Vote For Crazy Me:)

Help me make top #10 Mommy Blog. All you have to do is click on this adorable button & it gives my crazy mommy blog a vote. You can vote as many times as you want!! Help me spread the word about adoption!! Also located at my new website- www.mycrazyadoption.com

NEW LIMITED EDITION SIMPLY LOVE T SHIRTS.... just 4 you!

Go to www.mycrazyadoption.org and take a peek at our new Simply Love T shirts. You can click on the PayPal button on top right side to purchase your T's. The first 20 orders will receive a personally signed free copy of my dad, Gary Smalley’s new book, As Long As We Both Shall Love.

Money 4 Adoption... I need your TOP PICKS.

Please share your Top Adoption Grant Picks at www.mycrazyadoption.org

HOUSE FOR ADOPTION

We'd love for you to come along and pray for adoption miracles. MOVE THAT HOUSE!

BRAVE HEARTED CHICK CONTEST!!

Posted at My Crazy Adoption!!

FOLLOW OUR NEXT ADOPTION!

We are so excited to start the adoption paper pregnancy. We have a long road! Please follow us on our new blog... www.mycrazyadoption.org. Yes, you can add URL to your bloggy rolls!

My new FEED address: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyCrazyAdoption

99,999 Bloggy Hit GRAND PRIZE COMING SOON!

Let me know if you make the 99,999th blog hit...leave me a comment!! The counter ticker is on the top right side of
My Crazy Adoption!

First Quinceanera Party Photoslide!!

What an honor to help celebrate KristiAnna's 15th birthday!! The Quinceanera ceremony was amazing... what a testimony of God's love!! We were so excited Michael was part of the 12 Chamberlains.

RUN BABY RUN

Beautiful Faces of Haiti

These are the beautiful faces of the future of Haiti. Every face tells a special story. You can make a difference. Sponsor a child from Haiti or Ethiopia today! missionofmercy.org
song: TobyMac City on Our Knees

Beautiful Faces of Haiti from Kari Gibson on Vimeo.

JRA HAITI MISSION TRIP VIDEO

Untitled from Kari Gibson on Vimeo.

SIMPLY LOVE HAITI

Read and see pics on My Crazy Adoption.

PLEASE ADD NEW BLOGGY URL TO YOUR ROLL:)

I forgot to mention that you have my YES YOU CAN to add our new blog site to your rolls. Thanks for asking:) I was able to add my bloggy peeps on my special roll that keeps me updated daily. I can't miss a beat... thanks for your virtual friendship.
We will continue to call our blog Simply Love.

AWAA REUNION IMPORTANT UPDATE... SDC

Please go to the reunion blog today!!

GOODBYE BLOGSPOT!!

Bloggy friends, it's time to make the BIG BLOG ROLL CHANGE. I'm so honored to be on your blogs and would love for you to add my new website: www.mycrazyadoption.org to continue updating you on our family, fun, and new adoption. Don't worry if you forget... SimplyLove will kindly escort you over to the new site in 6 seconds. Is that cool or what. The new blog will read like a magazine... take a peek and let me know what you think. You can STILL leave me comments!!! They are like little presents that make my day brighter:)

My CRAZY AWESOME brother, Mike has made the transition smooth for me. It's crazy raining outside, so we thought it was the perfect time to make the big blog move together!!!! I have some new rules set by my sibling... I can't add 10 exclamation points after things that make me happy. I can't bold big words or use improper grammar or add a ton of................... these little buggers.

The REAL reason I have a new blog... prayerfully we will launch our new non-profit and start making a huge impact with adoptions. I'll give you the scoop soon:))) ohhhhh yay, I can't do the happy smile thing either. Oh well, I love a new challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goodbye Blogspot!!

Happy 70th Mom!!

My mom is turning 70! We are spending a special week with the birthday girl with our entire family in Florida. What an amazing gift... thank you gramma!! We feel like we're getting a present, too:) Hopefully I can steal away to post some fun pics!!

No Regrets.

I wanted you to know the behind the scenes from my "Spill the Beans" post last week. Roger and I fell in love with 2 older girls over a month ago on the AW WC list. We were originally going to wait for Zoie to turn 2 before plunging in the adoption adventure again, but we felt very ambitious to quick start the process. Love at first sight.

We are at the very beginning stages... actually still waiting to get the phone call that we are approved again. It's so different than when we first started the adoption process several years ago... waiting for Zoie. I feel like an old pro now.

The really crazy part, both girls had been on the waiting list for a long time, but last week both photos had new words under them. It hit me like a brick.
For weeks, every time I would peek at W's photo ... I was praying for her new mommy & daddy, but I really thought we had a shot.
Honestly, I had no idea my heart would respond *crash* when I saw those words... File Under Review.

I knew we were too late. I wept and then it hit me hard & fast...no regrets.
God has already planned WHO these beautiful girl's parents will be.
He's planned it and I can trust His plans are perfect. His timing is perfect.
Forget about feeling like an old pro... I'm back again, daily renewal, waiting, dreaming, hoping and trusting.
I want to wait for our blessings. They're out there waiting for us:)

We are requesting 2 older girls, unrelated, ages... 3 to 12.
It's so exciting to see how God will direct our steps. It feels soooo good to be back in the crazy adventure of adoption.

Zoie LIVE and the judge.

Bloggy friends... we wanted to share with you Zoie's re-adoption day LIVE! My sweet H was the film maker, but she accidentally cut it off at the finale. ooops! What a special day!! A few adoption "peeps" have asked me if the process to re-adopt is difficult, but as you can see it's simple to do. We had an amazing lawyer help us from A to Z. Thanks Mr. Farris!!

Awesome M's K-Golf Adventure!!

Kanakuk Golf Kamp was such a blast for M! He broke some of his personal records and met some incredible golfers along the way. We appreciate EVERYthing the staff and counselors poured into these young men for 2 weeks.

Sisters.

We are so blessed by our 2 awesome daughters. They are bonding and playing and teaching each other what it means to be sisters.
Sisters = Simply Love

70,000 hit... We have a winner!!!

Let me know if YOU make the 70,000 hit tonight:)

Yayyy... Merica Stum!! You were the big 70K hit and you win 2 children's books written by yours truly:))) Mookie will be coming home with you soon!!

Zoie LIVE and the donut.

Zoie girl, happy 19 months old today! We have taken a pic every month with her pink bow... remember when it was bigger than her head:)
Bow + ice cream = one special girl!

Simply Sunday. My Garden story.

I love my flower garden. Every night, these beautiful flowers close their blooms. In the morning, they open up and express their beauty again. Renewal. There are so many things that are uncertain in my life right now. It's so easy for me to question God and wonder "why". I love that God can use my flowers to remind me that He loves me and will take care of all my needs. His promises and miracles are new every morning. Even when I don't understand what His plans are, I can trust Him with all my heart.

night in my garden.

Every night God shows His love.
Every morning God shows His new miracles.

morning in my garden.

Simply Love.
I'd love to hear what you are "waiting" for and how God is renewing your spirit.

This Woman's Work.

I love the TV show... So You Think You Can Dance. If you missed the stunning, touching and heartbreaking tribute to breast cancer survivors.... watch it here.


Music is Maxwell's cover of "This Woman's Work," and the choreography is by Tyce DiOrio. Melissa and Ade danced this portrait of a woman's struggle with breast cancer beautifully, and the judges reactions were heartbreaking.

Look who I bumped into at SDC!

We took the girls today to Silver Dollar City for fun in 100 degrees of Ozark summer heat! K-Golf was there, so it was so much fun to see Awesome M! It's been a long 2 weeks without my boy. We were zipping around the corner when I heard someone call out my name. We bumped right into Sarah Moffat and her family. Sweet, precious Rosie *just home* from Ethiopia got to meet Zoie.

SPILL THE BEANS...

OK... just a few words. I love my bloggy friends. You're so smart:)
Yes, we started the adoption process again and waiting to hear we are approved!
Praying and hoping and dreaming and thrilled to see what God has planned!

LOST AND FOUND FAMILY... movie celebrates adoption!

The Heart of the film... ADOPTION!

The Lost & Found Family is a heartwarming movie about the power of God's Love in the lives of children in the foster-care system. Theirs is a story rarely told.



Spread The Word About The Lost and Found Family (widgets available!)

When you see a movie you like, what's the first thing you do? You tell others about it! That's because we are always looking for movies that have meaning and purpose. Be sure to let your friends know about The Lost & Found Family by utilizing these great tools on your blog, facebook page, and website.

I'd love to hear what you think?

Zoie and the ET twins

Click to enlarge:)

It was so much fun for Zoie to meet her first pair of twin baby boys, Phelix & Phisher from Ethiopia! My favorite pic is her holding Phelix's hand. Michelle and Jamie invited us over to swim at K-Kauai and I think I was in heaven:) If you are visiting Simply Love for the first time... we hope we inspire you to look deeply into the amazing world of adoption. You will never be the same!

I hugged an American Idol!

What picture do you like better... A or B? LOL

What a blast to meet Luke Menard (purple v-neck) and his adorable wife, Lara and their friends at our local Starbucks! They are passionate about God, Africa and orphans! Luke was on Season 7 and is a cancer survivor!! Check out his blog.

Wednesday WOW Recipe... Hamburger Dogs!!

You heard me right... Hamburger Dogs! My family loves this yummy recipe and it's super easy, of course. The perfect dog to grill for a summer picnic.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
(I told you it was easy!)

1 1/4 pounds ground beef or turkey
1 packet meatloaf seasoning
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
Hot dog buns
Relish & chopped onion for garnish

Preheat grill to med. high heat.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef or turkey, seasoning, ketchup, bread crumbs and egg. Mix until just combined; do not overmix!! Shape into HOT DOG forms. Grill approximately 8-10 min. Serve on hot dog buns with all the garnish.

Simply Sunday

This was one of my most challenging weeks as a mom of 3. It was a combo of so many things. I was stretched emotionally, exhausted physically, single-for-the-week (hubby out of town) and encouraged!! Yes, I was encouraged every day by reading Poppy Dips. God never promised us that life would be easy, but He promises to love us and fill us with His power to make it through the crazy stuff. It was the little things that counted... fun phone calls, friends helping out, kind nurses, gramma's house, H helping me take a nap, hearing my baby say "mommy" and Crazy Love.

"God was pleased to make you His own. Pleased! He didn't just feel sorry for you. He wasn't obligated to you. He chose you because He delights in you. You were never meant to get through life by the skin of your teeth. You were meant to flourish in the love and acceptance of Almighty Jehovah.
When He sings over you, dance!"

Simply Love.

Congrats Lenka Steiger.... you are a brave hearted chick!!

Poppy Dip Contest WINNER!!!!!

All you need to do is leave your name & email for Sallee on her blog comment... Poppy Dip. She'll take it from here:) Congrats!!!

Soon...

I just wrote out EVERY name and the date you posted your Poppy Dip! Zoie woke up at 5:30 AM...not my Poppy Dip for today. ugh As soon as she is down for her nap and I've had the chance to shower (can't have crazy hair for the video) I will draw a name! It was my blessing to read ALL the Dips.... lets keep it going and keep posting comments on Sallee's blog!

BTW, Sallee just got a new fabric in for us. It's called "Smiles Around the World" and will be gone in a wink of an eye. Order your dress asap (I just did:) She will start making dresses with sleeves for an additional cost for the fall season.

Do you want a Lulu??

I stole this post from my friend... it cracked me up!! Am I really kissing an iPod???!!

Mr. Ipod Touch's Auntie comes for a visit!! Kari and Zoie check on Lulu!!

Krazy Kiki comes for a Lulu visit!! She misses Mr. IPod Touch so much that she had to come for a visit. She wanted Lulu to come home with her, but she bought raffle tickets instead!!

Julie's blog- buy your tickets today!! 100% of donations for her Haiti mission trip & orphans!

My crazy wacko day!

I've had so much fun this week reading all the wonderful Poppy Dips. They have been funny, touching, *sniff* and adorable! It's made me focus on James 1... count it all joy when you face testing. We can always find a Poppy Dip in our day.
All day long today... I have pondered on choosing my favorite Poppy Dip: Hubby is out of town, sweet Zoie is sick with sinus infection, bronchitis and cutting 4 molars (I just found that out) Awesome M jumped in and packed himself for 2 weeks at Kanakuk Golf Kamp. I love teenagers! Awesome H played with sissy so I could take him to Mexican food lunch date, but an hour before kamp he learned the hard way to look reallllly good for parked cars behind your vehicle. It was a solid crunch, but thankfully there was no one trying to get in their car. WHEW!! 10 people ran toward us and my teen handled it like a pro... pointing at me "She did it!" Just kidding. He was very grateful the damage was minimal and no cops involved.
Kamp dropoff, no nap Zo = VERY grumpy baby. Pizza delivery. Praying all drama is over for the day! That's why there is no way I can pick just 1 Poppy Dip today.... it was all good and crazy!

Poppy Dip contest ends at midnight:)
Keep writing those "P Dips"

Poppy Dip Contest 6... one more day to WIN!

Share your Poppy Dip day with me.... it's your last chance to win! All you need to do is share one thing that made today extra special. Enter 1x a day. I'll draw a name on Saturday & share the winner via bloggy video in the afternoon when Zoie naps:)

If I draw your name... you win a very special Poppy Dip dress! You pick the fabric available and size...graciously donated by Sallee.

Poppy Dip Contest... Give me your best today:)

It's been a rough morning... poor Zoie is sick. I wanted to hear today one thing that you are so grateful for... a special Poppy Dip. I'm grateful for my kids this morning! They are making their baby sister smile even though she's feeling miserable!

What is your special Poppy Dip, even when things are hard?

Wednesday WOW Recipe... S'more Bars

We loved family camp this year.... adorable Sarah Yocum gave me this yummy creation she made up on her own. She wakes up in the middle of the night and writes recipes that come to her head. I think that's simply amazing! She gave me permission to post her one-of-a-king original S'more Bars. Thanks sister!

The stuff you need:

1 1/2 cups of butter
1 2/3 cup of sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons of vanilla
1 box of graham crackers
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 chocolate bars, dark or milk ch.
3 cups mini marshmallows

Go for it:
Preheat oven to 350.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs and vanilla, stir in crushed graham crackers. Take 1/2 of the mixture and press firmly in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Add chocolate bars in a single layer on top and cover with mini marshmallows. Add last half of cracker crust and cover marshmallows and press firmly. Bake for 20-24 minuets.

Sarah baked this delighful treat for us on her 24 and we gobbled them up! Keep enjoying your summer & all the yummy things to pig out on:)

Poppy Dip Contest Day 5... enter 1 x a day!

I love reading your "Poppy Dips"... they make my day a little brighter! Keep sharing to win... that's how easy this contest is. Here's Zoie's new Poppy Dip dress.
Sea Beauties.

(click to enlarge)

Pray for AW families tonight... passing court miracles!

GOD IS GOOD... GILLMANS PASSED COURT!

Our dear friends received their referral back in Feb. and are still waiting to bring home their 2 beautiful children. Problems happened that were out of their control, but they have had to wait so long. Tonight in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia they have their official court date and we pray that they pass with flying colors. God won't allow his precious children to stay in Ethiopia a second longer than He has planned! We pray that THIS IS IT!

Here's how you can pray (a note from Kim)
*that the judge is satisfied with all our court documents and how they read, that the Women's ministry MOWA writes the recommendation letter we need, and general favor upon our case.

At some point Wednesday morning our agency will call to let us know how things went. I will post an update on our blog A Blissful Heart

Gillman family we are hoping and dreaming and praying and cheering that you hear the words... you passed!! I have your favorite cupcakes and we can't wait to celebrate God's miracles no matter what!

Poppy Dip Contest Day 4... enter 1 x a day!

My poppy dip today.... all 3 kiddos are sleeping in late:)
Who's going to win an adorable Poppy Dip dress?

One more thing to add... I bumped smack into an AWAA family today at the Landing! It was so great to meet Michelle Witaker and her adorable kiddos. What a special surprise:)

Mr. Ipod Touch's NEW family!

Mr. iPod Touch's new family.... was so awesome to send us pics! You might recognize new mom... Sallee (she's Poppy Dip mom too:) What an incredible family. They are living examples of the gift of adoption and love and fun! I think Mr. Touch is feeling right at home now!

If you are interested in bringing home his niece, Lulu iPod Touch... take a peek at my BF's blog and Raffle Contest. She is joining the Haiti mission trip and needs our help!

Mr. Ipod Touch we love you.

It's A Poppy Dip Day 3... enter 1 x a day!

I can't wait to read all your "Poppy Dips" today!! Bloggy friends, you are my Poppy Dip blessing!! OK... even though it's my contest, I had to share my Poppy Dip today was getting a "happy" in the mail from Mr. Ipod Touch's new mom, Sallee!!! Zoie's new dress... Little Mermaid is soooooo adorable!!!

Miss Lulu iPod Touch RAFFLE.... my friend's mission trip contest!

My friend Julie (Juju) Neal is going to Haiti with me on our incredible mission trip with JRA!!!!! Join in on the fun and buy your "virtual" raffle tickets on her blog for the next 10 days to win Miss Lulu iPod Touch!!! Just click here.... RAFFLE!

It's A Poppy Dip Day 2... enter 1 x a day!

Poppy Dip Day 2... leave your comment to win a dress!!
Check out the new Christmas fabrics!

NEW CONTEST... ENTER 1 x a day!!

I'm a huge fan of the cutest dresses on the bloggy block... Poppy Dip!! If you have a girl, these dresses will make even the cloudiest day brighter! Poppy Dip mom, Sallee is adopting again from Ethiopia and sewing these adorable creations for their fundraiser at the very affordable price of $25... tons of fabrics to choose from!

You can win an original dress right here at Simply Love. Every day you can enter to win! Here's what you have to do...

"The name It's Poppy Dip means "everything is good''... it's an expression that our 2 year old (from Ethiopia!!) loves to say when he's happy and it's good!!" Sallee

Here's how the contest works: I want to know what makes your day a Poppy Dip day. Leave me a comment and share one Poppy Dip "everything is good" thing about your day. You may enter 1 time every day for a chance to win!! The more comments you leave the greater your chances will be. I will randomly choose a name on Saturday, Aug. 1st. You choose the fabric and Sallee sews the prize. We'll announce the winner via bloggy video.

Grab your high heels.... On your mark, get set go!

FRIDAY FUN FOTOS

No words. Just pics.