"Wonderful Wednesday"

A typical morning at my house involves me reminding my little darlings (multiple times) that it is "time to get up for school." My youngest son, Bryce, enjoys stretching, rolling around, and snoozing a little more before his feet can hit the floor. He almost always asks me "what day is it?" When he was in preschool, his teacher would name the days of the week with very positive nicknames. So, for example, Monday was always "Marvelous Monday." Tuesday was "Terrific Tuesday," and so on. So, even though Bryce is in second grade now, I still tell him what "day it is" in the morning. Yesterday I told Bryce that it was "Wonderful Wednesday," and it really DID turn out to be a wonderful day.

The day started with a little excitement for Bryce. He is the "star student" in his class this week. In addition to the excitement of being "line leader" and first at ????? who knows what else, he was able to bring a special treat to share with his class. We put together one of my favorites. I like to decorate a giant cookie with some fun pictures of the "star student." I first did this with my daughter when she was in third grade. I have been doing it for the other kids for a few years now. Since Bryce's favorite color is orange, the frosting color was an easy pick. I also happened to find the cookie already made at the grocery store, so we just asked the baker to write Bryce's name on the middle of the cookie...she thought it was weird to write only a name, but I assured her that we would be fine without the "happy birthday." We printed off a few pictures of Bryce and used my circle punches to cut them out. I just backed them with orange card stock and used colored tooth picks in between the layers of paper and pictures. I love the picture of him and his little sister dressed in their Ethiopian clothes...I wasn't sure he would want to include that one, but he was all for it!

Bryce was excited about his big cookie. It is a fun way to share a few things about yourself without having to bring the items to school (for instance, Bryce had a picture of himself with one of his favorite Lego creations). He even got to show off a big fish he caught last year.

The star student posing with his cookie...like his pjs? It turned out that we were running a little late the night before he wanted to bring the cookie, so we cranked out the decorations in about five minutes before he had to go to sleep. It turned out great and he said his class thought it was cool. I sent a pizza cutter for the teacher (to make a few quick swipes) so that the students could each get a little chunk of cookie during snack time.

Another little something that most of the family is really excited about this week is the addition of a boat to our garage. 5/6 of us are really excited about owning a boat. 1/6 of us are still debating the fun vs. time/money/space that the boat takes up. Clearly Grace is part of the 5/6 of the family that is excited to have a boat. Wednesday is dance day, so Grace had to jump in the boat for a little fun before she headed out to do some dancing.

So, back to "Wonderful Wednesday"...Grace and I made one of my favorite recipes for lunch. It is a Thai peanut stir fry thing. It is super easy to make and since we are the two biggest fans of this particular meal, we make it during the day when no one else is around to complain about it.

Mix together: 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice (I've been known to use Propel, Capri sun or whatever liquid I have on hand), 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 2 Tbls. brown sugar, 2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes. I always use rotisserie chicken, so I just add some of that to a pan and heat up the sauce until it is warm and almost boiling. In the meantime, I cook a little quick rice and a package of frozen veggies that you can cook right in the bag. I dump the veggies in the hot sauce/chicken mixture and...presto! an awesome Thai chicken lunch. It is seriously good...I serve it over rice and add cashews on top. Grace likes it because it has a tiny kick of spice and is so flavorful. Trust me on this one, I wouldn't recommend a recipe if I didn't LOVE it. I LOVE this one.

After our awesome lunch, Grace and I headed out for a nice, long walk. We finally had a sunny day! I think it got close to 66 degrees!

To end" Wonderful Wednesday" on a high note, the neighbor kids gathered to play a little tether ball with our new (homemade) tether ball pole. Apparently the kids love it at school, so my husband got an old tire, some cement, and a few other odds and ends and the kids are loving the new attraction. Seriously...if you build it, they will come...

Well, that's our "Wonderful Wednesday" wrap up.

Hope you have a great, "Thoughtful Thursday!"

I WON! -and you can too!

I was so excited to win a blog giveaway a couple of weeks ago. The blogger was giving away awesome prizes to raise funds for her upcoming mission trip to Ethiopia. It was a total win-win...she raised money to help El Olam Orphanage and I won a beautiful necklace. My necklace came from Alison Avenue designs. You must really check out her work on etsy if you haven't already.

The necklace is stamped with all FOUR of my kiddos names and it also has charms with their birth stones. This is the FIRST piece of jewelry that I own that has Grace included in it. There was something special about opening the (beautiful little) package and seeing the name "Grace" and her pretty blue stone as a part of my "mother's necklace." It was pretty neat. Grace thinks it is pretty special too.

Grace holding my new necklace...two rubies, one garnet, and now one aquamarine for Grace!

Grace took a picture of the necklace for me ;)

On a completely different note...isn't it funny to see Grace wearing jeans and tennis shoes? - at least they are "fancy, sparkly shoes."

So, do you want to win a cool prize from a blog giveaway too? If you do, check out Becky's huge blog giveaway at Bringing Home Ezra. She is raising money to use when she travels to Ethiopia on a mission trip this summer. Her giveaway is HUGE. I mean seriously HUGE. Lots of prizes. Check out her blog to learn about the details. Will my winning luck continue??? Time will tell!

Good News!

Thanks to all of you who have purchased necklaces so far. I have raised enough money to sponsor one of the many amazing women in the (Eyes That See) Keziah Project.

That means that one woman will be given a micro loan to help her continue on her career path and, therefore, help her family. My goal is to sponsor AT LEAST two women, so I thought I would show you some of the necklaces I have left...

Standard bottle cap "hope" necklace (only 8 left)

"hope" necklace with paper beads (made in Uganda)****Update**** (only 1 left)

"hope" necklace with charms (only 2 left)****

Cross necklaces with charms (one left with paper beads)(if you want to specify a certain necklace, be sure to leave a comment in the "note to seller section" of paypal) ****only 3 left

I also still have the adorable "girly" cross necklaces left. (See photo on left)

Please order some necklaces so that we can sponsor more of these dedicated women. They are on the right path and for many, have a chance to change the direction of their lives.

Click on the paypal link on the left side of my blog to order. If you click on the link, the necklace choices will appear. Click on the necklace of your choice to add it to your "cart."

Thanks so much for your support!

In case you would like to learn more about the programs that Eyes That See sponsors, check out their website. In the meantime, check out these beautiful smiles. The Keziah project provides women with an opportunity to learn a trade (hairstyling), receive support and encouragement, and find "hope" in Christ.

Keziah project graduates. As the director of Eyes That See has explained, "As this month begins, these women are starting their careers as brand new women."

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY...

When we decided to adopt, I began to imagine our little girl. I hoped that she would be a little girl that liked to dance, play with dolls and wear dress up clothes. Well, be careful what you wish for! Grace is all that times ten.

At first is was cute. The days of the little pink outfit are now a thing of the past. She has moved on to more sparkle, color, sequins, and tulle.

She is CONSTANTLY performing. She LOVES to dance.

Yesterday, she decided to add a few more accessories. Did you know that "Fancy Nancy" is her hero? She even made a sign to tape to our fridge just like Nancy did. She wants us all to be "more fancy." She has discovered her sister's old dance costumes. Oh boy...

This is Grace today. AT 7:00 A.M....got that? She wakes up and immediately gets "fancy." EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I sort of let the play make up slide when we are home, but really? A fully made up face at 7:10 A.M.?

The funny thing is, I know she is disappointed in me. As I type this, I am wearing sweat pants, an adoption t-shirt (of course) and a baseball hat. Poor girl. Who is going to be her role model? I guess Fancy Nancy is.

Eyes That See - From Ezra's Eyes

The past few days I have written about Eyes That See and the amazing work they are doing in Ethiopia. The founders of Eyes That See, Matt and Nikki Ness, have a 12 year old son who was adopted from Ethiopia at the age of 10. PLEASE take a couple of minutes to read HIS words re: how supporting Eyes That See can make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate in Ethiopia...

****I am sharing this post with permission of Nikki, Ezra's mom****

The following post is from our 12 year old son, Ezra. He is sharing a unique prospective on what Eyes That See means to him. Ezra spent 10 years living in Ethiopia. If he doesn't go on to play pro soccer, he will probably kick us out of our job in a few years when he takes over Eyes That See.

If you asked me the way I look at Eyes that See, this is how I would answer. I can put myself in the kid's spot, and I would wonder what am I gonna eat TODAY, what time do I wash my uniform, and when do I do my chores. Those are very challenging things for kids my age. Here in the US most kids don't have to worry about that because their mom or dad do that for them.

Kids in Ethiopia that get help from Eyes that See are relieved from that worry because they have somebody to help them. They don't have to worry about uniform, school supplies etc...

That is the blessing that Eyes that See has been for those kids. I can't explain in words the different feeling I had. You have to be your own parent and take care of yourself. You eat by yourself, wash clothes by hand, and still keep up with school. You don't want to fail and be in that grade for a long time. You have all of that going on in your brain. It was really hard for me and I even had a grandma taking care of me.

Parents are different, and not having that was just different. When someone does that for you the kids get excited. I would have been really excited to come to Eyes that See to come and eat and stuff. When you run out of pencils at school you know you could get another. When you need a backpack or anything, someone is there. It is also a big blessing that parents who are living don't have to worry about the needs of the kids. They want to care, but they have to work extra hard for food and stuff. It is a really hard time for the parents going through so much stuff. It is usually a mom and she often will share about life with the kids. That is hard because you can't do anything about it, but you worry about it. Sometimes you have those worries that you can't do anything about and you just get stressed out. Other times you get really sad because your mom has to work a really long time and you can't help.

For some of these kids, when they find out their moms have to sell their bodies at night, well that is a hard thing to think about. It would be really sad to have your mom not be able to get a job because of lack of education. I'm glad that Eyes That See helps with the lack of education. They give education so that the mom can get a job that she doesn't have to hide from her kids.

I know it would be hard, but try to spend the next 24 hours trying to put yourself in that position. Then you can probably understand things better.

-Ezra Ness

****I was in tears when I read Ezra's words. I met Ezra in November and can tell you that he is a special boy. He tried to help interpret an Ethiopian word for me that Grace had been using... He welcomed my 11 year old son on the soccer field for a game even though my son had never really played soccer (by the way, my son was blown away by Ezra's skill with the ball). Ezra's words are so powerful to me because they are his real feelings about what life was like for him in Ethiopia. This is REAL. We tend to forget when we come back home to the U.S. I can't imagine little boys like Ezra living in Ethiopia with so much pressure, responsibility and courage. Please visit Eyes That See for more info on how you can help.****

***All proceeds from the sale of our necklaces also go to help to support Eyes That See***

Thanks to all of you who have bought necklaces...Please keep the orders coming so that we can sponsor some of the awesome women who need micro loans to start their new businesses...

Necklaces=Loans to Women In Ethiopia...come on...

Perfect for the little girl who is a little on the "wild" side ;)

Check out my previous post to see how you can get a necklace like this and help out some amazing women in Ethiopia.

Selling Necklaces For Micro Loans= Cute Easter Goodies!

Throughout the month of April, I am going to work hard to promote a "month of change" around my home. The Easter season is the perfect time for us to focus on something bigger than ourselves. In keeping with my goal to work to empower and support others in Ethiopia, I have made some more necklaces to sell. I am so excited about what these necklaces represent and what the money raised through selling them will be able to do.

Remember when I wrote about how hard it is for women in third world countries? Remember that these women face incredible obstacles, sickness, and disadvantages? Well, I also quoted Shayne Moore "There is no limit to what our one compassionate voice can do when it is shared with others in making the world a better place. I am only one woman, with one voice, who lives in one town, and goes to one church- but all our "ones" add up. Together we can change the world."

Well, my idea is simple, yet it may have some amazing opportunities with it. As you may know, I have sold these little bottle cap necklaces for a few months and have been able to send over $2,500 to Ethiopia to support various programs (Eyes That See, Hope for Dube Bute, Ethiopia Reads). Well, another fantastic opportunity has presented itself to me and I am SO EXCITED to jump on board. Eyes That See is a non-profit, Christian organization dedicated to exposing the full worth of children, families, and communities worldwide through education and development

Through the sale of necklaces, I hope to earn money to support one of their programs, The Keziah Project.

I hope to be able to provide micro loans to women who have recently graduated from the Keziah Project. Some of the women want to start a beauty shop together and are in need of micro loans to get started (can you believe a loan of only $120 can make all the difference in their lives and the lives of their children???)

One more exciting part...those of you who said you might be interested in going back to Ethiopia on a mission trip? Well, we may have the opportunity to go back, meet these amazing women, encourage them, offer them support and actually see the how they are growing, healing, and providing hope to others.

So...I need to sell some necklaces!

I have a limited supply of necklaces - they are all made and ready to ship to you. I have even incorporated some Ugandan magazine bead charms (beads made in Uganda!) on some of the necklaces...check them out...

"Girly" cross necklace $6 ($5 plus $1 shipping). Perfect for Easter (think baskets, etc.) I will be sending you one of these adorable necklaces- if you have a preference, you can leave a comment in the "note to seller" section of paypal- I can't really guarantee a particular necklace unless you email me with a request prior to purchase.

"Hope" necklace with charms- 18" chain- $8 ($7 plus $1 shipping)

"Hope" Necklace with paper beads- 24" chains $7 plus $1 shipping

Women from the amazing program that Eyes That See has started in Addis Ababa. They are given the opportunity to turn their lives around, learn a trade, learn about God, and have an opportunity to graduate from "beauty school" and start their own businesses. Read more about their graduation here.

It is so exciting to see the women working in the same facility that we toured when we were in Addis. The program and facility has come a long way since last July when the grounds were first rented. These are women who have come from VERY difficult circumstances. VERY difficult and VERY different from anything I can imagine. I am so humbled to be able to support them in some small way.

"The women that we get the opportunity to work with often know about lives being torn apart. They are in need of seeing restoration take place, and for many of them we get to be the vehicle through which this is seen. At the Keziah Project we have counseling, community, food and showers available to the women. Even more than this, when they are ready they can select from a variety of vocational skills to train in. The purpose is to be able to have a stable job where they can excel. As they learn this vocation, they develop the life skills and confidence that needs to accompany this new opportunity. The hair stylist school was our first group to go through this program, and now the Keziah Project will work exclusively with women like those who recently graduated from the program!"

"Cross" Necklace with charms - 18" chain $7 plus $1 shipping

"Cross" necklace with paper bead charms - 18" chain $7 plus $1 shipping

I have about 40 necklaces to sell...come on, help me out - remember, you are helping me provide loans to women in Ethiopia!!!! My goal is to provide at LEAST two micro loans by the end of the month...