another Lenten update

Today marks three weeks gone between myself and Ash Wednesday. And three weeks closer to Easter.

One blessing borne of giving up something I love for Lent is that I am, in an whole new way, looking forward to Easter. And I don't mean that as just, "I get to eat sweets again! Bring on the Peeps!"

Even though I do think of that often.

I mean that Lent has given me a chance to count forward to something very, very special.

Without the Resurrection, there is no hope. No relationship with God. A one way ticket to h-e-double hockey sticks for every man, woman and child.

And the fact that Jesus did conquer death, and on that third day He rose, and in so doing, covered all our sins now and forever...

that's something to really, truly celebrate.


"For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
1 Corinthians 15:21-22


P.S. In case you're wondering if giving up sugar and snacking has resulted in any extra room in my jeans, let me tell you... my muffin top has never looked happier. Or more fulfilled.

At least I'm feeling it on the inside.

thoughts of spring

It's most definitely not spring.

I'm not so naive to think that just because the thermometer reads 60, that spring has sprung.

This is New England, for goodness sakes.

But I can't keep my mind from wandering towards the warmer days ahead.



And I got an email with a shoe store coupon.

When I came across these, I made the fatal mistake of calling one child in to have a look.

Soon all five littles were gathered around my computer chair, laughing uproariously with every new little animal shoe that came up on the screen.



Waterproof, washable and under $20?

Available in pink and purple?

And make you laugh just to look at them?




We're expecting four pair of these to arrive on our doorstep on March 11th.

dear foster care

Oh my.



Vivi at 16 months.



I could just die from the sweetness.



Thank you Grace and Hope.

For taking such wonderful care of our girl.

Sunday Snapshot: {togetherness}

I tried.

That's about all I can say.



Six weeks home with Vivi and this is my first attempt to get a picture of all the kiddos.

Well, not all the kiddos. All them, minus the two oldest.



The weather is outrageously beautiful. 60 and sunny. No excuse not to get outside and give it our best effort.

But the Sprite and the McDonald's combined with several hours spent shopping conspired against me.



And my camera.



Isabelle was clearly irritated.

And Jude was distracted.



And Shepherd and Vivi were completely uninterested.



But there they are. All together.

And if I squint, they all look happy.

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teeny. and tiny.

How can it be?

Two more beautiful additions to the clubfoot unit at An Orphan's Wish. And I'm the lucky dog that gets to witness the amazing transformation they are about the undergo as they begin the process of serial casting.

Want to be a part of this miraculous journey as well?

This first little girl was born right around Christmas. And at just over nine pounds, she's itty bitty. So, until she has a real name, we'll call her "teeny".

She arrived at the unit early last week and besides having a cough and a chest infection, she is doing very well. She has bilateral clubfoot and castings are expected to begin as soon as she is feeling comfortable in her new surroundings.





This next little princess has bilateral clubfoot and was born a few days after Christmas. Even considering her young age, she is tiny. Just over seven pounds. I can't wait to see those cheeks of hers begin to fill out.

And the way these little ones are cared for at An Orphan's Wish, that won't take long.

So, while she waits on her sponsor to name her, we'll call her "tiny".

I know. These names... pure genius. This is why I need YOU.




If you're interested in sponsoring "teeny" or "tiny", simply follow the directions below. Each little one needs four sponsors to cover all their expenses for their stay at the unit as well as the costs associated with their treatment.

If you have any questions, please email me at aowclubfoot@gmail.com.

Once your sponsorship has been set up, I'll contact you to congratulate you on being part of changing a child's life! And if you are either of the girls' first sponsor, you'll have the option to choose a special name* for her, as well.

To sponsor a child, click here.
Choose "$35" and click "ongoing gift"
Then choose "Clubfoot Unit Child" to designate the specific fund
Add "for teeny" or "for tiny" in the "special note" section
Then fill out the remainder of the form to complete your sponsorship.

And we'll do the rest!

*The only stipulation in choosing your sponsored child's name is that it is not a name that currently belongs to a child at An Orphan's Wish. To meet all the kiddos, visit here.

parting shot

The only group shot I got from our afternoon at Boston Children's.

Lookin' goooood.




Told ya it was a long day.

Honestly, I laughed out loud when I saw this picture of my motley lookin' crew.

Thought it might put a smile on your face, too.

mornin', sleepy head

I often ask myself what it is that makes Vivi so easy.

So lovable.

So incredibly cute.




One thing I've determined is that especially charming about Vivi is her demeanor.

She isn't necessarily a 'morning person'. In fact, most mornings I have to wake her up.

This morning, it was at the crack of 9:30.




That's another very lovable thing about her. She sleeps.

But I digress.

So I woke her up, carried her downstairs and plopped her in front of a plate of scrambled eggs.





And she was content.

And she ate.

Another lovable thing.





She wasn't necessarily off-the-wall happy, but she was content to sit, hang out with the crazies, and nosh on some breakfast.

Nothing fancy, just eggs and OJ.





Content.

I think I need to stew on that word a bit.

A person can learn a lot from a very cute 2 year old.


Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
~ Hebrews 13:5

real life

Things are settling down around here. Real life is beginning to surface.

The kids are starting to occasionally get irritated with their new sister.

Believe it or not.



Vivi does enjoy frustrating them to no end by knocking over their painstakingly created Magnatile buildings.

And assaulting them verbally when they don't hand over the toy she happens to want.

Right. that. second.



Another thorn in their side is the fact that she spends a good bit of time on my hip.

And gets to stay up past their 8:00 bedtime, hanging out on the couch with mom and dad.



It wouldn't be an overstatement to say there is the tiniest bit of jealousy swirling around amongst the littlest members of this household.

But honestly, if the *love* weren't unhinging just the tiniest bit among the littles, I might worry that things were too perfect.




Ahhh. Real life.

With all it's bumps and hiccups, it's pretty darn good.