Home study happiness!!!

Did you hear an enormously loud squeal from Ohio around 2 pm EST??? If so, I 'fess up! I was in all out happy-land as I peeped out our front window and our mailbox was full of home studies!!! WOOT WOOT!!

The only sad thing was that it has been a most drenchy kind of day. The weather that makes you wonder how the skies could POSSIBLY have that much water to dump! That means our home study (especially the top copy) was SOAKING WET!

So we got out the hair dryer.

:)

Within the hour it was in a new envelope on its way to Texas where the necessary people (Department of Homeland Security) will schedule us for our biometrics and we will begin waiting for that approval. This is where we petitition to make an orphan our immediate relative. That wording is crazy good!! Don't you think?

For some, the adoption process takes years. So far, we've only been at this since September of last year and have spent just shy of $3K. However, it FEELS like we've been at this for a lifetime (waiting does that!) and we have much much more money to spend!! We trust the Lord for him to bring in the needed money and to help us be patient in the interim.

Hoping to hear soon soon soon about the two children we are pursuing for adoption!

(Again, I put out a plea to anyone who might know what in tarnation is wrong with our blog to help me!! Please find me on Facebook--badge below--and send me a PM that you might know how to help!!)

April Update on our Adoption

I have been posting about others lately...and I think my blog is broken, but I honestly haven't had the time to look into figuring out how to fix it! If you have an idea why things that should click and link don't, please help me out! Send me a message on Facebook (my badge is below) and I'll be your friend forever!!

Perhaps our adoption process appears from afar to just be static. In reality, I work tirelessly toward the end goal. There are an incredible amount of ups and downs that truly, if I shared them all with you, you'd probably quit reading out of boredom! Many people are bottom liners...so the bottom line is: we are still waiting.

What are we waiting on?

Our home study. This is the official write up by the social worker who has interviewed us and our children, trained us, inspected our home, our finances, etc. The word is that it should arrive any day. This matter has been very drawn out and quite ridiculous, honestly. Most people get their home studies complete in 1-2 months. Ours has been FIVE and its still not here! At times I have been completely exasperated and every effort I make is simply futile. (I cannot control people's illness or vacation schedules!) Other times I see how fortunate we are that it's not yet done so we can make necessary amendments based on the things God shows us. One of these days...SURELY one of these days we are going to get this enormous stack of notarized home studies that we can begin to mail around the country and around the world! Who wants a copy?? haha


We are also waiting on the results to an ongoing orphan investigation for the 2 children we are hoping to adopt. I have been silent on so many fronts because, honestly, it just changes so quickly. However there is much need for prayer in this situation, so I ask you, even without many details, to please intercede for these children. At this writing, we should know something within 3 weeks. How's that for helpful? Sorry!

We are excited to celebrate Easter with our families and enjoy the goodness of God's great gift. What a wonderful season it is! That grace that our Father pours out on us is so incomprehensible. I am at a loss for words when I consider the gift that Jesus bought us through His death and that marvelous resurrection!

I wish you all a great Easter! Be blessed in His love!

Please Meet...Hamza! A street child no more!

This is the 2nd installment in my "Please Meet" series. I am so so excited to introduce you to my friend Hamza, a now 18 year old man living in Uganda. Get ready to have your heart warmed and your eyes opened to the reality of life for children who live in the streets as you read his story in his own words!

Hamza

How did you go from being in a loving family to living on the streets?

I lived with my parents who loved me very much. They worked very hard. My mum passed away when I was about 4 years old.

I was living with my father and he married another woman. When my father was there she was nice to me but when he was away she badly mistreated me. 

She would not feed me and make me sleep outside. 

I told my father but he did not believe me because he only saw her loving me. 

My father worked away from home a lot so I suffered badly with my step mother.

One day she sent me to the markets to get food. I was very hungry. I saw people playing cards saying that I could double my money. I wanted to double my money to get some food for myself. I put all my money on the cards but I lost it. I stayed at the markets all day because I was too scared to go home. 

When I got home my step mother was very angry and she said she was going to kill me. 

When she learned that I did not have what she sent me for she got a big stick and chased me. I hid from her until late at night. When I went back home she was still waiting for me with the stick. That was when I knew she meant what she had said about killing me. 

I had to leave.   I was seven years old.

I walked and walked and walked in the direction that all the cars were going. I did not know what Kampala was like but I knew it when I reached it. 

At first I was happy to be in Kampala but then I started wondering what I would do. I kept walking around. I saw a boy like me and I asked him where I could get something to eat. He gave me something and then left me.

I slept on verandahs and woke up hungry. I went with other street kids to collect bottles and metal scraps. One boy ate food from the rubbish but I did not want to eat it.

I went to local markets and a lady gave me food. I knew that I was a street kid when I started talking to other kids. I had to start eating scraps from the rubbish. 

I lived a good life but it was very hard.

I had some friends who loved me but some kids harassed me when I had money or metal scraps. Older kids would beat me and take my money or scraps. I didn’t like sleeping on the streets because it was always hard to find somewhere to sleep. 

It was very cold and police or security guards would beat you or take you to jail. When it rained was when I hated it most because there was no shelter.

There were a lot of drugs on the street. Whenever I got money I would get fuel to sniff so that I could feel good. I liked it at first but after a while I didn’t like it anymore. 

Those days were very miserable. 

If the police found you doing drugs they would arrest you. 

I was taken to remand homes so many times I lost count. 

One time I stayed in prison for two years. We only got fed once a day and we would have to work from about 4.30 in the morning until late at night. 

(Click Here to read about Sixty Feet and their work in the remand homes of Uganda.)

I escaped with some other boys and went back on to the streets.

When I was back on the streets an older boy told me to stay with him and his friends. They were thieves who entered people’s houses. They used me because I was very small and could get into houses easily. 


One night one of the boys was caught by the owner of a house and was beaten to death. 


For some reason I had known not to go into the house that night so that is when I knew I had to stop. I went back on to the streets and life was very hard.

How did you get off the streets?

One day I was walking in the slums with my scrap metal. I saw all the street kids going to a place where these men were giving them medical care, food and were talking with them. 

I didn’t talk to them the first time but they came back again. 

I spoke to one of the men but he could not help me. Next time I spoke to Uncle Paul. He asked me a lot of questions. I asked him his story and he told me. 

He had a similar story and he told me to believe in myself.

Every time he came to the slums he would talk to me and give me some money. 

One day he told me he wanted to start an organisation. I went with him but it was not established so I left. 

Next time he saw me he convinced me to go back. He constructed a small papyrus structure and that is where I slept. Now I could clean my clothes and look smart.

The organisation grew from nothing. I saw how my life was changing and I decided then I was never going back to the streets. Uncle Paul and Uncle Martin started bringing in other boys and we got bigger and bigger.

The uncles enrolled us in school but it was hard for me because I had only gone to Primary 3. 

I went into Primary 5 and did poorly but I studied very hard and read my books every day. 

By second term I was second in my class and by third term... I was first. 

Hamza receives a new shirt.

I always listened to Uncle Paul because he always told me that I could achieve more than I thought. 

He gave me courage to learn to speak English, from then I always studied hard so that I would come first.

Because of this I was included in a program called ‘Connecting Classrooms’ which operated in UK, Senegal and Uganda. I worked hard in reading and Music, Dance and Drama. Before the end of the year we had an exchange with them and I was selected to go to the UK. 

I told Uncle Paul I needed a passport and he spoke to a sponsor so that I could get one. 

I had a chance to go in a plane something I never thought I would be able to do when I was living on the streets. When I was sitting on the plane I knew that if you believed in something enough you could succeed. 

Now you are eighteen years old and in school at Mackay College! What are your hopes and dreams for your future?

In my future I have two things I would like to be. 

First is a doctor 

                                   and then in my spare time I want to create art. 

You remember Joyce and Edward from the last entry...
Hamza is pictured here in the red shirt cleaning the wounds of these needy sweet children!

I want to be a doctor to help people who are suffering.

I want to take my message of thanks to the world. I want to thank Uncle Paul. He is my best friend and my only parent I have known to guide me along the way. I want to thank PCA  (Peace for Children Africa: Click here To visit their website) because it has given me so much. I don’t have a lot of materialistic things but I have so much.

I want to thank everyone who has left their countries to come and help us at PCA. 

Hamza having fun!

I hope in the future there are no street kids.

What would you like to share about your faith in God with us?

I am so thankful to the Almighty God for my life and the lives of other street children. Like He said, He knew us before we were born, I will always trust in Him to pave the way for my life!!

God bless you, "Feet2ourFaith" readers and Amy!!

Please Meet...Joyce and Edward

I have been completely blown away by what I have learned, who I have met and what I have seen (in pictures only at this point) along the path of adoption. I decided that these blessings have been so numerous that I want to share them with you too.

Not everyone that I am going to feature in "Please Meet" series will need financial support, but ALL will need your prayers. These are all REAL PEOPLE and they either are living on the front lines of battle against the evil one or they are being consumed by the evil one. Both groups need you to fight on your knees for them. Some will come with an opportunity to give financially. You are not to give unless God prompts you. This is not a blog of manipulation...rather a place to record our journey as we follow Jesus and a place to educate others on the things I am learning as we go.

Today I would like to introduce you to two children who live in a remote village in Uganda.

This is 2 year old Edward

This is his older sister, Joyce.

Edward and Joyce both have been medically neglected. Their mother is penniless and sick herself, their father gone. Grandparents have tried to care for them, but have been unable. As is often in Africa, children contract the HIV virus at no fault of their own. Sometimes just by breastfeeding from their HIV+ mother they contract the virus. Left untreated, it develops into AIDS. Both Edward and Joyce were tested for HIV. Edward's test came back positive but Joyce's did not. You might think this is reason for rejoicing...as the two of them have been moved into an African foster family...but due to their malnutrition, the medicines for HIV are not easily taken into the body. And the saddest news of all is that Joyce's test results were negative because she already (at age 7) has full blown AIDS.

My friend Lara went to their village and found them in this state. She immediately cleaned and bandaged their wounds...

You can see the small frames they have at age 7 and 2.

...and gave them clothing:

Now the two children have been taken to a hospital, shown love and received the medical care they so desperately needed. Family situation/relations are challenging and they all need prayer. Although Joyce has AIDS and Edward only has HIV, because of some other health issues he is at a higher risk. When Lara found them he had the flu, telltale swelling in his jaw and other sores related to the untreated virus, a bloated belly from severe malnutrition and was too weak to even walk.

Here is Edward just a few days ago after yet another doctor appointment:

His cheek is deformed from the lack of treatment from his HIV virus. 

But because of sponsorship and care he is on the road to recovery.

I wanted to introduce them to you because the people who have been involved in his care are special to me. Perhaps I will blog on them and their work someday. (Incredible!) My purpose in today's post is to have you meet and see the real need and give you an opportunity to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in their lives. My friends have involved themselves already so that Edward and Joyce are not another African statistic that you may or may not hear...but the story is not over. 

Edward and Joyce still need $195 per month to continue staying at their foster family, receiving the medical treatment necessary to help save their little lives. What I think is so wonderful is that we over here in our everyday American lives can reach out and help save REAL PEOPLE like Joyce and Edward. Obviously we do not know how long Joyce will have, but Edward could live a long, healthy life once he is receiving constant good nutrition, love, and the ARV drugs necessary to keep his viral load low. Who knows? Edward might become a great physician who helps find a cure for cancer or he might become a great runner and compete in the Olympics. Their lives have great value!

If you would want to be part of Edward and Joyce's story you can click here to go to Awaka.org where you can join their sponsorship team. They are both under Edward's name: Edward Segawa in group A of children. 

Thank you for "meeting" these children and for your prayers and any financial involvement you might choose to have. Blessings!

Jensi's Thank You Letters from Samaritan's Purse

I was so proud of Jensi when she first thought of her service idea...then when she worked tirelessly to find an earring that would work...then when she raised 4x her goal amount...but when she received this letter from Samaritan's Purse... I think my proud Momma heart swelled the MOST. :)

If you missed Jensi's project, go here and then the follow up here.

Anneli's baptism!

It's a wonderful, glorious and much-prayed over moment when your child chooses on her own to follow Jesus. Our Anneli did that at the tender age of 4 1/2! Last weekend, at age 9, she followed through in being baptized. We have faithfully prayed for each of our children, led them to see who Jesus is and explain the gospel message to them in thousands of ways, trained them in Scripture and then waited on the Holy Spirit to draw them. We have never pushed being baptized upon our children but rather have waited until they are self-motivated to declare their faith to the world.

We believe that following Jesus' example and command to be baptized is to show the world publicly that we follow Him and have given Him control of our lives. Going under the water is akin to being one with Christ in His death for our sins and the rising up from the water (no, Anneli, they don't leave you under for long!) is symbolic of our joining Christ in His resurrection. One day, no one will be locked in the grave but we will ALL rise and meet Jesus in the air!

Enjoy some pictures of our Sweet Anneli showing the world that she follows Jesus!

Anneli boldly takes the microphone and shares her testimony with the entire congregation. 

I adore the look of affirmation on Daddy's face!

Daddy prays over Anneli.

Getting in the baptistry

Affirming her faith by answering some questions from Pastor Kent Norr

"I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and in the Holy Spirit!"

"Oh! I've been baptized!"

Celebration apple pie!!

Refusing

Last week I had the privilege of taking my eldest two daughter to a concert. Josh Wilson opened and he gripped my heart when he sang this song:

Sometimes I

I just want to close my eyes

And act like everyone's alright

When I know they're not

This world needs God

But it's easier to stand and watch

I could say a prayer and just move on

Like nothing's wrong

But I refuse

'Cause I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse

To sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

Oh, I could choose

Not to move but I refuse

I can hear the least of these

Crying out so desperately

And I know we are the hands and feet

Of You, oh God

So, if You say move

It's time for me to follow through

And do what I was made to do

Show them who You are

I hope you delight in this song and are moved at the core of your being! The adventure awaits you...

The Numbers Change...

Making the leap from our agency to adopting independently is going to impact our financial goals. If you missed the announcement about this big change go here.

We have adjusted our fundraising thermometer to reflect the new goal. The numbers have dropped from needing to raise $40,000 to now $25,000.  Many of these were agency fees and required donations/humanitarian aid fees to help maintain the orphanage from which we would have adopted. Our fundraising goal is also reduced by the costs associated with taking our entire family over to Uganda. This was our plan, but now we are no longer sure this is in the best interest of the new Shaws' adjustment. The new figure is based on just the two of us going.

If you haven't already, I would encourage you to purchase a beautiful, ultra soft tee shirt from Wild Olive for the women in your life (or for yourself!). This fundraiser officially ends this Saturday, April 2nd. When you order, please be SURE to mention the code SHAW0305 in order for us to get the financial benefit of your purchase!

Thank you to everyone who is partnering together with us on this journey of a lifetime!! We are blessed because of you!!

More about the Children's Prisons and Sixty Feet

I just read an excellent post written by a staff member of Sixty Feet named Joy on her family blog. She gives a great explanation of WHY these children are locked up in these prisons in Uganda. Please click here to read this and gain a better understanding of what is happening 8,000 miles away.

Again I encourage you to see what you might do to help the situation. There are many different ways. I know that PRAYER is the #1 need. Will you commit to pray for the children who are stuck in these conditions? Will you pray for the staff of Sixty Feet? They have both Ugandan and American team members. Would you consider saving up your loose change to help out in one of their repair projects? Would you be willing to sponsor a child so they are sure to have their daily needs met? Or maybe you love to bake and you would be willing to bake some cupcakes for our Cupcake Kids sale next month? Or, if you live far from me, might you be willing to host your own Cupcake Kids sale?

So many ways to be involved.

“I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.”

                                                                       

                             Jesus in Revelation 2:19

An Uppercase Living THANK YOU!!!

Dear sweet friends/fellow decorators,

Thank you so much for being part of our Uppercase Living fundraiser! I hope that you had as much fun playing with your "expressions" as I did! Here's a few shots of what I purchased:

Come and sit a spell!

I'm kinda hoping that this clock will be one of those things my kids remember for years and years. "Remember that funky kitchen clock that was stuck to the wall we had growing up?" Yeah, something like that! :)

And I wanted to report in that we officially raised $112.71 towards our adoption and we are that much closer to bringing our precious children home! All raised by having fun shopping! THANK YOU!!! It's so wonderful!! I would love to see what YOU did with your orders! (Pictures or let me come over!) Thank you again for your support and involvement in what God is doing in and through our family!

Leaving Our Agency

For those who are following our adoption journey, I write this post.

God has been doing a LOT in our hearts lately. To the tune of walking out on all we thought was secure and stepping into the realm of the unknown where both adventure, risk and great joy lie waiting.

source

Yesterday we left our adoption agency.

What?!?! Yes, we really did. "Are you still adopting?" they asked. "Yes, we are indeed. God is just taking us in a new direction."

Here's the thing:
Our agency was wonderful. I could never speak an ill word against them. They were godly people assisting families to adopt babies from the United States, Mexico, Ghana and Uganda. I would recommend them in a heartbeat to others who wanted to adopt to build their families.

But God.

There seems to be a theme in much of what He's doing in our lives. We begin a task, at His prompting and then just as we think we have it figured out...in He comes and surprises us with another direction. He has been burdening our hearts for the children who will never be adopted. The sick, the forgotten, the older child. It is just not for us to join a line of parents and wait our turn for healthy infants.

Part of our story (as is probably obvious) is that we have been able to have children. We have suffered great tragedy in doing so (losing three children who we'll delight in meeting and knowing in Heaven) but God has allowed us to "be fruitful and multiply." For some, this gift is withheld for reasons only God knows. My heart burns with longing for those of you in this situation. So for us, adoption is not about building our family. When I shared about our decision to adopt my brother asked, "Really? You want another kid?" I answered that this was not about what we wanted, but about what God wanted to do in us and through us.

And that remains true.

We feel God speaking clearly that we are to add children who are the "least of these" into our family. We have been on an emotional roller coaster over the past months thinking we found our children, but for one reason or another it was not to be. But one thing was made very clear to us: we are not to adopt a child/children who would otherwise be adopted. We also cannot adopt from an orphanage where they are training the children in God's ways and preparing them to be Uganda's next generation of leaders. We feel called to throw a lifeline to a family in desperate need. (Read this post of Tom Davis to learn a bit more about this concept and the "degrees of separation from birth parents.") We are called to the children who would otherwise remain in an orphanage for life. The children who would die in their current circumstance due to lack of medical attention. The children who truly are just a step away from the streets.

And this can be scary. You might have read my posts where I'm clinging to God, scared! Stepping out on faith is SCARY. Doing what others are not doing could be cause to FEAR. But God. He gives us His peace, He puts people in our path who know how to navigate independent adoption. He carefully sets us in a place where we are surrounded by His godly ones who can show us the path. And so, we follow His lead.

We ask you to pray for us as we proceed down this path. As we have said it many times "It's not about us." And it's not. It's about them. And someday (soon?) we know their names, see their faces and learn their stories. And we'll bring them home.

That's the way we roll--DOUBLE DREAM HANDS!!

So after a heavy post about Sixty Feet and their fabulous ministry in Africa, I thought I might post something a little more light-hearted.

For Jensi's birthday we ended up doing a family dance party. What's funny is that you PROBABLY expect that this was my idea, right? Nope.

It was Brian's.

Seriously.

Please enjoy a good laugh, on us.

If you are wondering WHAT ON EARTH, then you can watch this next video. Brian found it on Youtube like the other 2.5 million people did when the video went viral a few months back.

What?! Children's prison? (The post about 60 Feet)

This is a blog post I've been mulling over in my mind for months. Seriously. I learned about this children's prison on December 24th. I remember vividly. I was so moved, I couldn't sleep. I spent the night on my knees by the Christmas tree crying out to God with a wrenched heart for the least of these.

Before I get too far, let me show you what in the world I'm talking about.


The Dance from Sixty Feet on Vimeo.

As you can see, this REALLY DOES EXIST.

I think of a beautiful quote from Mother Teresa...

"Each of them is Jesus in His most distressing disguise."

and

"At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by, "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in."

The prison was discovered by a woman named Nathalie (you can read about her and watch her videos on their site) when she chased down a rumor that this place actually existed. As many of you know, we just hosted the precious Mwangaza Ugandan Children's Choir here a little over a week ago. I had a precious Ugandan friend in my home. We spoke about this place and she too, knew of it from the reputation it has.

You see, Ugandan parents often scare their children into obedience by threatening to take them to this place. Sixty Feet refers to it as "M" but that's not its actual name. And indeed, my friend knew of this place. She had never seen it, but her parents too joined the many who threatened a trip to "M" if she didn't behave.

Many times the children who come here are simply orphans. They are brought here and dumped off. Sadly, as I've learned more about the atrocities in Uganda, babies are often discarded in swamps. Their mothers were 14 or 15 and had prostituted themselves for food. They cannot possibly feed another mouth.

The "M" facility is overcrowded. The children often go without food. When they do eat, it's one time a day. They are sleeping on 22 year old mattresses soaked in urine and feces. Many children sleep directly on the cold cement.

Fortunately, Nathalie and my friends at Sixty Feet are working hard to change this. They hope to get the younger and crippled orphans out and eventually to establish a sustainable longer term living environment where the orphans of "M" can earn about Jesus and be loved upon and receive healing. A team from Sixty Feet leaves for Africa today. Please be in prayer for them. No doubt the enemy does not want any good to happen in this situation.

Another harsh reality that the Sixty Feet team has discovered: M is not the only children's prison in Uganda. There are others. You can read about a boy named Justice and his first few days at "M2" here.

Children have actually been getting involved in helping 60 Feet change reality for these precious souls. The Cupcake Kids started last year and was a very successful fundraiser! This year the sale is going nationwide with the goal of at least one sale in each of the 50 states! We are hosting a cupcake sale for Sixty Feet right here where we are as well. If you are interested in hosting a cupcake sale, please clink on the above link and connect with them about getting your sale on the map!

In our family, we have joined with our group of mom-world-changers (The Water Girls) in collecting change in a jar for 60 Feet. We believed at the outset that if they could get access to clean water, this would make an enormous positive impact. We created a "water jar" and it has been humbling to watch our kids take Tooth Fairy money, birthday money and any coins they find in parking lots and joyfully add it to our jar.

I share with you about these places because they have been working on my heart. The whittling away of what I THOUGHT I wanted to do in adoption and slowly coming to an awareness of what God might be wanting to do through and in our family. Nothing is done yet. There is no announcement. Just a profound new understanding of the depth of the need.

Truly, our adoption is only the start. I pray He will use us to change the reality for many, many children who live trapped in lives they did not choose for themselves. Are YOU moved by what you read? You may not be able to move to Uganda and change the whole system but could you help out by making a donation? Any amount will help. No one asked me to ask you. Well, I guess that's not true...God had me add this part on to the end of my post. Please, if you feel led, click here and learn about ways you too can get involved in making change happen for the least of these.

I leave you with a well loved quote from Mahatma Ghandi:

 Be the change you want to see in the world.

Urgent need for PRAYERS!!

We realize we have not shared what is going on in our adoption lately, but please forgive us that HUGE DETAIL and skip to the prayer part, we beg you!!

We need a string of miracles to happen so that we can do the thing that God is asking of us. (And when it's time, we will tell you with great and abundant JOY!!! Pinkie promise!!!)

Please, if you are willing, fall to your knees and ask the KING of GLORY to line up all necessary people, appointments, documents, mail delivery etc. so that we can have our completed paperwork in hand. My prayer is April 1st. That's an unbelievable date. You cannot imagine all that must be done, reviewed and cleared by then.

There is a critical time piece involved. 

humbly we ask you,

PLEASE PRAY!!!!

The March of Birthdays...

  

I am so blessed. I have TWO delightful daughters both born in March. 

Often we combine their parties into one...this year, it was a wee bit different.

For Anneli's birthday, we took the whole family to CHICAGO!!!

We rode the train in from Wheaton...an experience that Oliver is STILL talking about! What fun! And we sat up on the top level! Yippie!

Choo choo!

                          












First stop...the AMERICAN GIRL store! :) (A long time dream of hers to go there!) She was delighted to find out that her grandparents had called ahead and prepared gift cards to the store! She looked carefully and decided to buy Kanani, the new Hawaiian girl of the year!

Next stop, Gino's East Pizzeria!
Time for these kids to have some genuine Chicago style deep dish!! We were so lucky, we avoided all lines and just walked in! Still had the HOUR to wait while they cooked our pizza...



So everyone found things to do!

Reading her new book about her Kanani doll

Oliver and Daddy and DQ had gone to the Lego store while the older girls and I were playing at the AG store. This gave Olly something to play with while we waited for PIZZA!

We're so cute!

           And then...

THE PIZZA CAME! 

Anneli got to a booth before another diner did!

And one of the best parts about
 Gino's East is being able to
 leave your mark!!

Jensi found a place on a support beam to leave her name.

I don't think he is left-handed...but maybe only for graffiti!

And finally I did this for ALL of us:

We visited a few more places...but the longer the day wore on, the fussier sweet little Darrah Kate got.

At the Bean in Millennium Park...in the wind and snow. Love Anneli's stoic pose. And Oliver's new Disney friend.

The next day, we went to my alma mater, Wheaton College!

And then discovered the Billy Graham Museum was OPEN! We HAD to take the kids there...

Standing at Billy Graham's preaching podium!

Jensi and my college friend's daughter pose with Billy

The heart of Billy's message etched in a big stone wall and lit up!

All the kids together!

And this is too cute to not show you:

Darrah Kate and Lillian...both kinda sorta 2 years old :)

Cake time!

A gymnast cake for my girl who spends most of her life upside down!

Her candle has bites out of it. Yes, Darrah Kate struck again!





And Jensi's ipod cake:

ELEVEN candles...oh my!

Surprise and excitement over Matthew West concert tickets for NEXT WEEK! :)

ipod cake with her favorite artist and song!


Birthdays in March...a fun time for everyone! Happy birthday to two of my favorite people on the planet!