera sometimes and she has definitely learned how to turn on the “cheese”. Yesterday as she was having her afternoon snack at the kitchen table, the sun was shining down on her and I couldn’t resist.

She has an “outie” and she likes to press her “button” several times throughout the day…making sure it is still there. Sometimes at night, she will suck her thumb with one hand and hold onto her outie with the other….it is really too much. Can you tell she makes my heart flutter? It is hard to believe that this time last year we were travelling back and forth to Russia in the process of going to court and trying to get her home. My how time flies.

I hope you will go over to http://thelongroadtochina.blogspot.com and see all of the beautiful black and white photos that have been posted. You will really enjoy them. And make sure you visit Carolina Girl’s post too to see a really pretty picture of St. Basil.

Kristine

Hey all you Moms of 4 or more...need car advice.

2010-02-02T10:14:00.001-08:00

So what do you drive? We are researching now...and hopefully buying after tax return. Gimme all the scoop.

Snow Day

2010-02-02T10:13:00.001-08:00

Well, I am a little late posting this as our official Snow Day was last Friday. It has been so crazy around here. Both of our dogs have needed special attention. Our little dog’s patootie sac ruptured (I just can’t talk about it…it’s so gross) for the second time :S and our big doggy’s hind leg ligament tore…she is having surgery today. We really should have signed up for pet insurance. Ho hum. What else would we spend our money on anyways? (with a smirk on my face) In addition, I myself have been limping around. Too much Bollywood dance exercise going on over here at my house. You would be amazed at what those ladies can do. I have to do the exercises by myself because most of the time I am laughing at myself. I think I worked my hip a little too much on one of the shimmys.

My “fried chicken project” is coming along. God is definitely working…and using me. Just stretching me a little out of my comfort zone, but He is providing so things are good. Not quite ready to release the details…but I am NOT selling fried chicken…no one would buy my fried chicken anyway. ha.

Enough about me. I know it has been a few days since you have seen pictures of my kids and you are all probably just dying out there :D so I thought I would post a couple of them playing in the snow…minus PB Cup…just not ready for her to get out there and play in it yet.

It was a beautiful snow fall. I went to the store and parked as far from the door as I could (can you believe it???) and as I walked I looked up and just let the large snowflakes hit my face. It felt so good. There was no wind, just large snowflakes coming down.

Hope you are all having a great week. If you want to check out more outdoor picture posts, hop on over to Susan’s at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com and check them out…these ladies are equipped with high power cameras and an amazing eye for a GREAT photograph.

Kristine

Fit Friday Comeback...ha. I double dog dare ya!

2010-01-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine and I have been playing a little exercise dare game. This is in addition to whatever you have worked out that day on the hamster mill or outside or at the YMCA.

I email her or she emails me and we dare each other to do different exercises. Whatever you dare can't involve a treadmill or other equipment. You also have to complete your dare.

I just emailed her and dared her to:

walk up and down her stairs 20 times (up and down equals 1)
do 50 wall pushups
hold the pike position for 4 - 30 second intervals
do 30 jumping jacks
10 situps (full situps....not crunches)

again...this shouldn't be your only workout for the day, but icing on the cake so to speak.

Does anyone want to play along?

I could post a dare and you could dare me back in the comments section...

anyone interested? let me know...

Kristine

Favorite Faces

2010-01-28T11:42:00.001-08:00

Grandma’s antique hat collection came in handy…

If you want to see more vintage items, head over to http://coloradolady.blogspot.com

and see all the links that were posted today…many wonderful vintage finds! and the nicest ladies in blogland.

Kristine

Do you think she is 38?

2010-01-26T11:56:00.001-08:00

probably not…BUT

she is my motivation for working out…just found her today on the Lands End swimsuit site

It's Biggest Loser night!

Nothing Crafty Today…

2010-01-26T06:26:00.001-08:00

but you have got to go and check out new blog friend, Leah’s, blog. She does a blog carnival every Tuesday called Toot Your Horn Tuesday and you can show off your crafty creations. She posted a little video today in honor of all of our craftiness and you won’t want to miss it…so go on over there now and watch it…you will be glad you did! Thank you Leah for sharing this hilarious video! Laughter is good. I think many of us could use a little more of it.

http://www.sillylittlesparrow.com

Kristine

Why Am I Playing This Song? (not playing any more)

2010-01-25T19:38:00.000-08:00

because it was on my musical birthday card... the front pictured a cake with MANY candles.

FUNNY?

Yes, I think so LOL.

I may be getting older, but I can still take a joke. "I fell in to a burning ring of fire...I fell down, down, down and the flames were getting higher...and it burned, burned, burned...the ring of fire...the ring of fiiiiiiire." :D lots of candles...

Lazy Days of Winter

2010-01-25T16:54:00.001-08:00

Blog for Family In Haiti

2010-01-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com

A fellow blogger gave me this information to pass along to a friend. I have really enjoyed reading from a family who is truly doing God's work in Haiti right now. I hope you will also enjoy following along.

Thank you Crystal!

Kristine

Does Anyone Know....

2010-01-24T11:08:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who is a nurse and is single...she feels that God is calling her to go to Haiti. She is researching a good group to go with so that she will be safe and have supplies that are needed to really make a difference. Are there any recommendations out there? Please don't be shy....I would love to share with her if you know of a good group.

Thank you,

Kristine

Haitian Orphans…Are you interested?

2010-01-21T11:41:00.001-08:00

I am sure there are many organizations who are working on this, but this is the one that I found out about today. I wanted to post this for those of you who may be interested in helping out…whether it be adoption or donation.

Kids In Distress

Email: TiffaniDhooge@kidsindistress.org

Email she sent a fellow yahoo group member…
At this point, we are collecting information from every interested party
and submitting that information to the State of Florida. If you are
interested in being included in this database, please let me know:... See More

Name... See More
Phone
Email
City/State/County you reside in
Creole speaking? French?
Do you need financial assistance?
Stay at home mother?
Foster Parent? If so, with what agency?
I look forward to hearing from you and THANK YOU for your dedication to
Kids in Distress!!!

Tiffani Dhooge
Director of Community Outreach
Kids in Distress
(954) 390-7654, 1335
(954) 567-5515 FAX
819 NE 26 Street, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

"I want to name her Ducky"

2010-01-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I have shared this story with many of you, but all throughout PB Cup's adoption, Peanut Butter Patty kept saying she wanted to name her little sister Ducky. Of course we said, "probably not going to happen"..."you can call her that for a nickname, but we really don't plan to use that as her name..." and then of course we turned it around when she insisted and asked her "would you want your name to be Ducky?"

This went on for several months.

Finally, after getting the referral for PB Cup we travelled to Russia to meet her.

We knew she was the one by her little outfit (among many other things). Would you believe it had ducklings on it?

God is so humorous. So much pleasure in these little things...

Kristine

Last Year At This Time….

2010-01-20T06:18:00.001-08:00

We were headed to Russia to meet PB Cup. This is the Baby Home in Murom, Russia where she lived. Look at the large icicles hanging from the rooftop! Here are a few shots of the playground and the piles of snow… And a picture of the darling little playhouse in the playground…with a little girl waiting for her Momma to come… Our little PB Cup was waiting inside for us…just a little dumplin’!I’d say it was definitely love at first sight for me…look at how she studied my face…

I can’t believe a year has gone by and we have her at home with us. Adoption is a wonderful thing and we are so blessed. God’s plans are perfect.

I am linking this to Outdoor Wednesday so that I can share my Russian photos with them. Please go over and visit Susan at

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com

to see more Outdoor Wednesday posts.

Kristine

I Love You More Than Peanut Butter

Come On Over...

I Get To Be the One...warm wonderful memories

My Very First Giveaway...Come check it out!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

Preschool, Dance and Gymnastics..OH MY!

Hey ya big loser...where ya been?

Pictures, Pictures and More Pictures!

I was featured at We Are Grafted In!

So What Tricks Are You Going to Play On Your Kids Today?

From Potty Training to Back Hand Springs

Kitchen Before and After Pics!

I hope I am as good a mother...

Unable to forget the orphans' cries

There will be one less orphan

Can you believe we met her 2 years ago?

I just wanted to let you know...

Duck, Duck…GOOSE! Outdoor Wednesday

Finally, Some Updates!

***Happy New Year***

Well, hello there!

It's beginning...

Hey Y'All! Remember this?

Our November Orphan Ministry Project: An Orphan's Wish

Nov. 7th Orphan Sunday

Pumpkin Palooza

Harvest Party 2010

This is for all you Mizzou fans out there…

Favorite Photos Friday

Would you just smile for the camera ALREADY?!

JJ Heller - What Love Really Means (Official Music Video)

Morning Routine…

***edited***can anyone help with a translation?

{Home 18 Months}

G is for …

Favorite Photos Friday

Have Ya'll Seen This? Really Funny!

Well, really no news…but some news?

Just Call Me Brett Favre

PLEASE go vote for my DOGGY!!!

Back to School

Easy Button

San Antonio Vacation 2010

Hey all you Alias fans…

So, What Up?

ok, ok…I know I haven’t posted in almost a month…but watch this…

Mulberry Tree?

The Great Lakes…Mackinaw Island

Let the Games Begin Part 2

{Wordless Wednesday} Summer…Let the Games Begin

Funny Friday…Swagger Wagon

One Million Arrows…Shaping Our Children to Be Arrows for Christ

Sweet Sunday Shoot

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes

Bikini Challenge…go ahead…laugh if you must.

Pink Peonypalooza

10k and 2 Mile Run…We did it!!!

{TISSUE PAPER POMS: Finally…some directions!}

One Million Arrows

{Weekend Photo Shoot}

10k Training Update

Black and White Wednesday

“No thank you, I just need some fried chicken”.

Favorite Forgotten Photo Friday ~ Part 2

Favorite Forgotten Photo Friday

So how do you feed YOUR baby? Wordless Wednesday

Birthday Part II

::Look Who’s 2!!! Picture Palooza Parade::

Picking my jaw up off the floor...

Thank you!

I'd love to know who reads my blog...

Favorite Photo Friday:: Marshmallow

Ducks In A Row…

Gotcha Day!

Lots and Lots and Lots of Things!

Panama City Beach…what’s there to do?

Black and White Wednesday

Thank You Lord for Our Food

Survivor: NO computer ISLAND

Hello there...

Happy New Year

editedcan anyone help with a translation?