Blog Makeover Give-Away

ah yes, another blog design over here at Bushel & a Peck.  And Me Likey.

and I know what you're thinking

you're thinking "didn't you just update your blog design like two minutes ago?"

and the answer is "why, yes...yes, I did"

on the other hand, what you couldn't possibly know is that I'm thinking about a little side business in blog makeovers

I'm thinking about it


and with that possible little side business, how about a give-away?

maybe a little blog-makeover give-away

and maybe you're in bad need of one of these thingies?  Maybe you're not at all.  Bless you and your beautiful blog...

but if you are, in need that is, then it's your lucky-ish day...depending on if you like my style or not

and before you say "no, actually I don't like your style" - just keep in mind that I did work quite hard on this look and even though the header is a bit of a pre-assembled blogwear piece that I purchased - the rest of what you see here is all me.

So...yeah. 


Here's the thingy

If you want...wait scratch that...if you need a blog makeover...leave a comment telling me why.

Quint will pick a random name from the comments out of a hat on Tuesday.  Catch that?

You have until midnight Monday to leave a comment with a name and a reason why you need a makeover.  

Now, let's go over the rules of the give-away, shall we?

1. You must have a blogger format.  Not Word-press, or any other blogging tool.
2. You must be willing to give me access to your account - otherwise I can't help ya!
3. I will create a blog design especially for you, and I will keep your preferences to color in mind as I create it.
4. You must be willing to include a small widget that says who created your new look (that's me), including a designer credit for your elements.
5. You must provide me with personal pictures (if you so choose)
6. Blog design could take a couple weeks. Just be ok with that.
7. You must be willing to brag to all about how much you love it.  Ok, not really.  Unless you want to.  I mean, ahem...that's great.  That is to say, yes, please do...if you want.  I mean, no pressure.  None at all.  Nope.  Not a bit.

If you're ok with the above - leave a comment starting NOW.

Oooh fun!  A give-away!  Tell your friends! (unless you want to win - ha!)

New York in Pictures

Yes, ok - I'm late, I know.  Let's talk about New York.  It was a four day overwaytoofast blur of fun, exciting happenings, and lots of walking.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous - not a drop of humidity, 70's, breezy.  Just gorgeous. 

I'm so beyond being able to even remember everything we did.  Seriously.  I tried to re-tell it to a friend the other night and I couldn't.  How lame is that?  I've been home for like, less than a week and I can't remember all of it.  That is a testament to how much we saw and how much we did.  It was absolutely amazing...

So let's get on with it...and if you've never been to NYC and these posts don't get you into the mindset of "Gee, maybe I really need to go", then you need to e-mail me and we need to chat.  You need to go.  It's a part of our nation's history and it's fabulous!

Day 1

Grand Central Station 

New York style Reuben

Pickled Herring - A Dutch Favorite 
(especially for my dutch boy)

Cheesecake at its finest

Patriotism is alive and well

Top of the Chrysler Building

Central Park ~ John Lennon Memorial
 

Central Park Beauty

...because you needed to see some of our goodies
 

Yes.  It was very blue.  And it was spectacular!
 

           

About Father's Day

For my father - who worked three jobs for so many years...putting food on our table, clothes in our closets, and always giving us a warm and cozy home to live in...

for all the extras...the Barbie Dream House...(fully furnished, people!) for the pink huffy dream bike...the countless Cabbage Patch Dolls, lugging us all to Disneyland and then running right alongside us to help us be the first in line for the best rides...

for all the double scoop pink bubble-gum ice-cream cones you indulged, for letting us write on your back in ink-pen...just because it was fun and for all the times you got on the floor and let us climb all over you, nurse you to health, or "dress" you up

for the support you've given over these many years, for loving us kids when we weren't exactly loveable...for putting up with our nonsense (and there was an awful lot)...for always keeping us laughing...for teaching us how to treat others...

for an incredible work ethic, for integrity, and for reminding us to enjoy life because it's much too short

for music, because singing is a part of who we all are thanks to you and Mom

for the amazing gift of our faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, and for having a worshippers heart and showing us what that looked like

for that and for so much more Daddy, I love you.  

For my husband and the amazing father of my two children, I LOVE you.  

for all your tenacity, hope, enduring strength, and examples of grace...for the journey to our babies and never giving up when I wanted to so many times...

for all the amazing meals, the tender hugs and kisses, the bedtime stories, the cuddles, and the way you melt our hearts with your attention...

for the Godly man you are and continue to pursue, for the way you lead our family and the way you love us every single day

for all the gifts you give us tangible and unseen, for the grace you extend to me - when I fall down, for the countless acts of kindness you shower us with, and for the many ways you show that you're crazy about us, day in and out

for playing with and gently tossing our kids around until all of our sides hurt from laughter, for being lighthearted and easy-going, fun-loving, and good-natured...

for all this and goodness knows, so much more - thank you for being who you are and for being an amazing father to our little blessings.  We love you so very much!

Happy Father's Day!

About Hope

What I want to say is this...

Only five months have passed, as of today.  Only five short, incredibly fast months since she was placed in our arms.

We had what you could call, a very difficult transition period when we met Keira in January.

Many of you who followed along read what a very sad, traumatic, trying, and difficult transition we experienced.

And it was heartbreaking on so many levels - the disappointment and rejection AB and I felt seemed insurmountable in moments

and there are many, many people reading this blog who are still waiting parents

some of them even getting ready to travel

and all the excitement and fears and wonder and anxiousness can be extremely overwhelming

so maybe when you read a blog like mine, and you read a story like Keira's - it makes you sad or makes you feel vulnerable, maybe scared...hoping it's not like that for you.  And I can so understand that.  I've been right where you are.  And for us, it ended up being exactly what we had feared, in so many ways.  And I pray for you it's not. 

However, not too many people - not nearly enough people - will tell you like it is, the way I told it like it was.  Especially from this type of format - where many of us are strangers and I have nothing to gain by exposing my heartache.

Except...

except now I want you to know something...need you to know something

No matter what darkness we walked through five months ago - we knew one thing remained...Hope.

There was always hope deep down in our spirits

There is always a way when your will is strong

There is always direction, if you're looking to find it

Wisdom.  Strength.  Perseverance.

And love, love, and more love.

Not easy.  But always there.

I leaned heavily on the love and comfort of my Heavenly Father.  I cannot tell you how much that one thing alone carried me through such a difficult and trying season of my motherhood experience. 

and so, I'm here...telling it like it is, and this time, I think you'll like it.

That no matter what happens when you're united with your little one - you all know who you are - those traveling, waiting for referrals, or contemplating adoption

no matter what happens in those first moments, those first weeks, months...maybe even longer for some - still...

there is hope

there is always hope

lean on it...lean into it...be comforted in it...

focus your eyes on it

grab hold of it

dwell on it in the dark moments and bask in it when it covers you

This is how we made it to where we are now

with her...

Hope.  Believing in tomorrow.  Hoping...

Perhaps it's better to show you...

 and so with hope in our hearts

and love, love, and more love...

five months later...

there is Hope

and love, love, and more love