Adoption

From Christian Alliance For Orphans:

• Total estimated number of orphans worldwide:  153 million
• Estimated number that have lost only their mother: 34.5 million
• Estimated number that have lost only their father: 101 million
• Estimated number of “double orphans”:  17.8 million (Source:  U.S. Government “5th Annual Report to Congress on Public Law 109-95” and affirmed by UNICEF)

Adoption is never far from my heart.  Talking about and promoting adoption has been a passion of mine most of my adult life.  I was blessed to spend 10 years writing home studies for adoptive families and now walk beside families as they make important decisions about how to start their adoption journey (https://loving-shepherd.org/working-with-adoption/).  My heart's desire is that every orphaned child would be given the blessing of a godly family.  It is this passion that partially inspired the Cancer Redemption Project ( http://cancerredemption.com/) five years ago.  It is this passion that keeps me going to orphan and adoption conferences year after year.  It is this passion that causes me to examine my life often and ask God if the time is right for a vulnerable child to become part of my own family.  An almost daily prayer at our house is that some day God will allow our family to provide a home for a child who needs a family (Zion prays specifically for a boy).  The need is so great and there are so many barriers in the way of families who desire to open their homes to a child.  

Friends or family members answering the call to adopt brings me a lot joy.  A while ago my good friends, Tim and Christa, told me they were starting the adoption process and last month I got the privilege of seeing the picture of two precious little boys from Uganda who they pray will become part of their family in the coming months.  One of the barriers of adoption for many families is the cost of all the paperwork, legal processes, and travel associated with adopting.  My friend Sarah is asking for people to donate towards Tim and Christa's adoption costs on her blog.  To get more information about their adoption process and to learn about how you can make a donation toward their adoption costs Visit: http://sarahflyingkites.blogspot.com/  Sarah is offering a special gift card give-away to people who donate towards Tim and Christa's adoption costs by next Wednesday (10/28).

 

Please join me in praying that the paperwork can be completed so Tim and Christa can travel to get their boys. Pray that Tim and Christa will have wisdom to prepare their biological sons Jack and Willis for the addition of brothers into their family.  Please pray for protection over M and K as they wait for their forever family.

Summer 2015

I can't believe how long is has been since I posted.  Our summer was incredibly busy.  Not sure how it happened really but there were just too many things we wanted to do and so many people I wanted to catch up with.  Zion and Moriah spent the first two weeks of June attending VBS in the morning.  We also hosted my brother Jason for a week.  On June 15/16 we traveled to Chicago with Tim, Christa, Jack, and Willis to attend VBS at the Chicago AC church and visit the Lego Discovery Center.  Some of my siblings visited us the weekend of June 16-17. 

Lego Discovery Center

Lego Discovery Center

Zion playing Wii with Uncle Jordan

Atyiah and Moriah

On July 2nd we loaded up our van and made the 11 hour drive to Bern, Kansas to visit Brandon and Heidi.  We spent three great days with them and enjoyed the local 4th of July celebration.  Our trip home on the 6th included a stop at IKEA in Kansas City (my kids did great for how many hours we spent there).  We spent a few days at home and then left again on July 9th for three days at Lake Erie with the Rufener family.  The kids and I spent Sunday July 12th at the  Toledo AC church and Doug and Lanna hosted us after church.  We spent most of the next two weeks in Bluffton.  Then we headed to Illinois on July 23 to spend two days with Leann, Lexi, Wesley, Whitley, and Lainey.  On the 25th we met my sister Julie at the Bloomington Children's Museum and were surprised when Jack and Willis arrived with their grandparents.  On  Sunday (7/26) we attended the Fairbury AC Church with Julie and had dinner with some of her friends after church.  In the evening we attended a church singing and I was excited to catch up with my friends Kurt and Julie.  

Fun with Brandon and Heidi

Combining with Earl

Moriah, Heidi and I ready for Church 

Rufener Cousins (8 kids 8 and under)

Julie winning favorite Aunt points

Zion's 8th Birthday Party

Moriah and Whitley

Zion and Jack at Bloomington Children's Museum

Moriah and Julie at Children's Museum

Zion Dressing up

Moriah Painting Pottery

Getting ready to say good bye to Aunt Julie

On August 1st we attended the Gateway Woods Auction and then left for our vacation at Lake Webster with the Bertsch Family.  On Sunday Ryan preached at the South Bend AC Church, so Mike/Carmon, Aaron/Cassie/Corrie, Zion, Moriah, and I went along.  We spent the rest of the week enjoying the water, sun, boat, and the company of the Don Fiechter family.  I was really proud of Zion and Moriah for trying new things.  Moriah did great swimming at the beach, enjoyed jet ski rides, and rode on the tube behind the boat a few times.  Zion loved riding on the tube fast and learned how to knee board. I spend a lot of time sitting in the shade while supervising the kids (not sure how many books I read while we were there).  We got home on August 8th. 

Swimming to Turtle Island

Grandma and Grandpa with 16 Grand kids

Having Fun

Ice Cream Stop

Turtles were popular

Knee Boarding

August 10th was a big day for us.  The kids first day of school at a new school and the official end of our summer travels. Zion was actually sick the first day so he started school on the 11th.   

First Day-1st Grade

First Day-2nd Grade

Snow Day Recipes

The kids didn't have school today because of the snow, so we were at home for the third day in a row (Zion had pink eye on Sunday and Saturday we just didn't have any plans).  They have played pretty creatively most of the day; having a lot of fun with some large boxes, stuffed animals, and lots of games.  They also went outside and lasted about 30 minutes in the snow.  While they played I made two recipes that are worth sharing.  First is my favorite homemade granola recipe (a big thanks to Heidi Gerber for giving me this one). 

Homemade Granola 
(I normally double the recipe)

Ingredients:

6 cups uncooked oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup whole wheat flout
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. In a large bowl combine oats, coconut, flour, spices, and salt.  Mix well.
3.  In a saucepan heat the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla until warn.  Pour this over the oat mixture and stir well.
4.Spread this in a think layer on 2-3 cookie sheets, press into pan with back of a spoon.  Bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes.
5.  As it cools  it becomes harder, more granola like.  Store in an airtight container. 

Whole Wheat Bread
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/05/make-6-loaves-of-whole-wheat-bread-in.html

I really like whole wheat bread but have not had much success with bread recipes.  It is so frustrating to go to all the work to make bread and then have a bad taste or texture.  This recipe has worked twice for me and really doesn't take me much time since I have a Bosch mixer. I ground the wheat in my Vitamix using the dry blade container. This recipe took me more than the suggested hour because I let it rise longer than 20 minutes. Probably the best thing about this recipe is that Zion and Moriah will eat it even though it is healthy.  

So enough about my baking-I need to start washing dishes.  My least favorite part of cooking and I am procrastinating by sharing these recipes.  Before I go though a couple of pictures of the kids enjoying the snow.