7.5 months

It's been 7.5 months since Gavin came home. He is doing incredibly well and we ALL love him...yet, our hearts are still burdened for the children left behind, kids just like him who are a little older than the desired infant. Many children, over the age of 5, have given up hope of finding a forever family. If the children's faces in Haiti are resonating through your head and heart, ACT, there are millions of children all over the world waiting RIGHT NOW for homes. They didn't just live through a devastating earthquake, but their lives are just as tragic. They are beautiful and fun and loving, everything my Gavin is- the only difference is, he has a HOME.. Do you have room?

Knitting for Orphans

Elli, Janika and Kael have been busy, busy, knitting hats and scarves. They want to sell their wares for a very special orphan care project. I've included some pictures for you to look at. They want to sell the scarves for $10 each or scarf/hat combo for $15. You can pick the color and let us know how many you want!! These scarves/hats are really beautiful, but thin. They're definitely for looks. Just think how much fun it will be though, to tell someone, when they ask about your new look, "The Sweeney kids made these to raise money for orphans."



Leave us a comment telling us what you think! Don't see a color you like? Let us know.

WOOHOO!!!!

Kristi and Dale passed court!! Two more Ethiopian beauties will be in Wyoming soon! Thank you Lord!!

Hall's court date tonight!

As we sleep tonight, the Hall's court case will be heard half a world away. Please join us in praying for them to pass court so they can go to Ethiopia and bring their girls home to Wyoming!

Dale and Kristi- it's been so fun watching you go through this process! We can't wait to meet the girls! You'll hear a loud SCREAM in North Dakota if you pass!

Purchase a t-shirt- Help bring our friends' girls home!!

Shirt Front


Shirt Back

Our good friends, Dale and Kristi Hall are just a day away from learning if they passed court in Ethiopia for two BEAUTIFUL new daughters. They are selling these very cool t-shirts to pay for their airfare, in-country costs, etc. If you are interested in purchasing one, please leave me a comment and I'll direct you to them. If you want to know a little more about them, visit:
http://thehallmark.blogspot.com


The message on their shirts is so true!! WE are the answer for the Fatherless. We are called to DEFEND them!!

Haiti

This morning, as I watched the news, I prayed for the people of Haiti, knowing that there are many orphanages in the country. After reading several family's blogs this morning, the reality has hit home. Many parents are waiting to hear word of their children in Haiti. I know at least one orphanage that is in the center of the worst hit area. Please pray for the children, please pray for their families who are waiting to bring them home.

My heart is heavy.

SO FUN!!

As I've written before, Layne and Gavin are best friends. They spend almost every minute of the day together and laugh, laugh, laugh together. It is pure joy, just listening to them!

Gavin told me he could carry Layne, just like they would carry little siblings in Benchi. I honestly didn't believe him, but the truth is in the pictures. He is one smart, strong boy. He squats down, Layne climbs on, he stands up and away they go. I've just had to give them warnings on not bashing her head into anything!!

They both went to AWANA at the church, last Sunday, for the first time and LOVED IT!! They've been memorizing Scripture and listening to the stories all week.

We received our sponsor child through Children's Hopechest today. We are excited to help provide him with food (everyday), education and love. Hopefully, when we venture back to Addis, we'll be able to meet him and let him know that we pray for him regularly, BY NAME. He is definitely not forgotten.

Great quote

I've been trying hard to minimize our outgoing expenses and have been really interested in books by Mary Ostyn, a mother, both through biology and adoption, of 10 kids. She has great money saving tips for shopping, cooking, etc. I hope to implement some strategies this week to help us save more (WHY? for anything orphan related...the millions of orphans in the world are heavy on my heart)

In one of her books, she quotes Mother Theresa, so I'll also use the quote here:

"How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers."

If you're on Facebook, go to the We Have Room fanpage and listen to the song on the left side...then, as my friend, Jason Egly wrote: "Tell me how many kids you're going to adopt!!!"

Wappened and Wabout

Gavin has learned English SUPER fast, he is even reading beginning reading books. I think that is just incredible. He is getting more and more animated at the dinner table, too, telling us stories and asking us a million questions. The other day, we were at the table from 6 to 8 and it was great!!

I just have to share, though, two words that make us smile, Wappened and Wabout. If Gavin gets super excited and wants to understand something better, he yells, "Wappened?" (What happened?) You can probably guess that Wabout is him asking, "What about?" We call this Gavin speak. He'll say Wappened or Wabout and then, say, "OH! WHAT Happened?"

WOW!! Happy New Year!!

I can't believe it's already New Year's Eve. My husband made my day by saying, he'd rather spend New Year's Eve with his wife and kids than at some big party. I have to say I'd agree. This move has been a little tough, we're missing friends and smiling faces whereever we would go in Sheridan, but have grown, as a family, because of it. We've spent ALOT of family time the past 3.5 months and honestly love being with each other. I think it's been the perfect thing to mold our family into the family God wants us to be. Janika said the other day, "Mom, this move has really deepened my faith because I don't have all of the busy-ness of my life in Sheridan anymore. I have more time to really talk to God." WOW--

Speaking of Janika. She melted my heart yesterday. Most of you know that after I got back from Ethiopia, I was pretty sick all summer. We've finally nailed down the culprit and I can't eat anything with wheat in it or WHAMMO, sick again. Last night, my daughter wanted to make homemade pizza and then made me my own wheat free pizza!! I haven't had pizza since August and it tasted so great!! Thanks, Jani- you truly are a gift to me...

Elli's life also changed in Ethiopia. She KNOWS she is meant to work in an orphanage when she's older and thinks about orphans ALL OF THE TIME. She had a $30 gift card to Wal-mart (thank you EnerCrest) and has been saving it. The day after Christmas, we all went there and she got busy--not buying anything for herself, but enough to almost fill a rubbermaid tub with kids' clothes that were on clearance...Now I just need to find a family to take them to Ethiopia with them when they travel..any takers out there? Also, for Christmas, she didn't want anything for herself. She asked, and received (thanks Sauros) money for her mission fund. She's got 1/4 of a plane ticket saved already--Again WOW, this Mommy learns so much from her kids' example.

The past two days have been COLD- actually it's been cold for awhile and looks to be for sometime-- ND truly is an ICEBOX. Yesterday, Kael and Gavin bundled up and went outside for over an hour and had the time of their lives. Kael constantly thanks me for bringing home Gavin (thanks to God!!). Today, Gavin couldn't wait for a repeat performance..following Kael around WAITING on his big brother to play with him. Mike, in his wisdom, reminded Kael how neat it was that this little boy wants to be with him all the time.. ANOTHER WOW MOMENT..What a blessing both of my boys are, to each other and to all of us.

This past week, Gavin has been able to skype with three well loved friends from Benchi Maji. Their families feel like family to us..another WOW from God. What a gift..being united with families that we have never met, because we serve the same BIG GOD and have followed his mandate to care for orphans in their distress.

Finally, I have to say that I hear my kids (Elli, Janika, Kael and Layne)saying over and over "Mom, we have room for more." I know some naysayers about adoption say that it can detrimentally affect your biological kids. They are wrong! Adoption increases your children's ability to love others and see others as more important than themselves. I couldn't imagine my life without Layne and Gavin.. WOW, thanks, God for bringing these amazing kids into my life and definitely into my heart.

As I'm typing this, I can hear yells and laughs as the rest of my family plays Twister upstairs..what a wonderful sound..

We pray you all have a Happy New Year!!!