4 Months Old

In Need of Your Help!

The following is information that was sent to me by our adoption agency.  I wanted to share it with you because adoption is so dear to my heart.  I couldn't imagine my life without our son Logan and unfortunately for loving families wanting to adopt in the future it is going to become incredibly difficult when it comes to figuring out how to afford the process as the Adoption Tax Credit is set to expire.  It would limit the amount of families able to adopt and therefore limit the number of stable, loving homes for many children.  Please read the article below and click on the link to sign the petition.  Once you sign it gives you the option to share it on Facebook too.  Share this on your blog by linking to my post or email everyone you know to sign.  Please help me spread the word! Thank you!

The average adoption in America costs between $25,000-$35,000. For the 2011 Tax Year adopting families are eligible for a maximum of $13,170 for 2011 returns.  But in 2012, the Tax Credit will change to offer a maximum of $12,170 for 2012 returns only. The 2012 Adoption Tax Credit will not be refundable for adoptions initiated after 2011, which means that many families may not get any of their adoption costs back and may possibly be prevented from adopting a child at all.

As of 2013, the Adoption Tax Credit goes away all together. At change.org, you can sign a petition to extend the tax credit as currently stated in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Ultimately, extending the Adoption Tax Credit means that more children can be adopted, and can be adopted into financially stable homes.

Currently, a bill has been proposed to create a permanent Adoption Tax Credit. You can track and read the bill here. Most, recently it was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance. There are also several key politicians to consider writing to.

The following Congressmen are sponsors of this bill. If you reside in one of these states, consider sending them a letter or other communication of support: Richard Burr [R-NC], Robert Casey [D-PA], Thad Cochran [R-MS], Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY], Kay Hutchison [R-TX], Mike Johanns [R-NE], Tim Johnson [D-SD], Amy Klobuchar [D-MN], Pat Roberts [R-KS] and John Thume [R-SD].

You may also consider sending communication of support to the members of the Senate Committee on Finance: Max Baucus [D-MT], Orrin Hatch [R-UT], Jeff Bingaman [D-NM], Richard Burr [R-NC], Maria Cantwell [D-WA], Benjamin Cardin [D-MD], Thomas Carper [D-DE], Thomas Coburn [R-OK], Kent Conrad [D-ND], John Cornyn [R-TX], Michael Crapo [R-ID], Michael Enzi [R-WY], Charles Grassley [R-IA], John Kerry [D-MA], Jon Kyl [R-AZ], Robert Menendez [D-NJ], Bill Nelson [D-FL], Pat Roberts [R-KS], John Rockefeller [D-WV], Charles Schumer [D-NY], Olympia Snowe [R-ME], Debbie Ann Stabenow [D-MI], John Thume [R-SD] and Ron Wyden [D-OR].

My New Favorite TV Series

I have never been one for the many drama television series that have come and gone.  If you were to see my DVR list it would be filled with shows like Smash, Glee, Modern Family, The Middle, The Little Couple, 19 Kids and Counting, So You Think You Can Dance, etc.  I tend to gravitate more toward the theatrical, comedy, and light-hearted shows.

However, the previews for the new show Awake caught my eye and it has been my new Thursday night obsession at 9pm on NBC.   I haven't heard anyone else talking about this new show and I wonder if I am the only one out there watching it!  I hope not as I think it is excellent writing with a captivating plot.

If you don't know much about it here is a brief description:

Following a car crash, Detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) returns to work and finds himself in one of two different realities every time he wakes up, one in which his wife Hannah (Laura Allen) survives the accident and the other in which his son Rex (Dylan Minnette) survives the accident. 
There is usually a new case to solve in each episode but then the main story continues to builds with each week as well.  At any given moment he truly doesn't know if he is awake or dreaming and both "realities" are so woven together that you really become engrossed in trying to figure out too.  


So if you are looking for something to watch tonight I highly recommend Awake.  Maybe I will wake up tomorrow to find someone else that shares my love for this new show:)

Love You Dad

Today I am missing my Dad.  I always miss him but especially today.  It has been been seven years since he was suddenly taken from this world.  Some moments I can't believe it has been that long and other moments feel like it was just yesterday.

I could never get everything he was to me as a Dad into words so I will just share with you a few things.  He was a loving father who always put his family first.  He was humorous and fun and could always make everyone laugh.  He was strong and with my mom they both taught me to be the person I am today.

I wish he was here to meet Logan so that he could cuddle with him like this:

He was the World's Greatest Dad:

He took me to Valentine's Dances:

Pop's N Lollies Dances:

And he was always in the audience to watch me dance:

But I didn't know that this would be my last dance with him:

I love you Dad and miss you more everyday.  I know we will see you one day again but until then please take care of our baby in heaven and watch over Logan as his guardian angel.  

Our Gallery Wall

So now that we had these nice pictures that I shared with you in my last post along with others I really wanted a place to display them in our home.  I had just the wall I wanted to use- the one in our entryway. Since we moved in I had this large frame that held lots of pictures there but it still got very drowned out in this big wall.  

So when it came time to designing the gallery wall the things that I wanted were 

1) Different frames so that I wasn't locked in to one type yet coordinating

2) Extra pieces besides photos intertwined

3) Asymmetry

The hard part was arranging everything. It actually took a lot of effort for me to be asymmetrical with the arrangement.  I had to see how it would look before putting a bunch of holes in the wall.  So I used paper and matched the size of the frames so that I could tape them to the wall.  It was nice because I could move them around like puzzle pieces until I found the layout I liked best.

 Finding the frames was the easier part thanks to Target where I found the majority of them.  I went off of one frame that I already had that was black with a cherry tone to it as well.  So it is hard to tell in the pictures but some are solid black while others have cherry in them too.  In fact the mirror actually has red around the edges.  I think this will make it easier to add to or adjust the wall with other frames as time goes on.  I came across the love picture at Kohl's and then went on a search for a family sign.  That one was a little harder to find but I finally came across this one at Gordman's and was so happy with the colors.  The mirror is from Target and I just love its shape.

What I like about it being asymmetrical is that now I can still add more to it.  There are a couple spaces that I think some smaller frames would fit nice in later.  And any of these frames can be turned the other way so I made sure that there was enough space in between each of them to allow for that if we choose to in the future.