.hearts.

.hearts.  We took down the Christmas decorations, finally.  In doing so our house looked so plain.  I don't have many, if any, Valentines decorations so we created some.  Lydia and I spent one day coloring plain paper, then I folded the sheets, cut out some hearts and strung them up.  Although they are not perfect, they are far from, they are loved and give our house an extra boost of positivity. 

By doing this project I learned that I need more patience when doing craft projects with Lydia.  I learned that the crafts will not be perfect.  I learned that I need to do more projects with her because there is sheer joy in showing them off to everyone who enters our house.  And that the joy in her face wins over the coloring on tables and whining because I am not hanging them fast enough.   .hearts.

.three years ago.

.three years ago.  Three years ago today I left for a mission trip to Liberia, West Africa.  When I left I didn't believe that this trip would change my life, I simply thought it would be another chapter in my story.  Looking back I can safely say that it is the one Chapter that started a whole New Book.  It was a new beginning because, you see, it is where I fell deep in love with God and realized I needed a new beginning, In Him.  It is where I decided with my whole heart to live for the Lord.  Where I said I will live for You. 

Margaret

 It is amazing what God can do, even when your not whole heartily in it for Him.  I wanted to go to Liberia for travel.  Sure I thought I could help in the schools and the orphanages.  I thought I could bring Jesus to the little children.  I didn't know they would truly teach me what His words meant.  I didn't know they would be the ones who showed me His heart.  I also didn't know I would think about them so often when I got back here.  That I would yearn to go back and hold them one more time.  To go back just to sing some more silly songs.  To go back and just be.  I hope that some day I can.  .three years ago.

Samson

 I wanted to share with you parts from a letter Mandie and I wrote.  This is from the first day we went to the orphanage.

Hello Everyone,

  Later today we went to an orphanage that is about 20 minutes away.  When we pulled up to a tattered building the children came running for us. I had about 7 children just wanting to sit on my lap or cuddle up to me. Mandie and I each took a book and were reading to the children. They were just swarming us from the get go. They have a small vocabulary and cannot understand all of the words, but they love to be read to. Children were just piled on top of me. They were all very dirty, but so beautiful.

Tammy and Mandie were going to organize a game so I got to hold the wee one, (yes Gray's Irish talk is starting to rub off on us as well, we will be speaking many languages when we get home). I held a baby boy his name is Wonderful, and he is. He is a gorgeous baby and I would have held him forever if they would have let me. Even when I started passing a ball with another boy I had my arms wrapped in this sweet baby.

Baby Wonderful

I also clung right away, or she clung to me, to a young girl named Hannah. She is so spunky and full of energy and has the smile that is so wide it makes your face light up. Every chance she got she was climbing all over me, playing with my hair, and wanting me to pick her up. She even climbed over the young baby to get some attention from me.

Precious

Another young lady I met is Tina, she was such an amazing young woman. She is 15 years old, but she has to work like she is a mother. She washes the kids, cooks for them, feeds the babies, and braids their hair. Mandie tried to encourage her and give her a lot of attention because she has such a difficult job, and I sat with her a while as well. We communicated well, and I loved talking to her. She knows Jesus and trusts in him completely and she said one day we will be good friends in heaven. Mandie read with her a while, and I told her to keep up with her reading so she could read the Bible for herself and the younger children. Mandie and I told her that she works for Jesus, and he will help her take care of them.

Hannah

The hardest part about being at the orphanage was seeing how they live. There are about 30 - 40 children, the boys have one room and the girls have the other. The room that they have is very small, and very dirty. The children have only one or two outfits and do not get a bath very often. There is only one lady and one man that takes care of all these children, and in doing so they have other jobs so they can provide food and pay for things the children NEED (like food, clothing, and the rent). The older children have most of the responsibilities on the smaller kids, each older child is in charge of 4 or 5 little ones. It makes your heart ache to see how they live, yet they are satisfied and bless the Lord for what they have.

We cried when we got home. It is so hard to hold them in your arms and have to let go. It truly is amazing though, the value of even just holding a child. Wonderful was contently sitting in my arms the whole time, and I loved it.

"Do not sore up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6:19-21

Tina is smiling in the middle.

Afterthoughts:

  The orphanage left an imprint on me that I don't think I will be able to shake off.  And I don't think I want to.  The little children there were always dirty & hungry, but their souls were well fed and they always praised the Lord for what they had.  They live in small rooms with not enough beds & too many bugs to count.  They live with smiles upon their faces.  They live in half of a bombed out building.  They live with the love from each other.  They live with no shoes & tattered clothes.  They live singing and dancing for the Lord.  These are the children that I desperately want to hold again.  They are not just part of a numbered group, 140+ million, they are people, they have faces, they have names - Tina, Liz, Wonderful, Margaret, Precious, Hannah, Samson......  They are meant to be cared for.  They are meant to be loved.

.i knew.

.i knew.  Since I am not allowed to have a raffle on my blog I am going to feature one item from my shop.  These little prints are new and now available!  These are the "I Knew" print and say, "When I saw you I knew it was Love at first sight".  They are prints from my Love Series collection.  If you want a copy for yourself or to give as a gift head on over to the Love Print page on my blog.  And as always thank you for your support!  .i knew.

.congratulations are in order.

.congratulation are in order.  Kal, & husband Dan, from [i] love life just welcomed their sweet baby number three into this world.  If your in the mood for some new baby love and can spare a second to congratulate them go to her blog.  Sweet little Poet is adorable.  Congrats Kal & family!!! .congratulations are in order.

.raffle review.

Aaron picking the winner !!!

.raffle review.  I know I stated that I would be having a raffle a month on my blog.  Plans have changed.  Pay pal notified me that having a raffle online is illegal.  Yikes!  I seriously did not know.  I have seen other bloggers doing raffles and similar fundraiser, so I thought they were fine.  I guess I should have looked into it; I take responsibility for my ignorance.  (If your wondering, online raffles are alright if cleared before they start and are done for a registered non-profit organization.)  As a result of this I have ended the raffle early.  As of yesterday all raffle links have been removed and I will be creating some sort of other fun LEGAL fundraiser in its place soon.  Thank you for those of you who did participate.  Every single dollar towards our adoption truly means a lot and does help.  And every single dollar donated is going into our adoption fund.  .raffle review.  

Even though I ended the raffle early we still have a winner for the scarf & the winner is:

The winner is Sandy!  Congrats :)

.a study on paul.

taken this morning :)

  .a study on paul.  I made a bold New Years Resolution.  I have to admit, I did not start right away.  Because I was just going to continue reading through the Bible like I previously had been - not really focusing on one chapter, or one person, or one specific study.  I have realized that plan will work for a little while, but then I get burnt out, I get board, and I stop reading.  My plan to have no plan failed. 

  Then out of no where, thanks God, I came across Beth Moore's 90 day devotional study on Paul. I bought it and suddenly checked into my resolution, I got focused.  I have only completed day 6, so I am not too far,  but already I am in total love of this devotion.  LOVE.  I cannot wait until tomorrow to read more and learn more.  I am excited to finish so I can then dive into her other devotions written in the same manner; Jesus, John, and David.

  What I love so much about these devotions are the personal questions she asks of the reader.  Most questions take significant time to respond to.  You have to think to answer.  They make you reflect on your own life and actions.  They leave you with a chance to grow.  To think.  To change.  To thank Jesus.  I love this study so far and would highly, HIGHLY, recommend it to anyone who is in a rut, stuck, board.  .a study on paul.

How do you read through the Bible?  Are there any studies out there you Highly recommend?

.what i have been working on.

.i love this.

.bulletin board.

.bulletin board.  As our adoption fund raising is now under way I wanted to create some way to track our progress.  I wanted it to be fun.  I wanted it to remind me of where we are headed.  I wanted it to make me think about Africa.  I wanted it to be cute and not boring.  I decided to print out a picture of Africa, one that showed every country.  Then I took our goal $30,000  and divided it by the number of countries in Africa (53 - including the islands around it)  to get each countries goal.  By doing this each country is "worth" around $575.00.  Once we raise that much we get to color in a new country.  (I got a little overzealous on coloring and we really have not raised that much yet, I guess I am optimistic.)  I hung the map up on our bulletin board as a reminder to us.  To spend less and save more.  To fund raise.  And to pray for our little one - Each and Every Single Day.

  I also have been making little business cards for our coffee fund raiser and our spring raffle fund raiser.  To get the word out.  Both cards I have been hanging up all over our town and handing out to people.  I sort of feel like a crazy woman trying to get people interested in our fund raisers.  But then I think of our little one (or one's) and I know it will be worth it in the end.  So worth it.  .bulletin board.

If you are interested in passing out some of our cards let me know and I can send you some - Thanks!!!

.so... what do you do?.

.so... what do you do?.  Yesterday, I ran into a childhood acquaintance of mine.  I went to school with this guy from elementary school all the way through high school.  I probably have not seen him since graduation day.  In fact I know I have not.  He is now my bank manager. 
 
  He came over to talk to me as a formality, I think, and the regular questions followed.  How have you been?  Where do you live?  Do you like it there?... Then we came to the dreaded question.  So, what do you do?  Honestly, I never know what to say in these situations.  How do I tell someone in a quick response that I take care of two children, change so many diapers a day, cook meals every night, clean (as best as possible), change countless diapers a day, write a blog a couple times a week, change diapers, own & run a small etsy shop, fund raise money for our adoption, create what I sell & make it, and change diapers.  I mean I don't think there is a title for all of what I do, besides mom. 
 
  How do I respond to this, "I stay at home, I am a mom of two".  I don't know about you, but I think people assume I sit and eat bon-bons all day and do nothing.  Because, when your job title is "stay at home mom" people judge quickly.  I know because I used to be one of those people.  They never say anything directly to you.  But they say it in their mannerisms and with their body language.
 
  But let me tell you something.  This is a reminder to myself as well.  Your title does not define who you are.  Because even with all the diaper changing, book reading, song singing, food feeding I am more then "just a mom".  .so... what do you do?.

If your a stay at home mom, do you feel this way too?  What do you do?  How do you answer this question?

.10 things - ok 11.

.10 things - ok 11.  Here is a list of 10 things you should know about me.  Ok 11, because number 11 is something I am very proud of -she says with a gloat.  .10 things - ok 11.

1. I always have on decorated socks.  Cheerios, Christmas trees, candy corn - somehow they are always decorated.  This is because my mom buys us socks for each and every holiday. 

2. I could eat Mexican food everyday for the rest of my life and be fully satisfied by it.  I love it that much.  Typing that statement made me hungry for tacos & we just ate them a couple days ago.  Yum.

3. I do not like lawn decorations at all.  Especially those giant ugly inflatable things that take up half the lawn.  Under No Circumstances will they EVER be acceptable at my house.  Yuck.

4. My family and I are renting an upper part of a house to live in.  Some days I dream of what owning a house would be like and how much I would have fun decorating.  But, most days I thank the Lord that there is a roof above my head and we do not have to mow the lawn or shovel the sidewalk. 

5. I am not a shoe girl - I don't geek out over them.  However, I received my Ssekos sandals yesterday and my feelings on shoes might have changed because I AM IN TOTAL AWE OVER THEM.

6. I love to read.  Love to.  Lately I have had tons of Adoption books and Africa memoirs stacked high on my night stand and around the house.

7. Today I made a major mom mistake.  Major.  I threw Lydia's beloved blankie into the wash right before nap time.  Which led to a series of unfortunate events.  Seriously, what was I thinking?

8. I have to finish one thing before moving onto the next.  This goes for eating,cleaning, projects, etc.  Sometimes this is good sometimes it's not.

9. I always pack last minute before trips.  Even long ones.  This usually results in us forgetting something. 

10. I am the girl whose glass is "half -empty".  I have been working on seeing the "half - full" positive side of things...but it will take time.

11.  I am in a yahoo football pick em league with all guys.  And I am kicking their pants off right now - by a lot.  This started the first week when I blew them out of the water - making my picks when I was in labor.  I am for sure going to be bragging about this for years to come.  Usually I don't brag about much, but this - this I will hold above heads for awhile.  :)

What are some things I should know about you? 

.money saving websites.

.money saving websites.  As we are looking at our budget for the following year we are also looking for more ways to save. 

  I already use Swagbucks and have racked up a nice stash of points.  Just swagged my first gift card prize, with loads of points to spare, and I love knowing that it is on it's way.  I also love how easy it is to accumulate points doing things I already do, like search online and shop.  I came across one woman who said she used her points to get her children's Christmas gifts.  If you want to try doing the same - now would be the time to start building up those points for next year. 

  I also love looking at the Groupon deals that are around.  I have a credit I am waiting to use & a nice massage sounds perfect, can't wait until they have one in my area. 

  Yesterday, I found a couple money saving sites that I am excited to try out this year.  I hope they are helpful.  The first one that I found is Ebates and the other is Shop At Home.  Both of these sites work the same.  They offer cash back for shopping at stores you all ready shop at such as Borders, Walmart, Target and even Groupon!  They also have so many different coupons available to you that are way better then the ones I usually find on Retail Me Not - and some you can use with the cash back programs.  They also have a whole slew of other incentives, freebies, contests, daily deals and more.  Right now if you sign up both sites will give you an instant $5.00, which to be honest is why I signed up in the first place.  Free money is free money.  With little ones at home I do a lot of online shopping - most of our gift giving has come in packages from online stores.  I hope that these sites will prove to help us out this year and save us some cash.  .money saving websites.

Do you use any of these sites?  Have they worked?.... do tell.

*To qualify for the free $5.00 at Shop At Home you have to sign up by putting my email (simply.simon.sisters{at}gmail{dot}com) in the friends email space when you sign up.*

.new year - new resolution.

.new year - new resolution.  In the past I have not been a big fan of making specific new years resolutions.  Growing up I would have the same one every single year.  Try not to drink soda.  That would last a week, two at the most, and then I would be over it. 

  The past couple years my resolutions have been more general life goals than anything.  Actually they were family plans, events we were planning for, looking forward too, and hoping to get past with little stress.  2006 - plan a wedding and go to school simultaneously.  2007 - finish school.  2008 - go to Africa and come back in one piece & get pregnant (note: two separate events... I was not planning to get pregnant on a mission trip or in Africa).  2009 - have baby.  2010 - get pregnant, ironically 9 days later we found out I was... so have baby was added.

  This year I took a little bit more of a serious approach to my New Years Resolution.  I love planning and looking ahead to my future but I am over the life planned resolutions.  I need one just for me.  I also wanted my resolution to be something really important.  It didn't take me long to write down, "to fall more in Love with the Lord" as my 2011 new years resolution.  I think it is something I should strive for each day.  And with God's help I will be able to accomplish.  .new year - new resolution.

I hope you all had fun with your new years resolutions!  Do you make them silly?  List life goals?  Steak out family plans?  Always have the same ones?  I am curious, what are some of yours?