Tuesday Tidbits

That's right.  I titled this post Tuesday Tidbits.  I know there are many of you who use cute and clever titles like "Miscellaneous Monday" and such, but since today is Tuesday and all I've got is tidbits, that is what I went with.  :)

1.  Look at this awesome picture Magy made.  I happen to love the sticker placed on each animals face.  She is a genius!

Two-second detour...  As I mentioned in my previous post, I am working to clean our home out and up.  Our biggest issue, by far, is paper!  We have paper everywhere.  But, I AM working on it.  I have corralled all of Magy's and Rory's art (minus coloring sheets, as I don't save every single one of those) into two medium size Rubbermaid containers.  So far, this works for me.  However, I realize that one day I may have to do something else (for example, make a photo book of some of the less sentimental/special pictures), which makes me a teeny bit sad...  We should probably file that subject under "Another post for another day!"

2.  We gave Magy a ball pit her first Christmas home from ET.  She was one year and five days old.  The ball pit was inflatable, looked like a gumball machine, and played a little tune every time a "gum" ball rolled out.  Super cute!  Sadly, it is no longer with us, as it was deflated beyond repair.  No worries, though - I purchased a cheap cost-effective plastic pool and poured those little puppies right in.  Works pretty well, if you ask me.  Here is what M and R thought.

3.  I might be am obsessed with The Hunger Games!  I do realize that I am a little late to the party.  I am halfway through Catching Fire.  I will say this as nicely as possible - Don't you dare say a. single. word. to me about what happens.  If you do, I will most likely hurt you in some way!  I am buying this as soon as I finish book three.

(It is available here:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/92500435/gold-mockingjay-and-katniss-quote-shirt.  I know you are going to want it, too.  But, please, let me get it first.  Thank you!)

4.  I am going to be working on filling in my sidebars and such very soon.  I will add my friends' blogs and update the other spaces, too.  I promise I haven't forgotten about you!

5.  I will leave you with this.  It may have replaced "Put on your big girl panties" as my favorite expression.  Just saying.

(as seen here)

6.  Finally, please be sure to check back.  There just may be a giveaway pretty soon!  :)

Hoarders

As at seems almost everyone else is, I am working to declutter/streamline/simplify our lives.  (I am obviously NOT working to simplify my description of this ordeal, but I digress...)  In fact, I have some posts rolling around in my head about the methods I am using and the progress I am making, but that shall wait for another day.

With that said, I AM getting rid of stuff.  Some items are hard for me to part with, but seeing as how I don't want to end up like my friends on Hoarders, I am letting.  things.  go.  But, I am definitely taking pictures first!  Don't judge.  A tiny computer file doesn't take up much space, you know. 

Here are a couple of random things I have parted with:

Yes, I realize that this is a picture of baby fingernail clippers.  But, this is the VERY first item we purchased for Baby Dearman.  We were in the beginning stages of our Ethiopia paper chase, and started buying a few things here and there - things that any baby would need.  These were purchased at Kroger in the Druid Hills shopping center next door to our apartment in Atlanta.  We actually bought two - one for us and one for our House of Hope donation bin.  Sadly, these are now broken.  After two-and-a-half years of clipping tiny nails, they fell apart in my hand.  So sad.  But, I bought new ones and Target, and these are gone.

(Side note - Thanks to my sweet husband, who served as my lovely hand model and didn't even make fun of me for taking the picture.)

These are a pair of brown pants from Baby Gap.  My Mom gave them to Magy shortly after we arrived home from ET, along with a fuchsia pair that Rory still wears.  These were purged for two simple reasons:

1.  They were stained beyond repair.  (See above picture for evidence.) 

**  Also, the boo-tay was just a tad threadbare.  As in, you might have been able to see which Sesame Street character was gracing the bottom of a certain little girl.  BUT, these pants were so, so cute and comfortable!  **

2.  Who knows if/when anyone living in this house will wear size 6-12 months again.  (I can tell you this, the four people currently in this house do not have to worry about that problem.) 

Anywho, that is my random for right now.  In the future, this could serve as the introduction to my book - How to Prevent Dr. Robin Zasio and Matt Paxton from Knocking on Your Door.  Just sayin'.

BTW - I have NO idea why my font and font size are not consistent throughout my post.  Whatever.

BTW #2 - I love comments.  Please, leave me some love!

Three Years

Three years ago today, we saw this beautiful face with huge brown eyes.

 Then, we saw this teeny, tiny body with kicking feet.

We waited nine months and eight days for that moment.  

It was worth it.  

Someone once told me that when we received our referral, we would forgot all about the wait.  For me, that is not the case.  I remember everything, and am pretty sure David does, too.  

The referral did not make us forget.  It helped us see why.  Why we waited.

We waited for this.

(Taken tonight with my iPhone)

A new post! (but not really...)

Well, hello!  Miss me much?  Nah, I didn't really think so.  Most likely, you either didn't  even know I had a blog, or it has been so long since I last posted, you forgot.  

Well, the times they are a-changin'!  One of my New Year's Plans (not resolutions, mind you!) is to blog more.  Actually, when you think about it, if I only post twice this year, I will have blogged "more."  That is just a little bit said!  My plan is to write at least two posts a month.  And, this one won't even count toward my January total...  You see, I just don't think it would be fair to label me sending you to a fun, precious giveaway on another person's blog as my own post!

So, getting to the point...  Head over to Will and Rebekah's  blog.  They are THIS close to heading to Ethiopia to meet their precious son Israel.  And, in the meantime, Rebekah is holding a fun giveaway.

Just look at this cute stuff!

 

Check it out here:

 

http://yestoadoption.blogspot.com/2012/01/oh-baby-giveaway.html

Okay.  That wasn't too painful.  Maybe tomorrow (or the next day!)  I will share the super fun surprise I had today!

One, well actually two, more things...  Look at these two!  I think it may be about time to update my header photos.

Why, yes.  M is folding a pair of Dora panties in the background.  You know how we do!

Finally, ROLL TIDE, baby!  Fourteen!  Haters always gonna hate, and say a different number, but we know the truth!

Hello and Welcome!

When I have mentioned to people that I was thinking about starting a blog, almost everyone encouraged me, saying things like “That will be fun!” or “No, it’s not hard!”  Now that I am finally working on my first post, I have to agree.  This will be fun.  And, so far, even a computer-challenged person like me hasn’t had to ask too many questions.

I want this blog to be a place to discuss lots of things.  A Preacher’s Wife-Suburban Mom’s Hodge-Podge, if you will.  I will write about family, work, play, homemaking, food, adoption, and really any other topic that may strike my fancy, whether it is Alabama football (Roll Tide!), the fact that I create random nicknames for famous people, or my love of Sonic Route 44 Vanilla Diet Cokes. 

With all of that said, this is a list of steps you  should  might take when starting a blog…

1.  Read  a few  hundreds  thousands of blog posts for almost four years.  (Most of what I read concerned adoption, specifically Ethiopian adoption, as my husband and I started our adoption process on August 18, 2007.)

2.  Think about how you should have a super cool blog.

3.  Start your adoption paperwork.

4.  Cry.

5.  Complete your adoption paperwork and have each document notarized, sealed, and authenticated. 

6.  Consider driving from your home in Georgia to St. Louis, Missouri, to hand-deliver dossier.

7.  Take a H.U.G.E. chill pill and say an even H.U.G.E.R. prayer and hand your dossier to the nice people at your local UPS Store.  (I need to add that he was the father of a precious teenage daughter from Vietnam, so he thought nothing of me  kissing the package goodbye  sobbing on the phone to David that it was done  wishing it luck.)

8.  Wait.

9.  Move back to Alabama.

10.  Think about how you should have a super cool blog.

11.  Wait some more.

12.  Cry some more.

13.  Wait even more.

14.  Receive referral of absolutely stunning six-week-old baby girl on January 30, 2009.

15.  Wait.  AGAIN.

16.  Receive word that your case has been put on an indefinite hold.

17.  Cry even more.

18.  Receive word that you have a court date.

19.  PASS COURT!

20.  Think about how you should have a super cool blog, too.

21.  Receive official word that you will be going to Ethiopia.

22.  Do nothing, thinking you have a nice three-week time frame in which to prepare.

23.  Have your husband surprise you at work with a phone call announcing that you will be leaving for Ethiopia in 60 hours.

24.  Go to Ethiopia and return eleven days later with above mentioned absolutely stunning baby girl.

25.  Think about how you should have a super cool blog.

26.  Love on your baby.

27.  Help your husband celebrate his 30^th birthday.

28.  Watch a lot of football.

29.  Celebrate an extra special 1^st birthday with the Yo Gabba Gabba gang.

30.  Celebrate Christmas.

31.  Decide you want another baby.

32.  Think about how you should have a super cool blog.

33.  Discover you are pregnant.

34.  Hold a Diet Coke funeral.

35.  Stay sick for an  eternity  fifteen weeks.  (FIFTEEN!)

36.  Feel better.

37.  Find out you are having a girl.

38.  Quit your job.

39.  Eat Sixlets by the handful.

40.  Announce that although you are two weeks early, you are ready for the baby to be out.

41.  Go into labor that afternoon.

42.  Have another absolutely stunning baby girl.

43.  Celebrate an extra special 2^nd birthday with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang.

44.  Celebrate Christmas.

45.  Have your husband apply for seminary.

46.  Have an extra talented friend design your blog.  (Please go see her at www.lambertslately.com AND www.sweetiebabysblogdesign.com.)

47.  Have your husband be accepted to seminary and receive several scholarships because he is so, so smart.

48.  Have your husband be appointed as the Pastor to a church full of sweet members.

49.  Enjoy your summer, even if it involves an unfortunate above-ground pool failure.

50.  Write your first blog post approximately 3 years after thinking about how you should have a super cool blog.

See, it really is THAT simple!  I hope you enjoyed that  short  long list. 

And, since this blog will be mostly about my family, I will come back and fully introduce us sometime later this week, as well as describe what I hope to discuss in the future.  In the meantime, here is a picture to hold you over.

P.S.  Don't act like like the baby doll playpen at your house doesn't hold your Tickle-Me-Elmo and  Dora Flashlight.

P.P.S.  Thanks for reading!  Please leave me a comment so I know you are out there!

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