MckLinky

There’s a great new “linky” service available and I wanted to let you know about it. It’s called MckLinky – www.mcklinky.com. After realizing the need for a new, reliable linky capability, Brent Riggs and MckMama got together to create a free, easy to use linky service for all their blog friends.


MckLinky is a free link list feature that allows you to do include lists of other blog links like MckMama does on Not Me! Monday. You can use MckLinky any time you want your blog readers to leave a list of links on your blog. It’s simple, reliable, free...and loads of MckFun!

I am back!

So where have I been the last two weeks, you wonder? Besides, plugging in numbers, emailing, and thanking people.

Well, the usual working everyday twice a week during the DAY now! Oh yeah, you read right, day shift for me. Wow, do I feel like a totally different person these days. I have worked the night shift (7pm to 7am for over 3 years now) to keep my children from being in daycare more than once a week. Now that Hutter is two and a half, I feel more content on leaving him once or twice a week now. I love my job as a nurse. Really, I feel like a stay at home mom, except occasionally have to get a break work a little each week doing something I feel compassionate about.

However, our plan is for me to work even less after our daughter is home. Hopefully as prn (as needed) basis at the hospital. Did I mention I get a 3month maternity adoption leave when she comes home. Our hospital is amazing and understands the importance of motherhood. I can not wait for that moment with her and all my children spending quality time getting to know our new addition to our family. Not having to worry about making it harder for her transition by sending her to another new person.

Oh what else, paying bills, making fun summer concoctions out of organic fruits and vegetables, riding bikes, taking pictures of myself for my passport
,
disciplining Con for not coming home from the neighbors on time, grounding Con for going to another neighbors house without telling me, retraining Hutter to urinate in the toilet and not in the tub or outside, taking all four children to the pool and library,






running Con 35 minutes across town for fencing class, practicing ponytails for little girl's hair on Hutter,



,doing laundry, cleaning the house, and hitting up garages sales every week! Yep, that sounds about right.

I have never been a garage sale type of person. You know the kind, that starts searching Tuesday for the best ones around town, mapping out exactly where they are going, getting up at 6am rushing the kids to throw some clothes on, running by the gas station to pick up donuts for breakfast, and getting to the first one by 7am. Well, I have become that garage sale type of person.

I started to think back in May when we had our garage sale. Man, we are giving away some really great items for dirt cheap. I should give this a try. And the addiction began. I can't stop!

I have found amazing deals. I am never hardly ever going to shop at a department store again. Seriously, kids clothes for a quarter to fifty cents, name brand, hardly worn. I have never been the type to pay full price for anything. I will only shop clearance and sale racks. But now, I don't even want to pay more than $2.00 for a shirt. Garage sales have depraved my brain. I plan on showing all my great finds soon. You won't believe your eyeballs, seriously!

Anyone else addicted to garages sales? Please confess...I think I may need GSA (garage sale anonymous) soon!

The Winners!

Wow, here we are finally announcing the big Huge winners of our Baby J's MacBook Giveaway. What a whirlwind of emotions these last few weeks. We were scared and blessed within days of each other. Each and every one of you have been an absolute blessing to us!

Our total was $1910.00 Just amazing!



I am so excited to announce the Apple MacBook Laptop winner! Listen carefully to the video!

Congrats Daniel Corsivo! You are the Winner! Isn't God just amazing. Daniel serves in the military and just started his blog. I think his second post was about our giveaway! Wow! Thank you for serving this country, you are a blessing to all of us and I pray you enjoy this wonderful laptop!

Next, The winner of the extra prize package goes to Tara Bartlett Congratulations. I hope you enjoy your fun package that is soon to come your way. It includes a Tutu outfit, four hair bows, and a bath set! I will get you set up with Molly so you can pick out the details to your tutu outfit!

Last but not least...the winner of the $30 gift card to Target is

Sue Harvey

Congrats Sue! Sue adopted a precious boy from South Korea and has become a great friend through our blogs!

Thank you again for everyone who donated and I hope everyone enjoys their prizes!

Wordless Wednesday!

A wonderful prize package in addition!

Wow, we are just amazed at how blessed we have been with everyone who has participated to help with our adoption fund. We are overjoyed. We can not say Thank you enough to everyone involved. Each and every one of you have made a difference in our lives and to our future daughter's life. Without your generous giving we would not be in the same boat. Studly and I are saving like crazy and decreasing our expenses as best as we can, however, we are still far from coming up with the $30,000 it takes to bring our daughter home. We trust in the Lord, and we know He will provide, all the means, to bring our daughter home.

We are getting so close to $1800.00. So here is what we thought. Let's giveaway another prize package! A dear IRL (in real life) friend Molly has offered to add a prize to our raffle. She has a cute etsy store called Mommyto2girls. She would love to make an adorable tutu and onesie/t-shirt for some special girl in your life.


Whether it's your daughter, niece, granddaughter, or friend. These outfits are just precious for a birthday, Halloween costumes, dress-up, or just because she is a princess and needs to wear it to the grocery store. I am totally going to let my daughter wear one anywhere! Molly will make it any color and any size to fit your special girl!

That is not all.

Along with this adorable outfit, we are going to give away four sets of hair bows. Coordinating colors that are just adorable with any outfit.


In addition this wonderful bath set to soak away your stress at the end of the day! Every hard working woman deserves this at least once a year!



So that is an adorable tutu outfit, four sets of hair bows, and a bath set will be given away in addition to the other prizes!

Don't forget to continue to spread the news, even if you do not donate, to enter for the $30 gift card to Target!

Let's hit $1800.00 by Thursday June 25th, and we will throw in this prize package to another lucky blessed winner! For original details on our laptop giveaway and details on how to donate click here!

By next weekend we will be announcing the winner of the amazing brand new Apple Macbook Laptop, the extra prize package, and the $30 gift card to Target (which is up for grabs to 12 people right now, you guys have a good chance of winner that one!)

I have prayed for each and every one of you that has given so generously to us and I will continue to pray for you. God says He "will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion." 2 Corinthians 9:10-11. I pray that God will give you so much more for giving so abundantly to us for our baby.

Can we do it? I believe we can!

**Hey guys... It's Molly guest blogging for just a quick word or two in honor of the Cole family. Please help support them in this great cause to bring home their baby girl. I can honestly say no one deserves to have a precious little girl to love and care for more than this family!!! They have really felt God throughout this whole journey and need his help and guidance and yours as well more than ever. Will you please spare that extra $5 you were going to spend on your Mocha this morning??? Look at how far they have come; all your support means the world to this family and you're contributing to SUCH an amazing cause.

I was more than happy to assist them with a few extra prize incentives... what about you? **

Update on Adoption and Giveaway

{Update: Wow we have hit $1000.00 God has been showing up in the last couple of days and I am feeling your prayers. We are just in Awe of what has happened so far. Please continue to pray with me. Thank you for all the support. This is just amazing! A passage I have read before, but God brought to me this week is this: Remember this:Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6. That is my prayer for each and every person who has giving to us, generously, to help bring our baby home. That, from your generous giving, God will replenish you with so much more! Thank you friends!}

First, I want to say thank you for all the support we have received this far. People giving generously to us for our adoption. We are overwhelmed by the people who have donated so far, giving way more than expected and above the donated suggested price.

At this time, we are feeling very nervous and stressed about the outcome of this giveaway. I personally have been in the word and praying this week about the direction God is taking us. In addition, Studly and I have been coming together and spending time with God especially on our adoption this week. I have been trying to let go and be at peace with whatever happens with this giveaway. Whether we lose money with it or somehow miraculously have a generous amount for our adoption fund at the end. I know we cannot see the future, but Our God knows everything. He knows who our baby is, He knows if we will have all the money we need and I am trying really hard to rest on that now. But I am struggling with it, honestly.

I know the economy is tough right now. People without jobs, in debt, living day by day not knowing if they have the means to keep their home or have food on the table. I am praying for many personal friends and family who are struggling with this currently. This is a tough time right now and God is our only hope. So, I know financially, people just cannot give what I know that in their hearts they would love too. I am not expecting anyone to give who just cannot do it do to circumstances. I also do not expect people to give if they don't feel led to by God.

I am asking for some prayers to be sent our way. I know when more than one come together, in God's name, we can move mountains. That is my prayer now.

Also, I would love to enter people into the $30 Target gift card for spreading the news of our giveaway. Even if you do not donate to our giveaway. I would love to reward you for helping us get the word out. So, if you would like to help by either posting or emailing about it. Then leave a comment on this post or the original letting us know of your participation, that would be awesome!

I hope I am conveying the way I feel in my writing. Sometimes that is difficult for me.

Now, for some exciting news about our adoption!

We received our official home study in the mail on Friday. We had some corrections to make because, lets face it, we are a mixed family and that is kind of confusing on paper. But it is all crystal clear now and we are official.

I had all the I-600A form completed and all the necessities to send it today. So, I just had to add the official home study and we were off to the post office. Within minutes I might add!

Studly and Con were heading out to go somewhere, when all the excitement of the homestudy happened and I did not get to say goodbye to Con. I was very upset and called Studly so I could talk to Con. Well, after I returned from the post office I received this in my email.

Con: "Mommy, this is me giving you a kiss..."

Baby J's MACBook Giveaway!

Here we go!

Are you ready for this Super Big Giveaway to help bring our daughter home from Korea?

Great because here we go, it starts now and ends on June 22nd.

We may not know her yet but we are So in love! God has called us to adopt and we have answered the call.

So, to get her home we are going to be raffling off this amazing Laptop that is the total RAGE these days.....I guess! According to the technical people in my life aka Studly and his co-workers.

Here is what is up for grabs...

http://www.apple.com/macbook/




























Product Specifications
MacBook 13.3" MB881LL/A
Operating System - Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Processor - Intel® Core 2 Duo Processor
Processor Speed - 2.0GHz
Data Bus Speed - 1066MHz Frontside Bus
RAM Installed / Max RAM Supported - 2GB DDR2-667 SDRAM (Expandable to 4GB)
Hard Drive - 120GB 5,400RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive
SuperDrive Double Layer 8x DVD±RW Drive
Display Type - 13.3" Widescreen Display
Video Card - NVIDIA GeForce 9400M Video Chipset
Video Memory Installed - 256MB DDR2 Shared SDRAM
Integrated Sound Card
10/100/1000 Gigabit Network Adapter
Wireless Network Features -AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wireless Network; Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Speakers, Microphone, iSight Camera
Rechargeable Lithium-Polymer Battery - Average Run Time Up to 4.5 Hours
Included Software - iLife '09
Manufacturer Warranty - 1 Year Limited Warranty

Say, you don't need a brand spankin' new laptop. Are you sure? This would make a wonderful gift or maybe your old computer would make a wonderful gift, while you enjoy this new rage Apple MACBook Laptop.

So how do you win this Apple MACBook Total Rage Laptop, you ask?

Let me explain...

When you click on the secure Chipin Icon at the top of the post you will be able to donate and get your name entered to win. The suggested donated price is $5. However, you can donate any amount you are led to do. Each $5 donation will enter you one time. So if you donate $20 then your name is entered four times. The more you donate the better chance you have to win this Total Rage Laptop.

After you donate securely through the Chipin Icon you will receive an email, from the address on your paypal account, from us giving you your ticket number(s)

That is not all folks...

We need your help to spread the word!

If you copy the code on the right sidebar of our Baby J's MACBook Giveaway button and paste it on the sidebar of your blog. Then go post to your wonderful friends about the Apple MACBook Total Rage Laptop giveaway and have them jump on over to here. Then, leave a comment on this post telling us of your participation with your direct post about the giveaway. We will check out your blog and you will be entered!

You don't have a blog you say. Well, don't worry you can participate too. All you have to do is email your friends about this giveaway with the direct link to our blog http://colefamilymission.blogspot.com/ and place cole.adoption@gmail.com along with your friends that your sending it to and leave a comment on this post, then you will also be rewarded.

What is the reward, you wonder?

We will double the number of tickets you purchased. Also we will have a separate giveaway for all you spreaders! You will be entered to win a $30 gift card to Target! Who doesn't love Target!

On June 22nd the raffle giveaway will end and we will randomly choose a winner using Random.org. We will then be posting the winner's number here! Be checking back here within days after June 22nd to see if you are the lucky winner of this brand new Apple MACBook Computer and all it's accessories.

Also, the winner of the target gift card will be announced!

What are you waiting for....jump in! Let's get this started with a big bang!

All donations will go directly to our adoption fund to bring our daughter home! Thank you in advance for your time and donation. Every little bit will help bring a baby, without a family, home to us to love forever! This is all for her and for God's glory!

Just think, within weeks, you could be checking out your brand new Apple MACBook Laptop in the comfort of your home for a huge bargain and a great cause! Won't that feel good?

If you have any questions please email us at cole.adoption@gmail.com

Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary.

I am feeling torn....need your help

So, I do not really want to even talk about this but I am feeling very torn now!

Have people heard about the April Rose blog?

If so then you know what I am talking about.

Well, today I was going to post about our giveaway to help raise money for our adoption.

I am afraid people are going to just think it is a scam.

When I know my blog friends and my real life friends know that we are truly adopting from Korea and truly know that it is expensive and that this raffle giveaway can really help us raise some of the money we need for this adoption.

What do you guys think we should do?

Continue on and post this awesome raffle giveaway?

Give it a couple days to cool down?

Any ideas on how to let people know it is truthful and honest?

I need your help and ideas!!!!!

Which Boy Did It...Revealed

Yea you guessed it... Hutter!


This one may be easy but I may get you in the future.

Which Mama made him clean it up himself?

Sunnymama, that's right!

Wow, 4 months!

Wow, 4 months since we started this process officially, by sending our application to our agency. This has been on our hearts and minds for over a year and God revealed His plan to us officially two days before Christmas, this last year. I can not believe the journey we are on and how letting God direct our lives has changed us. We are so thrilled to be bringing a daughter home some day soon.

We should be receiving our official home study in the next couple days according to our agency. Once we receive our home study, we will be sending in our I-600A form to the USCIS. This form is to petition for a child for adoption. Once we receive our referral we will then send in the I-600 form which is to petition for our actual child.

And we wait.....patiently anxiously for "The CALL" for our referral. Once we receive our referral, we will not be able to travel to Korea for another 3-5months due to all the legal requirements for her to come here.

I called our agency the other day and just asked approximately how long we could be waiting. She said up to a year. A year??? Not what I wanted to hear. With the Waiting Child Program you have to wait for a child that matches with the medical needs you specified that your comfortable with and that Korea matches you with. What is so hard about hearing that is, I am seeing families via blogs getting WC referrals within 2-3months after their homestudy is complete. So, we will just wait patiently anxiously for ours, I guess. Because honestly no one really knows but God! He has the perfect time to reveal our daughter to us!

We are putting together something special right now and is in the works! You will just have to wait and see. Lets just say it will help bring our daughter home and someone is going to get something really cool!

With the adoption cost over 25K we need some help financially. Every little donation, garage sale, and saving will help us at this point. We trust in God that He will provide what we need.

Happy 4 Month to our Adoption Process

Which Boy Did It?

Which boy did this....???

Opened a container of yogurt

Drank the yogurt from it

Smeared the yogurt everywhere

Dropped the yogurt container on the floor and splattered it everywhere?

Can you guess?

E

or

Con

or

Hutter

?

?

?

I will reveal the answer later!

Finger Body Painting

I hate messes, especially ones that involve PAINT! So, I came up with this fabulous horrible idea for the boys to finger body paint without the mess!

Or so I thought!



Finger Body painting outside. We even invited Con's friend over to paint along, because we thought this was such a fabulous idea!










After 5 minutes of disaster involving me covered with paint, Hutter exposing himself completely because he took body painting literally, and two bottles of paint completely gone. We I decided this is over and we needed to clean up!

Well, we had to clean off somehow. The sprinkles were turned on and used for the first time this summer for a great cause!





Wasn't that a fabulous horrible idea?