A Burden for the Babies

Ok all, for those of you who may not know, Ethiopia is currently not importing infant formula into their country. They do not have the means to produce this product and since they are in economic distress (we Americans don't know the meaning of the word I'm sure!) they are unable to financially bring imported products like infant formula into the country. So what does this mean? Folks, this means we step up and be the people God is calling us to be. We dig deep, find the resource, and get it into the mouths - literally - of these innocent children that wouldn't otherwise have the chance at a meal. My heart is literally ACHING for these infants with no mommies or daddies to snuggle them into their beds, kiss their foreheads and lay them down for a good night's rest. Some of these precious children are lined in rooms with workers diligently trying to care for large numbers of babies that are waiting for their forever families to come. Some of them may not have a chance to meet their new parents if proper nutrition is not available. I can hardly wrap my mind around it. I look at my sweet Mikey - a busy 20 month old ray of sunshine, what if he was sitting in a crib with no hope of physical touch other than a diaper change and a propped bottle? I started bawling last night at the thought. It's not fair, it's not right, and I can't imagine a world where some walk by or turn the backs, out of convenience and not stop along life's path and invest in little ones they will never hold, embrace, or speak to. So I go to bed tonight committing to prayer these treasures that God so deeply loves.

Lord, may we who have the resource reach out to those who we will never know, and while we work, keep their bellies full enough, keep their spirits high, keep the smiles coming. Lord, I ask for guidance, lead me into a place where my heart breaks like Yours breaks when You see any of Your children suffer unjustly. May we be a light to those who can't seem to see it right now. I love you Jesus, more and more each day, I want to live a life worthy of your smile and approval. Let me shine for Your glory. (And help me be nice about it when people say they can't help, I'm struggling to see how they could turn their backs.) Give me patience, kindness, warmth and a heart that beats for orphans.

Amen.

Milk and Cheese

WARNING!!! The following is NOT a brag session merely THANKING GOD for HIS unfailing patience with me!! Ok so YEARS ago we lived in Spokane (some of the best years of my life to date) and we were literally living my the grace of God financially. The church we were at didn't pay great (surprise surprise, a ministry job that you don't get rich in) and I had snagged a pretty awesome babysitting gig in my own home with one family that happened to pay AWESOME. Anywho, so back in these days we had enormous debt and I have blogged previously about my desire to be debt free and save money. That's me in a nut shell, no financial woes, wouldn't that be great? So we had school payment, credit cards, car payments, life payments you know the drill. And my hubby made around $2000 a month roughly and God landed me this amazing job where I made around $900 a month. Anyway, broke we were, every time I turned around we had another bill to pay and couldn't seem to get ahead. We'd get a tax return, pay off one bill, not be good and rack up even more debt. It was a vicious cycle. And I have also mentioned in previous blogs, I'm a dreamer right? Ok, so one of my dreams in life is to have money available to give to other people, whether I know them or not, like a lady who's card is declined in the store, cover it for her. Get someone groceries and never let them find out it was me. That kind of stuff. You get the idea. I wanted to be as generous as I could but financially we just couldn't do it. So we move to Yakima and the spending doesn't change and the finances stay tight. Until Jas and I get on the same page. So it's only been a year or so, maybe not even that long that we've been very careful about money. No car payments, cheap food, careful spending etc. And we might have a new adventure to which I can't give details on yet coming quite soon. Anyway, so we've tried to be faithful stewards of the money God is giving us each month. Ok, LONG intro I know.... so Monday morning I woke up and thought of a friend and I felt God saying, take her milk. So Jas went to the store for us cause we needed milk and cheese and we got her and her fam some milk and cheese. So I called her up and made sure she was home and dropped it off to her. She blogged it was God's grace to her, but I am more confident it was God's grace for me. See I've been wanting to do this for a long time, and if I look back yeah sure there were moments we had dough but we were busy spending it on stupid crap not looking outward to find people who might need help. So I'm standing back today and this week and just thankful to God for patiently waiting for our lives to back up what's in our hearts so we can show Jesus to people we know and hopefully to people we may not know. I'm praying my heart is bent towards generosity and that God will give me the eyes to see the needs and the ears to hear him whispering "Go get them some milk and cheese!"

Blessings,
Kala

Could This Day Get Any Better????

Ok, so I'm stoked! Today in the mail after... count 'em people.... 6 WEEKS!!!!, we finally received our approved home study in the mail! Oh yeah baby. I'm so stinkin excited. My paperwork would already be at our agency except when we verified our documents and put them in order we realized we missed a few things. Oops. I would like to say this is an anomaly and that we are always prepared and ready for everything but I would be lying - we are throw it together kinda people. Need I say more? Anyway. Surprisingly enough I'm in a great mood after getting the mail considering Mikey has another HORRIBLE cold and didn't sleep for nothin last night. So I'm wiped out but amazingly optimistic with our new hurdle almost completed.
On another smokin note, K Mart is doubling coupons. Sing it with me, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!! I almost screamed when I saw the ads. And I've been a good little coupon momma and saved TONS of coupons for just about everything sooooo.... I'm headin to K Mart to save some dough on some much needed items and Christmas stocking stuffers and such. Woohoo. So I will post after I hit K Marche and brag about my sales! :). Hopefully the isles aren't bare yet.
On a Christmas note, we are fully decorated and loving our Christmas-y house. I love this time of year except for snow. Snow is only for looking at with me. We have a love/hate relationship, snow and I. Snow loves to look pretty and inviting and beckons all those feeling in a shopping mood (which is me on any given moment) to venture out into the weather and enjoy it's beauty. I, on the other hand, HATE snow. Every year it costs me money, usually cause I bounce of something in my car like oh I don't know, someone else's car for example. And that's just you know, uh, hypothetically speaking of course. On that hypothetical note, let's say I have totalled one car, messed up a parent's truck, bounced off a cement barrier. In this 'hypothetical' world there are too many accidents to name. Anywho... nice tangent huh? So it's Christmas time, and we celebrate 12 days of Christmas with our kids by doing a small present each day starting December 13th. Now since we have one more boy to get home we are downscaling like crazy in the spending department but are still managing to get some cute and fun things that will delight the kids. The girls look so forward to fun little things. This year we are adding in like a pack of Oreos which sounds silly to some I'm sure, but you obviously don't know my feeling of Oreos and how strongly I feel the need to educate my children on this particular matter. I LOVE Oreos, and only double stuff thank you very much.(Side note, when I was prego with Faithie, I would call Jason literally every other day for an Oreo run on his way home from work, they are miraculous, seriously.) There are few things I HAVE to buy name brands of and Oreo's are one of them. There's no skimpin, that and Kraft Mac and Cheese. Once you go Kraft, you'll never go back! Hehe. Seriously though, I'm not big on brand names unless they are ridiculously cheap and then I'll get them. But I've got standards. So, tonight I'm off to find some ridiculously cheap deals for stockings and gifts and household items, unfortunately our K Mart doesn't have numerous food items. Wish me luck!!

Blessings,
KalaKalaBoBala


*****Update: So, Kmarche...drum roll.... I spent 23.68 and saved a grand total of 16.25 in coupons, oh yeah, it was a great night. Plus my momma went with me and it's rare to spend time with just her, so bonus!!

I lost my mind!!

Ok not cause Jason's gone, although that hasn't helped. So I live in this little place called 'La La Land' where we can eat candy and our butts don't grow, where my children wake up saying, 'Mom what can I do for you today?', where mysteriously someone broke into my house, cleaned it, left mints on my pillow, stocked the fridge, and had homemade bread fresh out of the oven for me to indulge in. Ok so I want to live there, I don't actually, cause if I did you all wouldn't know about, I'd be hiddin that little treasure!! Anyway, I'm like the loftiest thinker, where even though I can be pessimistic, God gave me a wild, free imagination where I don't need details cause it will work out right? And I know my God is like huge, so that works out well. So I guess I never grew up cause that's the beauty and innocence of a child, anything and everything is possible because you haven't been tainted by negativity or the world or your friends or parents or the bullies at school. You can do and be whatever you want to be. That's where this little mind lives. So when I think about 'Gee what shall I do with my life?' I can't put my finger on it, I think teacher, tried that and NOPE, checked that off the list, I keep saying I'm going to nursing school but I don't know if that will ever happen. So anyway, I know I want to be with my kids, it feels right (and frustrating at times) but that's where I seem to click. I love kids. I love my kids, I love other people's kids. I'm a kid person. So the idea of adoption just clicks with me. I have a HUGE heart for kids, and whether I have more of my own or seek out the ones God lays on my heart, I'm open for the journey. Ok so back to loftiness for minute. When I felt God say "Adopt, you can do something for someone, go find your child' I was running for the nearest computer, praying to find the answers, and here we are today, waiting for our boy. But when God spoke, I acted. I didn't look at the price tag, which I know deters most people from adoption, I didn't flinch at any financial ramifications at all. I just went to work to find out how to come up with the money. It wasn't ever a deterrent. I believe God knows our financial situation, that whole heartedly we want to live debt free, make conscious choices to be money savvy and want to be freed up to live lives worthy of His approval. So I believe that He will help us get our boy home, and you know what it's ok if we still have a loan payment, which I have read on other blogs people who are against getting loans. Hey if you're one of them, that's great, I applaud you keeping it debt free but the timing of our adoption just so happened that we needed that money right then to get our boy and I do believe that it will be ok, maybe had we not gotten a loan it would've played out differently, I don't really care to debate, our family made a choice, it worked and we are happy all the more for having a face the to dream God gave us. Anyway, sorry for the tangent. I keep feeling like we need to be a catalyst. That our adoption isn't just about us and our son, that we have a chance to bring awareness, prayer, money, and dreams to other people whether they feel they can adopt and go for it, or they help someone else adopt. Whatever they feel God leading them to, may they be faithful and be a blessing. So we are lucky enough to have people in our lives that buy into adoption and are helping us find creative ways to raise the money. We did the yard sale, we have a family that sent out donation letters, and we have a family friend who is helping us put together a fundraiser/silent auction dinner. So here's where I start getting all La La Landish, I don't want all the money from the auction dinner. Granted I know we have to come up with money still,but I want to start an adoption grant through part of the money raised to help other local families feel empowered to not look at the bottom line but to follow the leading of God and through helping provide funding that may be more possible for more families. Anyway, for those of you who read this, please partner with me to lift high the dreams of one mommy who wants more kids and families than her own to see God move in mighty way and bring more babies and children home to their forever families. I feel like there's more here that Yakima needs an adoption ministry where we partner with families to get these kids home domestically or internationally. I just think we need to prepare for the rain, cause when we tap into what breaks God's heart, when we read all the scriptures that tell us to care for the widows and orphans, I think He is just waiting to produce greatness out of us. To help us to see the beauty that comes from investing in other people, in other children, and in other parts of our world. Down the street, or a million miles away. I feel like God is whispering "Take my hand, and I will show you the way to touch lives." I want to take His hand, don't you?

Coupon Complainer!

Ok I should probably explain, I did the whole coupon thing and it was fun and nice and all but I come home and read on Money Saving Mom.com and she all like spendin 38 for a week of groceries. So I'm complainin', ya you heard right, I know you're all surprised that I of all people would complain' but alas, here we go! So NO stores that I have found in po-dunk Yakima double coupons which I am finding is the ticket to coupon savings. So I printed a LOT of coupons and hit Walmart, and yeah I got some deals like ziploc bags, 50 count for 23 cents, and toaster strudels (which I haven't bought EVER for my kids, simply cause it's never crossed my mind) for like 1.12. So good deals but I still spent like 68 bucks, partly for baby wipes ( I didn't have a coupon), partly for mascara(searched for a coupon, not go) and well cause it's Walmart, who only spends like $20 at walmart? And if you think you are that person, you are lying, it's like Costco which I renamed "The $100 minimum store" cause I think 1 time I got out without spending $100, and that was only cause somebody pooped and I had a headache. So unless Mikey wants to 'fill the ol drawers' EVERY time I enter a Walmart or Costco it's bye bye cash. Anyway, coupons rock, love the idea, love not paying full fare, i love making it almost a game, see how little to spend, but at the end of the day..... Yakima stores SUCK, none that I have found double coupons. If any one knows of a store that doubles in Yakima, hook a lady up, yeah?
On a completely different note but praise worthy none the less, I started at my new job, which is working at the child care area in the Yakima Athletic Club. I can take my kids, (no daycare,plus, and I can be with them, plus plus) I get a free membership, and I get paid. Yup, it's that good! :). I LOVE not getting up at 5:00am and seeing my kids all day. I am also hoping to do some online writing stuff for my friends brother in law, if we can connect on when I should start, so that will be cool.
We also had parent/teacher conference this week for Faithie. I don't know how it happened but we got a teacher's pet. I know right, my kids' the teachers pet? Yeah who knew but hey she's an AWESOME student, getting 100% on reading and spelling tests, helpful even to sub's when her teacher is gone. Just all around a good kid. I am so proud to be her mama.
Hope's teacher conference was good. Well especially cause it didn't start with " You guys are only responsible for the first $10,000 of damages!" Hehe. Seriously though, she can count ridiculously high, thanks to big sis teaching her how. She knows all her stuff like colors, numbers, etc. She plays well (not bossy, I did ask for clarification of what child we were talking about, and it was Hopie). She is just an amazingly funny little girl, who happens to be super smart, and sometimes willing to share with others, I guess she's one of those at school she's like "miss helping hands" and at home she's "miss I'm hittin ya when mom turns around" and she's smilin the WHOLE time! :).
If I can get the pics up I will post their school pics. I heard this thing about advertising companies using photos from people's blogs and facebook and myspace pages without consent so I'm hesitant to throw these wonderfully cute kids on here and have someone makin moola without my consent. You could sell snow to a snow man with Hope's smile! Alright enough braggin'- if anybody knows of a doubling coupon store - HOOK ME UP!
Peace out,
Kala