If you are a WA state registered voter...this site's for you. Check it out:
www.truelobby.com
Be sure to click on the link to the KVI broadcast on the lower left side of the home page. Kirby Wilber's interview of Mike Sherstad gives a great explanation of how the website works.
This website is for ALL voters regardless of your political preference. It's designed to help the voter have a voice again. And it's FREE!
If you aren't from WA state, it's still worth checking out. It just might come to your state next!
BTW, I just have to mention that the creator of this site, Mike Sherstad, is my brother, my friend, a great husband and dad to his family, and an awesome uncle to our children!!! ;o)
Showing posts with label Misc.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Misc.. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Check out cakewrecks
I LOVE this site:
Cakewrecks
It's always good for a laugh. Except for Sundays. I think Sundays are my favorite because instead of posting cake wrecks, she posts some of the most artistic beautiful cakes I've ever seen. I just wish there was a way we could taste them... then again, I'm glad I don't have to eat the wrecks. ;o)
Cakewrecks
It's always good for a laugh. Except for Sundays. I think Sundays are my favorite because instead of posting cake wrecks, she posts some of the most artistic beautiful cakes I've ever seen. I just wish there was a way we could taste them... then again, I'm glad I don't have to eat the wrecks. ;o)
Friday, December 5, 2008
Coming out to play again...
I can't believe it's been over two months since my last post. There's so much to share and yet I didn't have the energy to do it. Things are good with the family. Mac continues to blend in well. He's testing boundaries just like our other 3 kids and it was exhausting to work through some of the issues at first but I think he's starting to understand how our love and discipline go hand in hand. There are still challenges but nothing that I would say is more challenging than our other three kids right now. That could change in the future I suppose...stay tuned...
My lack of computer sharing had more to do with dh and I being hurt and struggling with the fact that churches have cliques and for the first time ever, we are just not fitting in. We moved to the island over 3 years ago (my husband grew up here) and we knew it would take time to build relationships. But...eventually you wake up one day and realize that it's been over 3 years and you're still being excluded. I don't need to go into detail. I think everyone at one time or another has felt excluded. Some days I feel the weight of it and tear up easily. Other days I have it all in perspective.
Today is one of the days I have it in perspective. As important as it is to feel that you "fit in" there are so many more important things in life. When I think of the thousands of mother's in this world who don't have enough food to feed their children or enough blankets to keep them warm, my struggles seem SO trivial. When I think of my friend MG who's husband lost his job which has the possible repercussions of them losing their foster children, my struggles seem silly. When I see God answer their prayer and provide her husband with another job already, my request to "fit in" seems so unimportant.
I am thankful for our Heavenly Father who loves us as we are. I am thankful that He sent Jesus (the miracle we celebrate this month) so He could provide a way for us to have fellowship with Him. Jesus will never exlude us and He wants to be our best friend. I am thankful for the hope we have in Him and the comfort He offers!
On another note...I know I need to update some pictures on here so that's my next project. New pictures, including the kids in their drive-in movie night cars (more on that next time). Right now, I need to join my family for our Friday night Christmas movie! ;o)
My lack of computer sharing had more to do with dh and I being hurt and struggling with the fact that churches have cliques and for the first time ever, we are just not fitting in. We moved to the island over 3 years ago (my husband grew up here) and we knew it would take time to build relationships. But...eventually you wake up one day and realize that it's been over 3 years and you're still being excluded. I don't need to go into detail. I think everyone at one time or another has felt excluded. Some days I feel the weight of it and tear up easily. Other days I have it all in perspective.
Today is one of the days I have it in perspective. As important as it is to feel that you "fit in" there are so many more important things in life. When I think of the thousands of mother's in this world who don't have enough food to feed their children or enough blankets to keep them warm, my struggles seem SO trivial. When I think of my friend MG who's husband lost his job which has the possible repercussions of them losing their foster children, my struggles seem silly. When I see God answer their prayer and provide her husband with another job already, my request to "fit in" seems so unimportant.
I am thankful for our Heavenly Father who loves us as we are. I am thankful that He sent Jesus (the miracle we celebrate this month) so He could provide a way for us to have fellowship with Him. Jesus will never exlude us and He wants to be our best friend. I am thankful for the hope we have in Him and the comfort He offers!
On another note...I know I need to update some pictures on here so that's my next project. New pictures, including the kids in their drive-in movie night cars (more on that next time). Right now, I need to join my family for our Friday night Christmas movie! ;o)
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tag!
My friend Mary Grace tagged me with this fun game!
The "rules" of the game are as follows:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag
1. I lettered in varsity football for two years in high school. I didn't actually play. However, I was at every practice, every game, coming early, staying late, etc. I was a manager/trainer for the team. There was a whole group of us. We helped set up the equipment, taped ankles and wrists and ran the footballs in and out of play during games. I'd been going to football games to watch my older brothers for as long as I could remember and wanted to participate without actually getting tackled. And no, I DIDN'T try out for the cheerleading squad. Just not my cup o' tea.
2. Growing up, I NEVER wanted to go to Africa and now I CAN'T WAIT to go back. Our trip to Ethiopia was too short. I really hope we can take the whole family on a mission trip before Splat graduates high school.
3. When I was a child, I dreamed of being an author. I wanted to write easy chapter books for children. I also wanted to be a librarian. But more than anything else, I wanted to be a wife and a mommy.
4. I like things to be very neat and organized but I'm also a perfectionist so if I don't have time to do it right, I'd rather not do it at all.
5. I should be in bed right now because the kids and I are leaving very early in the morning to go visit my parents.
6. I once started "the wave" in a movie theatre. Truly out of character for me but I was with a group of friends and we were being silly. We were newlyweds and my poor husband tried to disappear into his seat. For the record, the film broke, the lights were on and we were all sitting around for about 10 or 15 minutes while they fixed it. We did actually get the people to do it AND we were in the BIG theatre. ;o)
Now I get to tag people:
1. These are Days because she also needs to update her blog and she needs to do something fun!
2. La Vida Abundante because we're forever bonded by our boys who were roommates and classmates at Layla.
3. Steppin' Heavenward because her whole life and family just amazes me and I think her morning sickness is almost over. ;o)
4. Karleen because I just have fun reading her blog.
5. The Stitch That Makes The Sweater Perfect because her random thoughts will challenge you to look beyond yourself and follow God.
6. Life with the Triggs because she introduced me to my husband and I always like to see what's new with her. ;o)
The "rules" of the game are as follows:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag
1. I lettered in varsity football for two years in high school. I didn't actually play. However, I was at every practice, every game, coming early, staying late, etc. I was a manager/trainer for the team. There was a whole group of us. We helped set up the equipment, taped ankles and wrists and ran the footballs in and out of play during games. I'd been going to football games to watch my older brothers for as long as I could remember and wanted to participate without actually getting tackled. And no, I DIDN'T try out for the cheerleading squad. Just not my cup o' tea.
2. Growing up, I NEVER wanted to go to Africa and now I CAN'T WAIT to go back. Our trip to Ethiopia was too short. I really hope we can take the whole family on a mission trip before Splat graduates high school.
3. When I was a child, I dreamed of being an author. I wanted to write easy chapter books for children. I also wanted to be a librarian. But more than anything else, I wanted to be a wife and a mommy.
4. I like things to be very neat and organized but I'm also a perfectionist so if I don't have time to do it right, I'd rather not do it at all.
5. I should be in bed right now because the kids and I are leaving very early in the morning to go visit my parents.
6. I once started "the wave" in a movie theatre. Truly out of character for me but I was with a group of friends and we were being silly. We were newlyweds and my poor husband tried to disappear into his seat. For the record, the film broke, the lights were on and we were all sitting around for about 10 or 15 minutes while they fixed it. We did actually get the people to do it AND we were in the BIG theatre. ;o)
Now I get to tag people:
1. These are Days because she also needs to update her blog and she needs to do something fun!
2. La Vida Abundante because we're forever bonded by our boys who were roommates and classmates at Layla.
3. Steppin' Heavenward because her whole life and family just amazes me and I think her morning sickness is almost over. ;o)
4. Karleen because I just have fun reading her blog.
5. The Stitch That Makes The Sweater Perfect because her random thoughts will challenge you to look beyond yourself and follow God.
6. Life with the Triggs because she introduced me to my husband and I always like to see what's new with her. ;o)
Friday, May 23, 2008
Please Pray for Steven Curtis Chapman and Family
My heart is so sad for the family of Steven Curtis Chapman.
Their 5 year old daughter was struck in their driveway and passed away Wednesday evening. The SUV was being driven by one of their teenage sons who did not see her. It is such a sad and tragic accident.
There's a lovely picture of their family and link to a video of them washing the dishes together at his website: Steven Curtis Chapman
Please keep them in your prayers.
Their 5 year old daughter was struck in their driveway and passed away Wednesday evening. The SUV was being driven by one of their teenage sons who did not see her. It is such a sad and tragic accident.
There's a lovely picture of their family and link to a video of them washing the dishes together at his website: Steven Curtis Chapman
Please keep them in your prayers.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Did you notice?
I posted new pics on the side of my blog. As a safety precaution I've chosen not to share our children's names which is why I often refer to them as ds/8, dd/6, dd/5 and MAC. We do however, have love names for each of our children. Love names are fun nick names that we've given each of them. I've already been using MAC's love name on my blog so I decided to go ahead and start referring to our other children by their love names as well. To check out their love names, just look at the pics on the side.
On another note, I hope to regularly post pics and events again soon. Things may be a little crazy for the next couple weeks. In the next two weeks alone we have 2 soccer practices, 1 local parade performance, 1 not so local parade performance, 1 tea party, 1 concert on mother's day, 4 overnight guests that evening, 1 field trip to the Children's museum, 1 birthday party, the last night of Awana to prepare for which includes the Awana store, Awana Sunday to organize & prepare and Awana awards night to put together. This doesn't include our normally scheduled hours of school, extra curriculars, bookkeeping and any other curve balls that life may throw at us.
So, please be patient with me. I *will* get back to my blog eventually and I may even post pics from a few of our events if I can find the time... Right now, I need to go catch some zzz's.
On another note, I hope to regularly post pics and events again soon. Things may be a little crazy for the next couple weeks. In the next two weeks alone we have 2 soccer practices, 1 local parade performance, 1 not so local parade performance, 1 tea party, 1 concert on mother's day, 4 overnight guests that evening, 1 field trip to the Children's museum, 1 birthday party, the last night of Awana to prepare for which includes the Awana store, Awana Sunday to organize & prepare and Awana awards night to put together. This doesn't include our normally scheduled hours of school, extra curriculars, bookkeeping and any other curve balls that life may throw at us.
So, please be patient with me. I *will* get back to my blog eventually and I may even post pics from a few of our events if I can find the time... Right now, I need to go catch some zzz's.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Power Outages
Addis Ababa currently has power outages every third day from 7 am to 9 pm. This has been going on for awhile now. It's not expected to improve until the dams are full again. They are close to the rainy season so the water is coming but it will probably take a couple months to regain full power.
This definitely can slow things down in the adoption process. Although the slow downs are disappointing, we are comfortable while we wait. We have a dry, warm house to spend time in. Clean water at the faucet. A constant supply of electricity.
We have experienced power outages. More than enough during the wind storms last winter. But...we've never had to experience months of mandatory power outages. I can only imagine how frustrating it is. It is surely an inconvience at best for those who live in Addis Ababa.
Lack of power due to lack of water means so much more for those in rural areas of Ethiopia. They need water to grow crops, to water & feed their animals and most importantly, to provide for their families.
As I sit here typing this, I wonder... How many of these people still need to find the living water? Need to discover God's power in their lives? Thankfully, His water, His power never runs out. There is never a need for mandatory outages. He provides an unending supply.
Pray for the people of Ethiopia. Pray that God would provide the rain they need. More importantly, pray that lost people all around the world would find the true source of power through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
This definitely can slow things down in the adoption process. Although the slow downs are disappointing, we are comfortable while we wait. We have a dry, warm house to spend time in. Clean water at the faucet. A constant supply of electricity.
We have experienced power outages. More than enough during the wind storms last winter. But...we've never had to experience months of mandatory power outages. I can only imagine how frustrating it is. It is surely an inconvience at best for those who live in Addis Ababa.
Lack of power due to lack of water means so much more for those in rural areas of Ethiopia. They need water to grow crops, to water & feed their animals and most importantly, to provide for their families.
As I sit here typing this, I wonder... How many of these people still need to find the living water? Need to discover God's power in their lives? Thankfully, His water, His power never runs out. There is never a need for mandatory outages. He provides an unending supply.
Pray for the people of Ethiopia. Pray that God would provide the rain they need. More importantly, pray that lost people all around the world would find the true source of power through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Kasoa Orphanage Update
This post came across this morning from AAI (posted here w/ permission):
Dear AAIEthiopia and AAIGhana friends,
A very huge THANK YOU from AAI for the incredible response to our desire to help the Kasoa Orphanage in Ghana! You will all be happy to know that, because of your generosity, we have raised enough money to provide a borehole/water filters for the orphanage as well as continuing food aid for at least the next nine months. That orphanage has given AAI 15 children to date who will be placed for adoption and we anticipate a growing relationship with Kasoa. It's nice to know that all the children there will be healthier and happier because of our efforts. I hope that Anita will be able to get some more photos soon to share with the AAI yahoo groups but for now we are all set with donations and deeply grateful. One amazing thing about this fundraiser is that we received donations from people we had never heard of. I suspect that's because a number of you put the word out on your wonderful blogs. A number of these new donors indicated that they'd like to get our newsletter and learn more about what AAI is doing. Great!
Sincerely,
Susan Poisson-Dollar
AAI Director of Development
To those of you who got involved through either prayer or donation, Thank You! If you would like to get AAI's monthly newsletter, you can sign up here.
Dear AAIEthiopia and AAIGhana friends,
A very huge THANK YOU from AAI for the incredible response to our desire to help the Kasoa Orphanage in Ghana! You will all be happy to know that, because of your generosity, we have raised enough money to provide a borehole/water filters for the orphanage as well as continuing food aid for at least the next nine months. That orphanage has given AAI 15 children to date who will be placed for adoption and we anticipate a growing relationship with Kasoa. It's nice to know that all the children there will be healthier and happier because of our efforts. I hope that Anita will be able to get some more photos soon to share with the AAI yahoo groups but for now we are all set with donations and deeply grateful. One amazing thing about this fundraiser is that we received donations from people we had never heard of. I suspect that's because a number of you put the word out on your wonderful blogs. A number of these new donors indicated that they'd like to get our newsletter and learn more about what AAI is doing. Great!
Sincerely,
Susan Poisson-Dollar
AAI Director of Development
To those of you who got involved through either prayer or donation, Thank You! If you would like to get AAI's monthly newsletter, you can sign up here.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Thursdays Before the Throne
Proverbs 22:9 "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."
Galatians 2:10 "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."
Psalm 140:12 "I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy."
A couple days ago, Merrily Ripley, the director of AAI posted the following (reposted w/ her permission):
Ghana
I am feeling sad but thankful. Today we got the following message from our coordinator in Ghana regarding an orphanage that has sent us some children for placement.
THE CONDITION AT KASOA IS PATHETIC , THEY DON'T HAVE FOOD THERE AND THEY ARE FORCED TO PREPARED BANKU AND THEY STARTED RUNNING TILL TODAY.
("running" is diarrhea, banku is a corn porridge mixed with cassava, is very cheap but has almost no nutritional value) The children that this orphanage has sent to us have had terrible parasites due to the contaminated water supply. I told Anita to send our staff grocery shopping for fruit, eggs, and chicken and to buy drinkable water for them. Fortunately we had an extra $500 on hand so there will be no delay. It is so hard to think of kids suffering because there is not good food or water available. We had plans to raise money so a borehole for water could be drilled for them. It looks like this project moves into the urgent category. I am thankful we have folks who care.
Merrily then posted this:
I asked Anita to provide more information on the Kasoa Orphanage, and this is what she had to say:
This orphanage is in the Central Region of Ghana, in an area where there are many Liberian refugees. It is an impoverished area outside of Accra (the capitol). The orphanage has no regular outside funding and often struggles to feed the kids 1-2 very basic meals a day. They do not have a source for clean drinking water. When they can, the purchase "pure water sachets" for the children to drink. These are plastic bags with clean drinking water that cost around .05 each. When they don't have the funds to purchase pure water sachets, they have to use water that can be contaminated with parasites and human waste. Our goal is to install a water borehole on the property of the orphanage so that they can have safer drinking water. I would also like to purchase them at least one water filtering canister so that they can take extra precautions with the water from the well that they wish to drink. Our goal for the borehole is about $2000. The water filter can cost around $250. In addition, this children's home needs ongoing nutritional support for its children. Many of the children are at least moderately malnourished. When I was in Ghana in February I was privileged to go with our staff to pick up 5 children that were moving into our adoption program(into our Children's Home). On the way back to Eban House we stopped to get the children a good meal. The children were ages 4, 4, 7, 8, and 8 years. We got the children chicken and rice--a very common meal in Ghana. I was shocked to see that none of the children had a clue how to eat a piece of chicken. It was a foreign object to them. THAT is how bad the eating situation is at the Kasoa orphanage. So, our immediate need is for the borehole, but an ongoing project is to provide regular donations of nutritious food to the home. Your efforts towards this end are MORE than appreciated!
If you would like to make a donation go to AAI and click on the Donate Now button. Be sure to mark your donation for Ghana Children's Home. In one day, $700 has been raised. It would be great to see the rest of the funds provided for within the week!
Galatians 2:10 "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."
Psalm 140:12 "I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy."
A couple days ago, Merrily Ripley, the director of AAI posted the following (reposted w/ her permission):
Ghana
I am feeling sad but thankful. Today we got the following message from our coordinator in Ghana regarding an orphanage that has sent us some children for placement.
THE CONDITION AT KASOA IS PATHETIC , THEY DON'T HAVE FOOD THERE AND THEY ARE FORCED TO PREPARED BANKU AND THEY STARTED RUNNING TILL TODAY.
("running" is diarrhea, banku is a corn porridge mixed with cassava, is very cheap but has almost no nutritional value) The children that this orphanage has sent to us have had terrible parasites due to the contaminated water supply. I told Anita to send our staff grocery shopping for fruit, eggs, and chicken and to buy drinkable water for them. Fortunately we had an extra $500 on hand so there will be no delay. It is so hard to think of kids suffering because there is not good food or water available. We had plans to raise money so a borehole for water could be drilled for them. It looks like this project moves into the urgent category. I am thankful we have folks who care.
Merrily then posted this:
I asked Anita to provide more information on the Kasoa Orphanage, and this is what she had to say:
This orphanage is in the Central Region of Ghana, in an area where there are many Liberian refugees. It is an impoverished area outside of Accra (the capitol). The orphanage has no regular outside funding and often struggles to feed the kids 1-2 very basic meals a day. They do not have a source for clean drinking water. When they can, the purchase "pure water sachets" for the children to drink. These are plastic bags with clean drinking water that cost around .05 each. When they don't have the funds to purchase pure water sachets, they have to use water that can be contaminated with parasites and human waste. Our goal is to install a water borehole on the property of the orphanage so that they can have safer drinking water. I would also like to purchase them at least one water filtering canister so that they can take extra precautions with the water from the well that they wish to drink. Our goal for the borehole is about $2000. The water filter can cost around $250. In addition, this children's home needs ongoing nutritional support for its children. Many of the children are at least moderately malnourished. When I was in Ghana in February I was privileged to go with our staff to pick up 5 children that were moving into our adoption program(into our Children's Home). On the way back to Eban House we stopped to get the children a good meal. The children were ages 4, 4, 7, 8, and 8 years. We got the children chicken and rice--a very common meal in Ghana. I was shocked to see that none of the children had a clue how to eat a piece of chicken. It was a foreign object to them. THAT is how bad the eating situation is at the Kasoa orphanage. So, our immediate need is for the borehole, but an ongoing project is to provide regular donations of nutritious food to the home. Your efforts towards this end are MORE than appreciated!
If you would like to make a donation go to AAI and click on the Donate Now button. Be sure to mark your donation for Ghana Children's Home. In one day, $700 has been raised. It would be great to see the rest of the funds provided for within the week!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Hodge Podge AND Exciting News!
Well... It's been a crazy week. I missed Thurdays Before the Throne AND Show & Tell Friday. Hopefully, I can get back to those this week.
Ds/8 was in a fun musical with the Kings Kids group from church this week. They had extra rehearsals last Sunday & Thursday as well as the normal rehearsal on Tuesday. Performances were on Friday night and Sunday morning. It was SO funny but they also did a great job of sharing the gospel. Our local high school football coach was the main character which brought loads of teenagers to the audience.
We had snow this week. It's nuts! I signed dd/5 & dd/6 up for SPRING soccer. Why was I sitting in a downpour of COLD rain mixed with snow on Saturday morning? Brrrrrrr!
I was expecting our welcome bag to arrive in Ethiopia this past week. I don't think I've ever checked my e-mail SO frequently, waiting for the picture of MAC opening his bag. I found out today that they still aren't there. A family that's leaving this Thursday is taking them so HOPEFULLY he'll get it next week.
Although I was disappointed to hear MAC doesn't have his bag yet, my disappointment was short-lived. I just found out this afternoon that our paperwork has been submitted to court!!! This is VERY exciting. We should find out in the next 2-3 weeks when our court date is. I'm predicting the last week of May or 1st week of June but I really have no idea. We're praying that we can pass court the first time. Once we do pass court, we're given an embassy date which we use to set up travel arrangements. Most families are traveling approximately 5 weeks after passing court.
Ds/8 was in a fun musical with the Kings Kids group from church this week. They had extra rehearsals last Sunday & Thursday as well as the normal rehearsal on Tuesday. Performances were on Friday night and Sunday morning. It was SO funny but they also did a great job of sharing the gospel. Our local high school football coach was the main character which brought loads of teenagers to the audience.
We had snow this week. It's nuts! I signed dd/5 & dd/6 up for SPRING soccer. Why was I sitting in a downpour of COLD rain mixed with snow on Saturday morning? Brrrrrrr!
I was expecting our welcome bag to arrive in Ethiopia this past week. I don't think I've ever checked my e-mail SO frequently, waiting for the picture of MAC opening his bag. I found out today that they still aren't there. A family that's leaving this Thursday is taking them so HOPEFULLY he'll get it next week.
Although I was disappointed to hear MAC doesn't have his bag yet, my disappointment was short-lived. I just found out this afternoon that our paperwork has been submitted to court!!! This is VERY exciting. We should find out in the next 2-3 weeks when our court date is. I'm predicting the last week of May or 1st week of June but I really have no idea. We're praying that we can pass court the first time. Once we do pass court, we're given an embassy date which we use to set up travel arrangements. Most families are traveling approximately 5 weeks after passing court.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Show & Tell Friday
Welcome to my salt & pepper collection:
Most of these belonged to my mom when she was young. I love the little patriotic set and the praying girls. The cowboy boots are a lot of fun too!
The piano was one of my favorites as a child. Can you tell I took lessons? I love the little hugging ducks too.
I've always liked the toaster set and the Christmas geese are just darling! The book set in the back includes a sugar holder as well.This collection sat in a box for years. It was a lot of fun to find a place to display them and set them free. :0)
Thanks for stopping by! Stop by Kelli's House to find more show & tell sites.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
RUN to the Video Store & Rent This:
God Grew Tired of Us
Dh & I rented this on Saturday. It was SO well done and very educational. If you have children in Jr. High or up, they should see this movie too. For younger ones...preview it first. We did decide to let our dc watch it the following day. We discussed it with them first so they were prepared for some of the images they saw. The movie/documentary was surprisingly funny at times which helped lighten the heavy content. It's about the Lost Boys of Sudan and specifically follows three young men in their journey to America. It is so hard to look at my 3 dc and realize that many of the Lost Boys were the same age as them when they were separated from their families, trying to survive on their own.
Dh & I rented this on Saturday. It was SO well done and very educational. If you have children in Jr. High or up, they should see this movie too. For younger ones...preview it first. We did decide to let our dc watch it the following day. We discussed it with them first so they were prepared for some of the images they saw. The movie/documentary was surprisingly funny at times which helped lighten the heavy content. It's about the Lost Boys of Sudan and specifically follows three young men in their journey to America. It is so hard to look at my 3 dc and realize that many of the Lost Boys were the same age as them when they were separated from their families, trying to survive on their own.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Updates
I've been neglecting my blog! There are so many things that I should have been posting about this week...many that should have pictures but, between sick kids, sick dh & sore throat, I just haven't been able to find the time to load them all up. So....here's what's been happening:
Last Wednesday, dd/4 became dd/5. She has been talking about her birthday for a whole year and the poor thing got sick! She was feeling a little better on Wednesday so we went ahead with her birthday dinner, presents, etc. Thankfully, her "movie party" was scheduled for the following Sunday so she had time to get her energy back.
On Friday, she went to build-a-bear with dh's parents. She made a PINK bunny with rainbow feet & ears who's wearing a PINK outfit & PINK sandals and carries a PINK purse. Why is her room BLUE? LOL!
On Sunday, we picked up her friend and headed across the ferry to have her "movie party." The ferry dock was under repair so we ended up sitting in line for over 2 hours! The girls had been looking forward to it for so long that we didn't feel we could postpone so we sat. I told dh, "chalk it up as one of those things we just do for our kids because we love them! :0)" When we FINALLY got across the water, we went to see "Horton Hears a Who" and then ended the day with dinner at IHOP with their "Horton Hears a Who" menu items. Unfortunately, the family we were going to meet on the otherside had come down with the "crud" that's going around and weren't able to join us. Overall, though dd/5 had a wonderful time and definitely felt celebrated!
Saturday was our day of Awana competition. Dh & I coached both the Sparks-A-Rama team and the boys T&T team. Both teams took 3rd place on their circle. The kids all seemed to have a great time. Due to the "crud" that's going around we ended up short a few players for each team. Thankfully the ministry team were able to get a couple kids to join our teams allowing us to compete.
My brother & his family were there as my niece was competing with her church's club so it was fun to see them. Her brother, my nephew, had just flown home from West Point the night before so it was a real treat to see him too! S (my niece) was competing for her last time in the Awana games so it was extra special to see her team take 1st place!
Another exciting thing happened this past week. One of the boys in Ethiopia that dh & I have been praying for has a family! My friend in NC and her dh were led to adopt this particular child and my prayers have been answered exceedingly, abundantly above all I could hope or imagine for this child. It would be SO neat if we get to travel to Ethiopia to pick up our sons at the same time!
On our end of things, paperwork is moving! We received, signed & sent back our placement papers for MAC. The immigration papers have been sent out and our dossier was being assembled for delivery to Ethiopia. We just found out that a boy in MAC's class at Layla has been adopted by a family that lives about 2-3 hours from us so we're hoping to plan some get togethers once they're both home. Now, we're waiting on paper processing, group assignment, court date, etc. It'll be fun to get MAC & ds/8's room ready, while we're waiting. I have SO many things I'd like to get done. Hopefully, it will help make the time go by fast.
Oh...I should also mention that dd/6 FINALLY has her desk in her bedroom. Dh put it in her room on 3/9 and she's VERY excited!
Whew! I think that's everything I wanted to update for the week. If there's something I forgot, I'll be sure to blog later! :0)
Last Wednesday, dd/4 became dd/5. She has been talking about her birthday for a whole year and the poor thing got sick! She was feeling a little better on Wednesday so we went ahead with her birthday dinner, presents, etc. Thankfully, her "movie party" was scheduled for the following Sunday so she had time to get her energy back.
On Friday, she went to build-a-bear with dh's parents. She made a PINK bunny with rainbow feet & ears who's wearing a PINK outfit & PINK sandals and carries a PINK purse. Why is her room BLUE? LOL!
On Sunday, we picked up her friend and headed across the ferry to have her "movie party." The ferry dock was under repair so we ended up sitting in line for over 2 hours! The girls had been looking forward to it for so long that we didn't feel we could postpone so we sat. I told dh, "chalk it up as one of those things we just do for our kids because we love them! :0)" When we FINALLY got across the water, we went to see "Horton Hears a Who" and then ended the day with dinner at IHOP with their "Horton Hears a Who" menu items. Unfortunately, the family we were going to meet on the otherside had come down with the "crud" that's going around and weren't able to join us. Overall, though dd/5 had a wonderful time and definitely felt celebrated!
Saturday was our day of Awana competition. Dh & I coached both the Sparks-A-Rama team and the boys T&T team. Both teams took 3rd place on their circle. The kids all seemed to have a great time. Due to the "crud" that's going around we ended up short a few players for each team. Thankfully the ministry team were able to get a couple kids to join our teams allowing us to compete.
My brother & his family were there as my niece was competing with her church's club so it was fun to see them. Her brother, my nephew, had just flown home from West Point the night before so it was a real treat to see him too! S (my niece) was competing for her last time in the Awana games so it was extra special to see her team take 1st place!
Another exciting thing happened this past week. One of the boys in Ethiopia that dh & I have been praying for has a family! My friend in NC and her dh were led to adopt this particular child and my prayers have been answered exceedingly, abundantly above all I could hope or imagine for this child. It would be SO neat if we get to travel to Ethiopia to pick up our sons at the same time!
On our end of things, paperwork is moving! We received, signed & sent back our placement papers for MAC. The immigration papers have been sent out and our dossier was being assembled for delivery to Ethiopia. We just found out that a boy in MAC's class at Layla has been adopted by a family that lives about 2-3 hours from us so we're hoping to plan some get togethers once they're both home. Now, we're waiting on paper processing, group assignment, court date, etc. It'll be fun to get MAC & ds/8's room ready, while we're waiting. I have SO many things I'd like to get done. Hopefully, it will help make the time go by fast.
Oh...I should also mention that dd/6 FINALLY has her desk in her bedroom. Dh put it in her room on 3/9 and she's VERY excited!
Whew! I think that's everything I wanted to update for the week. If there's something I forgot, I'll be sure to blog later! :0)
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
5*5*5*5*5*Book MeMe
I've been tagged!!!
Karolyn tagged me to do a 5*5*5*5*5*Book MeMe.
Here's what you have to do....
*1* Get your favorite book
*2* Turn to page 55
*3* From the top of the page, count down to the 5th sentence
*4* Write it and the following four (a grand total of 5 sentences)
*5* Tag 5 more people
I LOVE to read but I sat on this for a couple days because I could NOT decide which book to use. I finally decided to use my favorite Bible. It's the book that I've read the most over the years & of course, depending on which Bible you have, you may end up with completely different verses. Amazingly enough, this is the story the kids and I are studying right now with our Bible lessons.
"During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure. Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On." Genesis 41:47-51
Here's the 5 I'm tagging:
Kim
Julie
Karleen
Angela
MaryGrace
Karolyn tagged me to do a 5*5*5*5*5*Book MeMe.
Here's what you have to do....
*1* Get your favorite book
*2* Turn to page 55
*3* From the top of the page, count down to the 5th sentence
*4* Write it and the following four (a grand total of 5 sentences)
*5* Tag 5 more people
I LOVE to read but I sat on this for a couple days because I could NOT decide which book to use. I finally decided to use my favorite Bible. It's the book that I've read the most over the years & of course, depending on which Bible you have, you may end up with completely different verses. Amazingly enough, this is the story the kids and I are studying right now with our Bible lessons.
"During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure. Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On." Genesis 41:47-51
Here's the 5 I'm tagging:
Kim
Julie
Karleen
Angela
MaryGrace
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, December 8, 2007
It's Official! I'm Blogging!
Okay...I guess it's about time a started a blog. Since we decided last September to enter the adoption journey, I've been reading several blogs. I enjoy gaining pearls of wisdom from others who are on the same journey. I also see this as an opportunity for loved ones to be able to see where we are in the process on any given day.
I'm not 100% sure how to make this password protected just yet so I will probably be vague when using names (to protect the innocent).
Want to know why I'm using such a large font? That's my gift to the loved ones in our lives who's sight is slightly fleeting.
I'm not sure that I'll remember to post EVERY day but I will try to keep this updated as much as possible.
My next post: How the Lord led us on this journey called adoption!
I'm not 100% sure how to make this password protected just yet so I will probably be vague when using names (to protect the innocent).
Want to know why I'm using such a large font? That's my gift to the loved ones in our lives who's sight is slightly fleeting.
I'm not sure that I'll remember to post EVERY day but I will try to keep this updated as much as possible.
My next post: How the Lord led us on this journey called adoption!
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