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Monday, November 30, 2009

What a GREAT day!

We just got off the webcam with Kashiku!!! We've been praying this little boy home, since we met him in Addis Ababa in June. He is beautiful beyond words and so happy with his new Mommy and Daddy. We can't wait to see him in person in a few months (or sooner, if we can think of a reason to get to Kentucky).

Karen and JM, thank you for letting us be a part of your family!!

The internet has been a huge blessing in helping our children stay connected with others from their home. We are so looking forward to our trip in March, to reunite our children with their good friends.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Shopping with a purpose this Christmas

I have to admit, I copied this idea from another family's blog, the Weimer Family. It is such a good idea, that I wanted to post it here too.

This Christmas, as you're buying gifts for people, pray about buying items from families who are in the process of or completing their adoptions. Adoption is, quite honestly, VERY expensive. Unfortunately, it is the expense of it, that keeps people from even considering bringing a child into their homes. As an adoptive parent, I want to see more kids placed in loving homes. What an incredible Christmas gift that would be- helping children find forever homes.

The following families and links are provided below. I'm sorry we're not computer savvy enough to take you right to the link--any help here is appreciated. So, just copy the web addresses into your brower and go. Read their blogs, see their hearts and help them bring their children home!!

http://johnmarkhutch.blogspot.com You can purchase GREAT fair trade coffee here to help with adoption related expenses.

http://mycrazyadoption.org You can purchase COOL t-shirts here to help this family on their second Ethiopian adoption

http://taylorfamilyadoption.wordpress.com The Taylor family is selling t-shirts and coffee to help finance their SECOND Ethiopian adoption (they brought home their first two children a year ago.


http://itspoppydipblog.blogspot.com I have a link on the right here, so you can go to this website for the cutest little girl dresses (Layne would love one, hint hint) All of the proceeds from Sallee's sales go to finance their THIRD Ethiopian adoption.

http://jennydixon.etsy.com This family is selling custom photo Christmas cards to finance their adoption.

Ethiopian coffee is incredible (Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee). The following families are selling coffee to help fundraise their adoptions. This sure beats the big corporations getting the profits from a daily mocha!!

www.JustLoveCoffee.com/Winowiski
www.justlovecoffee.com/TheIrvins

This family is on their second adoption adn are selling fair trade Bolga Baskets from a co-op in Ghana. www.shoptadopt.blogspot.com

This family is selling $5 Christmas ornaments: http://5millionminus1.blogspot.com

This family is financing their second adoption with cool magnets: http://bringingezrahome.blogspot.com

If you're a fan of Pampered Chef, this family will benefit from you buying the products from them. Their is a link on their blog: www.familywovenbyfaith.blogspot.com

Another neat t-shirt option: www.embracingtheleastofthese.blogspot.com

As for us: We are saving for our re-adoption expenses right now. If you want to purchase any Shaklee products from our on-line store, this money will go towards those expenses and for the girls and I to go back to Ethiopia on mission trips: www.sweeneygreenclean.myshaklee.com

Finally, I put a link to Amazima Ministries to the right. PLEASE click on it, read what this ministry is doing and be a part of it--Truly Amazing, a 21-year-old, feeding several hundred children each weekend, in Uganda, doing what God has called her to do..

Monday, November 23, 2009

Our friends, the Egly Family

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fis.gd%2F50uiS&h=1c0907b515ea0207e9e504e28d078e82
I hope it works for you all to see this family. We traveled with them to Ethiopia and got to experience meeting our children together. Jason and Shelley, thanks for letting us continue to share in this journey. We can't wait to see you someday soon!


God is Good! We have much to be thankful for!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Layne and Zipper


It's been a tough few days around here for Layne (and for all of us). We discovered she had pneumonia yesterday, after listening to her cough worsen throughout Sunday afternoon. We caught it super early, so we're hoping it doesn't progress. She really hasn't been the same since she had Swine flu about a month ago.

Every night, Zipper jumps on Layne's bed, ready to sleep together. Every night, Layne tells us how much she loves having a snuggle dog.

Mike and I have been putting off putting Zipper down for just this reason. Our kids (okay, so include me in that too) love Zipper and our other dogs. So, today, when we had no choice but to visit the vet for that purpose, it was so tough...The big kids understand how badly he has been hurting- he had a bad disc, which caused his legs to go out from under him regularly, in this house of many stairs and chronic ear infections. To Layne and Gavin, it's very hard to understand...Layne took it HARD, which then caused her to cough all the more.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be brighter.

How to Give Your Children an Education Before They Go to School




How to Give Your Children an Education Before They Go to School

Many parents want their children to get a nous start on chronicle starting from an early age. So, ground don't you start before they even go to school? Before Preschool or Kindergarten, start teaching them from home. Start gift them basic lessons that module provide them an edge compared to all the other students as substantially as provide them a nous start for later. Here's a couple of tips that module help you.

1) One thing that you crapper do is to speech with your children constantly. The more you speech to them the more they module be able to understand the language faster and acquire a better vocabulary from an early age. This module be able to permit them advance to more complicated text and help them eventually in the future.

2) Let them watch television. Let them watch television, except show them shows that are entertaining to little children as substantially as shows that are educational. This module help them learn more easily because it's in a form that's enjoyable. However, don't permit them watch too much as it crapper damage their eyes and be intense for them.

3) Let them meet a aggregation of different children when they are young. This module help your children acquire bonds with other people and permit them acquire bonds later in chronicle easily too.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Young_Lee



Moms Benefit Children by Having a College Education - Take Advantage of Obama's Scholarship Program




Moms Benefit Children by Having a College Education - Take Advantage of Obama's Scholarship Program


As a female is ontogeny up, the first years of their lives a care (and father) are their primary role models so setting so good examples and values for the children are important. One continuance a care crapper instill is showing how acquisition is important. A care crapper prove this by having a college education.

By having a college activity you exhibit to children how essential it is to meliorate yourself. You also exhibit them that the sky is the limit. Many successful people hit been known to feature that as a female they were told that they could by anything they put their mind to. Well it just is not in the word but it is in the action of the care too. It is said that to hit an impact on a child's life, 7% of communication is through words and the rest is through actions. That quote, \"do as I say, not as I do,\" does not work. They are focusing at what you are doing. Therefore, care should seriously consider going to college to set a good example for their children, our country's future generation.

President Barrack Obama knows the importance of college education. He wants to break the cycle of women without a college education. This is why he has scholarship and grants of up to $10,000 to mothers who want to get a college activity to meliorate themselves and their family.

Not only does having a college activity increase the chance their children get on too but also ontogeny up, they will hit more opportunity with your new job that pays well due to your college degree. You hit more money acquirable that haw be used for some extracurricular activities. Sign them up for music lessons, karate, sports, you never know, you female haw come across a talent they never knew existed. Besides activities, you and your family will probably be talking vacations on a regular basis. These trips will expose them to the world, cultures, and traditions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Monica_Rosenthaugh

Basic Benefits of Physical Education to Our Children




Basic Benefits of Physical Education to Our Children



Today more than ever we are all very busy with the day to day tasks of our lives. We have so some things to do with our jobs and our families it is a miracle that we don't all go crazy.

And today this type of lifestyle is starting to effect our children in negative ways. Today children are increasingly becoming more like adults. Most adults don't intend proper training or nutrition. Our children learn from us and out society. Today they spend some hours in edifice and in after edifice activities that take up a large majority of their time.

That is why it is so alive that kids intend physical state in public and private schools today. The physical state is a much needed change of pace. From sitting in the class room all day at some desk or going home after edifice and sitting in front of a machine screen state recording games.

Today more than any other time in history children in the United States are overweight. And some are earnestly overweight and considered obese. This crapper lead to all sorts of problems such as diabetes, hormone imbalances and other negative physical outcomes.

So this is why I believe that it is alive to have good physical state programs which require our kids to intend active. That way they crapper intend some training that is so vitally needed by them. Another reason too, is because not only are our children not getting enough training they are not getting proper nutrition. They are eating the wrong things that encourage weight gain and health problems.

So, make sure your child is enrolled in a good physical state class to ensure that he or she gets some much needed physical activity. The benefits crapper be monumental and your children may one day thank you for it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_A_Brown

Special Needs Children's Education

Special Needs Children's Education

It's almost as though homeschooling was invented for a primary needs children's education. Kids afflicted with ADHD, autism, dyslexia or Asperger's among other learning difficulties crapper every goodness from being taught at home by their parents. Some open edifice systems crapper afford to hire trained therapists for these fields, but the extra attention and time afforded a enrollee at home by a loved digit crapper attain a big difference in a child's ability to learn. It's meet natural for a parent to be able to teach their own female more effectively. They've been doing it for the student's whole life and know how to best approach new things with them. They will probable be more patient than a open edifice teacher and offer the extra time it might take to learn. A classroom would probable not be as able to offer the one-on-one time it might take until a enrollee \"gets it\".

It's probable a parent would also know better than a open edifice instructor what manner of teaching would best suit their child. Some see better with visual aids, some by continuation and some by seeing it done for them and copying what they're taught. It's rattling probable a parent would already know this from their own experience. They'll also know what to look for when a primary needs female is getting frustrated and ready to act up or quit, thereby avoiding a bad learning undergo for the child.

If you're wondering what sort of curriculum would best suit your primary needs children's education, there are several avenues to get started.

We would first look on the Internet. Non-profit groups who support your child's disorder will probable hit a presence there and should hit good information about learning difficulties and how to overcome them. They will probable attain suggestions or direct you to other good sources. They may even list case studies of various methods of learning and their success rates.

We would also try to find support groups on the cyberspace for your particular disease. There will probable be several forums on the Web where you crapper feature others' posts and communicate questions directly. Parents on these websites are often rattling willing to share their experiences and will offer help when they can. Although your female is an individual, often there crapper be common practices that will help almost every children suffering from a common ailment.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=A_J_Adams

Education - Shape the Future of Children

Education - Shape the Future of Children

Education plays a major role in shaping up the future of children. Proper activity provided to children crapper not exclusive support them attain good career but also support in the transformation of society. It is the calibre activity which crapper turn an ordinary child into an extraordinary individual. Many children are deprived of activity which is a major set back to development of India.

Education must aim not exclusive to provide literacy but also in overall development of a child personality. Quality activity must aim on fulfilling the primary learning needs of children. Children need to be taught in a way they crapper enjoy learning different things, rather than study and write exams just to score good marks. Rather than just concentrating on academics, children must be encouraged to verify part in extra curricular activities, sports, debates, project works etc. The activity provided must boost a child ability to reason and analyze. This crapper bring about an innovation in education.

There are a number of schools and educational institutions which aim to provide calibre education. There are schools having CBSE, ICSE syllabus which educate the children in India at a national level. International schools provide activity matched the global standards. Convent schools also aim to provide calibre activity with moral values to children which support amend their personality. Residential schools in turn attain a child more disciplined, responsible and hard working.

It is the pedagogue who teaches the child in a number of structure to support understand the subject. A good pedagogue crapper attain a great impact on enrollee life by making learning an excitement. The transformation of children needs improvement in activity by calibre teaching institutions, which crapper be achieved by transformation of teachers. The increasing awareness of the importance of efficient teachers in calibre activity has led to the development of a number of teaching colleges which aim to produce superior teachers who crapper provide high calibre education. The teaching colleges provide courses like bachelor of education, masters of activity etc. Some teaching institutions also guarantee placements to the students.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pradeep_Chudasma

Special Education Task Setting For Classes With Autistic Children

Special Education Task Setting For Classes With Autistic Children

The Education of children with autistic perception is a primary education task regardless of the particular type of school attended.

An ongoing formal and informal evaluation of the learning achievement through pertinent methods and systematic observation are vital to ensuring an optimal adaption of the person matter.

The primary educational need for action arises from the altered utilization and living conditions of grouping with autism and becomes especially evident in the following areas:

- The learning of socially pertinent behavior and relationships.
- The utilization and differentiation of verbal and nonverbal forms of communication through utilization of the positive effects of facilitated communication.
- The support of curiosity-oriented behavior and utilization of pertinent forms of action toward the social environment.
- Deliberate action-planning,-management and -implementation.

So far, in attitude to practical doctrine work, no mend didactic-methodological approach is famous being considered to be effective for the whole spectrum of students with autism symptom disorders. Rather, the motorical skills, psycho-motorical capabilities, cognitive abilities, and socio-emotional utilization of apiece student with autism staleness be supported and encouraged with a high degree of individualization and person-oriented learning neutral differentiation.

Methodological-didactic openness, a continuous interdisciplinary diagnostic process as well as the consideration of the principles of capability, skill and knowledge orientation are key factors when it comes to the thinking and implementation of classes.

It is of great relevance not to adapt the students, who often learn with very individual techniques and modes of communication, to a teacher-directed, passive learning model, but to allow them to active participate, pertinent to their attained level of development, in the substantive, structural, and qualitative essay of the class.

Educational prerequisite for these didactic directives is an in-depth professional qualification of those educators who are involved in the long-term education, support and supervision of autistic children.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helga_Rehm-Honigfort


Thursday, November 12, 2009

Basic Benefits of Physical Education to Our Children

Basic Benefits of Physical Education to Our Children

Today more than ever we are all very busy with the day to day tasks of our lives. We have so many things to do with our jobs and our families it is a miracle that we don't all go crazy.

And now this type of lifestyle is starting to effect our children in negative ways. Today children are increasingly becoming more like adults. Most adults don't get proper exercise or nutrition. Our children learn from us and out society. Today they spend many hours in school and in after school activities that take up a large majority of their time.

That is why it is so vital that kids get physical education in public and private schools today. The physical activity is a much needed change of pace. From sitting in the class room all day at some desk or going home after school and sitting in front of a computer screen playing video games.

Today more than any other time in history children in the United States are overweight. And some are seriously overweight and considered obese. This can lead to all sorts of problems such as diabetes, hormone imbalances and other negative physical outcomes.

So this is why I believe that it is vital to have good physical education programs which require our kids to get active. That way they can get some exercise that is so vitally needed by them. Another reason too, is because not only are our children not getting enough exercise they are not getting proper nutrition. They are eating the wrong things that promote weight gain and health problems.

Article Source

: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_A_Brown

Monday, November 9, 2009

The unexpected

Before we went to Ethiopia, we expected trials: we expected language barriers, tough behaviors, sibling issues, food issues, difficulties with bonding, and grief on Gavin's part.

What I didn't expect was a HAPPY boy, who greets most things with a smile and a laugh.
I didn't expect him to LOVE us so very deeply and immediately.
I didn't expect he and Layne to be the best friends EVER.
I didn't expect him to crawl into my lap several times per day to wrap my arms around him.
I didn't expect Kael to enjoy him so much.
I didn't expect to hear him say, "I no laugh in Benchi. Here I laugh all the time."
I didn't expect him to learn to love our God so deeply so quickly.
I didn't expect him to run to help us anytime we need it.
I didn't expect his grief to be so short lived.
I didn't expect him to be SO athletic.
I didn't expect him to learn his letters and numbers so quickly.
I didn't expect the HUGE hugs he gives Mike every time he comes home or to me when I return from an errand.
I didn't expect him to share so well, when he's never had anything before.
I didn't expect to think he is SO cute!!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Happenings

The last month has flown by with many, many new things to experience, here in North Dakota:

1. Gavin's first Halloween was met with "This is so, so cool, Mommy." This came as we were walking down the streets in downtown Williston, where merchants give the kids candy at every store. I can't even imagine how exciting it must have been for my son, who was always hungry a year ago to be handed candy of all things.

2. Gymnastics: Layne and Gavin have started in a gymnastics class and love it!!!

3. Basksetball: The girls are on a Rec team, with several practices under their belt. Kael joins them at an open gym, put on by the high school coaches a few nights per week. Through basketball, they have made two really good friends, who were so welcoming to them..much appreciated.

4. Homeschooling: Our schooling is going really well this year. We all love what we're learning and love the dynamic homeschool community here. As a family with 5 kids, we fit right in. We have a veteran homeschool family 4 houses away with neat kids who come over regularly. It's a real blessing to have such neat kids close.

5. Chocolate: Gavin just told me, "I like chocolate now, Mommy, yummy, yummy!!" SUCCESS-- it's only taken us 5 months, but he now appreciates our dessert of choice.

6. Adoptive community: We have been in contact with the AWAA families who also adopted children from Gavin's village. They are such an encouragement to us!! We are all planning to get the kids together in the spring so they can stay connected--what fun!! Watch out Indianapolis!

7. Church: I think we've found the church for our family to attend! We've visited there two Sundays now, and it is a really neat Body of Believers.

That about wraps it up. We are enjoying lots of Sunshine and being together as a family.

Monday, November 2, 2009

143,000,000 Orphans- Orphan Sunday this Sunday

YouTube - 143,000,000 Orphans


We copied this video after seeing it on Karen and John Mark's blog. Please watch it. Please pray how you can be involved.

Our t-shirts read: 143,000,000 orphans minus 1.

You really can make a difference in the life of an orphan. You too, can see he/she experience many new things, but most importantly, hear them say, "I love you Mommy and Daddy." You can help them feel safe, secure, well fed, and LOVED.