You know something is going on...

... with the Duggars because searches for "large families" go frantic and people end up visiting here.

If you're one of them, "Welcome!".

And in case you were looking for info on the Duggar family and their newest addition, here's a sneak peek care of Discovery Channel.

Adoptive Momma Writes...

I like to read about other peoples lives.  What can I say?  I'm nosey!  So I've decided that on occasion I'm going to be hosting some posts from other bloggers.

Today Adoptive Momma will be taking over.  Thank you for sharing your story, Anna.

I am 33 year old stay at home mother who has been married to my high school sweetheart for the past decade.  Our family was formed a little differently than some.  Our family was formed through adoption.  We have two sons adopted at birth.  

In 2005, after struggling with infertility for a few years and enduring several miscarriages, we pursued adoption.  When we began our adoption journey we began by contacting an attorney friend of ours who advised we undergo a home study.  During our initial meeting the social worker suggested an agency she felt would be a good fit for us.  We soon began our relationship with Adoption Affiliates in San Antonio, Texas.

Five months after completing our adoption application we met many of our oldest son’s biological family members at the hospital the day following his birth.  We met his biological family members before we ever laid eyes on him. 

We spent two days in the hospital nursery with him.  We rocked him, fed him and became his parents.  Two day after his birth we had our commitment ceremony with many of his biological family members present. 

In 2007, we decided to pursue our second adoption using the same agency.  Our second son was born ten months later.  We met his birth mother, biological aunt, uncle, and cousins before his birth.  We also spent time with them throughout the labor and delivery at the hospital. 

His birth mother requested I be present in the delivery room during his birth.  I was reluctant, but soon realized my selfishness and was right there with her as our son was born.  She wanted me to experience childbirth and knew it would most likely be my only opportunity to do so.

We never want our boys to be surprised they are adopted.  We discuss adoption openly in our home.  It is our goal for our boys to just always know.  It is our opinion if adoption is treated as commonplace by us, it will become commonplace for our boys and prevent them from ever feeling different.  We hope this tactic will make them comfortable approaching us when they have questions about their birth story.

We do sometimes receive oddball questions and comments about adoption.  We have been asked if it was easy to bond, love, and/or accept our boys as our own.  They are our children we felt love for them before we even knew we had been chosen as their parents.  We bonded immediately with them and loved them at first sight.  We generally answer any questions asked of us politely and succinctly.  We also attempt to educate when we can and advocate adoption.

The most difficult time during adoption is the waiting periods.  It is a difficult time period when you do not know if you have been chosen by a birth parent, if your profile has been reviewed, if your child has been conceived, not knowing when your child will be born, having an empty nursery in your home while you wait.  There is a lot of waiting in adoption.  Waiting is definitely the hardest part.

We send letters, photographs, and mementos to the agency several times a year.  We are not aware if their birth family chooses to receive those items or not.  Our adoptions are semi-open and we have no obligation to continue to send items to their biological family but we chose to.  When the boys are adults it will be their decision whether they meet their biological family or not.  We will support any decision they make.

We would certainly like to adopt again, although it is unlikely due to the high cost of adoption.  Financially, it is not foreseeable in our near future.  We are thankful we were able to adopt twice and feel blessed to have our sons.

Thank you for reading our story.  If you would like to know more about me and to read more of my insight on adoption visit me at Adoptive Momma of Two (adoptivemomma.blogspot.com), follow me on twitter @adoptivemomma, or find me on Facebook my fan page is Adoptive Momma of Two.

I'm so late!

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago (September 2009, actually), two bloggers took leave of their senses and  gave me two awards.

Because I am:

1. Forgetful and
2. Forgetful

I recently noticed that I hadn't mentioned it.

Don't think too bad of me - I did thank them at the time!

Oh my shame.

Please, in no way let me forgetfulness be misconstrued as unappreciation!

Firstly I was awarded the "Splash" award from the lovely Kaibee.  Thank you Kaibee!

Isn't it pretty?  She says that the rules of the award are:

-Put the logo on your blog/post.

-Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.

-Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.

-Remember to link to the person from whom you received your Splash Award.

Then I was awarded this pretty little award...

... from the wonderfully talented Mesina.  She says the rules are to pass the award to 15 newly discovered blogs.

Oh my giddy aunt - I have to find and read 24 blogs?!  Sorry but a dozen will have to do!

Can I combine the two awards?  Yes I think I will!  Talk about breaking the blog award rules.

I'm a rebel.

The recipients of the two awards are:

1. Brae who is NOT a volcano.
2. HappyGal at The Snyder Five
3. Jenny at Zach's Gang
4. Sonora at Twinfinity
5. Janae at Pink Moss
6. Sarah at Kingdom Twindom (yes another twin blog. A sign, or a yearning maybe?!)
7. Jamie at Mommy's Camera
8. Katie at Sunshine and Bubblegum
9. Mama M at My Little Life
10. Kate at Kate's Life
11. Phoebe at Cents to Get Debt Free
12. RR at The Redhead Riter

Congratulations!

Wordless Wednesday

Come and join more Wordless Wednesday fun over at 5 Minutes for Mom

BlogHop for Haiti - The total

Well, it's over and unfortunately there weren't anywhere near as many people joining in as I hoped would do. That's not to say that people haven't helped Haiti in their own ways though, because as we've seen there has been a massive support worldwide.

Anyway, we raised $53 (£32 approximately) plus a further £20 ($32) so a total of $85 or £52. I've converted it into pounds and so will make a total £60 ($97) donation to Compassion UK. So not bad at all! Thank you very much for those of you who supported us!

Also, HappyGal of The Snyder Five raised $170 to Feed My Starving Children. You can read all about her volunteer day here.

Let's continue to hope and pray for the people of Haiti. That no more trials are sent to test them and that they are carried through this time. And once the news teams leave, and the images fade and the news reports decrease, let us not forget but continue to remember the lives lost or torn apart by the terrible events of January 12th.

Monday Weigh-In: Week 33

Thirty three weeks sounds like a terribly long time doesn't it?  I never thought I'd still be trying to lose weight.

The first couple of months were great going.  I was so positive with being able to lose a couple of pounds or so each week but now it is just so dreadfully slow. I've been within this stone bracket for so long it seems.  Every time I get past another stone it makes me happy.  You know, to be able to say a smaller number than I have been.  Especially since I haven't been this weight for about six years.  But oh my, the next digit down is a long time coming.

Still, on the upside, I've managed to lose one pound this week.  It's a loss, not a gain, so still going in the right direction.  I'm hoping next week might give me a two pound loss, just to give me a bit of a kick.  I suppose though, that as long as I continue to lose something each week I'll be happy.  Not so much so if I stick, or heaven forbid, gain!

So here are my stats so far:

Starting weight: 13st 5lbs

Current weight: 10st 5lbs

Loss so far: 42lbs

Are you trying to lose weight too?  Join in, link up to your latest post update using Mcklinky below, and let's motivate each other!

Tin Man, Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion tried a new form of volume control

...Cellotape.

Singalong with Harry and Paddy

Let's all sing together now...

Ready?

"Five little ducks..."

Ooh-er!  They are very scary psycho ducks by the sounds of it.  I hope they stay over the hills and far away!

Monday Weigh-In: Week 32

I know that the weigh in this week is late but unlike all the other times, and there have been a few I admit, this one was forewarned due to the BlogHop for Haiti (have you joined in yet?)

Now that most of the Christmas food has been eaten there is no more temptation left any more.  That is a huge help.  I don't know how long I'd have got away with eating chocolates out of a tin for breakfast before revisiting my original starting weight.  I estimate another two weeks. It seemed that the wagon was running away in front of me and try as I might I couldn't get back on it.  I'd run and run and jump onto the back of it, with my legs kicking away and my rear end in the air, but I'd fall off with a hefty thud time and time again.

It makes it much easier not being tempted, but I also haven't baked any goodies this week either.  That is another temptation.

I don't know how some people are able to just have a little of something and no more.  If I have a whole bar of chocolate I want to eat a whole bar of chocolate at once, not just a little, teeny square.  How do you cope with temptation when you're trying to lose weight?

All in all it wasn't a bad week.  When I weighed myself on Monday morning I had lost a pound on the previous week so I'm happy to be going back in the right direction.

<a href="http://s792.photobucket.com/albums/yy203/largerfamilylife/?action=view&current=MondayWeighInButton.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i792.photobucket.com/albums/yy203/largerfamilylife/th_MondayWeighInButton.jpg" border="0" alt="Monday Weigh-In" ></a>

So here are my stats so far:

Starting weight: 13st 5lbs
Current weight: 10st 6lbs
Loss so far: 41lbs

How are you doing on your journey?  Join in, link up to your latest post update and let's get motivated!

A new way to shop

I’m someone that doesn’t have a whole load of time for researching products. I don’t understand techie terms and all the ins and outs of a product. All I want to know is... read the rest by clicking here!

Wordless Wednesday - She's all curl

Do you think Cait will ever forgive me for posting this?

Why don't you join in with Wordless Wednesday over at 5 Minutes for Mom?

A free (for you) way of donating to help Haiti

I'm always on the lookout for easy ways of making a little bit extra here amd there. Oh you over there with the filthy mind, that is not what I mean!

If you are in the UK, US or Canada (excluding Quebec) and over the age of 13 you can sign up with Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a site which offers a way of allowing you to earn digital bucks (see the link there? Swag + bucks. Great isn't it?!) simply for searching the www. All you have to do is sign up, download the Swagbucks toolbar and every time you do a search you are in with a chance to win. Yes, the search results are good. They come from Google and Ask. You can also earn your digital dollars through other methods including special offers, promotions and referrals (ahem).

You can then redeem your Swagbucks in the Swagstore for anything from calendars to consoles, or my personal favourite, the gift cards.

Now I haven't actually traded any of my digital dollars in yet, so can't vouch for actually receiving the stuff. I have heard of others who have had no problems though, so I don't think there will be any issues. And even if there are it hasn't cost me anything to try.

Not only do the nice people give you the opportunity to get something for nothing, but until January 22nd you can donate your Swagbucks to their Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. The donations received will be divided between the American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and Yele.org.

So there you go. You can help Haiti for nothing. Then sort out Christmas 2010 for nothing. OK, maybe a bit of it. But every little helps, right?

Compassion Dan

God was truly looking over Compassion International's Dan Woolley when he was rescued from the rubble of the hotel he was staying in more than sixty hours after the earthquake hit.

Here he is, reunited with his wife...

Compassion Dan, God still has plans for you!

Pray that miracles may still happen for others.

Have you joined in the BlogHop for Haiti yet?

I'm just editing to add this interview with Dan and his wife.  Considering his ordeal he looks well, don't you agree?!

The BlogHop for Haiti launches tomorrow!

Grab the badge.  

Put it on your site.

Link back here.

Spread the word.

Tell everyone.

Get ready to BlogHop for Haiti.

Have you started spreading the word?

Miracles are happening with survivors still being rescued. One of whom was Compassion International's Dan Woolley, the father of two very young boys, who was in his hotel when it collapsed. He was pulled out of the rubble of the Montana Hotel yesterday. He was in the elevator when the building collapsed. Being in the elevator shaft is what saved him. Thank God! You can watch Dan's rescue here about 1.26 in. His colleague, David Hames, still hasn't been found. Please keep him in your prayers.

Millions more aren't as lucky as Dan and these others.

Haiti desperately needs our help.

Desperately.

There are two days until the BlogHop for Haiti kicks off.

Have you spread the word yet?

10 Painless Ways to Save Money on Groceries

We've spent the last couple of years paying off debts and making a determined effort not to get ourselves in any deeper. We made the decision that if we didn't have the cold, hard cash, we wouldn't buy it. This was a bit of a challenge when our boiler broke down last year and we were without heat or hot water for six months until we saved up the £2000 needed for a new one!

People often ask how we can afford to feed so many of us. "Your food bill must be enormous!" is something we often hear. Well, actually it's not! I remember spending far more on food each week when we just had three children. I was far more relaxed about throwing anything into the basket and oh, the wasted food just because it went off before we got a chance to eat it. I shudder at the thought now.

So, being in love with bullet points as you well know, I thought I'd give you a few tips on saving money on your groceries.

• Set a food budget and stick to it

Work out how much of your overall budget you think should go on food. Take an average spend that you’ve been making and cut it by 10%. Then work to it. Don’t just throw everything in your grocery basket. Remember things are only a good deal if you need them. Don’t buy things you won’t use, or you think you might use just because it’s a good deal. You probably won’t.

If something is on a 3 for 2, or a reduced price for multiple purchases think carefully whether you’d use the extra if one item normally suffices. For example, if cucumbers were on offer at £1.50 for two, but you normally only buy one at 80p, is it really worth buying two and spending the extra 70p just because you’d save ten pence? If the second cucumber is going to rot before eating it you haven’t saved ten pence but wasted seventy. Do that once a week for a year and you’ve wasted £36.40.

• Menu Plan

This helps with number one above. Plan your menu for meals for the week/fortnight/month ahead and buy what you need. No more. Some people plan for three meals a day. Personally, I just plan the evening meals as I know we all have pretty much the same things for breakfasts and lunches so nothing much changes there. If you put up a blackboard in the kitchen with the menu plan for the week ahead it stops being asked a gazillion times what we’re having for dinner. This in turn saves my earholes from hurting and my head from pounding and consequently saves money on painkillers too! Good stuff!

• Keep an eye on the offers

I find it helps to plan a menu around what’s on offer. For example if new potatoes are on a BOGOF that’s the carbs sorted for two meals.

• Write a list

Make a note of what you need, not what you want. Needs come first and you’ll soon realise that not everything you once thought was a necessity actually is.

• Double check what you already have

I have a set of shelves in our room which houses all the extra stuff, a little like a mini pantry. The only problem is that I can end up with several of one item without even realising. I’ve now taken to physically checking and counting what I have. I would automatically throw tinned tomatoes in the trolley without even taking into account the 14 I already had. We obviously weren’t eating them as much as I thought! So go and check everything… freezer, fridge, cupboards, shelves. You’ll be surprised and will very likely find that you have the ingredients for several meals already.

If you find you buy the same kind of things week after week you could consider keeping a list on a spreadsheet (my other great love, apart from bullet points).  When you run out of toothpaste for example you make a note of it on the spreadsheet.  That way, when it comes to doing your next shop you know exactly what you need and what you don't.

• Grocery shop online

You can check the orders and keep an eye on the total as you go. If you’re getting close to your budget limit, reign it in.  Re-think your menu, double check what you've bought, double check the quantities.  Sometimes I've clicked several times unwittingly, or a glitch in the system means I've ended up with 12 packs of toilet roll.  We don't need that much.  Not at once anyway!

• Use vouchers, coupons or discount codes

Again an advantage to shopping online is the benefit of using discount codes for money off or free delivery, or even internet only product offers. Again be careful if you are tempted to use a code or coupon for a product you’d not normally buy or use just because it’s offering you a few pence off. Only use these offers if you’re sure you’ll use the product. Of course, if it’s a code for something free, be it free stuff or free delivery, or a code for money off your over all shop, then go wild!

• Don’t shop with kids in tow.

Parents, you know what I mean here! This is yet another advantage to shopping online. They can’t bug you for stuff. And ditto about saving money on painkillers for headaches.

• Cook from scratch

Homemade food tastes better, looks better is healthier and is cheaper. Cooking isn’t a hard skill to learn. You don’t have to make anything complicated or time consuming. And it’s always cheaper to cook a meal yourself than to buy a ready meal.

• Grow your own

Even if you only have a windowsill or a small area for a few containers you can still grow a few basics. You don’t need much space for a tomato plant or two and some cut and come again lettuce.

If you have a little more space you could even consider keeping chickens. We haven’t bought eggs in almost two years now and chickens are extremely low maintenance, not to mention fun to watch.  Just watch out for Foxy Loxy, the horrid creature.

BlogHop for Haiti - 3 days left!

Three days left until Monday kicks off the BlogHop for Haiti. Already we've had some bloggers pledging their support but we need more of you!

Here is how it will work:

Come back to Larger Family Life on Monday to add your blog to the Mcklinky on Monday's post which will kick off the hop. Each person who adds their name to the list will go and visit the blogs of the five people on the list before them. Go and visit those that visit you also. It'll be like stopping in for coffee at a new friends! If you are one of the first five you'll have to visit the five people after you. Hopefully you won't have to wait long for them to sign up!

At any time during the week you can make a donation or donate any advertising revenue you'd receive for the duration of the hop directly to Compassion International using THIS LINK HERE.

Or if you trust me you can send money securely through the ChipIn widget at the top of the page but it's ok if you don't want to do it that way. Just email me a copy of your donation confirmation from Compassion International so I can add up how much all the lovely bloggers have donated in total.

All I'm asking is that each blogger who joins in donates at least $1 or £1. Look at it as your ticket into the wonderful world of bloggers... or something! Or like a weeks advertising for pittance.  If we get a hundred (US) bloggers to join in we can donate $100 - I'm so good with the maths, eh? In fact, if my mathematic ability has astounded you, you can make an extra donation! Let me know how much you've donated so we can work out how much we bloggers manage to raise in total.

Not only is it the usual fun bloghop way of meeting other bloggers we normally wouldn't but we can do some good out of it too as well as publicise our blogs.

Also, I'm thrilled to be able to report that donations have already started coming in or being made and it currently stands at:

£40.58 / $66.27 (USD)*
*amounts have been added together and the total amount shows each conversion.  

Unfortunately I can't work out how to include it into the ChipIn widget at the top of the page, as the donations didn't go through that.

If you haven't done so already please do join in.  We have until Monday to spread the word and to get as many bloggers involved as possible.  It doesn't matter what they blog about (as long as it's family friendly) - just donate your £1/$1 and join in.  Oh and for the record, if you don't have a blog but still want to donate, please, please do!

EDIT: Final and full details will be given in Monday's launch post.  I'm still working out the best way to work this!

Announcing the "BlogHop for Haiti"

Feeling the desperate need to do more regarding the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, I will be holding a BlogHop for Haiti from Monday, 18th January until Sunday 24th January.

Here is the deal.

I want as many bloggers to join in for the week. I'll kick it off and we'll all link up. Visit the previous five bloggers at least who are on the list before you. Visit the people that visit you. Get your giveaways sorted if you like.

Then I propose that all money bloggers would have received from any advertising for the duration of the BlogHop be donated to Compassion International (or a charity of the bloggers choice) for helping provide relief to Haiti.

At the end of the week, send me an email stating how much you managed to donate through the BlogHop. This information will remain private and no names will be mentioned, (unless you want me to) and I will announce the total raised on 1st February. Letting me know is optional. If you'd rather not disclose, it's ok, as long as you know you've donated something.

Who will join me? Who will make this the biggest BlogHop ever? Who will join me in a BlogHop for Haiti?

Editing to say that if you prefer to you can just make a $1/£1 donation to my Paypal account (tms101@hotmail.com), which I will send directly to Compassion International     FORGET THAT!  You can donate directly to Compassion International via THIS LINK HERE, if you'd prefer to do that instead of donating any earnings.  Don't forget to let me know so we can get an idea of how much bloggers have managed to raise together.  For those of you who have already donated to my Paypal, I will send the money on to Compassion as promised.

Normal transmission has been interrupted...

I've taken down todays original post and will repost it tomorrow. Please come back later for a new post for today.

Wordless Wednesday - The tooth, the whole tooth...

... and nothing but the tooth!

Why not join in with Wordless Wednesday over at 5 Minutes for Mom?

How we REALLY homeschool

For so long you've been thinking that we homeschool around our kitchen table.

Now that we know eachother better I have decided to be honest. 

Here is the truth.

Welcome to my classroom...

Hmm, Caitlin is looking a little too happy there.  We can't have that.

That's better.  Now, where was I?

Oh yes, welcome.

 Don't I fit the part well? 

Ah, that's what I like to see.  The writing's on the wall.  Nice and big so they don't forget it. 

Yes, that's right.  Speak when spoken to.  And only then.

Not a peep from you either young man. 

You have to stick to the rules no matter how young...

... or old you are.

Otherwise, you'll be sent here one by one...

Some of you won't understand the seriousness of it all...

Some of you...

...will!

And if all else fails...

... there is always The Cane!

Monday Weigh-In: Week 31

I've stayed the same this week. I was hoping for at least a pound loss, but expecting another small gain but it's ok to stay the same. Better than putting it on I guess.

I'm having real motivation issues at the moment. It has become apparent that my "break" for Christmas has resulted in a downhill spiral of a longing for copious amounts of sweet and fatty things. This, coupled with the fact that I'm longing for stodgy, filling foods like hot creamy soups and casseroles with dumplings to ward off the cold weather, seems to be affecting my ability to lose weight. I wonder why?

As we're still pretty early on into the New Year I wondered if anyone would like to join me on my mission to lose weight? I've still got 2 stones (28lbs) to go and would really love to get there by the summer. But, like I said, I'm losing motivation.

Now I'm not going to tell you what diet to follow, or what to do, or give goals for each day or anything. Grab the button for your site, then use McKlinky below to link up to your post each Monday keeping us updated on your progress (because there will be progress, won't there?) and don't forget to link back to this post. Hopefully we'll get a merry band of us together to fight off the evil cellulite fairy.

<a href="http://s792.photobucket.com/albums/yy203/largerfamilylife/?action=view&current=MondayWeighInButton.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i792.photobucket.com/albums/yy203/largerfamilylife/th_MondayWeighInButton.jpg" border="0" alt="Monday Weigh-In" ></a>

So here are my stats so far:

Starting weight: 13st 5lbs
Current weight: 10st 7lbs
Loss so far: 40lbs

Monday Weigh-In Link Up - Join us and join in!

There's no business like snow business

We've had a few inches of snow here in the UK this last week or so. We're having an extended cold snap, we're told. Should that then be a cold snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap?

Anyway, some places have had more than others but one thing remains clear. The UK cannot handle snow. Even a little bit. Even a couple of inches.

Traffic comes to a standstill, roads become treacherous as there isn't enough grit and salt to make them safe.  People start panic buying at the first sign of snow and all the shops run out of bread and milk and all the basics.

Personally I will not venture out in the snow at all. I most certainly won't drive in it. I'm just a...

The roads have been so bad that Michael couldn't get to work for a couple of days.  It was nice having him home.

It meant I could get mucho blogio posts done.

Lucky you.

It also meant that I didn't have to go in the garden with the small people and partake in snow "fun".  Snow, for me, is only fun when it is freshly fallen and crisp and white and makes everything pretty and I don't have to go out in it.

Fun IN the snow is a foreign sentence that does not make sense.  How can you have fun IN the snow? It's cold.  It's wet.  It makes you fall down.  That, in my eyes, does not constitute fun.

But thank you dear husband, for enabling me to stay in the nice warm house and blog look after Oliver, while you took the others out for...

For the record, Caitlin took the photos.  Well all but the last one in which she stars.  I took that with the back door ajar.

I also used the back door as a shield while taking this...

Hmm, what is he doing?

Looks like a snowball.  Heh heh, wonder which of the kids will get it?!

Gulp!  Oh no!

Quick!  Snap photo and slam door shut before it hits me!*



*In case you wondered, it missed :-)