Orphan Sunday/Birthmom

Today is Orphan Sunday. Just 2 years ago my two beautiful daughters were orphans in Ethiopia.

Three years ago, my heart was pricked to explore the possibility of adoption. I laughed to myself because I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that my husband wouldn't go for that!! We already had 2 teens, a pre-teen and a 2 year old!! Why on God's green earth would we want more children?! But, miraculously, God stirred my husband's heart as well. Since my family doesn't do anything in a small way, we decided to adopt TWO older children, as we knew that it would be more difficult to find a home for older siblings.

We sped through the paperwork, jumped through the hoops and were called with the absolutely exciting news that we had a referral of two little girls, ages 6 and 2!!! We got their info....our biological daughter was also 2 and just 9 days younger than the sweet little girl being referred to us! Perfect, we thought!! :) Of course we accepted their referral!!! We fell in love with two little girls we didn't even know and it broke our hearts each day to know that they were living in an orphanage halfway around the world.

We gave very little thought to the heartbreak of another mother also living halfway around the world. A mother who took her precious daughters to an orphanage, knowing that they would have a better life, but that she would possibly never be able to see them again. (My heart aches for that mother and her two daughters just thinking about it!!! Seriously! I can't even imagine!!)

This brings me to my discussion with my now 9 year old adopted daughter today. I was posting the video that I shared on my blog after we passed court in Ethiopia on facebook. Very rarely do we watch this video, but when we do it brings back memories and stirs emotions!! We remember that despite the difficulties we face daily, we fell in love with these girls and they deserve a mother and father who will give their best to them each day! But, that's me! Selfish, me!

When Faven watches this video, she remembers her birthmom. Remember...she was 5 when she was taken to the orphanage, so she remembers her birthmom very well. Her birthmom also visited her often at the orphanage. And so, as we talked this morning about her birthmom, I had a hard time wrapping my mind around how it must feel for her to miss her mom, knowing that her mom's life is in danger from lack of food and medical care, and to try to be happy with the family and friends that God has given her. So many times, I ask God, "Why?" I'm not even sure that my "Why's" can compare to hers! Bless my little girl's heart!

I share this with you, knowing that it was a private moment. But, I also know that if these pictures can stir anyone's heart to adopt, that this mother and daughter would be ok with that!!!

Saying good-bye.....and one last hug. Can you EVEN imagine?!!

I am so glad that this beautiful, strong-willed girl is in my life!! She is a survivor!!

Thankful

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." No thanks, life.....I'll just have water. You can keep the lemons!!
"What doesn't kill you will make you stronger." WHAT?! Is that really supposed to make me feel better?!
I've learned to dislike these sayings! In my most difficult times, they've never motivated or inspired me. They make me cringe.

This being the month of Thanksgiving, I would like to focus on the wonderful things in my life. Not the lemons I was given that I had to sugar coat in order to endure nor the fact that I'm stronger because I'm not dead!

What am I thankful for now? I'm thankful for my husband making homemade pizza(yum!), my 20 year old daughter still thinking her mommy's cool, my 18 year old son getting excited about college, my 15 year old son loving his little old truck passed down from his brother, my 9 year old daughter finally 'getting' math, my 5 year olds loving school and being great friends!! I'm also thankful that our new kitty (yeah, I know, I'm a glutton for punishment!!) is playful, sweet and litter trained!!!

Painting and Roger Ebert

EXCITING news!!! For me anyway!! :) My friend, Kelly Eddington, has completed the beautiful painting of my beautiful children. If you would like to see the finished product and the story behind it, go to her website!

I am also very excited that ROGER EBERT tweeted about her post!! So.....the way I see it, Roger Ebert tweeted about a blog post about my family that linked to my blog....it kind of makes me famous! :)

Regardless of fame, I love this painting and I love these kids!!! Here are some Halloween pictures of the littles......

More Angels

In my daily devotion a couple of weeks ago, I read, "A Christian worker has to learn how to be God's man or woman of great worth and excellence in a multitude of meager and worthless things......All of God's people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them." I was able to meet many people made extraordinary by God's purpose in their lives on my trip to Washington DC with my husband to be honored as angels in adoption. Their stories continue to inspire me!!

The first people I had a chance to meet were Mary Chew and her two beautiful daughters, Ruth and Naomi. Mary had been a missionary in Haiti when she met her daughters. To read her story, go here. Her gentle spirit and patience with her daughters was amazing. They were a joy to be around!

I was also honored to meet a couple, Ben and Kim Green, who had adopted 11 children, one which had recently passed away. Their children were adopted from Korea, Liberia and the United States. I like to visit Kim's blog which describes her daily trials and blessings of an adoptive mom of many!

I met Andrea Faris Roberts from Maryland. Since giving birth to her son with Down Syndrome, she has seen the beauty that Down's children can bring to a family. In 2004, Andrea started Reece's Rainbow, an organization named after her son which was established to reach out to new birth families of babies with Down syndrome. Now Reece's Rainbow raises money as adoption grants, making it possible for families in the U.S. to afford adoption. Andrea has helped to place over 300 children with Down syndrome and other special needs from 25 countries. I voted for her as People magazine's Readers Choice "Hero of the Year". She won!

I also met David and Ann Roth from Illinois. They have an adopted daughter from Guatemala and have been fighting to bring their son home from Guatemala for 4 years!!! Ann is the co-founder and Executive Board member of the Guatemala900 organizaton working to help the hundreds of Guatemalan children whose adoptions are in limbo...awaiting their permanent homes with their US families.

This is but a glimpse into the wonderful people we met in a three day period of time. Wow...talk about emotional!! It was good to see so many people, all using their talents and following God's will toward one passion.....making a better life for children!

"I chose you......." (John 15:16)








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DC: Part 2

Oh yeah! I was supposed to write another post about DC! My name is Lori and I am a bad blogger!!! Better late than never..... BTW....if you want to see more posts, leave more comments!! I thrive on positive reinforcement!! :)

What's a trip to DC without a historical tour of the city?! We saw all of those very important landmarks and memorials, visited museums, travelled via the metro (a true DC experience, for sure!!). But, those were not the highlight(s) of our trip.

Angel Activities:
First Day: We registered and attended an Adoption and Foster Care Advocacy fair. We were able to visit booths from various organizations whose main priority is promoting child welfare. It was good to see the opportunities that are available to help.
Second Day: Hill Day. We were invited to attend a legislative seminar at the Capitol. The legislative panel consisted of congressional staff who spoke about legislation related to adoption, foster care, and orphan care. It was interesting to hear that they are aware of the adoption/foster care related issues that are out there and that they are trying to fix them (we all know how long it takes to make change in the political arena!!!) They were also very willing to listen to the concerns of the angels and take those concerns back to congress.
We had to leave the seminar early to go to meet with our nominating congressman, Jerry Moran since he had to leave before our official trip to his office that afternoon. He congratulated us, took advantage of a photo-op, and let us know that he was willing to help us in any way possible in the future.
Later, we were taken with a small group of other angels to meet with a staff member of 3 different Representatives: Ohio Rep. Jean Schmidt, Minnesota Representative Michele Bachman, and Kansas Rep. Jerry Moran. At these meetings, the angels were allowed to express their concerns and desires to the staffers who were then going to take these back to their respective representatives.
Later that same day, we got to go to the Eisenhower Executive Building where we attended a reception with the White House Office of Faith based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
WOW!! What a BUSY DAY!!
Third Day: We had our Angels in Adoption Pin Ceremony with lunch in the early afternoon in the Cannon Caucus Room.
That evening we attended the Angel Gala in the Ronald Reagan Building. This was truly an evening to remember. It was a formal dinner with the other angels and congress people. Our food was blessed by Dr. Barry Black, the Chaplain of the US Senate. Jimmy Wayne, a successful songwriter and recording artist who grew up in the foster care system, sang several very moving songs. We also heard from three 2010 National Angels in Adoption: Christen Chenoweth, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (accepted by producers), and Rhea Perlman. It was fun to get to meet them and chat with them afterwards. CCAI's hope is that the fame of these angels would attract the press and raise awareness.
So, there is a summary of our angel activities! As informative and fun as these activities were, the true inspiration came from the other angels.......(to be continued!)

Angels in DC...Part I

John and I had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC last week to be honored as Angels in Adoption. This is a program created by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute to 'provide a Member of Congress the opportunity to honor an individual, family, or organization that has made an extraordinary contribution on behalf of children in need of homes'. Our congressman, Jerry Moran, nominated my husband and I to be the recipients of this award.

We graciously accepted our angel pin and certificate, however, we did not/do not feel worthy of this title. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that many of the other angels in attendance did not feel worthy either! I think it is because we realize that what we've done to help children doesn't even scratch the surface of what needs to be done!!

Had I been asked to give an acceptance speech (which, thankfully, I was NOT!!), it would've gone something like this:

"I accept this honor not as a tribute to anything I've done, but on behalf of all of those who have made it possible for me to be here.

First, I accept it on behalf of my 4 biological children who were willing to open their hearts and home to children they hadn't even met, willing to give up a little of their comfort to share their family with children who didn't have one, who have been the example that these children need of what it looks like to be a part of a family and to show and receive love and respect.

I accept this award on behalf of my 2 adopted daughters who have endured pain and loss that I wish no child would have to experience. They were expected to embrace a family they didn't know who had taken them from all they were familiar with, and who immersed them in a culture and language very different from their own. Yes, my 6 children are truly angels!!

I, also, accept this on behalf of the families who adopted before us, who planted the seed of desire within us, and who encouraged and supported us throughout the process. They know who they are!! They are the ones who made the difference!!

I accept this on behalf of our community and church who rallied behind us with amazing support when we kept asking them to give a little more to help a country and people and children who we had become passionate about.

And, of course, I accept this on behalf of my parents and my husband's parents who provided each of us with a stable home, showed us how important it was to commit to raising children and to rise to the challenges that child rearing presents! I'm glad they didn't tell me how hard it would be!"

I hope that by receiving this award, doors will be opened for my family to help more children who are in need of a loving home! We hope that our story and our lives will be an inspiration to others!

I will share more in another post about our week in DC and about the amazing people we were privileged to meet!!

Seeing beyond the action

I've been reading the book, "The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog". I know that many adoptive parents have read this. It is a great source of insight into the mind and brain of a child who has been traumatized. It is helping me to understand the changes that had to occur in my child's mind in order for her to cope with events in her life.
I have read many books that are great resources of insight and knowledge. I realize that I need to be able to read these books and apply their wisdom to my situation. The problem for me is that when I set these books down and am faced with a disciplinary problem or what would seem to be an act of defiance, I tend to resort back to my standard way of dealing with things--not that there's anything wrong with my standard way, if the child has not endured traumatic events.
So, I am going to challenge myself to ponder what this author has to say on a daily basis and strive to see the pain in my child's actions and respond with compassion and not frustration.

Painting, Take 2

So...my last post was a little silly. I don't really talk to my laundry and it doesn't talk to me. :) It was just a fun way to say that there is always something that needs to be done--whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a working mother-the chores are neverending and sometimes overwhelming.

Here's something a little more exciting! The painting of my kids is closer to being done!!!! I will present you with the most awesome-est painting of Diborah, Kayla and Derek!!! My friend, Kelly's, paintings are becoming more and more popular, so I'm very excited that I have asked her to paint my children!! Someday, she'll be famous and I will own her best painting EVER!!! :)

She will be taking a break to work on another painting and then will start on Nathan, Faven and Emma. If you can imagine it....they will be on a separate paper to the left of Derek, Kayla and Diborah. The other half of the tree will be in that painting. LOVE IT!! Kelly even painted the kids' names in the bark!! It's not obvious in the picture I posted but will be fun to find once I receive the actual painting! I'm super excited about this purchase as these are the most beautiful people I know!!!

Home Alone and Voices in the Dungeon

Each morning is a whirlwind. Must get Derek to school extra early for required before school workout. Must get 3 girls up, dressed, do hair, feed breakfast, make lunch and pack it, fill water bottles, get backpacks, hugs and kisses, then out the door. Nathan appears, sits, eats breakfast, chats, says good bye and leaves.
Ah, alone at last. Get my hot cup of coffee, sit in my favorite chair and re-lax! Yes, mothers who stay at home get to rest and relax while their children are in school. Ha! I wish!
You see, it's not long after I sit down with my cup of joe that I hear a voice coming from the dungeon. The voice says, "Hello...." I ignore it. Again, "Hello!" It's getting louder!!
The dungeon is the room in the basement that is the farthest away from the upstairs as you can get. I also call it my laundry room. The voice I hear is the voice of the dirty laundry....always there, always demanding my attention!
I say to my laundry....."Oh, I'll get a job and somebody else will have to wash your dirty fabric!!!" My laundry chuckles mockingly.....because it knows that ultimately the responsibility will fall on me. I know it too. And so the dance continues.
I got a job. It's a job with the school district that will allow me to drop off my kiddos at school and pick them up after school. I will come home, get them started on homework, sit down to rest, and hear that laundry in the dungeon mocking, mocking, mocking!!! Ugh! And I'll get to it.....right after supper!! *sigh*

School Days--The Fun Has Begun!!

I finally got my kids' first day of school pics on the computer!! Woohoo!! This is a big year.....Nathan is a senior, Derek is a freshman, Faven is in 3rd grade and Emma and Diborah are in Kindergarten! It's my first year with all of my kiddos in school and no job!! I felt a bit guilty as I went to the post drop off 'kleenex and coffee', an activity planned by the school for parents of kindergarteners to gather and talk and hide their sad tears from their younguns. I didn't belong, because I was excited and looking for the pompons!! :) The past couple of years have taken alot out of me emotionally and physically and I was looking forward to the break! I have to say, after the first full week of school, I'm still relishing the 'free time'!
With that said, I have decided to look for a job. Call me crazy, but I'm looking forward to working outside of the home and possibly talking to adults! Yeah!!

Here are those pictures: (not sure how the ever elusive Derek got out the door without getting his picture taken, but.....he did! grrrr!!!)

Nathan (posing with Dibo)

And with Faven

Faven

Diborah

Emma

The Three Musketeers

And the Drop Off

Although Emma and Diborah are both in Kindergarten they were wisely put into different classes! They all love their teachers and so far enjoy getting up, getting on those uniforms and heading off to school! Truly a blessing!

Amazing Watercolors!!

When God created me, I think He forgot the creative gene! I can imagine God mixing his 'Lori potion'....all of those things that would become me. He threw in some analytical, logical and methodical. I guess He wanted to make sure I could follow a recipe, and, well, I can! :)

Either the bottle of creativity was lost behind the other bottles, or He was just plum out!!

That just makes me appreciate the creative and artistic talents of others all the more!!

Over the next 2-4 weeks, I would like to share with you the magical artistic talent of my high school friend, Kelly Eddington. I mentioned her in my last post. She met me in our home town, found an incredible tree to pose my 6 beautiful children beside and took several pictures of them. Together, we picked the ones that captured their beauty and personality the best and she has begun to work her magic with watercolors!! That's right....she is painting my children using watercolors!!

So far, she has completed Diborah.....

I may not be artistic, but even I know that this is good!!!! One down....five to go....I can't wait!

Meeting Old Friends

Last week, I loaded up my Suburban with food, drinks, luggage and 5 of my 6 kids plus a friend (leaving hubby and teenage son home), and began the 10 hour drive to Illinois. This is the second time in the past 3 months that I have made this trip--a record for me!! Since we live so far away from family, I typically spend my entire time with them---hanging out and catching up. This time, I was determined to visit friends and other family while there.



First stop was a small park in LaHarpe, IL, the town where I grew up. I met a friend from my growing up years there who is quite an amazing artist! She and her husband took several pictures of my brood and we are in the process of creating a picture/portrait for her to paint. I'm excited to have the diversity and personalities of my 6 children portrayed in a work of art that will hang on my wall for me to enjoy for years to come! (Side note: you may also be interested in visiting my friend's blog to find out how her new friendship with Roger Ebert began!)



After the photo session, all 7 of us loaded back up in the 'burb' and headed to my parents house. It was at this time that I gently informed my parents that we would be staying in a hotel and going on excursions to visit other family and friends. They took it rather well---was that relief I saw on their faces?! :)



So, over the next several days, we visited family that I hadn't seen in years. It was good to reconnect face to face rather than just through emails or facebook!!! Some of them met my children for the first time and I met theirs for the first time! Very cool!!



One of my very favorite stops--a highlight of my trip, for sure--was to see an adoption/blog friend, Shelly Roberts.





Shelly and I used the same adoption agency so when she travelled to bring her daughter home, she was able to meet my 2 girls. She was one of those much appreciated blog friends who sent me pictures of my daughters during my wait to pass court! Those of you who have waited know how much those pictures mean to a waiting family!!



It was special, after having watched her family grow up on her blog, to finally meet and watch our girls play together!! If volume (amount of noise they produced) and fun are directly related to one another, then those 5 girls had tons of fun!!! :)






A tribute to the power of adoption.....bringing strangers together to become friends forever!!!

Coming Along!

Since I've started blogging again, I've discovered that I would produce more posts if I took more pictures!!!! Because, posts are just b.o.r.i.n.g without pictures....right?!!!

I've been meaning to take pictures of my 3 littles swimming because those girls have grown gills this summer!!! They have swam (is that really a word?) at least 5-6 days each week of the summer! And they have come sooo far!!!

Let's take for instance.....Diborah.....

Diborah was scared to death of the water last summer!! She would sit on the side of the pool and watch the other girls swim. She would stick her foot in the water occasionally and maybe even stand on the first step if there were steps!!! Putting her face in the water was a MAJOR accomplishment!! This summer, she swims incredibly and even jumps in the deep end!!

I am so amazed!

This is a testament to the TRUST she has for us!!

I know this because of the steps that it took to get her to this point!! It's so amazing that it brings tears to my eyes!!

This little girl came to us at 3 years old, scared to death, with so much anxiety.

We sent her immediately to preschool and thought that she had a learning disorder!

Even after she learned the English language, she could not learn the basics! We know now that it was because she was so anxious that she could not process academic knowledge--not even the simplest 1-2-3. Now that she feels more comfortable, she is soaking up every little bit of information!!! She surprises me every day with how much she can learn in a short amount of time!!

That precious little lady is my daughter!!

So....I didn't endure 9 months of physically carrying her in my belly and many, many hours of pain to deliver her into this world (some other incredible woman did that!!!) but I endured the trials of bringing an anxious little non-english speaking 3 year old into a home with rules that she couldn't comprehend, enforced by big, non-amharic speaking people that she didn't know or trust!! Not an easy task! But, in the end, it's all worth it!!!

She is still becoming my baby girl and I am still becoming her mama!!

Sometimes the things that are most difficult in our lives are the most fulfilling!!!

Poison and Ponderings

I went for another hot and excrutiatingly painful run/walk today. Why do I do that to myself, again?! Oh yeah....'because it's good for me' (say with a whiny, mocking tone).

I always listen to my ipod which just so happens to contain songs from my teenage years. I may be dating myself, but, oh well, I'm not one to hide my age. The fact that I have a 20 year old daughter dates me, right?!

Anyway, the song Something to Believe In by Poison came on.

t's a song I heard countless times in my rock and roll teen years but never really listened to the lyrics. That's kind of the way I rolled! Haha!

Even now, I have to say that I'm not really sure where the songwriter was going with the meaning of this song, but a portion of the song had quite an effect on me today. It's hard to describe how it made me feel....sort of guilty, convicted, challenged....

See if you remember these words:

I drive by the homeless sleepin on a cold dark street

Like bodies in an open grave

Underneath the broken old neon sign

That used to read Jesus Saves

A mile away live the rich folk

And I see how they're living it up

While the poor they eat from hand to mouth

The rich is drinkin from a golden cup

And it just makes me wonder

Why so many lose, so few win

While I am by no means rich (my husband is a teacher and I'm a stay-at-home mom with 6 kids!) I still have so much more than I need while there are people living with very little--no home, little food. And, how do I look to them? Am I someone who values my stuff more than the lives of those less fortunate? How much would I give up to help? Those are (somewhat scary) questions that I need to ponder. What are your thoughts?

SAY YES--I love this video!! Must watch!!

Same Family...New Design

I decided that a new blog design was in order. New beginnings, new designs, new colors. I let Faven (who is nine years old now!) help me. :) I think she likes pink, what do you think?! I love the hummingbirds...they have special meaning to me!

So....I can check new blog design off of my list of things to do today! Now onto the next item on my agenda.....princess tea party!! :)

Pressing On

I went for a 3 mile run today.
It was HOT!!
By the time I was done, I was literally dripping in sweat!!
I'm not a fast runner (I'll never win any marathons.... or 5k's for that matter!), so I have lots of time to think on my jogs. :)
Today my topic of thought was....PAIN!!
Imagine that!!
I don't enjoy exercising or the pain that goes along with it!
Occasionally, I do the Insanity workouts with Shaun T. At the end of one of his excrutiating workouts, he says, "Sometimes, I wonder why I do this to my body. Because I want to 'look good' that's why!" Haha! Exactly!! The benefits outweigh the momentary pain.

I've learned over the years that I have a high tolerance for pain. If I can foresee benefits from it, I can endure it! This has come in handy in many situations.....staying in shape, childbirth (I've birthed 4 children), marriage (relationships are hard!!!), and adoption! I love my health/body, I love my husband, and I love my children, birth and adopted, but that doesn't mean that it will be easy to keep all of these things 'in shape'! In fact, each one has caused me a tremendous amount of PAIN!!! Yes, even my husband, and he would admit it to you, too!!! But, I've realized that if I stay the course, the benefits of the pain far outweigh the relief that comes from quitting!! What motivates me to keep going? The fact that, barring any unknown health issues, pressing on is not going to kill me and reaping the benefits will be awesome!!!

I also know from experience that sometimes, there is no hope and pressing on will only hurt us further, whether it be physically or relationally. The pain caused from this truth is overwhelming and I would never make light of it!!
And, so, we make a new goal.....

If at all possible, keep pressing on toward your goal and know that you are not alone!! Many others are pressing on along with you and cheering you on!!! :)

New Beginnings

I started this blog over 2 years ago!!!! TWO years!!! That seems impossible!!! I started it to journal our adoption process. But, so much more awesomeness came from it!! I 'met' SO many wonderful, caring, giving, passionate people who were taking or had taken the a similar path our family had taken. I grew to lean on my blog friends for support, whether it be through emails, facebook, phone calls, or just by simply reading their blogs.

Then, life happened and I fell out of the blog world. Four children all at different stages of life and two new children trying to adapt created a whole new chaos for this family!! It would seem that this would be the best time to stay connected with the people who could understand and relate to my trials. I had to choose....be honest about my trials, pretend that all was peachy, or hide. I guess in a way, I chose to hide.

But, I'm back. My goal is to first of all change the look of my blog. Any suggestions? Then, I would like to re-connect with the people who became so dear to me and who continue to share the same passion for the people in Ethiopia and for adoption in general.

~"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."~ Maria Robinson

Just have to say that I hear that the "Left Behind...But Not Forgotten" 5k race was a huge success!!! Seriously!!! I LOVE my community! They are always willing to step up and support a worthy cause!!! Thank you also to my sweet friend, M!, for organizing it! She has a good heart!! Thank you, also, to those of you who helped out by ordering our shirts with the cool logo!! I will continue to take orders for those of you who want a tshirt but didn't have a chance to order one before the race!!

Now, I said before that I hear that the race was a success....that's because I didn't get to be there to see it myself!! :( My momma went into the hospital last week. She has many ailments, including lupus, which have contributed to scarring in her lungs. She is on oxygen, but continues to have low O2 levels and very swollen feet and legs. On top of that, her skin itches horribly! I have a wonderful husband who took on a week with our children while I drove 10 hours to visit with and help out my mom and dad. I also got to see my my 2 sisters, my brother, his wife AND his grandbaby!!!!! Not even kidding! My brother is a grandpa! Hmmm...I guess that doesn't necessarily make ME old!!! Haha! But on a serious note, it's tough living so far away from family!! It makes you appreciate them all the more when you see them! Can't wait to go back!!

In the meantime, I'll be saying some prayers for my mom and dad and my mom's doctors. I just wish there was more that I could do!!! The word, helpless, comes to mind!

Anyway....excited to see my hubby and kiddos!!!

I leave you with a picture of one of the most precious babies--my brothers granddaughter!!!

LOVE those cheeks!!!! :)

"Being 18 years old is an exciting time for most girls. But for a girl growing up in an Ethiopian Orphanage it is a hopeless time. They can no longer be considered for adoption and age out of their existing home. When they turn 18 they are turned out on the streets-no home and little money. Many of these girls have no skills to support themselves and must live on the streets.
By the grace of God things are changing! People are joining together to raise money for these girls to complete their schooling while still being supported in their current living situation. Staff will also help each girl find a job and housing after their schooling is complete. This will give the girls an opportunity to learn honorable skills so they can support themselves and change their lives and the lives of their future families."
(from the Left Behind But Not Forgotten registration form)


I've never been great at fundraising. I don't like asking people for money. In fact, when my children have to sell things for their school fundraisers, I just purchase the quota myself. But, this is not for me and it is not something that I or any one person can do on their own. I hope in some small way by stepping out of my comfort zone I, with your help will be able to give hope and a future and an education to these young ladies in Ethiopia who have no means of obtaining the funds themselves.
If you would like to purchase a tshirt, just click on the 'Add to Cart' button on the side of this blog. The tshirts are grey, featuring the most awesome logo shown above!! :) There are various adult and youth sizes for $15 each. I will be ordering shirts this week so that they will be available for the race on May 1st!!! So hurry and place your order!!!! For more information about the race, the tshirts and how the money will be used, visit the Left Behind But Not Forgotten website.
Thanks to all who have already purchased tshirts!!! And, also for those who have linked to my blog!! It's so awesome to have friends who share the same passion for helping others!!!!

Ok....started a post a little bit ago. Was well into talking about the roller coaster ride of the past couple years-- process of adopting/waiting and transition into a family of 8 and all of the emotions that go along with these things.
THEN....I lost the post!!!!!!
Being the patient person that I am, I decided NOT to re-write it all! And, so, I will just leave you with a few pictures as my family update....






Prom!!

Kechene Fundraiser TSHIRTS!!!!

Remember the awesome logo I posted below.....the one that will be on the tshirts for the 5k race we're having to raise money to help the older girls at Kechene further their education?! Well....I will be selling those shirts on my blog!!! The beautiful thing is...you don't even have to run!!! Just order them by pushing the "Add To Cart" button on the side of my blog. All of the proceeds from the sale of these shirts will go to further educate the girls at Kechene! What a wonderful opportunity to help!!!

So, in the words of my new favorite aerobics instructor, Shaun T., 'S GOOOOO!!!!

Kechene Fundraiser

We are having a 5K run/1mile walk here in Great Bend, Kansas in order to raise money for the children in Kechene Orphanage in Ethiopia. The money raised will specifically go to help the girls who have aged out of adoption to obtain an education in Ethiopia. If you would like to participate, visit our website and sign up at www.leftbehindbutnotforgotten.com. What a wonderful opportunity to let these beautiful, precious girls know that we care and that they have NOT been forgotten! They deserve hope and a future!!

Read on

See my Helping Ethiopia post below. I couldn't figure out how to move it to the top of my blog....but it is important to me to get the word out!

Birthdays

My baby girls turn 5 years old within 1 1/2 weeks of each other. It's easy to think back on the day 5 years ago when Emma was born. Wow! What a joyous, special day (um, night, since she was born around 1 in the morning!) that was!!! I saw her come into the world, got to hold her, feed her, change her! I didn't want to go to sleep because I was so excited for this precious baby!!

Because of this, I can't help but think of Diborah's birthmom at this time. Does she remember that it's her baby's birthday? Is she sad? Does she look back on that day and remember that special time that she was able to spend with her baby?

Just a thought: I'm sad that I missed the first 2 years of my daughters life, but wouldn't take that experience from her mom in Ethiopia for anything!!!

So, I celebrate Emma's life, Diborah's life, and my Ethiopian friend who gave me a beautiful gift!!!

Helping Ethiopia

Fun, silly, crazy, stressful, busy! That's how one could describe my household. Blessed! We have a beautiful home, running water, electricity, food to eat, and opportunities galore! Having travelled to Ethiopia and toured the city of Addis, I know that not all people have these luxuries. As so many others who have travelled to Ethiopia, I saw homeless men and women on the streets, starving children begging for a morsel, disease. I also saw children in orphanages. Waiting, waiting, waiting for a family. They were watching friends leave for their forever home while they stayed. These children have learned to charm the people who come to visit... hoping, wishing, praying that someone will notice them! Pick them! Come back for them!!

Ethiopian adoptions have increased, but there are still so many children who are not adopted. So many children who age out of the orphanage and are given a minimal amount of money to make a life for themselves on their own. A bleak future....

I realize that not every family is called to adopt. However, I do believe that God desires for us to help others in some way. There are many avenues for helping. A good friend in our church felt the tug at her heart to help those orphans who have been left behind, so to speak, in the orphanages in Ethiopia. She wanted them to know that even though they had not been adopted, they were not forgotten!! She made time in her busy schedule to organize a 5k run/ 1 mile walk in order to raise money to send the girls who have aged out of Kechene orphanage to school. This is awesome! Children with an otherwise bleak future will have the opportunity to continue their education!!

Is this not an amazing logo? You can visit the website for the fundraiser here.

More people and communities are needed to join in this effort! Please consider a fundraiser of your own to raise money for the orphans left behind!!! A great resource for planning such a project is the adera foundation. Let me know if I can help!!