.an everyday hero.

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.an everyday hero.  Some of you may have heard of Katie Davis and if you haven't you should.  She is amazing. AMAZING.  She is a hero of mine and an everyday hero to many.  Katie Davis, at the age of 18 (2006) traveled to Uganda for the first time.  There the people and culture immediately captivated her.  In the summer of 2007 Katie returned to Uganda to teach Kindergarten at an orphanage.  She quickly learned that that impoverished children are unable to afford education because the government has only little assistance, if any in the country.

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While working there God lead Katie to start a child sponsorship program.  This lead her to establish a non-profit organization called Amazima Ministries International.  The organization seeks to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the people of Uganda who need it the most.

During her time in Uganda, Katie also became a mother through adoption.  Welcoming her first three daughters home in 2008, when Katie herself was just 19.  Three years later she has welcomed many more girls into her home and is now mother of 13.

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It is incredible what Katie has done with her life so far.  But what captivates me more then anything is her love for Christ.  It is so evident that she lives her life daily for the Lord.  She is doing what God commands of all of us - to live and serve Him.  Katie's desire is to point others to Christ and in that she humbles herself and gives her everything.  She is a hero, an inspiration, and an example to us all.  .an everyday hero.

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She recently wrote a book, Kisses from Katie, that will be on sale shortly.  It is a book that I am excited to read.  About the book Katie states, "I have absolutely no desire to write a book about myself.  This is a book about a Christ who is alive today and not only knows but cares about every hair on my head.  Yours too.  I'm writing this book on the chance that a glimpse into the life of my family and me, full of my stupidity and God's grace, will remind you of this living, loving Christ and what it means to serve Him.  I'm writing with the hope that as you cry and laugh with my family you will be encouraged that God still uses flawed human beings to change the world.  And if He can use me, He can use you." 

Thank you Katie for inspiring us all to be more like Christ.  You are a true reflection of his love.

Below is a video promotion of her book.  Please take the time to watch it. 

To Learn more about Katie or Amazima Ministries visit the sites below:

Amazima Ministries

Kisses from Katie - her blog

By purchasing the book through 147 million orphans Amazima Ministries gets 50% of the profits!!!

.shop update.

oh, deer..... my new favorite :)

New items are listed in the shop!!!

.and it's out of my hands.

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.and it's out of my hands.  We have officially handed in our dossier!  And it is such a relief.  It took us 10 weeks and 6 days to complete, which might qualify us for some sort of record.  In that time we had a huge opening of our hearts, got our referral, and changed our home study.  We also celebrated Birthdays and Weddings, got family pictures, made a fun video, and had a ginormous garage sale.  This past ten weeks has been a whirlwind to say  the least. 

Aaron & I with our finished dossier! 

The dossier kind put me in a weird zone, I was going Crazy with all the important paperwork I had.  The kids were not allowed anywhere near them and neither was my husband, haha.  I also sorta freaked out when we had to copy each document 4 times.  NO ONE was allowed to touch them but me.  The lady at Kinkos suggested I run them through the slot on the top of the copier and I almost lost it.  It was essential that the staples and everything remain in the same place, or I would have had to start over.  Needless to say it is done now and the stress is gone with it!

Our Dossier & 3 copies..... lots & lots of paper.

I am one happy mama knowing that our paperwork is complete.  Now, our agency is reviewing everything again, then they will send our papers to Washington D.C. for Authentication.  Once they are authenticated the papers will be sent to Ethiopia!!!  Which means we are one step closer to our little one.  .and it's out of my hands. 

.future mama & future papa reminder.

learn more about future mama & future papa

This is a friendly reminder that you have until Friday at midnight to make a purchase from Hannah James to help out Angela and Nathan.  They are the most wonderful and encouraging couple and I would love to build up their adoption  fund!

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If you are adopting I am currently lining up families for our partnership program.  

Contact me and I will add you to our waiting list!

.yellow week.

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.yellow week.  Some of you may have already wandered through the magic that is happening over at oh, hello friend.  But if you have not I am here to tell you to get going because it's beautiful.  Danni created Yellow Week and it is simply stunning.  I love all the yellow color combinations, I love all the pictures, her pop-up shop is unreal.  There are cute DIY ideas.  And there is an AMAZING giveaway.  Go check it out.  .yellow week.

.pink lemonade.

.pink lemonade.  Hi Friends!  Today I am blogging over at pink lemonade.  It is the cutest little blog by Paige, a 15 year old talented young lady.  She is awesome and way more ambitious then I was at 15.  Please go check her out!  I wrote a tutorial on how to decorate some wire hangers.  A super easy tutorial that makes your closet lovely.  Have a wonderful day.  .pink lemonade. 

.family photos.

taken by Rose

.family photos.  Oh, man - it is a task taking pictures of our whole family.  Lydia does not smile for the camera that often, she also is shy so planning for other people to take her picture.....we should just forget about it.  Asher on the other hand, will ham up anyone that walks by.  So naturally our strategy going into family photo night was to work on Lydia and let Asher just do his thing.  And it worked!  Our friend Rose was able to come to our house and take some amazing pictures out back.  I love that we have some new family pictures to hang up around here.  It has been way too long - these were last summers - and these were before that.  Thanks so much Rose - We love you!  .family photos.

taken by Rose

taken by Rose

taken by Rose

taken by Rose

taken by Rose

.diy.

I love these do it yourself projects that I found on pinterest.  

Have you found any good ones lately?

image source - This gets my vote for best use of an old crib.  Such a great idea. 

image source - Feeling this for Fall!

image source - one year I made a bunch of these as Christmas gifts - AWESOME!

image source - I really want to do this with our family pictures, when they come in

image source - I need to switch out my summer wreath for a fall looking one. 

.connecting.

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.connecting.  YES!  It is fall and that means all sorts of wonderful things are around us.  Falling leaves, cooler weather, pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, and Mom to Mom has started at our church.  Mom to Mom is sorta like a MOPS group (at least that is what I am told).  Except it is a Biblical based program.  I absolutely love it.  I think so often we as stay at home moms, especially moms with young children, feel like we are parenting alone.  Our husbands are working all day and we are taking care of our children.  Yes - it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Yes - I love it!  Yes - it is fun.  But, parenting is also hard.  There are days when I watch the clock click by counting down until I will have help.  There are days I wish I was the one "working".  

Mom to Mom, and other groups like it, are like a breath of fresh air.  I love it for many reasons, I get to connect with other moms in the same spot I am in, my children interact with others their age, I get filled with spiritual truths that connect me to Jesus, and it helps me feel like I am not alone on this parenting ride.  

I absolutely love connecting with others online through blogs and forums - but connecting in real life is needed.  I encourage every mother of young children to find a group to get connected with.  They are so helpful.  And if you can't find one start one - I guarantee someone in your area is searching too.  .connecting. 

Do you go to Mom to Mom or MOPS? 

How has it helped you?

.in the mail today.

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.in the mail today.  Today I mailed out a couple applications for adoption grants.  I am hoping that we get something from one of them.  I found the process for filling out the applications almost as tedious as the dossier.  Hopefully it will pay off though and help us in the long run.  If you have adopted or are in the process, have you applied for grants?  How many did you apply for at a time?  I think we will wait to see what comes of the two we applied for and if we don't get them then we will apply for other ones...... but I don't know yet.   .in the mail today.

.remembering.

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.remembering.  This weekend is the tenth anniversary since the 9/11 attacks.  It crazy to think that 10 years has gone by.  I remember exactly where I was when I heard what happened.  When I see footage of it on t.v. I still get the same eerie feeling come over me as I first did on that Tuesday morning.  I was a senior in high school then and it was hard for me to grasp exactly what was happening.  How does a teenager make sense of terrorist attacks, how does anybody? 

In the days after the attack I remember our community pulling together to pray for those in New York and around the United States.  I remember our nation pulling together for each other.  The candle light vigil at the Madison, WI capital, church services,  and a cross made out of mini- American flags in our yard are still are fresh pictures from the week that followed.  

I know that everyone over the age of 7 probably remembers where they were on that day.  I bet it is the same for those who lived through Pearl Harbor.  I don't think we will ever forget.  Today I am remembering 9/11.  I am saying prayers for those who are still healing from this attack.  Praying for the children of those lost.  Praying for parents who lost children.  Wives who lost husbands.  People who lost friends.  And praying that our Nation will remember and not be divided but continue to rally together as the United States of America.  .remembering. 

.happy birthday little man.

Asher,
  I can't believe you are one!  I feel like you were just born.  This year has gone by too fast.  Right now you are a climbing machine, you climb everything in site.  You have taken about four consecutive steps in a row and you want to walk on your own but are not quite there yet.  Your dance moves are pretty fantastic and you look like your jumping but you don't get any air time - it is more like bouncing.

You are my snuggle buddy and you love to snuggle with me - when anyone else tries it is an automatic fail.  I, not so secretly, love this about you.

You eat everything in site and your favorite food is anything that is in front of you.  I think you love hot dogs more then the average kid, they are usually gone right away.

I love you buddy and hope that today we have a magical day celebrating your first year.  Our plans include ice cream for breakfast, a zoo trip, some sleep time, pizza for dinner, and a Packer win!
I Love You Forever and Ever, mama :)