Two people-One story

The Urban Cottage

2012-01-29T21:13:00.000-08:00

So I'm pretty excited about a new friend I have. Her name is Shellie and not only is she also adopting two kids from the Congo, she is also super crafty. She's opening a shop in Palmer Lake/Monument where she is selling furniture and other upscale household items. She has graciously allowed me to sell some of my crafts at her shop which is opening in the next week. All of the proceeds from my sales are going to support our adoption and her shop has the same purpose.

Seriously, you need to check this place out! I went down there today and it is going to be adorable! She's having a friends and family open house on Wednesday, February 3 from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM and then officially opening in the next week.

The Urban Cottage
755 Highway 105, Suite H
Palmer Lake, CO 80133
(719) 447-7090

Her regular business hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 10:00 AM-6:00 PM.

I made this: Reusable Cleaning Wipes

2012-01-29T21:03:00.000-08:00

I've wanted to tackle this project for a while now, but had to wait until I used the last of my Lysol cleaning wipes so I could have an empty container. I really always hated the idea of buying disposable wipes (wasting the environment, who knows what chemicals are in them) but they are so handy for quick clean up.

I started doing a little research and quickly discovered that I could make my own for super cheap. I used Homemade Ginger's recipe and just modified it a little based on the cleaning product I had on hand. I do want to buy Dr. Bronner's soap, because it seems to be a be all end all soap product, but for now we have lots of stuff on hand so when it starts to run out, that will be what I buy. For this project (if you can call it that) I used Mrs. Meyers Clean Day, which I LOVE. Her products are pretty earth friendly and smell amazing.

There isn't much else to tell you except I love the smell, ease and environmental [non] impact that these new wipes have.

Cut up some old tee shirts

Mix some Mrs. Meyers with some water and put it all in your old Lysol container

For extra credit make a label

It's so easy and you will feel so domestic and accomplished for doing it.

I made this! Ruffle Pillow

2012-01-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share this cute sewing project I just completed. I so love sewing these days!

It's imperfect just like everything else I ~~sew~~ do, but it looks so fun on the bed so who really cares?

Did you check out my etsy shop yet?? The whole shop is one big adoption fundraiser! It's a mix of stuff I've made and vintage finds. I had my first sale last week which caused me to JUMP out of bed when I saw the email on my phone.

Book 41-43: The Hunger Games Series

2012-01-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

You were probably wondering how I finished off the reading year...just to ease your mind, while I did not make it to 50 books --> I did make it to 43. Sort of...I finished the 3rd book this week, so I kind of only read 42, but since it was the third in the series and since I did start it before the end of the year, we are going to make it nice and clean and count it in with 2011's books.

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire & Mockingjay
by Suzanne Collins

I was a little skeptical of the Hunger Games, but for no reason other than that everyone was reading them. I quickly discovered that the reason everyone is reading them is that they are good. The first one is the best and the last two keep you reading on the impetus of the first. So if you are looking for a good story and a couple of quick reads, then read away.

For next year, I won't be doing any book reports, but I will be keeping a list of my reading. You can see it up in the top right side panel--> It's appropriately titled, "2012 Booklist". I'll just rate the books so if you have loved the book reports, you can still see if I loved or hated something and again; I'll aim for 50 books in 2012, but I'll be happy to beat 43.

Our bedroom

2012-01-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

It seems like with just the few extra days off, we were able to get so much done!
We worked on our bedroom back in October when my parents were here, but finally got around to finishing up a few things. There's always something more to do, but for now, I'm excited at what we have accomplished.

Before:

1950's curtains

Plain white walls

Awful wood closet doors; these are in every room

Boring

We didn't change this, but someday it will be replaced with a ceiling fan- for now, I actually like this light

These were hanging above our bed, but when we painted the walls, they no longer matched.
Wait until you see how I repurposed them!

After:

Makes me happy!

I took those four bamboo Walmart art pieces and covered them in fabric that my mom got me for Christmas. The finished product is so awesome, sometimes I walk in there just to look again!

I really don't know if those fabric flags are out of style; I suppose they are by now, but I think it looks adorable and ties the room together

Curtains and rods from Ikea. The curtains we found in the bargain area for $10 each!

My sister in law gave me this for Christmas which totally coordinates with the fabric my mom got me- how cool is that! Their gifts inspired the finishing of this room!

Another little crafty project: we had this not exciting silver lamp with an even less exciting shade so I spray painted the lamp white and modge-podged strips of browm paper to the shade- when the light is on it looks so neat!

Revamping things makes me so happy!

We painted the closet doors a shade darker then the room and they look amazing! At first I was scared and thought we'd made a huge mistake, but seriously, it looks so good I think I will do it in every room!

The walls are a kind of gray blue, but more blue then they look here.

It is so fun to see this house come together. Andy and I are loving working on projects but not being in a rush to get anything done. Love making this place 'home'!

How's the adoption going? (also known as "any news on the adoption?")

2011-12-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

If I had $100 for every time someone asked me that, we could adopt 6 kids. :) Maybe that should be my next fundraiser.....

Anyway, obviously nothing has happened or else I would have posted something here and called you all screaming with joy. We're not upset that nothing has happened, but the waiting is very, very hard. I think it is even harder that people [who have not adopted] do not understand. (In the same way you cannot understand anything that you have not experienced for yourself. This is not unique, this is life- in order to really understand what something is like, you have to experience that something for yourself.) I'm not mad at anyone who hasn't adopted and I'm not mad at anyone for asking how it's going. It's just a lonely place to be. To know you have a family and a couple of babies out there and to have nothing new to say on the matter. I can't show you photos of my little 5 year old ballerina or my baby who just learned to walk. My belly doesn't show the months I've waited to hold my little one (well it shows something, but not a baby!), our house isn't a mess because of a couple of toddlers running around and I have all the time in the world to update this blog with nothing to say. It's sad. But truly, we are not always sad. Most days we forget about it. And most days, we remember the truth, we know the time is coming and we know the wait will be worth it. I just kind of wish people would stop inquiring. I PROMISE I will tell you. You will know by the joy on my face that we have news. If you have not asked lately, "how's the adoption going?" THANK YOU. What a relief that I did not have to say, "Still just waiting..." with a semi-smile and a shoulder shrug as I attempt to fill the empty space with some explanation, some timeline for you and me to grab onto. If you have asked -please- (seriously, honestly) don't feel bad; I know your heart is not evil or out to get me it's just the millionth time someone has asked and I have had nothing to say. And honestly, you don't have to stop asking- but maybe next time you could just ask "how's your heart in the waiting?" and be prepared that you might need to grab me a tissue.

Bathroom Update!

2011-12-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

We took some time off over Christmas and decided to have our own little stay-cation- Baldwin style. [Meaning, we worked on house projects and loved it!]

Two days before Christmas our bathroom looked like this and we had company coming the next day:

For one of the first times in our marriage [in a situation like this-not ever in our marriage], I honestly wasn't worried, stressed or concerned. I knew it would get done because- well, I am married to Andy Baldwin. Of course it will get done. I'm sorry it took me five years to realize this, but better late than never.

Anyway, here is that old fashioned bathroom before we updated it.

Two things to note: pink walls and a faux wood toilet seat

I HATED the glass doors on the shower. Hated them!
I couldn't bathe the dog or clean the shower without injuring myself on the doors.

Ugly.

My question to you is: would you rather have a faux wood toilet seat or pink walls in your bathroom the rest of your life. You chose.

Gold door handle which is still on the list of things to change up along with a backsplash and finishing touches of something to hang on the wall

Now here is the bathroom AFTER (almost everything came from Ikea and we did the whole project for less than $500.

In all my painting days, I have never painted a room white. Until last week. I probably won't do it again, but it is pretty appropriate in this bathroom.

You know I love baskets, right?

The drawers on this vanity are great! They have the feature where the drawers finish closing themselves- I'm sure that has a name...

We'll put a cool backsplash between the sink and the mirror.

Don't you love that zit mirror? $4.99 at Ikea.

I bought this shower curtain at a little boutique in Rochester and I have never regretted it. I built the whole bathroom around this shower curtain!

What do you think? Do you love it as much as I do? Time will tell how the Ikea stuff holds up and if it starts to look cheap or doesn't maintain well, we won't buy big pieces from there again. In the meantime- woohoo!

Book 40: The Great Gatsby

2011-12-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott-Fitzgerald

I seriously love re-reading the classics and the Great Gatsby was no exception. I'm sure I was forced to read this at some point when I didn't really care about reading, or Gatsby or anything else, but what I wouldn't give to talk to that poor English teacher now and ask her about this book. Rewrite the essay. Participate in the discussion. Whatever was required. Reading is such a gift and I am so glad I have been able to intentionally pursue it this year. I'll continue to read and I may even continue to post my reviews. I'm not yet done this year, so don't give up on me; I may get to 43!

Book 39: Heart of the Matter

2011-12-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

Heart of the Matter

by Emily Griffin

This is one of those "candy" books that although it is almost 400 pages, I read it in two days. That being said, I really did enjoy this book. Any book--even if it is candy-- that makes me think is a good book.

Heart of the Matter is about two mothers whose lives come together through a tragic accident. The first person voice in the story, Tess, has a few close friends who she shares her life with. But they vary in degrees of friendship. Which is true for me too, I have close friends, very close friends, surface friends, and friends I wouldn't dare reveal anything personal to (are those actually friends...?) anyway, here is my favorite passage about one of her friends: "Cate reaches out and squeezes my hand, as I realize that I never resent her sympathy, and that I always candidly confess any vulnerability, shortcoming, or fear without ever wishing that I could take it back or revise my story later. As such, my self-image squares neatly with her image of me, no disparity between the two-which makes being in her company sheer comfort and luxury, especially when things are falling apart."

This book- and this passage in particular- made me examine my friendships and ask myself who is my "Cate"? It also reminded me of the value of good friends, forgiveness and walking in truth with people. Thank you Lord!

I made this! Homemade Vanilla Extract

2011-12-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

I don't want to give away any secrets, (like what your Christmas present might be) but a few months ago Andy and I decided that we were going to make our own vanilla extract. I read on the recipe we used that the vanilla you buy in the store has corn syrup in it and that unless it says, "NO CORN SYRUP" it probably has it. I used this recipe. It probably cost a little more than $100 to make, but we ended up with 14 bottles. I think I could do it cheaper next time- but in reality it still cost a little less than if you buy it by the bottle in the store. After you make it, you have to let the vanilla sit in your pantry for at least one month- six is preferred. Each week you are supposed to give the bottles a little shake, so a common question in our house since September has been, "Did you shake the vanilla this week?" and if someone hadn't then someone else did :)

When we were ready to gift I made a different, but similar label for each bottle after they were done resting. To try and recoup some of the cost, I put a "return bottle for refund" label on each one- we'll see what happens :).

The supplies we needed were:
Vodka (organic) ($25 per bottle)
Vanilla beans (4-5 per 4 oz of alcohol) ($20 for all the vanilla beans we needed)
Dark brown bottles ($35 for 24)
Labels (hand made with supplies on hand)

We bought everything on Amazon except the vodka.

Bottles

Vodka is expensive! I probably would try to get a good vodka a little cheaper next time

Vanilla in process....

It kind of destroyed our cutting board, but we probably need a new one of those anyway

Finished product- super cute, but terrible iPhone photo

Two final things:
1. This vanilla is amazing! Seriously, so delicious and apparently as it continues to rest it just gets better and better - or - stronger and stronger.
2. I decided that I am going to make another batch for the craft fair at Compassion and use the money towards our adoption. If you would like to purchase a bottle, let me know!

Book 38: The Cross and the Switchblade

2011-12-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Cross and the Switchblade

by David Wilkerson

Did you know that when I do my book reports I always scan google images until I find the image of the book that shows the same cover as the book I have just read? I do. This is an OLD copy and yet it looks like it is the 24th printing in 1977. This book was first published in 1962 and yet it is still a relevant read. As you probably know, David Wilkerson passed away this year after a long and fruitful life for the Kingdom. His is the kind of life I want to live- changing lives with the true power of the Holy Spirit, not mans power.

If you don't know the story, David Wilkerson was a third generation pastor*, who lived in Podunk, Pennsylvania. David decides one night to sell his television if the fleece he places before the Lord happens. It does and he sells his TV for $25. He tells the Lord he will use his tv time for prayer and one night in prayer he sees Time magazines portrayal of some young boys gang murder trial. The Lord tells him he needs to minister to the boys (who he sees are just lost, sad boys) and he heads to NY on the word of the Lord. This begins his ministry to the gangs of NY. This book is the story of the beginnings of Teen Challenge. A great story of faith and the favor that God gives when we follow Him.

*[Side note: his son, Gary Wilkerson actually pastors (fourth generation-if you are counting) the church we attended in Colorado Springs before we moved here to Castle Rock.]

Book 37: The Horse and His Boy

2011-12-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

The Horse and His Boy

C.S. Lewis

I loved this book more than any of the other Chronicles of Narnia so far. The lion's appearances are so wonderful! My favorite line is when Shasta asks the lion who has appeared beside him on a long journey "who are you?" and the response is, "'Myself', said the voice very deep and low so that the earth shook and again: 'Myself', loud and clear and gay: and then a third time, 'Myself', whispered so softly you could hardly hear it and yet it seemed to come from all around you as if the leaves rustled with it." I love that! It seems just like something that God would say!

I'm hoping to finish the rest of the series by the end of the year--> getting me closer to my goal, but it isn't looking good for 50 books. I'm truly OK with it, because I have in many ways accomplished my goal. I have read proactively and with purpose and that is what learners do!

Book 36: Same Kind of Different As Me

2011-12-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

Same Kind of Different as Me

Ron Hall & Denver Moore

This is another great non-fiction book. Another suggestion from a friend- which it seems all of my great books this year have been.

Ron Hall is an extremely wealthy art dealer in Texas. Denver Moore was raised in modern day slavery on a plantation in the south and he hops a train to Texas where he lives, homeless, on the streets of Fort Worth. This book is the true story of their relationship.

It could seem like this book might be cheesy. It's not. It's incredible. A beautiful story of how the wealthy imagine they will impact the poor and how the poor end up impacting the wealthy a million times more than what they could imagine.

For sure I would suggest you read this book. However, I will provide the disclosure that I did NOT get when this book was suggested- you may end up weeping through 5-8 chapters. I wish I had been forewarned, nonetheless, I sat on a plane crying my eyes out with no tissue in sight and the seatbelt sign illuminated so I could not get up to get one!

P.S. It's not looking good for getting to my goal of 50, but I will keep trying and I will do this again next year!

Book 35: Praying for Strangers

2011-12-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

Praying for Strangers

River Jordan

I almost did not post a book report on this book because I may have just ordered 5 copies which I will be giving to some of you who may be on my Christmas list. But nonetheless, some of you are NOT on my list (sorry!) and you need to know about this book.

Honestly, I have not been this impacted by a book in a long time. My favorite reader suggested it and I read it in two days. I love Kristin for so many reasons. She reads way faster than I do and so she is always one step ahead with a great book suggestion. I digress.

This book is amazing. Wonderful. Maybe the best book I have read all year.

In summary, River Jordan sends off two sons to war at the end of 2008. Consumed with her own concerns, a word drops into her spirit as a new years resolution, "Pray for a complete stranger everyday this year." This book is the story of her incredible journey in doing just that. I cannot tell you how many times I have stopped since I read this book and saw a stranger in a new light. How many times I have realized since I read this book that the people I pass by everyday have their own stories and in this life everyone you pass needs a kind word, a prayer from a stranger . This book is a true game-changer for me. I loved it. Loved. It.

If you think maybe one of the 5 copies I bought is for you, please don't rush out and buy this. But if you are pretty sure one of the 5 copies I bought is NOT for you, please DO rush out and buy this. IF, on the other hand, you are not sure if one of the 5 copies I bought is for you- wait until after Christmas and if you don't get a copy, rush out and buy one.

Adoption fundraising update

2011-11-21T15:36:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be good to share where we are in our fundraising efforts regarding our adoption.

Hand in Hand Matching Grant: Sadly we will not be able to get the Hand in Hand matching grant. Colorado law states that the Home Study cannot be released to any agency other than a government agency and Hand in Hand does not qualify. While the law has good intentions, in this case its a bummer for us. Honestly, I feel OK about it. I know there are families needier than us and I trust that the grant will go to someone who could not adopt without the assistance.

Funds we currently have: I remember in August when we were about to submit our dossier to One World Adoption we told our case worker, "when we get a referral, we probably won't have the $13,000 needed to accept it; will we be able to make any kind of payments?" Of course she said yes, but that is not the point. Check out this screen shot of the balance in our "Adoption Checking Account"

Yup. We're at almost $12,000, which means next month (based on what we save each month towards our adoption) we would be able to accept a referral. Wow! Talk about something to be grateful for! The other day in the car, Andy and I just marveled at this. It's incredible and now we are more ready than ever to get our match!

Funds we still need: I don't honestly know how long this process will take. It's looking more and more like it will be a few months before we get a match, which means we have a few months to save. Which is great, but also, not great in terms of our wait to bring our babies home.

According to One World and Angel Dance, here are the upcoming fees (after the referral fee of $13,000 which we will have next month)

Orphan Care- $400 per month (this will be due from the time we accept a referral until the time we bring our kids home. We expect this to be 9-12 months so $3600-4800 total)
Document Translation- $300
US documents-$830
Travel- $4000-$6000
Post Placement Adoption (from Angel Dance) $950
Readoption fee-$400
Miscellaneous- $1000

Total--> between $11,110- $14,280 still needed.

Like I said, I don't know our timeframes here, so I don't know the exact dates we will need these amounts by.

We're still offering our services if you need photography and handyman help- please let us know!

In the meantime, praise the Lord for how much we have received from our generous friends and family and how much we have been able to save. We absolutely know the rest will come in exactly when it needs to! Please keep praying for us and with us.

P.S. I'll post an actual adoption update soon- but there isn't much to update you on. Maybe soon....

I made this: Grateful frame

2011-11-21T14:58:00.000-08:00

As Thanksgiving approaches, I know we all think about things we are thankful for a little more... I've been thinking about it a lot as the day draws near. I read an article in the newspaper that said people who are grateful are more happy, well rested, emotionally stable and live longer than their ungrateful counterparts. I want to be like that. So many times, I get upset and forget about the many things God has done for me and the many millions of things I have to be thankful for. It was just a little more than a week ago that I was in Africa seeing tremendous poverty first hand and yet I can still feel like I need more stuff in order to be happy. I don't want to live the rest of my life like that. I want to grow in gratitude. Our pastor talked about gratitude this week at church, too and the scripture that keeps ringing in my head is this:
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines, even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty yet will I rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.
Isn't this what gratitude is about? Not dwelling on all that is wrong, but being joyful in the "God of our salvation". It doesn't mean I have to celebrate every awful circumstance, it just means that when circumstances are awful I can remember my God and the many millions of things I have to be thankful for.

We're headed to spend Thanksgiving with some of our best friends and I thought it would be a good chance to practice gratitude together, so I whipped up this little craft I found in Better Homes and Gardens. I'm excited to share with our friends and excited to remember all we have to be thankful for.

I used an old frame we bought for the fundraiser, tea stained some white cloth and wrapped it around some foam board.

Using old cardboard I cut to size and glued a map scrap to it and then made this little sign

I downloaded some leaf templates and cut them out on scrap paper for us to write what we are grateful for on

Throughout the week, we'll write what we're thankful for and secure it to the frame

At the end of the week, this frame will be bursting with gratitude

What can you do to remind yourself of all you have to be thankful for?

Book 34: Inside of a Dog

2011-11-18T10:14:00.000-08:00

Inside of a Dog

What dogs see, smell and know

by Alexandra Horowitz

I enjoyed this book. I love psychology and I love dogs and this is a mix of both. The author does her own research and combines it with the research of others in the field of canine behavior. Reading this book made me appreciate how a dog might feel operating in a human world.

She does not condone putting human thoughts and emotions on dogs, which of course, I don't agree with since my dog talks. However, her take is much more scientific than mine.

It's an interesting read and one that made me love my dog more.

P.S. I know you are waiting for a report on my trip to Uganda or our adoption, but I don't have words yet for either...I'll post more soon.

Book 33: Last Child in the Woods

2011-11-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

Last Child in the Woods

Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder

by Richard Louv

Wow. I loved this book. I had to rush to finish it because A. It belongs to the library and I think it's already past due and B. Who wants to take a huge book on a trip that they are 85% done with?

Anyway- about the book....

Let me first say, this may be one of those books that enforces and ideal I already possess. However, I still thing you should read it! I know that I am very old fashioned in some ways. I love the old ways of doing things. I appreciate technology and of course I love the computer, but I don't want it to be the only thing I see all day. Ever seen Wall-E? Sometimes I feel like we are headed in that direction more and more everyday. And I hate it. I don't think it's the way it is supposed to be. The reason I love this book is because it brings us back to the old days. When kids played outside. And when parents weren't afraid for their kids to do that. I know I could easily be the type of parent who shelters my kids. And yes, it is my job to keep them safe, however, kids get hurt. That's how it goes. You play in a tree, you might fall and break your arm. But you might not and being in that tree might be the safest place you have as a kid. Did you know I broke my shoulder snowboarding (as an adult)? It hurt. It sucked and I was out of work for weeks. But guess what- I still love snowboarding and my shoulder is OK. Getting hurt isn't the end of the world.

Here's something I learned in this book: you know how everyone is afraid for their kids to get abducted by a stranger? Rational fear, right? Guess what- child abductions have NOT increased in number since the 70's. I'm not saying 'let your kid do whatever they want and don't worry about anything.' I'm saying, we have become hyper-vigilant and because of that deprived our kids of nature. Something they NEED to be kids and grow and learn. We keep our kids inside because we are afraid they will get hurt or stolen by some unsavory stranger. This is what the media has done: publicized these incidents so that we think they happen hundreds of times a day. They don't. Of course, when they do, it is awful. Don't hear me saying it doesn't matter if your kid gets abducted, of course it does. But it is not as likely as the media portrays it to be.

I remember a story Andy and his mom tell about when he was a kid, he would get up in the morning before anyone else and go outside to play by himself. One morning, he went out and came back in to tell his mom the place was flooded. Knowing Andy he played in the water for a while and finally realized there shouldn't be this much water in his driveway, although I am sure it was a great gift to him. That story used to terrify me. He would go outside- alone?? After reading this book I understand that those times made Andy who he is. Having that time to be outside just being a kid helped him be the wonderful and adventurous adult he is today.

When I was a kid we lived out in the country and there was some kind of - I don't know- open water pit. Maybe it was a well. Anyway, we were playing around it and decided to build a bridge with a 2x4. My dad must have seen from the window because he came running out of the house in his underwear to save us from imminent disaster or drowning. We got in big trouble. But the thing was- we were learning. We were experimenting. And maybe the bridge would have collapsed and we would have gotten wet, but I think we would have been OK.

One of the thesis in this book is that ADD and ADHD can be helped by being outside. They have done a bunch of studies with kids and nature and found that the symptoms of these 'disorders' are lessened after time outside. The author calls our current state "nature-deficit disorder".

Something else I loved about this book is this: you know how as a parent you say to your kid, "be careful" one of the stories tells of a mom who encouraged her child to spend time in nature and she would always say "pay attention" instead of "be careful". Do you see the difference? One promotes fear and the other encourages growth. I know I could be a 'be careful' parent. But I hope after reading this book, I will do many things differently.

Richard Louv encourages us all- not just kids- to be outside in all kinds of weather. It does the body and the mind good. Read this book! It is in my top ten of this year for sure. And top two for parenting (I've only read one other on parenting, but you get the point :) As Dave Ramsey says, "throw a rock through your TV." Get outside!

Hand in Hand Matching Grant

2011-11-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

We're mailing off an application for a matching grant from Hand in Hand Christian Adoption! Andy took the lead on this one and filled out most of the application. Our friends the Moss's applied and were given a grant and they told us about it. Their grant was for $2500 matched up to $5000 and at the last hours (Hand in Hand puts a time cap for you to raise the funds) they got all the money in! How cool is that!

Anyway, please pray for favor with this.

As a fund raising update: we have received $7695! This is truly amazing! We are getting very close to having enough in our adoption account to be able to accept a referral. Hopefully if we get the matching grant, that will send us over the top. Hand in Hand is a 501c3 so if you have been wanting to give but would like the tax deduction, if we get this grant, your gift will be tax deductible!

Obviously, this means we are still waiting for a referral. We have high hopes of seeing our babes by Thanksgiving! But we'll keep waiting until the day comes....

Thanks so much for keeping up on this journey with us; we are delighted to share it with you!

Journey to the end of the earth

2011-11-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's not that dramatic....but packing my bags right now makes it feel like I may be going to the end of the earth. It's just Uganda. I mean ITS JUST UGANDA!!! In about 36 hours I will be boarding a flight that after a few stops will eventually lead me to Uganda.

This trip has nothing to do with our adoption*. I am going with Compassion International where I will visit a Leadership Development Student we sponsor, see the work of Compassion firsthand and connect with a former student I served who, through the program I manage, got his Masters Degree from Moody Theological Seminary. It will be an action packed 7 days.

Richmond is the one to my right. He came to the USA in 2008 and graduated in 2011.

This is Faith- our LDP Student

*To clarify-- while this trip is not directly related to our adoption, it does touch it. Literally and figuratively. (And let's be honest everything in our lives right now has something to do with our adoption.) Check out the map. See the neighboring country to the northwestish? Thats where our babies are. So, this is as close as I have ever been to them. I'll probably cry.

I feel so many things about this trip right now:

Excitement (I mean I am going to AFRICA!)
Terror (I mean I am going to AFRICA!)
Amazement (To see the children who I have helped release from poverty! Wow!)
Joy (I can't wait to see Richmond (former student) and Faith (LDP we sponsor)!
Sorrow (I really wish I could experience this with Andy. I know I will come back changed and it makes me so sad that we can't experience it together.)

I know that even though I work with International students every day- I am not prepared for the culture shock that I will experience. I am not prepared to see poverty this close up. I am not prepared to travel a million miles from home and see my 'neighbor' suffering.

But I'm prepared to GO- and today, that is the most I can do.

Would love your prayers! I leave November 5 and return November 15. I'll try to update from there- I mean you know I will be taking a bazillion photos...maybe I can post some. You might have a better chance of seeing news on Facebook, so if you are not already my friend, go here and friend me:

https://www.facebook.com/celinabaldwin

Parenting class

2011-10-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

Colorado law states that if you are adopting you must take at least 16 hours of parenting education in class and at least 8 hours of parenting education on your own. I don't know why other states don't do this, but I am glad Colorado does. I've been doing some reading on my own in preparation for parenting these little ones, but the in class education was really beneficial.

The past two Sunday's we have been in a class with four other sets of parents adopting through our agency. Angel Dance puts on an amazing spread (of food) and brings in some experts in the field of adoption, they put together a HUGE binder of information and suggest great materials for reading later. The class gave Andy and I some good talking points and made us aware of things we hadn't thought of. I was honestly glad we hadn't parented yet, because I probably would have felt like we were the worst parents in the world! We really enjoyed these classes and are happy to have another thing crossed off our list of things to do!

In other news you know there is nothing else we can do! We have received our I171-H and sent it to our agency. Now we are literally just waiting for a ~~referral~~ match. We can't wait to see our babies faces!

We are applying for a matching grant from Hand in Hand, so if we get that we will let you know!

Thanks for your prayers and love for us on this journey!

Fundraiser Photobooth

2011-10-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

Look --------->
The adoption fundraiser photo booth photos are up!

You can also view the gallery here. Remember, you can purchase a print or a download of any of the images for your personal collection. All proceeds will go towards our Congo Adoption (you did know we are adopting, right??)

Thanks again to Joel Strayer Photographer for these super fun images!

P.S. If you illegally downloaded your photo from a previous blog post, you owe me .99- or I call the download cops and I know who you are, Chris Tschamler......

Book 32: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

2011-10-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

by C.S. Lewis

As I said in my last book update, I am reading the Chronicles of Narnia. I didn't read them as a kid- or if I did, I don't remember it.

Most of the time, I read a great book and then see the movie. Inevitably the book is better. In this case, I saw the movie before I read the book. I loved the movie and it was hard to read the book without just visualizing the movie. I know if I had done these in reverse order of course I would have liked the book better.

Anyway, I am so glad to be reading these books! I love this series.

How can we serve you? :: Earning money for our adoption

2011-10-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in another post that we are wanting to do some work to help earn money towards our adoption; here are the services we are selling. We'd love to serve you (and our babies!) by working for YOU!

Andy's Handy!

I don't have to tell you (because I already have) that my husband can fix, build, and create almost anything. You may or may not know that he recently redid an entire house. I mean literally, he flipped a house, almost entirely by himself. Of course, we had friends helping, but he redid the entire plumbing system, the electric, the walls, the floors, the bathroom, the kitchen, the tile. Everything! So, if you need help on a project or want someone to just do it for you so you don't have to think about it anymore- Andy is the guy! He can even help you get started on a project if you want to do it yourself, but just need a little expertise. We're charging $50/hour for this, but he can also bid out an entire job for you. Andy does have a full time job, so this would be a weekend and possible weeknight thing.

Here is the cool gift certificate you get (hey! you could even consider this as a Christmas gift for someone- everyone needs a few hours of help!)

So, let us know by email or phone if you want to purchase a few hours of help from my amazingly handy husband!

Celina Shoots

I'm selling PHOTOGRAPHY!! You know I love photography and now is a great time to get some photos taken! This is a special package for our adoption. It's called the "Black & White Photo Shoot."

Here is what you get:
On location, natural light photography
One 45minute session
High res downloads (or CD) of all edited images in black and white AND color
Copyrights to all images
Your favorite photograph framed and matted (8x10)

THINK: Christmas cards, Christmas gifts, maternity, new babies, family gatherings....

There's a cool gift certificate you get with this one, too:

You can check out my work at: www.celinadbaldwin.com or www.celinadbaldwinphotography.com
This package is available for $200.

We look forward to serving you and helping bring home our babies!

APPROVED TO ADOPT!

2011-10-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

This is actually not as exciting as the post title indicates, but it is pretty exciting and for us, it is another hurdle cleared! We got our I-171H approval from USCIS. You may remember that we went to get fingerprinted a couple of weeks ago and yesterday, we got the all clear!

The letter says, "NOTICE OF FAVORABLE DETERMINATION CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR ADVANCE PROCESSING OF ORPHAN PETITION" and what it means is we can move forward with our adoption of two yet to be known children from the Congo. Of course, there will be more paperwork and when we officially know who our kids are we'll go through this again. But, this is super encouraging because we were told 8-12 weeks for this form and we got it in 6. Lord, may the rest of the process be like this!

In other news, I'm posting a link to a blog I read yesterday. The reason is this: this part of the adoption process is pretty exciting and we can't wait until we see the babies faces and we can't wait until we go to pick them up and on and on, BUT, I want you to know that I know, there is a pretty serious reality here. That reality is parenting two children who come from who knows what kind of circumstances. That reality is our family going from the two of us and Wilson to four of us and Wilson, two of us who have no idea what is going on and two of us who just landed in a new country with new people who say they are our parents. That reality is called "After the Airport" and it's serious. And really I want you to know this because while we so appreciate your support now, we are going to need it for a long time to come.

So, if you are in this with us will you take a minute to read this? And will you remember that while this whole process may seem like a courageous, wonderful, biblical... (fill in the blank with your cool word) undertaking, it is nothing compared to what our adventure will be when we bring the babes home....and we are going to need you more than ever!

Our Black & White fundraiser! October 14, 2011

2011-10-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

I know some of you are dying to know about our fundraiser, so here is the update!

1. It truly was an incredible event! We had about 40 people show up- most of whom were dressed in black and white. It was so fun that everyone caught onto the theme. A seriously special thanks to my friend Kristin who helped come up with this awesome party idea!

2. The food was awesome! Of course (almost) everything was black and white except for a few healthy items. My amazing boss and her amazing mom did all the set up for the food, they brought great dishes and table cloths and cool stands to put everything on. I made most of the food, but my favorite baker Sweet Daphne Confections donated Blondies and some cupcakes. Royal Crest donated the white and chocolate milk, which we are still enjoying today!

3. Decor was super fun. I had a great time getting everything ready down to the last detail. For the tables, I did mostly black & white plastic cloths and then just a simple lantern on top of a few sheets of layered newspaper. It was super simple, but very cute. I sewed all of the napkins in black and white fabric, so we folded them up and set them at each place setting. We also had three quizzes about the Congo and famous adopted people and adoptees on every table for entertainment.

4. We had a sign when you walked in directing everyone to what the evening would hold. Then we had signs all around the venue leading people to what was happening where.

5. We had the most awesome photobooth in history complete with props. Joel Strayer is amazing. He built the photobooth just for this event and painted a map of Africa where the camera came out of the booth (how cool is that?). When it is all said and done we will use the pictures to make a book for our kids to share with them the story of their journey home. Here are a few of the photos- honestly, I wish I could post them all here! I'll be uploading them to my website so you can see the whole gallery soon. I'll be sure to post a link to that on here.

5. We did a little presentation with the help of our home study agency and my Compassion grads that I work with. My mom recorded it, but she can't upload it until she gets home, so I haven't had to watch myself on video yet....

6. We sold (and are still selling- post to come with details) some 'work'. I sold photography packages and Andy sold handyman services. The table for our work was really fun. Andy's gift certificates were on plywood!

7. We handed out some SWAG (stuff we all get) which was a CD of black and white songs, a map of Africa and our prayer requests. I have some of these left over- if you want one, let me know! I'll send one to you.

8. And probably what most of you have been waiting for- donations! Including our mail in donations, which we are still getting (you can keep sending these!) we have raised: $6875! We will need $13,000 to accept a referral and we have about $9000 in the bank (this includes the $6875 that has been donated) , SO-- we are soooo close to this step being complete thanks to your amazing generosity! We honestly cannot believe the outpouring of support from YOU! When I told Linda (our homestudy agency director) how much we raised, she could not believe it. She asked me if we expected to raise so much and honestly, I didn't have an answer...I guess I didn't really have expectations for it, but, I am truly blown away!

Speaking of referrals- I spoke to our agency today and no referrals have come in in a few weeks. To keep our expectations realistic, we are hoping for Christmas, ok Thanksgiving, wait, Halloween, no tomorrow! Seriously, any day now we hope to get it. Christmas is keeping it real, Thanksgiving is probably realistic and Halloween is a dream come true. Keep praying for this!

Anyway, I hope you all feel that you were part of this great event! Thanks for keeping it in your prayers. It was everything we hoped and more!

What's in a name?

2011-10-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

Last night at our adoption fundraiser (which was seriously, incredibly awesome! I will share more on this later...) someone asked us what we planned to do about our children's names. Keep them? Change them? What? Since I have thought long and hard about this, I was able to give a response which I am posting below (extended for blog purposes).

No matter what age our children are when we bring them home, we will change their names. There are three reasons for this and these reasons are personal to us; if you have an adopted child and did not change their name-great- we know you have reasons for that to. Please don't consider this condemnation for your decision. These are just our personal reasons.

1. Destiny: We will have many jobs as parents, but one we plan to take very seriously is planting and tilling God's destiny within our children. Yes we will teach them skills, yes we will equip them to function in society, but most importantly we will help call forth the gifts that God has put in them. We will impact their eternal and earthly destiny. Part of us helping to establish this eternal seal on our children is in their name. Say, for example, our children are born in a situation where they are totally unwanted and because of that the name they are given is: Gwandoya which means 'met with unhappiness'. Well, that is not our belief for our children, so why would we keep a name that marks them with that destiny? We won't.

2. Culture: We will do many things to help our children maintain their Congolese culture. But the reality is they will probably spend the remainder of their lives in the USA, so our desire is to give them a name that helps them belong in this culture. They will be Americans with American passports and we want them to feel- as much as they can- that they belong in this culture. Their Congolese culture will be a part of them no matter what- and we will encourage that- but we don't want them to have to fight to belong.

3. Being a Baldwin: Another job we have is giving our children a cherished place in our family. We know that they will come with a history (a history we may never know) and no matter what, that history will always be a part of them, but when we bring these sweet babies home, we want them to know more than anything that they belong with us. They are home. We want our children to honor their Congolese heritage, but we also want them to know that they totally and completely belong in our family. They are Baldwins and we will 'mark' them as such with a name we chose for them.

Will it be hard on a five year old if you change their name? Maybe? As a teenager, will they turn to you and yell, "Thats NOT my name!" maybe. But no matter what, we will know they are Baldwins, we helped call forth their destiny and we helped them belong in this culture.

Andy made fun of me because a few days ago I came home from the library with not one, but six baby name books. Since they have thousands of names in them each, I guess I can see why it was overkill..... He sat silently while I called out names from the book, "Aiden? Allen? Abigail?" and only responded to either a name he loved or a name he hated. I guess we have a long road ahead with choosing a name, but just like choosing each other- we knew when we knew and again, we will know when we know!

Book 31: The Magicians Nephew

2011-10-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Magicians Nephew

C.S. Lewis

Lest you think I am cheating in my quest to read 50 books, I have never read The Chronicles of Narnia before. I don't really know why....anyway, I plan to read the series and if I can complete it in the next few weeks, I will be well on my way to 50 books by the end of the year! Time is passing quickly, but do you think I can make it?!

As a summary for anyone else who has never read these books, there are 7 in the series. Narnia is classic children's literature and according to Wikipedia, it is C.S. Lewis's best known work. However, the stories are allegorical and are certainly much more than just a 'childrens' books'.

I enjoyed The Magicians Nephew and am excited to read the rest; reading these books makes me excited to share literature with my kids. I know we will spend many nights reading these wonderful stories together.

Our fundraiser!

2011-10-08T11:52:00.001-07:00

I'm getting so excited about our fundraiser!
We've spent weeks getting ready: baking, prepping, planning....and I am just giddy with anticipation.

My collection of stuff that is going to the fundraiser!

As you know, the theme is Black and White and we have put so much thought into the details; I can't wait to see how it all turns out! I promise to post pictures so you can feel like you were there.

By way of update: we are still waiting for a referral, but hope to have one exactly when it is time! Amazingly and wonderfully, our incredible friends and family have blessed us with almost $4000 through mail in and paypal donations. That means we are 1/5 of the way to our goal!

After our big event, I'll post another update and let you know a couple of things we plan to do to continue to raise funds- we want the party-goers to have a first chance to participate!

We've got the coolest thank you cards that will be going in the mail, soon, too for all of you who have expressed your support! All of this has kept me busy enough to not think about our wait....

Book 30: The Last Jihad

2011-10-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

The Last Jihad

by Joel C. Rosenburg

While in a book discussion, which I love to engage in, someone recommended this book. It was a pretty easy find on paperbackswap.com, so I ordered it.

I am sure there is a word for this type of read....it's kind of like candy, except not as sweet. With minimally developed characters and predictable endings, it's not a book I would recommend to others (though I do see why it was recommended to me- with it's fast pace and twists and turns, I'm not mad at whoever it was that said I should read it).

Despite this, I didn't dislike the book- it's more like, I knew what would happen and how it would end and who would fall in love with who. In fact, although I wouldn't pass it on, I would read the next book in the series. Am I making sense here?

Here is the back of book summary. Chose for yourself, but if you will only read one book I read, don't have it be this one.

"Jon Bennett is a top Wall Street strategist turned senior White House advisor. But nothing has prepared him for the terror that he will face. Saddam Hussein dispatches his top hit men to assassinate the President of the United States. Iraqi terrorists spread carnage throughout London, Paris, and Riyadh . . . and the Butcher of Baghdad has a nuclear ace in his hand that he has not yet played.

Only a solid Arab-Isreali coalition against Iraq can keep the U.S.--and other Western nations--from certain devastation. And only Bennett and his beautiful partner, Erin McCoy, can make that happen. Their secret project--a billion-dollar oil deal off the coast of Gaza--could be the basis for an historic peace treaty and enormous wealth for every Isreali and Palestinian. But just before a treaty can be signed, Isreali commandos foil an Iraqi Scud missile launch, recovering a nuclear warhead and evidence that the next attack will level Washington, New York and Tel Aviv.

Now, the Isreali Prime Minister gives the American President an ultimatum: Melt down Baghdad within one hour . . . or Israel will do it herself. From Jerusalem, Bennett and McCoy must summon all their stealth and savvy to save themselves--and the world--from absolute destruction."

Glenwood Springs

2011-09-27T06:01:00.000-07:00

We've had a super busy summer. Super. Busy. We didn't camp, hike, or generally do anything fun. Because of moving, the adoption, and work, we just didn't have time for life outside of those things. BUT- this weekend, we did! We spent the weekend in Glenwood Springs. It was incredible.

We arrived Thursday night and on Friday morning, we took the bus from Glenwood Springs to Aspen, CO and rode our bikes the 40 some miles back to Glenwood.

We're pretty serious about biking.

The day was incredible! Of course, these photos don't do it justice, but trust me it was an amazing fall day. The leaves were changing just enough and it was not too hot.

I was told all along that the ride was "all downhill" and was looking forward to an easy ride. When we got off the bus, some ladies led us to the trail and one of them said, "oh yeah its all downhill, but I mean you pedal the whole way." There goes an easy ride. It actually wasn't hard and not being in tip top shape, we did it no problem (read: I only complained about 15 of the 40 miles). The ride is downhill in the sense that it is not uphill. Maybe that is what bikers use to determine if a ride is downhill or uphill....I don't know.

I had to build in some breaks. "Oh, I think I need to lower my seat. Can these handlebars be adjusted? I think the reflector fell off my pedal, let me stop and check."
None of which fooled Andy.
We played some games to pass the miles.

On Saturday, we bought passes to the Hot Springs and spent the morning and evening there. We took the gondola to the top of the hill and walked around enjoying the view.

And on Sunday, we got some Starbucks and drove home. Our Wilson spent the weekend at his favorite vacation spot: "Al & Donna's" (if you live in COS, this is absolutely where you need to send your dog when you leave town- ask me for the number!). He told us that on his vacation he ran and ran and barked and barked with his friends. Now he is so tired.

Here he is now- recovering:

It was a great weekend and I am immensely grateful for a wonderful husband to share that time with!

What did you do this summer?

Don't call us on October 11 at 10:00 AM

2011-09-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

Because we have our biometrics appointment! And apparently before you enter that appointment, they take your (and I quote) "cell phones, cameras, and other recording devices." (Thanks for praying- I won't be in Chicago and we both have a clear schedule that day and can make it!)

We are excited for another step; something we can DO. Because basically we are now in the place where we can't DO anything except pray and wait. No one is waiting on us to fill out another form, gather some official document, or set up some kind of meeting. We are the ones waiting and as Tom Petty so truthfully says it, "the waiting is the hardest part."

Our wait for a referral is 0-3 months. We are first on the list. Everyday I check my email a million times a day and hope to see an email from Terri with the subject "Sibling group" or something like that. But so far, just waiting.

Pray for our hearts. Pray for our relationship with each other to grow during this time and pray for us to be united in HIM.

Official notices and such

2011-09-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

We got this in the mail a few days ago:

It's an I797-C, Notice of Action.
I'd like to take a moment to translate the government lingo into everyday language used by most of us:

"Andy. We got your check. We cashed it. Looks like you and your wife are planning to adopt. Great! Check the information on this form to ensure it is all correct and notify us if it isn't. In the meantime, we are going to do some background checking on you to find out if all you said in your application to adopt is true. After we complete that- we are going to send you a notice of the day and time when you will come to the USCIS office for official fingerprinting. If you have any questions about this go ahead and call this number: 1800blahblah. Don't worry- contacting a real human will be impossible. But feel free to try. Don't try to come to your biometrics (no everyday language translation available) appointment because this piece of paper isn't your notice of an appointment. BUT- it is important to note, we'll be sending you the date, time and location of your biometrics appointment of which you will have no option to reschedule even if you happen to be in Chicago for work."

Oh well- at least it is nice to receive something that looks important in the mail.

In other news:

Please do pray that we are in town for the appointment they make without any input on our schedules. I am sure there is a way around this issue should someone be in Chicago for work, but I hope we don't have to use it!
Please pray for patience. We really want to meet (i.e. see the faces of) our babies. We got an email asking if we were interested in a 6 & 2 year old sibling pair and we had to turn it down. I can explain why to you if you want, but the bottom line is this: I knew in my heart those weren't our kids. Our age limit as of right now (that we feel God gave us) is 5. We didn't look at their photos. The only photos I want to see are of our babies. Everyday is becoming a new day to trust the Lord. I just want to run out ahead of Him and say- "OK, we'll take whatever. Send ANY two kids!" But, that would be a disaster. So, we wait. And we hope....and we ask you to pray.

Lastly: have you RSVP'ed to our event?! Thanks to those of you that have! If you haven't: listen, I know RSVPing is super old school, but for the sake of my sanity: please do it anyway. We need to know if you will be there so I can start baking cupcakes or something.

Book 29: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

2011-09-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Funny name. Wonderful book!

Do you ever read a book that you think about as if the characters were your friends? That is how this book handled me. I didn't want it to end.

I started it one night by reading the first chapter - I looked ahead a few pages and said to Andy, "I don't think I can read this book. It's all letters." But, like the committed reader I am, I kept on. Besides that Anna had highly recommended it, so I had to give it more than a chapter. I read it in 4 nights. Loved the story, the characters, the setting...the list goes on.

Want a great read- then this is it!

Enjoy; you can thank Anna later.

The coolest thing about this journey

2011-09-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

I have to say one of the coolest things about this journey of adoption is encouraging others in it.

When we first started this process, we decided that an important thing for us to do was to meet with other families who have already adopted or who were in the process of adoption. It was so good for us! Families opened up about the struggles and shared excitedly about the joys. Everyone was encouraging; and now we get the honor of doing the same for others!

Last week we spent time with some friends who have been considering Congo adoption for a while, but they were...stuck. They had the home study packet in hand, but hadn't filled anything out. As we spent time with them we tried to encourage them that this is a journey of faith. If you wait until all conditions are 'right' you will get to eternity and not have done anything. So we tried our best to encourage them that if you know God called you to this, you should jump right in!

This morning I got an email that said this, "We had such an awesome time with you guys on Sunday!! You were more encouraging to us then you'll ever know! We wrote our first check & sent in our application. Yay for baby steps!"

YAY! Indeed! To me, this (life, adoption, fill in the blank) is as much about following the path God has for us as it is about encouraging others.

The fruit of all of this will indeed be sweet!

What can you encourage someone in today? Do you need encouragement in something?

Book 28: Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

2011-09-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

by Rhoda Janzen

I wish I could remember who recommended this book to me...Kristin? Anna? I don't know, but thanks!

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is a memoir* (which is a genre of book I am beginning to realize I love) about the writers divorce and subsequent return to her Mennonite roots for a respite. This book is full of interesting characters, laugh out loud funny, interesting in its presentation of tidbits on Mennonite culture and religion and heart felt in a real-life-broken heart-but recovering kind of way.

*Memoir (defined in my own words) is a type of autobiography detailing not an entire life span, but maybe a defined time period or set of circumstances. Written in the first person, a memoir is a true story of the authors account of some incident or time period. (How's that?)

Grace in our mailbox

2011-09-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

You never really know how God will show up...today, He showed up in our mailbox.

I have an old friend from the 1997-way-back-machine who I used to work with at a restaurant. Even though she was older than me (a fact I chided her about often), we became fast friends. Apparently, she liked being friends with someone who was rough around the edges --I know, I still am. Imagine me 12 years ago-- because she totally 100% accepted me the way I was. We would go out to lunch, hang out at the bar at our restaurant during the slow times and do crosswords and generally have a great time. Just by nature of her age, she taught me lots of stuff. Around the time when we were friends, I started to revisit my faith and boldly shared that journey with her. She told me one day that she thought she would call me "Serena" instead of Celina because my countenance had changed because of the Lord (get it "serene" peaceful?). A high compliment I still remember. Anyway, we have not talked in who knows how long...honestly, I have no idea. I happened to have her on my master address list and as I prepared our mailing, I spent some time deliberating whether to send her an invite. A) I didn't know if she even still lived at the address I had and B) I honestly thought she might be offended to receive my invite in the mail. I literally looked at her name several times in the process and almost didn't send her an invitation. But I threw my caution to the wind and let that envelope with my heart and my story go to North Carolina. Take note- I didn't think she would be offended because of who she is, I thought she would be offended because of my own insecurities. She is an amazing woman as you will soon see. Today I received her RSVP back (first one in the mail!) with a large gift and an incredible note detailing how proud she was of me. I can't tell you I cried, but I almost did. My heart literally raced for about 20 minutes as I sat in awe of this tremendous grace.

Remember this post when I told you we weren't super excited about asking people for money for our adoption? As much as I still feel that way, I am getting over it one minute at a time. See, I've realized that it's our job to be obedient and it's God's job to move on hearts. You know what I have to lose right now? Nothing. People's responses to our invitation are their own concern and not ours. Our concern is bringing our babies home. And if folks want to participate in that- awesome! Rewards abound for those who care for orphans and widows. If folks don't- awesome, too because they have something else God has called them to and it's not my job to judge. A few days ago I got another letter from someone I have met just a few times (someone we didn't send an invite to because we don't know them well) with a check and a note saying (paraphrased), "I just want to encourage you in the journey of fundraising". Wow. Well said and encouragement received.

Today, as I stand in awe of His grace, I celebrate this journey of adoption and faith and the Lord who guides it.

To my friend from 1997- I can never, ever thank you enough for your generosity, your obedience and for being my friend when I wasn't particularly friendly.

Book 27: The Heavenly Man

2011-09-12T06:15:00.000-07:00

The Heavenly Man

by Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway

To say this book challenged my faith is an understatement!
Brother Yun is a Chinese pastor who has been beaten, imprisoned, and tortured for the sake of Christ in China. He has experienced many miracles and has known the closeness of the Holy Spirit during his times of trial. No matter what, he refused to deny God.
The challenge to me is this: would I be willing to suffer for Christ? Am I, in all my western affluence, even close to understanding Christ-likeness? Do I rejoice when I am "suffering"?
I pray that the truths in this book will stay in my spirit and that the small things of this world will fade to the background so that what matters in my life is Christ.
If you haven't read this book and have a strong stomach, I suggest you read it!

In regard to my 50 books in 2011: I was lamenting to Andy that I am about 10 books off of reaching my goal and he kindly reminded me that we haven't been on vacation yet (where I can devour as many books in as many days)! I may not reach my goal of 50, but I still think I will get pretty close. And even if I read 40- that's 39 more than most people will read in 2011!

Curtains in the office!

2011-09-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

Our house still has what I believe are the original window treatments. I'm sure in 1959 they cost a mint. They are good quality, but not our style and not of this era, so one at a time they are headed out the door.

We just replaced the curtains in the office, with special thanks to Ikea we were able to do the entire window covering for less than $25.

Andy hung the wire and put up the system and I sewed the curtains. If you come over, please don't look closely because I am for sure an amateur seamstress and many lines are not straight, but the curtains hang nice and look great in this room!

Ooops. We need to patch the holes from the old curtain rod- we'll do that when we paint.

I love this wire curtain hanging system- super cheap and super simple and you can replace the curtain any
time with any fabric!

There are a couple of things we would do differently, but for a first, I think it looks pretty good!

Repurposed: Mini Cabinet

2011-09-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

My stepfather gave me this little cabinet years ago and I have always loved it. However, I have never been able to do anything with it. It's small enough that it is unstable when you open and close it, so you would really have to hang it on a wall to get any use of it. Which always bothered me because I didn't want to ruin it by drilling holes in the back. It's a nice decor piece, but big enough that it bothered me to just use it strictly for decoration, but not big enough to really hold anything. See my dilemma...? As an anti-hoarder, I thought many times about getting rid of it, but for sentimental reasons never could. Besides, I really love it....

Finally, inspired by this blog post, I came up with a use for it and Andy implemented it. (Don't you just love Andy? The guy can seriously do anything!)

It's perfect! And of course it has a home in my craft studio!

It's all in the mail!!

2011-09-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our I600A application was sent via Fed Ex to USCIS (8-12 weeks for approval).
Today, I mailed our dossier to One World (0-3 months for referral).

YEAH!

Now all we have to do is wait.....

Please pray for patience for us as well as no hiccups with USCIS and for us to know our children when we see them (i.e. get a referral)!!

I made this! Map art

2011-09-09T05:48:00.000-07:00

I saw this idea on someone's Facebook who had posted it for someone else. It was on Pinterest, which I cannot bring myself to join, lest I never leave my house.

Anyway, I took this idea and made it my own. The idea was to create three maps showing where you and your husband met, got married, and honeymooned. I didn't love that because where we met could be viewed as either Montrose (where I was living when we met via email) or Colorado Springs (where we met for the first time in person). So I decided to make this idea my own and make three maps showing where Andy grew up (or started life), where I grew up, and where we now live. We already own a collection of maps, so the only thing I had to buy was the frames. THANK YOU IKEA for moving here!! (I am a HUGE fan of Ikea frames!)

After purchasing the frames and selecting the maps, I cut a piece of heavy cardboard the size of the frame opening. I then cut the maps (just a little bit bigger to be safe) and ironed (with NO steam) the cut pieces- maps are wrinkly! I put in very small letters Andy's initials on his map mat (say that three times fast!), mine on my map mat and LOVE on the map mat where we live now. Then I framed, hung and loved! Once we paint the walls, this will look even better than it does now!

This is an easy project that anyone can do! I am excited to create something like this for our kiddos. I've asked my sister in law who is in Africa now to look for an African map for us and I've got a huge Ikea frame for that one to put in their room!

Defining Adoption Terms

2011-09-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

A friend recently emailed me this (sorry about the formatting here)

I've been loving your blog. If you could recommend
ONE source for getting started and learning the lingo

(looked like some other language when you were putting all the initials...)
on adoption, what would it be?

Reading your blog makes me feel really overwhelmed
at all you have to do to complete an adoption.

So true. When we started I felt like I had moved to a foreign country. I told her that the bottom line is to start somewhere- anywhere! You just learn as you go in this process. My main advice was that if her family was considering adoption, she should begin with a home study agency and complete the home study. The reason is, if you find the right agency- they will help you through the process.

Regardless of my attempts to make our adoption story comprehensive (with definitions instead of acronyms), I realize that there are many terms that are confusing regarding adoption. I've decided that some things just need to be spelled out and because we love adoption and are advocates for anyone who wants to adopt, together we are going to start somewhere. Below are a few adoption terms defined (mostly I have done this in my own words).

Home Study (aka the first step): You must complete a home study in order to adopt children. A licensed agency spends time with you and everyone in your immediate family as well as anyone living in your home in order to determine if you are fit to parent adopted children. The social worker assigned to you will ask you many, many questions about your past, present and future intentions. They will visit your home and ensure your home is safe for children. You can pass or fail a home study. Most families will probably pass, but it is the agencies job to screen for possible issues that could later put a stop to your adoption. Our social worker told us at the very beginning that she would let us know if she saw issues during the process, so don't worry, it's not like the SAT test where you don't know how you're doing until its too late.

Adoption agency: An adoption agency assists you with all things adoption. In our case, we are using two agencies. One for our home study and one for the international side of things. An agency is very, very important to chose carefully. Adoption is a long and trying process and if you are using an agency that is hard to work with, you will become frustrated.

Domestic adoption: This is when you adopt a child from your own country. I know there are two kinds of domestic adoption 'open' and 'closed'. Open is where you maintain relationship with one or both parents of the children and closed is where you do not. There are many resources on domestic adoption out there, but since we have not engaged in this process, I am not one of them!

International (or Inter Country) adoption: Adopting a child from another country. You cannot adopt from just any country; not every country allows international adoption. See your agency for information. In International adoption there is Hague accredited countries and non-Hague accredited countries. Hague accreditation ensures that inter country adoptions take place in the best interest of the children. Hague accredited adoption countries are more rigorous in their standards. The Congo is NOT accredited, but we ensured that both of our agencies were licensed for Hague.

Dossier: This is a confounding word that has a simple meaning! A dossier is simply a packet of documents that you prepare for your agency. There are legal documents, medical documents, proof that you are a human documents, etc. The dossier can be simple or complex. In our case, most likely because Congo is not Hague accredited, our dossier was very simple. The dossier is translated along with the home study when you are adopting internationally.

Referral: A referral is a celebration! This is when your agency matches you with your children. Usually the details are sketchy. A photo, an age (range), and maybe some basic medical details. You can accept a referral or decline it. Many people I know have said that they knew their children the second they saw their faces. I think we will know that as well!

I600A: This is an application to adopt an orphan that is sent to the US government (Immigration and Naturalization Service). When you are successful in this, you receive a 171H, which is approval to adopt an orphan.

Finger printing & biometrics: This is all required in the screening process to ensure you are not a wanted criminal. Different government agencies do their own screening.

This is as far as we have gotten in the process, but there are more definitions to come. You can look forward to information on "passing court", "being granted a VISA", and other terms that even I don't know yet!

As I told my friend who felt like this was all another language,

As far as other resources- I've learned everything from reading blogs and

asking friends who went through this.

Everyone has something to teach me about the process....

no matter what- it's full of surprises!

Would LOVE to talk any time- you are the answer to someones prayer!!

As are YOU the answer to someones prayer. Honesty, if God has put this in your heart, follow your heart! You are the answer to someones prayer!

A teeny, tiny delay

2011-09-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess with adoption this is what it is all about....one delay, one paper not where it is supposed to be when it is supposed to be there and on it goes. No cause for worry or stress.

We had hoped for our application to USCIS to be in the mail last week, but it isn't yet.

Adoption Alliance (who needs to approve the Home Study before we send the application to USCIS) requested an additional section be added to the study. It was just a few paragraphs about Andy and I and a final evaluation from Angie. Angel Dance quickly made the change, but then the report spacing was changed and we had to sign off on the changes and the last page of the home study.

We just got those signature pages in the mail today and we'll sign tonight and mail it tomorrow. The interagency agreement is signed between One World and Angel Dance (another necessary step) and is on it's way to the State. We should have approval from Adoption Alliance by Monday and then sometime next week our application for the I600A will be in the mail. On that same day two things will happen.

1. We will send in our dossier and One World will begin looking for a match for us (0-3 month wait for that to come through)
2. We will begin our "8-12 week" countdown for the approval from USCIS

Please pray for us!
For patience, that there will be no questions from USCIS on our mental health, psychological well being or otherwise. We'd love for this to be the smoothest application they have ever approved!

Craft it up!

2011-09-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

You probably know this, but I love crafts. All kinds of crafts: sewing, paper crafts, photography crafts, you name it- I probably love it. And again since this blog for me is more like a journal that I am willing to share with the public, I am capturing my interests here! Please disregard if you don't care about my interests or crafts. :)

Moving on...Firstly, I would like to offer you a tour of my craft studio. I love this space and I am so, so, so happy to have it. I haven't had my own craft studio in 8 years or more and I can't tell you how settled it makes me feel to have one. When we moved into this house, Andy said we'd find a place for me and we quickly did. It evolves daily with new projects, better ways to organize and happier decor. I spend about 5-10 hours a week down here (or as much time as I can)!

Without further ado:

Craft table was in the house when we moved in. It was in another room and Andy quickly noticed it should be my craft table; it fits the space perfectly!

Although my studio is in the basement, it has plenty of natural and artificial light available! I feel like it looks messy in this picture, but I promise if you ask me where any one single item is, I know exactly where it is!

This shelf unit was a gift from our sweet friends who were moving cross country. It holds all of my craft supplies perfectly!

Found that "sewing machine repairing" sign at a garage sale for like a buck. I love repurposing things and this craft space is a testament to that! Many of my supplies have been reinvented or recycled (ever think of using the styrofoam trays meat come in for paint trays for a small project?).

Just as a bonus, since this is my first craft blog post- check out what I made this weekend. In like an hour. And I promise I am a beginner sewer- so if I can do it, so can you!

Why should anyone with a camera (let alone someone who charges for her work) have a boring old camera strap?

I'll be posting things I create and good ideas I find on here. I will be very happy to have you steal them, since most of my ideas and projects are from someone or somewhere else. If I use a pattern to make something I'll link to that so you can make it, too! However, I don't think I will be creating tutorials unless it is something I truly invent myself. Here are the instructions I used for the camera strap which cost me zero dollars and zero cents to create since I had most everything on hand.

What have you created lately?

How we feel about raising funds for our adoption

2011-08-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

As we get ready to send out our adoption fundraiser invitations, I feel like it's important to share what is behind it. Maybe just to get it off my chest, but maybe when you receive the invite, you will come to this site with questions and I hope I can answer them here. If I don't- will you promise to ask? I know that I have received pleas for donations before and thought to myself, "what the heck?". If you think that- do us both a favor and go ahead and ask. We want you to. Honestly. Truly. From the bottom of our hearts. We value our relationship enough with you that we won't be offended and we care more about you then we care about our pride.

When we started the adoption process, we sat down and looked at how much it would cost vs. how much we earn at our jobs vs. how much we spend on monthly expenses vs. how much time the adoption would take to complete (i.e. we made a budget). Based on all of this information, we figured we would probably be able to afford the expenses on our own. This was a huge relief to us, because we are both proud and hard working and asking for money is not in either of our strengths or desires. We have spent the last six months or so working hard, setting aside big chunks of money, and not spending as much as we would like to in order to have money for the expenses of our adoption. (Want to know about the expenses of adoption? Check out this post.)

Present day: We have learned that based on what we are asking the agency for (two children under five, preferably siblings, no gender preference) we are first in line. FIRST! There are no other people who want this combination of kids. None. That means that the second we submit our dossier, we will be the first to get a match. And it also means our process will be faster than we anticipated and our wait for a match will be 0-3 months. (Probably more like 0-3 minutes based on what we know right now!) Once we get a match and accept a referral, we will need approximately $13K for the agency. We will also immediately begin paying 'orphan support' which is $200/per month, per child. This is a lot of money and we don't have it. So why not wait until we can earn it ourselves? Good question and one we have both asked ourselves. Here is the answer: we can't. Our children, the ones God preordained for us to parent, are waiting for us. And we want to begin parenting them as soon as possible. So when we get a match and a referral for our children, we want to be able to bring them home as soon as possible. And we believe that the Lord wants this for us and for our kids. So- we are swallowing our pride and asking the body of Christ to participate with us. Because if God wants this for us, then He will move on the hearts of His kids to do something about it.

I was talking to a friend about how we don't want to ask people for money or support. Her reply, "You are giving them an opportunity to partner with you and God in this amazing process you are undertaking. Don't rob people of what God will call them to." OK. So think of this fundraiser as a) our act of obedience and humility and b) our unwillingness to rob YOU of what God will call you to.

We were reminded of this in church yesterday, which goes along with us giving you the opportunity to do God called you to. Ephesians 2:8-10

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Here is what all this means: if God calls you to give- GIVE. If He doesn't: DON'T! You are accountable to Him. And we are not going to be here checking names off a list and wondering why so and so didn't send a check. I promise. That is not for us to judge and we won't!

In conclusion: we didn't want to ask you all for money or support. We have been working hard on our own to pay for this ourselves. But, just like most things that are hard- we can't do it alone and we are inviting you to participate however God calls you to. Please don't imagine that prayer or a kind word don't count as support- they do and we will take all of those we can get right now.

To those of you who have given financially without us asking: wow. God used your obedience as a clear sign to us that we were smack dab in the center of His will. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are an inspiration to us with your generosity and grace!

P.S. We are SUPER excited about our fundraiser- it is going to be an awesome party! And no matter if you come with or without a check- COME! It will be a true celebration of what God has done, is doing and will do. Please come and support us just by being there!

FAQ's about our adoption

2011-08-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Let's pretend I just told you we are adopting. Usually, I say something like this: "We're in the adoption process for two kids from the Congo."

You respond:
"Wow! Thats great! How old?"
I say:
"We've requested two children under five years old"

You say:
"Will they be siblings?"
I say:
"We hope so because it's cheaper to adopt siblings, but we are open to any two children under five."

You say:
"Boys or girls or both?"
I say:
"We really don't care. Andy would like a boy, but we truly are totally open."

You say:
"Wow. That is so cool! Why the Congo?"
I say:
"Well, Andy's sister was working there for a while with a relief organization and she reposted a blog that one of her friends had written about adoption from the Congo. The blog just really explained things well, answered a ton of questions about adoption and made it clear that there was such a need in that country for kids to be joined with families. We started to look around at other countries and options, but it got so confusing and overwhelming, so we came back to where our journey started and began to pursue adoption from the Congo."

You say:
"Do you have any kids of your own?"
I say:
"Not yet, but we are open to that as well."

You say any of the following:
"We have thought about adoption"
"We have some friends who adopted"
"That is great what you are doing"
I say:
"Oh you should do it! There is such a need for families to adopt kids"
"Cool, from what country?"
"Thanks! We are so excited!"

And we both go our separate ways.
The end!

Book 26: The Connected Child

2011-08-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Connected Child

by Karyn Purvis

As we get closer to bringing our children home, I will be reading more and more parenting and adoption books. This is the first and I am guessing the best. Honestly, I cannot tell you how much I needed to read this book. I will read it again and again. This is an incredible resource for all parents, but especially parents whose children are adopted or struggle with behavioral issues.

Every single adoptive or perspective adoptive parent we talk to mentions Dr. Purvis and this book. I am so excited for how I feel this book has helped prepare me to be a better parent. I will for sure send this book to both of our own parents as they prepare to be wonderful grandparents to our kids.

People don't often think about how different it is to parent adopted children than parenting your biological kids. We will face challenges that biological parents will never face and we will have joys that biological parents will never celebrate. I am excited. I know we can parent these kids with excellence and I know this book helped us be more ready than we were yesterday.

One room at a time....

2011-08-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

We are making this place ours one room at a time. And we love it.

It's funny, but in the last few weeks I think we have realized this is really what we love doing. When our home study social worked asked us what we like to do together, one of the main things we said was working on projects. We are at our best (usually) when we are working on something. This weekend was no exception! We decided to tackle a small and manageable room: the entryway.

Here is the entryway before:

We hated the gold light! And the "no soliciting" sign.
Not that we want solicitors, but we're just not "no soliciting" kind of people.

I do like the functionality of the broom and shovel holders, but I'm thinking we can do something a little better about it.

Another awful gold light.

More gold.

Just trying out some paint colors....Andy was a little surprised about this: oops!

We think they ran out of paint at some point because a bunch of rooms are light pink. Including the entryway. Nothing says "welcome to our home" like baby pink.

I love this bicycle basket turned Wilson poop bag holder and we found the three-legged stool under the back porch.

A few more colors....another surprise for Andy!

Gold....gold...gold.

And here is the after! We LOVE it!

I painted the doorbell yellow- a theme color in our house. I'm not sold on it, but it is pretty bright and cheery. Nothing says, "soliciting welcome here" like a yellow doorbell!

Love this light! And increasingly love Lowes way better than Home Depot for their selection in this kind of stuff!

Too yellow? I may paint it black....

We painted the walls gray and the trim and ceilings white. It looks so fresh! We hung a nice mirror and some Haitian artwork that Andy's sister gave us.

Welcome!

I LOVE this interior light! It totally goes with the house! You can see on the right we have three windows that go floor to ceiling- I may hang some fabric there someday if I find some I love.

Painted the stool, which is on it's last leg, (haha, get it..?) yellow.

The interior light

Another view of the artwork and mirror. Did I hang it too high? I kind of think I did.

You can see we went with the red color. It looks amazing with the gray!

And for final consideration- Andy had to fix the door and he made me promise not to go out said door to look at the baby bunnies or otherwise. I had to put my hand on my heart and recite a promise to him. However, I don't think even that was good enough because here is what I saw when I came around the corner after reciting my promise:

Signed, sealed, delivered!

2011-08-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Last night we officially, officially finished our home study.
Read it, signed it, and it's being mailed off today!

We are so excited to be done, done, done! with that step!
Colorado law says we can't be in possession of our home study, so Angel Dance has to mail it to whoever we need it sent to.

The next steps are:
1. Angel Dance mails homestudy to Adoption Alliance (some kind of regulatory agency, they should approve it and send it back to AD in 4 days)
2. Angel Dance mails in our I600 application (I600 is a petition to adopt an orphan and a I171H is what you get with a successful I600) to USCIS (USCIS is United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) application along with our home study
(this will be sent next week once Adoption Alliance approves our application and sends it back to AD)
3. USCIS sends us a biometrics fingerprint card and we go for digital fingerprinting (this is required for the I171H)
a. We will send in our dossier without the I171H
(The I171H is a required document, but we won't get it until 8-12 weeks from when we mail the I600 application so we will let One World start on our application and then send them the doc when it comes)
4. USCIS sends us a I171H and we send it to One World

We have been told by One World that our wait for a referral will be 0-3 months from the time they receive our dossier. We are the only ones on their list with the specific criteria of "two children under five, no gender preference" this means, we are first in line! In order to fully accept a referral we will need $13,000.
Our wait from the time we accept a referral to the time we bring our children home is 4-6 months. WOW! That means, if all goes well and according to schedule the shortest wait will be: 6 months. If all goes a little slower, the longest wait will be: 18 months. Timelines are crazy and we truly have no idea how long it all will take...but as of today, we are closer than we were yesterday!
WOOHOO!!!

The Cost of Adoption

2011-08-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

Lots of people write posts on this, but not all of them are bothered by their mother to do so. I am by no means a professional on the cost of adoption, but I am in the thick of it, so I have some idea about this subject matter.

Just what does adoption cost?
Well, the short answer is around $30,000.
The longer answer is everything you have, plus whatever your friends and family will donate.

What? $30,000? Are you serious?
Yes. $30,000. Yes. I am serious.

Why not just make your own baby?
What?

Why does adoption cost so much?
I have no idea. There is so much involved in adoption and so many agencies and governments get a piece, so that is part of it. But the rest- I don't know. What I do know is that there is a special favor and grace that comes the minute you commit to changing a child's life through adoption. Within a couple of months of us announcing we were adopting, we received - unsolicited- over $1000!

So what is the breakdown?
It's different for every agency and situation, but here is approximately what our breakdown looks like:
$4500 - Homestudy
$1000- Fees for documents
$5000- Agency fee for international agency
$13,000- Foreign country expenses (this is for siblings- if we don't get blood related children, it will be $17,000)
$600- Foster care- this is paid for the time from when you accept the referral to the time you pick up your child
$1,200- more fees for more documents
$1000- post placement deposit
$3000-$5000- Travel to and from Congo
$29,300-$35,300- Total

So there you go. Thats a chunk of change for you, but it will cost about a million dollars to raise these two kids, so this is really small change.

But here is some good and wonderful news for you:

1. God provides. Truly, from the bottom of our hearts, we believe that. We don't have a reservoir of $30,000. We don't even know where it will come from, but not once have we wondered if it would come. We know it will come. When we need it. Right now, we have about $10K of the expenses covered. Which in and of itself is amazing. We're doing one fundraiser (you are invited! October 14- details soon!) with the hopes of getting closer to what we need. And the rest- well, it will come.
2. The reward is priceless. Between being obedient to what God commands and filling our home with children who need a family, there is no cost we would not pay.

I have to say this: If you are thinking about adoption and you don't think you can afford it; I promise you this: you can't afford NOT to. Please don't let money rule your life. Let God do it. He will amaze you with what He can do.
I also have to say this: If you know someone adopting, they probably can't do it alone. If you have the means financially or otherwise, don't hold back. You will be a part of changing history for a family, for a child and maybe for a nation. You don't know who you are helping a child become by placing them in a family.

^{Psalm 68}

⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
   is God in his holy dwelling.
⁶ God sets the lonely in families,^[a]
   he leads out the prisoners with singing;
   but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Book 25: Organized Simplicty

2011-08-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Organized Simplicity

By Tsh Oxenrider

Yes: I love this book.

No: you can't borrow it.

Where do I even start?

How about this? You can check her website here: http://simplemom.net/

Then I will tell you this: this book can help you a) get organized, b) release yourself and your family from your attachment and emotional obligations to 'stuff' c) be content with less and d) prioritize what is important to you and your family.

This is one of those books that I bet 90% of the people who buy it already have a bent towards this type of lifestyle. However, there is not one person I would not recommend it to. It is such a great message.

And one that everyone can benefit from.

When you come to my house next- rooms will be cleaner, there will be less stuff and I will be able to point out about every thing in my house how it is either beautiful or useful to me.

Buy this! Read it!

P.S. I may be giving this book as a gift to everyone I know and love, so watch out!

Book 24: Of Mice and Men

2011-08-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck

I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying reading the classics. Since it has been so long since I have read most of them (some of them I have never read) it is really like reading them all over again for the first time.

I asked Andy while I was reading it what made it such a classic. He didn't quite know so I did a bit of "Googling" for myself (the most reliable research you can do) and came up with a few reasons this book is such a classic.

Some of the themes are very controversial. Reading the classics outside of high school or college english class you don't have the benefit of having the teacher tell you all you should know about why a book is important. Because I had no teacher to tell me what I should know, I didn't see the euthanasia theme repeated. But indeed, it was there.
It is highly satired in other books, movies, and television. One of the phrases that has been repeated is "tell me about the rabbits".
It was written during the depression and expressed themes that resonated with what people of that time were experiencing.

In short, this was a great book and a nice fast read to help me get almost halfway to my goal of 50 books this year!

What August first means to me

2011-07-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

Do you have a day of the year that has a deep meaning? I don't mean your anniversary or your birthday. Something deeper.

August first is something deeper for me.

Ten years ago on August first, my father died of cancer. Ten years. What a long time. And yet, I can still hear his laugh. And even sometimes I still think to myself, "oh, I'll call my dad and tell him..."
Time is a tricky thing. No matter what, though - the date doesn't leave me. I don't dread the day at all. In fact, for me it marks the passing of time unlike any other day of the year. There is the "before dad died" and "after dad died". Like 9/11. After. My wedding. After. My DTS. Before. I can mark my life by the 'before' and 'after' of this event. Lots of people have an event that marks time for them. I have a friend whose home was destroyed in a fire and she once told me that she remembers life by 'before the fire' and after the fire'. Significant events (good and bad) have a way of marking the calendar for us. My fathers death marks mine. I am sure there will be other events like this in my life, but to date, this is the most significant for me.

Something else happened on August first that marks time for me. This one was five years ago. I had met Andy Baldwin in June of 2006 by email. In person in July 2006. In August- on the first to be exact- of 2006, he picked me up at the airport from a missions trip I had been on for a few weeks and after we spent several hours together, he asked me a question that changed my life forever. He told me that while I had been away, he thought a lot about me and he knew that he wanted to take our relationship to the next level. In so many words- he asked me "out". He had no way of knowing what the date meant for me. Only God knew. But God knew enough to redeem it for me.

Ten years ago- death. Five years ago- life. What will this August first bring? No matter what it brings- it always holds something that no one can ever take from me. Memories. And a handy calendar reminding me that life is short and some days are good and some days are bad. But each day is His gift to me.

Book 23: The Illuminati

2011-07-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Illuminati

by Larry Burkett

A fictional account of end times, this book is a great read!

Larry Burkett is known for his non fiction books on finance and money management. This was apparently his first fiction book. I think he did a great job of explaining what the Illuminati is in the context of a fiction book.

Check it out!

The garage...dun dun dun....

2011-07-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

You may or may not know that we just bought a fabulous house. Built in the 50's it had only one owner who loved it and cared for it as much as we do. Honestly this place is dream come true for us. It was perfectly move-in-able with lots of stuff refinished (floors, freshly painted walls), it just needs some curtains, a paint job (with our colors) and a few minor upgrades. Coming off of a total rehab project, we decided this summer we would take a little vacation from house projects and resume in the fall. That lasted 15 minutes. Because we love house projects. I mean really. You know I am not kidding, right? Of course it stresses us me out sometimes, but mostly, I love it. One of the things that makes me love it more is to stay organized and on track so that we don't have a million things happening at once. Hence, our list of projects:

One of the items on the list was cleaning the garage. Mostly because it looked like this:

To no fault of Andy's, it served as the catch all for everything when we moved in and is just the easiest space to neglect. But, it was making me crazy.

Because my cabinets look like this:

My dad used to say, "theres a place for everything and everything has a place." I am a firm believer in that philosophy. FIRM. Like religious firm. I have issues. I know.

Anyway, when something looks like this:

I feel the pressure in my chest building.
So to save his wife from a nervous breakdown, Andy decided that Sunday was the day to make it happen.

Here is the result:

Andy built an awesome little shelf for his car stuff and a workbench from cabinets we tore out of our old kitchen.

He said there are still a few more things he wants to do, so we aren't quite ready to cross it off the list, but it looks a million times better!

I'm proud of what Andy got done in one day. He really is organized when he has the time to make it happen!

Doing it ourselves (DIY projects around the house)

2011-07-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

If you know Andy and I, you know we like to do ~~most~~ lots of things ourselves. As in "do it yourself" or DIY. Andy is the handyman and master planner who always manages to figure it all out and I like to create, craft, design, and decorate. He builds stuff (refer to entire house he restored a few months back) and I rearrange, organize and paint (refer to my pantry and anything that is considered decor in our house).

Anyway, since this blog is a bit of a diary for me (it's OK if you are reading- I don't put anything on here I don't want you to see) I decided that I wanted to start blogging about our 'do it ourselves' projects.
*Disclaimer: I have no aspirations of this blog becoming Young House Love. However, I will be stealing some of their ideas. I just want to be able to remember (and show those of you who are interested) what it was like before and be proud of what we did to make it become the "after". We probably won't post any tutorials but if you want to know how we did it, where we bought it, or what shade of gray it is, I will tell you!

Here is our first DIO (do it ourselves)

This is a cabinet that my aunt gave me ten years ago. It has served many purposes, from a winter home for the cat [the interesting] to a TV stand [the normal]. Anyway, I have always loved the functionality of this piece. It is the perfect size and shape for just about anywhere and anything. However, country chic is no longer my style so I have long wanted to repaint it. When I found these knobs on sale at Anthropology, I was finally inspired to tackle the project. Armed with a tutorial from Young House Love and my moms wealth of knowledge on furniture repainting, I was off to the races.

Here is the piece before:

And here it is after:

My paint job is for sure imperfect, but I don't mind. I love the color, the knobs and how perfectly it will go with my reupholstered chairs in my living room. One more coat of poly and we'll be moving it out of my shop and into it's new home in our living room.

Are you a DIYer or would you rather have someone else do it for you?

how I remember that I didn't forget....

2011-07-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

I have a problem.
I forget things. I guess this is probably a problem for a lot of people, but it really bothers me. One of the things I often forget is whether or not I unplugged my curling iron/hair straightener. I leave the house and then suddenly remember that I might have forgotten to unplug the devise which if left turned on and unattended for hours could cause any of the following problems: ruining of said [expensive] devise, burned countertop, fire and destruction of my house which would include the death of my [most loved] dog. So maybe my problem isn't so much that I forget stuff, it's that I worry about stuff. Mostly unnecessarily. Because I have only ever forgotten to unplug one of these devises one time and nothing bad happened.

Anyway, I finally got sick of worrying about all this when we were staying at our friends [new and very nice] house, we left for several hours and 5 minutes from home I suddenly remembered that I might have forgotten to unplug my curling iron. I worried about destroying their house with a fire for most of the day and hardly had any fun at the Shatto Farm tour. Actually, I had a great time on the tour, but whenever there was a blank space in my mind, I went ahead and imagined if my friends would still be my friends if I had burned down their house....I didn't want to test it. True to form, we returned to their home and I first: smelled for heat/hot/burning substances and second: immediately ran downstairs to check and see if I had left it on. I hadn't. We talked about ways I could remember whether I turned unplugged it or not and I got an idea, which I immediately implemented at home.

Here it is:

First, I wrapped both of my [heated, fire hazard] hair tool cords with a rubber band. I have to remove the rubber band to plug it in.

When I plug it in, I immediately put the rubber band around my wrist.

When I unplug, I make sure to remove the rubber band and voila! Now when I get to wherever I am going and suddenly remember that I might have forgotten! I just check my wrist. No rubber band=devise has been unplugged and house is safe from destruction. Now, I am free to worry about other impossible scenarios all day. What a relief!

the first thing we ever bought our kids

2011-07-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

We're pretty sure we'll need to teach them about vowels at some point, but until then, we've got some basics covered.

I fell in love with these the second I saw them in an antique store. They are pages from an old book that someone (more recently) cut out and framed. I love the frames, the colors, and the letters. The "C and D" page even has the staples from the book still in it. A little guy got overzealous at some point and colored over the mouses cheese in purple crayon; I love the authenticity in that.

In my own overzealousness, I hung these up in our office. To me it is a reminder of what is to come, what to pray about and what we have to look forward to. I can't wait to have our little ones running around here trying to learn what a vowel is, coloring in their own best loved books, and changing our lives forever!

Book 22: African Friends and Money Matters

2011-07-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

African Friends and Money Matters

by David Maranz

Do you ever read a book that you wish you had read years ago? Well, that is how I feel about this book. I so wish someone had told me about it before!

You may or may not know that in my job I work with internationals, many of them African. I have long learned that things are not always as they appear when working with other cultures and this book is a game-changer. True revelation! I know that I will do my job differently (read: better) with this information! I cannot verify it's total truth from the African standpoint and I will for sure ask some of my African friends to read this book and see what they think, however, as I was reading it I could look back at scenario after scenario that I have encountered and see this stuff in action.

I love working with people from other cultures and I love learning about how to do it better! I hope to find other books like this that will make me more aware of how others view life!

If you work with Africans, plan to travel to Africa or want to learn about other cultures: you MUST read this book. I promise- it will enlighten you!

Book 21: Heaven is for Real

2011-07-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

Heaven is for Real

by Todd Burpo

I knew I could read at least one book while visiting the Haddix's, too bad I still haven't finished my thrilling non-fiction read....

Regarding Heaven is for Real: I am very certain that there are many who would love to cast doubt on this story. But I am not one of those. You can read it for yourself and make your own claims; my take is this. This little boy, Colton Burpo, died(?) and visited heaven. He met Jesus. He came back and shared his experiences. He and his family are forever changed. If it's all a lie, well, ole Todd is probably in a sh*t ton of trouble and I don't want to be around when he's meeting Jesus. If its all true, then it is a fantastic story of a little boys visit to heaven.

Although I am in the "I believe this story" camp. I did have a question. If you don't want the book spoiled: don't read on.

1. Why didn't Todd (the dad) call the doctors, nurses and hospital to find out if in fact Colton died during the operation. He just read the medical report and accepted it as fact? Maybe he did and found out that Colton didn't actually die but somehow visited heaven without dying. I don't know, but I kept waiting for the "confirmation" of that to happen....

My favorite thing by far was the image of Jesus. It makes me excited to meet Him. The whole book itself made me excited that something so much better lies beyond this place. It made me want to live more for eternity and more for Him. It made me excited to treasure little ones, and not just my own, because after all God really loves kids!

Since I know you are still reading if you have already read the book, what did you think? Do you believe it? All of it or most of it?

Book 20: Between Sisters

2011-06-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well...it's a toss up if I am going to make it to 50 books. I'm less than 1/2 way there and the year is 1/2 over. BUT- I think I can do it. A week of vacation sometime this year will catch me right back up. Speaking of that, we're headed to my favorite readers house for some visiting time next week and I suspect the Haddix's will accommodate some reading time and have some good books for loaning. Looking forward to going to see some friends and celebrating our independence.

I slipped in this quick read to help me get ahead, but I am also in the middle of a non-fiction book that I took a 4 day break from to read this:

Between Sisters

Kristin Hannah

A good story of family, redemption and the amazing capacity of humans to change and grow. Like most of the "candy" books I have read this year, there were some scenes and story lines that were not very realistic, but the book captured me emotionally. For sure my eyes watered...or I cried. No spoilers here, just know this is a great story and an easy quick read. I have another book of hers on my shelf that I will be reading sometime soon. I like her style and I am glad I read this book. Now back to my non-fiction-learning book.....

Eating clean

2011-06-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

So, a few weeks ago I posted about reading the Eat Clean diet. Since then (well after we moved, went out of town and unpacked) we have been eating clean.

Seriously, it is amazing. We were just talking yesterday about how good we feel. We haven't had the 2 PM slump in a week, we have a ton of energy, and we both just feel good. It is definitely NOT a diet. It is a lifestyle and we are whole-heartedly diving in. I also don't think it's a lose-weight-today thing, but I feel confident it is a lose-weight-on-a-healthy-timeline thing.

Here are a few things I love about eating clean:
1. There is no counting calories, keeping track of points or feeling guilty
2. I can eat all day and since I like eating, this is a good thing!
3. After about 3-4 days the craving for garbage goes away. I haven't wanted sweets this whole week! And if you know me, I crave sweets every night. Seriously. Every night.
4. This lifestyle pretty much insists that you make most of your own food, but with that, there is so much freedom to make what you want as long as you use clean ingredients. I love cooking and being creative and we have had some delicious clean meals this past week!
5. We bought an ice cream maker at a garage sale (for $4-score!) and made our own frozen yogurt. Honestly, since I know exactly what I put in it, I can eat as much of it as I want to- it was all good, clean food! Here it is shown topped with strawberry puree. (Which, amazingly, is just straight up pureed strawberries with a tablespoon of honey.) The yogurt was delicious, but topped with the strawberries, it was amazing!!

Anyway, I will report back on this soon. We're feeling good and I trust that soon we will be seeing some physical progress- or should I say regress! To you- I really want to say, if you are at your wits end with diets, you should seriously try this. It's awesome!

Final homestudy- CHECK

2011-06-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Last night we had our final home study appointment!

Our social worker, Angie, came to our new house. She looked in every closet, (which she admitted feeling very strange about) asked questions about our lifestyle, our marriage, our gun ownership and what we do for fun. She checked to see if we had smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and an emergency contact list. She asked if our house had any 'water features', where our children would sleep, whether we walked around the house nude, and if our neighborhood was diverse. In whole, she basically made sure we were normal and safe.

At one point Angie was asking us questions about how we intend to raise our children. In response to one of my rants on proper child rearing, Angie gently and in good humor said, "You know, they say you do your best parenting before you have children." I am sure I will find these words to be both humbling and true!

The (general) next steps are:
- Andy has one final meeting with the social worker (next week)
- Agency finalizes home study (within a month)
- We read and review home study (we are not allowed to be in possession of our home study so we will continue to work closely with Angel Dance to make sure everyone who needs a copy of it receives it.)
- I600A is mailed (this is basically a "we want to adopt" form that you fill out in advance of a referral)
- Dossier* is submitted to One World Adoption
-Wait for referral....
-Accept referral
-Bring home our children!

*Dossier is a packet of documents that you submit to your agency when you are ready to adopt. Ours is actually very, very simple as the Congo is who dictates what needs to be in there. Ours includes: certified birth and marriage certificates, medical letters, passport photos, our notarized home study, and a few other documents.

Book 19: Sunrise

2011-06-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sunrise

by Karen Kingsbury

I heard Karen Kingsbury speak at an eWomen conference in Tupelo, Mississippi last fall and she was wonderful! Inspiring, beautiful, real and joyful. She is an adoptive parent herself and she is in touch with real issues. I really enjoyed her as a speaker. However, I did not enjoy reading this book nearly as much as I enjoyed hearing her speak. I found it to be very fluffy and unrealistic fiction. Which, for a couple of travel days, was OK. I remember a while back I read her series on September 11 and that was great, but I won't be reading any more of this series. If you know of any books of hers that are not like this one, let me know and I will gladly read more of her stuff. As I said, I really like her, I just didn't appreciate this title.

Book 18: Blood River

2011-05-26T05:55:00.000-07:00

Blood River

Tim Butcher

Finally finished the third non-fiction book about the Congo sent to me by Betsy. This was a great, great read and for sure one I will save for my children. A riveting story of one mans journey to retrace explorer Henry Morton Stanley's route across the Congo on the Congo river. Laced with history and the current state of affairs, this book is a complete look at the state of affairs both today and in colonial Congo.

If you want to learn more about Africa, colonialism, and the Congo, then this is a must read!

*My goal in 2011 is to read 50 books. Pretty ambitions, I know. But I love to read and I am excited to take on the challenge. Probably the biggest reason it is a challenge is because I plan to read intentionally. What does that mean?
Well for me, reading more intentionally means three things:
1. less fiction. I can read a good fiction book in a couple of days!
2. more non-fiction and books I can learn from.
3. keeping this blog as my digital diary.
So here we go! Let's see how many I can do and what I can learn and share with you!

P.S. Would LOVE any suggestions you have for books to read this year!

We've moved....

2011-05-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

I cannot begin to explain the dramatic situation we encountered on Friday. Here is the short version: we closed on the sale of our house on Las Animas without a hitch. Then, just hours before we were supposed to close on the Castle Rock house, we found out that we were not going to close due to some loan paperwork not being in place. So, imagine this: we've closed on the house we are selling and are effectively homeless, we have a rental truck full of every belonging we own, including our two upset pets, we have no access to clean clothes (who knows where they are in the truck), we have nowhere to go, my friend Charity is here from Montrose to help us move in, so she has nowhere to go, and a we're facing a whole weekend of moving and unpacking lost.... Upon hearing the news, we managed to keep our composure and only through several minor miracles, 500 phone calls, and God's amazing grace, the sellers let us move in early. Trust me- we would have been in a really bad situation if we were not able to work this out. When I say "bad situation" I may or may not be referring to a complete mental breakdown on my part...

We spent the weekend settling in and we have been praising God ever since. (We did close successfully on Monday.)

To tell you how we feel about this house--We LOVE it!!! There are a million things we love about our new house, but for your reading pleasure, here are the top ten:

1. the neighborhood- there are lots of people who have lived here since they built the houses in the 50's!
2. the 'dryer' (see image below)

3. the hardwood & tile- newly refinished before we moved in
4. the kitchen- awesome retro cabinets, great space, a wonderful pantry
5. the incredible storage SPACE!- everything is almost already perfectly organized :)
6. the attention to detail and cleanliness that the previous owners had -a map in the basement with pin heads marking the location of all sprinkler heads, file folders for everything in the house, blueprints and even original photos from when the house was built in 1958!
7. having a fireplace- bring it winter! (Ok, not yet...)
8. the actual retro and vintage accents - a pencil sharpener attached to the basement wall downstairs, cool lighting fixtures that I would have picked out myself at the reStore
9. The yard- someday soon we will have a vegetable garden and some chickens, but for now there are lots of flowers already in bloom from the previous owners
10. the location- less than 1/2 mile walking distance to downtown Castle Rock and less than 30 minutes commute for either of us

Anyway, we are so excited. We are thrilled to be settled. And we are grateful to God for holding this place for us. We are praying and believing for a season of rest and recuperation. The last year has been...rough and busy and hard to get through, but we did it and I think we are seeing the beauty on the other side.

To my friend Charity- oh my goodness- I love you so much and I am so, so, so thankful for you being here this weekend! We absolutely could not have done this without you. Once again.

To any friends reading this, please do come visit! There will be no tearing down of walls, installing new water lines, or any other major home improvement projects like we have just completed! You can just come and rest and enjoy life with us!

Book 17: The Eat Clean Diet Recharged

2011-05-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

Eat Clean Diet Recharged

by Tosca Reno

This is the book I have been looking for for a long time! It is absolutely not a diet, but a lifestyle. I have long believed that I would not achieve my goal weight with a diet and I knew that even if I did, I would probably not stay at my goal weight, due to the fact that diets really mess with your body. That knowledge has kind of left me floundering...not ever really making healthy decisions and not really knowing where to go from where I was- mostly because I didn't have a plan... I asked a friend on Facebook who owns two fitness studios what diet she recommends and this book was her response.

The plan makes so much sense. I have posted the basics below for those of you who are curious, but honestly, if you are struggling with your weight like I am and just really want to do it right, I believe this is it. I love the concept of eating foods in their natural states and saying goodbye to fake foods (or anti-foods and Tosca calls them). Check out the basic principles below and let me know if you decide to buy this book. I'd love to talk about it!

P.S. I found the cookbook at Costco tonight and bought that, too!

Eat Clean Principles

1. Eat 5 or 6 small meals every day.

2. Eat every 2 or 3 hours.

3. Combine lean protein and complex carbs at every meal.

4. Drink at least 2 litres, or 8 cups, of water each day.

5. Never miss a meal, especially breakfast.

6. Carry a cooler loaded with Eat-Clean foods to get through the day.

7. Avoid all over-processed, refined foods, especially white flour and sugar.

8. Avoid saturated and trans fats.

9. Avoid sugar-loaded colas and juices.

10. Consume adequate healthy fats (Essential Fatty Acids) each day.

11. Avoid alcohol – another form of sugar.

12. Avoid all calorie-dense foods that contain little or no nutritional value.

13. Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fibre, vitamins and enzymes.

14. Stick to proper portion sizes – give up the super-sizing!

Adoption update: mortgages, packing and moving.....

2011-05-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

We found a house and we're moving soon (Lord willing)!

We're through the hardest steps with Las Animas (inspection, appraisal, and last call for earnest money back) and now we are moving through those same steps with our new home in Castle Rock.
Our soon-to-be new house is incredible. It is so "us" we can't wait to start our life together in the new place. It's a close to downtown, non-subdivision, 50's home, one owner before us, impeccably maintained, beautiful yard, plenty of room for gardens and chickens, 1200 square foot unfinished basement, hardwood, tile, a 3 bedroom beauty with lots of room to expand! (Does that sound like the realtor.com listing? It isn't if you are wondering :)

Once we move and settle, we'll have our final home study meeting that I talked about before (in our home) and our study should be finalized by the end of June.
That means we could have our family together by next summer! To be honest, no one really knows anything about timelines when it comes to international adoption, so I am just speculating based on the information I have today....but it could happen!

A few nights ago we had dinner with some friends who adopted two kids from Ethiopia last year and now 6 or so months after being home, they are adopting again! This time from Ghana. We so enjoyed the fellowship and company and words of wisdom from ones who have walked this way before us. As a side note, their kids are amazing! It was great watching Andy hang out with Kayla; he is going to be an incredible dad!

Having dinner with them excited us even more for the journey we are on. We'll get through the move, the home study, and the rest of the "stuff" because it all means in the end, our family will be united!

Pray for us as we transition and finish the final steps of our home study!

Book 16: Crazy Love

2011-04-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

Crazy Love

Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

Francis Chan

First of all, I love Francis Chan. I have heard him speak on numerous occasions and I believe he is right on track. He sees clearly what is happening in the church today and instead of condemning it, he loves it, and in loving it, he speaks truth. His church gives away 55% of it's income- to the poor. So, he speaks the truth and demonstrates it.

I have had this book for about 8 months and just haven't read it. I knew I needed to read it during a time of peace and undivided attention and so, while alone in the woods, I read this. A message I needed to hear. A message that confirmed so much of what the Lord is saying and challenged me to grow in love for the One who LOVES. To sum it up, it is the resounding message of "simplify by following Him".

What does that mean for me? So many things. I think one of those things is going to be for me to get off Facebook. Sound crazy? I think it is and it hurts (sadly). But let me tell you this. First of all, that is MY conviction and I don't and won't put it on anyone else. My reasons for this are two-fold: One, I have spent way more time on Facebook in the last year than I have spent with God in the last two (three?) years. Two, how many of my genuine relationships have been sacrificed on the alter of, "oh I know what they are up to, I saw that on Facebook." This is not OK and not what I was made for. I was made to relate to people on a deep and intimate level, not keep up with what they are eating, how their kids third birthday party was, or where they went on vacation. I need to pursue people, not spy on them....again, this is a personal conviction and I am not saying you should do the same. I think another thing this means for me is in terms of giving. Let me be blunt: 10% is not enough. Chan says that most of the world lives on $2 a day. If we make (and the average american family does) $4000 per month, we automatically make 100 times more than the average person on this planet. What does that mean to us? Well, think about the rich young ruler who asked what he needed to enter the Kingdom and how he was told to sell all he had and give it to the poor. He went away....what would you do if thats what God told you to do today to obey? I don't know what I would do, but I know one way to find out is to start giving away more than I'm comfortable with.

In terms of the book overall, I feel at a loss to sum it up for you... The descriptions of a lukewarm Christian will startle you. The descriptions of those who are 'obsessed' will make you yearn to be wholly who God made you to be. Finally, I'll say this: our prosperity in America is probably our greatest barrier to truly following Him. Maybe breaking down that barrier leads to a radical lifestyle that doesn't make sense to the world or even to other Christians, but I think that is what I want. Because I was made for eternity, not for my bank account.

Let me share my favorite quote from the book.

This is from a 19th century pastor and it applies so much today, "I am concerned for the poor, but more for you. I know not what Christ will say to you in that great day....I fear there are many hearing me who may know well that they are not Christians because they do not love to give. To give largely and liberally, not grudgingly at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money. Oh my friends! Enjoy your money; make the most of it; give none away; enjoy it quickly for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout all eternity."

If you are a Christian, I say you need to read this book.

Book 15: The American Plague

2011-04-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

The American Plague

Molly Caldwell Crosby

Even though I spent four wonderful days in the woods, I did read some fiction.

First let me tell you that I know very little about "history", so part of my reading goal this year is to self educate on things I don't know about.

This is the tale of Yellow Fever. I really enjoyed this book. The reviews show it to be an accurate medical and historical picture of Yellow Fever in the USA and around the world (since I don't know much about "history" I certainly can't verify if this is accurate, but everyone else says it is. I didn't know much - OK anything- about this virus and so this book riveted me. This book was an informal education on the history of yellow fever, the medical discovery, and even who Walter Reed was. You may be thinking that is boring, trust me, this book is not boring. Being that I will be traveling to Africa sometime soon makes me even more grateful to have read this book.

If you would like to learn about any of these things mentioned above- give this a read!

Book 14: Where You Once Belonged

2011-04-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Where You Once Belonged

Kent Haruf

On vacation last December, Andy and I read two of Kent Haruf's books. Plainsong and Eventide. We both loved them and cried our way through the last one. Kent is a great storyteller. His books are set in rural Colorado, which if you are like me, you love reading a book that is set in your town/city/state where you can picture better what things look and feel like.

Anyway, Where You Once Belonged did not disappoint. I know Andy wasn't as happy with this book as I was, but I guess I don't mind a sad story once in a while. Life is sometimes a sad story.... I won't ruin the ending, don't worry. This is a short and quick read that you won't want to put down. I mean, it's not riveting or anything, but you want to know what happens.

If you like a good story in a rural/country setting, with great character development, then I would suggest any of Kent's books.

As a side note, I know Kristin did not appreciate Kent's books as much as we did. She said they were "depressing" so take that for what you will :)

P.S. I went to a cabin in the woods on Friday and read four books. I needed to catch up on my reading :)

Book 13: Peace Like a River

2011-04-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

Peace Like a River

Leif Enger

I'll just go ahead and let you know this is my favorite novel of the year. It is so beautifully written, I feel that anything I say about it here is inadequate. A wonderful story of faith, family, hope and adventure. I don't know anyone that won't love this book.

Another recommendation by Kristin; I know she was working to get back in my good graces after I didn't write a loving review on her last recommendation. :) Well, she's back on top. This is a book that I know will live in my favorites for a long time.

2011 Book Reports: Book 12: 50 Books in 2011

2011-04-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

So Much for That

by Lionel Shriver

Let me be honest: I hated this book.

I only read it because by the time I knew I actually hated it, I was too far in to quit and I am already behind on my goal.

Reasons why I hated it:

1. Mockery and disdain for Christianity - don't get me wrong, Christians are not perfect and I am fine having a good laugh about that, but the Christian characters in this book are total idiots with the (seeming to me) point of mocking the faith.

2. the plot, while somewhat believable, has many unbelievable points.

3. By the time I got to the end, it was completely expected, right down to the "happily ever after."

Other things I hated: one character is constantly spouting political grievances and it's ridiculously annoying. At one point I felt like the whole point of the book was to share some "conspiracy against the little guy" political view. I wanted the story to end so badly and I didn't even care when the characters died and in fact, longed for their deaths. I'm so glad I finished this literary piece of garbage. The end.

(agonizing) Days to read: March 31- April 13

Got it: at an airport bookstore

My advise to you: don't bother

The Enneagram i.e. I know myself better after this

2011-04-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Through my friend Kristine and an author I really admire (you can read a book review I did on her book here), I have discovered the Enneagram. It is basically another personality test. I love anything like this because it helps me understand better why I do the the things I do. In addition, it makes me feel "normal", something I really need some days. Besides all that about me, it helps me relate to and understand others better. Something we all could use a little of....The Enneagram does all that.

Check out Shauna's post (below) about this and then come back here and let me know what you are. I am an 8. I have a few aspects of a 3, but way more 8. My favorite thing is the question you ask when you walk into a room. Mine is (and if you know me, you will laugh about this) "Who is in charge here and do I need to take over?" Does that fit me or what? A few weeks ago I was at DIA in the security line. When I got to where you strip off your outerwear and empty the bags you just packed, there were no more clear bins. The lines were long and everyone was looking around to see where the security people were and if there were any bins magically appearing. Without thinking, I left all my things where they were, went and got some bins and found the security guy to tell him we needed more bins. The guy behind me was like- "way to take charge!" and I just thought, "who the heck else was going to do it?" #8 Who's in charge here and do I need to take over?

Check out the Enneagram and if you know of any other tests like this, let me know!

http://www.shaunaniequist.com/blog/2011/3/3/the-enneagram-my-favorite-thing.html

The saga continues- in the best way

2011-04-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened...
We are under contract with a signed offer our house!
My thoughts on this are are as follows:

Yay!
WooHoo!
Oh-my-gosh-we-have-so-much-to-do-in-the-next-four-weeks
Praise the Lord!
oh-my-gosh-we-have-to-find-a-house
WOW! What we have been praying for!
oh-my-gosh-we-have-to-move-again
oh-my-gosh-we-have-to-pack
Quick! We need to make some lists of all the things we have to do!
What if (insert exhaustive list of worries here)?
Thank you Jesus!

Aren't you glad you don't live in my head? :)

In terms of the adoption, this is great news. It delays the completion of our home study by about six weeks. But what is six weeks in the grand scheme of things? It's not much if you ask me and it simplifies things enough, that the six weeks doesn't bother me. Even with the delay, what this move does is ensure we don't need to do an "update" on our homestudy which can delay goverment approval, mess up paperwork and costs about $800.

The (Lord-willing) timeline looks like this:

Close on May 20, 2011

Close on new house asap (May 20, 2011?)

Move immediately

Complete homestudy in early June
Homestudy completed by agency by end of June
Move to work with international agency

Anyway, thanks for all of you who have prayed with us. Keep praying! If you have ever bought or sold a house, you know anything can happen :)

2011 Book Reports: Book Eleven: 50 Books in 2011

2011-04-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

South of Broad

Pat Conroy

What [is this book about] A group of friends from Charleston, SC.

Why [did I chose to read it] A novel was much needed :)

When [did I start and finish it] March 18-March 31

Where [did I get it] The great book sharerer Kristin Haddix

Who [should read this book] One of the things Kristin said when she gave me this book was that she liked it because she was from the south and the book takes place in Charleston. So maybe anyone from the south who loves stories of southern cities and southerners.

How [will my life change as a result] It will not.

[Final word] The story has five parts. Two of them take place during the friends high school years- the dialogue that takes place between the high schoolers was very unrealistic, in that it was far too mature to be believable. The narrator is perfectly sarcastic, very funny and has a great personality.
You can read this if you don't have ten other books you are dying to read....if you have ten others, read those first.

*My goal in 2011 is to read 50 books. Pretty ambitions, I know. But I love to read and I am excited to take on the challenge. Probably the biggest reason it is a challenge is because I plan to read intentionally. What does that mean?
Well for me, reading more intentionally means three things:
1. less fiction. I can read a good fiction book in a couple of days!
2. more non-fiction and books I can learn from.
3. keeping this blog as my digital diary.
So here we go! Let's see how many I can do and what I can learn and share with you!

P.S. Would LOVE any suggestions you have for books to read this year!

Crazy Math: the finances involved in adoption

2011-03-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

I found this on a fellow adopters blog and I had to repost it.
It is especially timely considering my last post.

If you are thinking about adoption and don't know if you can afford it, let me just say frankly: if it is in your heart, then you can afford it. Let me go one step further and say, if it is in your heart, then you can't afford not to do it!

The bible is so clear (meaning it says so directly) that we have a job to do in caring for the widows and orphans*. From my own personal experience I would say, especially if you feel like you are drawn or called to adopt, then you HAVE to do it! The bible already says so, so what is in your heart is just confirmation of His word. Do you understand what I am saying? You don't need special gifts, talents, or as the post below shows, financial resources. God owns it all and He'll provide for you as you need it. I have a friend at work, a single girl in her early twenties who has had it in her heart for years to adopt and guess what, she isn't being limited by her singleness. She is jumping in and trusting that God has lead and directed her to this point. And it's not a "I just really want a baby" kind of thing, it's a real deal "I'm adopting because I love God and His commandments" kind of thing. I love it!! You can check out her blog here.

Check out the post below on God's crazy adoption math and if you are on the fence- jump off and into God's perfect will!

http://thefamilyb.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/crazy-math/

*Because I don't want to take anything out of context, I am posting a passage from the book of James. Everyone refers to James 1:27, but as I read, I found it interesting that the contrast to the true religion of caring for widows and orphans is not keeping a tight rein on your tongue. Something for me to think about.....

James 1:19-27 ¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Ask [not] and you shall receive??!

2011-03-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

Wait? Isn't it, "ask and you shall recieve"? Why is it that we haven't even asked yet and we are already receiving!?

What an incredible week of God's favor on this adoption.
This week we have received- unsolicited- over $1000 towards our adoption. I am sooo amazed; I wish Jesus was here, I would just jump in His arms and hug Him so tight!

There are three incredible truths that this unmerited and unsolicited favor speaks to me:
Truth #1. God cannot wait for these kids to have a loving home- our loving home! He is so excited to set the lonely in families. He loves adoption and this whole thing (big picture of adoption and little picture of our adoption) was His idea!
Truth #2. The church realizes (and is waking up to) the importance of adoption- those who cannot or have not yet or will not- still believe in the miracle that is adoption and are stepping up to support the families that are adopting at this time. (I see that in the Moss/Wooden adoption banquet success, too. Over $6000 raised for two families in a small community!)
Truth #3. (this may be my favorite truth to celebrate today) We are loved and supported by our friends and family.

Sometimes, because of my natural disposition I see a blessing like this and I wonder, "is something bad coming? is that why good things are happening?" First, let me stop and ask us all- what the heck is wrong with me? Anyone know? OK then we'll call that a work in progress.

No matter what, let me say this: if and when something happens to disrupt, interrupt, or delay this adoption, please remind me that in advance of that disruption, God showed us his favor. Remind me that God showed us- before we even needed to know!- that He was in this and He was providing! Amen.

Thanks for celebrating with us today! We feel so honored, humbled and blessed!

Wanna buy this house?

2011-03-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.realestateshows.com/flyer.php?id=537453

Homestudy #2 (no swearing this time)

2011-03-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today two exciting things happened in the Baldwin Adoption Story.

Exciting Thing Number 1: I got fingerprinted! Andy is doing his on Thursday and then the Colorado Bureau of Investigation will investigate us....I'd say wish us luck, but hopefully we don't need any.

The poor lady at Maggie's Shipping Shop had to take this photo for me. I don't know if she had ever used an iPhone before; this was the best of three blurry shots.

Exciting Thing Number 2: Homestudy appointment number 2 (of 3)! This was an individual meeting for each Andy and I with Angie. My appointment lasted two and a half hours. Andy's lasted one :)

My appointment was really good but it's exhausting to share your whole life story with someone. I had to try and remember details about when we moved where and what schools I went to in what grades. That is not easy for me! After she finished filling out a whole page with my school history, Angie said that most people's history takes up 1/3 of the page. I moved a lot growing up! Some of the school changes were a direct result of my own personal choices, but still- even Andy whose dad was in the military- didn't change schools as much as I did!

Going through my whole history, including details about my past drug and alcohol abuse was interesting. When I talk about it, it is so far removed from who I am today, I don't even really think about it as a reality. Yet I know that the facts of who I was ten plus years ago could have an impact on whether we get approved to adopt. I talked about this with our social worker- she isn't worried because she sees that my life today is nothing like what it was in the past, but others will have to review this home study and even if she approves it- and it seems to me she will- USCIS or the Congo can say "nope!" or they can request more info. Which I have to be OK with. And I am. I know God has lead us in this process and I have to trust He will continue to lead us. I know in my heart that I am such a changed woman and I believe God knows that and He will make it known to those who need to know it. Sharing my story made me so grateful for my mom and step-dad who had to make some hard choices in disciplining me. It made me grateful for the Tabors and the community of Solid Rock who took me in and worked with me for years to see me through to freedom in Christ. And it made me so grateful to God who saw me through the blood of Christ even when I willfully turned away. Amen for redemption!!

Andy and I had dinner after his meeting and we kind of chuckled about how different our lives were and yet God brought us together for His purposes. Amazing.

So next we have the actual home study appointment where Angie will come to our house. That won't be for another couple of weeks and hopefully in the meantime, our house sells! I know that may be a long shot, but we serve a God of long shots! Please keep praying with us for our house to sell soon!

Praise: We will only owe $1500 in taxes! Most of you are probably wondering why that's a praise just know that we could have owed so much more! And- we got an email today from someone who has $500 for us towards our adoption. WHAT?!!? That is incredible! I am just marveling at His goodness today.

2011 Book Reports: Book Ten: 50 Books in 2011

2011-03-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

The Late Great Planet Earth

Hal Lindsey

What [is this book about] Based on biblical prophecy, this book is a thorough, but basic study of how Christ fulfilled prophecy with his first coming and how he will fulfill it when he comes again.

Why [did I chose to read it] Well, once again, I was fooled. I thought this was a fiction end-of-the-world disaster novel.

When [did I start and finish it] March 6-18 (I must be slowing down...)

Where [did I get it] Paperbackswap.com

Who [should read this book] I think anyone who wants to know about what the end times will look like.

How [will my life change as a result] Geesh...

[Final word] The second coming of Christ is imminent. This book was first published in the 60's and so many signs of the end were present even then. I guess God isn't in a hurry. But we better know Him, because if we don't, we sure aren't going to recognize him when He comes back and He might not recognize us.

Well for me, reading more intentionally means three things:

1. less fiction. I can read a good fiction book in a couple of days!

2. more non-fiction and books I can learn from.

3. keeping this blog as my digital diary.

So here we go! Let's see how many I can do and what I can learn and share with you!

P.S. Would LOVE any suggestions you have for books to read this year!

First home study (CAUTION this post contains a swear word that I did not say, but I am repeating. Please skip this post if you will be offended, are under the age of 13 or have high blood pressure)

2011-03-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

Actually, if you have high blood pressure, you can read this...unless you have high blood pressure and are under 13 and will be offended by a swear word.

We had our first home study appointment tonight. We left on time, but traffic made us 15 minutes late. I called to let them know and whoever answered wasn't friendly about our tardiness. All of this added to the stress a little bit, because I was already nervous.

We got to the door and there were two signs on the same door leading to the same office, one was for Angel Dance and another was for Donna Baldwin Talent, now, you know that the director of our agency shares our last name- so I instantly thought, "oh no. we have hired a "jack-of-all-trades, master- of -none" to do our home study. She will probably try to get us to sign up our kids for modeling before we even get them home. Oh my gosh.....What the heck have we done!???"
Then I remembered that Linda was our agency directors name, not Donna, phew!

We go upstairs, meet Linda and our social worker Angie and they are fine, not upset that we were late or anything. Linda gives us a little tour and I ask, (innocently, as if I don't already have an indication by the model photos and skinny, pretty people buzzing around the place), "does something else go on here?" She tells me her husbands mother is Donna Baldwin, who apparently is a big deal talent agent on the front range, and they share an office with her. This seems providential because I was considering going back into modeling, but more on that later.

So after the tour, our very Christian social worker and agency director drop us off in the photography studio/home study interview room and leave to go get some pens or something and the second we sit down, we hear someone say very, very loudly from the next room "Holy Shitballs!"

I looked at Andy in shocked disbelief with wide eyes, and a little smirk on my face and mouth to him, "did you hear that?" Immediately, Angie comes back in laughing a little and asks us, as if we may have been deaf- did you hear that? Yes, I say and start to laugh a little. Linda come back in and apparently didn't hear it all the way, so Angie repeated it to her. In front of us. Linda proceeded to laugh about the nuances of sharing an office with a talent agent. But neither of them missed a beat. There wasn't embarrassment, excuses, or anything, just the acceptance that this is life- with models- and people.

The moral of the story is I somehow knew from that moment on we would be OK.

If you want to know how the rest of the interview went, it was great! Angie is awesome, she is an adoptee herself, which is really cool that her job is advocating for others to adopt. The questions she asked were thought provoking in a good way, but not hard. Definitely things to think about as we move toward bringing home our babies. Next week we each meet with her alone for one- two hours to tell her our entire life story. I am tired just thinking about it! We have a ton of paperwork to fill out in the meantime- finger prints, criminal background checks, and every address I have had since I was 18??? Are you serious? I am going to need some divine intervention on that one....

Prayer requests: we haven't gotten our taxes back from the preparer, but we are still believing for a miracle that we won't owe any money.
Our house goes back on the market tomorrow- pray it sells quickly!!

Ben Affleck and Cindy McCain in the Congo!?!

2011-03-08T14:17:00.000-08:00

Check out this news story about what Ben and Cindy are doing in the DRC.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/ben-affleck-cindy-mccain-team-congo/story?id=13077119

2011 Book Reports: Book Nine: 50 Books in 2011

2011-03-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz

Living on the brink of disaster in Mobutu's Congo

by Michela Wrong

What [is this book about] The reign? dictatorship? presidency? of Joseph Desire Mobutu or as he referred to himself Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Benga in Zaire (now known as Democratic Republic of Congo) from 1965-1997.

Why [did I chose to read it] Since we are adopting children from the Congo, I would like to know more about the history and culture there.

When [did I start and finish it] February 15- March 3

Where [did I get it] Another Besty Baldwin reccomendation. She got this for me for Christmas. (As you may recall, she worked in the Congo with Tearfund.)

Who [should read this book] Anyone who is interested in understanding the way government might operate in places other than the USA, and missionaries and aid workers in the Congo. Also my children will probably read it when it is appropriate.

How [will my life change as a result] My mind has certainly been expanded. I am so appreciative of the democracy in which I live- as messed up as it is sometimes, nothing is perfect- and what we have in the USA is alot better than what some of the rest of the world has.

[Final word] I am so glad I read this book. Two reasons: 1. I can approach our trip to the Congo with a better understanding and a broader perspective. 2. I feel like I know a little bit about what our children's biological parents might have endured and that prepares me to be a better parent.
*My goal in 2011 is to read 50 books. Pretty ambitions, I know. But I love to read and I am excited to take on the challenge. Probably the biggest reason it is a challenge is because I plan to read intentionally. What does that mean?
Well for me, reading more intentionally means three things:
1. less fiction. I can read a good fiction book in a couple of days!
2. more non-fiction and books I can learn from.
3. keeping this blog as my digital diary.
So here we go! Let's see how many I can do and what I can learn and share with you!

P.S. Would LOVE any suggestions you have for books to read this year!

First home study appointment!

2011-03-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

I am excited to report that we have our first home study appointment on March 15! Andy and I will meet together with a social worker for a 'minimum' of 1 1/2 hours. As far as I understand, what comes after that is an individual meeting with a social worker for each of us. Then some waiting. Then a meeting in our home. Then more waiting....the paperwork gets typed up, we review it and then it is sent somewhere for approval.
So, once again, a small step, but a step indeed.

I have realized that I go through phases where this is very, very real to me and then I don't even think about it. Which is probably good, because it is all a long way off.

Prayer request: our house goes back on the market this week! Pray for a quick and favorable (for us) sale!

More paperwork= moving forward!

2011-02-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

It would probably be annoying to some people, but getting all these packets in the mail (and on email) just makes me excited! Every signature I write is a step closer. Every stamp I affix is a step closer. Every notary I visit is a step closer. A step closer to seeing photos. A step closer to getting on a plane. And a step closer to holding our babies.
Today we will be signing our official contracts with both agencies. We'll also be sending off two large checks. And I don't feel bad about it at all. In fact, I am over the moon.
Yay for moving forward!!

My momma said, "don't talk to strangers" I wonder if it applied in this case

2011-02-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

Would it have been inappropriate for me to run (not walk) up to the woman at the Coscto food court who had a black child that was obviously not hers and ask her if he was adopted?
I managed to restrain myself, but I almost let my instinct careen me into her table for conversation.

What do you think? Can I do it next time? What is it about going through adoption that makes you want to talk to everyone who has gone through it already? Is this what it is like to be pregnant? You want to talk to everyone about pregnancy and babies and nursing and epidurals?

Praise! Someone called yesterday and said that they will be contributing towards our adoption! Yay God for providing even before we know what we need!

Prayer Request: We are getting ready to put our house back on the market, please pray that it sells quickly so we can complete our home study in our new home.

2011 Book Reports: Book Eight: 50 Books in 2011

2011-02-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

The Spirit of Adoption

by Randy and Kelsey Bohlender

What [is this book about] I think the title says it all...one families passion for leading the revolution of adoption in the church. The Bohlender's run the Zoe Foundation, which as far as I can tell, is an adoption agency that is working to make adoptions possible and affordable for Christian families willing to adopt.

Why [did I chose to read it] If you are just tuning in, we are adopting! Two babies from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

When [did I start and finish it] Today and today

Where [did I get it] Becky Jackman, also known as my birthday sister, sent it to me. She serves on the board of the Zoe Foundation and has a passion for adoption.

Who [should read this book] If you consider yourself "pro-life" you need to read this book. If you are a Christian and love Jesus, you need to read this book. If you are considering adoption, you need to read this book. If you have ever thought that homosexual couples who adopt were at least giving children a chance they wouldn't otherwise have, you need to read this book.

How [will my life change as a result] A huge point this book makes is that the church has been touting the "Don't" sign regarding abortions for years, but would the church be ready to receive the 4500 unwanted children who are aborted each day? What are we going to do if Roe v. Wade is overturned? Are we prepared to parent the unwanted children or will they grow up in foster care? If we don't rise up, then who will? We are CALLED to this! It's all over the bible! If we can't personally adopt, then what can we do to serve the orphans and the widows?

[Final word] This book talks more about domestic adoption as that has been the Bohlender's personal experience. It is not a perfect work of literature by any means, but the message is so clear. To be pro-life is to be pro-child.

I want every church to be proclaiming this message! I LOVE IHOP for this. They really hear what the Spirit is saying to the church- and do something about it!

I love the story shared at the end of this book of William Booth, who walked by a homeless man just feet from his own doorway and had to ask himself, "Is this OK with me?"[that this man has nothing and I am getting ready to go inside my warm house and eat a warm dinner, while he has nothing] He decided it wasn't OK with him and the decision changed his life as he went on to found The Salvation Army.

We are poised to either receive or reject the world's orphans....

Well for me, reading more intentionally means three things:

1. less fiction. I can read a good fiction book in a couple of days!

2. more non-fiction and books I can learn from.

3. keeping this blog as my digital diary.

So here we go! Let's see how many I can do and what I can learn and share with you!

P.S. Would LOVE any suggestions you have for books to read this year!

Happy valentines day to us!

2011-02-14T20:59:00.000-08:00

Today we received word that both our home study and OWAS application were received and accepted!
Yay for moving forward!