First Day of School

Today was the first day of school in our district. Per our usual tradition, I lined the kids up in front of the garage to take their picture before we piled into the car. I yelled out, "Kids! Get together and put your arms around your brothers and sister, like you like each other."

I started snapping away and I hear Jason giggling behind me. I realized I was zoomed in and not getting Nathan's arm. A bit frustrated I said, "Come on Nathan, put your arm down," thinking he was being difficult, until Jason said, "Gina, he's putting his arm around our other kids." Nathan just looked over at his arm as if there was another kid standing there and started giggling.

He's such an adorable character. Wherever and whoever our "unknown" children are in the world today, know this, your family - already - sight unseen - dearly loves, includes, and giggles over you.

From Our Agency. . .

Decorating the Ethiopia Transitional Home
A small volunteer group will be traveling this Friday to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the mission of decorating our Ethiopia Transitional Home. Our desire is for our Transitional Home to feel more like a home and be as welcoming as it can be to the children and babies who will live there temporarily.
We are working on creating new baby beds and bunk beds and on adding more lighting. We are also having the floors redone and painting murals in the school room, boys room, girls room and baby room. We also hope to paint murals in the court yard.
We would like to raise funds to help with this project through our Orphan's Ticket Home campaign. We cannot purchase the supplies without your help. Any amount will benefit this endeavor. You can donate here. Just be sure to put in the Notes section: Ethiopia Transitional Home Decorating.
We will be sure to share the photos with you of the updates!
Thank you!
AWAA

Just as a note: You receive a tax donation form if you wish to make the place our children will live for almost a year of their life more comfortable!

We're in the System!

We can no longer commit any major crimes and hope to escape unnoticed. Our prints are officially in the FBI system! The lady taking mine commented, "Oh! Wonderful, your prints are so nice and plump! Most stay at home mom's we scan have no fingerprints at all. It's as if they've scrubbed them off with a brilo pad." To which I have to say thank you Rita for exposing two of my most negative secrets, 1. Everything about me is nice and plump sister, and 2. No, I do not do housework or scrub anything with a brilo pad thereby creating any opportunity for removing my fingerprints. They are and will forever be present and accounted for.
Let the countdown to our I-171H arriving begin. And please allow me to apologize to the mailman in advance, excuse me, mail lady, I will be stalking you. Whenever your loud little red truck with the magnetic US Post RURAL sign slapped crooked on the door is heard coming down the street, engine and brakes alternating in a hum and a screech as you stop at each mailbox, I will run out like a mad woman, and I may even forget to make sure I'm properly dressed. This is your two week notice.