Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
brief..
heading out for the night to a city that houses:
trader joe's
ikea
nordstrom rack
costco
that makes us west coasters feel like home...
well,
except for the -6 temperature as we head out.
that, not so much.
trader joe's
ikea
nordstrom rack
costco
that makes us west coasters feel like home...
well,
except for the -6 temperature as we head out.
that, not so much.
Friday, January 8, 2010
amazing
(straight from jody's blog)
Numbers (as of Dec. 31, 2009):
In the 14 months that Water For Christmas has been in existence, the total of money raised is $275,000.
Which amounts to $650 dollars a day for 14 months.
In just November and December of 2009: $175,000.
That is equal to 55 community wells.
The total that can and will solve very close to 1% of Liberia’s water crisis. (that’s more amazing than it sounds. Yes, we still have work to do…)
And these are my favorite:
That’s 13,750 people.
32 people a day for the last 14 months have received the life-changing gift of clean water.
How did this happen?
Because you all acted. You all allowed your heart to break and your hands to move. You raised your voices with us. You held your resources in generous, open hands. You rallied your friends and family. You spoke. You gave. You changed the world for 13,750 people.
This is amazing. We thank God for allowing us to be a part of His heart.
And more than ever, I feel like we are only at the tip of the iceberg. That it goes to show that we do not need titles or positions or large resources to do something. That we can come together to dream dreams of compassion. We can collectively raise our voice, combine our efforts. We can join together as mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters in America to fight and change the reality for mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters across the ocean. There is power not in celebrity and economic status and prestige…but in passion. You have taught me that.
And I cannot wait to see where 2010 takes us.
Numbers (as of Dec. 31, 2009):
In the 14 months that Water For Christmas has been in existence, the total of money raised is $275,000.
Which amounts to $650 dollars a day for 14 months.
In just November and December of 2009: $175,000.
That is equal to 55 community wells.
The total that can and will solve very close to 1% of Liberia’s water crisis. (that’s more amazing than it sounds. Yes, we still have work to do…)
And these are my favorite:
That’s 13,750 people.
32 people a day for the last 14 months have received the life-changing gift of clean water.
How did this happen?
Because you all acted. You all allowed your heart to break and your hands to move. You raised your voices with us. You held your resources in generous, open hands. You rallied your friends and family. You spoke. You gave. You changed the world for 13,750 people.
This is amazing. We thank God for allowing us to be a part of His heart.
And more than ever, I feel like we are only at the tip of the iceberg. That it goes to show that we do not need titles or positions or large resources to do something. That we can come together to dream dreams of compassion. We can collectively raise our voice, combine our efforts. We can join together as mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters in America to fight and change the reality for mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters across the ocean. There is power not in celebrity and economic status and prestige…but in passion. You have taught me that.
And I cannot wait to see where 2010 takes us.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
fifteen years.
today, in all the snow,
and cancelled school,
steve and i have been married for fifteen years.
fifteen years is the longest i have ever done anything.
ANYTHING.
what a blessing to have spent it with him.
happy anniversary baby, i love you.
and cancelled school,
steve and i have been married for fifteen years.
fifteen years is the longest i have ever done anything.
ANYTHING.
what a blessing to have spent it with him.
happy anniversary baby, i love you.
snow day again :)
it snowed last night.
it's still snowing today.
school was cancelled.
AND,
we are experiencing a veritable heat wave.
it is 16 degrees...
the kids were begging not to wear hats.
that is where i draw the line.
if the temperature still has the word teen in it,
you must wear a hat.
but no coat is perfectly acceptable
once we hit twenty. :)
it's still snowing today.
school was cancelled.
AND,
we are experiencing a veritable heat wave.
it is 16 degrees...
the kids were begging not to wear hats.
that is where i draw the line.
if the temperature still has the word teen in it,
you must wear a hat.
but no coat is perfectly acceptable
once we hit twenty. :)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
12 lives.
it is a new year,
and it is time to sign up for recurring giving
at water4christmas.com
last year, when the christmas season ended,
we had been changed.
we needed a way to keep water in the front of our minds,
so we created a way to give twenty dollars every month for a year,
we called it 300 voices.
this is the exact same thing :)
and if you were a part last year, you need to sign up again :)
but don't do it yet...
wait until tomorrow,
so we can all do it together, collectively,
as one ocean of change.
the thing is,
we here in america like to do things big.
we super size everything.
we somehow feel that if our portion is BIGGER,
we are getting a better deal.
if we are given the best, the biggest, the most, that we are really living.
so why should this be any different?
give big.
give recklessly.
be the best and biggest giver possible this year...
and start by signing up here.
if you don't have a paypal account, you can send in a check, to the address listed here.
12 people.
12 months.
20 dollars a month.
that is what we are asking...
tomorrow.
give with intention.
give life to 12 people this year.
this is an opportunity to join our voices together,
to be the change we want to see.
but why not do more?
super size your donation.
and it is time to sign up for recurring giving
at water4christmas.com
last year, when the christmas season ended,
we had been changed.
we needed a way to keep water in the front of our minds,
so we created a way to give twenty dollars every month for a year,
we called it 300 voices.
this is the exact same thing :)
and if you were a part last year, you need to sign up again :)
but don't do it yet...
wait until tomorrow,
so we can all do it together, collectively,
as one ocean of change.
the thing is,
we here in america like to do things big.
we super size everything.
we somehow feel that if our portion is BIGGER,
we are getting a better deal.
if we are given the best, the biggest, the most, that we are really living.
so why should this be any different?
give big.
give recklessly.
be the best and biggest giver possible this year...
and start by signing up here.
if you don't have a paypal account, you can send in a check, to the address listed here.
12 people.
12 months.
20 dollars a month.
that is what we are asking...
tomorrow.
give with intention.
give life to 12 people this year.
this is an opportunity to join our voices together,
to be the change we want to see.
but why not do more?
super size your donation.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
don't say he doesn't get into the game...
just in time for christmas photos...
basketball proved to be a game of street ball yesterday. :)
Friday, December 18, 2009
nativity
lately,
brody's favorite thing to do is arrange one of the nativities we have.
it happens to be my favorite one,
because no one understands why there is a huge rooster,
or why baby jesus looks like a thirty year old man.
on this particular day,
i walked through the room,
and stopped.
maybe it was the way the light was coming in,
or maybe it was something more divine,
but at this particular moment,
there was nothing more beautiful.
beauty and light
all wrapped up
in one magical moment
brody's favorite thing to do is arrange one of the nativities we have.
it happens to be my favorite one,
because no one understands why there is a huge rooster,
or why baby jesus looks like a thirty year old man.
on this particular day,
i walked through the room,
and stopped.
maybe it was the way the light was coming in,
or maybe it was something more divine,
but at this particular moment,
there was nothing more beautiful.
beauty and light
all wrapped up
in one magical moment
a while ago
last weekend the kids lead worship...
it was adorable
and perfect
and made me remember how much i love kids,
everyone's kids.
it was adorable
and perfect
and made me remember how much i love kids,
everyone's kids.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
it has been kind of white around here lately
before the outside fun, there was a heated battle between the african animals and the british... don't ask.
sledding with sara
i had to break out one of their christmas presents early.. the sleds.
just in case we don't get another big snow after christmas.
they were totally okay with that one.
i elected to stay inside.
sledding with sara
i had to break out one of their christmas presents early.. the sleds.
just in case we don't get another big snow after christmas.
they were totally okay with that one.
i elected to stay inside.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
so after church tonight*...
we finally got the christmas decorations out.
the kids did the whole tree by themselves
never far from my mind...
*technically it was last night, as i didn't finish decorating until about twenty minutes ago.... saturday night, contrary to what the date says. :)
the kids did the whole tree by themselves
never far from my mind...
*technically it was last night, as i didn't finish decorating until about twenty minutes ago.... saturday night, contrary to what the date says. :)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
i heart whitney.
so, today is my birthday...
my wonderful friends took me out to coffee,
and gave me the BEST GIFT.
then, i got a few orders for watercolor portraits,
so that made me happy...
but get this,
hannah's friend whitney wrote me a letter for my birthday,
and attached was TWO hershey's fun size chocolate bars (she must know how much i love chocolate)
if that wasn't enough...
here is what the letter said:
Dear Amy,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Hey Amy, did you notice that next year at this time you could have 6 kids?
Sincerely Yours,
Whitney Woepking
is that not the best? i love her. so, so blessed this year, with amazing family AND friends.
my wonderful friends took me out to coffee,
and gave me the BEST GIFT.
then, i got a few orders for watercolor portraits,
so that made me happy...
but get this,
hannah's friend whitney wrote me a letter for my birthday,
and attached was TWO hershey's fun size chocolate bars (she must know how much i love chocolate)
if that wasn't enough...
here is what the letter said:
Dear Amy,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Hey Amy, did you notice that next year at this time you could have 6 kids?
Sincerely Yours,
Whitney Woepking
is that not the best? i love her. so, so blessed this year, with amazing family AND friends.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
going out on a limb..
i have been fooling around with some cartoon type paintings lately,
painted one of our soon to be daughter and i,
one for a friend,
and one for another new friend, who has encouraged me to sell them for a fundraiser to help with our adoption costs.
totally out of my comfort zone,
but now that i am almost 35,
(like in twenty minutes)
i can stop caring about so much stuff, right?
okay.
good.
so, anyway,
i added a blog button to my sidebar, feel free to share it,
on blogs, or fb, or twitter, or wherever...
painted one of our soon to be daughter and i,
one for a friend,
and one for another new friend, who has encouraged me to sell them for a fundraiser to help with our adoption costs.
totally out of my comfort zone,
but now that i am almost 35,
(like in twenty minutes)
i can stop caring about so much stuff, right?
okay.
good.
so, anyway,
i added a blog button to my sidebar, feel free to share it,
on blogs, or fb, or twitter, or wherever...
about micah...
i read this today,
and it made me think of micah...
oh, micah.
"walking with loud giant steps while he can because he's already noticed that when you grow up, even if you do keep walking as big as you can, you have to be quiet about it, or other people get headaches" -- story people
and it made me think of micah...
oh, micah.
"walking with loud giant steps while he can because he's already noticed that when you grow up, even if you do keep walking as big as you can, you have to be quiet about it, or other people get headaches" -- story people
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