1. Turning 42 with hubby turning 40, son turning 16, daughters turning 13 & 1- what a milestone of birthdays!

2. My first Mission Trip to Haiti!

3. Celebrating 17 years of marriage to my hunk of a hubby!

   

4. Cheering 4 Hannah at her Cross Country Meets!

5. Cheering 4 Michael who lettered & made the Varsity Golf Team his freshman year!

6. Family Kamp Fun!

7. Florida Trips with family!

   

8. 1st Adoption Reunion Weekend!

9. Surviving my son getting his driver’s license!

10. Watching Zoie thrive- walking, talking, singing, playing & becoming an American citizen!

The BEST is yet to come!

(Feature Photo taken by Tom Davis with permission to use)

www.hopechest.org

“A hearty combination of beans, corn, tomatoes, and taco seasonings, slow cooked with shredded chicken. Deliciously finished, if you like, with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips. Made mostly of canned ingredients, this tasty soup let’s the slow cooker do the work so you don’t have to!”



Bloggy friends- I want you TO DO a few things for me.

• I want to show off your family on Your Photo Gallery on the top.  This is a special spot to celebrate family.  It’s really easy- upload your favorite family pics- there is no limit.  Here’s the crazy thing, when you upload, it says that your photo failed, but it’s just kidding:)  It works great- just click DONE!  My goal this year is to have hundreds of pics that inspire others to take a jump into adoption.

• Also, if you would like for your blog or website to be featured on a special Inspired Links blogroll- fill out the form and we will post your “button” on One Stop Shop. The photo or logo needs to be horizontal and cropped to 120 x 60.  If you don’t have photo shop, iPhoto or another way of cropping your pics online- at this time, my brilliant bloggy brother can resize the photo.  Please only send HORIZONTAL or it makes creating buttons difficult!!

• Please feel free to add my new My Crazy Adoption button on your blogs to help spread the word on adoption. Just copy the HTLM code & paste on your blog.

• One last to-do… I was nominated for top mommy blog and to make the top 10 list, I need lots of votes from you!!  The adorable “vote” button is located here or top right side and all you need to do is click on the pic.  Your click is a vote- that’s it. You can vote 1x day for my crazy blog.  Help me spread the word about adoption!

Thanks for being my crazy friend!

It’s hard for me to wrap my heart around the celebration of Christmas this year.  Hubby and I have noticed a change.  It was subtle at first- Christmas lights going up BEFORE Thanksgiving, merriment in pulling out every single decoration, an extra skip through the stores hunting for presents on sale, finding excuses to drive through town pointing out all the strings of lights hung in every corner of our little town.  Where we live, Christmas starts early, sometimes blending in with the Fall festivities.  The change took me by surprise.  In fact, all four of us have noticed the change.  It wasn’t hard to guess why-

I never dreamed we would have the gift of a baby again to start all over.  Santa’s magic is everywhere.  I hear it in her giggles, I see it in the sparkle that lights up her big brown eyes and I feel it when she grabs my hand to turn on the tree lights every morning.  Adoption is one of the greatest gifts God gave my family.  He knew the deepest desires of our hearts, when we didn’t even remember that it was there, tucked away far from sight.  We have so much to celebrate this Christmas- the things that really count.  We celebrate the birth of a King, our Savior who gave us life and love.  Our love for Zoie is so intense, but I’m reminded during this time of year- how much more intense God’s love is for each and every one of us.  I pray for adoption miracles again this next year.  Adoption is challenging, radical and life- changing.  Are you ready to make a difference in a child’s life?  There are children all over the world who are hoping and wishing tonight for a mommy and daddy- a family.  Let’s work together to make their dreams come true, one at a time.

Merry Christmas Adoption!

We tracked Santa down last night and loaded his sleigh with T shirts. The weather is clear and crisp in my neck of the woods for a speedy Holiday delivery! We will start our next T shirt Adoption Fundraiser on February 1st- Simply Love Month!

Please take a fun pic of you wearing your NEW Simply Love T shirts- add them at Your Photo Gallery (top of blog)

Youth Sizes COMING SOON!

(A little adoption humor- doesn’t this look like a referral pic:)

I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and A Very Crazy Happy New Year!  I’m going to give my blog a “long winters nap” to spend every second possible with my family.  I will see you back here, December 28th to celebrate the best of 2009!  If you’re just stopping by My Crazy Adoption for the first time, take a peek at my One Stop Shop and My Crazy Life located up top.  I’ve been blogging for 3 years, so you can jump back in time and play catch up.  If you have any questions about mommyhood or adoption, please email me.  I added some new stuff on the side – feel free to add my Crazy Button on your blog, as well as check out (In Courage) – a very inspiring women’s website. Don’t forget to add your family photos on Your Photo Gallery and your own 120×60 blog banner- Inspiring Links!  OK bloggy friends- no napping for you!

Merry Christmas from our crazy family to yours.

(thanks Rebecca for all your help:)

A few fun photos from this week-

I’m praying that the our T shirts were printed out as scheduled.  I pick them up tomorrow via a special T helper- thanks Jeremy!

I’ll stuff and address and pop your Simply Love T shirts in the mail early Monday morning!  Wish me luck!  I will bring back our Limited Edition T shirts next year, but with a very crazy twist.  6 new countries + our Simply Love logo = we’re all in this together!  I promise you’ll be the first to know.  Also, we will include a special “travel group” rate.

Merry Christmas!

In my dad’s book, Keys to Your Child’s Heart, he shares how to make family memories. An inspiring how-to for parents to create amazing moments and strong bonds as a family unit. He can take no credit for our family’s closeness. It was a gift. It was years of messing up, I think that did it. My favorite stories of “messing up” are now the hilarious topics of our family get-togethers. My brothers and I tease, embellish, and make fun (in love) of ALL the attempts dad made to bond us closer. The camping stories are my very favorite. In fact, the parenting book was written on a two month camping trip. It was weeks of torture for my brothers and I jammed in a camper zipping from state park to state park. I honestly don’t know how they did it…how did my mom keep her sanity? There were bumps and crisis and bruises and adventures and laughs at every turn. My dad insists that camping will make any family close.  The #1 bonding activity.  He would bet his camper on it.

Roger and I were so excited the first time we took our son, Michael camping. He was one years old and full of life. We wanted to start him out young and start the bonding right off the bat. I remember like it was yesterday packing the car with all the camping goods and our brand new Coleman tent. We thought of everything. We interviewed several avid campers and decided on the perfect spot for our 1st trip. The drive was long and winding. I remember feeling car sick, but my joy of camping held me over through the 4 hour drive to camping paradise.

It was beautiful. The best spot. We set up our camp site in a flash. We had a few tumbles trying to figure out how to balance out the tent, despite the slight lean…we did it!! I headed to the outdoor facilities but stopped short. The not-so-clean, super nasty toilet was crawling with bugs. Dear Lord, it was disgusting! Refusing to “go” there…I insisted Rog drive us to the nearest clean restroom. There was noooo near clean spot. Where was the gas station? Where was the park restrooms with showers? I realized quickly I would really have to rough it up! 100% nature calling in the wild outdoors.

The night was long and everything went wrong. It started raining. A motorcycle gang rolled in and set up camp right next to our tent. A college group catty corner partied all night. It was cold and wet and loud and miserable. I begged Rog to go out there and tell the college kids and motorcycle gang to BE QUIET!! We have a baby trying to sleep in here! Long story short, we packed up our brand new tent and all our camping goods in the dark and headed for home. We were mad and really sleepy. I felt like a total failure. What happened? I was a camping pro. Our family bonding depended on this camping trip to be a success.

We learned a lesson. Our un-camping trip WAS a success. We bonded. We had our memories. We could laugh at the messes. Maybe we weren’t cut out to be campers, but we were cut out to be a family. A family that loves being together. We never popped that tent up again, but we did invest years later in a pop up camper. We are now the Gibson Five and I cherish our memory-making-messes deeper than ever. I guess the moral of this story…you can bond pretty much doing anything as a family. Trouble will find you where ever you go.
Make every memory count!!

Ok- I’d really love to hear your favorite memory-making-messes.

One year ago today, I had the CRAZIEST accident.  Many of you remember when I…  fell down the stairs singing carols, Christmas shopped on a broken foot, tucked in bed with broken crutches nearby (alot of good that did), 2 am bathroom run, passed out, kissed the sink, woke up with 7 firemen peering down at  me, and the loss of my 4 front teeth- all in one miserable 24 hours! I shattered my 4 chompers and the damage was irreversible, so they had to pull em on December 23rd.   I’m grateful my big mouth acted like an airbag or the craziness could have turned from bad to tragedy.  In honor of No Front Teeth Anniversary, I thought you’d enjoy one of my favorite photos of me in Ethiopia- notice the irony.  I was walking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and complimented this precious lady on her beautiful smile.  She allowed me to pose with her.  I was very surprised to see later, in the photo, she lacked a few teeth.  It was like a line out of Disney’s Enchanted…. remember?

Honestly, its very humbling at 42 to even attempt to look sexy soaking my flipper in water at night.  My amazing hubby still thinks I look beautiful without my teeth.  I have earned many nicknames by my family:) but have gained a whole new sense of humor for my shiny gums.  Unfortunately, my mouth has not healed properly to receive implants, yet I remain hopeful to someday again chew off the plastic from wrappers, bite into a Subway sandwich, chew gum, or eat pizza, fried chicken and chewy fudge without a fork.

Happy Anniversary Toothless Me!!

I was double -dogged -dared to show you my toothless grin, so I vow here and today that I will reveal the REAL me one time only the day before my surgery.  You’ll have to stay tuned.

I read EVERY comment you left me and loved all the craziness!  I gave you credit for each entry you earned and had a blast visiting some of your blogs. I’m crazy excited to share the winner of the Christmas Giveaway (seriously, do you hear a drumroll?)

Watch FLIP for Crazy Christmas Winner!!!

I also have 8 mini Giveaways that I randomly picked from Santa’s hat:

The 3 winners for Free Child Pass to the new Disney Movie Princess and the Frog-

1. Pam – entered 12/11
2. DeDe Lange – entered 12/10- thanks for contacting me!
   
3. Laura – entered 12/9

The 5 winners for autographed books (Gary Smalley- As Long As We Both Shall Live)

1. Shannon – entered 12/14
2. Alisa – entered 12/10- thanks for contacting me!
   
3. Tiffany Lenhart – entered 12/11
4. Jenny Foringer – entered 12/14
5. Sherry Mattix – entered 12/13- thanks for contacting me!
   

I need ALL my winners to email me today and give me your mailing address. This information will remain private- just for my eyes!  Grand Christmas Giveaway Winner- I need your 2 T shirt sizes/styles asap!! Coming soon- a brand new crazy button you can share on your blog. Let’s keep in touch!

If you haven’t already noticed you will NEVER find any beef or pork or animals with 4 legs recipes on Wednesday WOW!!  I was a big meat eater, but 5 years ago found myself at the emergency room with a epipen jammed in my leg. If you have ever watched the crazy movie “Hitched” with Will Smith swelling after eating shrimp- yep that’s me!  I can eat all birds & fish, but nothing with 4 legs.  Sadly, my son inherited this special gift from me.

If you have any yummy recipes to share with me- leave em in the comments!

Poppy Turkey- family favorite

• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 8oz package light cream cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 oz linguine
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Saute the turkey with the green pepper, salt, and onion on medium heat until no longer pink.  Add tomato sauce and set aside.  Combine remaining ingredients except last 2.  Cook & drain linguine.  While pasta is hot, mix it into the cheese mixture.  Spread the linguine and cheese mixture onto the bottom of a greased casserole dish.  Top with the meat mixture.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes.

SO YUMMY IS ALL I CAN SAY!  Thanks jamie jo for sharing this with us!

When should I receive my Simply Love T shirt in the mail?

As I shared previously, I’m ordering ALL T shirts on December 16th.  I had to wait to order in bulk.  Unfortunately, we do not have an inventory of T shirts in stock due to fundraiser.  Once the BIG CRAZY order is made, the T shirts will be shipped and printed at Santa’s shop.  I received notice today, that He will work extra hard to deliver them back to me by the end of the week.  A few choice elves will help me stuff envelops on Sunday and if all goes well, in the mail to you on Monday- December 21st. Thank you for your understanding!

Because of YOU-

I wanted to give you the big crazy update!!  Thank you dear blog friends for your generosity and support and cheers!  We wanted to give you the latest update on our T shirt fundraiser.  We set our goal to raise the funds to complete the first part of the adoption process- the homestudy.

Here are the FIRST 20 names that ordered a Limited Edition Simply Love T shirt.  You will receive your T’s and autographed book in the mail soon!  Thank you for supporting our 2nd adoption!!  whoooohoooo!!

I may not know you personally, but we are kindred spirits connected by the love of adoption.

First names only:

1. Julie L.
2. Ashley B.
3. Lori L.
4. Loren A.
5. Susan B.
6. Laura P.
7. Michelle O.
8. Jamey P.
9. Craig J
10. Janiece W.
11. Heidi W.
12. Kim G
13. Charles M.
14. Sarah Y.
15. Tracy R.
16. Katrina M.
17. Kim B.
18. Joanna L.
19. Becky F.
20. Tracy J.

This week, My Crazy Adoption will not have the “regular” posts due to the craziness of Giveaways & T fundraiser.  My little Santa’s helpers will be working like crazy to get your T shirts out this week, as long as there are no delays at the toy shop!!  We will work rain, snow, sleet or ice to get them to you before Christmas!! Thanks for your understanding!