The Truth Pandemic...

December 1st is World Aids Day

Project HOPEFUL invites you to join with them in spreading the truth
about HIV/AIDS and children living with the disease. Please watch their video, Truth Pandemic and then share it
with five of your friends so they can learn the facts too.  Help fight social stigma Join the Truth Pandemic!

One of the fabulous families that we met at The Orphan Summit was the Twietmeyer family. They are a family that have adopted six children from Ethiopia, two of them are HIV positive. The story of their daughter, Selah, is truly remarkable. By the time Selah's adoption was complete, she was 12 years old, weighed 32 pounds and was dying from stage 4 Aids. Now she is a healthy, happy 13 year old. While HIV is a death sentence in third world countries, the miracle of HIV medicine in America has virtually eliminated anyone from dying from Aids related issues, but we generally remain a nation uneducated on HIV or Aids. The Twietmeyers have formed Project Hopeful to assist families that adopt HIV positive children and help educate the country against the stigma of HIV.

It was a privilidge to spend some time getting to know the Twietmeyers, Carolyn is one awesome momma, and such a blessing to me!

Check out their family in this months issue of People Magazine!

So thankful...

I have been an absent blogger lately, because we have been so busy.  It feels like at night when I usually blog, my brain is mush and I have nothing to say!  But, I will be back at it again soon.  For now I want to share a few of the things going on around here that we are so thankful for:

* FINALLY all of the adoption referral paperwork for Luisa has trickled in and we hope to send out the last big batch of paperwork early this coming week!!!  It looks like we will travel late Jan. early Feb. to pick up our little Lucy!!!

* We have had the privilege of  having an extra little blessing in our house this past week.  Big "D" as we like to call him, is the foster son of a wonderful family from our church who needed a place for the little guy to stay while they are away.  We have had a great time having a little one (he just turned 1!) in the house, and we are all pretty smitten with him!

* We have also had the blessed opportunity to care for another little sweet one fairly fresh from God for a few hours a few days each week!  Oh how I love newborn babies.  This little guy has completely spoiled me, he is perfect in every way and I just love to cuddle with him.  I get my baby fix and help out his parents by standing in the gap of time between their work schedules!  I am so blessed to be able to do this!

* We were blessed to spend a great deal of time with family this Thanksgiving week.  We were also reminded of those serving (both those serving this great country and serving God in missions)  all over the world who are missing their family at this time of year.  We have said several extra prayers for them lately!

* Of course our great God, and all of the blessings he bestows on us, especially sending His Son to die for our sins, that we may have LIFE to the fullest!

John 10:10 (NIV)

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

critters...

So I finally purchased more storage space and now can blog on with pictures!

First news first, Dylan shot a doe this morning, the opening day of gun season!  Good job Dylan!  I don't have a picture of it yet though. 


 But...
Here are some of the pictures from our visit to the Critter Barn a while back with a few families from AGCI (the agency we used to do Anaya's adoption.)

 They were in their glory being at a farm!  The boys really miss the farm!  They enjoyed hanging with daddy and playing with the chickens when Ryan farmed, and sometimes I feel bad because they look back at that time as being "the good old days!"  They're young, I surely hope they can look back someday and still have fond memories of this part of their childhood as well!

 Nice, No fingers by mouth?  Ha!  She can't keep her fingers out of her mouth, even though I told her a million times, and I kept yanking her hand away from her mouth, after a while I just gave up!  Good thing she has a great immune system!

 Easton was the gate keeper, he opened and closed all of the gates, but he never went inside by the animals!!  Anaya, on the other hand, loved the animals!

 Anaya and Anna, both from Guatemala, both are tiny, and they both have very similar personalities!

They even got to milk a goat!  I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that THAT was their "favorite thing" they got to do...

Now they all want a goat!

Good times.  Thanks friends from AGCI it was fun!

Fall fun...

Easton rode his scooter, and he was going so fast his cape stood straight out behind him!

Not sure these count as costumes, these boys are dressed like this ALOT! 

We got together to celebrate my Dad's birthday, and the 4th anniversary of my sister Steph's 29th birthday;) which is on Halloween!

This is Brayden and he cracks me up!

Handing out candy was just as fun as getting it!  The boys were on the look out for more...

I have more fall pictures I want to post, but as I was trying to load them, I found out I had used up all of my free storage space for my blog pictures!  So, I will try to buy more storage soon, else...I will have to quit blogging, or never post any pictures!