Baby Ellie

You know by now how much I love and support my friends, whether its a clutch or kids items from Vessel Handmade or nail decals from Long Changed. One thing that is really dear to my heart right now is my friend Christine and her adoption!

My sweet friend is exhausted! Shes a mom of 3 in home 1 awaiting home. A preschool teacher, a wife, a daughter. Find her blog,{Collins Clan on the right} read up on my special friend. She is doing this for Ellie! She is in dire need of some rest, but she keeps movin. Why, she is on a mission a mission to get her girl home. Home to a mommy and daddy and 3 siblings who are gonna love her like she has never been loved before! Precious Ellie is waiting in an orphanage, waiting for her forever home, and her parents to come rescue her!

To Our Little Light

That said, Christine just found out that she can go meet Ellie for the first time! SOON, but before that can happen, she needs to raise some funds. She currently has a few ways of receiving donations, one being directly on her blog: The Pilgrimage another is to go like this Facebook page: Help us Bring Ellie Home and take a looksy at the auction going on right now! Its for locals in or around Orange County or Corona area, easy for pick up or drop off. She has so many awesome things to bid on, its ridiculous! Also, she enjoys taking photos, and you can get some taken locally as well:

Click photo to find her photography blog and Facebook Page

Short and sweet, but I want her to get her funds so badly! will you please consider helping her out!!!

A queen for a day

When thinking of someone that is deserving of being a queen for a day, someone who doesnt get much time for themselves, someone who works so hard, who loves Jesus, who loves their family... You see, I have many amazing friends, many who deserves so much, who fit each category and more...But I need to choose just one.. So I thought, and thought and came up with her.... Ok I didnt think to hard, her voice just kinda spoke to me... choooosssssssssseee me! hehe no for real though..

Ive known this person for 6+ years, Ive watched her grow, into such and amazing wife, and from there and even more amazing mom and child of God.

Just recently she and her hubs decided to take on the world of foster care! What a road that is! A road not many can take on. Willing to be heart broken, for what? To show a child love, a hug a God way bigger than the situation. She has an amazingly gorgeous foster child! 

She is a mom of 5 kiddos {{2 of which are dancing the streets of gold in heaven}}! During their waking hours, she is on the floor playing with them, while teaching and loving on her eldest, who she is homeschooling her first year, a preschooler! She also totes them to Disney, to parks, dance classes and field trips. Taking them along to pick up fabric and supplies for her business!

Oh yes, her business, she is an amazing crafter. She runs her own handmade business, consisting of something for just about everyone! From genuine leather clutch, totes, to kids artfolios, crayon rolls, to kids aprons. So versatile, yet great at it all! When does she do all this you ask, OH YES during the time when you or I would be slouched on the couch watching tv, she does this while her kids are sleeping! During naps and at bed time, as to not take away from any precious time from them!

A wife, she loves her man so much! She knows what he needs to be happy, she knows that their relationship keeps the home running, that keeping him pleased and happy, keeps the family at peace, and its not hard for her to do! She is happy to make sure there is a meal on the table, and that he has clean clothes! Shes happy to welcome him with a hug and a kiss! With a 'how was your day?'

She is a friend, there with a listening ear, usually via voxer, (cuz with many children (mine included) its just easier) giving advise, offering prayer, willing to help out in any way!

She is a daughter, to the king of kings, she loves Jesus so much! She isnt afraid to share it, and it just radiates off her! She is happy to help a friend in need! She donates her handcrafted goodness to help someone in need, she does what she can when she can! She attends church weekly, and is well known in her church home!

This lady is a servant! Always serving, so happy to do so! As I said her heart is huge! I cant think of anyone more deserving to step away from her amazing life, to just be poured upon, loved on and just feel even more special than she already is!

OH! Who is this AMAZING lady of God?? Why none other than the hands behind Vessel Handmade! Miss Kristen, the God Mother to my children and one of my bestest friends!

Entered in the Queen Bee: Bee a Queen for a day Contest

Manic Monday on Sunday

This past friday night Nick and I went on a date night. A friend came over to watch the kids. Part way through dinner I get a call. I looked down and said out loud, this cant be good. It was my babysitter, a friend, someone who has known my kids their whole short lives. I answered, the first thing she says is, 'Im sorry....' Anberlyn was giving her so much trouble. I guess she was fine at first. Making paper vests. she brought over lights and glowsticks and a craft (hello babysitter of the year!!) It was when the glowsticks got put away and it was time for bed. Anberlyn went crazy! Not doing ANYTHING she was told, slamming doors, running around. She wouldt take the phone to talk to me she tried to take it and throw it.
I didnt know what to tell her, I didnt know what to do! My heart hurt! WHY was she acting like this! We came home early, as we planned on hitting up DCA as well. She got a talking to and had to apologize right then. We knew she had to be punished, but didnt know how.
She had 2 birthday parties she was to attend on Saturday, we thought about taking those away, but really, I didnt think that was the greatest idea. She would be sad for a second, but then would be over it. So after much discussion, we took away TV for 2 days, AND she was unable to have cake/cupcakes at the parties.

So at the parties, when it was time for cake, Anbo mentioned how pretty or yummy they looked, we sang happy birthday and she didnt get any, she cried, then we sat and talked about why she didnt get it! ALSO, she was soooooooo excited about picking out the gifts for the birthday girls, and as part of the punishment, she was unable to pick them out.

I really dont know what to do, this is difficult. A friend said this:
I've had situations similar with my son and since I wasn't there I didn't want to come down to overly hard since I didn't warn him in advance. But the next time we went or did the same thing i set rules in place, had him repeat them to me and talked about the consequences in advance. He seemed to have the best success that way. I have found that works the best for him. I think kids that are more strong willed need to repeat what behavior is expected of them or they don't feel the need to own those problems or abide by those rules. At least that has worked with us.Another friend talked about how she might just have a personality, where she needs to have controll over situations, and when she doesnt she kinda looses it! Which may be true..

Im not ok with her behavior in the least bit! I was so embarrassed. I also dont appreciate her not treating an adult, a person I put in authority over her with such disrespect! I know this is a learning game.. game... hahaha I wish it were just a game, and I was winning! BWAHAHA! no... She has anxiety, she has night terrors, and nightmares. I dont know if all this is interlinked... Im doing my best to figure it out, to help my little girl.

Ive been super stressed about it, Saturday I was in lala land all day, kinda just spacing out. I watch her play, and was tearing up.. I also noticed at the parties, she wasnt playing with any of the other kids, she was alone, playing by herself... Im crying just thinking about it. I know she is only four {close to 5} my heart breaks. I wanna be able to fix her. Im not making excuses for her actions with her babysitter, not at all, but if its all linked, I wanna know!

AND to my babysitter that night, I am so incredibly sorry for my daughters actions! You have been a great friend, and so loving to my girls!

I think it will be awhile, until Nick and I go out, whose gonna wanna watch someone who puts them through so much.. We shall see! I would be concerned the whole time we were out!

Were any of your littles like this? Do you have any advise?

Manic Monday: Vacay

I came on to write about my vacation, and this number stood out to me, 10,000 thats a big number, my itty bitty silly blog has been viewed over 10,000 times. Ok, that shock is over...

So this past week we spent the week in Monterrey, CA. We had a blast. It took us 9 hours to get there, should take about 6, but with kids, needing to stop eat, let them get the wiggles out, it took a lot longer. The trip there was fun, the kids did sooo much better than expected. While there we stayed at a hotel, we went to a kids museum, My Museum, we hit up the Aquarium twice, we walked the wharf, had a date night {through the morning} saw THOUSANDS of jelly fish in the ocean, saw the sea lions, went to the farmers market,I went to taco tuesday with my sister, Nick went out with my brother in law, and just had so much fun as a family! Here are lots of photos, out of order, enjoy:

I had just taken off the carrier, and my shirt was doing something silly..

who needs a carrier

She sat there waving to people as they walked by

they were stinky! Anbo couldnt handle it!

Such an AWESOME park!!