We go out to dinner Friday night after a late Softball Game at the local "Steak and Shake" (yummy, i know :) AND there walks up a set of grandparents introducing themselves letting me know that their daughter was adopting from Ethiopia and that they read my blog...too fun!! Then I sit at our table and look beside us and notice another set of grandparents with two beautiful brown girls that I just KNOW are "Ethiopian"!! I just had to ask..and well...yes, THEY were sisters adopted from Ethiopia about a year ago..and they run/own Just Love Coffee that so many of you are fundraising through!! Just too cool!! I told them I had some of their coffee at home..and well...just a lovely family!! :)
*Then Saturday I get the opportunity to run over and hang with Katie Davis for a bit!! Yes, she's another local celebrity living in Uganda changing the world!! If you haven't ever read Katie's blog: http://www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/ well, then..you're really missing out!! And, yes, she's from RIGHT HERE IN OUR TOWN TOO!! And, if you ever read her VERY FAMOUS blog then you know who this little one is in this pic:
Yes, my LL and Katie's Patricia got to play and share snacks on Saturday morning!! So fun!!
And, above, here they are posing with the famous Katie herself!! I had no idea WHO Katie was when we started our journey...but my friend Gwen brings her over to my house for breakfast one morning about a year and a half ago..and well...she's been a huge inspiration in my life ever sense!!
And, I've been waiting to meet my friend Suzanne's new daughter "Josie Love" too!! What a great pic...I had thought all day HOW I couldn't wait to get these three girls together!!
Josie Love was lovin her some LL!! :)
Me, above and Josie Love....You'll have to read Suzanne's awesome blog and testimony about bringing Josie Love home from Uganda...simply amazing!! You can read it at http://www.joiningthejourney.blogspot.com/ And, we were all at Gwen's house buying Katie's new tshirt for Amazima!! You can find katie's tshirt for yourself at http://www.147millionorphans.com/ !!
(And, above, Josie Love stole my camera and took this pic of her Momma and Katie...I thought it was too funny!!! : ) ***Ok, so on to more WHY I love my area...the other day I had some mommas over and I looked around and I had Gwen from http://www.147millionorphans.com/ , Kelly from http://www.therainingseason.org/, and my sister Kelly from http://www.ordinaryhero.org/ !! These are all local women CHANGING the world...and they were all standing in my kitchen!! But it hasn't always been this way...someone HAD to be the first...and well, when we started our adoption, I didn't KNOW any of these people (well, except for my sister of course :) My point is that God just kept putting these incredibly GREAT, AWESOME women in my path!! And, believe me, you can't help but be inspired and changed by hanging out with these ladies!! :)
***Well, then we went to Costco and a couple other ball games through out our day yesterday (Saturday) and I see people EVERYWHERE wearing Gwen's and Suzanne's 147 tshirts... It is a "chat fest" everywhere we go... people stopping to chat adoption or to ask where LL is from!! One guy walks up and says, "ok..so your baby wins cutest baby award...where is she from?" I always answer, "There are millions more where she came from"!! I bet I see at least 4 or 5 children adopted from China while out that afternoon too!! We just all give each other "the smile"!! It's "the smile" from one adopting momma to another!! :)
***Well, then on Saturday night (last night) we head to my nieces Graduation Party....and I snapped this pic:
3 adopted children at the party...all adopted from 3 separate parts of the world...all with slightly different stories...but ALL with the SAME NEED....the NEED for a mommy and daddy to tuck them in at night and to give them the security and unconditional love that they deserve!! Wow...I look at these 3 and think...How could anyone NOT WANT TO ADOPT!!?? :)And, finally..a shot of my beautiful niece (sister Kelly's oldest daughter) and her boy friend WHO both graduated last night!! Congrats guys!! Kelly's oldest is 18 and my oldest is 8.......
The hubby and I went to bed last night stating TWO things...1. Wow, what a GREAT community we live in...we were both AMAZED at HOW many adoptive families you can run into in ONE 24 hr. period.... 2. We both were SO GLAD that we have 10 more years before anyone graduates high school in our house...oh, my heart is SO not ready for that yet!! :)
Happy Sunday to you all, kj
what a beautiful post! It's so amazing that your town has so many adoptive families...i am hoping ours will only grow more and more!
ReplyDeleteThat is so neat! I pray that our community will spring up similarly!
ReplyDeleteLove this post Kristi! What an amazing community you live in you are truly blessed to be surrounded by people who are willing to step out in faith and be the hands and feet of our Lord. You're makin me want to move!
ReplyDeleteBeen reading your blog for a couple months now and we're still in the paperwork, raising money to just send in our orientation packet form for AGCI =) Thank you for this post and the excuses one. This has been a hard week of feeling overwhelmed adn wondering how in the world are we going to do this? Well, I know the answer is God - HE will do this!! I have felt similar in not knowing any families here in San Antonio but one and as I read your blog I think "WOW - maybe we should move there!" j/k but praying that God will move hearts here in our community as there are so many who need homes. Thanks for always being so real!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely amazing. So much goodness surrounds you Kristi. Josie Love makes my heart happy.
ReplyDeleteamazing... truly wonderful! I echo Lara's thoughts... that our adoption would spur on others! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat part of the US do you live in? I am looking forward to being one of the first in my community... even though we haven't really started the process yet! (Still praying for hubby's heart to be changed!!)
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog! I don't even remember where I found it, but I have found so many other inspirational sites through you! One suggestion is to allow right-clicking though, as my friends and I get frustrated we cannot open in a new window... unless, of course, you have a different reason for disabling right-clicking!
Anyways, thanks so much for the uplifting blog! You amaze me!
This is a great post Kristi! Oh, 10 years goes by in a BLINK!! Enjoy your children every minute, my three graduate on Saturday morning and I'm in a state of continual tears! Have a great week!!!
ReplyDeleteI started our adoption process with Katie's blog. I was so "in to" it that my husband thought I was going to leave and go live with her! :0) And since I've followed you ALL! All great inspirations! Sooooo, because you live in a great adoption community, and our community is pretty new to the idea....I'm wondering how you ask about the children being adopted. I am helping coach my son's baseball team and there are two of the cutest little boys (African/African-American) with a caucasian mama (never saw daddy). I find it VERY difficult to ask about adoption. It seems like such a touchy thing. I mean, I wouldn't mind if it were me, but how do others feel? We do have many bi-racial families here. I don't wanna tick anyone off either. Hmmm....
ReplyDeleteSo cool!
ReplyDelete~Gini :)
I'm so jealous. I wanat to move near you.
ReplyDeleteKrist, all those pics just make my heart happy! I feel the same, so blessed to be surrounded by all these beautiful, colorful families!
ReplyDelete:) Jeanine
What a great testimony! I got to meet Gwen and Suzanne at the Summit and flipped out with excitement! :) Love what God is doing!
ReplyDeleteJenny
Oh how I hope and pray that we can start the adoption trend in our community!! Trying my best to sport my 147 million orphans wear!
ReplyDeleteSo Jealous!!!!!! I am praying that one day our peanut won't be the only "conspicuous" child!! Yesterday, I saw a man with a little girl from China. I practically tackled him! It was one of the few adoptive families I have ever seen around my town. I am not sure if he was excited to meet us, or totally freaked out!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to get my three home and come do a big play date! There are lots of adoptive families down here in Spring Hill, too!
ReplyDeleteI am so jealous of you! Especially since you hang out with Katie and Patricia. What a cutie she is! And Katie inspires me.
ReplyDelete~Anne
Wish I could have been there on Saturday! It is amazing how our little corner of the world has exploded with adoption!! Loved your last post, too!! You are anointed to speak up and be a voice for the least of these sweet sister!!!
ReplyDeleteKristi...My name is Joy and I have followed your blog for a little while now. I found it through my good friend, Abby Kaufman. (I think you know her??? through blogging :)) Anyway, we just recently got back with our little boy. He is 3...and just precious. I am also a photographer...so I snapped a few pictures while we were in Ethiopia. I wondered if you would check out my site and if you thought it was something that you could promote, that you would. I am going to sell some pictures as art.
ReplyDeleteWe were helped greatly by an organization in central Illinois called Lifesong...and we would like to be able to turn around and help other families through the same organization. Much of the proceeds will go to Lifesong. Anyway...nothing like introducing myself and then asking something of you :)
My site is .... vintageblu.blogspot.com ... if you are interested. Thanks and God bless your family!
Not sure if you remember or not, but we went to get our daughters from Ethiopia just a couple of months apart. Just wanted to share my long awaited news from China...we received a referral for a beautiful little girl. Hop over and check her out. Blessings!!!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Um, would you be willing to let me know if there are any houses for sale in YOUR neighborhood? ;0) Not fair. I am out here all alone- and now I am not only lonely- but JEALOUS.
ReplyDelete