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CONGRATULATIONS to Jill Myrick!!!  Check your email.:)
Thanks to all who supported me with this great project!
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Remember how I mentioned earlier this month that November is National Adoption Awareness month?  Well, as we are wrapping the final days of November, I want to share a special thing from Jockey…yes the underwear folks.  This November, as part of Jockey Being Family® – Jockey’s commitment to adoptive families across North America – they’re celebrating National Adoption Month by helping to provide a little extra …

With November being National Adoption Month, it always makes my thoughts turn to my precious girls, P1 and P3.  As most of you know, they both became part of our family via adoption.  While our families have been nothing but supportive, (especially my Mom) from the time we first announced we were adopting to the time each precious girl was placed in our arms, we know that is not always the case.  People can be funny about adoptions and I think that is usually because of some misconceptions and unfounded …

Did you know November is National Adoption Month? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau is partnering with AdoptUSKids and the Ad Council to educate potential adoptive parents on the benefits of adoption from foster care.
According to the U.S. Children’s Bureau Preliminary 2010 Trends in Foster Care Report, there are more than 408,000 children in the foster care system in the United States; 115,000 of these children are available for adoption right now.  These kids need good homes!
This year their focus is …

Part of P3′s Book I am making from our trip to get her in China.

If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below in Mr.Linky. Then you can head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom, Double Bugs,  The Not-So-Blog Blog,  Go Graham Go, Mommy Goggles, Momspective, Look What Mom Found – and Dad Too!, Mom of 3 Girls,  Life With Lisa , The Divine Miss Mommy,  Little Village …

Congratulations to #5 Vickie Couturier!
Thanks to all who participated for their great ideas and patience.
From now until Mother’s Day you can help little miracles all around you. Pampers Little Miracles Mission is your mission to help make Mother’s Day special for another mother you know.   Watching the Pampers movie on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxbRdxbBROI will make you want to do that for sure.  Then all you have to do is congratulate an expecting mother with her upcoming little miracle, offer a mom a smile to brighten her day. All you have …

CONGRATULATIONS GO TO William McKinnley #6 and Christal C #12!!!!
In Adam Pertman’s newly-revised book, Adoption Nation, he explores the enormous changes taking place in U.S. adoption and across the world from his unique and multi-faceted perspective: that of adult adoptee, adoptive parent, Executive Director of the Evan B. Donaldson  Adoption Institute and adoption advocate.  As I can personally relate to several of these and more, I was most intrigued to find out what his book had to say.
Broken up into 3 large units with several chapters contained …

Water.
When you have plenty of it, you think nothing of it.
When you have very little or almost none of it, you think of nothing but.
The one thing every human must have to survive – pure, clean water.
The United Nations’ (UN) World Water Day is held on March 22 each year. Events are organized on or around this day to increase people’s awareness of water’s importance in environment, agriculture, health and trade.
This has hit home to me since returning home from China with P3.  Many of the orphanages …

I recently learned about the most wonderful candles, Bridgewater Candles. They are truly unique.  Let me share with you a little about the company that creates these fabulous clean burning candles.
Established in 1997 in Spartanburg South Carolina, Bridgewater Candle Company quickly became a leader in the candle market with a reputation for its clean burning candles, full fragranced products and passionate sales team. From fresh to warm and cozy, the scents create those special moments in life worth savoring. Furthermore, we are committed to sharing this warmth …

Okay, we have had all of these great articles on important subjects but the next one I read is bringing out my ~~SOAPBOX!!!
And I quote…”Multiple Jobs & “Me-First” Culture Leave Less Time for Puppy House Training

FORT MYERS, FLA. – (February 22, 2010) – Are more people adopting an older dog because they don’t have the time, nor patience, to train a puppy – let alone have children? Flexcin International, which operates the FlexPet Shelter Program to assist the adoption of older dogs, believes this trend …

We  have been huge Baby Einstein fans since baby numero uno arrived in our arms.  They were soothing and calming while at the same time educational and entertaining for parent and child….yes child….they continued to hold my children’s interest as they grew so we would play them not just with a baby in the house but even now, with no more babies and ages 4, 8, and 9.  I was going to give this as a give away, instead, thanks to my 4 year old you are getting a review. …

Over on MomDot Trisha was talking about how for the first time ever she had not done her Top100 Bloggers list and that got me thinking about who would I put on my list – certainly not necessarily all 25 people who would end up on mine.  So I decided to make my own list.

What’s That Smell?
Parenting Pink
MomStart
Mommy Goggles
Double Bugs
MomDot
My Wooden Spoon
A Cowboys Wife
Tip Junkie
Make and Takes
Skip to My Lou
Mom of 3 Girls
The Not-So-Blog-Blog
Full Circle
Mom Knows it All
Simply Stacie
A Southern Fairytale
Rockin’ Mama
An Island Life
The Dirty Shirt
Shake the Salt
You Can Make …

Love Without Boundaries has received quite a few children in need of urgent care this holiday season, so we are rallying our troops to help make some wishing come true!  We’ve put together a terrific pre-Christmas auction the first week of December to help raise much-needed funds to heal these precious babies.  Just in time for Christmas, we have dolls, Barbies, Mulan goodies, ornaments, jewelry and books plus three positively show-stopping, Christmas-themed watercolor paintings created especially for this auction!

So mark the dates and join …

James and Heidi are some people who have just been approved for adoption through LDS Family Services, the same way we started our family.
They need help spreading the word.
Check out their adoption blog at www.jamesandheidiareadopting.blogspot.com.

Or check out their adoption profile on www.itsaboutlove.org, profile ID #24189806.
Help them start their family by sharing their blog and profile with everyone you know!

What  do I wish I’d known at 13?   It doesn’t last forever.
If you ask me now If I would like to go back and be a teenager now, other than a few gloriously memorable moments, the answer undeniably would be “Are You CRAZY?”  Being a Mom is hard but being a teenager was way harder.  And no one asks your permission… it’s just ..PLOP..and one day you are a teenager.  No rulebook, okay maybe a few try but there you are. All the tears, and the zits and the anger …

Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure Game from Nova Development is for PC and MAC and is geared towards preschoolers ages 2-5.  It is based upon the popular Nickelodeon children’s character Dora the Explorer to educate and entertain all at the same time..
Develop essential preschool learning skills with the top-rated preschool phenomenon and all her friends! Play 8 Great Interactive Games – with 3 different levels in each – to learn more and win big every time. Now everyone can help Dora celebrate her Big Birthday Adventure™ …

Have you ever thought of what it would feel like to have your very own storybook, written just about you?  Your name on the Title page as they describe the contents therein and that they contain grand tales of none other than, why, you.
As an adult,it might please you, bring a bit of a smile to your face.  As a child, can you IMAGINE??????????  Why, it might be the grandest of grandest things you never wished for but were lucky enough to receive nonetheless!

Custom Made For Kids does precisely that.  …

Sponsored By

Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine, Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.
I love to travel. I do. Dearly and truly . Short trips. Long trips. Local trips. …

Car Seats have been a big deal in our household in one form or another for the past 9 years. Finally, we have them all in booster seats…much,much easier to manage.  P1 is no longer required to ride in one by Texas law but she likes it and I am not about to force her out of it.
So, do you know what your law mandates?  One of the things Texas law mandates is that you cannot ride in the front seat until age 12 so explain to me (mini soapbox …

This wonderful little book took me quite by surprise and it it may you  as well.  New on the market, written by Eva Marie Cote and illustrated by Tom Myers, it is an unassuming little paperback that I was contacted by the illustrator about.  He wondered if I would take a little time and look over it and give them my opinion so I said sure, especially since I knew I had Book Week coming up.
When the book arrived, I instantly knew with P3′s birthday being days away, I had …

Mandy and Pandy are a little Chinese girl and a Panda Bear who have been paired up to create a cute series of 6 books to give a basic introduction to the Chinese culture and their language for English speaking children. Each book is accompanied with an audio CD which includes English text read by a native English speaker and Chinese text read by a native Chinese speaker.  When you are the mom of a Chinese born/American raised daughter, books like this are EXACTLY what you …

When P3 was placed in my arms in China, she wasn’t able to sit upright yet.  She was 9 1/2 months but coming from an institutionalized setting, that was not really shocking.  By the time we left China, a week and a half later, she was able to sit up just fine, a perfect example of how the rest of her small and gross motor skills continued to improve over the next 6 months and she was all caught up in no time.
Her language skills, however, did not make the …

As the proud mom to a darling girl from China, I have learned oh so much more about Chinese History and have a great desire to share it with all of my girls. Because of this interest, I want to share a great opportunity that is coming up this Summer ~ A Weekend of Intrigue: NYC Hotel and Silk Road Tour!

Families can now transport back in time to one of the greatest trading routes in history by visiting the Traveling the Silk Road Exhibition at American Museum of Natural …

When I was offered to review an American Greetings PhotoWorks Studio Book that was baby themed, I was so excited. I had been planning to make one yet not just for any baby – for my P3.  As our pictures of her first 10 months are minimal, I felt while it could prove a bit challenging with the typical American shades of pink for baby girls, I wanted to make the most of what we have.  I never want her to feel that she was unloved just because she …

You know how I love China’s Orphans. After all, they gave me my P3!  Now, of course, times have changed and it is difficult to get a healthy child from China but there are many, many children still available with what could be very remediable medical conditions here in the US and other economically advantaged countries.  Of course, you really want to be able to bring home a child who has had all of the loving care possible, just like my P3 – Not an easily guaranteed thing.

Well, at …

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This contest has closed and the winners are announced HERE.
Thanks to everyone whoo enjoyed our little inpromptu giveaway!  Watch for our Mother’s Day one in April!

Yes, I realize that November has passed and thus ended  National Adoption Month but I have a few additional things I want to share.
One of the things we did not go over is Foster Care.  I received the following information from one of the great PR reps I work with, Wendy Will from Wilks Communications.
“As the government looks to next year’s budget to determine …

When you are waiting for your precious child, it can seem like forever and as we all know, money does not grow on trees.  Most adoptive families get very, very creative in ways to save, find and/or make the money they will need for the expenses that just normally accrue with the adoption of a child.  In our case, we held some awesome garage sales, saved, and incurred some debt.  We were incredibly blessed by the kindness and generosity of others and will be forever grateful.
Listed here are some of …

To go along with National Adoption Month, I have come across a wonderful book, written by an adoptive mom.  Her name is  Andrea Nepa and she is the author of Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children’s Story about Interracial Adoption.
Red in the Flower Bed is about:

The journey of adoption is beautifully depicted with the comforting imagery of a poppy flower who is welcomed into a garden family. It is a charming story of seeds being planted in the perfect place – exactly where they belong. Children and …

November is National Adoption Month. Most of you are well aware of my love and appreciation for the adoption process.  My blog first started due to adoption in fact.  Sooo, I decided that I would place some special emphasis on Adoption and share some stories and resources that you may or may not know about, okay?

Ahh, my 3 P’s. Each one of them came into our family in a very special and different way for which I will be forever grateful.
P1 was via the Gift of Domestic adoption through …

P3 at 10 Months Old
Nanchang, Jiangxi China

June 2007

Silly Girl!
P3 2 years at HOME!
June 2009
Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below on Mr. Linky!  Then you can head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom,  The Not-So-Blog Blog, Wordful Wednesday, Moomette’s Magnificents, Go Graham Go, Momspective, Mom of 3 Girls, Newlyweds!, What’s that Smell?, MomDot, Green Mama’s Pad, Here and There and Wordless Wednesday for more terrific WW!

P3 in her Adoption Referral picture About 6 months old
P3 building sand castles @ Zadow Park. About 31 months old.

Last week was the 2 year anniversary of the first time I saw my daughter’s face…something I will NEVER forget!

Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below on Mr. Linky!  Then you can head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom,  The Not-So-Blog Blog, Wordful Wednesday, Go Graham Go, Momspective, Mom of 3 Girls, Newlyweds!, What’s that Smell?, MomDot, …

While I am a crafty person, quilting is not something I have loads of experience in.  While by P3 has been home from China for almost 2 years, I do still have her 100 Good Wishes Quilt to put together so anything helpful and encouraging catches my attention.

This caught my attention.
You Can Make This.com, a fantastic creative website and blog from the talented Kris & Kim is a wonderful site.  This month they are opening www.YouCanQuiltThis.com!  They are so excited to share projects, tutorials, and patterns brought together by a …

Babies, Babies Everywhere!
P3′s First Home, the Fengxin SWI
I am so grateful for the good care she got there.  I just wish they all had their forever family!
January 2007
Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below on Mr. Linky!  Then you can head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom, 7 Clown Circus, MomDot and Wordless Wednesday for more terrific WW!

If you recall, P1 is our daughter that we adopted domestically at birth.  We learned that her birthmom had selected us to be her family about two months before she was due to be born.  We were beside ourselves with excitement but had to do the best we could to keep it all under wraps until it was a done deal, so to speak, just in case the adoption did not go through. So during those two months, we knew we were hopefully adopting a newborn but that was about …

“Smart Cookie” Contest Ends February 10th!

Two Minutes to Help Save Lives
The Cookie Magazine “Smart Cookie Reader’s Choice” contest ends in one week!  Please take two minutes to vote for Amy Eldridge and help LWB win the $35,000 donation.
This is a free, no-obligation way to help children receive the life-saving surgeries they need to survive and thrive.  Please forward this email to at least one more person and encourage them to vote as well!

Cast your vote! Click here…

Diana of Custom Blog Designs made this absolutely adorable header for her daughter’s blog in honor of Chinese New Year, which begins TODAY!!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!!

The Dallas Overseas Chinese School will host an open house from 2 to3:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at Richardson North Junior High School, 1820 N. FloydRoad in Richardson. The school focuses on teaching spoken Chinese,including its cultural and historical influences. Various educationalprizes, including one complete tuition voucher, will be awarded.www.overseaschinese school.com; 972-467-3942.

Chinese+Schoolsubmit_url = \’ARTICLE_URL\’;

Joint Council Call to Action: Vietnam
For the thousands of Vietnamese children living outside of a family, intercountry adoption is no longer an option. Please help the Joint Council on International Children’s Services change this by participating in their Call to Action.
Senators Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Norm Coleman of Minnesota will be forwarding a letter to the Prime Minister of Vietnam, to encourage Vietnam’s continued participation in negotiations on intercountry adoption. The letter will express Congressional support for the continuation of …

Well, today marks the first of what I hope to make a weekly thing – Simple Sundays. Since Sunday is a kinda special day for me to spend with my family and at church, I do not want to spend hours on the computer. Plus, since spending time with them makes me feel good, I thought I would like to kind of ‘Mom It Forward’ and share a few things with you that may make you feel good. Feel free to share with your friends and family and or do …

Well, November came and went before I blinked twice! So much for the best laid plans regarding special activities for National Adoption Month! Ha! Could be because we were having a Rockin’ good time with something called Because It’s Christmas!!:) Y’all were so truly amazing about coming out and playing along and I know I really never thanked you. I truly have THE BEST READERS EVER!!!
Even though November has passed, I still wanted to share this wonderful piece of jewelry with you. This foster …

A Family is FOREVER! Please consider adoption!!

Because It’s Christmas began Nov. 10th and runs through the end of November on my Review and Giveaway Blog, 3 P’s Mama Says… where somethin’ is ALWAYS happening!
Adoption+Children

One of my favorite magazines is Adoptive Families. It is a monthly publication that covers just about every aspect of adoption – before, during and after. Month after month, they publish some fantastic and insightful articles as well as some that are really meant to be shared like this great PDF on 8 Great Reasons to Adopt Now. If you would like to read it, just click on the image below and check it out. I think you will be glad you did!As for me, these …

Yes, we are officially rockin’ into November! This past week has been so much fun with the Bloggy Giveaways. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and entered my giveaways here for the Hoohobbers’ rocker, the Ciao! Review and giveaway and over on 3 P’s Mama Says… for the Super Snacker set. If you have not entered yet, you still have until Noon TODAY!!
I have a bunch of reviews and good giveaways this week alone because I want to be all ready for us to start Because …

Sometimes it is hard to believe that this sad little face in yellow is the same person as the little face below. It truly is amazing what love can do and to me, that is what adoption is all about.

I have recently had several people ask me about adoption and how to get started and where to go for information. Especially since November is coming up quickly and that is National Adoption Month, I wanted to share some super references with you to get you going.

Just …

If you are a mom of girls, you have most likely heard about American Girl dolls. Really, I never knew what the big deal was about them but now that my 2 oldest girls each own one I have a better appreciation for them. Recently we went to the Dallas AG store and I noticed they had a Chinese American doll, Ivy. As the mom of an adopted Chinese daughter, I was really pleased to see that and I figured eventually I would purchase one for P3. You see, …

Check this out!

I had read about the Balsis family before and I am humbled by their open hearts. Adoption alone is not an easy thing then add the international quotient and top that off with the child being special needs – Down’s Syndrome like their other daughter. WOW! That is a handful and then some! And they are getting ready to go RIGHT NOW!!Almost equally, I am THRILLED to see the retail and blogging community getting behind them and helping them out! This will be …

Meet Emily and KC. They are an adorable young couple who are willing and ready to adopt. While I do not know them personally, I felt an instant connection the minute I saw their webpage. Brett and I have been in their shoes and know the powerless feeling you have while you wait for the right Birthmom to find you. If you know of anyone who is looking for a loving and happy home for their child, please contact Emily and KC via their webpage. …

I have not posted about China basically since my last post on the Earthquake recovery but like China, I too have recovered. One of my favorite humanitarian organizations is, as many of you know, Love Without Boundaries (LWB) out of Oklahoma. They have worked wonders for millions of China’s darling children. Here is the July update from Amy Eldridge, their Executive Director that I print with her permission. Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi everyone!
July has been an amazingly busy month for Love WithoutBoundaries, and I want to mention …

LWB Medical Program – Bringing Hope

Karen Maunu
Medical Director
Having been a part of Love Without Boundaries for over three years, I have been able to see some miraculous things. My most favorite thing of all is to see the children we have helped find their families. Over the last month, I have seen more than ever, many of these children on the shared adoption list or have been contacted by families who have completed their adoptions. I …

Here is a bit of my follow-up post on http://aboutadoption.org. It is not as exciting as the first but I needed to cover a couple a salient points. Hope you will read and enjoy!
Knowledge is Power
I really want to thank everyone for their comments following my last post. We certainly have a diverse group of readers! Diversity is such a big part of adoption and it can evoke a range of emotions. As with many things, adoption has some terms that are totally unique …

Got published, that is.:) Yes indeedy, I am feelin’ pretty proud of myself too. This time it is for a weblog just about adoption called About Adoption. I am supposed to be writing here several times a week on adoption and adoption related issues so I need all the ideas and help I can get from all of my adoption buddies!
The article I started with though is basically the story of how my 3 P’s joined our family so go take a peek and tell …