Although I struggle mightily with issues of grief and loss during the holiday season, somehow, the seeds of resliency manage to push through the soil of my sorrow and yield a bountiful harvest of happiness and joy. Howz that for hyperbole? I wrote that line in those inflated terms in an attempt to communicate how incredible of a feat I think it is.

By the time all is said and done, I manage to enjoy the holidays, a lot. And I am thankful for that miracle. I know, without question, that I owe just about every bit of what joy I do experience... more

Is it just me or is the Christmas Spirit late in arriving this year? What’s with all the cranky people? We have received only two Christmas cards so far? Perhaps I just send mine out extra early? We visited my Mom yesterday and because her Children are grown she does not bother with a tree anymore. Come on Babushka what’s up with that? You deserve a little tree. My husband strung the lights outside but we cant plug them in do to a glitch with the cord. I’m so bummed about that. A fellow Mom in the toy department practically growled at me... more

This is our first Christmas as parents; our first Christmas with a toddler. The Christmas tree has been quite the center of excitement, wonder and temptaion for Livi and frustration for me. Overall I think our daughter had done well. She has not knocked it over yet. She has rearranged ornaments, broken an ornament and is fascinated with rubbing the prickly branches on her tummy ( a big red flag for sensory issues). When I put up the tree I did it when she was napping, she was able to see it sans decoration and was not so impressed by it. I... more

Soon our children will be home for Christmas break. I have been looking for things to keep my toddler busy during these long winter days indoors.I recently introduced playdoh but she seems to have the attention span of a fly and by the time I get everything set up she plays for three minutes and says “ all done”. There is a plethora of stuff online and I saved you some footwork& hopefully pop-ups by including some great links. I also love making homemade gifts so there is a link in there for that. I also included my sweet spoon gift idea.... more

I’m in the Holiday Spirit. I just love Christmas. I thought I would write a quick post on gifts to give a Preadoptive or Adoptive Mom. Just days before last Christmas I turned over the dossier I had worked so hard on. I was entering yet another Holiday Season childless. I was surpised when I received some small gifts from family that acknowledged that I was expecting. That meant the world to me. I encourage you to honor your paper pregnant friends & family. Happy Shopping. Want to share a story about a special gift you recieved? Got anything... more

On Thanksgiving we made the rounds to visit Family. Being a family of three is new to us, traveling and visiting with a toddler is even newer. Now I consider myself a well-prepared Mama. I’m one of those organized list makers- I write myself notes like (don’t forget sippy cup in fridge, don’t forget camera) Being as organized as I am I still goofed up and made mistakes. That got me to thinking about a post I could write about things to bring while visiting friends & family this Holiday Season. Feel free to let me know if you have any... more

J'ai retourne. I think that is French for I have returned. Zheez, once upon a time I read, spoke, and wrote French fluently. Really, I did. No more. I was in France several years ago and could hardly order a glass of water. It was so frustrating. I vowed at that time that I would reclaim my skills. Never happened. But, I'm not dead yet!

Our trek to Atlanta and then on to Florida for a family Thanksgiving bash in a scrumptious condo right on the beach was just incredible. I have had many wonderful Thanksgiving holidays in my life. I have had some... more

The Birthday Party went off without a hitch. Our friends & Family came to help us make our daughters first birthday home a memorable one. The doll cake was a breeze to make. I loved every minute of planning & throwing her party. I have three nieces, three nephews and two great nieces and I have been to many a birthday party over the years. It was nice to finally be the other end. I’m the Mom now. I was the one passing out the cake & goody bags. The best part of yesterday was seeing My Mom & Livi together. My Mom is a softy…..I see her melt with... more

I am taking a brief break from running around like a madwoman in preparation for tomorrow. Very, very early tomorrow morning we are getting a headstart on the Thanksgiving holidays and heading to Atlanta to visit with extended family. Yay! We will be driving. That's a 12 hour hike for us. Not so yay.

I have learned the hard way that blogging and vacationing do not mix for me. So I am going to try to figure out the drip feature and rerun some of my old posts while I'm away. Maybe you will smile, or even laugh out loud. Or catch something that you didn't catch the first time around.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We all have so much to be thankful for, don't we?

We all know that November is National Adoption Month, but did you know that Saturday November 18th is National Adoption Day?. This is a day to celebrate adoption. Adoption has blessed my life in numerous ways. Its been an amazing journey and Im not sure our adoption journey is over.Who knows what the future holds.As I go about my day on Saturday,I will smile knowing that families are being created and dreams are coming true. That is a wonderful thing. Its a day to celebrate all who have... more