Challenge Farm Sponsorships

I would like to ask you to pray about sponsorships for the children on Challenge Farm. As the children gain sponsorships, Cheri can accept more children in off of the street. All it takes is $35 a month to fund one child. That is one lunch-out a week! I know so many people who eat out multiple times a week- if only one of those days was sacrificed so Mama Cheri can take in more street kids to Challenge Farm, where they will be fed, housed, and educated.

I have committed to sponsoring Martha Lowa. Martha was one of the first kids to come up to me on our first day at CF. She is quiet, yet protective. Martha wants to be a doctor someday and with sponsorship, she will be able to work her way toward that goal!



Jackson Wafula. Oh, my sweet Jackson. If I could have brought him home with me, I would have! Jackson is a charmer! He has only been on the farm since March 2008 and is already doing well. His English is superb and he has to be the best dancer that I have ever seen! Jackson was also one of the first kids to greet me and attach to me. He is polite and listens well. I let him take a ton of pictures from his perspective. Out of the 886 pictures I came home with, 300 were probably taken by Jackson! Jackson wants to be a pilot one day and with sponsorship, I know that he will achieve that goal!!! Won't you sponsor Jackson today?



Maria Napeyok Erumu. Maria is such a sweet young lady. Maria has been on the farm since 2003. She is a very bright girl who wants to be a doctor someday, just like Martha. Maria is a phenomenal dancer and has wonderful English skills. Will you help Maria by sponsoring her today?




Joseph Ekitela Ejore. Sweet Joseph. He has been on the farm since 2005. His mother died and he used to sniff glue. Now, rehabilitated and getting an education, Joseph is a gentle and kind young man. He would drop what he was doing just to pray for you. Will you pray for Joseph that he will get a sponsor? Maybe even you?




Veronica Naro Nakwawi. Veronica has been on CF since 2003 just like Maria. Veronica is a beautiful young lady who used to live in the slums prior to coming to CF. Veronica has overcome substance abuse, thanks to the rehabilitation on Challenge Farm. Veronica's smile is infectious and she always takes care of the younger girls. Would you like to make Veronica smile big by sponsoring her?


I wanted to put pictures that I took with these children next to their "portfolio" shots because I think that it makes it more personal. I have met these kids. I have prayed with these kids. I have sung and danced with these kids. I have seen where they sleep and eat and go to school. I have been blessed by these kids, and believe me, if I could afford to sponsor all of them, I would in a heartbeat. Truth is that Cheri needs YOUR help to keep helping the children in Kenya become more than a statistic. YOU will be blessed, I promise.

Please, repost this on your blog/Myspace/Facebook/website if you feel called to do so.

If you feel led to sponsor a child at Challenge Farm, whether it be Jackson, Maria, Joseph, Veronica, or any of the other children available for sponsorship, you simply need to go to Challenge Farm's website at www.challenge-kenya.org and click on the SPONSOR A CHILD link at the top. You will then click the sponsor HERE button which will then route you to Globe International (the missionary network in charge of CF donations). It is $35 per child to Cheri Thompson. In the notes field you will put in the name of the child you wish to sponsor. Feel free to sponsor more than one if you are able! OH, and did I mention that sponsorship is TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!??! And, be sure to let me know if you link this post and/or sponsor one of the kids.

Asante Sana! (Thank you so much!)
Mungu Akubariki (God Bless You)

Poppies Blooming Giveaway!

Lu, over at Poppies Blooming is holding her first giveaway! Click on her link to enter!

Check out some of the artist's renditions in the Poppy Gallery, HERE. I have seen the "real" pictures to these renditions and I am blown away! I am currently looking for the perfect picture of Ethan to send to her!

Lu has started her business because she wanted to give back to something very close to her heart- Down syndrome. She will donate 10% of her proceeds back to charities for Down syndrome.

Check her out, have her create a precious piece of artwork for you. I am sure you won't be disappointed!

For those who tell me I am just too sensitive- here ya go!

Commentary: The word 'retarded' is hurtful and needs to be cut from our vocabulary

By Becky Pings / Teen Press Corps
http://www.fresnobee.com/lifestyle/teens/v-printerfriendly/story/1014430.html

'Once upon a time ... there was a retard."

You think that's funny?

I don't.

Neither do the millions of Americans who are joining the growing movement to eradicate the word "retarded" from the modern vocabulary.

Simply defined, "retarded" means "delayed." While it was once a clinical term used to describe individuals with developmental disabilities, it is now an archaic term, a part of modern slang which equates to anything substandard or "stupid."

The word in its modern sense dates back to the 1950s, an insult thrown on school campuses and in sandlots across the nation. It was never as widely used as it is today, however, where one can hardly walk down a street without hearing it or seeing its impact.

I would know.

My brother has autism and Down syndrome. He loves the simple things: baseball, swimming, books and music. And just like every other person, he has feelings. When he hears the word "retard," even if it's not meant as a direct insult, it's not only a slap in the face to him, but to all disabled persons everywhere.

The fact remains that the word "retard" and all its derivatives is a hate word which, even in the most benign context, belittles and segregates the disabled. It promotes bigotry and intolerance in a society that claims "all men are created equal."

The argument to this has been heard time and time again: "But you know I didn't mean it like that. Stop being so sensitive." It is not the intent of a word, but rather its effect and connotation, that has the greatest effect.

Ben Stiller's blockbuster "Tropic Thunder" is a poignant example of the effects of the "R" word versus intention: Moviemakers claimed the liberal use of "retard" jokes was satire, while critics called the humor tasteless and offensive. Because the "satirical" humor didn't stay in context, the word found new popularity, thereby perpetuating discrimination.

Innocent humor. Satire. Whatever you call it, the word "retarded" is a hate word and should be regarded as such.

Just ask my brother, the retard.

Doesn't quite have the same ring that it did in the movie, does it?
Becky Pings attends Edison High School.

***This could very well be Ethan in 10 years or less. I am so sick of people, who should love Ethan the most, putting up the most fight to this issue. This is an issue! This is a very important issue. And, YOU, as someone who loves Ethan should be standing right behind me in this fight.***

Ethan does NOT like...

Shrimp & Scallop Scampi over Linguini

In his defense, it was only OK. I will leave the scallop making to the Japanese steakhouses- mine were a tad rubbery.

Useless information to you. LOL!

Stolen from Shari. Things I have done are in bold.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band/orchestra
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland - WORLD
8. Climbed a mountain mind you, a small mtn.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (Dinner cruise, but still)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies/Camp Fire Candy
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma YES, YES, and YES again!!!
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Seen the Lincoln Memorial in person
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92.Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post

Go WF Men's Soccer!

This is an image that Scott would like to see again...IN PERSON. The Wake Forest soccer team are the current NCAA champions. This picture was taken after that winning match last year in Cary, NC. Scott and I were there.

Remember this? (click on photo for larger view)

Well, tonight Wake Forest went up against South Florida tonight in the NCAA quarterfinal. WF took the game with a 5-0 win. Now, the boys are on their way to Frisco, Texas. Scott would love nothing more than to be able to attend this game. Unfortunately, airline prices are CRAZY. If anyone has any magic answers, let me know!

Disney On Ice - Disneyland Adventures

Tonight, Theresa and I took the girls to Disney on Ice. Theresa and I have been doing this since I moved to NC five years ago. It started out with me, Theresa, and Madison (Delaney was still cooking in the oven). Then, I brought Ethan the past couple of years. He had zero interest. So, this year I was not going to pay the $35 for him to still not have any interest. It was just the girls again.

I have to say that this year's show is my favorite so far. It was Disneyland Adventures with The Incredibles. It was funny and had a great flow so the kids didn't get too ancy.

I ended up giving in to the temptation of those darn snow cones in the character cups. Then, the ice was so crunchy, I lost half of it to the floor. Oh well- now Ethan can have a cup to play with.

So now we have seen: Beauty and the Beast, Disney Princesses, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, and Disneyland Adventures. If you can go see it, I highly recommend it.

After the show, we went out for dinner at Logan's. Theresa and I both had the salad with shrimp. I didn't realize how long it had been since I had shrimp! Oh, how I love the lil' crustaceans. LOL!

Ethan was with Miss Mary while Scott went to the Wake soccer quarterfinal. More on that in a minute...

Which Christmas Movie Are YOU?

Stolen from McKenna

Your Christmas is Most Like: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

You can't really get into the Christmas spirit... But it usually gets to you by the end of the holiday.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

Yep. That's pretty much me lately.

Shelfari

To my google reader followers...

Take a minute to look at my cool lil' gadget on the right side of my blog called Shelfari. It's a virtual library of my favorite books. I have my sister's books in front and my new (WONDERFUL) bible, of course.

I thought it was pretty cool! I also have Gifts and Roadmap to Holland on there. Just thought I'd share. That's all.

POST-OP

Looks great! The incision is healing so well! Good job Dr. Fuchs! :-) So, what I thought was swelling is actually muscle. Apparently, since they use disolvable sutures, they overlap muscle and then when the sutures dissolve the muscle lays back flat again. Interesting, huh?

Dr. Fuchs feels that we should be seeing some amazing progress made over the next few months, especially once we can get him back into rehab PT.

Oh, and Ethan can have submerged baths again. That should make him happy.

Shoes for AFO's

CROCS! They are awesome for going over AFO's. I had some over the summer and loved them because of being so lightweight, and when you have to go a size bigger anyway, you want as less clunk as possible. So, now that it's winter- what to do? I ended up trying his braces in the Crocs Mammoth. Because they don't have the strap in the back, I didn't think that they would work, but his heel practically snaps into place and it doesn't budge! Ethan has been walking great in them since Grandma bought them for him the other day! (Thank you Grandma!!!)

So now, Ethan can wear his AFO's with a lightweight shoe that will also keep his cute little piggies warm too!

Your first official glance

Ethan's scar. The bandage finally came off tonight, just in time for post-op tomorrow. I think that it looks pretty dang spiffy. It is still slightly swollen at around the site, but overall looks great!



Can you see where they shaved the hair too? LOL!

Bye Bye Grandma

Ethan and I just got home from dropping Lynda off at the Raleigh/Durham airport. Apparently, there was a delay leaving for Philly, but the flight tracker I just looked at says that she should have just landed and that should give her enough time to get to her next departure as long as they are not sitting on the tarmac like I had to in Atlanta a few years ago, making me miss my connection to Los Angeles for Ang's birthday surprise. (Don't worry- I'm not bitter )

We all enjoyed her visit, of course. Ethan definitely did not want Grandma to leave. He was very "wide open" today and I think he was just acting out because she was leaving.

Grandma & Ethan at the airport before she left



























(Ethan signing "bye" to Grandma)

We will miss you.

Adaptive Swing

Ethan has an adaptive swing in his classroom that he loves. We also use one at therapy as a reward for completing a task. I asked Scott if he could make Ethan one since the ones in the catalog are a couple hundred bucks. He made one for Ethan in a couple of days and it cost a whopping $30! I love having a handy husband!!!

Ethan loves his new swing! He has already figured out that he can twist the ropes and then hang on to spin. Mr. Smartypants...


Swing spin

Finally!!!

I was finally able to buzz Scott's hair off tonight! I wish that I had before and after pictures! Let's just say that I have been begging to shave his head for the last month or so, but he kept keeping that God-awful ponytail. He promised me that I could get rid of it when his mom came. Thank GOD his mom is here!!! :-) It's G.O.N.E.!!!!!

Follow your dreams...

This little boy...oh my. What a true hero. Watch and be inspired.

Stuffed

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We went over to my friend Amy's house and ate around noon. We had to leave a little after 2 in order to go pick up Scott's mom in Raleigh. Her flight came in at 4:20pm. Ethan was a complete crab-butt at Amy's- he was up early and never went back to sleep. He did sleep on the way to Raleigh, so I was surprised when he continued being a major crab-butt. Luckily, once we got home he was much better. And, by nights end, he was snuggling up to Grandma on the couch.

Today was pretty low-key. We went out to Bethabara Park and walked around. Again, we had a Mr. Crab-butt on our hands from being too tired. We then went to lunch at Chili's. It was ok. Nothing spectacular. Then, it was time to get Ethan home for a nap. I laid down for about a half hour and Scott and his mom went out driving around.

One of my friends from our small group brought us a wonderful dinner tonight. We just continue to be blessed. Thank you so much! I am now so full it hurts!

From our home to yours...

Mix of emotion

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I have SO much to be thankful for:

* God. He has brought me through more than I can even begin to mention.

* Family. I love my family.

* Ethan. I thank God for trusting me and Scott to be his parents. We are the lucky ones.

* Being American. Complain all you want about government, but we still have the best country out there.

* Challenge Farm. I have witnessed the amazing work being done on Challenge Farm.

* Health. Scott and I went 9 months without health insurance and thankfully, our health stayed well enough to not worry about it too much.

* Friends. I have some of the best friends in the world. And, they are around the world. Not just around the country, but around the world.

* Church Family. Our church family has taken care of us more times than we can count. Most recently, by praying for Ethan around the clock during his surgery and bringing us meals now that we are home.

* Job. I may have lost my job in January, but I gained so much more. Scott has a great job and works for wonderful people. We are so blessed to have them as our friends too.

* Insurance. Scott and I now have insurance. :-)

* Home. I have a home. Nothing extravagant, but it's comfortable and it's home, which is more than so many others around this country and abroad have.

* Clothes/Shoes. Never take these items for granted.

* United Airlines. They will be flying Scott's mom to us tomorrow. :)

* Forgiveness. To forgive is a rewarding act. I am so thankful that I have been given the ability to forgive.

Through all of this, I am sad. I should not be considering everything that I have to be thankful for. Thanksgiving was always my favorite holiday. My mom makes an awesome turkey. My sisters and I would fight over who would get to make the whipped cream or the fruit salad. I used to hate sweet potatoes and now I love them because of how my mom would make them. Before dinner, we always munched on black olives. There was always a bowl of black olives. Olive fingers = yum.

Last year, my little sister Kamrin, came to visit me for Thanksgiving. I am not sure I have ever looked forward to a visit more. I counted the days for her to come. I would cook a turkey for the very first time. We had a real Thanksgiving. I cried and cried the day she left. I cry now thinking about it. I miss my family, especially around times like this. Missing traditions. Eating, eating, and games. Lots of games and yelling (something my mom always says she can't stand, but I beg to differ).

I know this is something that we did. We moved. I get that. But, that doesn't mean that I can't miss things from home.

Back to school!

Yesterday, Ethan went back to school, much to everyone's surprise! Resilient is Ethan's other middle name. He continues to do really well. The only thing that still gets him is laying down to change his diaper. He doesn't seem to have any pain otherwise which we are very thankful for. The swelling is about the same and I am watching that carefully.

Ethan is such a little man of popularity at school. It is so cute. A few kids came up to him and said hello in sign language while being so excited that he was out of the hospital.




Last night, Ethan was all interested in playing around Shep. Shep is too old now to really care and he just wants to be left alone, LOL! Shep is such a good puppy. We have been so lucky to have such a wonderful dog. I hate that he is now really beginning to have arthritis issues with his legs and hip dysplasia. :( I love my boys.