LAST day... and 5 MORE ♥

This is it you guys!!! This is the LAST DAY our AMAZING friend Lauren Casper is helping this CRAZY family FUNDRAISE through...

and

Sooooo... if you haven't already zzzzzzzzzzzzip on over and check out her TOTALLY adorable POPPIES at Poppy Lane and her EXTREME talents in creating BEAUTIFUL new BLOGS at L.C. Graphic Design...

We have been BLESSED BIG time by this opportunity that Lauren has given us.  Each dollar is a HUGE help in bringing home our little girl. We SINCERELY thank you from the bottom of our hearts, LAUREN! You have been a gift from God to our family and we will be FOREVER grateful to you. ♥

1 Chronicles 29:12-13

Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. “Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name...

Dear Jesus, thank you so much for the Casper family.  Thank you for putting people in our lives that we learn from, we are humbled by, we are grateful for. Thank you for her beautiful heart and their passion to care for the orphans.  Thank you for Lauren's interest in helping others help another child come HOME. Oh Lord you have blessed us beautifully through this friendship and we PRAISE you and THANK you!

...this is also the LAST DAY to enter our lil GIVEAWAY...  

and it is only...

days till we are in ETHIOPIA to meet our little girl!!

JUST (giveaway) LOVE....

...just cuz I have entered SO many giveaway's

...just cuz I have ACTUALLY won a few YAY! :)

...just cuz I wanna share the ♥ LOVE ♥

...just cuz Jesus has BLESSED us

...just cuz I would like to create more orphan awarness

...just cuz adoption ROCKS

...Just cuz I am thankful for AWESOME readers

...Just cuz I appreciate your comments, support and prayers

...Just cuz THIS coffee is AMAZING! :)

...just cuz...

 

ONE ENTRY: FOLLOW along on our AMAZING journey to our lil girl ♥

ONE ENTRY FOR EACH: Give a little SHOUT! - Blog or FB

ONE ENTRY: SHARE this link: http://www.justlovecoffee.com/thesanders

...on JULY 1 in the A.M. 

(the day my dear friend gets off the plane with her beautiful baby girl)

I will pick YOUR name out of a bowl 

and send ya

...a JUST LOVE beanie

...a large JUST LOVE  t-shirt

...a JUST LOVE travel mug

...and a bag of JUST LOVE coffee

 

http://www.justlovecoffee.com/thesanders

 Thanks again for the LOVE, support, encouragement and prayers I have felt while participating in Blogging. ♥

First Mother

John 16:21
A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 

 

Thoughts of our little 'M's' birthmother - her FIRST mother flood our thoughts today - as she plans to travel from a very small, poverty stricken village about a four - six hour drive from Addis Ababa to appear in court... We know that she is ill and is probably struggling to make this trip. We are guessing that her body is weak and she probably has no money for transportation.  

As I sit comfortably at home, I think about the thoughts going through her mind as she makes this long journey, the prayers she has said and the dreams she has for her child... I think about how much she is hurting and what a huge loss she feels - how her heart and mind are full of sorrow and thanksgiving at the same time. I think about how I would feel... and I fall to me knees and PRAY for this AMAZING woman - who gave birth to a beautiful little girl... that we will cherish and LOVE FOREVER and EVER!

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, `Give them up!' and to the south, `Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth-- everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made
--- Isaiah 43: 5-7 

I know that our little "M" will always wonder about her First Mother. I know that she will always miss her and LOVE her.  I hope and PRAY to learn more about her, her country, her dreams... anything about her so I can share with 'M'.  I hope to get a picture of her. I hope I can meet her to tell her how much I LOVE her and how much I already LOVE her little girl.

Today... I can't seem to keep the tears away... as I am imaging being in her shoes...

Tired

Sick

Weak

Lonely

Afraid

Scared

Lost

Confused

Heartache

♥

joy

thankfulness

love

Dear Jesus, please be with M's first mother today, the woman who gave birth to a beautiful little girl... please protect her, watch over her, give her peace. Oh Lord help her hurting heart as I know she misses holding her little girl in her arms and kissing her sweet face, feeding her, taking care of her.... Please comfort her if she is in pain and help prepare her for the walk or the journey that she is making to Addis Ababa - let her know that you are near. Oh LORD THANK YOU for this wonderful woman. Thank you for her BEAUTIFUL life and her loving heart.  Thank you for connecting us forever through the miracle of a little life You created... a little girl she gave birth to, almost a year ago. In the name of Jesus Christ - I pray. Amen.

  Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace. Psalm 139:13-18
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! 

We can BLOG it!

 Okay... SO, I have to say... This BLOGGING world was a TOTAL mystery to me about 2 years ago, before we began the adventure of a lifetime. ADOPTING our LITTLE GIRL from ETHIOPIA! ...Honestly, I couldn't believe all of the information, the stories, the ideas, the resources, the help, support, encouragement... REALLY... the LIST goes on! I have been BLOWN away on how TOTALLY AMAZING having a Blog, being part of a BLOG type community, MEEEETING AWESOME people in the BLOG world - who live far away and who live right down the street from me!!! WOW! I never thought I would be taking the time to write on a BLOG, comment on others, or whatever... But, I LOVE IT!!!! I also LOVE the idea that it can be turned into a book for our little "M" to look through someday and read about every detail from the very beginning!!! COOOOOOL STUFF!!!

Resources to use for making a BLOG into a book are:

Blog to Print

Blurb 

There may be others - I'm not sure. But, these are the ones I know of.

Okay... Well this is EVEN COOOOOOOOOOOOLER!!! My BUD, Lauren Casper 

Who so GRACIOUSLY is allowing our family to receive proceeds from the sale of her POPPIE LANE merchandise for the month of JUNE!

has embarked on another TOTALLY creative, SUPER amazing venture!!! BLOG DESIGN!!! I'm telling ya... She is ONE super TALENTED, very GENEROUS, Incredible Adoptive Momma - who knows how much an adoption costs and is reaching out to help others - OUR FAMILY - raise the funds to bring home OUR little GIRL!!! I am BLESSED - BIG TIME!  We thank GOD for Lauren, her talents and allowing us to partner with her! ...Check this out... 

Have this KILLER CHICKA create you a website, a pretty new BLOG design and HOLY SMOKES - 70% of the proceeds help OUR family bring home our BEAUTIFUL Baby Girl!!! Just go HERE to get started!! :)

These are some of the OUTRAGEOUS Designs Lauren has created!!

Click on the LAST blog - POPPIE Lane to take another look at her AMAZING Poppies!!!!

Thanks again LAUREN! You ROCK!

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:19

...Going PUBLIC

1 Timothy 4:12 

 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

...as Kinzi's elementary days come to an end... so will her eduction at a Christian school.  Next year she will be going 'PUBLIC'.  I will miss not seeing JESUS being taught in English, Science, Math, etc... and ALL the other spiritual elements of a Christian School - Memorizing versus in the Bible, Celebrating Easter and Christmas, PRAYING together before Meals, Sporting events... EVERYTHING! ... Her teacher gave a great talk at graduation about being an EXAMPLE to her peers, saying NO to temptations, cheating, lying, drugs, profanity.. and saying YES to Jesus - showing people who HE is with your character, personality... your actions!

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will  - Romans 12:2

...This decision to GO PUBLIC is definitely bittersweet... I have completely enjoyed the education both girls have received going to a Christian school - I have also spent 4 hours of my day in the car to get them back and forth to school.  TOTALLY not complaining here... because it was worth every minute - but, having a little one HOME soon and thinking about all that time she would have to be in the car - it just would not be FUN for her.

Matthew 28:19

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations!

 I think both girls will have an opportunity here to SHINE bright! ...to SHOW Jesus - to be an example and I am excited for both of them and the AMAZING girls that they are and I will be PRAYING that God will use them in ways to reach out to their teachers, students, bus drivers, coaches... to make disciples!

 Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. 

POPPIE???

Poppie?

Me and my dear Ole Poppie

A poppy is one of a group of a flowering plants in the poppy family, many of which are grown in gardens for their colorful flowers.

The Mother of Poppies??

HA HA HA! Nooooooooooooooooooooope!!! I’m Talk’n Lauren Caspers…

POPPIES!!!!

Like this…

POP!

POP!

POP!

Sooooooo POP on over to POPPIE Lane and check, check check’em out! We are partnering with Lauren for the month of JUNE… HOPING to sell many, many, many of her AMAZING creations!  We are SO GRATEFUL for this opportunity since crafty isn’t really my middle name – it is TOTALLY COOL to be able to work together on the great things Lauren has made and share a portion of her proceeds for the month of JUNE to help us bring our little girl HOME!!! ♥ We ARE BLESSED! BIG TIME!!! Thanks again LAUREN!!!! YOU ROCK…. And so do your POPPIES! ♥

Soooooo, goooooo

Get your POPPIE ON!!!

FLIPPPPED Out!!!

I TOTALLY JUST FLIPPPED OUT!!!

....just a few minutes ago - I received TWO, BIG HUGE Boxes of Sandals and Flip Flops from a dear friend I have never seen in person but share the SAME LOVE of our AWESOME God, Africa, Orphans and our buddy in Kenya, Fred, and all the Joy Divine Children!!!

Seriously, there were SO many - I couldn't even get them all in one SHOT! WOW!!!! I know these will bless the feet of so many children and even their special mothers at Hannah's Hope in Ethiopia!! I THANK God for putting DARLENE AND ED in our lives!!! I REALLY REALLY  can't WAIT to share all of these with the kids (and see my little girl) in just 29 more days!!!

WHAT AN AMAZING, AWESOME DONATION!!!

YOU ROCK DARLENE AND ED!!!!!

♥ LOVE IT! ♥

A Package, Court, Tickets and POPPIES ROCK!!!

Got this in the mail the other day from AGCI – OUR TRAVEL PACKET and a sweeeeet TREAT for our little girl - SO FUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!! It was also SUPER cool to see a lil SWEEETIE on the cover of the travel packet that we knew! ♥ Aaaaaw!

…Sooooo, it was about 9:00 in the morning on the 31^st of May and I found out our friends had received their court date!! OH WOW!!! I was SOOOOOOOOO Excited!!! I was PRAYING my call was seconds away with the SAME news… But, being the SPAZZzzzz that I am I called our agency about 5 times (okaaaaay, okay maybe a whole lot more… ha ha), I didn’t leave a message – I was just DYING to talk to our case worker and hear the AMAZING NEWS!!!  I never ever got a hold of her but at 2:30 she called me!!! Her first question was, were you trying to get a hold of me? What is your question??? Do you need something?? UH YAAAAAAA! A court date PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!! Ha ha ha! :) So I’ve now earned the reputation of a bonafide stalker!!! Ha ha! ((((SIGH)))) Buuuuuut, she told me the AWESOME news and I was RELIEVED, THANKFUL and THRILLED all at the same time!!! We have a court date!!!!! July 12^th!!!  Which just so happens to be our Little “M’s” 

YES! Her FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!! We are PRAYING we will hear the words, “SHE IS YOURS!” on that day!!! We are beyond overjoyed we will be able to be with her on her VERY FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!!! PRAISE GOD!  Sooooo…. Without any delay we were on the phone with our travel agent, Erica Shubin to work something up good and cheap (oh wait, there are no cheap tickets to Ethiopia- ha!) However, Erica worked her magic and we found a desirable itinerary and price!!! THANKS ERICA! 

On the EXACT same day we swiped that credit card God put an AWESOME person in our lives with an INCREDIBLE opportunity!!! Lauren Casper emailed me and asked if we would like to be the JUNE family where 50% of the PROFITS of her AMAZING products at POPPIE LANE go to bringing home our little girl!!! What? WOW! YAY! I was moved to tears! Honored and humbled and SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Grateful for such perfect timing in this partnership! THANK YOU LAUREN!!

Sooooooooo, please, if you are looking for ways to add some AMAZZZZZING accessories to your outfits with adorable earrings, necklaces, broaches, headbands…  CHECK it OUT right HERE!!! 

 LAUREN'S POPPIES ROCK!!!!

Me - SPORT'N one of my FAVE Poppie Headbands!!!! ♥

Thanks again Lauren!!!