I've been published ....

When I  first started my Trail to Aiden Lee blog, September 1, 2010, I never thought I'd be blogging as much as I did, much less blogging period! But, I did, and I'm soooo glad I did! I have just about all the facts from our journey to Aiden, pictures, probably everything I wanted to keep from it, down on every post. After I'd gotten a few posts under my belt, I realized there was a web site called Blog2Print. I didn't really think about it too much at the time. I was still in the beginnings of the blog and had no idea where it was going or how far.

Fast forward to January of this year. The blog had served it's purpose on documenting our journey to Aiden Lee. So what else to do but start another blog, but what to do with the old one. Blog2Print baby! You can pick the picture you want to go on the front and back cover, color of the cover, etc! I was so excited to get this in the mail when it came!! Seriously!! It only took a little over a week to get it after it was ordered.

I was shocked to see how thick it was! Guess I blogged more than I thought I did. But that's awesome!!

It has the Table of Contents, each blogs title, and what page it's on in the front. Each blog post has the full post plus all the pictures each post has, printed. Plus, all my friends' comments at the end of each blog post printed. I love that! I re-read some of my favorite posts after it came in the mail.

And of course I picked  our Finalization Day family photo to go on the back cover. Rather fitting I thought.

So there you have it. Trail to Aiden Lee has been published. Yeah, okay, I'm the only one who actually has a copy, but nonetheless, published! I could not think of a better way to show him what we went through to get him.  I will treasure this always and I hope Aiden will some day do the same!

One.Last.Thing....

After we finalized Aiden's adoption, you'd think all the paperwork, faxing, copies needed, visits, etc would be over. Ah, that would be a No! One last major thing is left. I sent off the forms and all the copies of legal stuff for Aiden's Certificate of Citizenship. Yes, he is a legal citizen now, but we  need this to prove he is, until it's done he'll be listed as a permanent resident, not a legal citizen. I may have some of that wrong, no mind. I think it'll change his "Immigration status" in the US.  All I know is,  we have to send all the required documents  to the Government one.more.time.  He'll need it at certain times in his life. It could possibly take as long as 12 months before we get it. I hope it doesn't take that long. I'm sure one day I'll get this big envelope in the mail marked US Dept of Homeland Security  a long time from now, totally forget we submitted this, and freak out because it says, US Dept of Homeland Security! What would you think if you got something in the mail that said that!?! I do need to get him a Social Security card also, but that can wait till this COC comes in....whenever that'll be! :)   I will be so glad to get this one last document!! Then I can add it to all of this!

I keep all of our Adoption paperwork, in the big binder and all of Aiden's legal documents in the smaller binder.  Glad there's only one more thing coming, the big binder is almost full! The seam has already split in the inside. 

Yes, I'm a neat freak! But you try going through an adoption process and need to find a certain document or copy of something in a mess of papers! It's just not possible! (( I guess it's possible, but not by my standards!!)) Okay, so I'm borderline OCD.  You get the picture! ;)

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My Blog Award ...

                                             


So I got this blog award! Kewl! Thanks to April, I have 3 rules to complete. Already tackled one of them, thanks girl! :)

1. thank the person(s) who gave this award to you.
2. list 7 things that people may not know about you.
3. pass it on to 15 other bloggers. (I passed it on to 12)


So, here goes: 7 things you may not know about me.

1) I am addicted to diet sodas and carbonation.  Seriously addicted, but I have controlled my addiction, down to only 1 a day. But I'd better have that 'one', or it's gonna get ugly around here! (Not even joking!)

2) I was our high school's prom queen, 1988. Now, it seems kind of silly now, but then, I guess I thought it was pretty cool.  I was never the popular girl. Just a girl that somehow fit in the middle somewhere. So that was a big shock when they announced it was me.

3) April - I TOTALLY agree with your #6! So I'll just have to go with this one.  I hate to be scared! Really, I hate when someone jumps out of the dark and grabs me or scares me. Really, not even kidding! And for those of you who think it'd be funny to do it to me just to see my reaction? Make sure you're fully covered by your insurance!

4) Most of my best friends, through my life, have been guys.  Don't like drama, hate it actually. Always felt more comfortable with guy friends. Go figure... ?

5) Always wanted to learn how to be the stunt car driver; like  in the movies.  I love driving hard and fast, when life allows. I'm not some crazed lunatic that burns up the streets all the time. My favorite car was my '88 Mustang 5.0. Ahhhhh, those were the days. But, I like driving this little ride too! That's me making a pass in Mike's '68 Fairlane, at Bowling Green's drag strip.

6) I ride a motorcycle. Never really driven one till I turned 40. Took a class at the local community college to learn how, and now I have my own and I'm a licensed motorcycle driver. 

The hubs is trying to get me to graduate to this one, which is his. But I'm just not ready yet. 2 wheels is a little bit more scary than 4! But I do love it! And it's something Mike and I can do together.

7) I wear my hair back in a pony tail every night when I sleep. This may not seem like a big thing to some. But I've done it for yyyeeeaaarrrssss now, I mean I can't remember the last time I went to bed and didn't pull my hair back. I hate having my hair in my face, period.  Actually, I don't like anything touching my face.

Okay, I'm supposed to nominate some blogger friends.  April - I'd probably nominate you again, and most of the ones you nominated, so I'll just quit while I'm ahead. Plus, I've got to get some sleep, I've been staying up later than normal lately, and now I'm paying for it! Soooo tired!

So there you have it. Some of what you know, and didn't want to know! Who knows what you know, and might never know, but whoever knows, will know for sure, ya know?  Yeah, okay, I'm going, I'm going .....

Aiden Flying High ...

Aiden hasn't been on any kind of airplane since he came home with us in March. Mike, Aiden, and I spent 14 hours on a Korean Air 777 flying back to the US to Atlanta. Then flew 1 hour on a little MD 80 from Atlanta to Nashville. Mike and I have never spent that much time in the air either, much less Aiden.  So today we decided it was time to let him fly again. But this time, it was all four of us, Mike, me, Tay, and Aiden. We really didn't know how he would react, so we said what the heck, we'd try it.

Mike and his dad flew his plane from Russellville, Ky, where he keeps it, down to Springfield, Tn's local airport. So Tay, Aiden, and I met them there.  We thought we'd just go up and see how Aiden reacts, if he doesn't like it, we'd come back down and land. 

You want me to do what in that thing!?!

The look on Aiden's face is really misleading.

                               So, here we go.

Making sure mama is close! I was sitting in the back next to him, in case he was scared, but he was fine.

         
                               Taxiing .....

So far so good, but we're not in the air yet!

Entering the runway and taking off!!

           Mike and Tay at the controls...

Eating snacks, maybe he was preoccupied with that .... nah, he was fine the whole time!

How many 11 years old do you know that feel this comfortable flying?

We flew over Tay's school.

The sun was starting to set, so we headed back to the airport.

The look on his face is misleading. He actually did very well, wasn't scared, and was fine the entire plane ride.

Love to see all the farm land.  Kentucky is beautiful!

The sun was making it's way down, so we headed back to Russellville, Kentucky Airport. Mike's dad took my car back to our house, so we all rode back home together. 

On final approach ...

Perfect landing! Yeah, but what do I know! lol

I really don't know if Aiden had any concept of being in the air. He did look out of the plane, but couldn't actually see the ground because he was sitting too low in the seat.  So I guess we'll just have to try it again sometime. The air was really smooth today, so that made for a good first time. The plane is a little loud if you don't wear a headset. I tried to put one on Aiden, but he did not want to, of course. I can barely put a hat on him, so this is no real surprise. I think Mike was really curious to see if Aiden would be okay riding in the plane for a while.  I hope Aiden grows up liking the airplane like his dad. I think it would be one awesome bond they would share together.  They both love being outside, they both are busy bees, and they both love to play!

Yah for another Aiden "first"!!  I'm so glad Aiden is here with us. It's so great to see things through his eyes. To see him excited, happy, and loved is so awesome! To see him experience different things, I often wonder would he have done this, would he have done that if he hadn't been here with us.  I'll never know that, I'm just so glad he's here!  I love my precious little boy and my family. :)

Am I really going to do this?

I'm taking a big big leap of faith and starting my own consignment sale this year! Wow, I'm finally admitting it and that really scares me! I've always wanted to do this and there aren't but a couple of consignment sales in my area for the spring and fall and they're not even in the same town I live in. So I'm thinking, NOW IS THE TIME! I've got to jump on this if I'm really going to do this. So let the planning begin!

I have to say, I'm a planning, OCD'ed, overboard, think till I can't think anymore, nutcase, planner! So this should be right up my alley.  I've had a few people tell me they think I'd be good at it, so the boost of confidence is there. Now, to figure out how I can pull this off.  I've been to consignment sales since my Tay was a baby, now 11 years old. I'd like to think I know a lot about them, but I know I still have A LOT to learn.  Hopefully, my two cousin's, who had a consignment sale years ago, can help me out some. Thanking you in advance Cindy and Debbie! ;)

After thinking about all the consignment sales I've been to over the years, a few things come to mind - things I liked about them and the things I didn't like about them.  I'm very picky, for those of you that really know me,  this isn't a big shocker, remember, I'm an overboard thinker! So I'd really like to make this sale great for everyone, including me! So I really need to figure out how to make this an unforgettable consignment sale!

Advertising! There are 2 local papers I can advertise in and also been told to post fliers everywhere.  I need to advertise everywhere! I need to get signs made for all main roads leading to our house. Which I need to mention, I'm going to have the consignment sale in our detached garage.  By looking on the outside, you'd think, okay, big space, great! But.... on the inside is .....

all this stuff!  It's a 30 x 50  garage with plenty of room!  All we have to do is move all the big stuff out of it!

Yeah, that's a lot of stuff. But it's so doable, 3 vehicles, 2 lawnmowers, 2 motorcycles.  They all either run or roll, and the floor is pretty much clear.

 And, if I need even more space, I have our attached garage that'll work great too! (There's my trusty little Honda! 200,000 miles and still rolling! Ahem - and paid for!)

I've bought some supplies I'll need, making lists for more, etc.  I've got five, 6 foot tables, three 4 foot tables, 10 clothing racks, etc. I'm hoping to borrow 2 more 6 foot tables from a friend. Got 15 or more Sterlite containers for all the little extra small things that sell.  I'm going to have to get the assistance of the hubs to help rig wires and pipe for a very long clothing rack to hang from the trusses in the ceiling down to the floor. Let's face it, trying to store clothing racks for 10 months can wear on the hubby in his garage. So he doesn't have a problem helping me figure out a simple way to hang some of the clothes.    

I'm still in the early planning stage, but I'm really excited about it! And then the worry creeps up.  What if? What if? What if?  I can sit here and What if this all day, really! What if hardly anyone comes? I'll admit the first year of these sales  can be kind of slow.  I talked to a lady that did this kind of sale for years.  I always liked her consignment sale, put my things in her sale for many years. She advised me on a lot of things, do's and don'ts.  She said it takes a few years to really get the clientele, and to have a table set up for new clients to put their contact info on a list for the next season's sale.  

I've still got so much more planning to do for this! I'm hoping to start advertising in February, and have the sale towards the end of March. As soon as I can get my daughter to draw me a picture logo of what I'm wanting, I'll set up a Facebook page for my sale. I'm really excited about that! I've also come up with a name, "Time and Again Consignments" T for Taylor and A for Aiden. 

At just about every consignment sale I've been to, I always saw a table set up with a display of cute little hair accessories, made by hand. As soon as I thought of this, I knew exactly who to contact! More on this later!

One last thing, where will all these people park their cars? 

We have a big front yard and long driveway, notta problem. 

Okay, I'm committed, I'm in it for the long haul, and I'm a hard worker, so bring it on! Let's do this!! 

Where to start ....

I've got to start somewhere, so maybe this is it....