Treasures & Trinkets

3 Vintage "Fiddle Vases" ranging in size from 10"-14", all 3 as a set for $65 or separately $25 each. Quantities as shown.
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Adventures of Sunnyboy: Fall in NY

We're a day late getting the usual Saturday post "Adventures of Sunnyboy" up, but here it is! Thanks for your patience, we had a busy fun-filled weekend. I'll tell the tale in pictures if you don't mind ;-) Our soundtrack into Southern Rural New York State was Nora Jones "Come Away with Me", & after we dropped the Hubby off at his campsite at Thompson's Lake in Voorheesville, NY, Sunnyboy & I headed to our pj party at a friend's house. We followed the open roads through the beginnings of Fall in NY.  Can't wait to see more Fall colors!

We spent the night at my friend D's house in South Cairo, NY. She's a quilter extraordinaire & we got to preview an heirloom quilt she'd made for future grandchildren. It says "Over the river & through the woods to Grandmother's house we go", isn't it awesome?? She hand-stitched all of the detailed embroidery. 

From there we headed to Sunnyboy's buddy's house in Greenville, NY. He had a blast playing with his 3 best buds and even experienced a KidZone (indoor playground) for the first time. It was a little terrifying for him at first but he soon adjusted to the chaos & joined in the fun. His buddy's daddy is a talented contractor & their house was totally restored by his expert work. Here's a peak at the KidZone & in Sunnyboy's buddy's house (I love the exposed beams in their house). 

We spent Sunday afternoon enjoying the beautiful weather and went out to lunch at a historic cafe in Catskill, NY called the Ambrosia Diner. 

On the way back home, Sunnyboy & I stopped to pick up some Empire Apples from our favorite farm in Earlton, NY. His daddy & I have gone apple-picking every year since we've lived in NY & Earlton is where we had our very first apartment (I had a little nostalgic moment as we stopped). 

We had a blast being away for a weekend, but we were also very thankful to be back in our bustling city and see Daddy (aka the Hubby) at home. Hope you all have had a super weekend too & that you have a wonderful new week! I'm looking forward to writing about Sunny's adoption in deeper detail this week (specifically the subject of "while we waited for him"). See you again soon!

The Nest : Some of MamaOwl's Inspirations

Happy Friday Everyone! My family & I are headed in separate directions for the weekend, the Hubby & the pup (we have a 5 year-old Yellow Lab/Retriever mix) is heading off on a manly camping trip while Sunnyboy and I spend the night with some friends we haven't seen in a while. It promises to be a fun weekend for all of us. Can't wait! Hope you're able to get out & enjoy these first few days of Fall too!

I thought I'd use this Friday post that I'm calling "The Nest" to give you some of my inspirations for starting this blog. There are so many ladies in particular that I've followed for the past year or more and learned from as I began the seeds of blogging. Check out their pages, and you won't be able to keep yourself from being inspired as well I bet ;-) (Just click on the name in purple & it'll take you right to their page).

Jen is a friend that I've been following for over 2 years now, & I absolutely love how she combines her love of fashion with her love for her family. She inspires me as a fellow-mama and brings me out of my comfort zone of jeans & a t-shirt in my daily fashions.

Jessica is an acquaintance who was introduced to me through mutual friends when the Hubby & I began pursuing adoption. She and her family have an open adoption with both of their 2 kiddos and I am always touched by the pictures and stories she posts.

Rach is a long-time close family friend and she recently started a blog called Just 3 Things. I love that she's able to pick just "3 Things" each week to share with her readers, and this past month she even covered the incredibly touching topic of losing her dad. Give the post a read, it will touch your heart.

Orchid Grey, whose name is actually Julie, is the second fashion blog that I follow. I "met" her through Jen and I love her style. I always say, if I had the funds, I'd dress just like Orchid Grey ;-)

Maren is another old-time friend who I've know since Middle School and her blog focuses on her personal life/family life. She recently had a baby girl and her sense of humor always brings a smile to my face :-) smile!

Nancy is one of my absolute FAVORITE photographers in the world. Seriously, she's that good. I hope in some teeny tiny way that if I follow along, I will someday be 1 millionth as good at taking pics. We'll see haha.

What are you up to this weekend? I'd love to hear about your plans. I'll leave you with a video of my Sunnyboy who is quickly becoming a drummerboy. Enjoy! Happy Weekend!

Local Loves : Raincheck

Well, it's a rainy day here & just not a good day for walking and going out to breakfast. So instead, the Sunnyboy & I are hanging out in our pj's and hanging out at home. We'll do our restaurant review next week ;-) thanks for your patience. If it's raining where you are, I hope you get to stay in your pj's to; or if it's sunny, send some our way!

Adventures of Sunnyboy: His Adoption Story

I had the very special opportunity to share Asher's adoption story with our friend "B" on Thursday.  It was such a huge honor to be able to share our adoption journey with her. She had several questions as she and her family consider adoption as way to grow their family. It was the first time since Asher's adoption that I've really had the time to sit and contemplate all that's happened in our family over the past year and with his adoption. I'd like to keep my blog entries brief, but this will probably be a longer one due to the nature of the topic ;-)

 B and her family had already reached a decision regarding the type of adoption they'd like to have (Domestic US Adoption vs. International Adoption). I'd love to write a post on that piece in more detail sometime soon, as that can often be one of the most confusing questions to answer at the outset of a family's adoption journey. "Domestic" simply means an adoption of a child from here in the U.S. as opposed to an adoption overseas.

We began the adoption process to bring Asher into our family in April 2010 after choosing Bethany Christian Services www.bethany.org. By the following June we had been selected by a total of 3 separate possible birthmothers. The first 2 were young single girls, one here in local Upstate NY and the other from NJ. I remember feeling heartbroken when neither of those 2 girls chose us to be their baby's adoptive parents. It was a very difficult place to be, wanting to be happy for the families who they chose but feeling sorry for us not being chosen. I knew in my heart there was a baby for us, we just didn't know who he was yet. 

On June 1, 2011 I received a call while I was at work from our agency social worker, Renee, that there was a birthfamily interested in our profile that they had seen at the agency. It certainly took a scarey but hopeful leap of faith when we met with that birthmother on June 14, 2011 and The Hubby and I left the meeting feeling unexpectedly at peace. Asher's birthmother "K" decided that she would chose us to be her baby son's parents, and we received the call from Renee at the agency with the happy news the following Monday. We were elated, to say the least! Our years of pain and prayers had been answered!

 On Wednesday, August 17, 2011 Asher Byron Maxson was brought into this world by his brave, strong birthmother K and we were holding our son's tiny fingers within moments of his delivery. K wanted us to be at the hospital while she labored and in the room when he was born. We met our son in the nursery and fell forever headlong into the biggest love of our lives. "Sunnyboy" got his name because seeing his face each day after that was like the sun rising in our hearts.

Asher's adoption became finalized by the State of New York this past May. We celebrated his special day calling is his "Adoption Day" as he received all of the rights and privileges as any biological child would. He's always been our son, but now legally his adoption became irreversible. "Asher" means "Happy & Blessed" and he is indeed a happy boy who is a blessing to all who meet him. We are forever grateful to K and to the many who helped him become our son. 

I'm love to post more about adoption in future entries regarding: Domestic vs. International, Open vs. Closed in domestic adoption, Bonding with Adopted Children, Raising a Son, and more. What questions do you have about adoption? I'd love to hear from you! You can follow us along here on the blog, on Facebook (Hannah Maddy Maxson), on Twitter (HannahMadMaxson), or on Instagram (ashersmamaowl). Hope you have a great weekend! See you next week!

   

We're Here!

I'm looking forward to sharing The Adventures of Asher (aka "Sunnyboy"), my Treasures & Trinkets, Our Adoption Journey & Beyond, and Lovelies Locally (reviews of local shops & eateries). Spread the word!