Competitive? Moi?

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I should be heading to bed. It is my Anniversary, but I completely spaced Quick Takes tonight. ..GASP! I just couldn't NOT post. So here I am. .whipping something up.

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It is my Anniversary today. Four years ago today..I looked like this. I feel slightly bad that perhaps I engaged in some false advertising on this day. I never looked like that before I got married. .. and I have not looked ANYWHERE near that good since. Paying the $60 or so for that makeup artist (miracle worker) was a good decision. One I am happy with four years later. I wish I still had her card. . .My day could have been even better with false eyelashes today.. .

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Politics. ...oh my word. THAT is all I have to say. Oh and this.. .UGH! Are these people for real?

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Words with Friends?.. .Not always words and not always with friends. Words with my Sister tends to drive me crazy! Yes, I guess I have a little competitive streak. . just a little one. Just saying. .... Kara, Jacki...someday I WILL WIN! Likely when I have lulled you into a total sense of well earned security. It will happen. I may be 80 when it does, but IT WILL HAPPEN!

--- 5 ---

I am SO thrilled football season is HERE! GO STEELERS! 

--- 6 ---

I love reality TV. I do. I am SUPER excited that Jennifer Fulwiler will have her own show... I will totally watch! I am currently watching Project Runway, and wishing I had skills. You never know when you will need to be able to make a runway ready look from a swatch of burlap and a cheerio.
I am not without skills, I can brush my teeth, let the dog out and POUR cheerios for my son at the same time. . .but add burlap to the mix and that is a recipe for disaster. He may very well choose to wear the cheerios instead of eating them, but I am pretty sure that if I attempted to send him down a runway, I would be voted off the island.. . or not be given a rose.

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PLEASE look at my giveaway. I am ready to beg. If you need reasons to donate. .. I am willing to provide them to you! Here are some stellar reasons.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Need more reasons?

I discovered Reece's Rainbow in February 2012 and my life was altered dramatically. I became very focused on the children posted on Reece's Rainbow and my heart longed to adopt. I struggled with a reluctant husband prior to seeing Pasha's picture. Pasha's picture spoke to my husband in May 2012 and  a just few short months later we are a waiting for our travel dates. YAY! Though we are so close to meeting Pasha, we have a ways to go to meet our fundraising needs. Fundraising has been humbling and I fear that people may want to know more. .. or, they may need more reasons to donate. We have a Giveaway going on right now with AWESOME prizes. ..if you want to take a peek here is the link to my Giveaway. If you still need more. ..

I can oblige.

1. No words needed. Just look at him!

2. I am nice. My husband is nice. My son CANNOT wait to be a big brother.

3. SEE?

This is how I will cuddle Pasha, Mama.

4. I am nice. When I am not nice, I am at least funny. (I try.)

5. Most of the time, without even trying, I make others look good. Really good. (People like to stand next to me in photos for this reason. I thought they just really liked me....)

6. I will say thank you. A LOT. Sometimes in the form of a haiku.

7. As much as we both love them; you don't need another pair of Toms. Really. (seriously those blue ones are super cute though, eh? You can always put them on your Christmas list. . ..)

8. Your husband won't even notice. $5 can make a HUGE difference! Something as little as $5 can actually be a massive help in this process. Truly. 

9. PASHA! 

10. You could stop me from posting my Giveaway on Facebook 3x a day. ..everyday. And 4x on Sunday. Oh. Wait. Here is the link to my Giveaway in case you have somehow missed it. 

11. Why ask why? Just do it. You wont regret it. You would be able to go to bed with the knowledge that you helped an orphan come home. Literally.

12. So I don't have to beg. I will beg if I have to, but it wont be pretty and you WILL regret it. (See #5)

13. Because things are getting political around here. I don't know why that means you should donate to help our adoption. . .but you should. Need the link to my Giveaway? 

14. Deep down, even if you deny it, we all know you REALLY want a Haiku. 

Yea, this is an old picture.. .but it works. 

15. Because at heart, we ARE all in this together. These children deserve SO much. I want to provide everything I possibly can to Pasha. ..we just need to get him here! We really WANT to be his family! 

Truly, people have been so generous and supportive. We will travel soon. We only have 3k left to raise to be fully funded. This is doable! THANK YOU SO MUCH! 

Haiku for you!

So many people have donated their way to a personalized Haiku! Amazing! Some of them I have no way of contacting directly so this post will be a Haiku extravaganza! I think this is everyone so far. .. if you have donated for the Haiku and I missed you. . PLEASE let me know!

For Megan F Smile. Memory Lane. Laughter made days go faster, Missing you my friend!

For Lisa Carter Hangovers do suck but meeting rad new people doesn’t suck at all

For Kara Cheerleader of mine Undefeated word guru Blessed by your support

For Van Van, you asked for it Gavin is a huge nit wit you need a re-do.

For Annie add Vodka, maybe friends, music  and umbrella guava polava

Andrea Low Sunshine and laughter Trucks, trains, dirt, soccer, swimming And a family

For Monica M Every little bit Pushes us one step closer To our beloved

For Jamie K With such gratitude this community of friends unite for Pasha

Hansina God is So Gracious You are living proof of this gratitude abounds

Laura V Learning to let go In hopes of holding so tight This gift of Pasha

Donna P Generosity With nothing asked in return Oh, those Jersey girls

Elizabeth K What a difference Your gift is a life-changer POSSIBILITIES!

Sharon R Two hearts united Committed to loving ALL Journey together

Quick Takes Friday

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I am a hit or miss sort of gal. Sometimes things go well, other times I crash and burn. I cannot seem to find the happy medium. This evening was a crash and burn sort of evening, I hope that my quick takes does not go up in flames as well. I will sum up my evening with this: I thought I should decline the invite to watch my nephew run in his race tonight. Instead I went. Saw loads of people that I knew. ..YAY... until 10 minutes into chatting I realized my fly was down. Not just a little bit. . completely open. Yup. *hang my head*

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I had my 80s party fundraiser. If the goal was to raise the level of fun in my life, then the party was a MASSIVE success. YES, I will get around to posting photos. People really got into the spirit of things and the night was so fun. SADLY my shoes were not in the party mood...The blisters are healing but I swear my toenail is hanging on for dear life. . .painfully hanging on. Sigh. During flip flop season, my beloved flip flop season. I spend way too much time wondering if and when it will just fall off. I didnt even know that a few hours in torturous shoes could do that. So, the party was fun AND I learned something new.

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My giveaway is still going. It has been extended, out of the goodness of my heart, of course. I do not want to deprive anyone the opportunity to win an awesome vacation or a Kindle Fire, which you may not be able to find anywhere else. How can you NOT enter?

http://4alittleloco.blogspot.com/2012/08/whats-at-stake-do-not-miss-out.html

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I got a new phone almost 2 weeks ago. It had to be done. My blackberry would reboot mid phone call. That was a little irritating, but when it started shutting down WHILE I was messaging someone on facebook, I knew it was time to part ways. My new phone thinks it is smarter than me. It attempts to predict what I am trying to say. I am tired of correcting it, so now I send the messages that my phone KNOWS I need to send. I was thrilled to learn that all these years I should have been saying that my Grandmother is UkrainJuan. My bad. Lesson learned.

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I have the cutest picture of Eli showing how excited he is to be a big brother and I cannot load it. Clocking. .. clocking....clocking. UGH. I will revisit this. We have been having some great conversations about the changes we are expecting in the near future. Eli has some real concerns. ..."He will not eat my dinner, Mama?!?" "He will not play with my toys, Mama. He will play with his toys." But he showed me how he wanted to hold his baby brother, using his teddy bear to demonstrate. When I clarified, "that is how you will hold your brother?" "Yes Mama, I want to, but he will run away." Sweetness. I love my son. 

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I misspelled potatoes today. It totally didnt phase me. Is my "smart phone" making me dumberer?

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Meet Ralph Spiccoli. He is a darling, sweet little boy that has a matching grant.  .he is only $295 away from meeting it. ..HINT HINT!

Ralph 15H

1r3ph-15

Date of Birth: January 2007

Gender: Male
Eyes: Brown
Hair: light brown
Character: sociable

Diagnosis: Down syndrome

What a handsome little boy!   He is already 5 and has likely been transferred to the institution already.  Further information will not be available about him until a family’s dossier is registered.  Don’t let him become a statistic!  He deserves a family and a future of his own.

Great region to adopt from, larger families and single moms welcome!

Ralph has a matching grant!  All donations will be matched up to $1000 until September 10! 

$705.00 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

Donations are tax deductible.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

The BIG 1-0-0!

So. . .this is my 100th post, A MILESTONE. I never thought I would be a blogger, never aspired to broadcast my crazy and yet... here I am, doing just that. I am ever so grateful to the people that have stopped in to catch up with me, to the readers that have supported me and have become wonderful friends despite my inability to really get my point across on this blog. A whole new world has opened up to me and I LOVE IT! So. . how to commemorate my 100th blog post?

I have so many thoughts rushing through my brain right now .. a report about my 80s Party Fundraiser (with pictures) a status update on the adoption. But I refuse! I dont want my 100th post to be about business. So here is my life in song. My recent life anyways. A girl has to retain a few secrets and maintain some mystery. ..

Yes, the styles are varied, some of these songs became part of my life through no choice of my own and I love them even more for that. Life is beautiful, especially when set to music. Enjoy!

Our Wedding Song. .. even though I lobbied hard for Betterman by Pearl Jam, we actually danced to this song. Anyone that debates dance lessons before your wedding. .. debate NO longer. TAKE THEM! I nearly lost both big toenails from this dance alone. (not kidding.)



OH Lazarus, child of my heart, this is our song. You know it. I know it. . .I heard it the other day and tried to sing through my tears.  .. didnt hit a single note, but I loved hearing it anyways. I LOVE YOU!  And your beautiful soul. You changed my life forever my dear boy.







Eli. . .even though we have since moved on, (to even cooler songs if you must know) our song is a toss up between the A-Team Theme song and this one. .. you sang this one more so I am sticking with it! That and it is so us! Quirky, silly and more than a little weird. I love it and YOU to the moon and back! To be honest, my all time favorite song is whatever song you happen to be singing at that moment. I adore you!






Beckett: I find it interesting that the week after we lost you, this song was on every single time I was in the car despite the fact that it was over 5 years old.  It is the perfect song for you and me. I strangely love that my heart breaks every time I hear it.


 


Sweet Pasha: Every time I hear the chorus of this song, your sweet face pops into my head and I get butterflies. SOON!





Me: I have had many theme songs through the years. Two have stuck and I cannot choose between them. You lovely people get to hear both. 

The quickest quick takes ever

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Oh man ..Kara has left the building! I have a chance to be first. An outside chance but a chance nonetheless. ..Oh yeah! There is a new sheriff in town. . .I am dedicating this entire post to Kara and the chance to be the first to post tonight. Oh, and to the SUPER large DQ Blizzard that is my date for the night. I know it is too early to know for sure.  .but I think Mr DQ and I are going to be good friends.

--- 2 ---

I am not Betty Crocker, June Cleaver or Martha Stewart. Not even close. My poor husband lives with this disappointment every day. I sometimes try. I have a plot in our Community Garden. This is my first year and I have loved the fresh produce. . but now it is literally coming out of my ears. My fridge is overrun with mammoth zucchini and tomatoes. I tried to use the zucchini by making bread... I made three batches one day, my husband declared that his cholesterol level would not permit him to partake in any. .. .so after I cleaned it off the wall I vowed no more bread. (really I am kidding. I ate the whole loaf myself. I hate cleaning so I really wouldn't give myself more to clean.) There are 5 hurking zukes in my fridge as I type. Pardon me for a moment.. .I need to pay a little attention to my date here.

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Mmmmmmm. Reece's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard. You make me smile. You also make me fat, but since that fact isn't removing the smile from my face. .. you can stay.

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So to tackle my surplus, in a freak Martha Stewart moment, I snagged my Mom's old dehydrator. .. it looks like it is from 1978, but it works. SUPER EXCITED, I set out to dry 321 grape tomatoes, 2 aging bananas and 5 hulking zukes. I had to call my sister twice to make sure I knew what I was doing. The tomatoes and bananas are drying as I type. What didn't occur to me was that my ENTIRE house would gain an overwhelmingly bitter, tangy, sharp tomato smell with just enough banana scent thrown in to turn my stomach. Are "real" homemakers immune to these side effects of frugality? Is there a pill I can take to assist me in attaining this immunity?

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I lost a son in January in my 14th week of pregancy. Up until that moment I knew nothing about Down Syndrome. It was not on my radar. My son would have been born with Down Syndrome and I was honestly devastated by the diagnosis but even more shattered by the loss of him. My eyes have been forever opened and my life has been enriched in ways I never could have imagined. So much so. Stories like this MAKE MY DAY! Wake up people. . .stop trying to limit people, define people and hold people back! http://www.wltx.com/video/784219182001/0/Teacher-Born-With-Down-Syndrome-Breaks-Stereotype

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I heard a rumor that we may be traveling to meet and claim our boy in as little as 4 weeks! That is 3 weeks faster than I thought! I am super excited but also super stressed. Raising funds is NOT easy or fun for me. It seems that some people have a knack for this. .. I am not one of them. (I know it seems that I am completely lacking in skill. .. which is sometimes true.) Please pray that the funds appear so that I can focus on what is truly important in this process. Look at that boy, is he not just the cutest? Check out our giveaway? 4alittleloco.blogspot.com/2012/08/whats-at-stake-do-not-miss-out.html

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This has been a rough couple of weeks for a lot of people. I have been praying so fervently for so many people. So much tragedy that I am finding it difficult to keep a stiff upper lip. So with a deep breath I will leave you with my all time favorite song. Have a blessed weekend everyone!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

What's at stake- do not miss out.

Hello kind folks! Our giveaway is still going and is set to finish August 31st, soon   September 20th but sadly we are no where near our goal of $2500 for this giveaway. I totally understand that people are tapped out, I would never say that our adoption is at risk if we do not make the $4900  $3400 $1836 that we truly need to make. That's right. ..we now only need $1836!!  If it means that we take out a loan or put that amount on a credit card, we will have to do so, Pasha will not be kept waiting because of our failure to raise the needed funds. I am eager to get to him as soon as humanly possible!

That being said, if we could get Pasha home without incurring debt, that would be FABULOUS. We have an amazing giveaway going on. Find our amazing giveaway here. 

Perhaps people have not entered this drawing because they cannot visualize the vacation. There are 5150 resorts to choose from. The certificate is good for a year, so really you could have ample time to find availability in a wide range of places!! Take a peek! 

India

China

Palm Springs

Ireland

Of course I cannot post 5150 photos on here. . .but if you want to take a gander, feel free! Your vacation awaits you! If you are not fussed over a vacation, there are other awesome prizes in this giveaway! A Kindle Fire, a CD Autographed by the uber beautiful Blake Shelton (swoon) AND a wonderful photo keepsake!