The WILD LAST "FIRST"

This is how the LAST FIRST started out...

The BIRTHDAY GIRL was there each step..

SHE LOVES TO BOUNCE...

I KNOW... A little extravagant.

But YOU MUST REMEMBER..

IT IS OUR LAST FIRST!!!!

Happy Baby..

I MUST ADMIT however, if we can find one of these at a discounted price..WE WILL buy it and put it in our living room for the winter...

AND then there is the cake..

WORTH.EVERY.PENNY.

I made most of the decor.

LOVED making her BANNER!!

Bought these PRECIOUS water bottle stickers off EBAY.

A GREAT party favor when its HOT outside!

Got the little pink & green tubs at Dollar Tree.

Visors at Oriental Trading and Leopard tape at Wally World.

Napkins and Plates & shades at OT also..

Made the paper chain with a stapler :)

Got this SWEET plate on ETSY..

Kids made the flowers, ballons off EBAY.

She knew RIGHT what to do with her cake!

We all had a fun time!

She invited ONE friend..Baby ASA!

She LOVED opening prezzies..

LOVED her bear from Grandma that sings Happy Birthday!

And was just DOWNRIGHT edible herself...

Enjoyed time in Pixie's new bed from Grandma..

She likes little PIXIE a lot...

They are still figuring each other out..

And fighting over the same stuff..

Both BIG BABIES!

LOL

She CRASHED HARD after a

FABULOUS PARTY..

Our LAST FIRST...*tear*.... 

We love you so much precious miracle girl!

Happy Birthday Angel!!

Because we are a SAFE HOUSE...

In our county..

We sometimes get calls for respite for kiddos at all hours of the night.....

We had a young child added to our bedtime routine tonight.

She joined us this morning at 4am after a LONG night of stress..

She's worn down..
Sweet..
She's weary..
Sad...
Lonely...
Love Starved..

I have already shed many tears for this sweet one.. She could be ME or any of my kids...

Please pray that we will show HIS LOVE to this precious one..
To the least of these.... Just as our Father has shown us.

Pray that our entire family will learn a lesson in true love and compassion as we care for this sweet one.. And that we NOT take the things God has blessed us with spiritually & materially for granted.

Pray that the words that I speak to her come straight from him..
Pray that the 72 hours we spend with her will some how, impact her life...

Pray that I can rest tonight and the thoughts of her life and struggles will escape my mind just until morning..My heart is in pieces for her...

My Birthmother...Lots on my mind....PART 1

I have wanted to write this post for YEARS now...It's just very difficult to write and get my emotions into words...

As my 41st birthday approaches..I think back to the date of my birth and what my birthmother was thinking then...

I also wonder what she thinks now..

We know each other but are NOT CLOSE...

I feel most of the times she doesn't love me, let alone like me..

AND IT HURTS..

I never really cared to meet her for I was raised by my own doting infertile parents who already adopted 2 boys and longed for a baby girl...They were/are WONDERFUL, Christian, Loving parents.

As an adopted child, the only thing I really wanted growing up was to see a picture of my birthmother..I NEVER longed to meet her. Once we did meet though, things changed..

I was born almost 41 years ago...To a BEAUTIFUL young Mexican girl whose mother (from what I understand) told her it would be much better to give me up for adoption than try to keep me at such a young age....She was sent to live in a Catholic home for unwed mothers until I was born.  I am SO THANKFUL she chose to give me LIFE!

On June 26, 1970, I was blessed to enter this world. I was fondly named "Cheryl Ann" after my BM's best friend and immediately placed into state foster care without my birthmother being offered even a glimpse of me.  SO SAD, for her.. to have me wiggling in her belly all that time and not even get to see my face...not get to hold me...I feel for her.

I lived in the same foster home for the 4 months prior to my parents picking me up and adopting me and changing my name to Jennifer Bea. Of course I don't remember any of this but it does affect me today.  I am IN AWE at God's plan for my life and beyond impressed that his plan included this commonality that I share with my adopted children.  Because I can tell them "MOMMY IS JUST LIKE YOU." "I WAS IN FOSTER CARE." "I know how it feels to miss your mommy and be sad that you can't be with her." "To wonder what she is like, what she is doing, where she is living." AND SO ON.... God's wisdom is SO FAR beyond what I can fathom to have set up this awesomeness. Don't you agree?

My parents were told VERY LITTLE about me. They didn't even know I was 1/2 Mexican. Isn't that WILD? OH HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED! Oh how I am thankful for the openness we share with our childrens birth families.

I lived a wonderful middle class life growing up with 2 school teachers for parents & 2 ornery older brothers. I was a spoiled yet well-rounded girl. I was afforded all the opportunities I was ever remotely interested in. Sports, Girlscouts, church, baton twirling, acrobats, dance, music etc. We LOVED traveling and camping as a family also.

When I was 20, my life changed when I had "the oldest". I was a single mom who worked a couple jobs to try to give her as close to the great life I was raised in. My parents helped A LOT when she was little. She was a precious little girl.

I was just mulling along with life. Struggling to make ends meet and take care of my sweet 5 year old girl when.....I went to the mailbox one day during the 25th year of my life and...

MY LIFE WAS PERMANENTLY ALTERED..

Stay tuned for PART 2!

OH, AND GO VOTE WOULD YA?
I need several HUNDRED more votes to make it in the top 25 which I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO DO. It only takes a second. THANK YOU!

ONE YEAR AGO...You Grow Girl 1 YEAR!

First let me just say

I'M AN EMOTIONAL WRECK..

BAWLING AS I WRITE THIS..

Now, We may begin with the regularly scheduled blogging..

A VERY SWOLLEN "ME" One year ago..

36 weeks 3 days..

39 AND HOLDING :)

Although I had a HUNCH, I wasn't sure I was

On my way to my LAST OB Appointment EVER.. *sniff*

I had my bag and fancy delivery gown packed since about TRIMESTER ONE!

I was READY.....KINDA...

I had been on bed rest for almost 4 months..

With 6 little ones, THAT AINT EASY PEEPS!

And before I knew it, I was kissing my PRECIOUS ANGEL..

OUR MIRACLE BABY..

Just months earlier FROZEN IN A TEST TUBE..

OUR PRECIOUS answer to SO MANY PRAYERS..

Prayers of a mother....ME..For God to fill my womb.

I could SO RELATE to Hannah....

It was SO SURREAL..

To this day..The tears stream down my cheeks as I find it hard to WRAP MY BRAIN AROUND God's goodness to our family..

To be able to experience pregnancy with THE CAPTAIN..
To put Embryo Adoption in our path...

WOW, Thank you Lord.

Pregnancy is a bond like no other between husband and wife.

I am so Grateful for it..

I truly feel complete.

IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST THOUGH... Our precious little newborn is now a *GULP*..

ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL, TODDLING ALL OVER TARNATION!

As with all our other kids.. We have taken them at ONE YEAR for a photo shoot with our good friend Sara..ALSO MOTHER OF 8!
Here are just a FEW of the BEAUTIFUL, ARTISTIC, PHENOMENAL shots she took of our precious one year old baby girl!

TRY TO CONTAIN YOURSELVES for this CUTENESS PEOPLE..

I know...it's over for me.. NO MORE BABIES.

I'll admit, it makes me sad at times that I will never again feel life moving inside of me.. (serious sobbing now)

But I feel SO BLESSED that I got to experience this..

Something my mother and many other women only dream of..

A gift from our Lord that is worth more than anything to our family..

A TRUE REWARD from HIM!

Thank you Jesus for the gift of our precious Blakely Laurel!

We have a BIG PARTY PLANNED.

It IS the FIRST birthday of our LAST BABY..

Gotta DO IT UP!

Here is a sneak peek..

It's gonna be WILD!!

OH, AND DID I HAPPEN TO MENTION HER GIFT?

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY BIG GIRL!

WE LOVE and ADORE YOU!

Vote if ya like..

Vote! JUST FOR FUN!

Someone told me about this CIRCLE OF MOMS facebook contest.. I just joined it last night & don't want to win BUT it would be FUN to make it to the top 25 Adoption Blogs! Will you help me?

GO HERE TO VOTE!

THANKS for the LOVE!

PS-you can vote EVERY DAY!  OR add your blog! There are TONS of categories besides Adoption! HUGS!

It's WEARING ME OUT LOL!

I'm still addicted...

This is my deal for the day..

all for..

DRUMROLL...

$13.37

HERES THE BREAK DOWN..

After Price Matching and Couponing at WALLY..

2 bottles of lotion-FREE

1 bottle of body wash-FREE

12 bars of Ivory-FREE

6 Crunch bars- $.84

3 Tic Tacs-FREE

2 UP2U gum (luv the stuff) $.56

1 deodorant-FREE

2 bottles Lipton Tea-FREE

1 Purex Laundry-$1.97

8 bottles of Soft Scrub $10 (1.25 a piece)

$47 retail

TOTAL SAVINGS

$33.63

Yes, I'm willing to admit, I'm still a

COUPONOHOLIC...

Stay tuned..