and the total is....

when Lara and i first talked about the auction, i think she had already gathered about 25-30 items. she said her goal was 50 items and we agreed that that would be a good goal to reach. {and secretly, i was hoping to make at least $1,000!} as the days passed, we were amazed at how many items were being donated. it was unbelievable to see. we kept raising our goal!! by the time the auction ended, i think we had over 150 items! 

as the number of items grew, so did our monetary goal but i never imagined it would be so much!! with the highest bids combined, the total is $3,356!!!! amazing!! i am blown away by everyone's generosity. as we were tallying up all the bids and recording names and contact info, i was so moved by the wide range of bidders. i know many of you and i know that you don't  know Lara! there were even a few names that neither of us knew! stop and think about that for a minute...people who don't know Lara.. giving.. just because..just to support her and her precious family as they hope to add Mary to their family. {well that and to score a sweet deal ;) }

i LOVE it. 

love, love, LOVE it.

 i love that so many came together to make this happen!!

thank you all so much! i know i have been so blessed by helping Lara with this auction. i also know that Lara and Jon have been blessed abundantly by your love and support. 

so thank you for loving them well. 

{if you had the highest bid and you haven't received an email from me yet, you should receive it by the end of today (friday)! also, some of you have already emailed asking how to donate even though you didn't win... so if you didn't win but you would still like to make a donation, please click here. thank you again for giving and sharing and loving!!} 

breaking news!!!

there are just 6.5 more hours until the Bringing Mary Home Handmade Online Auction ends!!!

because we LOVE surprises and we want to add a bit more excitement to the last few hours before the auction closes...

ALL of the items that HAVEN'T BEEN BID on WILL be marked DOWN TO HALF OF THE STARTING BID.

YES, you read that right!! so fun, right?!

ok, so here's the deal :: first one to bid on an item with ZERO bids gets the slashed price..following shoppers can bid up from there.

so for example, there is this amazing photo shoot package in southern CA donated by Dominick B. Photography that is originally valued at $300.

we started the bid at $125 but because nobody has bid on it yet, it is now starting at $63. That is it!!!

there are at least 6 other items without bids!!

here's what you do::

once you get to the Bringing Mary Home Handmade Online Auction,  view all the items. if there isn't a bid yet, take the starting bid and divide by 2...you now have your new place to start bidding! on most items, the new bids are listed but if by chance you don't notice a lower price, please feel free to start bidding at the new price!!! {helpful hint :: to view the items quickly, make sure you are viewing in 'sidebar'...all the items without a number to the right of it has been slashed in half!}

don't forget to check out all the other items as well!! there are still amazing deals to be had and most things are still well under the original value!!!

you can start your bidding NOW!!!!!

click here to shop!!!!

auction anyone?!!

i've been working on a pretty fun project lately to help support my friend, lara's second adoption from uganda!! {click here to read more about their journey!} we met way back in 2011 at a Created for Care retreat. {ok, so i just realized that we have only known each other for a year and a half. .. what?! seriously... it seems like we have been friends for so much longer!} we bonded over the bus ride to the airport, lunch and pink uggs. at the time, her and the farmer were thinking about starting the process in Uganda and we were SO close to traveling. we had just found out about our nya-girl 

and lara ooohhed and aaahhhhed 

over pictures of both bauer-boy and ny. 

{side note::quickest way into a prospective adoptive parent's heart = gushing over referral pics. at that point, it's all we have besides fed-ex receipts and paper cuts so GUSH away!!!} 

we met again in Uganda twice over the next year. we served together, baked cupcakes together, rode through traffic together, shared a few meals and washed laundry together {if you spend any length of time in a developing country with a friend..

you will most likely do laundry together ;) }. 

when you experience life in another country..you share something so unique that is hard to put into words. is it is an amazing blessing to be able to be friends {especially real-life friends} with people who have experienced much of what we have experienced. and it is an even bigger blessing to be able to support them as they grow their family once again. 

lara and jon are hoping to return to uganda in the coming weeks to make mary their daughter!!

here's where i hope you will join me...

there is an online auction going on right now 

until midnight {est} October 11. 

to benefit their precious family. 

there are almost 150 items and they are amazing!! 

many items are handmade! i have my eye on at least 10-15 items.

.sssshhh! don't tell my mr! 

there are books, jewelry, all things baby and kid, 

photo shoots in the following areas {southern ca, charleston area and yuma, az}, 

an opportunity to learn photography from a pro 

and so many other great things!

it's not to early to start your christmas shopping!! 

to start shopping, click here! there are helpful hints in the first post!

who doesn't like to shop for a cause?? 

come on, everybody's doing it...

oh and there are roughing 20 items that haven't been bid on...

so most likely, you can snag a sweet, sweet deal! 

here is a glimpse into the goods!! 

all of these things need a winner!!! 

will it be you?? 

can't wait to see what everyone bids on!!!

thank you!!! 

50

i don't think it is a secret that we fell in love 

with our sweet ones' birth country.

 if you have followed our journey at all, 

you know we treasure the time we spent in Uganda!! 

well today is Uganda's Independence day!!! 

50 years ago, Uganda announced independence from British rule. 

there is no doubt that Ugandans know how to celebrate 

and i am sure that today was quite the celebration! 

happy JubILeE sweet UGANDA!!!

{if you want to see what i mean about celebrating,

 click here to read about the day!}

wise words..

**So, every morning as I get up to face another day, 
I whisper to myself,

 “Whatever challenges, mishaps, and adventures you encounter today, remember to enjoy them, embrace them, and smile through them (with gritted teeth if necessary), because one thing is for sure: Today will quickly become yesterday, and it will never pass this way again.**

-Cindi McKee {go here to read the rest of her post at powerofmoms.com}

never once. ..

tonight, we spent out time filling out paperwork to get our finalization process started for the babies...and listing everything we had to pay for {the list goes on and on and on;)}. 

friends, i am still blown away at your generousity..thank you for loving our family well during months of uncertainity. we have been so, so blessed. never once did we ever walk alone. even now, i am moved to tears and have so much thankfulness. words cannot express..

love does.

I seriously can't get enough of Bob Goff's new book, Love Does. it is SO good. you know, the kind that makes you laugh out loud...can't put it down. well this is it!! here is one of my favorite excerpts {although not one of the funny ones...you will have to read the book for those;)}::

**a couple of things happen when we accept Jesus' invitation to participate with Him in life. obstacles that seem insurmountable aren't. impediments that we believe disqualify us don't. when we show up to participate with Jesus in the big life, we're participating with the very being who made life in the first place. he gently asks us how we are and invites us to get better together with Him. 

accepting the invitation to show up in life is about moving from the bleachers to the field. it's moving from developing opinions to developing options. it's about having things matter to us enough that we stop just thinking about those things and actually do something about them. simply put, Jesus is looking for us to accept the invitation to participate. it's like the president is calling and we just need to answer the phone. we need to show up.

when we accept life's invitation, it's contagious too. other people will watch us and start seeing life as something more amazing, more whimsical than before. when you show up to the big life, people (the type who don't think they're invited) start seeing invitations everywhere as thick as colorful fall leaves. they don't think about their pain or their weakness any longer. instead, they think about how incredible a big life really is and how powerful the one who is throwing the banquet is too. 

Jesus wants us to come. he's sending His servants out to tell the people standing at the fences and in the libraries that they're invited to the party. He's sending you an invitation too, in the sunrise, in the sound of a bird, or in the smell of coffee drifting lazily from the kitchen. the one who has invited you is way more powerful than any of the impediments we think we're facing, and He has just one message for us. He leans forward and whispers quietly to each of us, "there's more room." **  {bob goff} 

don't you want to live a life that is contagious??!

i'm baaaack.

ahhh...it's been way too long! i have missed my space here so much and the sweet connections it has provided over the past couple of years. so i'm back at it..hoping it can be a more consistent thing in my days.

we have had a cRAzy, FUN filled summer! it still blows my mind that we are s t i l l adjusting. i mean, really?! ohmygoodness...i never imagined it would take SO long. at the same time, i am thankful for this adjustment because we have allowed ourselves more time to bond and be intentional about our {new} normal. it also means that life in uganda was good and we did adjust to the culture and norms there. we did make it home..i know i have said that before but i am still feeling it and am still encouraged by the fact that it did become home in the midst of so many uncertainties.  

our little ones won't stop growing and they keep us laughing. constantly. they have become quite close and act like they have always been together {read..sometimes they fight all. day. long;)}. no but really, for the most part, they are quite sweet but can get a bit crazy.... their antics keep us on our toes!

and just for fun..and because i can .... a few of my favorite summer shots:

you still with me??

so it's been awhile....so many things on my mind but for now, would you join us in celebrating Africa's children??

last saturday was the Day of the African Children 2012. this is a brief description of why june 16 will be forever honored as part of African history::

"In 1976, thousands of black school children took to the streets of Soweto, South Africa. In a march more than half a mile long, they protested against apartheid-inspired education. Hundreds of unarmed young boys and girls were shot down by security forces.

To honour the memory of those killed and the courage of all those who marched, the Day of the African Child has been celebrated on 16 June every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union). The Day also draws attention to the lives of African children today. This year, Day of the African Child focuses on the plight disabled children."

                                                                      {a child's voice}

THIS year, A Child's Voice {an advocacy group giving Uganda's orphaned and vulnerable children a voice..a voice that they so deserve!} is collecting pictures of people "celebrating" africa's children! 

ACV is encouraging people of all ages to take photos of themselves and/or with a group of people with a sign that says, "We celebrate Africa's Children" ... would you be willing to print or make a sign, gather some people (the more the merrier;), take a photo and then upload it to A Child's Voice facebook page.

... to get the picture, you can go here and print it off... 

this goes beyond A Child's Voice, adoption and even beyond uganda..this is about celebrating our brothers and sisters who live across the globe from us..our brothers and sisters who, despite so many hardships, have found hope ..

let's honor the thousands of precious ones who died 36 years ago fighting for something they so strongly believed.

let's stand with the children of africa.

you with me??

first impressions

i have been meaning to write all of these things down for almost 5 weeks! but life happened and here i am finally getting a chance to spill my first impressions of being back in the states...just 6 weeks after we landed.

life since we arrived home has been good and hard and joyous and overwhelming and exhausting and exciting and...and...and...we have probably felt every emotion possible. the littles really are doing so well! nya is even sleeping until 930a!!!! talk about a gift..i actually get to shower on those days..

there are days when the kids are quickly overwhelmed and melt a little easier than normal. and if we are out and about too many days in a row...well, then life is just filled with a whole lot more tears, screams and fist pumps (not the good ones;). we are still taking it easy and s l o w l y returning back to normal..not our old normal...a new normal.... a different normal....

on one level, i feel like so many things have stayed the same but really, things are so different! so different than our year in uganda...

here are are few first impressions...

i can't get over how fast the washing machine fills with water. seriously. i can't even gather my clothes by the time the whole drum is full. i can't count the amount of times, i have turned on the washing machine {expecting it to take 40 minutes to fill and that is if the power stays on the entire time..}, go collect my clothes and come back to a washer filled with water...and half the time, the cycle is already done! there is the rare occasion i am lucky enough to get it filled with clothes but then i walk away {waiting for it to fill up so i can add the soap} only to return to a washing machine already on the spin cycle. ugh..which means, it 'washed' the clothes without any soap. ... all that to say...i still canNOT believe how fast our old well-loved machine completes a cycle! 

there is so much space between cars on the road. at least 4 feet! i can no longer put my hand out the window and touch the vehicle next to us.

nobody honks or should i say, hoots here. 

carseats {while extremely useful and we are so thankful to have them} are such a pain! i will admit, it is nice to have all of my children strapped down, i mean... safe and secure while i can sit in the front, i do miss the days of just getting in and going!! 

everything is so clean here...and everyone smells SO good or what they think is fresh! a sweet friend of mine told me this when she got home after a year of living in africa and i guess i didn't fully understand what she was saying. until now. i remember on the plane smelling downy dryer sheets and all sorts of smelly lotions, perfumes and colognes. the amsterdam airport was immaculate and everything sparkled. everything is just. so. clean.  

i can't leave my littles in the car. ever. even if it is just for a minute. in uganda, i always had my trusty driverwhobecamefriendmorelikefamilybytheend with us, so i could always leave the littles in the car if i had to run in the store, go to court, sign something at the lawyer's office, get cash at the atm....you get the idea. it was such a blessing! i'll be honest..i have been tempted to leave them here. numerous times.. but then i remember it is against the law and refrain from doing so..don't worry pa, i don't think the littles would let be up to it anyways;). 

...more to come .. because let's be honest...this place we now call home is worlds apart from the place we called home for the last year... 

eden :: 16 days left {as of tomorrow}

if we are *friends* on facebook, then you have seen me post about sweet eden. she is celebrating her 1st birthday tomorrow. in uganda. without her family. and she is fighting off the measles. 

her family had to say goodbye to her back in November and have been fighting to get her home ever since...you see...my dear friends, Lindsey and Ryan were granted Legal Guardianship of Eden mid-november but then got held up at the embassy. eden did not receive a visa but instead her file was sent on to nairobi for further investigation. you know, to make sure everything was in line...well i can assure you..this sweet girl should be home. 

she is an orphan. 

by definition. 

the family had a timeline to get everything turned in... everything was turned in, yet when the timeline was up, the family was denied. again. the family was given another timeline. 

this time, a much shorter amount of time to get even more info..

now, we sit with 16 days left (as of tomorrow) and huge things need to happen. there is a meeting in uganda that is taking place at 9p (pst) which could be HUGE for this sweet family. please pray that the right people have soft hearts and clear minds. 

that the truth would win. 

that her itty, bitty body would heal from the measles. 

that her family stateside would be filled with supernatural peace. 

and that sweet, baby eden would be granted a visa. 

so that she can come home.

where she belongs.  forever.

***************
{for more of the story, go here}


update :: the meeting went so well!!! hearts were softened and truth was spoken!! keep praying for this coming week..another meeting is taking place..
i know God is going to blow us away with this ending!!!

so right.

we landed in uganda 1 year ago today. hard to believe that one year has passed yet we have only been home for 11 days. the past year has been filled with so many good times and hard times..times filled with anxiety and frustration and times filled with hope and laughter.

i am having a hard time processing all that we have endured the past 12 months because the days were filled with so much emotion. so many good and bad things. so many sweet people that we now have said goodbye to. and to be honest, there hasn't been a whole lot of time to think through things since we landed on US soil.

my time here has been spent trying to help the littles adjust to our new life at home.
the life we longed for.
fought for..hoped, wished and prayed for.

it is a very odd feeling to fight for something for so long and long for 'home' for months on end and then we get home..only to realize that we had made a 'home' for ourselves in kampala..we created a home out of necessity ...  our 'home' may have moved a billion times during the past year and we may have been living out of suitcases the entire time but it was home because our sweet little family was together....i am thankful that this transition is harder than i thought it would be because i think it means that we made the most of our precious time in east africa. it feels right that we sunk down and let our roots seep into the ground. it feels right that we know so much about our babies' first country..it feels right that we had to make our home in their country..that we experienced what they knew as home as our own before bringing them to ours. it feels right that our hearts are forever linked to the country that has so graciously allowed us to care for two precious children that we get to call our own.

what felt wrong** for so long feels so right now and for that..i am so thankful.

**wrong::in the sense that it wasn't what we had planned..not what we expected. not in the bad sense of the word...y'all know we love Uganda and our time there!

**i'm cold**

good thing it's warming up around here because i don't think i have ever heard the phrase, "i'm cold" so much since being home. 

seriously. every 5 minutes, one of the littles exclaims, "i'm cold!!" ... "mama, I"M cold."" ... "i'm COLD, momma!!" 

oh the sunshine...and it is a good thing we are in the flight path for the airport..gives my littles something to do during the day while they are freezing in the cold! 

can you hear them yelling, "BIG jet!!!" in between the "i'm cold!!!" ... ???

well that pretty much sums up my day my day..

and i LOVE it!!

home. at. last.

...and loving it. seriously.
it is so good...i knew it would be good. .. but i had no idea it would be this good!

we are tired and our house is a complete disaster but honestly, it doesn't matter.
because we are home.
all 5 of us.
ARE HOME.
in america.

can you tell?!
i still can't believe it.

so many thoughts are running through my mind and i will unload in the coming weeks as i continue to process but for now and probably the coming days....pictures will have to do. {i may be biased, but i am pretty sure they don't need any words to accompany them...they speak for themselves...and all of them say one word :: heavenly.}

Bring Em' Home: His Timing

Dear Friends of the Ribben's Family,

I'm a friend of Sara and Andy's and I've been given the privilege and permission to post here tonight in Sara's place.

I could launch into a really long story here. I could tell you how I first became acquainted with Sara in September of 2010 when she and Andy stepped out in faith to host a fundraiser for our ministry. I could tell you how we maintained our stateside friendship for many months -- and then later spent time together in Uganda. I could tell you about the many ways their story has inspired me. I could tell you how their story has challenged and stretched my faith. I could even tell you about how they've made the most of their time in Uganda by serving and blessing our family's ministry... as well as countless others.

But the truth is, I could be anybody. Because the Ribben's family has literally touched thousands of lives over the last twelve months. They've blessed and inspired and challenged all of us. They've loved us and encouraged us, even from afar.

Their willingness to fight for their daughter and to give up everything for one, single child... well, they've made a serious dent in most of our hearts. They've taught us all a thing or two about faith. And they've demonstrated love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentless and self control... even in the midst of some incredibly trying circumstances.

Friends, now it's time to bless them back.

The rulings are done. The paperwork is complete. The visas and passports are in hand. Sara and the kids are scheduled to fly out of Uganda tomorrow night. But guess what? Their plane tickets expired... TODAY.

They missed their window by only 24 hours and had to purchase new plane tickets. And they were expensive. To the tune of $4300. The family also incurred a number of other expenses related to this short delay. For a total of about $6500.

And this is where we come in.

God's timing is perfect. Although He's never late, He's rarely early. It's clear to me that He intended for those tickets to expire because He had a greater, grander plan. And now we have a chance to be part of it.

If you'd like to contribute to the Ribben's expenses, including their plane tickets and other expenses incurred during these last two, unexpected months in Uganda, please donate by using the Paypal button in the sidebar.

There are no prizes or giveaways associated with this post. Except the satisfaction and joy that comes from being part of a big, fanstastic God story. Friends, please give and give generously -- let's bring em' home.

Please contact Shelly, Esty, Lara, Joy or Colleen with questions. Just comment anywhere on our blogs -- we'll see it.

at last.

after 11.5 months of living in beautiful uganda.

after 11.5 months of living the unknown.

after 11 months of fostering our sweet girl. 

after being denied legal guardianship 7.5 months ago. 

after a long, process with the appeals court.

after 1 month of living apart from my sweet husband. 

after 23 nights of putting the littles to sleep by myself. 

after 13 days of knowing that my sweet girl is {officially} our daughter!!

after 1 week of wondering if we would have to move here for a few years because the wording on our ruling didn't comply with US visa standards. (we really wondered this for the past year.)

after spending 1 night {last week} wondering if moving our family to mexico was the best possible solution {more to come on that:)}.

after all this craziness...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

..

..

WE ARE COMING HOME. 

yes, we pick our visa up on friday 

AND WILL HEAD TO THE AIRPORT FRIDAY NIGHT. 

ohmygoodness. i can't even believe i just typed those words. we have been waiting for a long time to write. we have waited a long time to SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS. 

smile with us, cry with us, dance with us, SHOUT with us ...

rejoice with us this day friends. 

because today we are praising God that we are coming home. 

home. at. last.

momma::daughter

ours.

she is OURS friends. 

O U R S.

forever!!!! 

we are rejoicing on this day!! for where God has led us and for how He has sustained us. 

for HIS perfect plan!!! 

and we are OH. SO. THANKFUL that this time, 

on this day, our prayers and wants aligned with His. 

today friends is such a good, good day!!!

{pictures to come..internet is too slow now:)}

tomorrow..

the day we have been waiting for is finally here. we will be given our ruling for our sweet nya-girl tomorrow. TOMORROW. ohmygoodness. i can't believe tomorrow. within 12 hours, we WILL know if nya is {legally} ours..

as this day approaches, my heart has been filled with every emotion possible. good and bad. it probably doesn't help that i am completely sleep deprived and my husband has been gone a week and a half. the littles haven't had a decent night sleep since before he was gone. and right now, 6 straight hours of sleep would be decent. i think last night i got 4 hours..sorry, this is not the reason for this post!

..every emotion possible..

the thought of actually being granted legal gaurdianship of nya seems so unreal at this point in time considering we have been waiting for 11 months...the thought of going home is exciting and terrifying all at once. i am thrilled at the thought of seeing friends and family and {finally} introducing n and b. but re-entering into life at "home" will be so different than what we are used to. i am anticipating the culture shock to be great..i mean it was hard going home in august and now our time in country has doubled.

and even though i am excited at the possibility of going home {this is what we have been waiting for..}, i am also sad to be leaving this country that has my heart. while longing to be "home", this has become our home. this is all our littlest littles know. and this is probably a great deal of o-boy's memory.

as we look to tomorrow, we are anxiously awaiting whatever God has in store. yes, we are hoping for a positive ruling {really hoping!!} but if there is one thing that we have learned during the past year, is that sometimes, our plans don't always look like God's. sometimes His plan is hard and messy but His plan is good. always best.

and quite honestly, i would much rather be in His plan than mine.

how?

people ask us how we do it. how we make it day to day. .. how have we lived in this place of uncertainity for so long..

let me tell you..

it is by the grace of God that we are still standing day in and day out. 

seriously. 

everyday, it is step. by. step. 

by His strength and His strength alone. 

honestly, when i think about it, i love that we are so reliant on god's strength. on His sustenance because at home..it isn't so easy to live step by step because things are easy. and even the hard days aren't hard like they are here because at home..we have power {everyday. alldaylong.}, air conditioning in cars, maids appliances that make life easier, drive thrus, carseats, clean water, hot water, traffic that moves...and many more things that make life easier..

please don't get me wrong, those days at home are still hard. and when i was living them, they were very hard. but without all the conveniences that we are used to at home, the hard seems harder to handle here. harder to bare.  

with everyday, new challenges come but with that come more ways for God to reveal himself. to show that with all that happen, He has just the right thing in mind. we are living day to day, waiting for big things to happen. expecting miraculous things to happen..and in a way i love it. i don't want to live a life where i am so comfortable that i miss out on expecting big things to happen every single day. i want to wake everyday thinking, "okay lord...what is it today??! what are you going to show me?? shock me with today??" i want my littles to realize because of our attitudes that even though our days most often don't look like the way we expected, they are still sweet and full of moments that the Lord has planned. 

this is the day the Lord hath made.

weary. yet encouraged.

at the beginning of the month, i had all these things to share, hopes to let you in on what our days look like but then life happened..and i mean, really happened.

visas expired.
everyone refused to give extensions.
talk of leaving the country.
splitting the family.
information of expired plane tickets and lost credit.
booking my mr.'s flight home.


yes, you read that right. he leaves monday. THIS monday. as in four days.

myohmy. would love a positive ruling right about now.

in all of this craziness, i have been blessed with meeting many new "friends" and being encouraged by them in new ways...blessed with the opportunity to continue walking very closely with a precious family having some troubles from stateside...blessed by seeing god work again and again to perform miracles on a daily basis..{the whole visa saga coming soon}...blessed to see gramma {a's mom} meet her sweet {new} grandchildren for the first time. in AFRICA. and seeing her experience africa. blessed by reading messages and seeing posts of people STILL praying for our family. warms my heart. and brings tears to my eyes...blessed by gift packages packed with love, from home. some packed by strangers-now-friends. blessed with being able to read a post on fb about a friend needing help and being able to respond to it because i am still in africa. so blessed.

but..
with all of that being said, i would be lying if i didn't tell you i am weary.
i am scared.
i hate that my mr. is leaving on monday.
i fear that my sweet, second born son will grieve the loss of his daddy like last time.
that the wait is almost unbearable at times. that this whole living in transition is hard. that i am tired of moving {12 times since dec. 1 not that i am counting:)}....
i wonder if we will ever get a ruling. i fear the results. i fear losing our sweet nya-girl..

as i am overwhelmed by the way i have been feeling and all the fear that is building up, i am reminded that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. {2 tim. 1:7} 

i am reminded that the Lord is fighting for us, we need only to be still. {ex. 14:14}
and that He has commanded us to be strong AND courageous. commanded us not to be afraid, discouraged..because HE {the Lord of the universe} will be with us wherever we go. always. {joshua 1:9}


as i remember these truths...the fear turns to power and strength. to love and courage.

and even though my sweet husband is leaving within a matter of days, i KNOW that i am not alone, because my God will not leave me.

uh..really??

ok..remember when i posted about giving 31 for 31? 

well, apparently you and everyone else across the world gave, 

because guess what???

the total that was raised is an absolutely ridiculous amount. 

in a good way..

so, i am sure our friends at sixtyfeet are still figuring out the exact amount

but for now...the total raised by all of you...

equals..

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

$150,000

and that is before the matching part.

uh. seriously. 

so the grand total is $210,000 in a matter of months. 

that is $90,000 over the dream goal. 

$90,000 above and beyond what we were hoping and praying for!!!!

ohmygoodness. unbelievable. 

thank you friends. 

as we continue to stand in awe at this crazy, ridiculous amount that was raised...know that many, many precious children in ug.anda will be changed forever because of your gift. many hearts will be stirred, many eyes will be opened and many lives will be forever changed. 

********* 

may all the glory be to god. amen.

so far.

bauer's just prayed this as we sat down for breakfast::

"dear god. thank you for home. thank you for home. thank you for food. 

thank you for home. thank you for daddy, momma. 

thank you for owen and thank you for nya. 

AMEN!"

a year ago, my sweet boy didn't have a family.

 he didn't know the love of a brother and sister
or of a mother and father.

 two years ago, my boy didn't have a home. 

he didn't know where his food was coming from. 

he knows now. 

he knows that he will get food. 

he knows he has a home. 

and he knows he has a family. 

he is still learning to love and learning to accept love
but he has come so far. 

his attitude is slowly changing. 

and slowly, he is learning what it looks like to part of a family. 

and what it means to have the love of a mother and father. 

my sweet boy may not know his colors 

and he may think every single animal is a monkey, doggie or zebra ... 

but.... .. he knows he has a family.

when he thanks god for these things, it melts my heart. 

in some ways, it seems to mean more coming from him because

 he truly knows what it is like to be without a home, food and family

when he prays a prayer like that, it makes my heart so happy. my boy doesn't have to go without anymore. he doesn't have to worry about where he is getting food or if he is getting food. 

and most of all, my heart is happy
because he will know the love of a family.
forever and ever.

twentytwelve.

the days are passing faster than i can keep track. 

and the littles are growing bigger, sweeter 

and more confident with each vanishing moment. 

i want this year to be about cherishing. everything. 

the hard times, the good times, the hilarious ones 

and the so-crazy-i-think-i'm-gonna-cry times. 

{that is poop folks. full of giardia. so cool.}

and slowing down. even more than we already have. 

i want to soak in these days like never before. even if they aren't planned..

even if it isn't what we had in mind. 

they are good. oh so good. and we are thankful. 

i want to remember these times for always. 

i want to remember these simple days filled with much laughter and tears. 

i want to be more patient and love more than i ever thought possible. 

i want to give. and give. and give. 

more grace. more patience. more smiles and more hugs. 

more of everything. more of myself. all of myself.

when i am out of energy and am so weary...

i want to muster up the ability to see joy. 

to make joy. even in the mundane. 

i want to laugh. out loud. with my littles and my mr all day long. 

because these days, they are going to be gone way too fast. 

and really, laughing makes all things better. 

this year is going to be good. i just know it.

happy new year sweet friends!