My New Obsession! and An award from a longtime friend...

My new obsession is shopping for some new items for our new house (which I am hoping that we will be moving into April). My theory is out with the old and in with the new! Our current decor in our PA home is very country/antique. Both styles fitted our home so well, but after seeing the same decor for so long (we have been here 8 years) I am so ready for something new! As you all know, I have this love for Vera Bradley and all "her" fashionable creations. Lately, I have been checking out some of the designer rugs that are featured with her famous patterns! Here are a few of my favorites!

"Seaside"


"Yellow Bird"



"Mod Floral"


and...

"Mesa Red"


Since I have only seen construction plans and "work in process" photos of our new home, I am holding off until we make that trip to Maryland and see what will fit...in what room! As I stated above in this post, I am totally changing our interior decor. My goal is to mix in the many Asian pieces that I have collected over the years (especially the ones from our two trips to China...yes I did a lot of shopping over there!) and the many of my Italian family heirlooms that have been past down through the generations. It should be an interesting combination, but I am thinking it will work. Now if only I can find an amazing sale that is being held on these rugs...(I just don't like paying full price!)

(OK onto next topic...)

The Friendship Award...



My longtime friend Colleen over at The Nut House (you can find her at http://www.crazy-eight.blogspot.com/) gave me this truly beautiful award. I am just speechless and truly blessed! I can't begin to express what this blog has meant to me and my family since I started it. For me, it was to document Annabelle's adoption, but since starting it back in August 2006 (when we started our paper chasing for daughter #2) it has become so much more! I know I don't have many followers of our blog, but to me it is not about the quantity, but the quality...Who does follow our blog mean the world to me and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Getting this award means the following: These blogs are exceedingly charming.These kind bloggers aim to find friends and be friends.They are not interested in self-aggrandizement.Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships will be propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly- written text into the body of their award.

"I am going to break the rules here a little bit...instead of me tagging each person...I am just going to list some people ~ who I would have never met or been reunited with if it wasn't for this wonderful place called "the world wide web" ~ and who really mean the world to me. These are the few that are truly faithful to reading our blog and who I know will be soon seeing their names listed." (if you guys want to take a stab at it...go right ahead...but just knowing how busy my life is right now...you guys may be experiencing the same thing. So I am taking some consideration and changing it up just a bit.)

To the friends we love...

Uncle Owen, Aunt Amy, and Kate who don't have a blog but so need to be mention first...they are truly family to us! If it wasn't for a cut off date ending on the 30th...and two little girls half way around the world waiting for us in the same orphanage...we would have never met. Faith is a beautiful thing! We LOVE you guys so much!

Sara at Football & Fried Rice: Our friendship is truly unique! For two people who have never met face to face, we sure do a lot of chatting it up! Someday my friend...someday, we will finally met ~ face to face... (you can find Sara at http://www.footballandfriedrice.blogspot.com/ )

Lisa at The Long Road To China": Wow...what can I say! Who would have ever thought that only a few months ago, we didn't know each other and look at us now! Can't wait to see you all again ~ very soon! (you can find Lisa at http://www.thelongroadtochina.blogspot.com/)

Rina at "Journey to Annalisa" : You guys are just so great and through this wonderful world of adoption have become family to us also. Annalisa is truly beautiful....inside and out (just like you are!) Here's to next year's trip to Disney ~ we are ALL going to be there! (you can find Rina at http://www.journeytoannalisa.blogspot.com/)

Sue at Biddle Bloggers: Since meeting during our first adoption and their second adoption...traveling together back in 2005...and us completing our second adoption and them starting the journey for their third...we have stayed friends. That to me is what this is all about! Luv ya, girl! (you can find Sue at http://www.biddlebloggers.blogspot.com/)

Tiffany at "Journey to Our Little Fortune Cookie": Even though we too have never met, we share a bond between my daughter Annabelle and her "waiting for" son Levi (New Hope's Justin). I know we will meet someday and I can't wait to follow along in your journey to bring home Annabelle's little brother...(you can find Tiffany at http://www.journeytoourfortunecookie.blogspot.com/)

The Best Girlfriend Anyone Could Ever Ask For ~ Gina (who also doesn't have a blog): Being friends since grade school, we have been through so much...the good times and bad, the boyfriends and break-ups, the loss of loved ones, years of school, moving away and coming home, and now marriage and babies! It is amazing what we have been through when I think back and how much our friendship has grown. You are like a sister to me and for that...I love you!

Al, Lori, and Hannah (who also don't have a blog): Our time together over the past few months (since meeting after that very long journey from NYC to Beijing in that crazy van ride) have truly been a blessing! Who would have ever thought we would travel half way around the world...only to meet someone who grew up in our own backyard. Here's to an amazing friendship that I am so grateful for!

and...

My Mom & My Sister...no words are truly needed for what you two mean to me! You guys are my rock!

And there you have it! Since I know I won't be posting again until...probably Sunday (I have some cute photos from our visit to Chuck E Cheese that took place during this past week to post)...I just want to wish you all a wonderful, safe, and stay warm weekend!!!