Lazy Saturday

After a busy, out-of routine week, we had a great stay-in-your-pajamas kind of day today!

After sleeping in (some of us longer than others, but we ALL slept in until at least 7:00!), Jonathan and Annaliese went to the hardware store to prep for a project, while I went to the store to get an Easter basket ready for Annaliese.

We all got home and had hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill for lunch. Annaliese and Jonathan then headed to the garage to work on the coat rack that Jonathan is building by the garage entryway. He is such a great daddy and Annaliese LOVES being with him and helping him on his projects : )

After they came in from the garage, we all dyed and decorated Easter eggs together. Thanks, grandpa & grandma for the kit!

 

Enjoyed another supper made on the grill and then got ready for bed soon after.

Our Bible story tonight was read along with the “resurrection Easter egg” set that we have been given. She enjoyed this so much – thanks Aunt Rachel : )

Now that she is in bed, the Easter eggs are hidden and we are continuing to take it easy. This is my kind of Saturday : )

Financial Blessing

God is so good! We continue to be amazed at the ways that He blesses this second adoption process! We know it is His doing, as we could NOT do this alone.

In case you did not know, the IRS does apparently review cases (which they had already audited in the past) and determine that they actually owe YOU more money. I could get used to coming home to an unexpected, sizeable check in the mail : )

Soccer Has Started

Annaliese has been asking to play soccer ever since she first saw her cousins play soccer. Today she began a soccer skills class at a local rec center.

She told us that she felt afraid before it started, but really got in there like she owned the place : ) Aggression (the good kind for sports) seems to come naturally to her!

It is for 4-6 year olds, so she was able to be the “big kid” on the team for a change : ) The coach had to ask her to slow down at one point so the other kiddos could have a fair chance – she got a kick out of this : )Daddy, of course, also enjoyed this starting. He gave her a little coaching on the sidelines.

 

Look forward to next week...

USCIS Fingerprinting Appointment

Jonathan and I headed to Indy for a quick trip today to get our fingerprinting done for U.S. Immigration. It is so exciting to be moving forward, rather than feeling like our paperwork is just sitting on someone’s desk!

The first time around, we received our approval letter from them just two weeks after this appointment was completed, so we are anxious to see what happens this time.

We were also thinking about how it was this trip, again on the first time around, that we went to an Ethiopian restaurant for the first time. Rather than us eating it today, we surprised Annaliese with shiro and injera. She was one happy girl : )

Mommy - Daughter Day

Annaliese and I enjoyed a girls’ day out today!

We got manicures first…

 

 

…then headed to a lunch of her choice at Buffalo Wild Wings…

and ended with a trip to Kohl’s to purchase new jeans, shirts, and dresses (she is outgrowing things again)!

It was a great day together! We talked, we sang, and we laughed. I am so blessed to have this precious daughter of mine : )

New Fundraiser

Today we would like to launch a new fundraiser to help bring our child home! As with all of our fundraisers thus far, we always strive to involve as many people as we can. It is great to receive large sums of money from a few, but it is even better to increase awareness among many. Jonathan and I believe very strongly that the church is called to care for orphans, and perhaps your part in that call is to help families like us provide forever families for one of those precious kiddos.

What we have done is purchased a puzzle that has a piece of artwork (painted by Katie Bradley, an AWAA mother) on it. It depicts a scene of a market in Addis Adaba, Ethiopia and is beautifully done!

We are asking that your family donate $10 to sponsor a piece of that puzzle. Once you commit to doing so, your family’s name will be written on the back of a puzzle piece. Once all of the pieces are sponsored, we will put the puzzle together, attach the pieces together permanently, and then frame it in a double glass frame. This picture will then be hung in our child’s room as a keepsake – seeing the artwork depicting Ethiopia on one side and names of all the people who helped to bring him/her home on the other! What a tremendous blessing this will be for this child as they grow up and learn more about their story : )

The success of this fundraiser will require support from MANY of you – 513 to be exact - so please consider doing your part and then spreading the word with your families, friends, and coworkers!

Adoption Update

We received our state approved home study today and it has now been mailed to U.S. Immigration for federal approval! Once we receive the approval letter from this organization, we can mail our paperwork to Ethiopia!!