Baby on the brain

Although I know we have quite some time until our little guy is here, I still enjoy dreaming/window shopping for all these things. 

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Baby, we are praying for you and dreaming of you! 

Shop with a Purpose

My view of shopping and what I "need" has changed a lot since starting this adoption.  As I read statistics, learned more about our world's poverty and was rocked out of my comfort zone, I have found that sometimes I feel guilty when I walk into Target, or think to stop at the mall.  Not that I am not beyond thankful for what I've been given, but I just tend to play statistics over and over again in my head, and I find myself laying in bed at night wondering what I can sell, who I can support or how I can "change the world." I quickly learned that I can't do that, I can't change the world at all, that's not my job-that's God's job-I'm simply just called to do what He commands and share about His love with others.  A while back i read an article on Give1Save1 (an awesome website) about shopping with a purpose; and that changed my view on what I can do be a part of changing the world for someone.  So now, if I need to buy a gift, buy a shirt or whatever, I'll search high and low to see if there is something I can buy out there that will help to support someone else too, it makes me feel like I'm a part of something bigger. :)

And now you can also have the opportunity to be a part of something bigger, we have partnered with 147MillionOrphans, to help fundraise for our adoption.  We have set up an online store with a few things for now (more to come) so check them out if you'd like, the items are not only helping to support our adoption, but also helping to raise awareness to the estimated 147 million orphans throughout our world. 

Please check out our website (click this link) 

(see a sample of our items below)

Thanks for being a part of our story

Mark your calendar!

It's our first tailgate party!

Since we're gone the first Friday in May,

we're having our first tailgater party Friday April 27th! From 5-?

Have kids? Bring them!

Just yourself? Come!

Your spouse? Bring them!

Your friends? Yes!

Our purpose is to basically build community and enjoy friends new and old! Bring something to bbq if you want, drinks if you want-basically whatever you want just bring it hang out-it'll be fun, I promise.

Lets be friends! :)

Happy Birthday Justin Nunes!

Today we celebrate you!

You are the BEST! And you rock my world.

Happy birthday love.

City by the bay...

If you're going to San Francisco...

We took a ferry ride out to the Golden Gate, and then around the famous Alcatraz

If you're a fish lover, I'm sure you can find something to tickle your taste buds at

Fisherman's Wharf

Lots of windsurfers and sail boats were out enjoying the wonderful weather

Lots of boats, old and new-I wondered about their stories, had any sailed the world?

There was a fun arcade on the pier with all games that were antiques! Some from the 1800's! They were not easy to win either

I love where we live, we are close to the ocean, mountains, wine country, gold country and San Francisco. If you're willing to drive 1-2 hours in any direction, you're bound to find something to do.

Happy weekend friends!

Community. It takes a village.

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Community has been on my mind a lot lately, in many different ways. We've been completely overwhelmed by the community that has surrounded us in regards to our adoption. From the second we announced our plans, we've had people at our side-supporting us through prayer, being willing to answer crazy texts from me about who knows what, supporting us financially the list goes on. It makes me think about that phrase "it takes a village to raise a child" for us, that is so true.

If it weren't for our village, I don't know how we'd do it sometimes.

One thing I'm incredibly thankful for are the friends I've met while on this journey, although we've only been on this road for about 5 months, I've met (thanks to the wonderful WorldWideWeb) many people who are also on this journey and get emails about how we're doing, where we are at in the process, ect. It's so encouraging to be able to talk with people who have been there, and are there. It makes me miss "real" community. I wish these women just lived down the street from me, so I could just go to their house, instead of emailing (don't get me wrong, I am BEYOND thankful for the invention of email, it has saved my life sometimes, seriously).

Justin's going to be starting a series with our high schoolers about social media and it's dangers. While I am SO incredibly thankful for the Internet and Facebook and things like that, sometimes I just long to be able to run down the hall like I did in college and talk with a friend. Our season in life seems to be changing, and deep down, I know that I'm growing up, and you know what? It's hard to make friends when you're a grown up! Not that I don't have friends, I do and I am SO thankful for each one of you; but I'm feeling the need for community, real community.

So with that being said, we (Justin and I) are doing something about it. Starting in May, the first Friday of every month, we're going to open our house up to, whoever. Just come over sometime after 5 and bring some meat if you want to BBQ it up, we'll set up some games, music, chairs, fire pit, whatev' just come and bring yourself, your spouse your kiddos. The idea came one day when I was complaining about not having time for friends anymore (when did that happen?!) and Justin (being his realistic self) just asked me why I don't do anything about it (don't you hate/love when that happens?) So he came up with this 'tailgater' parry type thing, just come as you are, invite your friends, and we'll continue to grow our village.

A little adoption update, we're just waiting for our biometrics appt. on the 23rd of this month and once we get that lovely little paper, we're good to send our dossier to Ethiopia! We're almost a waiting family!

Tijuana

We got back from Tijuana last night, late. After a long day of driving and about 3 hours at the boarder, we were happy to be home. Here are a few pictures of our trip, I hope to write more about it in detail maybe tomorrow, once I accomplish all our laundry and unpacking, but for now, a few pictures!

What happens when you give a 4 year old your camera

Make shift homes at the dump

The market

Visiting families in La Trencha (the trenches, a neighborhood)

Buying burritos from a bike vendor

View before crossing

ANNNNNNNDDD.....I'm happy and excited to report that we had letters with our USCIS fingerprint dates when we got home! Yay! Monday April 23rd we get our prints done. God. Is. Awesome.