The upper half of the house..


  Today I spent most of the day upstairs.Upstairs is the kids domain or their  "half of the house" i suppose. I went through every single bin and toy box. I was in a total throw away, get rid of mood! which is always a good mood to be in when you decide to purge your house.. I have two reasons for this.

It would have been moving time now, if we were not stationed here again, so usually before the movers come to box up the house, I go through everything and get rid of what I do not want anymore. 

De-cluttering and simplifying the area makes for a very relaxed environment.

Looking for things to add to my yard sale, which by the way, we are gladly accepting donations for the huge yard sale we plan on having!

When I finish putting everything where it needs to go, the kids and I are going to decorate the play room. They always have birthday parties going on in there, and are baking cakes and cooking fruit and vegetables, so we are going to make it into an amazing play room! I will take before and after pictures for you and post them on the blog when its all done. 

While I was upstairs, My Man took the kids to the park. They Love going to the park with Daddy. They went on a walk and brought me back some pretty posies . They are in a vase in the kitchen of course! I love when they pick me flowers, and they are getting really good at picking them too! Tonight at the supper table they told me they had seen a turtle swimming in the pond and some Canada geese. They Love going to the park with Daddy. 
I wonder how much our lives will change with 2 more added to the family?

This afternoon my man talked over the phone with a good friend from California whom we haven't spoken to in several years. He told us how he had read on facebook about our desire to adopt and how he wanted to contribute to help reach our financial goals. We are so thankful for friends and family who are supportive of our desire to adopt. 

With this blog, I am posting some interesting facts about Ethiopia. We didn't really know which country we wanted to adopt from but after reading so much about the country, it just kind of makes sense. Historically, Ethiopia is said to be the place where all mankind began, where the worlds cultures began. It is also one of the poorest in Africa. The programs that are in place to care for the millions of orphans in Ethiopia are not supported or run by the local government the way that programs here in the United States are supported. I think that is partly why we wanted to adopt from Ethiopia. There are just too many children with no hope of any decent future and we are so thankful that God has allowed us this season in our lives that we might introduce two little babies to a life of love and care and nurturing. A future with as good a chance to excel in life as anyone else here in the States. 

Ethiopia counts one of the largest populations of orphans in the world: 13 per cent of children throughout the country are missing one or both parents. This represents an estimated 4.6 million children – 800,000 of whom were orphaned by HIV/AIDS.   
  
The country has seen a steady increase in the number of children becoming orphaned because of AIDS. In the past, famine, conflict and other diseases were the main factors that claimed the lives of parents. Often, orphans and other vulnerable children are forced to work to earn an income. They are exposed to various forms of exploitation, including sexual exploitation.
In Addis Ababa (Ethiopia's capital) more than 30 per cent of girls aged 10-14 are not living with their parents. Twenty per cent of these 30 per cent have run away from child marriages.
So there you have it. Another day has come and gone and tomorrow will have enough worries of its own but we are hopeful of who holds our future and we look expectantly to what lies before us. We are thankful for all of our followers on our blog and on facebook. We really do hope that God blesses you through this time as much as we know He will bless us. 




2 comments:

  1. I will comment on every single post of how proud of you & Jordan & those beautiful kiddos of yours for these dreams you are following & the desires God has put on your heart that you are actually doing something with. Maybe some people won't understand it or support it or be proud of you for it, but you keep doing what God has called you to do no matter what! And I am proud of you!
    My heart overflows with joy over what is to come, excitement to see how God is going to provide for everything in making these two little Ethiopian ones a part of our family, & an emotion I cannot describe that rises in my throat when I think of how, as a family, you are pursuing the dreams God has put in your heart no matter what that might look like to the world. I know that place well & am so so proud of you & am truly & truly honored to be a part of this adventure & our family with you, my incredible woman-of-God-going-for-it! sis-in-law & my amazing Godly leading-his-family-how-it-was-meant-to-be-lead older brother. I am so proud to be his little sister/your sis-in-law!!
    Hope you don't get tired of reading that from me, because I will tell you all the time!
    Love you all imMENSEly...let's Skype again soon!

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  2. God is the God of everything, He cares for us in a big way - with the big things and also with the little things.
    Yesterday I had to go for my annual Mammogram, and on my way to hospital I realized that I had no cash on me - not even a penny. So I was worrying about how to get out of the parking lot at the hospital after I was done.
    Often we do not bother to ask God for the little things, but he certainly did care for me yesterday. As I walked into the hospital I saw Tante Karen (I have never met up with her in the hospital), and she was more than willing to give me a few dollars. There was also another lady - who was willing to stamp my ticket, because she was a volunteer.
    (not only did He provide, I had options)
    So God took care of me; we can say that it was a coincidence, but we always have to give God the glory.
    He is amazing, and it will be exciting to see how He will
    answer all your prayers.

    Look at the birds in the sky. They don't plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren't you?
    ~Matthew 6:26~

    Love,
    MOM

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