WILL YOU HELP??

A wonderful lady at covenantbuilders.blogspot.com has started a fundraiser called The Mulligan Stew Giveaway. They are working tirelessly to raise money for 6 families who are adopting children with special needs from one of the worst orphanages in EE. These children are in need of major medical attention and the families are working to raise the ransom to get them out. Knowing that the need for money only increases when you reach the States and get to the medical care, this woman is yelling for these children who don't have a voice. She is trying to help these families who have committed to taking on the challenges ahead, some for the rest of their lives.

So, here's the challenge. An anonymous donor will donate an extra $500 to two very special girls accounts if they can get over their goal in the next 3 days. These girls are 15 and due to be deemed "unadoptable" within months. Once they turn 16 they will NEVER see the outside of the mental institution they are in. There will never be hope of getting out and living normal lives. There is nowhere in their society for these precious children. Their names are "Laurel" and "Harmony" below you will find a picture of Laurel. We are not allowed to share the picture of Harmony but you can go to the blog: www.covenantbuilders.blogspot.com and see her picture there. I challenge you to go and read the write ups on the kids and see the pictures. Go and donate $5 or $10 to one of these girls accounts. Having been through this before we know how much every bit counts. These girls deserve a life outside of those walls. They deserve good medical care. They deserve to have a voice!!

Girl, born August 1996

Laurel has arthrogryposis — and look at that beautiful smile!

She’s already 15 years old, and has less than 6 months (from January 2012) to be adopted, or she loses all hope for a future.

Laurel is blessed to be in a very good older child orphanage for those with mostly physical disabilities. Her orphanage has been supported by many humanitarian aid groups, and offers child sponsorship programs and trips for these children. Laurel does face transfer to an adult mental institution SOON, and at 16 she will no longer legally be able to be adopted at all. We simply can not let this happen to her.

Our facilitation team has met Laurel…she is very smart and friendly, and she SO wants a family of her own. Laurel is in a region which often waives the 10 day waiting period!

An additional $3000 grant is available to help with Laurel’s adoption (above and beyond her RR funds)

Larger families and older parents welcome. Must be home study approved to commit.

GQ in' It.

I've been fiddlin' with the settings on my camera and figured out I actually have a black/white setting= who knew!- and decided to take the babies to John & Rach's house for a photo shoot. Now to explain my daughter running around with no shirt on.... well no explanation really, it was HOT and she saw Noah taking his off and was not to be outdone. They were running around like nuts playing until the camera came out and then they were all business looking appropriately board. I thought they turned out pretty good, my little GQ models!

LIFE LESSONS FROM HENNY PENNY

The Cast- being silly
Pat Cat & Liddy Kitty

We made it!! Noah was in his first play ever... "Henny Penny" and he did a great job. There were lots of practices leading up to in the last 2 weeks but he was a tropper. All of the kids did fantastic! I'm so proud of them. They worked hard to make sure the message of the play was presented.... "It doesn't matter what you eat or drink, or what you're wearing. Just seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you." These little homeschoolers were preaching a sermon up on stage. They've worked hard with no complaining or arguing which, by the way, was the awesome sermon our preacher preached today. "Do EVERYTHING without complaining or arguing." As a church we've been reading through the Old Testament. We've just come through in Numbers where the children of Israel allowed grumbling and complaining to infiltrate the camp. God's punishment was very harsh and He would have wiped them all out had Moses not interceded. He reminded us that the same would be true of us if we hadn't had someone intercede for us. Jesus was our intercessor. Terry challenged all heads of households to be the example of being a person of FAITH instead of complaining or arguing when things get hard or don't go your way. By doing this it will help the marriages, then the family, the church and eventually filter out to the world so people will actually want to hear what we say about Christ.

The challenge was simple: Don't be known for complaining and arguing. God deals harshly with those that do. Don't "forget" what Christ did for us on the cross. If we all "remember" that the wages of sin is death... then we all deserve death. That puts lots of things in perspective especially in times where we feel we "deserve" something different.

What an AWESOME weekend. Lots of good family around and good fellowship with our church family. Thank you Lord for your blessings.

The Taxi.... run right out and get it!

So, in exciting news, my Mama, the best Mama in the world :) has a hidden talent that she doesn't tell a lot of people, but it is a talent. She has written several little things like poems etc... but has been working on this book for a few years. Well, the books been done but it has just gotten published!! Book #2 is now in the pipe as well. So run right out and grab it. She wanted to write Christian fiction that wasn't silly and had some depth to it but would also appeal to a larger audience. I've read the book (and intend to read it again) and think she's done just that. I'm totally proud of her for using her talents to glorify the Lord. Happy reading! Oh and it's under her pen name which is her maiden name.

The Taxi is available through amazon.com (paperback and Kindle version), barnesandnoble.com, christianbooks.com and oaktara.com (to name a few outlets).

WALKS

We've taken advantage of the beautiful March weather and gone on some walks. We went yesterday to Aunt Rach's house and walked around the gorgeous pastures. The kids got hot so both had to take their shirts off! Please forgive Laurel's 70's haircut. We are desperately trying to grow it out but it is due a shaping up. These pics were actually an experiment. We have been trying to cut down on some expenses and our cell phone was one of them. In a previous post I told you how we had switched to the Straight Talk Walmart Plan. The Blackberry was $59 and for 1000 min. , 1000 texts, and 30 Mgb. of Internet it is $30 a month with NO contract. After being on it for 2 months it is AWESOME. Better reception than my old phone- I've had no dropped calls. You can get unlimited talk, text and web for just $45 a month- NO CONTRACT. Several phones to choose from that are all very reasonable. There is even a smartphone to choose from now. You can keep you old number, they switch it for you. Pretty sweet deal all together. I've yet to find a downside. Rach & John have gone on it as have my parents & Daddy's business. Anyway, try it for yourself. I think the pictures downloaded from the phone came out pretty well!

Lots of fun!

Story time before bed. Laurel loved Violet wolf. You couldn't get Noah near her.
No, Noah's eye isn't hurt.... he's practicing his winking ;)


Soccer Tryouts
A week ago we went to Great Wolf Lodge. It felt a little weird walking in with jackets on in 40 degree weather only to get in a bathing suit and swim all day for 2 days. We had a blast! The kids played themselves out in the kiddie pool and then we went down the slides. Laurel loved the slides but Noah wasn't to thrilled. He was happy to play on the jet skis. At night, they even had a bedtime story that you went to in your pajamas!

Today Noah had his Soccer Evaluation for Upward Soccer. It was FREEZING but he had so much fun! I can't wait to watch him run around with all the other little kids. That's about it for now. Busy week b/c Noah's play is in a week and a half and we have play practice a lot this week and weekend. Bye for now.

Perspective..

It's only Wednesday!! What else can we squeeze into this week??!!! Yesterday I just MIGHT have been heard asking Mike this question. The week started out great. Sunday we took a mini vacation to the Great Wolf Lodge (pictures to come!!). We had a blast! On our way home my Dad told us that my Great Uncle CB had died. It was a shock b/c he was in the hospital but doing better. I loved this man, Mike loved him as well. He was a quiet, funny unassuming man. He brought me, my mom & Rachael gardenias in little plastic cups for weeks in the summer when his bush was blooming. Mike loved talking "war' with him. You'd have to pull it out of him but he was a WWII POW. This man was 90 but went to the store 3 times a day. Anyway, you get the gist. We'll miss him. So Wed. we buried him. It's ok though because when we told Noah he died he said " It's ok Mommy, I got happy tears. He's in heaven now." PERSPECTIVE.

EARLY Thursday morning the tree men descended upon our yard cutting down 2 of our 150 + yr. old trees. Made me sad but they were not safe & we are wanting to add on to the house so it can't be helped. However, it really looks pretty good and we won't have to worry about them during storms anymore. But, then at 3pm something cool happened. The missionary couple who really helped us out in Ukraine when we were adopting Laurel are on their furlough AND IN NC!!! They wanted to swing by and see us. It all worked out and a few hrs. later they were here & able to have dinner with us. It was such a blessing to see these wonderful people again who are using their lives to help share Jesus with the orphans of Ukraine. PERSPECTIVE.

The Lord has been working on us lately about what is really important. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in meetings and errands and checking off the boxes and missing the whole point all together. WHY do we do the meetings, errands and check marks? It's about People. The souls who need the help, who need the Good News. The Lord is changing our Perspective. It isn't easy, ask soon as we surrender and try to change you can be sure the going will get tough. But our prayer is that the Lord will keep using us, keep molding us to make us in His image and ultimately have HIS Perspective.

Funny Noahism: Today Noah was asking me what a "butler" was. So I explained to him it is someone who is paid to open the door for someone and bring them their food & drink and help take care of them. Noah eyes light up and he says "Oh, so you and Daddy are my Butler"! Hmmm.....