Ethiopian Orphan Holiday Gift Project!

I love the Holidays.... I love Giving... There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing the smile on someones face when I have found the perfect gift... Or making the holidays a little bit brighter for someone else... I took over this project last year, when the organizer could no longer do it... The video from the party really said it all... I wish I knew how to download it and stick it on here.... The joy on the faces of the kids was remarkable... Most of these kids had never received a gift like this before.

Here is the letter that I posted to our agencies adoption group, and now I would like to share it with you!

Well Folks, It is that time of year again! I just heard on the radio this morning that there are only 76 shopping days left till Christmas! Can you Believe that?!?! Time sure is flying by!

I have volunteered again this year to organize and keep track of donations for the Holiday Gift Project. We received such overwhelming support and generosity last year (we raised over $8,000!) that I'm excited to expand the project to even more Ethiopian Orphans and Caregivers! We are still working on the numbers, so there will be more info to come in the coming week... But I wanted to post a quick note to let you all know that we are working on it, and we are very excited to start logging donations!

This year, the project will encompass the following programs... (A $20 donation will provide for one child or caregiver)

Children at Layla, Wanna and Opportunity Houses will receive A New Traditional Outfit, Small wrapped gifts and Candy. (A portion of the donation will also go towards the Holiday Party.)

Caregivers at Layla, Wanna and Opportunity Houses will receive a gift certificate to a local department store, where they can purchase holiday foods, and other items for their families.

Children in small government-run orphanages, Sele Enat (SE) and Kidane Mihret (KM) (which receive very little funding) will receive small gifts and a party. AAI is not currently placing children from Kebebe Tsehaye (KT), however, we are hoping to raise enough funds to provide them with a small general gift such as fruit.

Children in the Nazret Sponsorship Program will be treated to a Holiday Party.

Children in the Orphaned Student Project (OSP) will receive a gift certificate to a local department store, where they can purchase holiday foods, and other items for their families.

Children at AHOPE HIV+ Orphanage will receive A New Traditional Outfit, Small wrapped gifts and Candy. (A portion of the donation will also go towards the Holiday Party.)

Caregivers at AHOPE HIV+ Orphanage will receive a gift certificate to a local department store, where they can purchase holiday foods, and other items for their families.

We are also hoping to provide a party for the children in the Sponsorship program in Mukatore.

Children at Eban House in Ghana will receive A New Traditional Outfit, Small wrapped gifts and Candy. (A portion of the donation will also go towards the Holiday Party.)

Caregivers at Eban House in Ghana will receive a gift certificate to a local department store, where they can purchase holiday foods, and other items for their families.

For families who would like their donation to go to a certain child or program, I would be happy to receive those requests!

Since I am in charge of keeping it all straight, Once you have made your donation via mail or online, please send me an email with your name, donation amount, and where you would like the money spent. Once we have all the figures, and begin receiving donations, I will post weekly updates to let you all know where we are, and what we still need!

Donations can be made by check or money order and sent (with a note specifying "HOLIDAY GIFT PROJECT" and your preferences) directly to AAI at the address below....

Adoption Advocates International
709 South Peabody Street
Port Angeles, Washington 98362

Donations can also be made at the AAI website, by clicking the "DONATE NOW" button, click on "HOLIDAY GIFT PROJECT" in the Donation Designation Field.



PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO EMAIL ME WITH YOUR DONATION DETAILS! And feel free to email me with any questions!

socialbug69@hotmail.com


Have a great week, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Halloween Preview....

I've been having a heck of a time finding something warm to go under Ava's costume this year.... So, after a few attempts at layering, we got it... Here are a couple of preview pics...





*In case you couldn't tell, she's a skunk!*

And the Soccer Continues...

There was no game this week, because of the 4 day weekend... in honor of Columbus Day.... But here is a lovely pic from practice.... He's finally getting back into it....



And what would the post be, without a few pics of my little pumpkin?

Soccer Outtakes...

I took Leyton's team pics this week.... It is pretty bad, when these are the two best shots... out of like 15!





And of course, Leyton is a poser....

A Walk Home From School...

We finally got a break from the cold, wet, autumn days that we have been experiencing lately... we had just enough sunshine to make the walk home from school...


We live in a beautiful little town, and this small, grassy park is on the way home from school.... We stopped to get a few shots of our fabulous day.



Leyton really is Ava's hero... She spends most of the time they are together, watching him intently, or clamoring for his attention.... She loves him so much.... I'm so glad that the feeling is mutual...



And here is the school boy.... enjoying the walk (ie. looking for grasshoppers...)

I know what I know...

Touching video...

A few random pics from the past few days...

First Steps..... Walking with her walker...



A BIG Brother's work is never done...



Man, her hair is getting long....





Snuggling up...

Game #3 Red Stars vs. The Green Machine

Ado(red)

What more can one say?

Miscommunication....

This is exactly how it happens.... And is hillarious, all at the same time...

Scrimage and Game #2...

Enjoying a day at the soccer field...



Scrimage shots...









Game #2 Red Stars vs. Orange Crush...







Apparently all this soccer works up a thirst...



Cheering on her Brother...

My sweet girl....

It is so nice to see Ava peeking out from her crib at me.... She is turning into such a big girl.... Here she is standing in her crib after nap....





And then sneaking up on Leyton, who was also napping.... She loves her brother!

The Long-Awaited Shots...

See, I'm not such a bad mom, after all.... A fellow 'soccer mom' took some shots from the first game.... Here they are..... Finally.... Check back tomorrow for the newest pics... I have to downsize them!

Trying for a week now...

Sorry... I've been trying for just over a week to post some pics from Leyton's first game... I don't know what is up with Blogger, but it isn't allowing me to attach pics... I will keep trying, and maybe they will get it straightened out. So check back... because, now I have pics from both the first and second games, and I think a random one or two to throw in there...

Soccer Begins...

Fall is here... Along with it came a new season of Soccer! Leyton has been waiting to play for months... Practice began two weeks ago, and they had thier first game on Friday... Of course, I had taken about 30 pictures, when I realized that I didn't have a card in my camera.... UGGGGGHHHH....



These pics are from practice, but I promise that I will double check my camera before I leave the house, and be ready with full-action game pics this week!

I'll leave you with a pic of my little, posing,
SUPER STAR!

What can we do?

Oprah has a way of making me think...
And AFN (Armed Forces TV) has a way of showing her message over and over and over again, until I can't do anything BUT think....

A few months ago, I nearly drove myself crazy with worry, thinking about what would happen to our kids, if something were to happen to us... This was brought on by an episode of Oprah, about families who were crushed due to a variety of unfortunate accidents/events... There was one family in particular that I still see sometimes in my head.... They were the sister, brother-in-law, neices and parents of a bride on her wedding night. They were leaving the reception, headed for the hotel in a limo that the bride and groom had provided. Somewhere along the way, a drunk driver struck their car head-on (going about 70mph the wrong way on an interstate), killing the driver and one of the young girls. I could just see the mother of that child sitting along the road after the fact, holding the lifeless body of her child... and it brought me to tears... again, and again. (Even now, I'm a little teary thinking about it...) I couldn't sleep that night, Because you just never know what might happen... It really made me evaluate my relationships with others... Who could I possibly trust with the GINORMOUS task of raising my children, if something were to happen to Jon and I? Thank God, we have GREAT Friends and Family...

Well, Oprah did it again. Yesterday on her show, she had Bill Clinton, Andre Agassi, and a few other 'givers', all talking about ways that we can make our world a better place. Some of you may have received an email from me and KIVA.ORG, yesterday... I hope that you took the time to check out the site. Even if you don't want to participate, I think it is great to see what others in our fast-paced, 'its all about me' world are doing to help those, who are just trying to make a better life for themselves, and their families.

Many people are skeptical about donating money... you don't know how it is REALLY being used... and some of us, just don't have the money to give. This got me thinking about all the ways you can make a difference in this world, and not spend a cent.

If you click on the link in this post for Bill Clinton (like him or not, he is doing great things...) you will be directed to his foundation, his new book 'GIVING' and can be linked to plenty of organizations that help thousands... probably millions.

Just by clicking on the Pink Ribbon at the right of this blog, you can help to donate a mammogram to a woman in need, somewhere in America. It only takes a second to click... and there are sponsors who donate money for each one... Add it to your favorites, click it each time you log onto your computer... Help a woman to receive an early diagnosis... Save a life.

I'm not trying to brag here, only put some ideas out there, for those of you who might not know where to start... or what you can do to make a difference....

These are some of the things I am passionate about... in no real order...

~ I put spare change in the Firefighter's boot, when he stops by my car at a red light... and help to fight Muscular Dystrophy.

~ I click the pink ribbon each and every time I log on to this computer...
Someday, there WILL be a cure....

~ I sponsor 2 children to go to school in Ethiopia, through our agencies Orphan Student Project. For pictures of the kids, that we sponsor, and journal entries from our trips to see them, check the archives from February and April.... The kids that we sponsor want to be a Doctor and a Teacher. Imagine what they can do...

~ I donate a portion of the money I make selling my Swarovski Crystal and Sterling Silver Jewelry to Adoption Advocates International, our agency, to help with the placement of older and special needs children.

~ I have made loans on KIVA.ORG to entreprenuers in deveolping countries.

~ I always pick an Angel off the 'Angel Tree', and purchase a gift for a child who might not otherwise receive one for Christmas.

~ I put spare change in cans on gas station counters, for the man who needs a kidney transplant, or the child with leukemia...

~ I sponsor friends who WalkAmerica with the March of Dimes, and help to save premature babies.

~ I've purchased bags of apples on the streets of Addis Ababa, and handed them out to the hungry. It cost me about 10 cents.

~ I write letters to soldiers who are deployed to places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Albania, that might not receive any mail, otherwise.

~ I organized a vitamin drive for an HIV+/AIDS orphanage in Ethiopia, and carried them to Addis Ababa.

~ I recycle...
Every now and then, Jon likes to call me 'Greenpeace', though I'm not a die-hard activist, I believe that they are giving our planet a voice, and helping to make things better... Conservation is still in my heart.

~ I search the web with GOODSEARCH, and raise money for Adoption Advocates... You can raise money for your charity, too... just by using the GoodSearch engine.

~ For 5 years, I was the President of a tiny Private Organization on our military base, that raised money to provide holiday meals for military families with financial difficulties during the holiday season. We also organized the local Angel Tree.

~ I make purchases on Amazon.com who gives a portion of my purchases to KIVA.ORG, or through IGIVE, I can shop a number of places, including EBAY... and donate money to the charity of my choice.

~ I pick up the glove that someone dropped in the snow, while digging the keys out of her purse. I also smile when I can, to the people I pass on the sidewalk... The world doesn't revolve around me, or you... Take time to notice who else lives here. It really is the little things that make a difference.

I hope that I haven't bored you to tears... and that maybe this post, and these links will help you to come up with your own way to Give.

The First Day of Kindergarten... Again.

In Germany, kids go to Kindergarten from age 3 (In Leyton's case, 2.5) until age 6... when they then begin 1st Grade. This is Leyton's 3rd year at our towns Kindergarten. Its hard to believe he will be 5 in a few months!
Anyway... Summer is over, and school has begun again. Here are a few pics from Monday, his first day back (after 3 long weeks of summer break... The kids go year round here... it's Heaven... )

In our Backyard before school...



At the gate to the Kindergarten...



Sitting at his cubby, where he hangs his coat and sport bag, and puts on his house shoes in the morning....



My, how he's grown.