I want to say congrats to my nephew Ryan and his girlfriend Ashlee who are now engaged!!! The wedding is set for July. You guys are so perfect for each other. I love you both!!

Amanda


The soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Smith!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I posed a bunch of Christmas pictures on my myspace page. It's easier to post them there and I also have unlimited room.

Click here to go see them!


Amanda

Connor decided to spend his Christmas money on a hermit crab. It seems like every time we go to Springfield we come home with a new pet! Also added to the collection today was two new Blue Mystery snails, four Ghost Shrimp, and a female black Molly. Which brings our family total to... 21! The 4 of us, 2 dogs, 3 goldfish, 2 snails, 2 hermit crabs, 4 Ghost Shrimp, a ghost catfish, 2 Molly's, and one guppy. I told Jacob we might as well open up a pet shop.

Here is a picture of the two hermit crabs.

Amanda

When your little Christmas seems like it takes forever to come. When your an adult it sneaks up so fast you don't see it coming at all! I read in an article somewhere this week that each year more and more Americans are spending more and more $$ trying to find the "Christmas Spirit" All they really finds is that they are stressed over how much money they've spent and if the the people they bought for will like what they bought. This hit home with me as we haven't had as much money for the holidays this year as the motor in our car blew up. It kills me that I'm just not able to spend the amount of money that I normally am able to spend. I've spent so much time worrying over what I've bought people. All I really want is for Christmas to be as magical for my children as they were for me when I was little. My mom talks about some years where it was really hard to buy gifts at all. I don't remember that. All I remember is how wonderful Christmas was. Not just gifts but the entire feeling of Christmas. That's what I want for Christmas. Part of the problem is that it seems so different than when I was little. This is my husbands problem. Even as an adult he was excited about Christmas up until a couple years ago when his Grandpa passed away. That's when things changed for him. So now what we have to deal with is making Christmas for us. Making traditions for our Children. This year has been a big eye opener on not waiting until the last minute and not counting on things to go a certain way. As the saying goes "If you want to see God laugh just tell him your plans". The main thing that I've come to realize is that the holidays are about family. Enjoying the family that you have. Embrace the changes. It's not just the things that happen to us that shape us into who we are but how we deal with them as well.

Merry Christmas everyone. Now onto traditions... Jacob is taking me and the kids around to look at Christmas lights. It's NOT his favorite tradition but he goes along every year because I love it.


Lots of Love,
Amanda

I found this and posted it on my old blog last year. I thought some of you may not have read it yet. I think it is so fitting.

Amanda



Dear Santa,
I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned, and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my son's Boy Scout patches with staples and a glue gun.
I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my daughter's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:
I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.
I'd also like a waistline, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.
If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like a car with fingerprint-resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.
On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don't fight, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your sister," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.
And please don't forget the Play-Doh Travel Pack, the hottest stocking stuffer this year for mothers of pre-schoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet making the In-laws' house seem just like mine.
If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.
If you don't mind I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family; or if my toddler didn't look so cute sneaking downstairs to eat contraband ice cream in her pajamas at midnight.
Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table, but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.
Yours Always,
MOM
P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in you.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband Jacob. He turns 26 today! I love you babe!



Amanda

My son, Connor, had his Christmas concert Thursday night.

First off. I would NEVER allow or promote my child to use his middle finger but yet he has a horrible habit of using that finger to point with. Below I guess he was telling me to "come here". I didn't notice what he was doing until I uploaded the pictures. lol.


The next picture I just love. I know when these kids are seniors they are going to love it.


Last is a picture taken during one of their songs.


Amanda

Want to really make a difference in the world? Make a difference in the life of a child. Below is a link a link to the Missouri Adoption Heart Gallery. There are aprox. 1900 children in Missouri that are waiting for adoptive families. Just a few of them are pictured here. I want to say a big thank you to the photographers that graciously volunteered their time to take pictures of these children.

There is a lot of confusion on foster care. I want to remind everyone that the children listed here are looking for adoptive families. They will not be going back home. They no longer have a home. Missouri laws have changed greatly in the last few years for the good of Missouri children.

These are just a handful of children up for adoption in Missouri alone. Missouri works well with other states as well if you found a child out of state. The children you find on this site are all from Missouri.

One more thing. We are lucky to live in a state that has NO Open Adoption law! This means it's up to you as a parent to decide the amount if any contact is made between your child and the birth family. Your information is also kept safe.

Give more than a gift to a child this Christmas. Give them a family!

www.moheartgallery.org


Amanda