9 months old

    

 

Pajama girl escapes again!

Change is Good

 

My very talented sister-in-law, Sarah, generously donated her time and materials to help us turn this new fundraising idea into a reality. 

Awesome, huh?  She came up with that cute little poem at 3am while up with her youngest.  I definitely don't think that clearly in the middle of the night. LOL

We would be happy to give a decorated jar to anyone who would like to toss in their change at the end of the day.  If you live out of state, I can mail you a label to put on any jar you have around the house.  After all, it's amazing how quickly a little change can add up. :)

Sarah also designed these beautiful labels for our body & hair butter.  I love how they turned out! 

In other fun news, our body butter is now being sold through an online store that features hair and skin care products for curly-haired cuties.  Rachel started Curly is Cuter while fundraising for her own family's adoption.  It became so successful that she kept it up even after their little one came home! 

When Rachel learned about our fundraiser, she offered to include our products on her website, just to help us out.  She sells a lot of great stuff, and her prices and shipping are both very reasonable.  Please head over and check out Curly is Cuter -- you won't be disappointed!  (For those of you with non-curly cuties, she has barrettes and headbands that you'll love, too. :)

Bobby Blue

  

We are not the only ones with a confused pet.  Grandma has one, too!  Bobbly Blue likes to go walking in the afternoons with Grandma and her dog, Molly.

Apparently Bobby Blue developed this strange behavior after he was locked in Uncle Jesse's barn for three days.  (Grandma finally heard him meowing.)

Grandma said, "When I walk down our road to the end of the avocados, he goes with us. But if I go up the road, all the way to Stan and Boecky's gate, he waits for us near the top of the driveway and pops out of the bushes when we come by."

Anyone else have confused pet stories?

Name that Rabbit (or three)

  

We have a problem.  (No -- not that we have too many pets.  We like that! :)

Apparently we are terrible at naming pets!  Unless we name them after diapers, that is. 

Our biggest rabbit, now about 10 months old, remains nameless. 

Now we have added two baby ones, in hopes of minimizing his confusion about his budding rabbit identity.  They are currently called, Cutie, Baby, Sweetie, Honey, or any other term of endearment that pops into our minds at the moment it's needed. 

Knowing about the big wide internet world out there, and apparently thinking that there are folks out there who enjoy weighing in on our little world here at home, the kids thought you (yes you!) might like to help us. 

So here's the deal.  Suggest your favorite rabbit names.  Leave them in the comments section.  (You can click on Name/URL or 'Anonymous' if you don't have a google or other account.) 

To sweeten the deal, we'll send you a treat in the mail if we choose a name you suggest. 

Destany is suggesting we send you three packages of 'dairy-o cookies'.  (Oreos) 

Hmmmmm.....  We'll get back to you on the giveaway.  This just might be fun! :)

tears...

both happy and sad.

I have been struggling this weekend. 

While we usually feel strong in our decision to adopt again, there are times that concerns and fears creep in. 

"Will we be stretched too thin?  Will we be able to financially provide for the future of these precious children, who deserve all we can give them, and then some?"

Realistic concerns, I'd say.  But I feel awful for letting those fears get the best of me sometimes, in light of all God is showing us through this journey.

When it all comes down to it, we must trust.

Trust that our God is bigger than our fears and concerns. 

Trust that He provides for our needs. 

Trust that these little ones, whom He joins to us, are loved so deeply by Him that we can leave our fears at His feet. 

Then, the part I love.... 

Leaning on Him and the reassurance He gives when we need it most. 
 
The validation He provides that we are on the right path, even when the numbers don't add up.

The encouragement at just the right moment. 

The faith He infuses into our very being. 

Both of us.  A team.  Loving and leaning hard on Him.  Together.  (And what a faith-building journey this is!)

What if we believe we have everything we need to follow Him?

Overflowing with peace.  Deeply grateful.  A desire to run the race well.  And yes, feeling so excited again to meet the little one He is preparing for our family.

We are humbled, and honored, to have the privilege of walking this journey again. 


THANK YOU for supporting us through this. :)

And the winner is.....

 

You may have noticed that we're not very high-tech, with random number generators, etc. We think the old-fashioned way is more fun!  Brooklyn definitely enjoyed being my helper today. 

Cami -- Email me your address, and I'll mail your water bottle out tomorrow.  Or feel free to schedule a play date (my house or yours), and we'll get it to you that way! :)

A big thank you to everyone who spread the word and contributed!

one of these things (is not like the other)

  

We have a confused bunny.  A very confused bunny. 

You see, he thinks he's a chicken. 

He eats with them.  He plays with them. 

He tries to sleep with them.

He also tries to mate with them.

(Pictures not included.  This is a family blog, after all. ;)

Unfortunately, while (ehem) hopping up on their backs, he has badly injured two of them, to the degree where they needed some serious TLC to recuperate.  Inside.  I was thrilled.  (I mean, who wouldn't want a full grown chicken in the house?  That's all just part of the fun, right?)

So now they are in a chicken run, and he is not allowed to socialize with them. 

He is sad.  And a bit lonely.  It's quite upsetting when we feed the chickens but do not share the food with him.  He stands up against the coop and longs for his favorite food and company. 

I think we may need an intervention. 

We are hoping that a girlfriend may help.

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For your viewing pleasure....  A blast from the past.

Truly Pure & Natural

After reading my recent post about Truly Pure & Natural, a few of my lovely readers have expressed an interest in ordering their products.  I thought it might help if I share a few of my favorite products (so far).

One of our favorite products is Tate's The Natural Miracle Shampoo.  Created with organic, all-natural ingredients (no chemicals, preservatives, fillers, etc.), and PH balanced, it is meant to be a multi-use product.  It not only smells great, but it also lathers wonderfully!  Andy and I both love it as a body wash and face wash.  I have struggled with acne pretty much my whole life, and since purchasing this about 6 months ago, it has not been an issue!  Apparently it is the perfect product for my skin.  :) 

Although there is a regular conditioner to pair with the above shampoo, I ended up prefering this conditioning shampoo, which is also nice because I can skip a step and avoid shampooing and conditioning separately.  I had to get used to the fact that it doesn't lather well, probably because of the conditioner in it, but it cleans my hair great, and leaves it manageable and easy to comb.  I also use it as face wash sometimes.  It's not my favorite as a body wash simply because it doesn't lather much, but it still gets the job done.

Although a little pricey, we are completely hooked on Tate's The Natural Miracle toothpaste.  It is the best tasting natural toothpaste I have ever used, and I assure you, I have tried quite a few.  You will not be disappointed with this pick.  A little goes a long way.

Truly Pure & Natural also carries hand-made and cut bars of soap.  I tried out the Lemongrass scent, and it is wonderful!  Our whole bathroom smells great, and our hands are lightly scented, too.  (Andy is reading over my shoulder, and he says he loves this soap!)

The 'Soap for Teeth' is the one product I have not been happy with at all.  I read some good reviews somewhere, and thought it might be a money saver if we like it.  I'll suffice it to say that I'm not a fan of soap in my mouth, and this is soap...for my mouth.  Not a sensation or taste I prefer. ;)  If you'd like to give it a try, I'm happy to pass it along to you.  Maybe you'll like it better than me.  I hate for it to go to waste. 

And of course I recommend the Lifefactory glass water bottles.  Read more about our favorite water bottles here.  And don't forget to spread the word about our raffle fundraiser and get a free raffle ticket here.  Last day is Thursday, 2/17!

Just a quick reminder....  If you buy from Truly Pure & Natural, you not only support a lovely adoptive family, but you also support our adoption fund!  Nick & Denise have pledged 15% of all sales through my blog post links or the button on our side bar to our adoption fund. :)