Opperation Christmas Child time!

Its Opperation Christmas Child time again!!! This year was kind of a cheat for us, as I missed the drop off last year, so ours were already ready! I really LOVE this organization. And if you havent read Franklins book "Rebel with a cause", I highly reccomend it! (Note, there are a few disturbing accounts in it)

Another year gone by...

And just like that, Maree is 9! Where have the years gone?!! It seems crazy that she is 9 already, it sounds like such a big number. And at 9, Maree is such a wonderful young lady. So thoughful, considerate, and polite. The sweetest 9 year old on Earth, Im pretty sure... :-)

Big smile on the big day!

Maree's dream came true, she is finally the proud owner of a gameboy!! You can just hear the giggle that accompanied that smile, can't you!

Now thats one serious blow!

Student of the Month!

Who's a proud Mama, I AM!!! Meya is the 7th grade Student of the Month at her middle school! Im so proud of my girls! Last week in Maree's conference I was told that she is the best student in her class, and sets a good example for all her classmates. Im so proud that in the face of temptation (and all else public school has to offer) that my girls are strong and go against the grain!

Fourth Annual Fall Family Fundraiser!

We kicked off our Fall Fundraising today! Craft fair didnt have the best 'signage', so the crowd was small. But all is well, we are excited about raising money for Childrens Heaven, again! ALL money from our bracelet sales goes to www.childrensheaven.org!
Here is our Etsy site, more will be added soon:
http://www.etsy.com/your_shop.php
And here is our Bracelet Blog:
http://fundraisingforabetterworld.blogspot.com/

Operation Intenational Child!

A few weeks ago I saw the end of a program on tv about what efforts are going on in Iraq and Afghanistan to help children to go school and become educated, and in that avoid falling into the hands of Al-Qaeda. I was compelled to help in their efforts, to the degree that we can. Hey, something is better then nothing! So, above the kids are helping pack the last of the 12 school packs we put together, most of the supplies picked up off sale racks (bonus!). We will also see if we can locate so clearanced out blankets to ship with them, as blankets are on the sites list of urgent needs. When I watched it, I could see how building a bridge of trust and communication between the US and Afghanistan now, through education and other humanitarian deeds, could open doors later for missionaries bringing the Gospel of Jesus to this country, how beautiful would that be!
Check out the link below for more details:
http://www.operationiraqichildren.org/
http://www.spiritofamerica.net/projectblog/115

Pride comes before the fall....

The link below will take you to a news page where you can click on a clip called 'Fly Away Children'. It is a report about the agency we used, infact the woman in it was our case worker. It tells of lies, deceit, and what many would define as trafficing.
We were victims of this agency.... Our children were victims of this agency....
And from all I know about them and their dealings, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Im glad its finally out there, and Im glad this family had the courage to speak out. We declined, it was too hard to go back through it all again, and we didnt want it done on international television. When our girls are ready, I hope they will tell their story, which would shed even more light on this darkness.
http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/default.htm

First attempt.....failed.

So, the year I decide to put ALOT of sweat equity into a watermellon garden, it floods all summer long, thus killing every last hopeful baby watermellon :-(
Here are the final two. They tried to make it, but it wasnt to be...
Maybe next year.