Sunday Sept. 19

St. Januarius

Today my dad taught how to sew on a sewing machine. It was SO nerve-racking! Eventually I got it and made myself a pencil case.  I'm so proud! Pictures will be posted tomorrow!

Also Mrs. Spitz family is ready to ship their dossier! Hopefully our last prayer, to her health, will also come true soon!

And lastly, this Saturday we are selling rubber bracelets at a local town celebration day.  Please pray that we can get at least some small amount of money to help bring my sister home!

Remember to pray for the Nalle's and Spitz's!

Long Time, Loads of News!

As you can probably tell I have been very busy.  So much has happened so quickly!  We have an officer with USCIS! What a blessing! Also, school has started.  Isn't that enough said?  Also a friend of my mom's, Summer Spitz, daughter in Ukraine was put in the hospital which caused alot of strife in both of our families, but with all of the prayers that have been going to heaven for her she is now in the Ukranian "rehab". You can read her blog on my links: Lucky to Love Lyla.

Also today is Catholic Underground!  I go to this event every month.  We have Eucharistic Adoration and a coffeehouse afterwards.  It's such a beautiful experience and I can see all of my friends from Camp Veritas!

Also I just wanted to mention a few of the families I'm praying for right now in hopes that you will to.

• To start off please pray for the Spitz that Lyla will be considered adoptable soon.
• Second, the Nalle family, Micah Six Eight, that they will come home with Aaron soon.
• And lastly our family, that Jenny will be home with us soon.

Hopefully I will be able to blog more once school starts running smoothly.

Finally Home

You know that feeling you have when you come home from being away a long time, and you're glad you're home, but upset at the same time?  I feel that so much right now!  I just got home from Camp Veritas which just like every year is AMAZING!  I miss sleeping on those terribly uncomfortable cots and waking up to the most obnoxious ring tone on earth.

Camp Veritas 2010

This was our talent show performance.  I was in the most amazing group of girls this year and I am so greatful that everyone enjoyed singing!

Rainy Day Haze

It hasn't begun raining yet but I can feel it hanging in the air.  It's one of those where you just have no idea what to do.  Sometimes I'll read for two hours, or draw some random doodle.  But today just feels "blah".

Then my mind starts racing with random thoughts like, "What's Jenny doing right now, When will this process by over, When will I be able to hold her in my arms tell her what a privilege it is to be her sister?"  Sometimes my thoughts are so deep it makes me want to cry.  It's like I'll never be able to see her.  But then I remember it's all in God's hands and I know everything will be solved.  Pray that she will be home soon!  We need her more than she needs us!

On a happier note, Addisu's birthday is coming!  I am so excited because even though he had a birthday last year with us I can't wait to give him his presents and make his cake.  This year he knew what he wanted so it's more personal when he finally sees what he's wanted!

School Suppiles and more......

Today was school supply shopping day.  I have always enjoyed picking out new things, but today it didn't feel right.  Being in a gigantic Walmart complex with a Blimpie, hair place, optomitrist, and so much more, I felt so spoiled.  Children in Africa are lucky if they can get any bit of education, yet I get that and all these amazing supplies to go with it.  I get three packs of looseleaf, yet they're lucky to find a piece of paper.

I felt guilty buying all of these things.  Knowing that my own little sister doesn't have anything to call her own is even worse.  But I know that once she gets home we can make her feel like she belongs somewhere.

A New Beginning

I am new to the blog world as of today, and I wanted share some things about myself and my family. I have two biological siblings. An older brother, Caleb, and a younger brother, Joshua,. Then comes my first adopted sibling, Gabriela. She is adopted from Guatemala. She came to us at the age of six months on July 24, 2002. Then is my soon to be sister Jenny. She is currently still in Eastern Europe while we hustle and bustle around to bring her home this fall. And last is my little Ethiopian brother, Addisu. He came home after a year and 3/4 of life in Ethiopia. My parents are Tom and Patty. The happy couple have been married for 16 years.

I love theatre and singing with a burning passion.  I do most my activities outside of school at our local theatre.
We are Roman Catholic, and very strong in our faith.  Every year I attend Camp Veritas which is coming upsoon. This camp is  a catholic camp in which we learn about our faith and do regular sleep away camp stuff.

My purpose for this blog is to help advocate for children with Down Syndrome in Eastern Europe. After they turn five years old they are placed in mental institutions and don't get taken care of very well. This is a known fact to the families involved in an adoption ministry called Reece's Rainbow. This is the ministry in which we found Jenny.

This is Jenny.

This is my family plus my older cousin Tom in the back, right.