Enjoying Spring

Finally.  The day temps are usually over 50 degrees, and we are enjoying Spring!  We found this fabulous little private nature preserve in town, and the boys had a blast exploring it.  There was also playing in undies at the parks in town with sandboxes, getting to enjoy ice cream naked in the sunshine, and fun times with buddies.  If you can't tell, we LOVE our town!

Fun times and piggy back rides.

Ah, Ian.  Stop being so cute this instant!

What have we here?

A whole mess of roly poly bugs!  Let's see if we can catch some.

Is it a dog?  Is it a pig?  Is it a cow?  Nope.  It's a Rupert.

The Briola Brothers.

Ian, my Ashland poster child.  I love that he's THIS happy!

What's under your camera?

Ian, Eli, and their buddy, Jackson, chillin' at the Pita Pit.

I'm bald and beautiful!

The deed is done!  I went to Portland this weekend with my best friend, Kendell, and shaved my head to raise money for kids' cancer research.  I was the 4th highest fundraiser for the entire event!  It was awesome, emotional event for me, and I was honored to participate.

Before.

Really crowded!  (And loud, too.)

Hee hee.  Can't back out now!

It's all good.

A little emotional.

Looking down at Lincy's picture.

Almost done.

Cleaning me up.

After!

My best friend (and photographer), Kendell.

SO CLOSE!! HELP!

As many of you may know, I am shaving my head for charity in 2 short weeks!  Yep, you read that right.  The St. Baldrick's Foundation raises more money for research grants than any other private charity in the country, and their sole purpose is to find a cure for pediatric cancer!

My cousin had brain cancer as a child, and my very best friend in Texas lost her sweet baby to cancer at the insanely young age of 14 months.  I hate cancer and I love kids.  It's that simple folks.  So I'm going to Portland in May, holding a photo of sweet baby Lincoln, hugging his little stuffed elephant tight, and shaving my head for him.

I set a goal for myself that I would raise $3,000.  And guess what?  I'm only $145 away!  And if I go over my goal, that's ok too.  :-)

So please, if you can (and no donation is too small, I promise), click on this link, and then click donate.  All donations are tax deductible, and you will be emailed an acknowledgement of your donation immediately.  If you prefer to pay by cash, check, or by phone, that's ok too.  Just send me a message or email and I'll tell you how.  Thank you blog friends, in advance!

http://www.stbaldricks.org/search/participantorteamresults/participantOrTeam/participant/participantEventYear/2011/participantFirstName/jen/participantLastName/briola/teamEventYear/2011/searchParticipant/Search/

Check out this cool raffle!

Hey everyone!

My friend Sara, who by the way, adopted THE cutest baby boy in the freaking universe, is having a raffle. She is raising money to help her friends who are moving to Ethiopia.  Yep, moving to Ethiopia.  They are moving there to be the directors of a children's home in Soddo.  I think that's an extremely cool cause, don't you?  Plus, this raffle has some kick-ass prizes!  Like a color Nook, an 8GBiPod Touch, and a TON of hand made goodies from so many talented, wonderful people.  Tickets are $10 if you buy one, and discounted if you buy more, so head on over here and buy some!  (And, while you're there, you can check out pics of that baby I was telling you about.  Be prepared though -- he's REALLY adorable.  Like kittens and ticklish penguins adorable!)

http://unoplusuno.blogspot.com/2011/04/raffle-great-prizes-for-great-cause_4638.html

St. Baldrick's!

I am excited and proud to announce that I am joining forces with the fabulous charity, the St. Baldrick's Foundation, to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer.

This year, on May 14th, I will travel to Portland along with my family and my best friend, Kendell Young, to participate in the annual St. Baldrick's event taking place there.  If you are not aware of what goes on at these events, here's the short version -- Kendell is the "shaver" and I'm the "shavee".  Yep, that's right.  I'm having my head shaved in solidarity with the thousands of victims/fighters/survivors of pediatric cancer who lose their hair every year!  And along the way to that day, I'm looking for an army of sponsor warriors to stand with me in our fight.  

Many will ask "Why on Earth would you do such a thing?"  Well, here's the short version of that too:  Back when we lived in Texas, I met a neighbor of mine who would very quickly become my closest friend.  I also met her sweet baby boy, Lincoln.  At 2 months of age, he was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive and rare form of cancer not often seen in children, especially not ones as young as Lincy.  He bravely and cheerfully fought the cancer beast, but sadly lost his battle on January 12th, 2008 at the WAY too young age of 14 months.  His mommy and I continue to grieve his loss daily, and I vowed to do whatever I could to make a difference.  I've even attached a few pics of Lincoln so you guys can see why I care so much.  

Will you stand with us?  No donation is too small, I promise.  All donations are tax deductible.  Simply click on the link below and you will be taken to my St. Baldrick's web page where you can donate online.  You will be sent a tax deductible receipt immediately.  My goal is to raise $3,000 by the event date of May 14th.  

Thank you all in advance for your support, and please feel free to crosspost so that anyone you feel might be interested in supporting me and Lincoln will see it!

http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/participantid/436223

Me and Lincy (10 months old) at the hospital in NYC.

Lincoln and his mommy, Carlina, snuggling at the Ronald McDonald House.

The sweetest sleeping boy.

SHE WON!!

Yep, my friend Janet's anti-bullying PSA won the national contest!  I'm so proud of her I could just burst.  Isn't it awesome to know there are people out there willing to put their time, effort, and expense into doing something just because it's worth doing?  Well, that's the kind of person Janet is, and I'm proud to call her my friend.  Her winning piece is below (sorry, it will make you watch an advertisement first).  Enjoy.  And for anyone who voted, thank you.

Gay Video & Lesbian Movies - Logo: Fierce TV

Anti-bullying PSA: "Born This Way"

My friend and budding filmmaker, Janet Dowell, has entered a contest where people made their own anti-bullying PSAs.  Hers, entitled "Born This Way",  made it into the TOP 5 of all entries submitted!  I'm pretty proud, and I think it's awesome and a great message.  She is the fantastic mom to two of the best kiddos I am proud to know, who also star in the piece.  The winner will be determined by popular vote, so please go to any of the sites below to vote.  You may vote on each site every day for one week.  Thank you for your vote and attention to such a relevant, important topic!  Enjoy -- and well done Janet!

Here is a link to her PSA: http://www.logotv.com/video/misc/613407/janet-dowell.jhtml

And here are the sites you can go to to vote!
Here
or Here
or Here

As Family Day approaches....

As our "Family Day" approaches -- the day we became a family (January 31st); the day we came home with Elliot, some thoughts have creeped into my mind and given me pause.  Some call the day you take custody of your child "Gotcha Day".  At first, I found this cute.  You know, the day we "gotcha!"  But stop and think about that for a moment.  That day was probably the second scariest day of his young life.  The first being the day his relatives, the people he loved and trusted, left him at an orphanage.  A strange place, far from his home, where he knew no one, didn't speak the language, was surrounded by different children, was hungry, dirty, and terrified.

We have photos of the day we picked him up.  Those photos will make you cry.  They are filled with smiles, tears of joy, and happiness.  But make no mistake folks -- that is one absolutely terrified little boy who knows nothing of what his future holds except that people are telling him that he is supposed to instantly love these strange white people who he is now to call "Mommy" and "Daddy".  Yes, he will now have the "best" of everything.  He will have new clothes, all the food he can eat, fantastic medical care, education, a warm bed to sleep in, and a new family to love him.  But all he knows is that it is completely different from EVERYTHING he has ever known, and that is terrifying for an up-to-that-point, still-breastfeeding, little 3 year-old soul who just wants his mommy back.

So please, the next time you see an adoptive family out and about, just smile and tell them how beautiful ALL of their children are (not just the brown ones!)  DON'T say this:

"He's so lucky" or this:
"What a wonderful thing you've done for him" or this:
"How much did he cost?" or this:
"What happened to his REAL parents?" or this:
"I bet he's so grateful for his new life"

I understand that you are curious.  I understand that you MAY mean well.  But the children are listening, and his heart and his soul are still healing from a trauma that I sincerely hope you will never have to endure.  So have some tact and be gentle and thoughtful with your words, because I AM HIS REAL MOTHER, and I will take you out if you harm my child any more than he has already been harmed.  Believe it.

We will acknowledge the day this month that, one year ago, we became a family of five.  It has been an unbelievably difficult year.  It has been a year of attachment issues, learning rules, health issues, behavior issues, bonding issues, learning each other, adjusting to new brothers, and the list goes on and on and on.  We will tell our children why the day is special, and we will celebrate it quietly and with honor.  There will be no balloons, no cake, and no party, for that would belittle the loss that Elliot has endured.  We will light a candle for his birth family, and he may not understand it now, but it will be special to him in the future, and isn't his future what adoption is all about?

I will leave you with this quote that I read today:

"Adoption loss is the only trauma in the world where the victims are expected by the whole of society to be grateful" -- Rev. Keith C. Griffith, MBE.

The first time Eli saw me.  What does his body language say to you?