Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Everyday Adorable Contest - Finalists Announced!

Yes, my friends, it's time to VOTE! We received over 230 entries this year, and it was very hard to decide who our top 20 would be.

This is how voting will work - after you have viewed all 20 finalists and their stories, there is a POLL for voting near the bottom of this post.

- Match the name and Finalist number to make sure you are voting for your correct choice. We cannot change votes!

- There is only 1 (ONE) vote allowed per computer/person/IP address. Some Schools and offices share IP addresses and we have gotten complaints in the past that only 1 vote was allowed for the entire place - Please ask people to vote from home. This is NOT once vote per day - One vote. Per computer/person. for the entire contest. Encouraging people to use others phones or internet connections in order to get more votes is CHEATING.

- Duplicate Votes are deleted by the polling computer, so please do not try to cheat or encourage others to cheat so your choice will win.

- If cheating is suspected, that entry will be disqualified, no exceptions.

- DO NOT click on the photo to vote!



- Comments on this post are welcome but do not count as a vote. Please use the poll.

NOTE: Some of the photos below are of children in the hospital - some people might find that disturbing and that is not our intention!


and now, in no particular order - your finalists!

finalist_1_kayden

Kayden is a very special little girl. She was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at birth. She received her first hearing aids December 24, 2008 at only two months old. On April 5, 2010 Kayden was implanted with a cochlear implant on her left ear. She is also developmentally delayed, even though she is an overly happy two year old, she has the mentality of a one year old. She has a smile that is contagious and beautiful long brown hair that cathces everyone attention. She loves to smile and her favorite thing to do is watch other people. She absolutely loves spongebob sqaurepants and chicken nuggets!

finalist_2_ellee

This is Ellee , she is eight years old. This picture is on her eighth birthday with her two dogs. For the second year in a row, she asked her guests that attended her birthday party to bring dog food for the animal shelter as her gift. After the party, she took the donations down to the Meridian Animal shelter. The first year Ellee did this she was able to donate 108 pounds of dog food. Last year, she donated over 300!! She is very smart, sweet, and loving. Her world revolves around animals of all types, but mainly dogs.

finalist_3_taquari

Hi, my name is Taquari!! I am 1 and lots of fun. What makes me special is my winning smile and my ability to brigten up a whole room with my pressaunce. I love to dance and play foot ball but most of all I love to take pictures. I like to take my mommys phone and take pictures allll the time. So I hope my smile touches your heart like it does my family and friends.

finalist_4_briamae

This is my little SUPER Baby, Bria Mae!! She is barely 7 months old in this picture (taken last week) standing up in her crib. All the other 7 monthers I know are just sitting around and some are barely doing that... my daughter is holding onto things and trying to walk already! This makes her a SUPER baby in my eyes.

finalist_5_joshua

Hi my name is Joshua! I am special in my own way because I am one of a kind and there's no one else quite like me. Im always very happy and all smiles. My blue eyes can light up the room. I love getting my picture taken and alway give my parent's a grin when they turn on there camera.

finalist_6_alyssa

Alyssa absolutely LOVES to go exploring and see the world around her. On this day we were visiting her great grandparents and during our walk she found a golf ball and a stick. These were her treasures for the rest of the day and there was no way she was letting go of them. She spends all her waking hours learning new things and trying to discover how the world around her works. Our walks are filled with her telling us everything she sees and asking about the things she doesn't understand yet. We enjoy her love of life and learning everyday.

finalist_7_reese

Reese is an amazing little boy full of joy and happiness. His out-going attitude and drive for adventures make each day new and exciting. No day is ever the same! His giggle is contagious and his smile makes you melt. His kisses are slobbery bunches of loves and his hugs make you never want to let go.He is the miracle that has blessed many and continues to surprise and amaze everyone with new steps and stages he ventures into. As he is growing and learning new and exciting things, we are always on our toes never knowing what is going to happen next. He lives in the moment and we cherish every second to the fullest!

finalist_8_mirabel

Last January, our family was blessed with a little something extra. Yes, our radiant new baby brought extra love, extra snuggles, extra lovely stormy blue eyes to gaze into. But she also brought us something we never expected: an extra chromosome. Having a child with Down syndrome is nothing that ever entered my wildest imaginations about the family I always wanted. But I've learned that life happens exactly as it's supposed to... and sometimes it throws a little something extra in to mix things up. Our Mirabel Ruby is a daymaker. Her constant smiles literally light up a room, and I have the extra special pleasure of watching my lovely daughter brighten the days of people everywhere we go. We have some extra work ahead of us, and some extra challenges, too. But I'm extra excited to experience life through these amazing almond-shaped eyes.

finalist_9_nyomi

Her fearless attitude towards life. Nyomi has always been on the smaller side for her age but she was practically born walking and talking. She started walking at only 9 months and never stopped going. Her sense of humor keeps our whole family laughing all the time. She is not shy to ask for what she needs and is very loving to her family and friends. She is constantly trying to keep up with her 5 year old sister and does a good job at it. She was moved from the mommy and me class to her gymnastics class when she was less than two and a half because of her development. She has been the smallest one in her gymnastics class because the starting age is three but her size has never stopped her because she keeps up with all of them.

finalist_10_james

I am James and the stinker of the family. The stinker part explains everything. I am into everything, I even get up on the kitchen table and dance. You may run and chase me but it dont work. I may be cute with big blue eyes and give the best kisses around but watch out, I AM A STINKER...

finalist_11_adeline

Adeline has lots of things that she loves to do. She really likes dancing with her mama, getting kisses from papa and spending time with friends. However, our baby girl has a secret identity.

What makes Addie unique is her dream to grow up and be just like her favorite super hero, the Caped Crusader. Every day Addie works on developing her physical strength so that she can fight for justice. She trains tirelessly by rolling from her tummy to her back, holding her head steady and bearing weight on her legs. But don’t worry… no Batmobile for our little crime fighter yet. Until she can drive herself, we will make sure she arrives to her epic battles safely.

finalist_12_connor

What makes Connor so special? As you can see from the photograph, Connor was born with Bi-lateral Clubbed feet; a congenital birth defect which affects one out of every thousand children. When Connor's parents first heard the news his mother was only 5 months pregnant. They were told he would be slow to roll over, crawl and walk like most kids and there was a slight chance his feet may not fully correct at all. This worried Connor's parents. But what makes this little boy so special is his little spark and determination. Despite 6 months of castings, surgeries and braces this little boy is full speed ahead!! He let's NOTHING slow him down! He is 8 months now and is crawling and learning to pull himself up on things. So much for being "slow" eh? He has two very proud parents who think that this little boys drive and determination.

finalist_13_chandler

Chandler recently spent two weeks in the hospital at St. Lukes in Boise. When he first entered the hospital the staff were not sure what was wrong with him. He was having a very hard time breathing and was very tired all the time. At the end the docotors forgot to run a very simple test and Chandler was diagnosed with RSV, a very common virus in infants. In spite of all the pointless test that were preformed on Chandler his spirits were still held high and he could still light up a room with his beautiful smile. What makes him so special is he has such a contagious personality. Though everything he went through he still yeld onto his smile and passed that on to the people around him. This is a picture of him in the hospital, bringing light to those around him.

finalist_14_taylor

My Taylor is one very special little girl. She is so full of personality and goofiness that just fills a room with laughter. She is also very very smart and witty and comes up with the funniest things to say. She is currently one of the most advanced kids in her preschool class and is already is learning to read. She loves to be un the spotlight and is always singing. Since she was 2 she could hear a song twice and already know most of the words. A truly gifted little girl.

finalist_15_hayven

Hayven was born 11 weeks premature, at 2lbs 15 oz she earned her name as little miss Diva in the St. Lukes NICU. Hayven spent two months in nicu where her nurses dressed her up in head bands and bows from the day she was born. At just under 3 pounds Hayven had a diva personality! She is a strong individual, she fought a long 2 month battle with a blood transfusion and medications to help her breathe, she has been a fighter from the the very beginning. Hayven knows what she wants and is the smartest little diva ever with a sparkle in her eye and her diva little laughs and giggles, she is such a blessing and a miracle. Hayven is home and healthy and the happiest little diva that any one could ever ask for!

finalist_16_tyler

This is Tyler and his puppy Monkey. This picture is special because Tyler's motivation to crawl at five months old was trying to chase Monkey around the house.
He absolutely loves playing with her, chasing her around the table and playing hide and seek. She will most likely be his motivation to walk as well. He is special because he is the youngest and only boy of three children, he has made our blended family complete. He is very vivacious and always happy. He is all boy in all that he does, very adventurous and outgoing. Tyler loves "talking" to everyone he meets and being the center of attention. Tyler is truly loved and enjoyed by all who all meet him.

finalist_17_shayna

This is my daughter Shayna and she loves to just have her picture taken...24-7! She was a very sick child until she was 6 years old. She was so sick she never felt like doing anything and always had shinier eyes from low oxygen levels. So the fact that she is now healthy (thanks to a Chiropractor) and want to do anything is just an awesome gift. She also enjoys playing with her friends, ice skating, bowling, playing with her brother and sisters and playing volleyball.

finalist_18_Chandelle

This is Chandelle - What makes my child unique-
Her compassion, even at 1 is amazing. She has such a caring heart and love towards animals. She can be seen kissing a cat, rubbing noses with a dog or just having tea with all her "animals".

finalist_19_Kaylor

This is Kaylor, in about February 2010. The reason that I am submitting this picture is because Kaylor was physically abused and hospitalized for about 2 months. This picture was taken right after we were able to come home for the first time. I look at this picture and completely believe if this little boy almost lost his life at the hands of another person, and can turn around and flash his momma a wink...that we as adults can overcome ANYTHING! Kaylor is truly an inspirational little man, and his story can most definetely inspire anyone.

finalist_20_mackenzie

My daughter Mackenzie is good at many things. She is a wonderful gymnist, she is smart and funny as well, but the thing that puts me in awe about my child is her absolute ability to overcome anything. Her ability to laugh and smile and dance and sing. This wasn't always the case. Kenzie came into this world screaming and didn't stop screaming until we discovered after two years and many infections later. That she was in a great deal of pain. She had several ounces of fluid pushing against each ear drum. She couldn't hear us so she was unable to learn the words that would have told us, "mommy I am hurting" two years and 5 months later, we met a wonderful specialist who put an end to my child's pain. I chose this picture because this picture was the first picture taken after Kenzie recovered from her surgery. This is Kenzie playing and singing and dancing in the water, for the first time pain free. This is my favorite picture because she is pain free and happy, and to me it was the first time she was able to be herself. Kenzie's favorite thing to do now is sing and dance. She can hear us and we can hear her. I love my girl so much and this picture brings tears to my eyes everytime I look at it. Thank you for letting me share a litle bit of her with you.


Voting for this Contest has ended. Thank you for playing!

Have fun!

42 comments:

  1. oh i just love hayven !!!! she is such a STRONG PERSON

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  2. Not sure if that went through? You will let me know if I voted once too many, right? LOL
    Traci

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  3. good luck Mirabel

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  4. No "baby steps" for Hayven, she is growing in leaps and bounds!

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  5. adeline is adorable! Go batman!

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  6. Chandelle Is so pretty

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  7. James is adorable with that big smile.

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  8. I tried voting but not sure if it went through. Hopefully didn't go through twice, I want my vote to count. I voted for Reese.
    Kelty_01

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  9. Can people vote once a day or once overall??? Thanks!

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  10. I am so blessed to have such a special happy little grandson who definitely had my heart from the very the moment he was born...I live a state away and these special pictures and the phone calls keeps my happy youngest Grandson of two close to me always...Pictures the forever capturing of the dear ones we Cherish... Little Joshua...your always a winner in this Grandmas heart..and you have brought me so much joy!I Love you my special Grandson! Muahs Gma Moles Oregon

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  11. Baby Reese is the cutest baby ever!!!

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  12. Cuter little stinker~!

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  13. Love her sparkle! ADOARABLE!

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  14. Joshua # 5 has the bluest eyes...

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  15. Bria Mae is such a charming baby and is just loaded with personality. She is just BEAUTIFUL!!!

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  16. When I vote, the screen doesn't change, or tell me that my vote was recorded. I hope it goes through.

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  17. There were so many good ones! I picked Ellee because she was the only kid who gave back to her community! What a smart and great kid! Thanks Ellee for doing your part to help our furry friends!

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  18. I vote James!!! The cutest little stinker to ever come out of Idaho! Marsha

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  19. Oh my goodness Chandelle is gorgeous!

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  20. Pick Chandelle that is the sweetest picture I have ever seen. And she is beautiful.....

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  21. Go joshua! We love you. Your my little man and you got thisq

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  22. Joshua #5 won my heart! Absolutely awesome blue eyes.

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  23. those big blue eyes belong to my amazing grandson! Joshua no matter what happens on here u are the cutest in grandmas heart

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  24. Well in anti mistys eyes he is my angel eyes. He has the biggest blue eyes and a smile that would brighten anyones day..... he is a gift from god and a I'm thankful to have him in our lives. I love seeing him smile at me so big because it reinsures me that he loves me sooooooooooooooooooooo much. And I injoy every moment with u joshua.

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  25. Ellee - what a kind, giving soul! The world needs more little girls like Ellee! She sure has my vote!!!!

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  26. mister Reese is my favorite!!!! Go little guy go! XOXO love you

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  27. thats a big smile you got on your face Josh. great job!

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  28. adeline #11 is ALWAYS smiling and such a happy baby!!! Absolutely beautiful girl!!!

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  29. Ellee is beautiful inside and out!!!

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  30. HAYVEN IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND HAPPY LITTLE GIRL,EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD SUCH A HARD BEGINING

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  31. Tyler is such a beautiful all-american little boy, he just looks so happy. GO TYLER!!!

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  32. i voted joshua! cutie!

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  33. Ellee you are truely an inspiration to everyone around you!

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  34. We voted for Chandelle, she looks like a doll. So sweet.

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  35. I voted for Chandelle also, the innocence of that picture captures a child's true inner beauty. She is just so cute.

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  36. Go Baby James...u little STINKER!

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  37. Reese is the cutest baby ever.....Come one big boy....Good Luck.

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  38. I voted Connor!!! HE is awsome and cutie little boy!!!

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