FINALLY!!

Wordless Wednesday

For a GREAT cause!

There is a great raffle over here .  This family is raising money to bring their son home from China. It is such a sweet story. So, head on over to here and purchase your raffle ticket, read the story about the *Butterfly Boy* and add a button to you sidebar so you can spread the word, too!!

Then when you are done with that, head on over to visit Amie , she also has a great giveaway and challenge!!  Head on over and visit her and let her know your RAK for today!!

Enjoy your day!

Wordless Wednesday.....titled: I want her HOME!!!!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Who wouldn't want to win this?? It is simply BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Quilt Raffle

If you would like a chance to win this BEAUTIFUL quilt, you can do so by clicking here.   Cynthia and her husband are raising funds to bring home their gorgeous son Nathan Jade Jin Pei from China! Go check out her web site and purchase a chance to win the quilt while you are there!!

Rylea's new blog...

We started a blog for our journey to Vietnam for Rylea.  We should have her in our arms SOON! Our I-600 has been acknowledged by the Consulate in Ho Chi Min City!!  WOO HOO!!  We will use this blog once she is home to share the milestones of both Rylea and Rubea.  We have decided for now to keep it private.  If you would like to follow along, please leave me a comment or email me and I will forward an invitation to you.

Thank you!!

A Saturday funny....

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for change! The chicken wanted CHANGE!
JOHN MCCAIN: My friends, the chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.
GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either against us or for us. There is no middle ground here.
DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?
COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.
BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken! What is your definition of chicken?
AL GORE: I invented the chicken.
JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.
DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems. 
OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens. 
ANDERSON COOPER: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.
NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
MARTH STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.
Dr. SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.
GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.
ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file yur important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never reboot.
ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

Today...

The first 3 pictures are of her on *gotcha* day.  The last 2 are from tonight.  She has changed tremendously!!!  She still sucks that knuckle, though ;-)                                                               

WOW!!! Today is our 1 year forever family day with Miss Rubea! She is such an amazing baby! Yes, I know she is not a baby, she is a toddler ;-) She was so tiny (17 pounds), she couldn't hold her head up, which meant she didn't roll over, sit, eat from a spoon/fork, play, etc. I was not prepared for my 22 month old to be more like a 2 month old. I prayed and prayed and prayed some more that first week with her. I was so grateful that I had my daughter, Emilea traveling with me and the most amazing family traveling with us! Had it not been for all of them, I don't know how I would have survived!!!!

I am thankful that I now have a 34 month old toddler girl who is now 22 pounds, can sit up with assistance, roll over both ways, pivots on her belly on the floor, babbles constantly, gives hugs and big wet kisses, finally loves her daddy and still can't live without her Emmy! She is able to feed herself finger foods, laughs continuously at her brothers and sisters, she is able to communicate in her own way and melts my heart over and over with that big grin that she flashes so easily. We know she has a long road ahead of her, but we are thrilled that we are her family and can travel that road with her!