Thursday, August 2, 2012
Let's Here It For Santa Fe Baking Company!!!
I was told today that Santa Fe Baking Company donated 200 brownies for our Silent Auction!!!! And iced tea for 200 people!! Who does that? If you are in the area, you should go check them out. Their address is 504 W Cordova in Santa Fe. And you can look at their website here. You can mention that you appreciate their support of local adoptions!!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Twisted, Ugly, Beautiful
I got a very exciting text from Heather at Adoptions Plus (our agency), today. She told me that Elsie and Ki's mom relinquished her parental rights yesterday! This means that she appeared before a judge and gave up her rights as a parent! And while I am really excited that we are moving in the right direction and that God is paving the way...I'm kind of sad too.
I'm sad for the mama. I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think she is doing this because she loves those kids. Can you imagine getting to that point? Can you imagine contemplating at night while the kids sleep how you are going to provide enough food for everyone and then coming to the conclusion that if you want all of them to live, you have got to give some of them away. And after hugging them close, walking them to an orphanage you've heard will take good care of them? Then, as if that nightmare isn't enough, having to appear in court before a judge and give away all your power over those children? That is what Mama U had to do over the past weeks and days. I hurt for her. I hurt for the other children in the family who don't have their baby brother and sister anymore.
I'm sad for those two precious babies too. They don't know exactly how their lives are changing but they know they are. And it is not what they want. They haven't seen their mama U for weeks now. And while they are getting more food, they ache for home. They loved that floor they used to crawl on. They long for those familiar voices singing and talking around them. They are waiting for her to come walking in. But she is not coming.
And the only good news in this whole deal is that we are coming. We all know I'm not going to look like mama U. And I'm not going to cook like mama U, or smell like mama U, or sound like her either. But, I'm coming. And I'm going to scoop those babies up and love them with all my heart. And I'm going to teach them all I know, and wipe away their tears, and give them my eyes, and provide for them the best I can. And they will get our name too. They are going to be Grassmicks very soon. The youngest of our clan. And not only do they get me and the best daddy in the universe, they will get big-sister-second-mommy Emma, and teach-them-the-rules Johnny, and I'll-make-you-smile Annie, and ya-wanna-save-the-world-with-me? Anderson. And we are going to be a family. A family that looks to Jesus to provide what we need and even what we want sometimes too.
I know a new family isn't what Elsie and Ki want right now. But it is what they need.
And at the end of a sad day for mama U, God is answering her selfless prayer. That there would be a family to take these beauties home and do with them what she can't. And I get to be apart of this twisted, ugly, beautiful story.
I'm sad for the mama. I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think she is doing this because she loves those kids. Can you imagine getting to that point? Can you imagine contemplating at night while the kids sleep how you are going to provide enough food for everyone and then coming to the conclusion that if you want all of them to live, you have got to give some of them away. And after hugging them close, walking them to an orphanage you've heard will take good care of them? Then, as if that nightmare isn't enough, having to appear in court before a judge and give away all your power over those children? That is what Mama U had to do over the past weeks and days. I hurt for her. I hurt for the other children in the family who don't have their baby brother and sister anymore.
I'm sad for those two precious babies too. They don't know exactly how their lives are changing but they know they are. And it is not what they want. They haven't seen their mama U for weeks now. And while they are getting more food, they ache for home. They loved that floor they used to crawl on. They long for those familiar voices singing and talking around them. They are waiting for her to come walking in. But she is not coming.
And the only good news in this whole deal is that we are coming. We all know I'm not going to look like mama U. And I'm not going to cook like mama U, or smell like mama U, or sound like her either. But, I'm coming. And I'm going to scoop those babies up and love them with all my heart. And I'm going to teach them all I know, and wipe away their tears, and give them my eyes, and provide for them the best I can. And they will get our name too. They are going to be Grassmicks very soon. The youngest of our clan. And not only do they get me and the best daddy in the universe, they will get big-sister-second-mommy Emma, and teach-them-the-rules Johnny, and I'll-make-you-smile Annie, and ya-wanna-save-the-world-with-me? Anderson. And we are going to be a family. A family that looks to Jesus to provide what we need and even what we want sometimes too.
I know a new family isn't what Elsie and Ki want right now. But it is what they need.
And at the end of a sad day for mama U, God is answering her selfless prayer. That there would be a family to take these beauties home and do with them what she can't. And I get to be apart of this twisted, ugly, beautiful story.
African Nation: No Kissing
I was doing my nightly check of Yahoo! tonight while we were watching the Olympics. I came across this news article. The title grabbed my attention: African Nation: No Kissing. When I clicked on it, I saw the name Uganda almost immediately. The next word I saw was Ebola. My stomach sank.
14 people have died from Ebola in Uganda over the past several weeks. They are getting it by basic human contact: handshaking, kissing, or in my mind: being held by someone and then sucking your thumb. My babies are in an orphanage in the capital city of Kampala. One victim of the disease was taken to a major hospital in Kampala. They are trying to control this. They have 24 workers that are in "isolation" because they may have come in contact with the virus. Please pray that this would not spread and that it won't take any more lives. And you know what I'm thinking...pray that it will stay far away from Elsie and Ki.
Lord, keep our babies safe tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after that...until we bring them home. Protect them. Hide them in You. Kill this virus, I know it is not of You. Bless Elsie and Ki with health and love and hope. Thank You for loving them more than I do.
14 people have died from Ebola in Uganda over the past several weeks. They are getting it by basic human contact: handshaking, kissing, or in my mind: being held by someone and then sucking your thumb. My babies are in an orphanage in the capital city of Kampala. One victim of the disease was taken to a major hospital in Kampala. They are trying to control this. They have 24 workers that are in "isolation" because they may have come in contact with the virus. Please pray that this would not spread and that it won't take any more lives. And you know what I'm thinking...pray that it will stay far away from Elsie and Ki.
Lord, keep our babies safe tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after that...until we bring them home. Protect them. Hide them in You. Kill this virus, I know it is not of You. Bless Elsie and Ki with health and love and hope. Thank You for loving them more than I do.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Alan Keohane at Still Images
Ait Haddidou girl with tattoo and make up
This photo is 3.5 feet by 4.5 feet and is on stretched canvas.
Alan sells this piece for $1,200. Our starting bid will be $350.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Thrice Gracious
What a difference a day makes! So, many amazing things are happening.
First of all, about 15 minutes after my soul-bearing post yesterday we got a call from someone near and dear to us asking if they could give us a $10,000 loan until after our scheduled August 12 fundraiser. Shocking. The stress of the day melted away. Getting this money ASAP means that my babies won't have to spend an extra day or an extra three weeks in an orphanage. What a load off. This one is the most amazing of the three and the best evidence that God is working to bring these babies here.
Second exciting thing is that several people that our adopting from Honduras are placing orders for our leftover Honduras Adoption t shirts...that we had just bought! We probably have close to 200 left, so if you are interested, let us know. We are selling them at a reduced price and will pay the shipping. $15 a shirt and feel free to buy as many as you want. Someone said that they were going to give them as Christmas gifts! And if you want to buy the rest of what we have, we will sell them to you at an even more reduced price ($8 per shirt). It makes a great fundraiser. You can sell for $20 each which means you profit $12 per shirt. And you are promoting adoption!
The third, and the most feel good thing that has happened is that we just got our babies birthdays and names!!! The little girl actually only has a birth month documented so far. Maybe after some digging, the orphanage will be able to give us a day but as of now we know she was born in August 2010. And the little boy was born July 19, 2011. And before I spill the names, I'll give you a tiny bit of background just so I can drag this out a little smidge longer. :) From the beginning of the adoption process Jonathan and I were very open to keeping the kids' given names as long as they weren't really hard to pronounce. And we were always committed to keeping part of their names as a first or middle name. And after hearing their names we are going to keep both first names!!!! And we will figure out their middle names later. Our new little girl's name is Elsie!!!! Precious. It means Consecrated to God. And our youngest kid's name is Hezekiah. :) Which means God Gives Strength. We love them both. We aren't sure yet, but we are naturally name shorteners and we think we might call our son Ki (long i sound). So, we have Emma, Johnny, Annie, Anderson, Elsie, and Ki. Yeah!
So, we still need to keep praying for these babes. We want them to be safe and well fed and loved on often. Don't stop.
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| Men's and Kid's shirts |
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| Women's fitted shirts |
Second exciting thing is that several people that our adopting from Honduras are placing orders for our leftover Honduras Adoption t shirts...that we had just bought! We probably have close to 200 left, so if you are interested, let us know. We are selling them at a reduced price and will pay the shipping. $15 a shirt and feel free to buy as many as you want. Someone said that they were going to give them as Christmas gifts! And if you want to buy the rest of what we have, we will sell them to you at an even more reduced price ($8 per shirt). It makes a great fundraiser. You can sell for $20 each which means you profit $12 per shirt. And you are promoting adoption!
The third, and the most feel good thing that has happened is that we just got our babies birthdays and names!!! The little girl actually only has a birth month documented so far. Maybe after some digging, the orphanage will be able to give us a day but as of now we know she was born in August 2010. And the little boy was born July 19, 2011. And before I spill the names, I'll give you a tiny bit of background just so I can drag this out a little smidge longer. :) From the beginning of the adoption process Jonathan and I were very open to keeping the kids' given names as long as they weren't really hard to pronounce. And we were always committed to keeping part of their names as a first or middle name. And after hearing their names we are going to keep both first names!!!! And we will figure out their middle names later. Our new little girl's name is Elsie!!!! Precious. It means Consecrated to God. And our youngest kid's name is Hezekiah. :) Which means God Gives Strength. We love them both. We aren't sure yet, but we are naturally name shorteners and we think we might call our son Ki (long i sound). So, we have Emma, Johnny, Annie, Anderson, Elsie, and Ki. Yeah!
So, we still need to keep praying for these babes. We want them to be safe and well fed and loved on often. Don't stop.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Entry Shock?
I have a tendency to NOT believe people when they say something is going to be hard. (Close friends and family: no snickering.) For example: when I was pregnant with my first child I heard how hard labor and delivery where going to be. And I thought, "They are wimps. I've got this." Whoa, was I ever wrong. And you'd think I'd learn that lesson by having Emma, but when I was pregnant with Johnny, I convinced myself that since he was my second that it would be a breeze birthing him. OMG. Kill me now. I thought it was never going to end. (You will be happy to know, I did adjust my expectations while pregnant with my third and fourth babies though.)
And then when we moved away from family and friends people told me it would be a tough adjustment. And I thought that I'd be gaining my freedom. It ended up being one of the hardest things I've ever done and the toughest adjustment I've had to make. The move made be realize how much of an extrovert I am and how much I need people and want people in my life.
And now with this whole adoption thing. Everyone says that waiting is so hard and gut wrenching and I secretly have thought, "Hmm, God is good and His timing is perfect. Just trust in that peeps and all will be well." At least I have never vocalized that. But now, 4 days in from accepting these Ugandan babies....I AM A MESS!!!!!!!!! And saying "God is good and His timing is perfect so trust in Him," to myself....REALLY ISN'T HELPING.
I'm so glad that in each of these phases in my life the people around me and my Father in heaven have been gracious and kind. What a prideful boob I can be! And apparently one that doesn't learn lessons the easy way. Ever. But God keeps whispering, "Be still, honey, I've got this" and He reminds me that He has plans for not only me, but for my U kids and my hubby and my NM kids and my extended family and my friends and.....He's got this. He's got this.
Lord, I need your peace. I am not a naturally anxious person. I can usually face situations with my head on straight. But this morning when I talked with one of my friends, I was completely unhelpful and tearing up at all of her questions. You might be wondering what kind of tough questions she was asking. They were simple questions that needed simple answers like "what time should we get together?" and "where are we meeting?" and "is there going to be food?" These are my kind of questions. She knew I was the person to talk to to make these decisions. If you know me on any level, you know that I am perfectly fine with making decisions and telling other people what to do. Well, not any more. I'm wondering how long this is going to last. Is it entry shock or is this going to be my state until the babies are home?
Lord, bring them home quickly. Not only to bless me, but to save all people within an arms reach of me and my decisions.
Forgive me if you have ever birthed a child and thought it was hard, and I thought you were a wimp.
Forgive me if you knew moving away from home would be hard, and I blew you off and thought you were clingy.
Forgive me if you were honest and told me that the waiting after seeing their little faces was going to be hard, and I preached to you in my mind.
I promise God is whittling away at my sin. And my sin is ugly. Thank you Lord that you are in the business of turning ugly into beautiful...or at least for some of us hard-headed people turning us from ugly to not-so-ugly.
And then when we moved away from family and friends people told me it would be a tough adjustment. And I thought that I'd be gaining my freedom. It ended up being one of the hardest things I've ever done and the toughest adjustment I've had to make. The move made be realize how much of an extrovert I am and how much I need people and want people in my life.
And now with this whole adoption thing. Everyone says that waiting is so hard and gut wrenching and I secretly have thought, "Hmm, God is good and His timing is perfect. Just trust in that peeps and all will be well." At least I have never vocalized that. But now, 4 days in from accepting these Ugandan babies....I AM A MESS!!!!!!!!! And saying "God is good and His timing is perfect so trust in Him," to myself....REALLY ISN'T HELPING.
I'm so glad that in each of these phases in my life the people around me and my Father in heaven have been gracious and kind. What a prideful boob I can be! And apparently one that doesn't learn lessons the easy way. Ever. But God keeps whispering, "Be still, honey, I've got this" and He reminds me that He has plans for not only me, but for my U kids and my hubby and my NM kids and my extended family and my friends and.....He's got this. He's got this.
Lord, I need your peace. I am not a naturally anxious person. I can usually face situations with my head on straight. But this morning when I talked with one of my friends, I was completely unhelpful and tearing up at all of her questions. You might be wondering what kind of tough questions she was asking. They were simple questions that needed simple answers like "what time should we get together?" and "where are we meeting?" and "is there going to be food?" These are my kind of questions. She knew I was the person to talk to to make these decisions. If you know me on any level, you know that I am perfectly fine with making decisions and telling other people what to do. Well, not any more. I'm wondering how long this is going to last. Is it entry shock or is this going to be my state until the babies are home?
Lord, bring them home quickly. Not only to bless me, but to save all people within an arms reach of me and my decisions.
Forgive me if you have ever birthed a child and thought it was hard, and I thought you were a wimp.
Forgive me if you knew moving away from home would be hard, and I blew you off and thought you were clingy.
Forgive me if you were honest and told me that the waiting after seeing their little faces was going to be hard, and I preached to you in my mind.
I promise God is whittling away at my sin. And my sin is ugly. Thank you Lord that you are in the business of turning ugly into beautiful...or at least for some of us hard-headed people turning us from ugly to not-so-ugly.
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