Gap Sale!

Gap is having a great sale!
I saved $19.80 on two pair of khakis for D.

Plus, I got free shipping!

Whoot!

Pics for Foster Family

I finally got my pics ordered to send JMc's foster family and a few for a family album.

I usually use Wal-Mart because prints are so cheap, but it kept locking up since I had so many to upload and order at once.  I used Shutterfly for the first time.

Here are my savings on 429 pictures!

I found a coupon code online that saved the shipping - $19.49. [SHIP30]

For signing up, I got 50 free prints - $7.50.

I went to Shutterfly.com through Ebates and will get 8% back $4.55.

So, I saved $31.54! =)

With my friends about to leave for Korea, I knew I better hurry if I wanted them to take the gift to our foster family. I have a photobook that takes us up through Thanksgiving, but have several other pictures since then that I think they will enjoy. So, Brooke or Mary Leigh...thanks in advance. :)

ZBB

Daniel and I went to see Zac Brown Band last night.
It was an outdoor concert at the MSU Amphitheater.

The sound was great and unlike at our house, there were

NO mosquitoes!

Last night was also JMc's first sleepover since coming home.

He really seemed to enjoy his visit to Gran & Papaw's.

It was nice to spend a little time with D and ZBB put on an amazing show.

He was suffering a bit from Mississippi pollen, but if he had not mentioned it we'd have never known. His entire band is awesome.  The opening band, Blackberry Smoke, was good, too.  Gates opened at 6pm and and we started to our car at 10:10pm.  We liked to have never found a place to eat and ended up eating at Sonic.  Then, finding somewhere to go to the bathroom (because I wasn't up for to a porta-potty) was even more of a challenge.

We ended up at CVS.  Go figure.  I thought NOLA was the only CVS open at 11:30. ;)
We got home around 1:30am and thought we'd be extremely tired.  I've gotten used to going to bed early with JMc and so had D.  Surprisingly, we woke up just fine.

Here are a few  photos from the trip.

Blackberry Smoke's lead singer

LOTS of folks!

The campus was so pretty last night and the above photo was beautiful in real life!  We love our Dawgs! :)

ZBB and MSU are a wonderful conbination.

We had so much fun!

XOXO,

Stacy :)

Looking Back

Last April was so much different than this April.  Heck, this whole year (so far) has been a lot different than 2010.  January of last year, we were just starting our home study.  From January to April 6th, things went really slow in regards to our adoption process.  Then, my FBI fingerprints were finally approved and our home study was sent to Korea! Those fingerprints are what held up our process 13 stinkin' weeks.  It was so annoying, and it really made my heart ache that something so stupid was keeping me from having our son home with us.  So, April was a very happy month last year!  A turning point.  In our hearts, these things didn't happen as soon as we'd wished, but we see now that it was all in God's time and it all worked out perfectly.  (We fell head over heals in love with JMc the day we saw his photo on Nov. 2, 2009!)

This April, we are all settled into our new normal and LOVE it! Our boy is doing great and is super smart! He amazes us every day!  He's perfect and the center of our world.

I have several great friends who will be traveling to Korea within the next two to four weeks to bring their kiddos home to their forever families.  I'm so happy for you girls and your families. :)  I am so anxious to see some photos and to meet a few of the little cuties in person in the coming months!

To My Son

© Amy R. Campbell

Oh how the years go by,

Oh how time can certainly fly.

From once just a thought in far away dreams,

now into my arms and in my eyes gleam

the presence of you.

Your laughter and smiles

which go on for miles,

warms my heart and soul.

You're growing up so fast,

as I wish each moment with you to last forever.

My little boy will someday be a man

and right by your side I will forever stand.

I will pick up the pieces when you fall,

I will hold your hand and help you stand tall.

And when the day comes when you are on your own,

never feel that you are alone.

No matter how near or far apart

I am always right there in your heart.

Always remember whatever you go through

that no matter what, I will always love you.

XOXO,

Stacy :)

Fun in the tub!

After JMc chipped his front teeth in the tub, I haven't allowed any playing at bath time.  Some times baths are so quick that I don't even put the stopper in to catch water.

Last night, I finally gave in.

JMc spotted Elmo at Dollar General on Saturday when we went to buy stomach bug supplies.

Here's what we got:

And here is a glimpse of the fun we had:

He'd point at the water and say, "BLUE, BLUE." Just like he does when we flush the toilet...

XOXO,

Stacy :)

Negativity.

Negativity is severely contagious.  I, too, have been guilty of being negative at times.  This was especially the case while I was hanging around negative people who pulled me down to their level.  Also, I was guilty of this many times during our adoption process when really I should have been counting my many blessings.  It's easy to complain about ailments, set backs, the economy, friends who you realize aren't really as good as you might have once thought, waiting, slow drivers, etc.  With that said, I have learned a lot about what causes me to become negative and I have learned a lot about how I can not be that person.  Going forward, I am going to try even harder to block out negative thoughts (& people) and be someone that can walk through a door and folks not say,

"Oh, no!  Here comes Debbie Downer."

I found this article from Dayton Daily News and thought it was very appropriate for this blog post.

Earlier this summer the World Health Organization declared swine flu, or “H1N1” type influenza, a global epidemic. Then, curiously, we stopped hearing anything at all about it, and I find that fascinating.


So I thought that if we (those of us interested in such things) launched a declaration of a global epidemic of a different disease, the conversation on it might miraculously cease as well. What is this global epidemic? It is the epidemic of negativity. It is the victory of pettiness over possibility, of drama over discourse, of complaining over cooperation.

Look around you; negativity is everywhere. People so often would rather be right than find solutions. They would rather complain incessantly rather than be reasonable and respectful, making requests and graciously accepting that all their requests will not be granted.

Negativity is an awful disease and it is highly contagious. Once you are around it for very long you are likely to show signs of it yourself. Watch out and carry plenty of antibodies along with you. Below are some you might want to arm yourself with:

Prayer. In order to transcend the noxious negativity of others and not fall prey to it yourself, pray without ceasing. That is to say, adopt a prayerful attitude, to purify your own heart and mind, and thereby develop spiritual strength. This also helps you avoid being over-involved in those things that do not matter. Nothing is more pernicious than to become adversarial, thereby unwittingly succumbing to the disease. If you can manage it, pray for the negative ones in your circle.

Integrity. Make sure you are taking the high road in all your business and personal affairs. Pay bills, clean house, keep your word. This negativity, unfortunately, is fanned by the least slip up. If you do slip up, acknowledge it, forgive yourself and go on. Remember the Scripture in Mark 6:11: “And whoever will not receive you nor hear you (forgive you, accept you) when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet.” You cannot see clearly to do this when your integrity is “out.” Integrity includes self-care. Do not engage in negative behaviors that diminish your life force.

Guard your speaking. The most destructive member of the body is the tongue. It is tempting to add your “defense” to a conversation about how negative “another” is. But this is the deception in a nutshell: when you complain excessively about another’s faults and demonize him or her, you fall into the trap of the negative syndrome. You have been infected. Practice silence or at least minimal engagement. Your spirit will remain light and free, while the negative brother or sister becomes weakened by his or her own darkness. Establish who you trust and open your heart at the right time. Especially go to God with a real desire to be spared from the scourge of this downward spiraling condition of the soul.

XOXO,

Stacy



One Less

I can't listen to this song without crying.  Please listen to it and pay attention to the words.

There are so many things I could say about adoption, but if you will listen to this with your heart, I don't have to type another word.

There’s a child

Been abandoned out on the street

Now she’s waiting for someone to be her miracle

There’s a wife

Somewhere halfway around the world

Begging God for a little girl she can call her own

Well, worlds collide, and colors fade

And a man and wife brought their little girl home today

And there’s one less

One less

One less broken heart in the world tonight

Yeah, there’s one less

One less

There’s one less broken heart in the world tonight

We are called

To the widows and the orphans

But it’s easy to ignore their silent cries

Oh, but every single time

Somebody reaches into the darkness

Makes a choice to help the helpless

They let mercy save a life

Well the truth is we are all the orphans

But love has left the ninety-nine

Just to find the one

One less night alone

One less child without a home

One less birthday gone forgotten

One more soul rising from the bottom

One less

One less

There’s one less broken heart in the world tonight

P.S. Thanks Melanie for your sweet words. I love you. :)

XOXO,

Stacy