A Do-Over: Chinese Royalty Visit Local Park

**This post was written for the photography blog, so for those of you folks that have already seen this, my apologies.

Lately, I've been struggling about how to add more hours to my day. Life is so crazy, busy at the Bombardier household between school, work, and play that it's getting tougher and tougher to keep up with my old therapeutic buddy, my blog.

So, I thought I wouldn't keep you waiting any longer and would post a few pics from one of our visits to the park the other day. These two little critters make me smile....A LOT! I'm sure they'll do the same to you.**

After running errands with the Chinese Royalty, they begged to go to the park.

Knowing that they could definitely use the release of some energy, I obliged. Not to mention the fact that I, of course, had my camera with me and what a better opportunity to take pictures than at a park with two of my babes.

So, they jumped,

and they swung,

and they slid,

and they climbed.

They played games,

and they giggled.

They took a candy break.

and like all siblings, had to compare whose tongue was greener and whose lollipop was licked the most.

Then they tried to decipher graffiti ancient Hieroglyphic writings.

It was an afternoon filled with fun...

and love.



What a perfect way to spend the day!

HONORING OUR MILITARY

As a tribute to our troops, I am honored and proud to offer a free photo family session to any active duty or disabled military families in SW Florida.

If you are one of these families, or know of one, please EMAIL ME privately.

.

WOOT! WOOT! ARE YOU READY FOR A GIVEAWAY?????

If so, head on over to my photography blog,

Ohilda Bombardier Photography,

The prize is uber cool! Yup, I said, UBER cool!

In Honor of National Adoption Month

Natural Child: Any child who is not artificial.

Real Parent: Any parent who is not imaginary.

Your Own Child: Any child who is not someone else's child.

Adopted Child: A natural child, with a real parent, who is all my own.

- Rita Laws, PhD

Something magical happens....

When The Triplets get new PJs!

Oh, yes, it does!

They break out into huge GRINS....

complete SILLINESS....

and even possible CACKLING!

Some may call what happens to them HILARITY...

from the tops of their heads ...

down to their ticklish, wiggly, piggies.

But me? I just call it ...

PRECIOUS PERFECTION!

Something to ponder...

Simple Wisdom


The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?


The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers.

They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies..

Awards tarnish..

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.


Here's another short quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.


Easier?


The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials...

the most money...or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.

Remember to love and thank those close to your heart.


A big heartfelt thank you to all of you that have touched my heart and made a difference in my life. There are many. I pray you know who you are and know you are loved.

They were born in my heart

"By adopting a child and helping them reach their potential, they help us reach ours. An adopted child is not an unwanted child; to the contrary. They are a child who was searched for, prayed for, cried for, begged for; received by arms that ached, making empty hearts full. Love is meant to be shared." - Author unknown

Letters of Intent

Do you have someone you'd really like to write a letter to? Someone who you've been itching to tell them how you feel? Well, head over to Julie's place and join in on the fun!

As for me? I sure did!

Dear Old Fuddy Duddy Neighbor,

Guess what? We're moving! Yes, I am sure your crinkly heart will be happy to know that my three little, very active, sweeties will no longer be running into your beloved grass or pulling into your driveway with their Big Wheels, which I know bothers you so much because they leave track marks on your royal carpet we know as grass.

I am hoping that your new neighbor paints their mailbox weekly, like you do, so they don't have to be reminded of the importance of the wood being maintained.

Our moving will also mean that there will be no need to peek out the windows late at night to see if the yelling is coming from our house. It is, Mr. Neighbor. You knew that. But you still had to show us you were watching. I admit. It isn't very nice of me to get the kids to run around and screaming, "I'm gonna get you" at 3:00 pm in the afternoon on a Saturday, when you're taking your beauty nap, which by the way, isn't working. But it has become kind of a game to catch you peeking through the bushes to see what all the racket is that's coming from the pool.

I am also sure that your wrinkled smile will be completely stretched as you see the moving truck drive away, knowing that the one little weed in the yard that has been bothering you for weeks, you can now come pluck, since your yard is perfect. Maybe that's why we decided to let the "yard go". I know that wasn't very nice of us. Touche.

We sure will be missing the fact that if we forget a garbage day, you won't be there to sneak around the side of our house and drag our cans out to the street.

Oh yes, before we leave, there's one more thing. Remember that time that you came and knocked on our door to complain that we had mowed the lawn too short and our dog, Fred, peed on your feet? Well, I thought you might be interested in knowing that his breed was rated number one in intelligence. Hmmm....he must have an extra sense that warns him about grumpy old men.

By the way, two weeks prior to that visit, you had told us we should have lowered the blades on the lawnmower because the lawn was cut too high. Just sayin'.

Yup! We'll be missing ya! The new place doesn't seem to have an 80 year old grumpy neighbor that can't stand little kids and has to keep his nose in everyone else's business. But, I suppose
we'll survive without you.

Terribly heartbroken,

The loud and boisterous neighbors.

there are no words to describe....or are there?

Neglect, carelessness, chaos, delay, delinquency, dereliction, dilapidation, forgetfulness, lapse, laxity, laxness, limbo, neglectfulness, negligence, omission, oversight, pretermission, remissness, slackness, slovenliness.

There's a few for ya.

Yep, those are words that appropriately seem to fit most how I have treated by beloved blog and beloved friends.

I could give you all a whole heap of excuses, but I'll spare you.

I wonder, are there even any of you left out there reading this?

I owe many of you emails, phone calls, blog visits and well, just owe you. Period.

I am really gonna try to get back on the blogging track. Really.

I miss it AND

I miss you!

an award with some fun!

Thank you to my sweet friend and sister in Christ, Veronica from Luv My Quiver Full of Arrows for thinking about me and my humble little space in the blog-o-sphere (even if it has been terribly neglected). You see, Veronica nominated me for the "YOUR BLOG IS OVER THE TOP" award! Yippeee! I love it!

As with everything, there are some rules that go with this award. I am supposed to answer the questions below with only one word. Then I am supposed to nominate 6 other bloggers to receive this precious little award. They must also play along and answer the questions on their blog and pass along the award to their 6 favorites.

It really is so hard for me to choose just six, and since most of you know me as one to not always follow the rules exactly as I should, I am going to change it up a bit. So many of you have blogs that bless my socks off every time I visit that I just can't narrow it down.

So, I am awarding every one of my bloggy friends who are listed on my sidebar (I have lots of favs!) to join in on the fun. Let me know when you post it on your blog so I could go check it out!

Without further ado, here are my answers:

1. Where is your cell phone? Counter

2. Your hair? Straight

3. Your mother? Wonderful

4. Your father? Caring

5. Your favorite food? Mexican

6. Your dream last night? Scary

7. Your favorite drink? Sweet Tea

8. Your dream/goal? Heaven

9. What room are you in? Office

10. Your hobby? Blogging

11. Your fear? Unanswered prayers (sorry this one had to be a two word answer)

12. Where do you want to be in six years? Peace-filled

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. Something that you aren't? Dishonest

15. Muffins? Sometimes

16. Wish list item? None

17. Where did you grow up? Miami

18. Last thing you did? School with Amanda

19. What are you wearing? Jeans & sweater

20. Your TV? New!

21. Your pets? Fred (Maltese)

22. Friends? Blessings

23. Your life? Busy

24. Your mood? Hopeful

25. Missing someone? Always!

26. Vehicle? Mini van

27. Something you're not wearing? shoes

28. Your favorite store? Best Buy

29. Your favorite color? Yellow

30. When was the last time you laughed? Last night

31. Last time you cried? This morning.

32. Your best friend? Hubby

33. One place that I could go over and over? church

34. One person who emails you regularly? Mom

35. Favorite place to eat? Varies

YAY! We have a winner!!!

(Please remember to scroll to the bottom to turn off background music.)

(Sorry that it sounds like I'm yelling. I'm really not. Really. The mike in this little recording gadget isn't great, and to top it off, it faces whoever is recording and that would have been....ME!)

Congratulations, Cari! I just know your sweet Cali is going to love the books!

Email me your address and I will get your package out ASAP!

Hurry! Hurry!

YOU ONLY HAVE FOUR HOURS LEFT TILL THE CLOSE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHILDRENS' BOOKS

GIVEAWAY! CLICK HERE TO ENTER!!!!!

Random Dozen

Head over to Linda at 2nd cup of coffee to join in the fun of Random Dozen!

1. Tell me the absolute best way to watch a movie. Snuggled up with hubby while drinking a cold glass of milk and eating warm chocolate chip cookies!

2. Do you ever think about your own funeral? I'm pretty morbid. I don't really think about the funeral as much as I do about how I'm going to die....or moreso, how I don't want to die. If so, do you have specific ideas about how you would like it to be? I want to make sure that there's a lot of praising and worshipping and making sure that my Catholic friends and family say lots of rosaries for me, to give me that extra little nudge through the gates. :)

3. Are you more of a giver or a taker? I try to definitely be more of a giver than a taker. I hope others see me that way, too.

4. Vacations: planned activities and schedules, or play it by ear? Definitely a planner.

5. What is one often overlooked item in your home that needs to be cleaned regularly? No doubt it's the refrigerator, seems like everything goes in there and just gets lost in a black hole.

6. Name a cause that means a lot to you. This one is hard because I'm torn between two causes. I'd have to say being a passionate lover of Christ, protecting the sancticity of life beginning with the unborn ranks up there, along with doing whatever I can to help His provide a better life for His orphans.

7. Do you eat a regular old peanut butter jelly sandwich, or do you customize it? Yuck! I would only eat one with extra jelly (can't be grape, either) if I were absolutely starving and there was nothing else.

8. If we were having a conversation in person, how would I know if you were nervous? Hmmm. I'm not sure, but I would probably be talking non-stop and really fast.

9. Do you have an elaborate bedtime routine, or just the basics of tooth brushing and jammies? My "routine" is done by sweet hubby. I can't go to sleep until I see him turn on the house alarm, check the doors and he brings me a glass of water. Then all is right with the world.

10. Have you ever regretted something you wrote on your blog? Yes, I've started to write about something and then thought against it and didn't finish. So, it technically never made the cut to get on the blog in the first place. But I think most would agree that my blog is pretty much an open book of my life.

11. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a famous person or celebrity? I've been told a few times I look like someone on Grey's Anatomy. Did you agree? No clue who they were talking about because I don't watch the show.

12. If you were going to dedicate a song to a loved one or friend, what would the song be and to whom would it be dedicated? Wow...that's tough because I always associate songs with people or past events in my life. Right now I have You Are The Love of My Life by Michael W. Smith, going through my mind (and playing on my playlist here!). I'd have to dedicate that to my Kai, since I've been wanting to start on his coming home video for a while now and that's one of the songs I'm using for him.

because I love you....

...and as a thank you for praying for my little ones and for our family while they were so sick, it's time to give back! As much as I'd love to give you all a great big smooch, that ain't gonna happen. So, how about a giveaway for your little ones? You don't have little ones? How about gifting someone else with your prize?

Easy.

Peasy.

All you have to do is leave me a comment and there ya go...you're in!

Also, if you put it on your blog and link back here, then you've got yourself TWO entries. (Just be sure to let me know in your comment that you are doing so and your blog address.)

Now, what am I giving away?

Not one, but TWO, adorable Christian children's books. The first is God Created Me and the second is God Is My Friend.

I bought these to read to my little ones while they were suffering from cabin fever during their illness. They loved 'em so much that I decided to go back to the store this morning and pick a couple up for YOU!

Now hurry and leave your comment because the "comments section" will be closed at midnight on Friday, October 2nd!

There ya have it. From me to YOU, because I love you!

a picnic in the park

Our little group!

Matthew and Kai soon became good buddies.

Taken while the group was singing Happy Birthday to my girl.

Surrounded by my Bouquet of Blessings!

Our sweet Anna Grace with the beautiful Belarusian princess, Lexi.

Sixteen kiddos!!!

Sasha & Jonas hanging around.

Running free!

My baby boy, A.J. having a blast!

Piggy back rides anyone?

A perfect afternoon for a nap!

Boyd & Sara

Tracy & Michael

This guy's gonna be a heartbreaker. Belarusian prince, Aleksey.

Hmmm...could this be a look into the future?

Friends: Sara, Tracy, Me, Teresa & Becky

Teresa with one of her sweeties, Phoebe.

Becky and her beautiful China doll, Carli.

Chillin' in the shade.

The love of my life and I.

It's now Tuesday night and our time in the city that doesn't sleep is flying by. My internet continues to be limited so, I'm posting every couple of days.

Sunday was a very special day. We had a small get-together in Central Park with some wonderful bloggy friends. We layed blankets out, had a picnic, chit-chatted and watched the kiddos run free.

Unfortunately, we hit one of the hottest days of the year, so we decided to pass on going to the zoo. Instead, we gathered our stuff and walked through the park where the little ones all went on the carousel. Next, we did what most would have thought to have been the impossible dream. We rounded up all SIXTEEN (!!) kids and took a group picture. I must say that I was quite impressed with all of them. It only took saying "look at the camera" about 6 times before they were all looking....even A.J.!

Finally, we all decided to let the kids cool off a bit by letting them go into the water area of the playground! What fun they had!

We were truly blessed by being joined by these special 4 ladies and their families, even the hubbies & boyfriends came along! I know many of you tried to make it, but I understand how sometimes life gets in the way. We'll definitely have other opportunities!

Becky, Teresa, Tracy and Sara....love you guys! Thank you so much for making my trip extra special by coming to hang with the Bombardiers for a few hours. We loved it!

Note: Becky, Amanda thanks Ted & Jack for the special tour of Strawberry Fields and the Dakota apts.

Tracy, thank you for letting me "borrow" some of your GREAT pics!