Happy Birthday, America!

Today, this team is feeling patriotic, grateful and blessed.

Tastings, Musical Performances and Wrestling

When The Peanut gets together with her buddies,
they engage in a variety of their favorite cultural and sporting interests.

They have food (uhh, ok...toy) tastings,

musical performances,

and wrestling matches.


Sophia started off the wrestling fun with her long awaited buddy, Meron, by biting her fingers.




Meron then swatted her out of the way (which Sophia thought was halirious).

Sophia returned the swat with some punches to her belly.

They took a few pauses to ponder their next moves. Sophia gave Meron the old arm grip, so Meron grabbed her eyes.
In the end, they hugged and called it an even match.

Smile

An Army chaplain sent this to Mark, and we just love it!

Hope Lives

We are stirred up, and have been for a long time. Mark and I are constantly searching to do more for people in poverty. To love more. It seems though, that we are often doing just that. Searching.

I have finally finished Hope Lives by Amber Van Schooneveld. It is a "how to" book for learning to help fight poverty. Mark will start this book soon. Personal change took place from every page from the very start. I can't stop thinking and talking about it, so I shall share it with you!

Week One: Poverty of the Heart/Reasons why we do little for others:

• We are rich. We can't relate.
  
• "We've reclassified our luxuries to necessities."
  
• "Material comfort has made us immune."
  
• We have no time to stop and help: "Busy is our banner. And I think we are proud of it."
  
• The statistics of the number of hungry & orphaned people are staggering: "A blur of numbers. I am numb. I've hit capacity for caring."
  
• "My charity is less true charity than occasional pity." I often only give to relieve my guilt and/or to feel good about myself.

The good news is that we can move beyond all this. God intends to change OUR lives through our service. If we are open to it, we'll be given all that we need to serve and love, and we'll be changed in the process. How cool. Sign us up.

"One of the most outstanding things about the affluent minority is that we honestly think we have barely enough to survive in modest comfort." ~Ronald J. Sider

Sacrifice?

Today's Compassion International blog post struck me. The blog post recounts an experience some staffers had last week in Nicaragua. They were in the meager home of this family. These three children are sponsored through Compassion. The father asked the staffers a powerful question.

“For you, when you help take care of our children, is it easy for you,
or is it a sacrifice?”

That question struck me hard, as I remember feeling like it was a sacrifice to sponsor a child. I wanted to do it, but Mark had to talk me into it. How embarrassing. We eat $30 restaurant meals at least once a week. I have an appointment for a $45 haircut this week. We spend $20 per month having movies shipped directly to our mailbox.

Sacrifice? I think not. I don't think I can relate to the word sacrifice.

20 months

Today marks 20 months of waiting (plus a 9 months paper chase). It is odd to have known for 29 months that you will be a family of four, but to be so far from that being a reality.


Today we thought about Claire's birth mother. It is difficult to imagine a woman on the other side of the world that we'll share such a bond with. She will carry our child and then we will become that child's parents. How amazing is that? She is going about her life as we go about ours. Is she hoping for a child? What is her life like? Is Claire's birth mother even born yet? (Kidding...we hope!)

Beach Bumming Part I....Parent Style

We just got home from our first beach trip! It was big fun to be together with family in Destin. What a gorgeous place it is.

This trip truly confirmed that life changes when you are a parent. Preparing for a trip with an eight month old involves spending a whole week packing and then needing a U-Haul to cart it all to the beach. Gone are the days of shoving some tank tops, shorts and flip flops into a duffel bag and heading out at a time that works for us. Nope, we left at 5AM. Yes, that early. Why? It was easier on the nut to sleep most of the way.

Hanging on the beach was full of changes as well. We used to bask in the sun in beach chairs with our novels and tropical drinks. This time we spent time applying/reapplying sunblock, preventing the over consumption of sand, pulling out toys to distract a sweaty baby and heading in every few hours for a long nap.

This beach trip was filled with changes, filled with firsts and full of simple joys. It was harder, but simpler at the same time. Simple is good. Watching our niece see the ocean for the first time was priceless. She literally danced and rolled in the water. It was a pleasure to watch Sophia's grandparents show her the ocean and shield her from the sun. It was fun to see the ocean, the waves, the seagulls and the sand with new eyes. It was fun to see two cousins giggling and playing with pillows. It was neat to see my parents take the smallest, least fabulous room so that sleeping arrangements were best for the kids. It was fun to have big family meals at home because going out to eat is harder now. How lucky we are!

Eating Habits

Our peanut LOVES to eat. She munches (smears and smashes) down any table food or baby food that she is given with zero hesitation. She also doesn't hesitate to eat things from nature. Like sand. You would have thought that taste test number one would have taught her a lesson, but no such luck. This beach trip provided an endless supply of sand for munching. Check out the expressions. Sand eating is serious business.

Botanical Gardens

We spent a great day with friends at the local botanical gardens. What a shame that Mark and I had never been there. The trees are dripping with flowers, the air filled with butterflies and dragonflies, and the ponds and grounds covered in beautiful trees, plants, flowers, frogs and lizards. The weather was perfect, so it was a great day to take in some nature.

"To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass
is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug." ~Hellen Keller

A Closer to Complete Circle

Our adoption buddy circle is a little more complete now. It is with great joy that we all welcome little baby Nate home. We had the opportunity to meet the little guy last weekend, and what fun it was to see another little person in the group. Very soon, we'll be welcoming in baby Meron! What a party it will be. Round one of Operation Family will be complete. Congrats to Pete and Julie!

See more cute photos here.

Cool, huh? & Why Blog?

What do think of our new blog look? We had decided not to spend the money to have our blog made over, until we found Blogovers with Love! They are a group of blog designers who design blogs and give ALL the money to charity. Now that, we can justify! Our donation will go to Half the Sky's Earthquake Relief Fund. Unfortunately, they are currently not taking any more customers because they had a huge response. Keep an eye on their site though.

We got lucky and were assigned to Danielle, who designs beautiful blogs through her business, Blogs by Danielle. Many thanks to her for creating a look that really represents us.

In thinking of getting a blog makeover, we spent some time thinking about why we blog. Initially, we started this blog to share the news of our adoption. At the time it was just a desire to explain the process and share adoption news with family and friends. Much time has now passed, and our reasons for blogging have expanded. Here are a few of our reasons.

• To share photos with family and friends who live in three+ states.
  
• You get your adoption community license revoked if you don't blog. (Smile) All our adoption buddies (and now family and non-adoptive friends) are bloggers.
  
• To record our lives. Scrapbooking is just not my thing. We plan to have our blog made into a printed book.
  
• To connect, inspire and encourage.
  
• To "Be the change" that we "wish to see in the world." Our lives are filled with both happiness and pain, but we choose joy and faith.
  
• Influence. The power of a blog post never ceases to amaze us. A perfect example was the Tiny Rock Star t-shirts (which help feed orphans). When we posted about them, many people bought these and posted about them on their blogs, which resulted in even more purchases. How cool!
  
• To connect with all the super cool bloggers out there. We can't believe how many amazing people that we have "met" and connected with. We have been inspired, taught, and encouraged.
  
• To express the beauty of adoption, and hope that our example inspires others to adopt.
  

8 Days

The CCAA matched through January 20, 2006, which was eight days worth of referrals. There are now 281 Log-In Days between us a Claire.

No Ordinary Father, No Ordinary Man

Sophia and I are blessed. We hit the husband, dad and friend lotto jackpot! Our team captain is no ordinary father or man. It has been one of the greatest joys of my life to watch Mark become a father.

Mark transitioned into fatherhood with all the pride, joy and sense of responsibility that a father could possibly possess. He takes his role very seriously and does much for us.

He helps us to see the world with new eyes. He has focus, determination and vision for us as a family.
He is our spiritual leader.
He carries us through life's ups and downs.
He takes care of us.
At the end of the day, he helps us wash away the world and focus on family.
He snuggles with us.
He loves on us.

He protects us and watches over us.
He brags about us to all who will listen.

He teaches us about the important things in life.

He is a maker of giggles.

He is the master of silliness.

He shows us how to love our family and friends.

He is our inspiration.

Happy Father's Day, Mark. We love you more every day.

Happy Father's Day to Our Three Dads!

Happy Father's Day to our dads, Dad, Bob and Joe! Thank you for loving us, supporting us, and teaching us how to be parents. We love you!

"Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever. " ~Author Unknown

We celebrated with a visit from Joe and Petie!

Happy Flag Day

The whole inspiration of our life as a nation flows out from the waving folds of this banner. ~Author Unknown

Farm and Pool Fun

We are having quite a fabulous summer already. It is fun to catch up with my teacher/supper club friends who are busy, busy, busy during the school year. We have a whole summer fun calendar planned. This summer movies, dinners, and date nights have been exchanged for playgrounds and play-dates. This past week we went to the pool and visited a local farm. At the farm, we saw miniature animals, pet bunnies and picnicked in a big field. It was fun to watch the kids explore, take pony rides and enjoy the outdoors. Sophia watched it all with big eyes, pet a few animals and ate lots of grass.

Rockin' Frosty: An Easy/Yummy Way to Support Foster KIds

I'll be headed to Wendy's for a frosty this Father's Day weekend. Why don't you join me by treating yourself to a little ice cream in support of foster kids?

Jon Bellinger, publicist for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, says, "The goal is to raise $1 million in one weekend to support the work of Wendy's Wonderful Kids. It's an easy way to get involved, and a great way to help foster children find placements in loving families."

Everyday Miracles and Baby Shower

Adoption is a cool miracle. As members of the adoption community, we get to witness and celebrate these miracles on a regular basis. For the last few weeks, we have been celebrating the adoptions of two dear friends, Tymm and Laura and Pete and Julie.

There is an instant bond between adoptive parents. On occasion, you find yourself talking to strangers with Chinese daughters in a check-out line, or you meet a new adoptive family at First Friday and find yourself pouring your heart out to someone you barely know. The adoption community creates instant bonds.

Mark and I have walked into the great calling on our lives...adoption. That "calling" has come with abundant and regular blessings. The latest blessing was the opportunity to celebrate with Tymm and Laura. They are leaving tomorrow to travel to Ethiopia to bring home their baby girl. It seems like just yesterday that they came to welcome Sophia and we talked for several hours about the news that they'd be adopting from Ethiopia.

Yea for baby Meron! Yea for baby Nate! Yea adoption! In our world, it is an everyday miracle.

Many of these photos were snagged from here and here.

Sand, Sun and Summer

We just returned from a great visit with the grandparents. The Peanut LOVED their sandbox. She explored it in full Sophia fashion...all the way! Her little zest for life makes her the perfect family team member.

"This feels pretty cool. Maybe I'll roll around in it."
"I just can't seem to get a handful. It just slips right through my fingers."

"I wonder how it tastes."

"Not so good. Maybe I should try a few more bites to see if it all tastes bad."

Hope Lives

Just like the book Red Letters, Hope Lives is a must read if you are ready to take some action against global poverty. This book is a 5 week study, that has rocked my world on day one. After reading the post below (by the book's author) on the Compassion International blog, I ordered it immediately. In this post, the author wrote what my heart was feeling. The book just arrived, and it does not disappoint. I DEVOURED the first chapter, and fought with myself not to read past day one.

How Can I Fight Poverty?
Written by: Amber Van Schooneveld

How can I help fight poverty? What in the world can I do? The problems are just so big, and I’m just so small. I want to be used by you, God, but I just don’t know what to do.

I’ve thought and prayed these things many times. When viewing this world with its huge statistics of dread that loom over us (one BILLION people living in poverty), have you ever just felt stuck? Paralyzed? Anesthetized? Confused? Helpless? Hopeless?
I’ve felt all those things. Usually when I’m looking at two things:

~The enormous earth, jam-packed with dreadful statistics, and
~Me
They both seem like depressing prospects.


Thank God this is not about me or you. Thank God for His grace. When the Lord called out looking for someone to be his messenger, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8, NIV), He didn’t say “Whom shall I send who has a doctorate degree? Who will go for us who’s a super-swell, smart, sophisticated, experienced guy?” No, God doesn’t put the same prerequisites on his servants that we put on ourselves. He seems quite eager to use each one of us as his servants, just the way he made us.


I recently wrote a book about responding to poverty, Hope Lives, and between you and me, this is a bit crazy. Don’t tell anyone (especially my marketers), but I’m just a goofball from Colorado who loves donuts and reality television. But I’m a goofball who (quite audaciously) called out to God, “Here am I, send me!” And you know what? God (quite audaciously, in my opinion), said “OK.” I’m tempted to think He might need a stricter HR department, but those are just the lies of the enemy. God wants to use each one of us (I mean you) to reach out and help His hurting world, no matter how insufficient we think we are.


We might not all be missionaries or nurses or have doctorate degrees in poverty, but God did plant a little seed, a little talent, in each of us that He wants to use and grow. There’s a guy who works here at Compassion whom God gave the talent of rapping. Yes, rapping. And he’s using it to speak out against poverty. There’s a woman who loves to write letters, and she’s using this gift to write letters of encouragement and hope to dozens of children in poverty.


Maybe you can’t write or rap, but what can you do to serve others? Bake? Fix cars? Persuade? Sew? Tap Dance? No matter how small (or random) our talent seems, God can use it. He can multiply our offering that seems so measly and make it into something incredible, just like the little boy with the two bitty fish that God used to feed 5,000 (John 6). God gave me the gift of writing.


I believe God is waiting for each one of us to look past the looming, seemingly impossible statistics, forget ourselves and our own insufficiencies, and simply say: “Here I am God, send me.” And I bet we’ll be flat-out flabbergasted by what he does.

Happy 40th, Mom and Dad!

Today was the 40th anniversary for these two crazy kids! They celebrated by being fabulous parents and grandparents. We LOVE you!

The Gift of Coolness

Thank you, Jessica, for rushing over with two huge fans when we returned home today to find our AC not working! You get the super cool friend award! (The mail was appreciated too.) You always go out of your way to help your friends.

Feed an Orphan and Be Stylin'

This is one of the onesies that Sophie will soon be rockin' in. She'll be styling and feeding an orphan for one month! Buy one now! They are $12 if you buy two. Go ahead, buy one or two. You know you want your kid to be cooler than the rest.

I found this cool way to help via one of our new favorite charities
The Red Letters Campaign.

How We Love "Agent 0"

Dear "Agent 0",

We had a wonderful day with you. It is fun to be your aunt, uncle and cousin. Your endless imagination is so fun!

It was fun to make play-doh,

and play in the sand. (Thanks for letting "Agent Tiny" crawl all over you.)

It was fun to build "Thrillville". You were an excellent mayor, and gave some powerful speeches.

I was impressed with the bravery you displayed when you saved the king, the queen and all 20+ ponies. The lizards and frogs couldn't take their eyes off you.

You are also quite the songwriter. Your songs have kept me humming with joy all evening.

With much love and a big hug,

"Agent 1"

THAT Kind of Mom

I have had the pleasure of spending two weeks with my mother. She never ceases to amaze me. My pal Angela recently said that she noticed that my mom "clearly has a servant's heart", and I thought that description was as perfect as they come. Last week she helped us with babysitting, co-hosting a shower (more on that later), cleaning and much more. She is THAT kind of mom.

My mother is a fabulous cook, keeps a spotless house (the shiny clean ceiling fan blade kind...), gardens, cares for our grandmothers, and much more. As I was playing with "Agent O" today, I found this little bear that my mom had sewn clothes for. She sewed doll clothes with Janie and I as kids, she sews with Madeline, and I look forward to her sewing with our girls.

I hope I can be THAT kind of mom. Maybe not the incredible sewing skills kind, but you get the picture!