Nesting!

This t-shirt just cracked me up when I saw it! Scott said it's my year and a half pregnancy:-)

One great part of this adoption WAIT is the NESTING! The feeling I have of needing to clean and get organized before my life gets too crazy with a toddler:-)

Today on a whim, I ended up cleaning all the windows! What a great feeling that was. Last week we got the basement and garage cleaned. Still so much more to do. But celebrating the closets that have been cleaned out and things that I have gotten to the last month or so!

Scott got the Christmas lights up. Notice we are in short sleeves! Unbelievable warm weather for MN in Nov.

Sam was so proud to be up with dad. I cringed, took the picture and begged him to come down!

Another thing on my list to do...Abby's scrapbook. While I don't have the Lifebook figured out yet, my mom and I made 20 pages this morning for her book when she gets home! It was so much fun to make a scrapbook for a girl!

Great teamwork! My mom is an artist and thinks outside the box, while I tend to think more linear. It was fun to see how each page ended up. Now all I have to do is mat the pictures and put on a few more stickers and done! I figured this would help my chances of not getting behind on Abby's book.

On Friday, I organized a get-together for Sam's basketball team. We met at a bowling alley and had lot of fun hanging out with the boys!

Full but fun weekend!

Fun Friday "F"hotos:-)

Trying my best to come up with a creative title...lol!

Anyway, I was totally surprised with updated photos of our little girl today! Since I can't share her cute little face, I just had to share the adorable outfit! OH MY GOODNESS....I have a GIRL people:-) I can hardly believe it, but these pictures sure help it feel way more real. Seeing her little mini-skirt just cracked me up! Growing up with two older brothers, I NEVER wore skirts and just didn't get in to all the girly-girl stuff. I am going to need some lessons on how to fix long hair...those curls are coming in like crazy! Hoping the orphanage won't cut it!

Happy 10 months on Sunday Abby! We LOVE YOU!

Being Thankful

Happy November! I am still in awe that it is Nov. already. Sept. and Oct. flew by! I know Nov and Dec. will as well. Have to admit that I am a little concerned about Jan. and Feb. Living in MN, these are months where winter gets pretty long for me. Thinking about waiting for Abby during those longer months....well, I don't need to borrow tomorrow's troubles (just sounded like my mom there).

Love this sign (thanks Kristi J)!

Here are The Top 5 Things I am THANKFUL for during our Wait for ABBY!

1. That our little girl is being taken care of so well in her orphanage!

2. That the dr. (plastic surgeon in India) will be scheduling her surgery (believing for this month). This should help her eat and gain weight!

3. I am thankful for the opportunity to have traveling families deliver the photo album and blanket we sent and get NEW PICTURES!

4. I am thankful for our agency, who is working hard to bring her home. And that we are in CARA this month and thanking God in advance for getting our paperwork in to court by the end of Nov!!!

5. I am thankful for Scott, Sam and Josiah and for the wonderful family memories that we are creating while we wait. Thankful for supportive extended family and friends! Thankful for each and every moment...living in the PRESENT while maintaining a healthy anticipation of our future!

SMILE PINKI: Academy Award Winning Documentary Trailer

I will be getting this film for our little girl to see the culture for children with cleft lip and palate's in 2009. Praying that it will change through efforts such as these!

Gold Party/Adoption Fundraiser

For those of you who are local, here's your chance to make some extra cash for the holidays and help us bring Abby home from India! Bring along your unwanted or broken gold jewelry (class rings, broken bracelets, missing earrings, charms, etc) and you will receive CASH for your gold on the spot! They deal directly with the refinery and pay top dollar for your gold. GOLDSWAP GUARANTEES TO HAVE THE HIGHEST CASH PAYOUT FOR YOU GOLD!!!! One lady went to those guys at the MOA to compare, they quoted her $267 and they were going to give her a check, but at the party GOLDSWAP Paid her $300 in CASH right there!!!

It doesn't take much gold to bring home big $$$! As a hostess, I will make a % of the total party sales that we will use for our adoption. It's a win-win! :-) Please help us by bringing along a friend!

When: Saturday, November 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Where: I will give you directions to the hosting location when you RSVP.

Please RSVP by Nov. 8th so I have enough food and the Goldswap people have enough cash! (952) 431-3822 or leave a comment.

If you can't make it, but have gold to sell, let me know. You can put it in a ziplock bag with your name, and I will return to you with the cash in the bag!

THANK YOU!

Jenny

So excited to finally be able to send something to our little girl...her first gifts from us. Some cuddly things and a photo album with teething and sensory things on the inside. Perfect!

Thanks to the traveling family who will give up precious cargo space to bring it to our Abby!

Josiah and I were all alone carving pumpkins this year. Sam never has liked it and the Hawkeyes were playing on TV:-)

We did it!

So sorry this is sideways...I couldn't get it turned around here. I love this picture because last year at this time, this precious child was an orphan and now she is thriving in a family!

I was thrilled that Sam was going to wear this Hawkeye face mask/helmet. He was warm as he canvased the neighborhood tonight. First year trick or treating with friends....getting so big!

I loved Josiah's detective costume! I found this trench coat on clearance at GAP for $10...what a deal!

The adults had a great time walking along:-) Sadly, the most exercise I have had in a long time!

We ran in to the big boys and they let us know the houses that were giving out full size candy bars...lol!

It was a fun night. Now to stay out of the kids candy and try not to gain 7 pounds this year!!!!

Article 5 came today!

YEA!!! We got the needed "Article 5" from the Embassy this morning! Despite the paper mix-up, it was a total of 3 weeks....which is amazing. So thankful!

Next step: NOC - CARA gives us a "Non Objection Certificate" and then we can get our case in court!

Thanks for praying!!!

Oh Happy Day!

While I didn't get the Article 5 today...we did get the missing puzzle piece! All should be in India on Wednesday so they will begin the processing. Sure hope the last 3 weeks "count" for time and they will process it right away! Praying for that!

In the meantime...a very good thing arrived today. Small...but good! A 2x2 photo of our baby who now is 2 months older and has changed a ton! Still VERY CUTE!!! :-) Love those big eyes and curly hair!

So wish I could post her picture for my blog friends!!!

Love Gotcha Day Photos

There is a blog family that I have been following (different agency and orphanage than ours) and they are finally in India picking up their daughter! A special treat is that a photographer offered to come with them and document this incredible trip. Click here to see the amazing Gotcha Day Photos!

Makes me even more excited for the day we get to travel to get our Abby!!!!

Amazing Testimony/Orphan Hosting Opportunity

7 years ago this boy was an orphan in the streets. Now he is the starting quarterback for Wayzata High School. Click here to read the full story of this boy, who was adopted through ECAS.

The same adoption agency, is doing a Winter Hosting Program. Read the article below if you are interested:

Winter Hosting - Journey of Hope

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Tue at 4:38pm

Hosting an Orphan from Ukraine

There are many orphans and homeless children in Russia and Ukraine. Unless they're adopted and given the support they need to thrive, statistics show that only one out of ten of these children will become a functional member of society. The others are lost to drugs, crime and suicide. Children over 5 are statistically much less likely to be adopted than babies and toddlers.

European Children Adoption Services (ECAS) is a Minnesota licensed international adoption agency that is sponsoring a Journey of Hope (JOH) program during the winter of 2009/2010. This program offers a window of opportunity for orphans to meet with a prospective adoptive family in Minnesota. This could be the childrens' one -- and only -- chance at finding a loving family to call their own. Since 2003, this program has joined 120 children with their forever families in the US.

Orphans who participate in the Journey of Hope will travel to Minnesota for about 3 weeks in December/January and live with a local host family. Most children will be between the ages of 7 -11 years old, some will have siblings. Host families, sponsors and financial contributors are needed to make this program a success. The cost to bring each orphan child to the USA is $2,300.

European Children Adoption Services is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and any donation to the JOH hosting program is tax deductible and will offset the cost of the children’s travel. Donations can be made payable to ECAS Foundation and sent to the address below. If you are interested in hosting an orphan child we invite you to contact us as soon as possible. See our photo album for more info on children traveling this winter.

ECAS • 6050 Cheshire Lane North • Plymouth, Minnesota 55446 • www.ecasus.org
Phone: (763) 694-6188 - Fax: (763) 694-6104 - E-mail: info@ecasus.org

Some of the kids hoping to travel this winter.

Contact Petra if you are interested in hosting! wonpet@gmail.com 612-799-7534

You Are Invited…

As a present board member of Hands of Freedom; I personally want to invite you to attend the Hands of Freedom event with Jon Borde on November 13, 2009.The Lord has been at work through Jon and Swati as they responded to the call to minister to the needs of people in India. Jon will share updates and personal testimonies of the transformations he has witnessed in the people lives they are serving. Singer and Songwriter HeatherLyn (www.heatherlynmusic.com) will share her musical gifts and passion for God’s Kingdom work. We will also invite you to continue to partner with HOF by your presence, prayers and contributions. Hope you can help us celebrate God’s handiwork through the mission of Hands of Freedom in India.

Thanks for your prayerful consideration to attend,

Dean Swenson

Event Info:

When: Friday, November 13^th, 2009

Where: Chateau Lamothe in Burnsville, MN

Time: 6:00 – 9:00 P.M.

RSVP: handsoffreedom@gmail.com or contact Brian Numainville at 952-226-1066

SCARED-a novel I just discovered

Every once in awhile I just like to read a fiction book and I call it my "mindless fiction". Karen Kingsbury is my favorite (I am selling all my K. Kingsbury books if anyone is interested)!

I just found this book, written by Tom Davis (Fields of the Fatherless was my first book I read about orphan care). Definitely not "mindless fiction" but looks like an amazing book!!!

Scared - A Novel on the Edge of the World from Children's HopeChest on Vimeo.

School Photos

I was so excited this year to get our school photos taken and have the money go to a great cause! A group from our church did a photo shoot to help support widows and orphans in Tanzania.

Food for His Children

A non-profit Christian microfinance food program. The gift of chickens or a goat becomes a life changing small business opportunity designed to support the poorest people in rural Tanzania, Africa. Livestock offspring are donated to another family creating a self-sustaining program. In 2008 we were able to bless 40 families, 184 people. Please help us do more. Our next visit to Tanzania will be this November

www.foodforhischildren.com

Sam-6th grade

Josiah- 3rd grade

I am going to send these pictures to Abby in a photo album I am putting together. There is a family traveling in Nov. Sorry that I have to fuzz her photo!!!

I actually sewed more tonight! I am on a roll:-)

Adoption update: Delays sums it up. Would appreciate your prayers for the next step to be completed so that we can be submitted for our Article 5! Thanks!!!

A Crafty Weekend

I had such a great w/end! I haven't been "crafty" in so long and at the last minute, ended up doing some fun stuff! I can't believe I am thinking about Christmas...but I am:-)

Thursday night I took a class to make these fun tags at Archivers:

Then Friday-Saturday, a group of us took our kids to an AWESOME children's conference, "Deeper Still". Mike Seth was there (previous children's pastor at Bethel in Redding, CA) and it was fun to meet him and see him do some of the lessons that I have used at our church (and in India at an orphanage...worked there too!).
Then, to pile on more to the weekend...lol, we made blankets after the conference. One of the gals in our orphan care group for the Kingdom Alliance for Kids is going on a mission trip to Malawi in November and found out this was a need. She will be able to take these blankets to kids in Malawi and our kids will be able to see pictures of who gets them. We spent time praying for kids who will receive them and anointed them with oil. So fun to receive at the conference and then have an opportunity to give~




The craftiness continued today! I had to get a picture of me sewing, cuz it rarely ever happens:-) My mom came over to help the boys and me make Christmas gifts! Crazy to be doing it now, but then again, it just may take us that long to finish them all. I can't reveal the surprise gift, in case some of you end of getting one:-) We'll see if we have the attention span to make more...lol!

Josiah's 1st sewing lesson! As soon as grandma told them it's like driving a car, they decided it was fun!
Just had to show the HUGE pumpkins we have this year for Sam, Josiah and one for Abby! FUN! 3 for $15..what a bargain (42 and Gardenview in Apple Valley)

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