Snowflake Swap 2013

My friend Jane co-hosted a swap with a couple other bloggers for Christmas. I thought it was a neat idea, so I thought I'd join. Boy am I glad I did!

My Partner was Angie, we had so much in common, it just seemed too perfect that we got paired! Her words in her e-mail to me about being paired "There is no doubt that GOD put us together as partners!"
You see, she adopted her son, and he's joining the Army and going to Basic at Fort Jackson, which is where we were living, until today! (We are currently moving to Dahlonega, Georgia since my husband is getting out of the Army in February and started his Terminal Leave, so while ya'll read this, I'll be driving!!)

I wish I had taken pictures before I sent her package off! I had so much fun putting thought into her gifts. I bought her these super cute labels for her mason jars, she cans the things she grows in her garden, and I knew my friend over at the Sassy Seamstress had the cutest labels! She decorates 2 trees, and puts Hope ornaments for her granddaughter on one, I got her a heart shaped frame, so she could put her sweet granddaughters picture on her tree!! I also got her a couple for her other tree! I also made homemade Hot Cocoa and put lots of chocolate in there!! I hope she loved her package as much as I loved mine!!

Now for my package!!!!

Candy, Starbucks Gift card and how cute is that hot cocoa and marshmallows in an ornament!

This looks like homemade Sugar Scrub, it smells AMAZING and I don't know why I haven't tried it yet, but I can't wait to try it!!!

She sent 2 scrap book kits, they're both so pretty, the bottom one will be perfect to put some of our Hawaii pictures on! And those little gift tags are so cute!!!!

I'm a sucker for anything that makes my house smell good! I can't wait to use this when we get settled once my husband finds a job!!!

Thank you so much Angie for the goodies!! I enjoyed getting to know a little about you, and I hope that we can keep in touch!! 

Head over to Moira's, Acacia's or Jane's Blogs to link up your post or to check out what other's got from their partner's and keep an eye out, there are rumors that there might be a Snowflake Swap next year too!!!

5 years, to the day

It didn't dawn on me until today, that it hasn't just been 5 years since I gave birth and placed my son, but 5 years to the day.

J was born on a Tuesday morning, I signed the papers on a Wednesday morning. Wednesday was also the day that I held him for the first time and last time. It's also the day he got to leave the hospital. Sleeping in the hospital Tuesday night wasn't as bad as Wednesday because I knew my son was under the same roof, but Wednesday night, knowing he was sleeping somewhere else, it was really hard. Leaving the hospital without him was probably even harder. It's not natural for a mother to walk into a hospital with her son safely inside her, and to leave without him.

The day after his birthday is almost always worse than his birthday. They're both pretty hard on me. But I have an amazing support system. My husband is great, he doesn't understand, but he's here for me and knows when I need him. And all my friends are great. I don't know where I'd be without them.

I started a couple years ago, having cake and celebrating his birthday. I think it was just too hard the first few years. But now that I've started, I don't think I ever want to not do it.

Missing Hawaii

The weather is crazy here. One day it's in the high 70's, sometimes even 80's. Then the next day it's 30. One day I have the AC going, the next day the heat. I try to leave it completely off, but when it gets cold outside, it tends to get too cold inside. But if I leave the heat on, even with it set at 68, it can get so hot if it is in the 70's outside.

This weather is really making me miss Hawaii. It's not that I don't like the cold, I guess it kind of is that I don't like the cold. It's the back and forth of the weather. Either be hot or cold, pick one, and stick with it. It is making my sinuses go CRAZY...I've had more sinus headaches lately than I have in a really long time. I just wish the weather would make up it's mind!

Things are pretty boring around these parts. Not much to talk about.

We've officially put our baby plans on hold since we found out Steven will be getting out of the Army in February. It's kind of a mixed blessing type thing. I'm mostly okay with our decision, I do have my days where I really wish we could go ahead and have one, but then I'm really enjoying being child free. Besides, this should help us find a job and new city with more ease. And with the Clomid not really helping us achieve pregnancy, things look like we may need more help, and that is just something we can't afford or have time for right now.

I got an update from the Adoptive Family a few months ago with some new pictures. He's gotten so big! It's really hard to believe he'll be 5 in December. Some days it feels like yesterday, other days it feels like longer. They gave me some exciting news, they started the process of Foster to Adopt. I think that is just so neat!

I've been a crafting machine lately, I've made 2 wreaths in like 2 weeks. I have some left over fabric from the last one I made and I think I'm going to make something to go in the middle of it, because it is just so plan. I made the tutorial for the first one and posted it on the other blog. A couple friends have asked me to make them one, so I'll have to get on that soon.

First wreath - House Divided GA Tech/UGA

Second Wreath - Falcons Wreath

Anyways, just thought I'd update a little. I really want to get better at blogging, but I just feel like I have nothing to say!

July Blogger Book Club

Here is July's Blogger Book Club post, I did not get a chance to read the book they picked out, but I will review another book I read for a different book club I'm apart of.

Don't remember what the Blogger Book Club is about?!

I've joined My Name Is Madeline, A Mile in Her Boots, and Confessions of a Busy Busy Bee and we will be reading a book a month and reviewing it on the last day of each month, starting in June 2013 and ending in June 2014. You'll read one book each month that has already been picked out, and write a review on your blog answering the questions provided regarding the book. Be sure to go to their blogs to link up!!!!!

July's book was America the Beautiful by Ben Carson, however, I didn't read that book, instead I read Bound South by Susan Rebecca White, August's is Start by Jon Acuff

**Spoilers ahead**

1. What is the book about?

From Amazon - "By turns hilarious and poignant, the lives of three vibrant and unique Southern women -- a proper Atlanta matron, her rebellious teenage daughter, and their housekeeper's young daughter -- intersect in unexpected and extraordinary ways in this richly compelling debut novel of family, friendship, and folly."

2. What were your initial thoughts on the book? Were you impressed? Disappointed?

We read this book for the book club I joined when I got to Fort Jackson, the one who told us about it said she was recommended it and they told her it was funny. But I did not find this book funny at all, there really were only maybe 1 or 2 funny things.

I had to keep a list of who each chapter was about and the time that chapter was written (i.e. Louise, Fall 1998 then the next chapter was Caroline, Fall 1999) so I wouldn't have to search. It jumped around from person to person, which I guess when it's about 3 different people that makes sense, but it made it really hard to keep track of what was going on. 

I really was not impressed with the book, I tend to read romance novels, so I'm usually not too shocked by crude things, but this book seemed to go way too far. 

3. Favorite Shocking quotations from the book.

There are a few things that were said that made me really shocked...

One was when Louise was describing what her daughter smelled like after being at a party, it's one thing to say she smells like stale beer and sex, but she took it way too far - saying "she smelled like some boy's dried semen, probably caked on that flat stomach of hers"

Another was Caroline, with the teacher she had a relationship with, they wanted to get something for lunch but it was Sunday and she wanted Chick-Fil-A and got so mad they were closed she exclaimed "f***ing Christians" - I get it, we've all forgotten Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sundays, and it is annoying, but what she said was uncalled for.

4. What did you like most about the book?

The writing really wasn't that bad, it was just what she wrote about that had me unimpressed.

5. Would you recommend this book to a friend?

No, and I'm so very glad I used my swagbucks to buy Amazon giftcards to buy this book.