I lost my Blog List

I know this sounds crazy but I had all of my favorite blogs saved in my bookmarks on my computer. This morning I woke up and after checking my email went to go blog-stalking and they were gone. Of course my first reaction was "ANTHONY WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE COMPUTER?" he said he didn't do it. Next it was "PATRICK WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE COMPUTER?" He said he didn't do it. I don't know what happened so I've spent the last hour trying to find some of the obscure blogs that I look at on a regular basis. I think my blogroll is going to get bigger.
Those who don't blogstalk might laugh, but you guys know what I'm talking about. :o)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. We had a good day of doing nothing. The kids got plenty of new toys to play with. I'll share some pictures.
Ananya loves to ride her horse in the living room.

Ananya is playing with her new barbie. She likes to "wipe" her face and brush her hair.
With much prodding, she opened her presents.
Anthony dug right in of course and loved all his cool gifts.We took a spin at the new table and chairs Grandma bought with her new Aquadoodle.

New Taste Thursdays, Good Deals, and A Day At The Farm

New Recipe.
This is a simple one and not even really a recipe.
1 box spice or pumpkin cake mix
1 tub cheesecake filling
1 bottle caramel sundae topping
Take spice cake or pumpkin cake mix and make cupcakes without liners. Once cooled, cut in half and spread with a big glob of cheesecake filling. Top each cupcake with caramel topping.
They are very pretty and fairly simple to make.
I don't have any pictures, but here are pictures of the homemade yeast rolls I made last week. They turned out great, and I'm going to make more.

Good Deals
I got the above at CVS for 7 dollars. I had 7 coupons. I got 5.49 in extra care bucks which is like a gift certificate for my next trip. The shampoo and conditioner would have cost more than that out of pocket. My new obsessions are CVS and Walgreens trying to get as much stuff for free (or as close to it as possible). Visit Money Saving Mom for details.
Next up is our day at the farm.
We visited my friend, Karen, in Shelby yesterday. She was having a party and invited us early to help set up. Anthony got to help feed the animals. Ananya got to ride a donkey. Heck, how often do you get to see 3 ducks, about 40 chickens, 4 goats, 2 sheep, 2 horses, a golden retriever, and a Great Perinese with 6 puppies. It was a great day and we finally got back home after 11 last night. I was a great trip and we can't wait to go back.
Hope every one is having a great holiday. Merry Christmas.

New Taste Thursdays

***Editted--Anybody notice that I wrote this post yesterday (Wednesday). I've been way too busy. LOL***
I'm going to start something new here. I think I'll post a new recipe to share with you guys on Thurdays. Everyone can always use a new recipe.

Todays Recipe is Cheesy Broccoli Soup
1 T butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large bunch broccoli
1 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a 4-6 quart soup pot. saute onion until soft. Cut broccoli into flowerets and thinly slice tender upper parts of stems. Add to pot along with potatoes and chicken stock. Cover and simmer until potatoes and broccoli are tender.

Puree mixture in batches in blender (or use and immersion blender if you didn't give it away when you were getting rid of all your junk). Return to pot and stir in milk, parmesan and salt and pepper. Heat gently for a few minutes.

This recipe courtesy of Leanne at Savingdinner.com

This is a great soup for cold nights and Anthony and Ananya both love it.
Enjoy!!

What a Difference a Years Makes

As I decorate for Christmas and shop for presents and think about my holiday baking, I can't help but to think about this time last year. I can't believe its been a whole year, but boy am I glad that journey is over.
I'm so glad that Ananya is celebrating Christmas with us. I hurt last year and now its gone. This year we are waiting for our handsome Indian Prince. He'll be missed but I don't think its time for him to come home. God will take care of it. In the meantime, I have Ananya and Anthony and even Patrick keeping me quite busy. I love it. I have so much to be thankful for. What a difference the last year has made in my life.
I want to speak about some people I'm thankful have come into my life.
All the people at Dillon are wonderful. Tami and Jynger have been so much help and made sure we got new pictures and updates. Adrienne and Agni were a God-send when it came time to travel. I could never have arranged a better trip.
I can't forget all the new friends I've made. Kristi, I'm so glad I could moan and cry to you while we waited. Grace and Anila, we were so glad to meet you in India. Pam, I'm so glad I've meet you and can wait to randomly drive to Kentucky just because (its only a 5 hour trip). All the other India moms, thanks for sharing your trips. To all my SN forum friends, I am so glad to have you guys. You know how I feel and often times speak it before I can. I love all of you.
The other day, it dawned on me who is missing on this list. The Ayahs that took care of my daughter for 2 years and continue to care for my son. I could never thank them enough. I know they all loved Ananya. I wasn't the only one crying on Gotcha Day. They lead us through the orphanage and showed us all the babies. It was a great day that I finally got to see my daughter's home. I love each and every one of these women. I don't know what would be of my children without them. Caring for so many children only to send them to families can not be an easy job. I hope they know that each child that leaves is coming to a loving home and thrives. I want to take them a special gift when I return to India. I want to put together a scrapbook with as many childrens pictures as possible so the Ayahs can see what "their" babies have grown into. I pray God blesses each of these women daily for the work that they do.
I'm thankful to care for my family every day, even on the ones when I feel like they have run me ragged. God gives me strength. And I love them so much.
What are you thankful for?

Our Home and Holidays

(She isn't standing. She has her braces on and is propped/wedged up)


This is who we celebrated Thanksgiving with, my family.

New Pics and A Step Closer

We received new pictures of Prasun on Monday. It was a great start to my week. He is so handsome. I couldn't stop smiling. He was apparently flirting with Kristy. He was standing in his crib which is wonderful news. I'm extra happy about that.
We also had our homestudy visit yesterday. We are only doing one because we just finished our post placement things. I am praying I can get the remaining paperwork together quickly and have our dossier ready by the first of the year.
Ananya is doing great. She is her normal stubborn, funny self every day. She reacts to seeing Prasun's picture now. She laughs and tries to grap the picture. She tries to kiss the computer. It is too cute.
Anthony is doing great as well. He's ok with having a new brother. He is happy as well to not have to go to India again.
I'll try to post more pictures of the kids tomorrow.

Thanksgiving, New Pictures, and I'm finally OUTing It

We celebrated Thanksgiving in PA with my Dad and Grammy. We had a great trip up and back. We enjoyed getting to introduce Ananya to more family. The temperature dropped 30 degrees Thanksgiving day. I was kind of glad because it felt like a true PA Thanksgiving. I was so thankful as I carried Ananya around all day. This time last year I felt horrible. I didn't know when my baby was coming home. It was bad and actually got worse before we received Guardianship. This year was great though. Next year will be even better.
We got pictures taken while in PA as you can see. There was a purpose which is the subject of my OUT. Not a huge secret really anymore but...
WE ARE ADOPTING AGAIN.
We hope to have Prasun home by June to be with us. He is 2.75 years old. 33 days younger than Ananya. I hope we get a new picture soon but here is one from earlier this summer. I have added his blog to my blog list on the right.
We have a picture of Ananya and Prasun together in the orphanage before we picked her up.

National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month.

I'm screaming this for all to hear. Pass the word on. Make people talk about it. There are millions of children waiting for homes. While my family pursued an international adoption from India, the options are countless. Foster care is a wonderful system. They need great families. There are LOTS of older children that need homes. If you haven't opened your heart to adoption and are reading this, come on. Join us. Parenting is a great adventure.
Here is a short article that I wrote for the next newsletter from our adoption agency, Dillon International.

Waiting Children: What the Medical Reports Don't Tell You

She waited in the crib. At nine-months old, she weighed in at a tiny 11 pounds, could barely sit on her own and could not pull up in the bed she shared with another child.
Across the world, we were also waiting. We longed for a daughter, a sister for our son. God was pushing our hearts toward adoption- not of the "perfect" child, but of the child He intended to be our daughter.
The waiting ended in February 2007 when we adopted Ananya from the Indian Society for the Rehabilitation of Children (ISRC) in Kolkata, India. She is the blessing God put in our hearts two years ago and her smile lights up our home.
While in the care of the ISRC, Ananya received medical care and regular visits from a physical therapist. The medical reports we received from India were accurate: she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, low birth weight, and a seizure disorder. There were no surprises; we were handed the child that was described to us.
We have since learned some things the medical reports don't tell you: how a child can sprout with the daily care and love of a family. In only a couple of months, she could crawl all over the house. Her understanding of language came shortly thereafter. Her bonding has been extraordinary. She quickly learned to trust me and is firmly attached to me.
No medical report could describe how much our family has grown in the last eight months. Each of us has learned to be patient, less selfish, to look at people differently. Our weeks are filled with physical therapy sessions and we rarely go a month without a visit to the doctor, but all this is minute compared to the joy we receive daily from having Ananya in our family.
A medical report also could not have predicted that I would become an advocate for the adoption of waiting children. Fear of the unknown can be a hard emotion to overcome. Find a good doctor and let them review the medical information; most medical problems can fbe fixed or managed. Consider the adoption of a waiting child. You may be amazed at what comes next.

All I can say is please get involved. If you do feel the push to adopt, you can help other families. There are many organizations that help families fund their adoptions. There are also organizations, such as Dillon that do mission work in many of the countries where there are a large number of orphans. If you can't open your heart, open your wallet.
Amanda

Today

This is Ananya's favorite thing. Playing with the kitten. They play everyday. It's so cute.
This is my loaf of fresh bread. I've had the stinkin' breadmaker for like 9 years and this is the first time I've ever gotten a load that is shaped normal and not hard as a brick. My last 2 caved in at the top but were good. This one looks perfect. I actually almost got rid of the bread maker because I couldn't get the bread right. So glad that I didn't.

Finally November

We've finally reached November. Its FINALLY getting cool. The leaves are changing and its time for sweaters. I'm so glad.
We have the party behind us. Now its time to prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I remember this time last year I wasn't a happy girl. We were suffering through THE JUDGE PROBLEM. I now know it was God. He delayed our process for a reason. Its very clear to us now.
This Christmas will be good. We are together. Next Christmas should be even better.
I hope everyone is enjoying (except maybe Kristy) the change in the weather. I'll try to keep up with my posting. I'm mulling alot through my brain lately. I may get into it later. If I do, I'll try to put pretty pictures in the middle, even if the subject isn't the most uplifting. I can't decide whether to start a new blog for just my rantings. I have alot of them. What do you guys think?
Well I'm going to go for tonight. I shall return soon.
Amanda

Early Trick or Treating

Today we went to an early trick or treat at an office building in town. I'll post more later. We are continuing preparation for our Halloween party.

Our Day

Kristy, you asked for pictures. So here you go.
Today we started getting ready for our Halloween party. We got our pumpkins. Me and a friend of mine made some chocolates for the party. We had a soccer game again this evening. Last night we tied (1-1). Tonight we lost something like 4-0. We always lose count.
Yesterday we went to the doctor. Ananya is scheduled to have botox again at the end of January. The doctor felt she was getting good results from botox. Well, I'm going to put the baby to bed. Its past her bed time but we didn't get home from the game until 8:45.

Finally Some Pictures!

8 Months Home

It has been almost 8 months since we've been home. Its amazing to think about it. Ananya has blossomed and changed so much in that time. She is becoming very out going. She is also a tad spoiled. She is back to not cooperating with the therapists. They get alittle done in the 60 minutes. Some days are better than others though. We are adding a special educator soon. I have to call her back and make an appointment. Ananya has started taking steps when we hold her hands at times. She still isn't bearing all of her weight when taking the steps, but hey it's progress. She loves to play with our kitten. They both play with any piece of paper they find lying around. Its cute. She really likes the keyboard that Grandma gave her as well as her bouncy horse. She actually has 2 horses. 1 is one of the big old ones that they don't sell anymore because they are unsafe. (We have to put her on it and we watch her.) The other is smaller. Her feet touch the ground. She will sit on it and watch TV rocking back and forth every once in a while. Its her favorite. I quickly learned not to put her on it during therapy because she throws a fit if we take her back off it. We seem to have gotten her legs straightened pretty well because she isn't fighting her braces at night. Unfortunately, that means the botox is about at its peak probably and we will be doing it again in a couple of months. We knew that ahead of time though.
She is so cute. She has this scrunchy face she makes when she wants to get out of trouble. It works sometimes, sadly enough. We are going to have no end of problems with her getting her way. I'll add some pictures tomorrow as I'm working tonight. I know that is really what everyone wants to see.

Ananya Sophia Phillips

That's her name. Today we received a Decree of Adoption. After checking with the courthouse, we know its final. THE ADOPTION IS FINAL.
611 days have passed since the day we first saw her picture.
223 days have passed since we held her the first time.
Today she is ours FOREVER.
We couldn't be happier.
Unlike most other families, we don't have Adoption Day pictures. We didn't have to go to court or anything. I just wrote a nice note to the lady at the Clerk of Court asking her to expedite our finalization and it's done.
THANK YOU GOD!
And thank you to all our friends and family who have supported us throughout the last 611 days.