The MOM Song...

My friend Jenn shared this hilarious video with me this morning...

A "Herb-alicious" Christmas!!!

We have a new member of our family...

meet

HERBIE

isn't he just the cutest little stocking stuffer?!
and that's exactly what he was, our stocking stuffer.
His mama is a Pomeranian and his pop is a Shitzu.
He is such a little lover!

My mom's dog had pups on the night we all went to the Watoto Children's Choir. Shad and I both said NO WAY, NO DOG!!! The boys fell in love with them and named them all! Every time we would visit they would play with them and love them up. Again, Shad and I both said NO WAY!! I became attached to Herbie and picked on Shad about bringing him home with us but NEVER thought he would cave. Well, Christmas Eve my friend Kristen came and took the female pup and the kids were heart broken. When we got home from my mom's Christmas Eve, Shad told me to call and ask her to bring Herbie in the morning when she comes to watch the boys open presents. I didn't get my baby girl for Christmas but Herbie sure did bring joy to my kiddos!! Did I mention that out of 3 pups, 2 have a Shitzu for a dad and 1 has a Pug?! Good thing she's a dog!! Ha!

We had a great evening with my family on Christmas Eve. The boys got Rock Band and played that for awhile. My Grandma Kay came down and we played a little euchre. She loves to play cards!!! Then around 10 pm we headed home to get ready for Santa. Nothing real exciting... nothing beats good food and having your family around!

A funny little story for all of you who have a child teetering on the Santa thing...

Treyton doesn't really know which way to go with Santa. He has sat down and logically thought things through and tells me "things just don't add up, Mom!" Well, my mom always told me growing up that "Once you quit believing, you quit receiving!". So, not to completely ruin it for Cooper, I played that card. He wasn't buying it. On Monday, I told all the kids to make sure their bedrooms were all nice and tidy so Santa would stop. This makes the 3rd year that Austin hasn't believed in Santa but he has never spilled the beans! Treyton said "NO! I'm not cleaning my room. Your so called Santa will still come even if my room isn't clean. He wouldn't leave presents for the other boys and not me! Watch and see!" Oh... was I ticked!! I calmly said, "No child of mine would be that disrespectful to someone, let alone their mother, so... you watch and see!" While the other boys buzzed around helping me pick up and do the dishes, ect, Treyton moped around doing everthing BUT help out. When Shad got home I scooted out to the store and made quick phone call to my friend Nikki and her husband and asked them to help me out with the little stinker. I changed their name to Santa Claus and the ringtone on my cell phone to "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" and they called the next day to "check their list" and to update their records! Treyton is always the first to grab my cell when it rings so it threw him when the caller ID said Santa Claus. He answered it and chatted for awhile and has been the perfect little helper since. It would of broke my heart not put gifts under the tree for him but I would've done it! Our children do know the true meaning of Christmas, but they don't stay young forever. :)

Thanks to everyone for their well wishes!! The Zithromax has kicked in and I'm feeling much better!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!

Fun with family...

The past couple of weeks have been crazy around the Alsworth house!!! I can't remember if I mentioned that I'm working full time at the Elementary School. I'm in Cooper's class as a 1:1 aide for a little girl with severe behavioral problems. I committed to a long term subbing position (6 months). I started in September and will be there until Easter. At the time I thought it was perfect with the adoption and all, but I am in way over my head!!! I would take my 3 boys on their worst day over her. Yes, she is actually THAT bad! I look forward to my weekends off and count down to the long breaks like our 2 weeks for Christmas. Every now and then she will say something sweet to make me forget just how bad she had been acting that day and then she is right back to her old behaviors.

Last week she came into school all excited and said "Mrs. Alsworth do you want to know what I got you for an early Christmas present?"

"No, let it be a surprise! You can show me at our Christmas party on Friday." I said.

"Oh, Mrs. Alsworth, I got you Christmas earrings. Dangly ones! I'm going to wear them tomorrow to show you!" she exclaimed. :) A little sweetness shines through every now and again.

The kids had their Holiday performances last week. The entire 2nd grade recited poems and sung carols. Cooper was the announcer for his class. The 4th graders just had a movie day and the 6th grade band performed at the Middle School Holiday Concert Thursday evening. It's kind of sad to see Austin growing up so fast- Middle School already!!!!

Friday was a snow day and school was cancelled!!! Yeah!!!! It gave me time to get my baking done for our Christmas party with Shad's family on Saturday. We were blessed to have Shad's brother and his wife home from Myrtle Beach for the week. They left 75 degree weather to come to NY for temps in the teens. Brrrrrrr.....

This year we exchanged homemeade gift baskets. Everyone's was perfect!! The boys and I made rock candy, peppermint bark, butter rum and M&M cookies, pumpkin chocolate chip loaf with cream cheese frosting, chocolate covered pretzels w/sprinkles, and "reindeer poop" (chocolate covered peanuts and marshmallows) for our basket. We threw in a couple of mugs and hot chocolate, and a bottle of Glenora Grinchtraminer wine (their version of Gewurztraminer). It turned out quite nice if I do say so myself! :)

And the boys still found time to build an Igloo!!


On Saturday Santa stopped by to say hello to all the kids during our Christmas party. It was so nice to have all the nieces and nephews around. I wish we did it more often!! We really are blessed to have so many loved ones to share the holidays with. Our weekend ended on Sunday with the baptism of our nephew Ethan. What a great way to celebrate the season!!!!

The kiddos enjoyed sled riding at Uncle John and Aunt Sue's while I stayed in and made peppermint hot cocoa for everyone.

And nothing says Merry Christmas like strep throat and a sinus infection... yep, I woke up Monday morning with a "mouth full of gumballs" and a "balloon ready to pop" attached to my neck. I get so stressed around the holidays that I always wind up sick. Usually it's severe bronchitis or pnemonia so I guess I'm lucky this year!!! Ha!

We will be celebrating the holidays with my family on Christmas Eve. It's a much smaller ordeal than with Shad's family as I only have 2 sister. Shad has 3 brothers and 1 sister. Scott, Shad, Shawn, Shane and Candi- say that 10 times fast!! :)

Happy and safe travels to all!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

One year ago...

One year ago today we began our official journey to our daughter, Asha. I am filled with emotions that I didn't know I had!! I really wasn't expecting it to take this long even though I knew it could. I hadn't emotionally prepared myself for the reality of it!!!!!

Each step has brought such joy along the way and I now long for "the call" from Tami.  It's really hard passing the 1 year mark still without a picture and no answers.  I am a good one to give words of inspiration but have a hard time finding it within myself.  Right now I'm just trying to take it one day at a time.

Tami emailed me today and shared a verse from one of Steven Curtis-Chapman's songs and scripture.  What a great help it was to me to hear the words.  Although I've turned to scripture for answers before, today it has helped my ache a little different.  I'm not sure why, it just has.  I've told many others to just trust in the Lord because he is the only one who has the answers  but for some reason I wasn't listening to my own advice.

“God is God and I am not. I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting. God is God and I am man. So I’ll never understand it all. For only God is God”  

“Many are the plans of a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”  Prov. 19:21

I am still clinging to HOPE that I will have a sweet face to go with her name by the end of the year.  I am trusting that I have been given signs along the way and have just ignored them. (Kristi W. knows about my phantom emails and such.) If you are or have ever been in a lengthy adoption process I would love to hear your story.  I am looking for anything and everything uplifting right now!

Gidget had asked awhile ago if I had gotten any "xmas" gifts for Asha while I was Black Friday shopping and the answer is...  OF COURSE, YOU SILLY WOMAN!!!  Hahahaha!!!!  Only 1 though.  I got her her first Cabbage Patch doll (and my mom pulled mine out of her attic for me to get ready for Asha).  I will post a picture as soon as I can unbury her from the boys xmas stuff.

In "honor" of hitting the 1 year mark, I bought Asha a puppet that sings "Close to you".  If you aren't familiar with the words they go...   "Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near? Just like me, they long to be, close to you. Just like me, they long to be, close to you."  He is so soft and squishy!! Shad thinks it's goofy but I just love it!!!

I survived Black Friday!!!

Yep, I'm one of the crazy people who are up and out of the house before the crack of dawn is even awake to snag the deals.  The past couple of years I've left my house @ 2am and drove 2 hours to go shopping.  I was beginning to think that I had a screw loose until I started running into people I knew!!   This year I went by myself as my counterparts decided to skip out on me!!  I treated myself to Salsarita's for lunch and stopped at an Indian place in Corning on the way home.  I got home around 6pm which I didn't think was too bad, but Hubby thought otherwise.  When I go, I shop until I am too tired to keep moving!!  He claims that when I called to check in at 8am I said I was done!! HAHAHAHA!!!!!!  I was just getting my second wind!!!  It's not even like he had all 3 boys!!  Treyton and Cooper stayed at my mom's!!  Silly daddy!!!

"Can I have pie yet?"

That is always the famous question from Cooper on Thanksgiving! Ha!  I'm sure I'm not the only mom that has heard this one before.  We have a rule that you have to eat everything on your plate in order to have dessert.  We ate buffet style at my cousin Bill's house and each of my boys made their own plate of food.  Cooper's plate consisted of 2 rolls, a handful of olives, a couple of pickles, and a scoop of mashed potatoes.  He ate it all and asked "I ate all my food.  Can I have pie yet?" Uh... nice try Coop!  I think next year we'll change the rule to 2 plates!!  Ha!Ha!  

Thanksgiving has always been a special holiday for my side of the family.  For the last couple of years it has been bitter sweet for us but this year had a little special meaning for us.  My cousin Bill and his wife hosted dinner in honor of his dad, my Uncle Roy.  My mom's brother Roy passed away a couple of years ago from cancer.  He was the glue of the family.  He didn't care what excuse you had, you had better show up at Thanksgiving dinner no matter what!  Back in the 70's he had started to build a house and never finished it for some reason or another.  It had been left abandoned for years and right before Roy passed away Bill and Roy would go and putter around it.  We all thought it was better off being dozed it, but when my uncle died Bill decided he was going to finish the house for his dad.  Except for a few minor cosmetic things, the house was finished this year just in time for Thanksgiving.  After all this time, the original wall ovens still worked!! :)

My cousin Wendy's death holds heavy on our hearts this time of year too as we lost her the day after Thanksgiving.  I try not to mourn her loss during such a glorious time but celebrate her life.  We have come together to be thankful and appreciative.  I used to pick on Wendy because she despised Black Friday.  She was the store manager at Macy's Department store and dreaded the "biggest shopping day of the year".  We always bickered about it.  Yes, I am one of those fools who is in line and waiting 1 hour before the stores open.  She would have her retail names for me and such.  She passed away on Black Friday just about the time I would've been walking into the stores!  But instead that year I was in Virginia with the rest of our family at her bedside.  I chuckle every time I think about her watching over me while I'm standing in line with my flyer in hand freezing my butt off.  I can only imagine what she's saying to me but I simply look up and give a wave with my flyer and smile.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We all have a lot to be thankful for.

My BARGAIN on Craigslist!!!

So... I've been shopping for Asha again!!  Go figure right?!  This time I hit the jackpot!!  I was searching Craigslist during my break at work on Friday and found this nursery furniture.  It's not the crib or finish that I had picked out but... it was a steal!!  I emailed right away and scheduled to look at it on Sunday. Everything looks brand new and they are good solid pieces!!

3 SOLID WOOD PIECES: Armoir w/baskets, changing table/dresser w/baskets and crib  --- $350.  So... of course they came home with me!! :)  

I was really hoping for a convertible crib but I really couldn't pass this deal up.  This picture is the Craigslist photo just to show what the set looks like.  I will certainly post pictures of Asha's room when we get things settled.  If you are crib shopping, there are some smoking deals on Craigslist.  We had to drive 2 hours to Lancaster, NY but I got lunch at Tandoori's Indian Cuisine out of it.  :)

There is no other news to report as we begin our week of Thanksgiving Blessings! We are still holding at #4.

WATOTO Children's Choir of Uganda

(4 of the beautiful girls that I was able to spend time with after the concert)

If you have not heard of these wonderful children, you must check them out.

I had the chance Tuesday evening to see the WATOTO Children's Choir perform at the Full Gospel Church here in Wellsville.  They were amazing, to say the least!!

Sometimes we get so caught up with our own problems that we forget that there are people out there dealing with bigger issues.  "In the Swahili language of East Africa, Watoto means the children.  To the destitute children of Uganda, Watoto means Hope."  The children in the choir are orphans of the war or HIV/AIDS in the African nation of Uganda.  The Watoto Children's Choir has been touring the world since 1994 and spreading the message of hope for Africa's 60 million orphaned children through their inspirational songs and testimonies.  Today the Watoto Ministry is caring for over 1,700 orphans in their villages.  They provide a loving and nurturing environment for these children to grow up in.  The children live in small villages and have house parents. They live like families rather than in an orphanage type setting. The children are cared for by a mother and father figure called Auntie and Uncle.  Their mission?  To care for and raise responsible christians so that they may be productive citizens in the future.  The children are not open for adoption.  One of Watoto's goals is to teach the children to follow their dreams so that they may be great leaders one day.  They are the future of Uganda and with our continued support and prayers will be able to bring change to their nation. 

Watoto Ministries mission statement is Rescue a child-Raise a leader-Rebuild a nation.

These children will change your life!!  Open your hearts and reach out, check out their website.  There are beautiful Christmas ideas in the gift shop.

This is a video that I took of the children singing "I Am Not Forgotten".

The chorus is... I am not forgotten, God knows my name.

These children are truly a blessing and inspiration!

THANK YOU to all who have served!!

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!!

Thank you to all the brave men and women who have served in the armed forces and sacrificed themselves for the freedoms of our nation.  Words cannot express enough how grateful I am to you!  May God bless you and keep you safe! 

If tomorrow all the things were gone,

I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘ Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

                                               -Lee Greenwood

For a touching tribute to our veterans, please follow the link below.

http://www.managedmusic.com/php/BYGIndex.php?page=playBYG

With a little HOPE...

Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. ^[1] To hope is to wish for something with the expectation of the wish being fulfilled, a key condition in unrequited love.^[2] Hopefulness is somewhat different from optimism in that hope is an emotional state, whereas optimism is a conclusion reached through a deliberate thought pattern that leads to a positive attitude.

With the election and all, we decided to have a vote of our own!  We have decided to name our future daughter ASHA.  Asha means "hope" in hindi.  We were going to wait for our referral but we all agreed that we are sick of referring to her as "the baby". :)  She will still have her birth name somewhere in there but a definite middle name has not been decided yet.  Shad has had Asha picked for her name from the beginning and I just kind of said "Yah, whatever!"  He has stood his ground for almost a year now with this and never backed down.  The least I could do is let him name our daughter.  After all, she is going to be his daughter too! :)

Now that the holidays are fast approaching, we have opened a "MALL" to begin a little fundraising to help with our adoption expenses.  Please consider using our link when you are doing your holiday shopping.  www.visitourmall.com/bringingashahome

So... hopefully I will be able to share some good news soon!  Happy Election Day!!