Some Halloween Fun

I really had nothing to do with this prank but I had to post it! We are still laughing but Alexa may need to have her heart checked tomorrow!!

What's Been Going On

So what's the latest in our household?? Well, survival & that's about it. Between football games, dance competitions, school soup suppers, Katelyn's Fund auction meetings, getting paperwork together for Charlie's finalization, work, homework, housework & oh yeah, 5 kids, life just never stops. At times I am completely overwhelmed & sometimes I doubt whether or not I am doing a good job at anything. But all it takes is a smile from 1 of my kids or a thank-you from someone else that makes it all worth it. I know I will miss these days but that doesn't always make it easier to get through a day that is packed full of things to go to.

Can you believe Charlie is 7 months old already?? It seems impossible! He's got his first tooth poking through & also got his 1st ear infection. Can't say I'm excited about that 2nd one but he's been healthy so far so we'll count that as a blessing. I'm just hoping we can all get our flu shots next Tuesday before any of us get sick with that!

Here's some recent pictures of the kids! Enjoy!

Body Butter Fundraiser

I know so many of us families who have adopted black children feel overwhelmed with all the products out there for our kids. Also, the fact that every child's skin can be so different & certain products work & some just don't cut it. The one thing I've learned is the more natural a product, the better.

I'm posting a link to a blog that was sent to me by a friend. This family is making hair & body butter as their adoption fundraiser. All the ingredients in these butters are all natural & I literally can't wait to try these on Charlie!! So head on over & support another family in growing their family through adoption!!

Click HERE!

Tasty Tuesday

Sneaking one quick recipe in here before Tuesday ends! I just made this one for the first time a few days ago & it was a hit! It's just an appetizer but we can all use a new idea here & there for appetizers.

Bacon Appetizer Crescents 

1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened


8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled

1/3 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon milk

2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Directions

1.Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.Mix all ingredients except crescent dough.

3.Separate each can of dough into 8 triangles; cut each triangle lengthwise in half. Spread each dough triangle with 1 generous tsp. cream cheese mixture; roll up, starting at short side of triangle. Place, point-sides down, on baking sheet.

4.Bake 12 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm.

We Can Make a Difference

Ya know what????

The orphanage that I posted about a couple days ago???

It's CLOSED!!!

Read HERE for more info on how God is moving big mountains!

For those of you who signed the petition.......THANK YOU!! God gave you the chance to be the voice for these children & I'm so proud that you did not turn away when given the chance to speak up.

Please Help....

A friend of mine shared this on her blog & I knew I could keep silent. Please, please, please take the time to sign this petition to stop this abuse & neglect at this orphanage. There are horrible, unspeakable things going on & these children have no voice but ours to speak for them. My first gut reaction is to want to go rescue them from this horror but God also gives us the means to help them through letting our voices be heard loud & clear to the people who can make sure these children are safe by signing this petition & the people who are guilty of this abuse are punished.

*WARNING! Images on this link are very graphic!

This past Monday I was able to attend the "Invisible Chains" conference on human trafficking. The reality of human trafficking & slavery is a HUGE & growing problem in this world. This business is a $32 billion dollar a year industry. These children in Haiti are just a few of the millions of victims since they are some of the most vulnerable. Who will speak for them?? God calls US!! So stop whatever you are doing & go sign it now! Click Right HERE!

"Not Me Monday"

I haven't participated in this blog link-up before but I have several good ones from this week that I just had to share. Well, most of the time I do the same things but I just can't remember them! So enjoy the "Not Me Monday!"

This week, I most certainly did NOT grab a box of "Cookie Crisp" for Jackson to hold after he had a meltdown in the store. I most certainly would NOT bribe my son with a sugary treat just so I could finish my shopping in peace & quiet.

I also did NOT justify eating several slices of banana bread for dinner one day by telling myself that there was fruit in it. Nope! Not me!

My oil light came on in my van that it was low on oil. In my attempt to show myself(& anyone I would encounter in the near future) that I could handle this just fine even though the hubby was fishing in Canada, I decided to remedy the problem myself until Monday. But I most certainly did NOT accidently grab the wrong "stick" to check the oil & grabbed the one to check transmission fluid & text my hubby in a panic that the "oil" had a red tint to it! Nope NOT me! (I would like to add that I did eventually find the right one & got oil put in)

Enjoy "Not Me" Monday!

Our Civic Duty

This past week I was able to exercise 1 of our most precious gifts of living in a free country & reported for jury duty. While I say it that way, I was NOT thrilled to get that summons! It seems to happen at the most inconvenient times. This was true for me this week. So much going on & of Brian was going out of the country. Well, Canada, but that still counts, right?? The other problem was that it was going to be an hour away & I would have to leave before the kids got on the bus. I had several meetings this week that I really felt I needed to be at & of course I was having to miss work. But I'm sure everyone there had the same issues & problems with schedules that I did so I just had to make the best of it.

As it turns out, I found it fascinating!! Sure, some things were completely boring & I felt my eyelids starting to get heavy because I'm not used to sitting down for long periods of time without having someone need me to get them a drink or wipe their back side. We were also told that it was going to be a shorter trial & that there were some longer ones coming up so if we didn't get chosen for this one, we could potentially be called back for the others. So, 3 hours & 3 witnesses into the trial, the judge called a recess. We were given a light snack & told to line up to report back in. We then see the judge come in the room & we wondered what was going on. He told us that we were no longer needed & he had declared a mistrial. There was some part of one of the witnesses testimony that the judge had ruled on earlier that he couldn't say & he evidently said it. I didn't hear it but others did & wondered why he was able to lable the defendant that way. So now they start over with jury selection & re-try the case. I know it makes my life easier but part of me was disappointed to not follow through the remainder of the case.

So I guess what I'm saying is that if you ever have a chance to serve in the way of being a potential juror, please take that right seriously. I was dreading having to do it but once I was there & saw how the process works, it made me proud to be able to take part in something that so many others across the world don't have the ability to do. Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now! :)

All around us lately, it seems like so many people are either suffering from serious illnesses or dealing with the loss of a loved one. All too real it seems that many of these that are suffering or have been lost have been young. I'd be lying if I said this doesn't bring me back to my thinking of my son Dawson. Instantly, I have a lump in my throat & unfortunately, I know what some of the feelings & emotions these parents are having to live through. I've said it before....it's a club that no one wants to be a part of.

Having been in a situation of grief, you learn quickly what it is like to share in someone's grief. We want to say or do the right thing so that we don't make it worse. Let me tell ya, no amount of right words will take away the sorrow someone feels who has just suffered the loss of a loved one. Some of the most meaningful moments that I remember is seeing 1 of my friends for the first time after we lost Dawson. She walked up to me, tried to start a sentence & then stopped. She instead wept & sobbed with me. There were no words & there was no need for them.

So as we begin this week, please take the time to remember those that are trying to figure out what life is going to be like without a son, grandson, daughter, granddaughter, husband, wife or friend. I'm sure everyday they want to wake up to realize it was just a bad dream but in fact they have to face the reality that their loved one is no longer there.

Tasty Tuesday

It's getting close to not being Tuesday anymore but I thought I'd sneak this recipe in since I've skipped a few weeks in there! I know many of you have heard of the craze of the Crockpot Girls on Facebook & I'm a HUGE fan! I've made a few of their recipes & will definitely be making more! This was so simple & the whole family liked it so it will be back on the menu in the near future. Hope you enjoy!


Bacon Ranch Chicken


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp real bacon bits
1tsp minced garlic
1pkg ranch dressing mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
egg noodles


Combine bacon, garlic, ranch dressing mix, soup, and sour cream; mix well. Pour over chicken in the crock pot. Cook on high 3-4 hours. I then shred the chicken and put back in the pot and add the egg noodles; mix together.

The few things we did differently is I used real bacon that I cooked up prior to putting it in the crockpot. We also made peas & corn for sidedishes that everyone ended up putting in what they liked. I'm sure you could also do this as a casserole but I would use a more firm pasta selection like penne or rigatoni. You really could add whatever veggies you like to this & it will be fabulous! The leftovers were amazing & the chicken wasn't dry at all! So go love your crockpots!!

Inhale....Exhale

Yes, I have to coach myself sometimes to just breathe. Life has been nuts lately but not necessarily in a bad way. The weather has been gorgeous here so we've been trying to take advantage of it as much as possible. But that also means I don't get anything done in the house. Laundry is piling up & dishes are in the sink, the floors need to be swept & toys are scattered everywhere. But that's also the story of life with children.

Wyatt celebrated his 8th birthday this past Monday the 26th. No, I'm a bad mom & didn't get to do a birthday post.  He is growing up so fast! This boy is all about sports. He can literally watch Sports Center all day long if we let him. Football is most definitely a favorite but really anything with a ball works. He is such a great big brother & he just adores Charlie. The feeling is mutual. He also likes to be a pest to Emma & Jackson but I guess that's a normal 8 year old!  Here are some recent pictures of Wyatt!