Monday, March 30, 2009
Missing bloomers
I found about three really cute summer dresses for Boo recently.  She's a size 2T now.  Unfortunately, the dresses did not come with matching bloomers, and believe me, this girl needs them!  She's constantly climbing, rolling, and running, even in a dress.  I like the bloomers to hide her diaper.

Since the cute dresses were missing bloomers, I decided to sew my own with some solid colored material that I already had on hand.  I just had to go purchase matching thread and 1/2" elastic for the waist and legs.  I'm using a McCall's pattern, M5353.

It's slow going because I'm still a novice at reading patterns and sewing from them.  I also have to wait until the kids are in bed to do my sewing.  But, I'm getting there!  And maybe, if I get ambitious, I'll make Boo a couple of matching sun hats too.  I'll have to think about that.  She doesn't keep hats on for long.

So, what have you sewn lately?

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6:00 AM
5 comments


Saturday, March 28, 2009
March Pay It Forward winners!

It's time to pick the two winners for my March Pay It Forward Book Exchange. I've used Random.org to find my winners, although considering only 3 people entered this month for my 2 book giveaways, the odds were high for winning! 

And the winners are...

#1 Cynthia with Springmont Cottage who wins a copy of Love You, Mean It by Patricia Carrington, Julia Collins, Claudia Gerbasi, & Ann Haynes.

# 3-Jubilee with Notes of Jubilee who wins Marked (House of Night, Book 1) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast.

Congrats, ladies! Sorry Tamy! Cynthia & Jubilee, please email me your mailing addresses so I can send out your book!

And for those of you who didn't enter to win my giveaway, there is 1 additional book still up for grabs this month thanks to PIF giveaways being held by other bloggers! Hurry quick to enter to win!

My next Pay It Forward Book Exchange will begin on Wednesday, 1 April.  I will probably have at least two books up for grabs and one of them will be a brand new novel, Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult, in hardcover.  

I hope you'll join me and help me spread the word!

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6:11 AM
2 comments


Friday, March 27, 2009
Favorite Ingredients Friday (Mexican Dishes Edition)


Good Friday to you all!

Today I'm hosting a Favorite Ingredients Friday Mexican Dishes Edition recipe exchange!

Today I'd like to share a recipe that I found on Recipe Zaar. It's delicious!  Enjoy!

Steak Fajitas

Ingredients
3/4 lb top sirloin steak
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 flour tortillas (8 inch/20 cm)
1-2 onions, approx. 1-2 depending on size
2 small sweet peppers, of your choice (green, red, or yellow)

Toppings
salsa
sour cream
shredded cheese
chopped tomato

Directions
Slice steak into thin strips.

In bowl, mix together 1 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin, hot pepper flakes, black pepper & salt.

Add beef strips and stir to coat, set aside.

Wrap tortillas in foil and place in 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

Cut onions in half lengthwise and slice into strips, cut your peppers into strips.
6In large non stick skillet over medium high heat, heat remaining tablespoons of olive oil.

Add onions & peppers stirring for 3-4 minutes, until softened; transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add beef to skillet, cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes or until they lose their red color.

Return onions and peppers to skillet; stir for about one minute.

To serve, spoon a portion of the beef mixture down the centre of each tortilla, top with your desired toppings , fold bottom of tortilla up over filling, fold the sides in, overlapping.

Now, I look forward to seeing your Favorite Ingredients Friday Mexican Dishes Edition recipe! Don't forget to link your specific recipe post link on Mr. Linky so I can see what's cooking at your house!

Oh, and be sure to put the title of your recipe in parenthesis! It makes it so much quicker for everyone to go back and search for recipes.

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6:00 AM
5 comments


Tuesday, March 24, 2009
We saw Baby Bug this past weekend.
First of all, thanks for all the lovely well wishes that you all have left me in the comments section of my last post.  I appreciate the support!  No new news to report.  We're still waiting to hear whether or not an appeal is being filed.  I'll let you all know when we know.

In other news, we got to spend a good portion of the day with Baby Bug, her mom, and her baby brother yesterday!  They met us for breakfast and then we went to a street fair.

Baby Bug is doing great!  She's a petite little girl still, but she's growing.  Her hair is getting longer and now has a bit of curl to it in the back.  I brought her a flower hair clip and used it to hold back her bangs.  She's still as beautiful as ever!

It never ceases to amaze me that Baby Bug really seems to remember us, despite the fact that she hasn't lived with us since last August.  We don't get to see her as often as I'd like, due to her family schedule and our family schedule but when we do see her, she smiles, willingly comes to us, and gives us hugs and kisses.  She still adores Snuggle Bug, which is good because he still adores her, and she laughs and plays with Boo too!

Baby Bug's little brother is doing well also.  He's 6 months old now and he's a chunky little guy.  He's such a mellow baby and he always smiles at you!  Baby Bug doesn't seem all that interested in her baby brother yet, but she's only 16 months old and he isn't all that exciting yet at 6 months old.  

Baby Bug's parents are still struggling in their relationship.  I'm not sure if they're going to make it, and I worry about what that means for Baby Bug and her brother if they do not.  Baby Bug's mom is talking about going back to work, in case things don't work out, and seems determined to put her kids first throughout all of this.   We've told her time and time again that we're here to help but so far the only thing she's asked of us is just for a sympathetic ear to help her process her feelings.  I know that when we do get together, she's happy for the company.  Being a stay-at-home mom has been rather isolating for her.

Well, that's all for now.  Have a great day!

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6:41 AM
5 comments


Thursday, March 19, 2009
The termination trial is at an end and we've got a ruling.
After nearly 2 days of grueling trial and listening to testimony presented by witnesses, evidence entered into court, and closing arguments, the judge told us we were all excused yesterday afternoon at 4:30 PM.

No verdict or ruling was given. We were simply told we could leave.

The state attorney explained to me outside of the courtroom that the judge had up to 60 days to rule on the case and that he'd send his ruling in minute entries to the lawyers and they would disseminate that information to the involved parties. The CPS worker said she'd call us when she heard.

I left the courthouse more fearful of the outcome than I had been before the contested termination trial began! The lawyer defending Boo's mom did a GREAT job of arguing her side and the state attorney also did a WONDERFUL job of arguing on behalf of Boo having permanency with us. It was a complicated case. I walked out of court truly not knowing which way the judge would rule. My heart was heavy and I felt sick to my stomach. I feared we'd be left hanging, worrying, for the next 2 months!

Last night I felt so discouraged and couldn't sleep a wink. I slept in the guest bed in Boo's room because it comforted me to hear her breathing as she slept.

Not expecting to hear back for several weeks, imagine my surprise when my cell phone rang at 2:33 PM today while I was at work and it was the CPS worker. She was calling to tell me that the judge had ruled for severance of parental rights!!! He ruled in less than 24 hours!! I couldn't believe what I was hearing! It was so unexpected! I thanked her for sharing the news and called Oronzo and we both choked up as we absorbed the news together.

Not long after the CPS worker called me, I got a call from Boo's lawyer. She called to make sure I had heard the news and we ended up spending 45 minutes talking about several things pertaining to Boo and her long-standing case. That's the longest I've ever talked to her since the day Boo was transferred into our home!

What happens next? We wait to see if Boo's mom will appeal (we strongly suspect she will and, oddly enough, I'm actually okay with that) within 30 days and, if so, then we wait another 6-15 months to see if the higher courts overturns this severance ruling. We've been told that it's very rare for that to happen, but we have to prepare ourselves for the reality that it could happen.

In the meantime, we get to proceed with the adoption process, right up to the finalization. That will have to wait until after the appeal ruling.

13 months and 4 days we've waited for this ruling, praying with all of our might, enlisting the aid of our family and friends in prayer, worrying that we'd loose this precious little girl that we've grown to love so dearly. 20 1/2 months of her 25 months of life, Boo has been in the system as a foster child, without permanency, without a family to truly call her own.

If we get past the appeal, all of that will change. We will adopt her in due time and she will LEGALLY become the daughter she already is in our hearts and she will spend the rest of her life as an well-loved part of our immediate and extended family.

Thank, thank you all for your support. I can't tell you how much it means to me! Please, keep those prayers coming. It's not over yet.

I'll keep you posted on the appeals and adoption processes.

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11:37 PM
33 comments


Monday, March 16, 2009
Contested Termination Trial begins- prayers would be most welcome!
So, tomorrow the contested termination trial for Boo's case begins in the afternoon.  I am testifying within the second hour of the trial.

I'm nervous and scared.  I'm nervous about being on the stand, facing Boo's mom, knowing that I'm praying that we get to keep her.  I feel compassion for this woman, knowing she's had a hard life, but I still want her daughter to become our daughter.  Such conflicting emotions there.

I'm scared about what the final outcome of this trial will bring.  So much is at stake.  The fate of this precious little girl rests in the hands of one man, the judge.  What will he decide?

Boo has been with us for a 13 months now.  We love her as if she was our own.  We know that legally she is not but that hasn't stopped us from loving her and welcoming her into our family.  That hasn't stopped our 4 year old son from considering her his little sister.  That hasn't stopped her from believing that we are her Mommy and Daddy and that Snuggle Bug is her big brother and that all the extended family and friends that support us love her nearly as much as we do.

Boo has been in the system as a foster child for 20 1/2 months now.  I want her to be done being a foster child.  I want her just to be our daughter and to start living a "normal" life.

Please, all you prayer warriors, please say prayers for our family these next 3 days.  And if you don't mind spreading the word and asking for even more prayers, I'd sure appreciate it.

I'll try to post updates as I can, so stop back.

Thank you for all of your on-going support!  It's meant a lot to us!

UPDATE #1

I survived the first day of court, but barely.  I entered the courtroom at the appropriate time and the judge asked all those called to be witnesses to stand and be sworn in as a group.  I stood up and got sworn in.  Then he told all of us but the first witness to leave the courtroom and remain out until it was our turn.  I was second to last to testify so I had to sit out until the last hour and a half.

Finally I was called to testify.  The state attorney asked me a lot of questions about how long Boo has been with us, what our family was like, what challenges we'd experience after Boo arrived and how we'd tried to work through those challenges, if we'd fostered in the past, if we understood our role as foster parents in relation to reunification efforts, and how committed we were to Boo (would we adopt her)?

I answered all the questions honestly and thoroughly.  Then the judge surprised me by asking me to explain the relationship between Boo and Snuggle Bug and I explained how they've gotten to be quite close, that they were nearly inseparable, how Boo followed Snuggle Bug everywhere, how she imitated him, and how if they were apart they each asked constantly where the other one was.  I admitted that they had normal sibling squabbles but overall they placed quite nicely together.

The judge then asked me if Snuggle Bug referred to Boo as his little sister.  I explained that we had been careful not to refer to Boo as Snuggle Bug's little sister in front of him, knowing that she was a foster child and that the initial goal was reunification and she might be leaving.  But over time Snuggle Bug took it upon himself to start calling her his little sister and that he believed her to be his little sister.

So, the only two questions the judge asked me was to get a better idea of how she related to our son and our family.  I found that somewhat promising.

At the end of court, Boo's mom approached me with tears in her eyes and thanked me for taking care of her little girl.  She said it broke her heart to hear all that Boo had been through before getting to our family and how it affected her.  She said she was glad that we were willing to take such good care of her.  I teared up a bit myself at that and explained that we loved Boo and only wanted what was best for her and then I was called away to talk to the CPS worker.

Tomorrow is a full day of trial.  It's draining, listening to all of the history of this case coming out.  I'm not looking forward to another 7 hours of it.  I just want it over!  I'm sick to my stomach at what the final result will be.  This judge is hard to read.

Keep those prayers coming, please! 

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2:32 PM
17 comments


Friday, March 13, 2009
Favorite Ingredients Friday (Side Dishes Edition)

Good Friday to you all! It's time for my Favorite Ingredients Friday Side Dishes Edition recipe exchange.

The recipe that I'm about to share comes from Recipe.AOL.com. It's very yummy!

Georgian Green Beans

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Place green beans in the water, and cook about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and drain in a colander. Place under cold water until no longer hot. Drain, and pat dry.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until onion is tender. Melt remaining butter in the skillet, and mix in the green beans. Stir in the vinegar and broth. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in cilantro. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, or until green beans are tender.

I hope if you try this recipe you'll let me know how it turned out for you! Now I look forward to seeing your Favorite Ingredients Friday Side Dishes recipe!

Don't forget to link your specific recipe post link on Mr. Linky so I can see what's cooking at your house!

Oh, and be sure to put the title of your recipe in parenthesis! It makes it so much quicker for me to go back and search for recipes as I build my weekly menu.

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7:43 AM
1 comments


Thursday, March 12, 2009
Court hearing for "John Doe"- *UPDATED*
Later this morning I'll be heading to court.  There's a public hearing for Boo's birth father or "John Doe".

Boo's father hasn't been in the picture since before she was born.  Her birth mother named him on her birth certificate but it hasn't been possible to verify anything.

This morning the named father or "John Doe" will have the opportunity to have his day in court.  My understanding is that this is the state's way of publicly notifying him that if he does not step forward, his rights will be severed.  I'm not sure, but they may also be posting a public notice in the newspaper.

No one expects anything to happen at this court hearing.  I've been told by CPS that it'll take a few mere minutes because it's highly unlikely that anyone will show up. I've even been told that I don't need to attend.  I'm allowed to attend, but I don't need to.

Still, I will be there, just as I have for every other court hearing in Boo's case.  If someone shows up, I want to be there when it happens.  If no one does, then I will consider it time well spent to ease my mind.

I'll stop back later today and provide an update.

Update:

The birth father rights were severed today in court!!!!  That hurdle is out of the way.  No more worrying about "what if" her bio father appears out of nowhere after 2 years of silence!  It's done, finished for him.

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6:07 AM
8 comments


Wednesday, March 11, 2009
And so it begins…
I’ve never had to take medication on a regular basis. Occasionally if I’d get a UTI I’d have to take antibiotics for a while, but it’s always been nice to answer “No” to the question asked by most doctors, “Are you on any medications?”

As I was approaching my 40th birthday, an older co-worker warned me that, “Things start to go to hell in a hand basket after you turn 40.” He said that suddenly you can’t see well, your body starts to have aches and pains, and the medical issues begin. I laughed at him and said, “I feel great, healthy as a horse!”

Well, maybe there was something to his claim because I had a physical this week and my doctor and I were both shocked to discover that my blood pressure was 160/100! It was checked at least 3 times during that visit and she required that I come back the next morning and have it checked again. The next day it was 140/100!

I have never had blood pressure problems in the past. I’ve always been within the normal ranges, if not a bit lower. We’re not sure what’s going on and she’s running blood tests on me and a few other things to determine the cause. In the meantime, she’s put me on a low dose of blood pressure medication that I have to take daily.

I asked her if stress could be the cause. Let me tell you, I have reasons to be stressed! We have Boo’s contested termination trial hearing coming up next week and I’m stressed about the outcome, not to mention having to get up and testify in front of Boo’s mom and her lawyer. My doctor said stress can increase levels slightly, but not that much.

I asked if I’d have to take this medicine for the rest of my life and she said she didn’t know. She’d re-evaluate the situation after test results come back and she said she wants to see me again in a month to follow-up.

So, I went and filled my blood pressure medication prescription at the pharmacy. I even reluctantly bought myself a pill box organizer because, even well before turning forty, I’m forgetful. At least with a pill box organizer, I’ll know if I missed a dose or not.

I had a tough time purchasing that pill box organizer because, for me, it represents a sign of old age. My parents and in-laws use several pill box organizers for their plethora of medications that they take on a daily basis!

((Sigh)) I guess my days of being able to say I’m not on any medication are over. At least I can take some comfort in knowing that I don’t need the jumbo print pill boxes yet.

So, do any of you take daily medications?

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6:06 AM
10 comments


Monday, March 09, 2009
Nightmares of Bat Child- resolved!

Image by JOSHUA HOFFINE PHOTOGRAPHY

A couple of months ago I wrote about how Snuggle Bug was suffering from nightmares about a Bat Child character from a Mercer Mayer book.   Many of you offered suggestions on how to help him get through his fears.  I appreciated those suggestions and tried many of them.

In the end, something unexpected worked!  

We have two cats.   Snuggle Bug is fond of both but he has a partiality for Moo.  Moo has always been rather fond of me and sleeps next to me each night.   
One night it occurred to me that maybe it would help ease Snuggle Bug's fears if Moo slept in his room.  I told him that Moo would protect him and keep him safe while he slept.

At first, Moo was having none of it.  I'd put her on Snuggle Bug's bed next to him, he'd pet her and she'd stay a bit but then would jump down and return to our room.  I kept putting her back.

Finally, Moo started staying longer and longer with Snuggle Bug.  Now she's to the point where she no longer returns to our room in the evenings.  She sleeps with Snuggle Bug through the night.  In fact, she's often curled up in his bed waiting for him to come to sleep.

Now Snuggle Bug will sleep with the light off in his room, as long as Moo is in his room and as long as the door is left open.

After several weeks, it seems as though Snuggle Bug is no longer having nightmares and is sleeping more soundly.  And so are we!

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6:09 AM
8 comments


Friday, March 06, 2009
Favorite Ingredients Friday (Coconut Fried Shrimp)

Good Friday to you all! It's time for another Favorite Ingredients Friday recipe exchange! I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Check out my upcoming themed schedule below:

Upcoming 2009 "Themed" Schedule
March 13- Side Dishes Edition
March 27- Mexican Food Edition
April 10- Easter Edition

With Lent if full swing, I thought I'd offer up a seafood recipe.  I made these the other night, threw them on a bed of mixed greens tossed with onions, cherry tomatoes, pecans, and a light vinaigrette dressing,  YUM!!!

I found the recipe off of Kraftfoods.com.

Coconut Fried Shrimp

Ingredients
1 cup BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 lb. cleaned shrimp
1 egg, slightly beaten
oil for frying (canola, corn, peanut, safflower or soybean)

Directions
1. MIX coconut, flour, salt and pepper. Dip shrimp in egg; roll in coconut mixture.

2. HEAT oil in large deep skillet on medium heat to 325°F.

3. ADD shrimp; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges or a sauce, if desired.

Now, I look forward to seeing your Favorite Ingredients Friday recipe!

Don't forget to link your specific recipe post link on Mr. Linky so I can see what's cooking at your house!

Oh, and be sure to put the title of your recipe in parenthesis! It makes it so much quicker for me to go back and search for recipes as I build my weekly menu.

For guidelines and my past Favorite Ingredients Friday recipes, click here.

Thanks so much for your participation. I do appreciate it!

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6:33 AM
4 comments


Thursday, March 05, 2009
I've been asked to testify in court.
I got a call from the Assistant Attorney General's office earlier this week. They wanted my permission to subpoena me to testify in the upcoming contested termination trial for Boo's case.

I had some apprehensions about doing so but the Asst. Attorney General who's been representing the state in this case called me herself personally to answer my questions and offer assurances.

My main concern was confidentiality.  We've worked hard this past year to keep our last name and mailing address out of the court records for this case.  We sign all court documents by first name only.  We don't give out our address when filling out forms that might make their way to lawyers to be submitted in court.  We have made it clear to Boo's lawyer and the CPS workers for this case that our information is not to be given out.  To the best of our knowledge they've respected this request.  Whenever we receive notification of upcoming court appointments, the notices themselves, which are given to all involved parties, show only Foster Parents/Address Confidential.

So, I worried that if I got up in court to testify, I'd be required to state first and last name.  Or that the subpoena that would be sent to me and admitted into court record would have our mailing address on it.  The Asst. Attorney General assured me that they'd leave everything listed as confidential, even on the subpoena, and that she would address me in court as "the foster mom", without having to ask for my last name.

What it comes down to is that they want me to testify to inform the judge, in my own words, what we've been through with Boo since she joined our family a year ago, how committed we are to this child, and that we are indeed willing and able to adopt her if a severance ruling is given.

Having never testified in court before, I must admit to being a bit nervous.  I'm not so concerned about the questions that the Asst. Attorney General might be asking me, or what cross-examination questions Boo's lawyer might ask of me because their goal is the same as mine, severance and adoption (by us).  I am a bit nervous about the cross examination of the bio-mom's attorney.

Will he attempt to try to discredit me?  It'll be hard because I have nothing to hide and I'll be telling the truth.  I'm not on trial, the bio mom is.  The Asst. Attorney General gave me an idea of some of the types of questions he might ask me but she can't be certain what to expect from him.

In the end, I told her I'd do it.  If she felt that my testimony would help strengthen their case in appealing to the judge to sever parental rights, then I'd do it.  This child deserves permanency.  She deserves to no longer be a foster child, after 20 months in care already.  She deserves to have a loving, stable, caring, healthy home environment.  We can offer that.  We love her.  We want to be her parents.  We want Snuggle Bug to be her older brother.  

She does not deserve to have this strung out any longer. 

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6:37 AM
17 comments


Sunday, March 01, 2009
March Pay It Forward book exchange- 6 books up for grabs!

It's time for another one of my free Pay It Forward book giveaways! The first two books on my giveaway list were the ones that I should've given away at the end of July but didn't. And I didn't get an August giveaway up either. Sorry for falling off the wagon. I hope you'll all join me this month!

For those who may have missed out, please read about the guidelines right here.

So, I have two books to give away this month:

1) Love You, Mean It by Patricia Carrington, Julia Collins, Claudia Gerbasi, & Ann Haynes.!

From Publishers Weekly

Four young women widowed by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center were so bereft, so inconsolable, that they ended up forming their own support group, the "Widows Club." True, they found sympathy everywhere—from in-laws, co-workers, friends, grief professionals—but even their dearest intimates couldn't offer the absolutely unconditional acceptance and understanding of a sister sufferer. Collins could weep and tell stories about Tommy for hours, days or years, and Haynes wouldn't find it tiresome. Gerbasi could tell Carrington she'd seen "signs" of Bart—a bird outside her window, a bedside light flickering—and Carrington would understand, because her Caz was also sending messages. None of these women were interested in being "the perfect September 11 widow," working on protest committees, testifying before Congress and organizing fund-raisers. They just wanted to get through a day without dissolving into tears. In interfolded accounts, they each discuss how they met their husbands, how they spent September 11 and all the many ways they grieved. In the end, they each found ways to open themselves to new love, careful to keep the "Boys" and the Widows Club ever dear.

2) Marked (House of Night, Book 1) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—In 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres not only exist but are also tolerated by humans. Those whom the creatures "mark" as special enter the House of Night school where they will either become vampyres themselves, or, if their body rejects the change, die. To Zoey, being marked is truly a blessing, though she's scared at first. She has never fit into the human world and has always felt she is destined for something else. Her grandmother, a descendant of the Cherokee, has always supported her emotionally, and it is she who takes the girl to her new school. But even there the teen stands apart from the others. Her mark from the Goddess Nyx is a special one, showing that her powers are very strong for one so young. At the House of Night, Zoey finds true friendship, loyalty, and romance as well as mistrust and deception. She realizes that all is not right in the vampyre world and that the problems she thought she left behind exist there as well. Readers will identify with many of the characters, especially the protagonist. The story moves quickly (a little too quickly at the end) and purposely leaves many unresolved issues. A good choice for those libraries serving fans of the occult, but be aware that the book contains some suggestive language and sex.—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

If you'd like to win one of these books, here is what you must do:

1. On your blog, write a post about this giveaway, using my "Pay It Forward" button, and then link back to my post. I am sure your readers would appreciate learning about the chance to win a book. You must complete this step to be put in the drawing, unless of course you don't have a blog!

2. Sign the Mr. Linky (the Mr. Linky is that list of names at the end of this post - just type your name in the box) with your name and the specific URL of your PIF post. Note: If you are not a blogger, you may still enter to win. Just sign your name on the Mr. Linky without a URL and then email me your contact information. Please note on your email that it is for the PIF book giveaway.

I'll announce the winners on Saturday morning, 28 March, so be sure to check back.

Best of luck!

If you have any books you'd like to Pay It Forward yourself this month, please leave me a comment and I'll link you in this post!

Additional Pay It Forward Giveaways:

1) Cynthia at Springmont Cottage gave away the book 3 Seconds by Les Parrott on 25 March. Thanks, Cynthia.

2) Jubilee at Notes of Jubilee is giving away two books, Romancing Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson and Goodbye Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson on 28 March. Stop by her blog to enter win. Thanks, Jubilee!

3) Tamy at 3 Sides of Crazy is giving away the book Your Child's Strengths by Jenifer Fox M.Ed. on 30 March. Stop by her blog to enter to win. Thanks, Tamy!

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6:30 AM
4 comments




Name: Overwhelmed

My complete profile

It wasn't supposed to work this way...Parts 1 through 10

(the story of the private, domestic adoption of our son)


(Part 1)
(Part 2)
(Part 3)
(Part 4)
(Part 5)
(Part 6)
(Part 7)
(Part 8)
(Part 9)
(Part 10- Adoption Finalization)

Fostering isn't for the faint of heart!

(our journey to adopt again through foster-to-adopt, the good, the bad, & everything in between)


Adoption #2- considering the State
More Adoption #2 thoughts
Adoption #2- Back to considering the State
Adoption #2- The Paperwork (Round 1)
Adoption #2- The Paperwork (Round 2)
Family Foster Home Licensing Prep Checklist
Adoption #2- Long overdue update
PS-MAPP class homework assignment
Our preliminary home inspection went well!
Adoption #2: Licensing update
Adoption #2- Foster Facts
Adoption #2: I love it when things go my way!
Adoption #2- The home inspection
Adoption #2- We failed our home inspection!
Adoption #2- We passed the follow-up home inspection!
Adoption #2- Still waiting
Adoption #2- We're getting closer
Adoption #2- An update & a lead
Adoption #2- The lead that didn't pan out.
Adoption #2- We're licensed!
Adoption #2- We have a tiny baby here!
Adoption #2- Update on this precious little girl.
Adoption #2- Quick update on Baby Bug
Adoption #2- Baby Bug is staying longer!
Adoption #2- Baby Bug is growing!
Adoption #2- Overdue update on Baby Bug
Adoption #2- The latest on Baby Bug
Adoption #2- Shopping spree for Baby Bug
Being a Foster Parent Does Not Make Me A Saint
Adoption #2- Another Placement Call!
Adoption #2- Placement Meeting- UPDATED!
Adoption #2- We have Boo at our home!
Adoption #2- Meeting Boo
Adoption #2- I'm angry on Boo's behalf!
Adoption #2- A Birthday Party for Boo
Adjusting to three 3 and under!
Stressful moments in fostering.
Adoption #2- Update on our foster daughters
CPS Workers Jerking Our Chain!
It's getting much worse!
Fostering: Update on Baby Bug
Fostering: Update on Boo
The effects of fostering on Snuggle Bug
The time is drawing near to let go of Baby Bug.
Good conversation with Baby Bug's dad.
Boo has a Permanency hearing coming soon!
My heart is breaking!
Bittersweet news about Baby Bug.
Next Friday is going to be tough.
Packing up Baby Bug's belongings
It's done- Baby Bug is gone.
Working on finding peace, one day at a time.
Referral to the Early Intervention Program
Baby Bug update
Home Inspection for re-licensing
Parole granted for Boo's bio mom
Baby Bug is turning 1 year old soon.
Day 2 of Boo's permanency hearing
A prayer answered today!
Attending Baby Bug's 1st birthday party
Foster news
Good news for Boo's case
Boo's bio family visits
Termination Trial date set!
A new caseworker for Boo
I've been asked to testify in court.
Court hearing for "John Doe"
Contested termination trial begins tomorrow afternoon
Boo's adoption has been finalized!

Beautiful adoption video
Date Night Bliss
Family Rules and Values
In the swing of school
It's time for the kiddos to head back to scho...
Flying home for a nice, long visit!
Baby fix!
Easing back into blogging
A shocking phone call
1 year anniversary for Boo
























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