Oh man…this is as walk down memory lane!

I often get annoyed that I don’t have my family life recorded on a blog from the time Jon and I were married.  Sometimes my kids so also saying things like,

 “Why are all of the pictures of Handsome and Bug?”  

The problem is that before the time I started the blog I had all disposable cameras.  You know the yellow and black kind that had 32 pictures on them and if you messed up, you were out of luck?  Worse yet, we never had money to develop them so by the time we did half of them were black and unusable.  

The employees at the photo stores would always comment,

“WOW, it has sure been nice watching your family grow up in these 50 cameras!”

Where were digital cameras back in my day?  Now I think of it, where were cell phones and the Internet?  (Maybe Al Gore wasn’t around yet…?)  Man I am starting to feel old!  I first played video games on a Texas Instrument (a keyboard that hooked to a TV, and an Atari!)  Am I dated yet?  Yes, I am a product of the 80’s with care bears, strawberry shortcake, GI Joe, florescent clothes and charm necklaces.

Well anyway, at some point I must have scanned these pictures or had them put onto a CD and they were on on old hard drive somewhere…

Just get a load of Rooz!

She has changed just a tad over the past 7 years!  This was a dance performance she had at Lagoon with her friend Morgan.  She didn’t dance long, but she always picked up whatever she tried to learn quickly. I think this was the only time she performed.

Monkey was just a wee one in her stroller…

Look how cute and little Sprite,Noo, and Mack are!

This is obviously a jump in time, but I cracked up when I saw this picture of Phylis sleeping on her back on the TILE floor…crazy dog.

Wanna know something sick and twisted…?!

{Her ashes are still in my garage because it has been to cold to do anything with them}

Oh look….they used to get along!

And someone must have caught me doing laundry without me knowing.  I think this was right when we moved into our house now.  If you are wondering what SKWBE spells, it is the girst initials of my kids names.  Some think it says…Skwbe…kind of like a sea creature.

And my brother Scott (Carter’s Dad, the one in the hospital now)

Monkey was such a sweet chubby cheerful baby!

And wow….back to our older house, this isShauntylmy niece I raised for four years and our friend Sarah Tracy.  She lived across the street and always helped out babysitting.  NowShauntylis turning 21 I think… and Sarah is turning 20?  They are both beautiful young ladies and I love em’ much!

And last but not least, my sister in law Emmy pulling “blue steel” on me.

She now has 2 kids and one on the way after battling infertility for years.  I couldn’t be happier for her!

Time Flies!

Since 2004 I have lostShauntylandRooz, gained a son in law, Bug, and Handsome.

I have moved houses and grown a lot through life’s experience.  Sometimes I wish I could see into the future a year, five years, a decade…

and then I realize I am crazy and it would probably totally freak me out!  Just looking back at the past five, I don’t think I could have digested seeing into my reality now.  

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I was contacted over the weekend by an amazing lady {A lady younger than me…I am sure}

You can read her story HERE.

I am contacted by people ALL the time wanting me to  advertise for them, or write about their product for profit sometimes and other times not.  I haven’t come across much that has been worth my time yet, or if it is, simply don’t have the time.  This is the same reason I rarely do give a ways, I can’t spare any more time for the blog.  

Until, I “met” Ashley.

She gave up her baby for adoption five years ago *ON THIS DAY*

Somehow she came across my adoption story and thought we could help each other out.  She has started an amazing non-profit organization called “Blessings in a Basket“.  She has an amazing vision of what she wants to accomplish, one of them being a retreat for girls that have adopted their babies to other people.  It is to help them get back on their feet and help them continue in their life and not give up.  

She asked me to come to the retreat and do a (PIMDE) workshop.

Do you remembermy other blog?  I started it for my daughters and collected letters from women all over the Internet written to their 12 year old selves.  Some were funny, some serious, all reflective…but most of all EVERYONE that sent a letter in really enjoyed the process.

After I got that blog going..it took off really well..and then summer came.

And ALL the kids were home ALL day and it slowed down.  Fall rolled around and right when I took a picture of myself lying on the hammock with one daughter left at home and feeling so calm, Handsome came into our lives.  SoPIMDEwas left for later…I didn’t know where to take it from there.  

Now I am excited to work with Ashley and figure the best way to make awesome and add it to her retreat at a cabin in the Unitas.  I’ll keep you updated on that, but for now check out how awesome Ashley is at “Blessings In A Basket” 

Maybe say hello and send a quick note or prayer for her on this very hard day.

I am just so impressed she is doing something with her heartache and not letting it take over her life in sadness.  I am sure it is something a birth mother never gets over, but we can all use our trials to learn and grow or to take us down and

ASHLEY IS NOT GOIN’ DOWN!