Jar of Joy

This weekend our amazing freinds hosted an adoption shower for us!

It was a beautiful and fun time!

 

We received lots of gifts for the girls all worth blogging about.... :) but one gifts contents in particular is the easiest to blog  about because it was a glass jar filled with handwritten messages and quotes of hope, parenting advice etc.

 

 One quote for each day for the next five weeks in case that's how long we have to wait!

 

Here are  two of the quotes so far:

 

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. it is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

-Elizabeth Stone

 

"Hope is greif's best music."

-author unknown

 

And how true this is! Our hearts are walking all around Ethiopia right now. Actually to be exact ..they are hopefully still sleeping for another half an hour or so! :)

 

And HOPE, it's the thing that's so easily crushed and grinded to a pulp when you walk the painful path of infertility ( or really any painful path where life deals you an unexpected blow).....but it's still alive in us and  now growing every day. 

 

And hope is one of the greatest gifts we could give our girls!

 

Hope that God really does love them and will take care of them.
Hope that he has an amazing future planned for them.

Hope that we will love them even when they act silly.

Hope that  they will be home with us soon!

 

And on a lighter note...I am hoping their birthday packages arrive by the end of the week so they know we haven't forgotten them! Feel free to post in the comments section or on facebook a happy birthday to Kumneger and Kalkidan!

 

So, while we continue to wait for the good news that we are on our way back to our beloved, we'll dip our fingers in the Jar of Joy each morning  and feel hope being renewed.

 

 

PS:Thanks EVERYONE for the outpouring of love at the shower!

If someone sends me more pics, I can upload! :)

 

SUPPORT PHOTOS OF TEENS FROM ZIMBABWE

LIFESONG FOR ORPHANS-http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/

We have been approved for fundraising support through Lifesong For Orphans!

So, we want to offer anyone who has felt lead to make a donation toward our adoption the opportunity to do so through Lifelong for Orphans, a well respected non-profit organization that can receive and distribute tax deductible gifts for our adoption.

100% of what is donated toward our adoption expenses is* purposed to go directly to us. No administrative fees will be taken out.

The total adoption costs including airfare and travel for us and Kumneger and
Kalkidan will total approximately $60,000-65,000.00 We have spent about $50,000
so far and have about 10,000-15,000 left to go, maybe a little less , maybe more,
considering we pay foster fees per each day the girls are not with us and that is ongoing until we bring them to the United States.

Please know that we have been blessed beyond our imaginations to have made it this far
and should you choose to donate we’ll be blessed even more. We wish to tell
Kumneger and Kalkidan someday just how many people participated in bringing
them home!

SimpleSteps for donating:
1.Please
make checks payable to: Lifesong. You may preference how your donation might be used by writing “preference
Manchester/#2924 Adoption” in
the memo section of your check.
PLEASEDON”T FORGET THIS STEP!

(*Note:In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to Lifesong and not to us. Lifesong retains fulldiscretion and control over thedonations use.)
*
* Also, There is a PayPal option. However, PayPal charges a % fee. If you wish
to try that route contact us directly and let us know.

2.
Mail checks to:
Lifesong
for Orphans
Att:Manchester/#2924 Adoption

DON’T FORGETTHIS PART! :0)

PO
Box 40
Gridley, IL
61744


Thanks eveyone! Feel free to check out Lifesong's Website! They are doing great things !


http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/

Happy Anniversary Girls!

Kumnager and Kalkidan,

Do you know what day it is? Exactly one month ago we legally became your parents. Even though you've been our daughters in our hearts for a lot longer than that, it's certainly something to celebrate.

We watched a movie today about adoption in your honor and bought you some gifts which you'll get soon when we see you!!

We are so glad you got to meet our Friends and that you got our care package...We bet you've already chewed the gum, wondered what in the world the columbus pin was, and looked at the photos hundreds of time.... We hope it reminded you that we are thinking of you, praying for you and we love you more than words can say.

We hope we can come to you soon!

Love,

Mom and Dad