Love This So Much, I Just Had To Share

I have been fortunate this year to make a new friend in the adoption world.  She sure does challenge my thinking and inspire me to never stop pursuing Christ and to never stop being amazed at His amazing grace and sacrifice for ME! 

Check out her post today:

http://www.alittlebitclosertoday.blogspot.com/

The Beauty of Adoption is That We Can All Play a Part

It's like Mesay has always been a part of our family.  Except that he hasn't.  It just isn't on the forefront of our minds most days.  He has his own story and it began in Ethiopia.  Today the children and I were studying about how in the 1300s an explorer named Ibn Battuta visited East Africa.  As we looked on the map for the cities Battuta visited, we could all see that this was near Ethiopia.  Hooray!  Another connection to "his" Ethiopia!

It is fun to watch Mesay learn and grow and start to wonder about who he is, why he looks different than his siblings and just where he came from.  I pray daily that God will continue to give us the words and wisdom to support this precious boy and encourage his identity...  first of all his identity in Christ, secondly his secure place in our family and finally his place as an Ethiopian.  I love that he takes pride in finding his birth country on the map!

These days we are blessed to be at the beginning of helping to form an adoption ministry at our church.  I am thankful that being an adoptive family is just one of many ways that the church can care for the orphan.  It is awesome to see His people work together for His purposes.  So many families share our vision about caring for the world's orphans and we are excited to be able to support and encourage others in any way we can.

In fact, we are currently helping to promote a fundraiser for a family we have crossed paths with on our own adoption journey.  They were the family who was able to take all of our leftover fundraiser garage sale items for their own fundraiser.  Read more here:

The Adoption Blessings Continue...

This family is now in the process of adopting an additional five (yes, you read that right, FIVE!) children from the Ukraine.  As you can imagine, they need help.  If you are anywhere around northwest Indiana on February 26, please consider coming to this event and help this family out!  Here are the details:

Shane & Diana Lewis with their current children.

SPAGHETTI DINNER TO BENEFIT

THE LEWIS FAMILY ADOPTIONS

February 26, 2012

4 pm to 6 pm

Bethel Church & Ministries

10202 Broadway

Crown Point, IN  46307

Last year Shane and Diana Lewis and their 17 year old son Alexi brought home four precious daughters (ages 9, 8, 8, & 7) from the Ukraine. While going through the adoption process, Shane and Diana had an opportunity to volunteer at orphanages in the Ukraine, including one called “Father’s House.” While at Father’s House, they got to know five other children.  Since the oldest will turn 18 this summer, and she will no longer be available for adoption, Shane and Diana are acting quickly to get these adoptions finalized.

The Lewis Family is in the process of adopting these five children from the Ukraine. 

To help the Lewis’ raise the needed funds quickly, their family and friends are hosting a benefit dinner. Please come and bring your friends! The donation only spaghetti dinner is open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the Lewis family. There will also be a silent auction and all funds raised will go toward their adoption expenses.

 

You can learn more about the Lewis family by going the their blog:

http://thelewcrew2.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much to the many people who came out for the open house today.  We appreciate you!

$3500 was raised for the Kolanowski's... and counting... Pampered Chef can still be ordered through Monday and you can request an order sheet if you are interested in any of Laura Kolanowski's homemade goods.  Praising God for generous hearts!  Keep in mind that they still have about $6000 in expenses to go and leave at the end of February to pick up their precious children.  It is so awesome to see God at work and get to be a small part!

To order Pampered Chef go to through Monday (50% of purchases will go to the Kolanowskis):

http://www.pamperedchef.biz/ruthiehankins?page=host-search-results&showId=3485303

OPEN HOUSE EVENT TO SUPPORT ADOPTION!!

Our house is OPEN this Saturday and we would love for you to come! Here are the details:

OPEN HOUSE EVENT

Saturday Jan. 28

Stop by any time

between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Above you see a picture of our friends Kenney & Laura Kolanowski and their three children.  They are in the process of adopting two children from China (Caleb and Isabell). In an effort to help cover a portion of the nearly $55,000 needed to complete the adoptions, they have created some fabulous and delicious products. Come try some of their yummy and practical goods such as salsa & sauces from their homegrown garden, bread mixes, cookie mixes and more! In addition, Ruthie Hankins is joining us from Pampered Chef and we will have some great combo items. Plus, 50% off all Pampered Chef purchases will be donated to the Kolanowski's. It's the perfect time to purchase that Pampered Chef item you've been wanting!

I hope you will be able to join us for the tasting of these yummy goods. It's a great time to purchase gifts—like a sweet treat for your Valentine! Plus, there will be plenty of items for filling your pantry & kitchen with quality food and cookware for you and your family! Come hungry! Thank you for supporting adoption!

If you are unable to make it but would still like to support the Kolanowski's adoption you can request an order sheet of her homemade goods and/or go to:

http://www.pamperedchef.biz/ruthiehankins?page=2ways-order-products

for Pampered Chef goods. Just shop under hostess Laura Kolanowski to

participate in the fundraiser!

You can also find out more about the Kolanowski's and the children they are adopting by checking out their blog:

http://www.alittlebitclosertoday.blogspot.com/

They have $9700 of adoption expenses remaining... I am praying we can get them "a little bit closer"!

Help Another Adoptive Family!

We know another family from our church who are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. They are in the midst of a super easy fundraiser that you can easily help with - it takes just 2 mouse clicks!

#1 click on the Madwire Media link below.
#2 click 'like' on the Madwire Media page.

They will donate to the Keehn family adoption $1 for every new like this month.

Click here:
Madwire Media


You can learn more about the Keehn family here:
Adventures of Team Keehn

One Year Home: Making Family Memories

It's hard to believe that Mesay Allen Taylor has been home for over a year now. At the same time, it's hard to imagine life without him. Isn't that the way it often is when a new child becomes part of the family? It has been an amazing year of transition and meshing to become the family of six we are today. I am so thankful for our busy family and it fills me with joy (most days!) to watch my children learn and grow.

Here are a couple of ways we celebrated Mesay's first year as a Taylor:

On May 1 (a year since all six of us were first together) we had Family Day. We had a nice meal together, a cake and watched videos and pictures of the last year. As usual we were amazed at how much everyone has grown up. Especially Mesay! He was in diapers and I was able to carry him around a lot those first weeks. I'm thankful for that brief time because Mesay has grown into a very, very, very big three year old!

This was an hour or so after we picked Mesay (2) up from the orphanage April 2010.

Check out our growing boy! This is Easter 2011 and our children Abby (7), Jackson (8), Mesay (3), & Makenna (4). When Mesay came home last year he was 1/2" shorter than Makenna... and Makenna has done some growing herself this year!

Another way we celebrated was to have Mesay dedicated out our church. We attend Bethel Church in Crown Point, IN and, like we did with our older three, we committed ourselves to raising Mesay to know about Jesus and His saving grace. We received a baton to symbolize "passing on the faith." Mesay was very excited to have that baton to place beside the other three we already have. It was a special night and we had an entire row full of family members there to witness it! Now we pray we can uphold our promise.

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not part from it."

In the meantime I am trying to burn fleeting images and memories into my brain. Like the one of my four children playing together with their wagon. One pushes, one pulls and two ride. They often play so well as a unit of four it amazes me and I pray that their love and friendship carry on through adulthood. Don't get me wrong, they fight too! Those memories can fade, I'm storing up the images of my entire living room transformed into a tent for "doggies." Happy kids barking is music to my ears... I'll fold the blankets later!

Hot Chocolate Highlights

Here are some photos of me running the Hot Chocolate 15k. The garbage bags were to keep warm pre-race! It was a great morning and I hope to do it again. We woke up with snow on the ground in Northwest Indiana, but luckily it was dry in Chicago.


What a great morning to run in Chicago!




This is my friend Cathy who trained hard for this race, too. I was happy to run into her before the race with 30,000 runners milling about!




The last half of the race was a great view for the runners. 15,000 people ran the 15k! Can you find my navy and green ND cap?



David Ortega and me trying to keep warm pre-race! David enjoys running and ran this event with me. Of course, the pictures are courtesy of him!


Thank you to those of you who donated to Yezelalem Minch - the orphan care ministry in Ethiopia. $50 has been donated!

Now that you've seen proof of my race, maybe you're motivated to move and help orphans in Ethiopia. Make a difference today:

DONATE