Large and White

If you're looking for a large and you want it to be white, then you've come to the right place!!  

I was able to reorder some Ladies Large t-shirts in White!  Just remember that the Large fits like a Medium....it's what I wear, if that helps any. :0)  And maybe when I sell some more of the other sizes I can get some variation for the rest of you too!  

How's THAT sound?  

okay, good.
when you're ordering make sure to click on the pull-down buttons to see other sizes.

Bathtime thoughts (kinda like "Deep Thoughts"...with an additional tub)

So I was just chillaxin in the bath with my Epsom salts and bag over my conditioning-head----I KNOW you want a picture, RIGHT?? ha!  :0)  I was reading the manual from our adoption agency which is given to us to read while we're waiting.....and since we are now officially waiting, I thought this was the time to read some.  So real scary stuff, I must say.  Not like spooky scaring, but more like, "OH MY GOSH!  Can I be a good parent to an adopted child too?"  I just had this impression that I was going to parent my adopted child the way I do my biological children--which I know isn't always perfect.  BUT until recently I didn't get that it could be so hard in the beginning especially.  Our friends who just adopted recently really had a smooth transition.  So I was being very naive thinking that this was how it is for everyone.  Thank goodness for manuals and Yahoo Forums (hi girls;0)!  I apparently need to get me some more reading material.

As I was feeling the temptation to go to sleep (I'm still in the tub here) I really thought about how much we adopting/adoptive parents expect from those who aren't/haven't adopted.  I was having a conversation with that same friend the other night about how rude people can be and they say things without even putting one ounce of thought into it.  For instance, "So why Africa?  So are you gonna try to save them all?" and "They should just stop having babies if they can;t take care of them." and "There are orphans here too" (I think I wrote about this one once already).  So yes, they should think more before they speak (and maybe have a few less beers) and yes, they should maybe ask in a different tone with different wording.  But they really don't get it.....they just don't.  I know I have changed my thinking tremendously, and this is really hard for me to say when I know that other adoptive families may read this, because maybe they didn't go through this same transition.  Maybe they already knew.  I think that maybe we (me) interpreted God's calling differently than He truly intended for us.  I began following missionaries on their blogs wishing I could do something more than what I was, I kept up (still do) on those amazing 147 million orphans girls who were/are helping so many people to bring their kiddos home.  I have felt this pang to help the needy all of my life, but never more than in the last couple of years.  I never thought this (this next thing) was wrong (and I'm still pretty confused by it--but it seems pretty important) until now.  Here it is..........I wanted to save a child from poverty, from hunger, from destitution, from lack of love, from a life without an education.  I wanted to scoop them all up just like the missionaries in Haiti tried to do.  I wanted to take away their pain and suffering.  And I still do.  But THAT was not the reason (I don't think) that God was asking me to go forward and trust Him and lead my family into a place of the unknown.  I truly feel now that God planned to bless US in making this decision.  He always had a plan for this child to be a part of our family....a little girl was always part of the plan.  And I don't know what else He has paved for us, but THIS journey He has brought us on has opened my eyes.  God loves all of His children.....this part I know.  It doesn't matter where they live or how they live or what they look like.  He loves them all and wants what's best for them.  And these children in Africa love where God has placed them.  They love their country, they love their people.  Even if it looks to us like they have nothing, they think otherwise.  Their bare feet, and toys made of cardboard, and threads for cloths are good enough for them.  Because they have God in their lives and they have each other.  They are happy.  They may not have much, but they are happy.  And I know there are probably many things I don't understand yet because it hasn't been explained.  But the bottom line for me is that God did not lead me here to save this child.  This baby girl would be saved in God's eyes right where she is.  God will bring us together to be a family.  The one thing this little girl doesn't have.....a family.  She is the piece to our puzzle and we are to hers.  It is still very difficult for me to explain to my family and friends if they haven't been in my shoes already.  But to have people constantly saying "You will be such a blessing to her" (this is a very common thing to say--I can't tell you how many times I said it myself before) has started to make me really dig deep.  Because, really, this amazingly-special little girl will be a bigger blessing to us then we could ever be to her.  
I am lowering my expectations of people who "don't get it" and people who outright don't want to "get it", because I have faith that they will soon enough.

I've been meaning to write about this for a long time....for me.  
To get it out so I could understand a little bit better myself.  
Honestly...I feel much better now.

NUMBER 19!!!

Just a short announcement........we are number 19 on the waiting list for a referral.  That's down five less than we were last week!!!  HOORAY!!!!!  Please keep us in your prayers as we move closer to our baby girl.  God has a time in mind and I know he will provide the finances--so come get your t-shirts!!! I'm sooooooo excited!

The T-Shirts Are Here!!!!!!

They are FINALLY here!  This is what I have been working on for the last few months.....trying to get my idea perfected and this is pretty darn close!  I love it!  I hope you will too!!  They are 100 % Cotton and very soft (because I like it that way).  And when you purchase one of our shirts you will not only be helping raise awareness about the world's orphan crisis, but you will also be helping with our traveling costs to Ethiopia to bring our little girl home. We are getting very close and we can use all the help we can get! :0)

 You can order a shirt(s) on the side of my blog by clicking the "add to cart" button, or you can email me  your order at cholo5@wescomm.com.  Make sure you include your name, address, sizes and colors.  I'm sorry, but the women's sizes do NOT come in the sand color (I am working on this).   

Take a Looksie!

Front

 and back

Front

 and Back 

 

And the boys sporting their new duds!  So exciting! 

Lukey, you're not a baby anymore

My youngest just had his 7th Birthday--and because we have been calling him a seven-year-old for awhile now it didn't seem to phase me so much.  And who does that?  Who makes their baby bump up a year in the last few weeks before he turns another year?  Lesson learned....it goes too fast already.

This party was titled an UN-POOL party because little Luke wanted the same cake he had when he was four--a swimming pool extravaganza with slides and kids made out of fondant  Lucky for me I had kept the fondant items just in case, but I never really intended to make the same cake again.  

Luke also thought he should have his party at the pool since we were going with the theme (he's only ever had his Birthdays at home--which we usually have inflatables at, so it's all good:0).  I agreed that the pool would be fun, but we would have to limit the numbers due to cost.  He couldn't bare to NOT have all of the family members of his friends there (good thing as the cake is pretty cumbersome), hence the UN-POOL party.  And because of the cold and rain we weren't able to have the park day we were dreaming of, so at home it was again!  I hope he knows he's loved regardless. :0) 

This is Luke and his best friend, Jevon.  His mom and I were friends before kids and these two have been been just like brothers since babies.  So sweet. Jevon is reading his Birthday card to Luke.

Happy 7th Birthday, my sweet Lukey!!! 

Meet my friend Denise

This is my friend Denise.  Please pray for her.  Last Sunday she had a stroke on her right side and she is still in the ICU at our local hospital.  She had a surgery to remove part of her skull due to large amounts of swelling on her brain.  She has been heavily sedated and is on a ventilator, but I just heard she is responding more with squeezes and head shakes and she has confirmed she has pain.  She is the mother of two young boys, wife, daughter and sister.....as well as a loving friend to so many.  If you would please keep her in your prayers for a full recovery to be the person we all know--God blesses us with miracles every day.  Please God, wrap your love around this sweet mama and bring her back to her husband and kiddos.  You ARE a gracious and perfect God.  Amen.

I'm a sucker

I said "NO" to the Easter Bunny bringing chicks this Easter.  The first year in about 10 years that it isn't so.  Growing up, my parents always made sure we had chicks, ducks...lambs one year for Easter.  And so when Cole was a baby I decided to try it.  But we live on land which means that we could keep them rather than shipping them off to the nearest farm when they got a little too big.  So my hubby built the "chicken mansion" for our three chickens, which I though to be very unnecessary at the time.  But through the years, it has come in handy with the hundreds of chickens we've been through.  We've had skunks and owls, minks and dogs.....nature has taken it's tole many times.  And after last fall, when we took 14 of our friends' full-grown hens, I had decided I could possibly be done.  They cost a ton to feed, they're a LOT of work, and I'm tired.  So when I was asked if we'd be getting some (after the e. bunny talk), I said "NO".....or maybe it was more like "HECK NO".

 

But how can you resist THIS face?????  

We went to the feed store to get more grub for the "big girls" and this was what I got...

from ALL three of my boys.

The cuteness KILLS me! 

(yes, I know they get big!)

  uggghhhhh!

 

These hands promised they would take care of them.....

Mommy wouldn't have to do 

ANYTHING.

I'm a Sucker.

(my oldest even told me so afterward).

Funny Faces and Birthdays

It's this little sweetheart's Birthday today.....my little niece Mkenzie. 

So precious.

 

 Happy 1st Birthday Little girl!!

Hoping for Home Free~

Today was a rough day.  Today was the day that I've been planning to send out our dossier.  Dic came back from Minneapolis last night after many trips on the road in the last few weeks, and I sent the poor guy out to get his passport photos taken so I could finish up and move it out.  But amidst the confusion of....  

Do I remove the staples?  And why would you send it to me with staples if I'm going to remove them anyway?  And SERIOUSLY you didn't want me to remove the staples because it's too hard to get them back in perfectly?  And do you really want photocopies of our photos too?  And does it matter that one of the notaries didn't date her signature?  And I know there are two addresses, but it's unclear as to which one I use. 

Other than that is was all good. 

Oh.....except for when I asked the postal worker for a piece of tape for my envelope and she just slapped one on herself!  The ends of the flaps were NOT the way I would have had them.  Not with such an important document (I did tell her it was extremely important).  Then she took her "certified mail" tape and wrapped around the long way making the corners scrunch up even more.  I was cringing.  I said "Do you think that's going to be okay?"  she replied "Yep", and threw it in the pile of everyone else's unimportant mail (or so I felt at the time).  I walked away thinking about the countless hours I had put into this dossier....the papers that would bring us to our baby girl.  Should I go back and demand that she re-tape it?  But I just got in my car with tears in my eyes.  

And then I was okay.....

until I saw the police car behind me with his sirens blaring and lights flashing.  THAT'S  when I cried!!  I thought "Why God?  Why ME???  What have I done wrong?  You sent me on this journey and I am doing my best.  What is it you are asking of me?"  

then he passed me on the right.  

It was not my best day. 

So I pray that our dossier gets to Oregon in one piece, and I pray that all of the time and effort I put in will be sufficient.  I am praying for one more small miracle. 

I am hoping it eventually gets to its final home in Ethiopia, 

and then I will feel free.  

Hoping for home free.

I'm Okay

With soo much paper work to organize and complete and t-shirts to design and trips out-of-town to help family get organized......well, I can say I'm tired at the very least.  I am patiently waiting (not really) for my husband to get home because I received our certified papers yesterday and our dossier is ready, but we need one more thing....his passport pictures.  I've been pretty irritated--I've worked soo hard to get everything in as quickly as possible and here I sit...waiting.  So tonight when he arrives from Minneapolis I hope he isn't too tired to make that happen.  And just when I think the paperwork is finished I think about the hours and hours I need to put into applying for some grants.  It makes me tired just thinking of the things I have on my plate right now--not to mention Luke's Birthday in two weeks.  So instead of feeling sorry for myself I thought I'd make a list of the things that have made me feel ever soo happy and grateful.  

It's much nicer to read those things anyway, 

RIGHT?  :0)

~~Last week my sister finally spoke from her heart about our adoption and told me she's starting to "get it".  I couldn't ask for any more than that right now (tears are coming).

~~My brother's fiance' and her mama drew up my t-shirt design exactly how I've had it in my head.....in ten minutes.  (noone else seemed to understand).

~~The artist who is re-drawing my t-shirt design for me said he would work it in, in the next few days, rather than the two weeks he originally quoted (just when I didn't think I could take the stress of it any more).

~~The nice lady (and her supervisor) at the post office accepted my check regardless of the fact I had no driver's license for verification.

~~My wallet arrived in the mail with my driver's license and debit card still inside.

~~My husband is coming home after two long weeks of being on the road, and it's soo great that he always accepts the house for the state it's in. :0)

~~The mini-van is paid off and that's allowing us to save some money to help with adoption fees.

~~ Everything seems to be falling in to place.

I think that's good for today---NOW I feel better. Thanks for letting me vent.

Blog Fundraising...an issue?

It has been brought to my attention, more than once, that fund-raising on your blog can hurt your chances with the Ethiopian government--and I suppose other countries as well. I'm struggling.  I had made the decision to only allow other bloggers to view my blog when we get a referral so it wouldn't be an issue.  But I know I have lots of peeps out there that check in (even if few ever comment :0).  And I haven't even really begun my fund-raising.  The t-shirts are coming within the next couple of weeks for sure and I can't wait to put them up all over and try some of the cool raffle ideas other people have lead me to.  So what to do???  Do the rest of you have this same concern?  Did any of you go through with it?  And even if I closed it to non-bloggers, how difficult is it to get an account?  I don't want to make it a pain to drop in and see the Chiolis Family.  

Anyone?

Anyone?

God pulls through again

I'm done sulking now.  I got a call today from one of the restaurants (Casey's Cafe in Chamberlain) we stopped at on our way back from Mitchell yesterday.  It's actually my mom's cousin who owns it--and she let me know that she had my drivers license (and my wallet).  Luke pulled it out to look at something and must have dropped it on the floor.  She said she'd mail it out today.  Thank goodness SHE found it because my debit card was inside. Wow how things work out!

More good news.......Our home-study came in the mail today....very late, considering when they sent it, but it came! :0)  Then the t-shirts I have been soo tirelessly working on (without a successful outcome) got the final touches, which I'm optimistically hoping will print as beautiful as they look on paper. :0)  I completed the paperwork for our I-600A to send out this week (such a good feeling).  And all that's left is to take my husband's last-minute photos for our passports and dossier when he arrives at all hours of the night!  I can then get our dossier sent out.  I am soo happy for the families around us who are beating the double-trip rule to Ethiopia, but I can't help but say how I'm a little envious.  

Maybe...

just maybe... 

a tiny miracle 

will 

happen.

Discouraged

Okay, first I have to say that I KNEW that adopting would be a long and sometimes difficult experience.  BUT I also thought that the hard time would be the waiting for the baby.  When "they" say the PAPERCHASE....."they" aren't kidding.  I have been really on-top of things so that I'm not the reason for holding up the process, but there are just some things that I don't have control over.  Our home-study was ready with our agency, but they were still waiting for our FBI clearances, which also took wayyyy longer than we expected.  We got the news about the two-time travel to Ethiopia and I really ran to get things done so if there was even a glimmer of hope that we would make the deadline I would be ready.  That deadline is coming up soon (May 1st)... soooo soon.  And then we heard that not only did we have to have a referral by that time, but our dossier also had to be in Ethiopia by that date.  Things were looking a little more dull at that point.  BUT..... I was still determined that I would not be the reason for holding anything up!  We've been waiting for our home-study to get here so we can get it off to Pierre for certification and I almost stayed home this past Thursday-Sunday from Mitchell to wait for it to come.  It needs both of our notarized signatures before we can send it off.  Hopefully it will come today.  Dic will be home tonight to sign it and then off again in the morning--so we have a very small window of opportunity.  Once we get it back from Pierre we can include it with our application for our I-600A (immigration Visa) paperwork and all of our other documents for our dossier (which we have complete) and get that sent off to the agency in OR.  Then I can begin to relax a little more. :0)  SO I will take a deep breath and do a little praying today that all goes smoothly.  There isn't a real good chance that we will meet the May 1st deadline (especially when there are probably 100 families waiting for the same thing).......but a girl can hope, RIGHT?? :0)

Easter and the egg

The egg is a symbol of life.  And when Spring comes we see the birth of many things anew.  While we talk about the rebirth of Spring we also think of Jesus Christ.  So when we celebrate Spring we may do so with the egg.  Somewhere down the line the celebration of Easter and Spring became confused (or thrown together) and it became the Easter egg.  But the roots of Easter began pre-Christian, and according to Greek mythology, when the ancient Anglo-Saxons worshiped a fertility goddess, named Ostara, they would offer her seeds and colored eggs to please her.  The word "Easter" is actually translated from "Ostara".  It is also thought that she transformed a bunny (which later became known as the Easter bunny) from a bird, which laid colored eggs for the children.  In the earlier days of America, the settlers would recount stories that the Easter bunny would bring colored eggs for the good little children, which would be left if their bonnets and ball caps.

What a totally confusing thing for a parent to decide.  Are we telling a big-fat lie that the Easter bunny is coming?  Well, we were really beginning to feel this way, especially when it came down to all the questions.  Zachary was wondering how he got inside our house....and how could he carry all of that stuff?  What are we teaching our children?  So we told them that we still want to celebrate Spring with the eggs and the baskets and the fun.  But we want it to be known that we do not honor a bunny, or an egg, or the gifts.  This day is about our Savior who died on the cross for us.  It all seems to tie together now.  These holiday traditions sure are tricky!  And then of course, they wanted to know about........Santa. :0)   A story for a different time.

                                                    coloring eggs with my sister's family at our house.

  Easter dinner

 

Shayna and Uncle Dic

 

Lukey lov'n on Mkenzie

My Coley

Mak'n up some pizza!  My oldest is getting to be quite the cook--he loves watching CREATE and getting ideas.  I can't wait to have him in charge of meals.....we have a little more practicing to do, I think. :0)

home.

   this little man is home with a fever today.  but can you get any cuter than THIS?

The Way I Roll

*Edited version*
I pass by my blog every day to see what others are posting on their blogs and I know I have things on my mind to write about, but it's all a jumbled blurr!  First, I want to say thank you to my good friend, Jena (just had lunch and a play-day with her yesterday:0) for being soo supportive with letters, help with my t-shirts, and all of the good-friend stuff!  What a gift to have such a friendship!

I have been busily working on our dossier paperwork, so when our home-study is complete (hopefully by next week) we will be set to get that sent in.  This last couple of weeks has been a little bit discouraging as we have been notified that there is a possibility of some changes in our process....including the major one, which would take us to Ethiopia twice, rather than the one-time plan.  I would LOVE to go more than once if finances allowed it, don't get me wrong-I would love it love it!!  So I am refusing to let this news get me down.  I know that our God has a plan for everything and we just need to be patient and abide.  I'll try reeeaaalllll hard to do what I'm asked. :0)

And in the mean-time I am STILL working on the fabulous-o tees that I will use to raise awareness of our orphan crisis.  This is one project that I will push on until it's complete.  It's really important to me to get the word out there.....and also to help with our costs a little.  So hopefully that's soon-to-come!! 

We had our initial home visit last Saturday with the kids and Thursday and Saturday we will finish it up.  Then all of our paperwork will be checked over and we can add it to our dossier....which I should have all ready by then! Yay!  I tend to be an "over-thinker" about pretty much everything....and my friends and family are VERY helpful at pointing it out!  Thank you very much!!:0)  I am having a tough time making some decisions about the age and health of the child we intend to parent.  I have been praying for some guidance, but I know that in the end it will be as it's suppose to be!  Faith, Kendra!!  Sheesh!  All I can really do is have MY part done so that I am not the reason for the wait.  Because we ALL know there WILL be a wait! :0) & :0( 

The other thing I've been doing? Well.......anyone who knows me knows that I am trying to save the world, whether it be environmentally or otherwise!  
So here is an example of doing my part.......

THIS is my food to be recycled--it goes from our plates, to these beautiful, classy bowls on the counter-top, to the chicken coop out back.

 Then there is the garbage recycling, which hopefully most of YOU do??  

I'm not going to let the landfill build up on my account.:0) So once a week I load up all of the cardboard, plastic, glass, and metal in the back of my mom-van and I take it across town to the drop-off.  Hey.....I'm on a mission here!

Okay....and here's a ritual I started this past summer, which totally irritates my husband!  Because I won't be the reason why the landfill piles up, I am taking it upon myself to get rid of the things I can. 

So when we roast marshmallows in the summertime I keep the fire going with all of the unnecessary paper we've accumulated. 

The collection can tend to get pretty high during the cold months.

You will not find me to be someone to toss something that could be valuable to someone else (your trash is another man's treasure), or it is recycled.

THIS is what I've been doing.....a little Spring-cleaning (without the clean). Just trying to do my part!
And 
THIS

is the way 

I 
roll!!!

please

I'm really needing my friends right now....any friends. :0)  To laugh with to love with, to cry and smile with, to shop and maybe even clean with, or go to a movie and coffee with.  I love my friends and the time spent with them.  

Just needing a little bit of that right now.

please.

Enough Already!!!

I'm sure everyone is a little tired of seeing our fam. pictures now, 
but I LOVE them!  

Never again will we spend $60+ at Penney's :0)!  It's one of those things this year that we gave up as a sacrifice for our adoption.  And as you can see quality can really out-weigh quantity (we'll see how they print out--eeeekk).  

We have taken some pretty big steps with our finances and put our trust in God to take care of things...we know He will. 
We were able to pay off our credit cards (also cut them up and closed them out)when I gave up my shopping sprees (remember, I am that clearance rack diver....but it does add up). 
I have become quite the home-body, but I do have my one coffee date a week (thanks, Ang) so I don't go crazy.  

When we need groceries, I usually send Dic...and with a list.  I have stepped into Target a time or two and I wasn't even that drawn to great prices (AMAZING for me).  It's kinda like when you go on a sugar diet and after the first week your cravings start to go away.....a "sweet" deal.  

We started this state of thinking at the same time we started our adoption paperwork.  We vowed to eat out less, which we have accomplished and are seeing the benefits.  In almost two months, we have gone out ONCE.....and, oh, how I wish we wouldn't have! Yuck!  It isn't necessary and all it takes is a little self-control (which I've never had a lot of).  
Don't get me wrong I have made my sacrifices just to be at home with my kiddos--I nursed them, cloth-diapered them, made my own baby food, gave them their haircuts, bought clothes at rummage sales (and clearance racks, of course :0), I found alternative ways to heal their sick little bodies, and I've always highlighted my own hair.  These were things I wanted to do anyway, but it sure helped with our budget. So this isn't a new thing at all, but it took some training again.  

We are using the "if we don't NEED it, we don't buy it" rule.  Dic and I agreed that eating out as kids was a treat for us.....kids these days just expect it.  It's soo sad when things are taken for granted because there is soo much...we all do that.  This is a big life lesson for all of us and I'm excited to make the change in our lifestyle.  

So even though our 11-year-old sofa has holes all over it, and our carpet is stained and worn, and the linoleum in the bathroom is hidious (God is using THIS money that I'd saved for other things:0)......I want to live on manna---what God provides. Even though our back deck needs a railing, and the walkway still needs flagstone, and we were ready to add on to the garden....it will all have to wait.  And the suburban that we were waiting for will stay with it's previous owner while our mini-van remains parked in our garage.  God has put His trust in us and we will abide.  
It will be enough.

So this is just one more thing we were able to accomplish on our own--we have become pretty good photographers (and so have my bro. and his fiance'--thanks Clay and Jess) and that's plenty for us....

 Lord, 

YOU
 are 
enough 

for 

us. 

Comments, Comments!!!!...........where ARE they all????

Did I ever mention that I LOVE getting comments?  I look at the numbers of pages that all of you read in a day, and very few people respond with a comment.  So if you were wondering if you should.......YES!!!!.....please do!!  I want to hear your thoughts and ideas and stories and questions!!  By all means use my blog as a tool to use your voice!!  I WANT to hear from you! And I will respond if there is something you'd like me to respond to.  I know not everyone will like what I say, which is fine because I write for myself anyway.......but let me know what you think.....KAY???? :0)   Glad I got that out.