Where's the Love? Wednesday {2.29.2012}

...and I'm back.

What I'm loving this week...

I finally have something up on our living room wall.  {Sorry about the glass glare}  
It makes me so happy.
We've lived in this house for almost 4 years.  
I'm still working on the empty frame and the canvas in the top row.  I'll show you the completed project soon.

Max and his mad running skills.

On your mark...
Get set...

Go!

His one sock on - one sock off must be Flo Jo inspired.  {Sidenote:  I had a Flo Jo Barbie.  She was my favorite.}

We'll have to work on his form.

Max's kissable cheeks.

Watching my two favorite people in the world spend time together.

I hope you take time to find the lovely in your day today.

I'll post March's 10-4 Good Buddy questions tomorrow.

Link Love

For the love of food - Parmesan and Herb Cheese Straws

For the love of parenting - 31 Ways to Pray for Your Children

For the love of creating -  I'm in the process of making this for our living room and something similar to this for Max's bedroom.

For the love of marriage - Take the love language challenge and learn ways to best love your spouse.

For the love of my Savior - Win the Man, Not the Argument 

These Days...

Max has been waking up in the middle of the night crying.  It's been happening more often then not.  I get really frustrated.  Not at him, but at me not knowing what the solution is.  Do we let him cry or do we go in and take care of him?  I think it is so much harder to hear a crying 20 month old then it is to hear a crying newborn. {They cry all of the time anyway.}

This is the scenario:  Max cries.  One of us will go in to his room.  As soon as we open the door, Max stops crying.  Max is uncovered and/or has a blanket wrapped pretty snugly around his head.  Without saying anything we simply cover him up, walk out and he's fine.  

The other night I went in there and the blanket was wrapped around his head.  I took it off and whispered, "Max you can't put the blanket around your head...you won't be able to breath."  He then proceeds to take all three of his blankets and pulls them over his head.  If I hadn't been half asleep, I might have laughed.

I'm praying it's a phase and maybe it's preparing us for a new little one in the near future. :)

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Max loves to sit at the end of our dining room table with Wes or I at the other end and throw a ping pong ball.  Unfortunately...Max rarely catches it, so most of his time consists of getting off and on the chair to retrieve the ball.   

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Max spends much of his time carrying stools around, climbing up on them and enjoying the new and different perspectives.

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Max walks around saying Hannah and Riley all day.  I love that he's starting to make friends.

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We are working on teaching Max to say, "OK, Mommy" or OK, Daddy" when we ask him to do something.  Right now, this is how it goes...

Me: Max, say "OK, Mommy."

Max: O

Me: K.... {trying to get him to repeat it}

Max:  Mommy.  

Nothing like a little team effort. 

Makes me smile.

Spice, Spice Baby

I have one of those stair-step spice things...What are they really called?

It's wonderful in theory, but I still wasn't able to see what all of the spices were because I couldn't see the label.  So I would end up making a mess while looking for the spice I needed.  

I came up with a solution.

Disclaimer:  No scissors, measuring tools or cute scrapbook paper were used in this project.

I ended up writing the name of the spice on the lids and the spices with black lids I tore some tape {I'm sure some of you creative types are cringing right now} and wrote the spice name on that. 

Such an easy solution and I'm quite proud of myself for thinking of it.

She's Not My Baby

Apparently, the vlog I did last Monday sucked me dry because I haven't posted anything since then.

I don't have a lot of motivation lately, so I thought I would post some pictures I took of my friends sweet baby girl to get the ball rollin' again.

Baby sneeze.

Her name is Reese Sophia.

She has strong legs and a question.

Word to the wise...if you are in the process of adopting, don't post pictures of someone else's baby on your timeline without an explanation.

At least I know how excited people will be.

Max was feeling left out and wanted to be a part of the photo shoot.

Happy Monday!

The Girl Behind This Blog

And this is why it's dangerous to check some of your favorite blogs during naptime...

I was just minding my own business reading Carina's blog post for the day and I see this.

Instead of the cleaning and laundry I should have been doing, I spent a good hour trying to make this video...which I have never done before...it took me a while to even find out where I went to make a video.

The girls over at 5ohwifey and Captivated by Grace are hosting a blog party.  Everyone was asked to introduce themselves and tell a little bit about their blog.

Be patient with my thinking pauses...

Click on the button below to meet some other lovely ladies.

10-4 Good Buddy {February}

Here we go!  These are my answers...

1. How long have you been blogging?  

Since September of 2010

2. Why did you start blogging?  

To document our lives and to share our adoption journeys.  

3.  What is your favorite food blog?

Joy the Baker

4. What state do you live in? 

Indiana...but I will always be a Michigander.  

5. What are the first 5 things you do when you get up? 

bathroom, pray, make bed, trying to add working out into the mix, bible study - I will say this would be an ideal day.  It definitely doesn't always happen.

6. What is your favorite picture from last month?  

7. What is your favorite Pinterest find that you have actually created?

I made a color match activity like this for part of Max's friend's birthday gift.

...

8.  Do you floss daily?

Nope.  When I was younger, I used to lie to the hygienist and tell her that I did.  I'm positive she knew I was lying.

9.  What is your favorite post that you wrote last month?

Where's the Love? Wednesday {1.25.2012}

10.  What is the last restaurant you went to? 

Max and I met Wes at Penn Station yesterday for lunch.

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Ok, so now it's your turn!  I'm excited to see your answers and find out a little more about you!  

Here's the scoop.

1. Answer the questions and post them on your blog.

2.  Link back to Akers of Love with a text link or using the button in your post.
3. Link up your post, not your blog.  The linky button is right below my signature at the bottom of this post.

4. Make sure to visit some of the other lovely ladies {or gentlemen...I shouldn't assume} participating!

The 10-4 Good Buddy link up will be available until the 11th of every month.  So, you have a week to get yours posted!

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Friday's Few Things

I finally created the button for 10-4 Good Buddy.  If you would like to join the party tomorrow, here are the questions.




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I am really sad that Picnik is closing in April.  I do all of my photo editing there.  Please fill me in on what you use to edit your photos.

I know I'm really behind on the instagram bandwagon, but I love using it and not feeling like I have to lug my big camera everywhere.  My username is akerslove if you feel the urge to follow me...
Max and I visited one of my friends and her kindergarten class.  Max was mesmerized by all of the kids and what they were doing. 

Max sportin' his new hat.

Brooke at Pure and Noble is doing a series until Valentines Day on love and marriage.  Today, she is talking about The 5 Love Languages and she has some links to a challenge and a quiz to figure out what your top love language is.   My top two are Words of Affirmation and Acts of Service.  What is your love language?

If you have adopted domestically, head on over to We Are Grafted In and link up your blog to the bottom of today's post.
Have a great Friday!  

10-4 Good Buddy.

I promise, I didn't chicken out.  All of the excitement of my dad bringing us ice cream and watching Michigan beat IU {I'll always root for the Hoosiers...unless they are playing Michigan.} made me forget to post about 10-4 Good Buddy...

One of the pleasant surprises I have had in blog land is the relationships I have made with some other lovely bloggers.  

I've decided to have a party in honor of meeting new people and building relationships.  A linky party.

Here's the scoop.

1. On the 1st of every month {in this case, the 2nd}, I will post 10 questions for you to answer.  

2. On the 4th of that month {or later}, you will post your ten answers on your blog with a link back to mine.  {I will have the button with the code tomorrow}

3. Link up your post at the bottom of my 10-4 post.

4. Take a peak at the other bloggers posts.

Easy right?  I think it will be fun!  You never know...you may meet someone new!

Here are the questions for February...

1. How long have you been blogging?
2. Why did you start blogging?
3.  What is your favorite food blog?
4. What state do you live in?
5. What are the first 5 things you do when you get up?
6. What is your favorite picture from last month (January)?  We will do this question every month.
7. What is your favorite Pinterest find that you have actually created?

 If you're anything like me, you've done a whole lot of pinning...and not a lot of creating.

8.  Do you floss daily?  This one's for you, Abby.
9.  What is your favorite post that you wrote last month?  We will do this question every month.
10.  What is the last restaurant you went to?

Pretty painless, right?

10 questions on the 4th to meet some new buddies.

10-4 Good Buddy.

Where's the Love? Wednesday {2.1.2012}

It's February!  Can you even believe it?!?!?!

What I'm loving this week...

The spring-like weather that lets us enjoy the porch swing with friends.

This picture right here is exactly the reason why I think it would be really difficult to be a photographer...

Max still isn't very impressed.

So Riley decides to help him smile.

Just give the boys a push and they'll smile nice and big for you.

I love that Quinn has his arm around Max. 

Unfortunately, right after this, Quinn got drilled in the mouth with the swing and the smiles quickly disappeared.  Thankfully, Quinn still has all of his teeth.

Impromptu photo shoots.

Max's love for I Spy.  For the past couple of months that is the only page he will look at in his magazines.  He can find the objects like it's his job.

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I'm contemplating sharing a linky party idea with you later this evening.  It has to do with this...

If you don't see anything about it, that means I chickened out. 

Have a lovely Wednesday!