New Blog Design and Theme

I'm so happy to get a new blog design and theme. Jaimee did an awesome job! You can check out her design business HERE. She's a saint, I tell you!

I decided to finally turn our adoption blog into a family blog. Instead of going "private", I've decided to stop using our real names, and in turn, use our new nicknames (in the right sidebar). I'm going back to our old posts and removing names or just putting posts in "draft" that may have info on them. Obviously, our blog address will stay... but starting with our next post this blog will come up in your "readers" with the new title. So I hope you'll stay tuned. The funny part is that many of you went through the whole "journey to adopt" with us (What would I have done without you?!!). You already know who we are and it feels kind of silly to change our names, but my statcounter says that we have some new, wonderful blogger friends. So WELCOME, friends, new and old! Welcome to The Love Shack where we'll treat you like family and serve you a virtual piña colada by the pool, if only in our dreams.

With love,

Favorite Foto Friday

Short Stuff

For more FFF's, clickety HERE.

This post is brought to you by the letter......

Some crazy stuff has been happenin' over here at adoptbellagrace.blogspot.com. Let us begin with Numero 1:

Number 1. TUNE-UP

Wednesday morning I woke up, innocently sipped my Diet Coke and ate my egg bagel, easy butter. I checked my blog, and my whole right sidebar was at the bottom. Over the next few days I spent/wasted a good 10 hours trying to fix my blog. I sat so long at my computer Friday night that (I kid you not) the left side of my face started to go numb. Thankfully, my girl, Jaimee is setting me up with a much needed blog TUNE-UP and a new theme. Gracias, Jaimee!

Number TWO: This is how many weeks until...

Number 3: TOTALLY TROPICAL family-of-five vacation

Let me tell you the miracle of how we got this trip. My husband has been praying a long time that God would provide a way for us to take a trip to Hawaii. He told me he was praying about it, but I always kind of dismissed it. Well, shock of all shockers, an acquaintance of my husband calls and says, "I feel like God wants me to help you guys get to Hawaii."

What in the world?

Totally paid for.

We absolutely do not deserve this. I have no clue why God said yes. I'm just in awe and so thankful.

44th and Shaka!

So it's done. The inauguration. The pomp, the circumstance, all that hailing to the Chief and Michelle's gorgeous yellow ensemble, Obama's steadied focus, the lump in your throat, the hope. It's here now. Like the day after Christmas when you stare at the tree all messed up with tinsel and realize, oh, yeah, now life returns to normal and you're left to wonder if the tinsel will burn out the motor in the vacuum cleaner, if you're better off picking up the pieces one by one.

This is it.

The tide has turned, the seas are still, and now we must wait for the wind to pick up, for change. And I, for one, am ready.

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I'm just going to say it: Our President is freakin' cool.

First African-American President, and the first President to flash the shaka sign at the Inauguration. Heck yeah.

Laughter Lives Tuesday

This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts.

Here's a little picture for Laughter Lives Tuesday!

Ms. Latin Lips

Cliche Christmas & New Years Post

I absolutely loved the Christmas Card Carousel! That was awesome, and I'll host next year! Your cards were so creative and so fun to see! Thanks for humoring me and posting. I love my blogging friends, new and old!

I've had a wonderful little bloggy break this holiday--it's been quite lovely to have Kirk around for such a long vacay. He had to go back to work on Monday and Josh woke up and said, "Where is dad??" When I explained that he had to go back to work in order to maintain the lifestyle he'd like to become accustomed to, he was totally bummed. Why can't dads just stay home all the time? Oh, that's right--it's a little nuisance called the HOUSE PAYMENT. Lame.
We are grateful that our dad works so hard for us.


We had a great Christmas/New Years and enjoyed ourselves way more than we have a right to.
I hope your holidays were wonderful as well--and I hope you don't break up with me for scaling WAAAAYY back on my comments. Just know that I am reading still and enjoying your posts. Feel free to not comment on mine as well. I still feel the love emanating from your computer hard drive.....

Here are some highlight pics:

Christmas morning

Celebrating New Years in the snow with old friends

My new 7 week old twin nephews, Ryan and Drew

New Years celebrations

Playing in Nana's toy trunk with cousins