Another Chapter Closed with a Happy Ending

I am BACK =)!! So, I have been meaning to write this post forever now, but just couldn't find the peace and quiet to do it. Having two kids run around, fighting with each-other is nearly impossible. Good thing I am a vampire and can get this out of the way in the night! Those who have read my past posting about my adoption story will know the 411, if you haven't checked it out, PLEASE do...because none of this will make any sense! Okay, so I am adopted. I was adopted when I was 4 or 5, I think. I had a GREAT child hood growing up and great parents! I was truly blessed. Never went without anything. Fast-forward years, in 2003 when I was about to graduate high school, my parents received a letter from the adoption agency we were adopted from (VA). The letter was from my sister and I's biological mother. In the letter she stated valuable information, such as my sister and I had 3 biological younger sisters who were also adopted. She wrote names. Fantasia, Mallory, and Lauren. That's really all I knew, oh and a location of Frederick, MD. Growing up, I always felt like something was missing, like I wasn't complete. Not sure if all people who are adopted feel that way, or I was just extra. But...I knew I could locate my sisters if I just kept at it and tried. I started searching in 2003 for my sisters. I literally would friend request every Fantasia, Mallory, or Lauren that lived in the DMV area (DC, Maryland, and Virgina). Sounds crazy, but I did. Had no shame about it either. I kept coming onto dead ends. For years I continued searching on and off, I would get frustrated because nothing I was doing would provide any kind of leads. Eventually November of 2011, I re-started the search. Destined to try one more time, after this and no leads, I was going to give up. This was it. I had no help, no faith, on the edge and was going to stop this entire search...until I decided to "Google" (Free Adoption Search) online. I randomly came across the first page and clicked, it asked me to leave some information about my adoption and who I was looking for as well as my info (contact info) and they would contact me back! I thought this was BOGUS. People pay lots of money to have someone locate biological family members. But, I was desperate and willing to give it a shot anyways! Within 20-30 minutes I received a e-mail from a angel named Cher Caldwell on yahoo. We began corresponding and she immediately began my search, still thought there was a catch to this whole process. She started hitting me with back to back e-mails of possible leads. We were up until the wee hours of the morning going back and forth...UNTIL...she sent an e-mail to me with 3 FB pages of 3 girls, named Fantasia Webb, Mallory Webb, and Lauren Webb. She proceeded to tell me that she thinks its them. At that moment when I saw their pictures, I literally just froze up. When you know something is true but you don't want to believe it because you have searched 8 years for them with nothing...I honestly knew it was them but just couldn't believe it. I was shaking, I was crying. I kept saying "Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God". I think I tried to phone my sister, Ilana at 3 something in the morning, I ended up FB'ing her. I was in COMPLETE shock! I really was. It took me a minute to calm down, because then...I realized that I was just looking at their page and I was yet friends with none of them. Who knows how they would take me messaging them, who knows if they even knew they were adopted, and who knew if they even knew that they had two other biological sisters? There was no telling. I was going into this blind. I messaged the three of them, saying the exact same thing on Facebook. I didn't get immediate responses back, but I did receive replies within the same day! We all started messaging each other back, except for my one sister Mallory...whom I don't think she knew what was really going on. Messaging turned to phone calls. My sister Lauren actually came for New Years for a visit with her boyfriend! It was so smooth and natural, I felt like we have never missed a beat at all. =) I speak to my sisters regularly! I gained 3 new best-friends!! This experience was truly amazing. I feel blessed. I really do. When I felt like giving up, God was right by my side pushing me to try one more time and he placed Cher Caldwell in my path as an angel. I am forever grateful to her, for helping me out free of charge. She spent her entire night/early morning helping me search. I didn't have to do anything besides give her information which I knew. Anyone reading this, please please don't give up. Keep trying. I can also place you with the woman who helped me on Facebook. She is an amazing woman. I have never believed more in God than I do now. I will be doing an exclusive interview with Cher Caldwell, so look out for that =) Remember, don't ever give up! Keep trying and keep searching. It may be a long, hard search like mine was for 8 years, but nothing in life that is worth it, is never easy! I can finally close this chapter in my life. I found my sisters. I am the oldest of 5 beautiful girls. Courtney, Ilana, Fantasia, Mallory, and Lauren! FINALLY this chapter is now closed! Keep faith... Xoxo, Court

ME- (Born March 9th, 1985 in Winchester, VA)

Ilana- (Born June 16th, 1986 in Winchester, VA)

Fantasia- (Born September 25th, 1988 in Frederick, MD)

Mallory- (Born November 20th, 1989 in Frederick, MD)

Lauren- (Born March 20th, 1990 in Frederick, MD)

I am on Tumblr!

Hey everyone =) It's been a while since my LAST posting. A lot has been going on lately. I have crazy allergies and my youngest (my daughter) suffers the worst. She missed 2 weeks from school because of her allergies. Allergy season has been really bad especially since there hasn't been much rain fall here in the East. So I was going back and forth to the doctors with her due to her allergies. Poor baby! She is doing so much better now and just went back to school this Monday =) Yay! I needed a break too, lol. Anyways, I wanted to UPDATE you all who check me out, I am NEW to Tumblr! IF you are on Tumblr or were thinking about joining, please do and FOLLOW me =) My name on Tumblr is mixedbeauty39.tumblr.com Thanks! Xoxo. Court And HAPPY May!!

Easter Fun!

So this year for Easter I went to visit my mother, sister and adorable 5 year old nephew! It was so much fun and I was able to unwind and relax!! We decided this year to have a big Easter feast at my mom's. The menu was crazzy! My mother made lamb, stuffed mango chicken, and rice, and my sister and I made yams, mashed potatoes, lasagna, string bean casserole, mac n cheese, and peach cobbler. Well, I will only take credit for the yams and lasagna! ;) The food was amazing and we had friends over to help us dig in the food! So we did that, but before we started cooking, we had a HUGE Easter egg hunt for my two kids and my nephew! We hid about 40 plus eggs! Kids were VERY happy! Who wouldn't be? Isn't that the best when you're a kid? =) I also had my kids color eggs, they didn't turn out as pretty as I would have liked them to, BUT they looked pretty good if you ask me for our FIRST time coloring eggs! ;) I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter, if you celebrate it! Here are a few pictures from our weekend! Enjoy Xoxo, Court

Pacifire-FREE

What's up everyone?!? So this will be such a quick post...but if you have been following my blog since the beginning then you will know that I was trying to get my daughter off of her pacifier for the LONGEST time ever! I talk about it like its a drug or something, lol. But I mentioned on my Facebook how her paci was like what alcohol or shopping is to someone that is stressed. It really soothed her. I mean, she was sucking her fingers in the womb and she came out sucking on her tiny fingers! Needles to say, I am BEYOND thrilled for my baby girl. She is FINALLY paci-free for 2 weeks now! Whoo hoo =) So your probably wondering what we did (her father and I)? Well it was kind of by accident...meaning that every night she would loose her paci in the middle of the night and she would cry so LOUD that one of us would have to get up and search for it. That was soooo annoying. Messing with my sleep is a BIG no no ;) SO anyways, she lost her paci one day and kind of forgot about it until the night-time...she literally had a melt down but we still had no idea where her paci was (she has a habit of hiding her belongings). So for about a couple of days still no sight of her paci, she would be fine until it was bed time. She had about 3 days of crying in the middle of the night then she would put herself back to sleep. After her father and I noticed how she was able to soothe herself with out her paci, we both decided to NOT give her paci back to her IF we ever found it. Fast forward, it now has been almost 2 weeks and no paci =) I ended up finding it in one of my old purses that she likes to walk around in! I didn't throw it away but I put it in a high place where she could NEVER see it. She asked me the other day however when I picked her up form her preschool about where her paci is, and so I told her a little fib :/ (Its okay to lie in situations like this, right?...Lol) I told her that the "paci-fairy" came and took her paci while she was sleeping. She said "why?" and I said, "because the paci-fairy said that if you want to be a big girl, you can't have it anymore!" She was fine for like a minute, then she said "But Mommy, you were supposed to tell the fairy that it's mine and she is not supposed to steal" Awwww, I felt so bad but she had me cracking up! She is doing so well with out it and I could not be happier! If any of you are going through this, just be patient. Don't listen to what other people have to say when it comes to your child. Point blank. No one knows your child and their attachments better than YOU. So just be patient and keep trying. I say the best thing to do is just do a cold-turkey on the pacifier, and let them cry it out for a couple of nights. Some parents refuse to let their children cry for anything, so I am just speaking for myself and what worked for me. There are other tactics that you could try as well, such as throwing a party for your child to get rid of the paci, or mail it to a grand-parent or close family friend, or "pass" it down to a baby relative or baby brother/sister! I hope someone reads this and finds it helpful! Just remember, hang in there!! Truly Yours, Court...xoxo

My 3 year old sings "Count on Me" by Whitney Houston

Hey everyone! So the other day I recorded my 3 year old singing the entire song "Count on Me" from Whitney Houston. Thought this was too cute, so I had to record her and upload it and share with my viewers!


Please, PLEASE keep coming back to my blog for reviews and such and spread the word of my blog =) I know I have been MIS, but this sickness was kicking my butt majorly. Now I am back!! Hugs and kisses to everyone in the US and world wide who come on regularly to check out my blog!!


I appreciate it, I do. 


Xoxoxo,


Court

EXPRESS Finish Nail Color Love

Hey everyone =) Hugs and kisses!! So, I have been MIA for a minute because I have been feeling really sick for the last 2 weeks...its a long story. But when I find more time, I will def give you all a update about whats been going on with me! So my 27th birthday was March 9th! Whoo hoo...still don't know if I am excited about getting older or what? Still freaks me out. Lol. I did some shopping on the 8th and I stumbled into Rite Aide and came across 2 colors that I have been wearing over and over again! I have had so many people ask me what color and brand, so I thought I would just share with you all ;) Okay, so FIRST up...is "Love me Lavender" this is a LIMITED edition. I think it was from the 2010 or 2011 line. This is the color with 2 coats. Cute, right?

Now, since this IS a limited edition, I haven't been able to find anything else about this color. BUT, I have found some amazing colors that are VERY similar from this brand. =) 1. ESSIE "Neo Whimsical" Mixture of rose and plum

2. OPI's "Lucky Lucky Lavender"

These 2 colors are equally great to Maybelline's "Love me Lavender" The next color is also my Maybelline. It's their "Peachy Petal", this might have been a limited edition as well from their 2010-2011 collection! Here is the color;

I haven't really worn this color before, I don't know another color that might match this shade. If any of you have a color similar to this one that isn't by Maybelline, please make sure you comment below for other viewers that might be interested! Okay, that's it for now! Until next time, be safe and God bless, xoxoxo Courtney

My BEST friend, Flexi-Rods

Hey everyone! Wanted to share this video that I uploaded to my Facebook Page :: Court's World :: It's a quick video about Flexi-Rods. Why and how I use them...please bare with me as I am very amateur at making videos! Hope you guys enjoy it! Xoxo