Sweet Donation

I received probably my sweetest donation to date. An eleven-year-old girl has been taught by her parents to take part of her allowance and give it away. Where she gives it is all up to her though.

I was over at her house the other day with my kids, and her mom told her about how I was going to Africa. When the family sat down to discuss how the children would give their money this month, Morgan decided to donate to my trip. Sweetest bundle of ones I have ever seen! I hope I can make her proud!

Now That's A Girls Night

Last night my amazing friend, Jody, held a fundraiser for my trip. When she was in Uganda bringing home their six-year-old daughter this fall, she would go to the Friday markets and buy the most beautiful jewelery, bags, scarves, and Christmas ornaments all with the plan to hold a party and sell them to raise money for me to make my way to Africa, too!!! Wow, is that friendship or what?!!

It had all the makings of a great girls night out. Food, wine, shopping, and talking... but at the end of the night I am now so much closer to my goal! The women I met there were so nice and so generous and I am glad to now know them ;)

I hope that anyone receiving these gift for Christmas just loves them!
It means the world to have supportive friends that will go out of their way to help the great cause (and their husbands for helping). I am truly blessed.

Gymboree Love

The wonderful staff at the Gymboree in Boulder, made a beautiful gift basket and raffled it off to their customers. They were able to raise $101 for my trip! Amazing! What wonderful support from great friends!

And the winner is...

Jeff and Diane Emhoff!!!!

As I was writing all the MANY slips of paper last night, I felt so thankful for each and everyone of you that has donated to my trip. Some of you had me writing your name for quite a while ;) I thought it was only fair that I have Tristan pick the paper since he can not read... no cheating here. As I was writing each of your names, I really did want all of you to win these beautiful bags. As I could only draw one name, I pray that something beautiful comes your way to all those who's names were not drawn.

Now a little bit about the winning couple. Jeff and Diane are two of the most wonderful people who have ever come into my life! I know that sounds dramatic, but it's just plain true. I first knew them through their kids who I went to high school with. Campaigners every Friday morning in their living room. Through college, Jeff lead a wonderful Bible study that my friends and I attended, but it was also during these college years that my then boyfriend Neil and I began a friendship with Jeff and Diane. Countless hours have been spent together eating good food, drinking good wine, and having wonderful conversations only true friends can have. A perfect couple to win this prize. Beautiful bags and accessories for her and some great coffee for a man who knows how to enjoy a good cup of joe.

Thank you all for your support!

Fundraising Just Got Fashionable!

For those of you that didn't know, I am heading to Africa this June with an organization called Visiting Orphans (check out the link to the right). This is a thirteen day trip and we will be going to Ethiopia and Uganda. I am so excited for this trip and have been fundraising for the last few months. I am a little more than a third of the way to my goal of $3600. Thought is was time for a really great fundraiser that we can all get excited about. I'm giving away a five piece bag set from Abbadabba bags along with five pounds of Starbucks coffee! There is a little something for everyone.

Here's how it works:

• Donate $10 for one opportunity to make the bags and coffee your very own
• Donate $25 for three opportunities
• ***If you are really feeling generous,$50 will get you 10 opportunities!!***

Fundraiser will run the month of October, and I will draw a name on November 5th (in case that last entry take a day or two to upload in the system)

I WILL SHIP ANYWHERE IN THE CONTINENTAL US, SO DON'T LET YOUR LOCATION STOP YOU!


This is a 5-Piece Set from AbbaDabba Bags. Included are a Hobo Bag, Divided Cosmetics Bag, Wristlet, Key Fob and Reversible Coffee Sleeve. Each is made from coordinating fabrics in ice blue and espresso brown. The retail value of all 5 pieces is $112.*
***If you have not been to the Abbadabba Etsy sight, I highly recommend it! Here is the link for all your holiday needs ;) http://www.etsy.com/shop/AbbaDabbaBags

Hobo Bag:

ALSO...

These five pounds of Starbucks Coffee!!! (Valued at around $55)

Thank you for your support on this awesome adventure! You can follow this blog to hear updates and stories both during and after the trip.

It just gets better and better

I received an email today about codes of conduct while on our trip to Africa. It all seemed very formal and needs to be notarized and sent back, but most of it made me very excited! Neil and I sponsor an eleven-year-old boy in Korah and I was planning on meeting him on my trip but had high hopes of going to his home and meeting his parents and siblings. Well, it seems this is more than likely the case and possibly even more! There may even be an opportunity to take him to lunch with our group (if the parents agree). I am so excited to meet this sweet boy and his family! It's like I will already know someone in Africa ;)

Garage Sale

This past weekend I kicked off my fundraising with a garage sale. A bunch of my friends gave great items to sell and boy did it sell! Besides donating items to sell, my friend Kendra and her husband gave up their driveway to make this whole sale possible. It was wonderful to have my mom in town for this. She not only made snickerdoodles for the sale, but came both mornings and was an amazing help! Starbucks donated coffee, so we had the happiest buyers in town. The adults enjoyed the hot coffee and the kids were going back for seconds on the amazing cookies. Tristan was an amazing sales man, and the kids got to enjoy the banner we were selling while it was there. They were very sad when someone actually wanted to buy their slip-n-slide.

I am so gratefully for the generosity of my friends and felt very loved and supported by the friends that made this possible. It's a big crazy thing I'm doing, and it's nice to know I have people behind me. The fundraising was a success, but I have a LONG way to go. Time to get creative...

"Why Are You Going?"

It has been interesting to hear all the different responses when I tell people about my trip. Some people are excited for me, some are scared for me, while others seem confused as to why I would do this. After the discussion about if this a good time to go, where will you get the money, and isn't that dangerous, we finally get to the last stumbling block for a lot of people. My kids. How can I leave my kids for two weeks to go to Africa? The answer is simple, I'm going because of them. No, not because I want a break from them, but because my love for them made it possible for me to go and love other children.

Before I had kids, I had always wanted to do missions trips to Africa but didn't know how. I didn't know what I would do. I didn't feel I had anything to offer (which would not have been true). Like any new mom I didn't know what it would feel like to love my child, and when the next two came along I was nervous I didn't have enough room in my heart to love these children as much as I love Tristan. I could not have been further from the truth. They taught me that my heart was able to stretch and stretch and only feel stronger for it.

I know what I have to offer these motherless children now... my arms, my lap, my loving words, my heart. Thank you to my three crazy boys for giving me the confidence I needed to do the things I was meant to do. Most of all, thank you boys for sharing your mom with children who need some mom arms to hug them.

Been Meaning To Clean Out Your Basement?

It's garage sale season, and I want to help you clean out our garage, basement, and closets! Okay, so I actually want you to help me by cleaning out those items you no longer want but didn't have a good enough reason to part with... until now! I have only a few months to raise my $3600 for the Visiting Orphans trip next June because we are buying our plane tickets in December.

To kick off my fundraising, I am having a garage sale on August 5 & 6th at my friend Kendra's house in Arvada. If you live in Colorado and would like to donate any items for the sale, please let me know and I will come pick them up at your house. Anything would help and be much appreciated!

Africa Bound!

I am so excited to tell you that I will be taking my first missions trip June 2012! I am Africa bound and will be visiting Ethiopia and Uganda during my 13 day trip. The organization I am traveling with is called Visiting Orphans and you guessed it, we will be visiting, serving, and loving orphans and their communities.

Loving on orphans, especially in Africa, and someday adopting have been something I knew I was supposed to do since the age of about twelve-years-old. It dawned on me a few weeks ago that while I'm not old, I certainly am not getting any younger.

I stumbled across this organization and this trip and almost instantly knew that God had a place for me with them. After taking just a few days to think it over and decide, the trip filled up. I was so confused because I felt for sure now that I was supposed to be on that trip. Feeling in my heart that God truly had a plan for me, I submitted my application even though it was a closed trip. The very next day I received an email stating that I had a spot! Now I am even more excited than ever knowing confidently that I am meant to be in Africa June of 2012!

Check back in here for updates if you would like to... it could get interesting!