my thoughts this morning

turned me to a song i performed about 9 years ago. It Struck a cord with my heart today. Enjoy!

Sewing up a STORM

So, I must admit, I'm a bit of a domestic Diva, when i really want to be! Maybe I LOVE to craft and I'd rather do that then have a spotless house. B/C really- if you have a perfect house that normally means you either have a house cleaner and no kids or you are totally bored or boring!
I'm not a slob- just a creative type person. Take today- i cleaned the girls room, one bathroom, the playroom and made Eggplant Parm for dinner from scratch and i also sewed up a storm:)
Mind you- these are taken with my phone so- they are NOT perfect pics!

i still need center buttons for the shirts. I will be making dresses here pretty shortly!
I love baby sleep sacks. everyone needs something special to take baby home in. These ones will be available to purchase at my etsy store in a while!

And I'm covering the white ric rac print with HOt PInK ruFleS!!!
I LOVE to sew and i feel like I'm doing more of it now that my machines are out of my craft room and on the dining room table;) I hope to finish all my sewing by the end of the week! (4 dresses and 1 apron to go)!!!

Keep reading about our adoption family and our decision to adopt again. We are hoping and awaiting another miracle through the blessing of adoption!

Sundays are So Special

As part of our family legacy, we want our children to be surrounded by people with integrity and moral values. hence the reason we go to church and participate in tons of the church functions!
Our children NEED a moral compass and We are doing are best to see that they are raised to Love One Another and Christ Loves Them. No better place to teach them than in the home and then reinforced at church! Parents Set the Tone of a Child's LIFE forever!

We are so grateful for our callings and for our membership in the LDS church. We love that we have great friends and live right by the Denver Temple (same City Block)! It's one of our favorite temples!

We especially LOVE SUNDAYS because we get to relax, learn lessons at church and enjoy our family and friends. Today we had a bunch of friends dine with us over at our Other friends house and we had a blast! ( I avoid using my friends names until i have permission from them:)

I made a strawberry creme pie and some brownies for desert and the house was filled with about 7 little girls and few boys and 5 couples and the missionaries. we play an active ROLE in fellowshipping and helping new and less active members- all of which are wonderful people in their own regards! I know that each of us is on our own spiritual journey and we are not sent here to judge people but to love them as they are. Each of us is working on our own slavation on our own timeline. And we just LOVE everyone we meet. I LOVE OUR WARD and am so grateful to be part of it! And I LOVE my Sunday Naps too!

Today's events

...will have to be reported tomorrow:( I'm totally burned out from going to the Water Park with the girls! Pictures will come soon and Many More Good things! I have decided to help other couples get some exposure on my blog as well. So 2 times a month i will feature another hopeful family or couple! It just love helping others in this regard.

When NEW couples get into the adoption Arena- some have a sense that's it's a competition when it's totally NOT. Of course everyone desires to be chosen but, It's not anything that you can do to make yourself look better to a birthmom than another couple can. you have NO idea what she may be looking for in a family! And God has His hands in this -so, Leave it to the PRO!

And other good news... I will be doing an Auction On FB in a bit to closeout all my CC Baby Inc. products. More on that later. Have wonderful Sunday friends and readers!

something to think about

In a world where we meet people in everything we do, i must count my blessings b/c i KNOW so many WONDERFUL people and have had the pleasure of being a friend to many! Though not all of us keep in regular contact after moving or life changes, we still know we can pick up the phone and know that our friends are right with us in spirit! And we are enjoying the new friends we have made in CO! I Love all of the friends we have met in the adoption world as well!

Friends are family you choose for yourself. -- Author Unknown

I am so glad to have such fabulous friends!!! I love you all!

our life: doing well with the girls t-minus 10 days till preschool starts and we are headed to the Water Park tomorrow:)

Being Led...

Man, i feel like a bit of a basketcase somedays! The whole adoption process and waiting is sometimes overwhelming!
I decided today- to FOCUS more on Where God is leading us to and not necessarily where I WANT TO GO! I mean that we are trying to LISTEN to the Holy Spirit more and where it's leading Our Family. I am so grateful for inspiration and peace that comes from doing what is right in our hearts. Lately, I've just struggled with the whole "waiting for someone to pick us" thing!
I've come to the conclusion that : It will happen when it's RIGHT and meant to BE and that even though we put our whole hearts out there to be openly criticized by prospective birth parents- I"M OKAY with being picked apart.
Someone may not like my dark curly hair. Someone may not like that Brandon is a mortgage lender and Real Estate Agent! They may judge us as un-cool b/c we have 2 kids and we are not "NEEDY enough". They may think we are total nerds or hate that i love to match my girls outfits! They may want someone totally opposite of who we are but,...

Someone may just Love us for who we really ARE... They may LOVE the fact that I'm artsy and funky. They may love that Brandon is adopted and can relate to our future adopted child (as well as to Brielle- who is adopted) They may see the fact that i had 1 kid as a COOL thing and that i can now better relate to BIRTH and pregnancy!(but can no longer)
They may LOVE that we are already lightly seasoned parents. They may love that we have 2 girls and would love another girl or boy! And that the baby would be surrounded by love and siblings. Some may like that we want a BIG family (not Duggars big- just bigger than the norm) and we hope to adopt at least 2-3 more times! Who really knows WHY someone may LIKE us or NOT like us. BUT... We are willing to take that leap and put ourselves out there!

It's amazing what FAITH will move you to do! I hope all adoptive couples put their WHOLE heart into this process and show people the REAL deal with them, their family and choice to adopt! Good luck other adoptive hopefuls and Happy Family Hunting potential Birth parents! May you be guided to find the BEST fit for you and your baby! You rock that your even considering adoption!

getting on the High Horse for a minute

I don't do this much but...

Tonight, when i was biking home after a long evening with friends, I looked up at the beautiful moon in the night sky and was grateful it was there for me. I was also thinking about the myth or legend that you get pregnant when there's a full moon or you go into labor on a full moon! It's something to do with how woman's bodies are in harmony with the cycles of nature- yada yada yada (you get my drift).

That thought lead to the thought of all the Ladies in the world who get pregnant with no intention of being a good mother to their babies. I thought of that b/c i have distant a relative who gets pregnant and has babies just to have the Gov't Handouts that come to poor, unfortunate people who have children!!! I am so upset at this group of humans in this world. I'm disgusted that you use your children as meal tickets. You procreate for CASH- which makes you a WHORE to the Gov't system.
Seriously- this may seem harsh and I'm not saying that all people on welfare are using their children as meal tickets by no means- some of you need it are are great people- I'm just saying that people like her ARE- and i don't like it one bit;(
These relatives are a JOKE. He gambles his earnings and spends it on alcohol and drugs and She uses the welfare checks to buy STUFF not for her own kids. She intentionally got pregnant at 16, then 19 and now 20- just so she could get more FREEBIES. They don't try to better their situations. The children are all being neglected or otherwise abused, choked, slapped, starved, have little or no clothes and are not bathed regularly, etc... I WANT to CRY for these precious babies. I want to CHOKE those people and knock some sense into them.(well, not really physically harm them but, I'm sure you can imagine my rage)
It's obviously super frustrating to me!

NOW... to all you Good Parents, Good Birth Moms and Good decent Humans of the world who Love your children and understand how precious and pure they are... THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! You are giving your children the best chance at success, at a stable happy life of love and laughter and doing what you know to be best for them! Thanks to the parents who teach their kids to be leaving things better than they found them. Thanks to the Birth Parents who sacrificed a part of your own Heart so that Your child may have the best chance possible for their dreams to come true. You are not thanked enough in my eyes! The world doesn't understand the pure, Christ- Like Love you have! And Thanks to all the Good people who raise up children unto God and to treat others will love and respect- and that LIFE is what YOU make of it! We are so indebted to your sacrifice of time and attentions as you shape the future leaders of this world!

I wish i could HUG you all and thank you in person! Maybe some of us will just have to sometime soon! That's a good idea- Let's all Hug and Thank People for BEING AWESOME! Should we have National Holiday?- It would be called " National Decent Parents Day" :)

Okay, time to get off my high horse now. Love to you all (well, you GOOD and Wonderful PEOPLE of the world) (i'm about 100% positive the bad ones are reading this)
Here's a GREAT article about UNWED parenting statistics FYI.. It's pretty meaty but, worth the read:)

ps. those relatives are NOT in our LIVES and are not immediate family-whatsoever! Just so you can rest at ease!

Our Big Girl!

Our friend Liz took this pic of Brielle right before we walked in the parade! Her Balloon says "Adoption Rocks" with some scribbles from the kids too! She is totally right - IT DOES ROCK!
Here's another cool Adoption tee:)
Available to purchase on adoptionbug.com

the list...

...of things i have to do before preschool starts is getting longer and longer!!!

If i didn't have the desire to make some things instead of buying them- it would probably be much shorter! BUT, i love sewing and making dresses and skirts and hair flowers and bows and jewelry and so on. It's fun when you know that my kids have some special one-of-a-kind items and i enjoy making these things.
I also LOVE to shop online for adorable items i can't make! Shopping in the mall or stores is fun too but, i can normally find a lot more in a smaller amount of time! And time is something of a precious thing right now.

Luckily, i don't get overwhelmed very easily! I just roll with it, make LISTS, and start getting things done!
I am glad my mother instilled in me the ability to have GOALS and make lists to organize my time and thoughts and energy! I think everyone should have so sort of a goal- both long term goals and short term goals!
I also know that when things don't work out the way we intended for them to- you re-focus and re-evaluate your goals and make changes accordingly.

In our life here's what's changing:
I'm closing my ETSY store at the end of NOV or sooner to make more time in my life for helping FSA chapters grow, expand their outreach programs and the birth parent programs.
In other words: I'm quitting the GOOD things to HELP with the BEST things- Building Eternal Families and growing and awesome Organization! I know it's where God wants Our efforts and energies right now and Brandon and I are happy to help in any ways that we can!

I also don't want to be too stressed out with too much on our plate if our future birth mother finds us sooner than later. I think The most important things in life are not THINGS- They are PEOPLE and the RELATIONSHIPS YOU BUILD AND KEEP!

So, since i'm not obligated to bring and income in for the family- it's time to be involved in greater causes! I am so exited to see what our future holds and Where God Leads Us!

My Goals as of now are:

Short Term:
Start getting ETSY store to a close (clearing our merchandise)
Get a Stable functioning schedule in place with the girls preschool and gymnastics
Get more Sleep
Attend the Temple as often as possible (2-4 times a month or more)
Get a handle on my calling : YW sports coordinator
Lose 10 lbs
Do more service with FSA and outside of it!

Long Term:
Help in Adoption Efforts in the Central Region
Grow our family through Adoption!
Educate our Children in all ways
Develop stronger bonds with our Daughter's Birth mom!
Be the BEST wife and mommy that i can be!

Well, Lots to do and think about- Hope who ever reads this thinks about a Goal they might want to achieve!

Willing to Submit

So today's title might be an odd one for some but, I say willing to submit- not anyone's will but, God's!
I have realized that most of this process is completely out of our hands. We just have to have faith and be willing to submit to God's timeline and His plan for growing our family!
I know this is not news to some of you but, i have to say the WAIT is harder than you'd think- even with my 2 girls! Even though they are my kids- my heart goes out daily in hopes that today will be the day our Birth parents find us! Or today will be the day we get a call from Her or our Agency!

We feel so strongly that we are NOT supposed to sit around and just WAIT-we are to be actively searching, spreading the word about our decision to adopt again, and spreading the word about OPEN adoption as an option- where otherwise someone might terminate a pregnancy!

I hope you all get a good look at all the couples who are hoping to adopt on our blog and consider each one of them- even if just for a second! There are just so many amazing couples and so many amazing birth mothers who have found or will find their family!

For now, we will continue to advocate and share and love all those who are involved in the adoption triad and share the Good word of adoption where ever we go! And we will keep praying that our future birth parent will find our family- when she ready and when God's Ready! It's all about His time anyways!

tee shirt is available on adoptionbug.com
~C

The Parade

Today was a great and HOT day for a parade but, it was great nonetheless! Our Co chapter participated in the Wheat Ridge parade! All went pretty well too! I have to say, since it was our FIRST time- it couldn't have been better but, Next time... I'm thinking a bit Bigger deal should be made- maybe a ride on float for about 15 people, some poles with long streamers on them that people walking can wave around, more pamphlets, more candy, more pass along cards etc...

We did get our message out which was : Support Adoption- It's a Miracle! And not everyone in the crowd was really cool with it- but most were nice! I just find it baffling that some find adoption so- TABOO or terrible- when it is the exact opposite- It's Amazing and full of Love. Birth mothers don't place because they don't want- they place because they want more for their babies! There are so many MYTHS that are unfounded in the general media about adoption and I'm working hard to stop anti- adoption media! IT'S ABOUT LOVE- PEOPLE!

k- now, I'm winding down... A cool thing that i will mention about in a little bit later is, that we got to have our friend Jessica( a future birth mom placing with J & C) come in the parade with us and her couple came too!. More on Jessica in a few:) She's pretty awesome:)!

NPR Adoption Interview

today Scott Simon was interviewed on NPR- he and his wife adopted 2 girls from China! It was a great article here's a bit from the column:

"Adoption is a miracle. I don't mean just that it's amazing, terrific, and a wonderful thing to do. I mean that it is, as the dictionary says, "a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of divine agency."

It is so divine! I am amazed everyday at all the miracles that take place in the adoption world!

Cake and more cake

So, the first fondant and gum paste WILTON method class was pretty easy. We made balls and bases for flowers out of gum paste!
At this point, i felt like a kid playing with edible play dough. It really was so much fun squishing and pulling fondant like taffy!











these are some mum and rose centers- OH and we also learned how to make a bow!









class 2- we made these flowers (mind you these are kind of broken from my girls playing with them a bit)












class 3- we covered a cake board and made the daisy and the mum. my mum stinks- btw. But, it was my first try:)









class 4- we covered our cakes and put our skills to the test. I decided on a Zebra cake - just for kicks. I also learned NOT to use pure gum paste for the stripes and ruffles- it hardens way too fast and tastes icky! THE best thing about FONDANT these days is that it comes in some awesome, tasty flavors! Like Buttercream Fondant, Marshamallow fondant, chocolate, orange cream etc... Fondarific is a HUGE company that makes some killer stuff!

Now, what do you think i may be doing with my new skills?...
MAKING SOME KILLER B-DAY CAKES, some wedding cakes, baby shower cakes etc... BUT, i will only do this on occasion and by referral. I have done cake decorating for years and it's a time suck- and mostly from your weekends!

But, It's a Skill I'm happy to have! Here's a few more pics from our last class!

I am not sure if I'm smiling or trying to tell the camera person something! Isn't our class the best!

Me and my friend DARA! She signed up first and i joined in. I had always wanted to take fondant class and it was blast with her! She has 2 girls too and our girls play together a lot!

Hopefully, I will get to make a few more cool cakes here and there!
Watch out Duff Goldman!

Dear Birth Mothers

To all you who BLOG about your amazing adoption experiences:

You must stop! I am up late at night reading your stories- crying with joy and sorrow and amazement of your strength. It's like a new addiction- all these bloggers who hit straight to the point about WHY you placed and you go into great detail about your choices and your life. Your posts give me strength in ways i thought i didn't need to be strengthened. i see how you advocate for adoption and LOVE IT. I am kind of envious that I'm not YOU. How did God make you Stronger in that way and Not me? I remember as a teen thinking that I'd love to surrogate for someone- just so, i could help them- no strings or money- just b/c i loved them and knew they were waiting for a child. Then i found out it's kind of frowned upon in our faith. Then i found out about my crappy PCOS and other reproductive issues.
Anyway, I am so truly grateful you blog and keep me up all night. I enjoy the red in my eyes from time to time! I love your stories, your truth and your testimony of adoption. Keep doing what you are doing. Oh, an no pressure but, i sure hope our next BM is as amazing as some of you are! I'm sure she will be!
We think about her all the time- even though we haven't yet met her! She's in our prayers and in our hearts. Today--- OUT of the Blue - Brielle says (while in our car) " Mommy- Where's Our Other babies at? Can i have another sister? Aria said " No, sissy- a baby Brah-der and then a si-ter!" I told them that we will Let God Choose that one. I swear my girls remind us all the time.
How close to the spirit they must be to actually FEEL that our family is not all here yet!

~C

Our 1st CO Camping Trip

So, Click on this pic to get a closer look. And NO, i didn't get all digi-scrappy with this one- just straight up plain old PS. I know- boring but, camping isn't about all the bells and whistles- It's about getting back to nature- pure and simple!


So... the real deal... The girls in our tent slept well. Our friends kids- not so good but, we all went to sleep nonetheless! My tin foil dinners were a little over cooked but still tasty with some Steak sauce! The s'mores were delicious with cinnamon sugar grahams this time and got everywhere too! We played Spot Daddy on the Mtn. with our high beam flash light. B would run up the mtn with his tiny flash light - move around after it was turned off and yell out to spot light him- the girls went nuts!!!
In the morning- the girls had a blast playing fake fishing and we all were extremely tired!!! I hated the port-a-potties but, was grateful they were there anyways! Our girls got scraped up a bit from sticks and rocks and such, soaked in the cold creek water and got to pet a domesticated wolf! They LOVED everything and seeing Camping through a Kids eyes was priceless! As we packed up to leave, Brielle said " This was the best camping trip ever, Daddy and Mommy!"

She has only camped 2 times so, i guess she is right. Despite "keeping this post REAL" we had a great memorable time and we learned a lot about each other and what we can do better the next time we go camping again! We can't wait...
Next trip- 2 nights or more- a good pad under our sleeping bags- a no fail tin foil dinner and some rafting down the river:)
~C

Our Letter to Expectant Parents

If you are prospective birth parent- please read this letter by clicking on it to enlarge the text. If you are not, please note that this letter is not intended for your eyes but, you are free to read it nonetheless!



Here's the poem i wrote after Brielle's birth mom told me that we were the gift she was giving her child. And she said she wasn't doing this for US- but for her Child! It was featured at the last LDS FSA National Conference Art Display! And the pictures are all adopted babies from the CO agency!

For My Child

A Birth mother's Song

Looking in your eyes

The Longing for a chance to be

Parents to this child

That will come from Me

You Must feel Grief and Pain

Many tears have been shed

Sleepless nights you've wondered

In Prayer you've bowed Your head.

If you are like me,

You've pleaded to God Above

To Have some peace and

Fill your home with LOVE

And You May Say

That You are so Thankful

To receive this Tender Baby, Meek and Mild

But, I want you to know

I'm not doing this for You...

I'm doing this for, My child.

So please give me the strength

to look beyond my own Fears

And please give my baby the love,

The Hug, laughter and the Tears.

And i Hope you know that

I love my Child more than myself

To give her the Gift of parents like you

I'll put my pride upon the Shelf.

This is Tearing my Heart in two

I never knew i'd have to do this

So, please listen and hold my baby close

And for me, give Her a Gentle Kiss

And You May Say

That you are so very grateful,

To receive this tender Baby, Meek and Mild

But, I want you to know

I'm not doing this for YOU

I'm Doing it For My Child...

I'm doing this for OUR CHILD!

~Corrine C.

Copyright CCI 2006

Thank you for letting me share this bit of my heart with you, dear reader. I am most grateful for the time you took out of your day! God bless you and keep you safe on your journey to find the right family and find all the peace that you can.

~Corrine & Brandon

My hot Husband!

So, I think he's a super handsome man. Others may disagree but, He needed a pic for his new Business Cards so, I took it! He's a Real Estate Agent with Metro Brokers and a Loan Officer as well! I am so glad he's a great man, husband, provider, friend and dad!

I thank his parents for raising him and his birth mother for placing him over 31 years ago. You both are amazing for what you have done for him and for me and for our children!!! We are all so blessed through adoption!

messin' around

with our blog backgrounds! So, don't be shocked if you see a few ones here and there. It's like shopping for a new pair of jeans- you hardly are going to settle for the first ones you find. You have to try them on and see if they fit. So just hold a on a second and enjoy the Blog background fashion show:)

More great posts to come from Brandon and Corrine, a couple who is hoping to have another adoption miracle. This adoption blog has all kinds of info about us, our family and our activities- please look at the sidebar and read whatever fancies you! Thanks for looking!
I think the picture i posted is SOOO fashion forward- i love the pinky-red and yellow combo-it does wonders for his eyes:)

Buncha Stuffs:)

So this may seem like a hodge podge of stuff in one post- but that's how we roll sometimes! Seriously, It's a good mix so, here it goes...
This Is Lauren, a friend who cut my hair. We are doing BLUE STEEL and Magnum from Zoolander (a Bent Stiller Movie that is totally silly)

This paragraph SPEAKS volumes of the importance of Teaching your children in the home and how it's the foundation of a child's life- great stuff and this book was published in 1926!!!
Here's what the outside looks like. It's Spiffy to me and B!
Here's our girls AFTER they had thier own barbershop CHOP the hair off party at Dara's HOUSE! When Aria came down and apologized about using Dara's Makeup- i looked to see how much make-up she'd have on her face and was appalled at the LACK Of hair on her head- You Bet i screamed in PURE SHOCK- Brielle and Elizabeth(her friend) came downstairs with HUGE chunks of hair Missing too! I was so out of sorts as we trimmed up what we could. We decided ALL scissors and Knives are going above the stove- locked away for good. The next day i put safety locks on our doors and bathrooms so, the girls cannot easily get there now.

It's funny how many parents go through this phase- almost everyone i have talked to has a hair cutting story or 3!!! Oh well now- Aria will have to just have a wretched bowl cut for awhile. Brielle always looks good with a bob cut though- lucky girl!

Okay, I'm off to bed- peace outtie folks! And thanks for reading!

she loves to draw

This is the first family portrait Brielle has drawn!


At the end, Aria has her arm outstretched and it trails off the page.. like she's reaching for the rest of our family. Maybe her baby sister or brother We will see what God has in store for us!I sure hope our birth mom finds us soon. Where ever she is- we know she is being watched by angels through this process. She must be so incredible and we can't wait to meet her someday!

Brielle's Birth mom is just wonderful and we are so lucky her whole family is still involved in our lives. We call and chat and send things now that we are far away in CO. I wish they were just a few miles away like it was back in LV! We miss you -awesome part of our family!

Ta-ta for now!
~C

Aria's 3rd B-day!!!

We had such a Blast at her Party!!! She had tons of fun dressing up and feeling like a REAL Fairy Princess!

My friend and I made this tee for her special day!

My mom, dara, Mom-in-law, Kellie and I made this fairy princess castle cake:)

Which everyone enjoyed- Especially the birthday girl!

She opened lots of presents and loved her cards too!



The friends played games and made crowns and fairy wands at craft stations and everyone left with wings, a tutu (most of which i made) and a tiny crown comb.

We will never forget those we celebrated with! It was so amazing!

more photos will be on my FB page soon:)

Thanks everyone for making it so wonderful!