3 Ways to Pray for the Mortellites

And now it's time for another installment of 3 Ways to Pray. Let's just take a second to pray for this sweet family and their process right now. 1. Pray for protection over our daughter in Ethiopia...pray that she can feel a sense of love from God and that she can somehow know there is a family waiting for her.

2. Pray for our hearts...this adoption journey has been difficult for us having known our daughter for over two years now, seeing her grow up in an orphanage and sometimes being discouraged knowing we're missing so much, but also trying to feel as though our story will be completed in God's perfect timing.

3. Pray for God's provision. When we look at the financial portion of our adoption process, it's amazing how much God has provided so far and we know we won't be able to climb the rest of the monetary mountain without Him leading the way.

Thank you so ridiculously much for your generous donations and spreading the word this week. The Mortellite family has been blessed with over $2100 towards their adoption and it's only Wednesday! Keep getting that word out. Lives are being changed here. Can you feel it?

Want to read more about this adorable couple? They're quite lovable, aren't they? Head over to their blog. They've got some fun stuff on there. And stop back tomorrow to see Kelly's favorite holiday recipe in action. I'm cooking it tonight!

See ya tomorrow,

Beth

 

Simple Amharic For Adoptive Families

Good Morning, all! We are having a record breaking week over here at Give1 Save1! The Mortellites have made over $1600 (this, embarassingly, makes me cry a little bit every time I check my email). Thanks for all that. There's still plenty of week left, so keep on giving if it makes you feel good.

Oh, you know who else likes giving? Amy Kendall, author of Simple Language for Adoptive Families. She has generously donated 5 copies of Simple Amharic for Adoptive Families and we're holding a little giveaway right here. I'll let Kelly and Nick tell you a little about their experience with the language.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj6n5RCK1KU]

I have the book and we are steady plugging along with it. The thing I love about this book is that it comes with a CD so I can slowly hear what it's supposed to sound like, and it's written out the way you are supposed to say it. You don't have to learn all the grammar laws and you don't have to learn how to chit chat. You learn what you need to say to your kid when they have NO idea what you are talking about and you're about to put them on a PLANE. You learn how to ask if they are sleepy or hungry or if they have to go to the bathroom. And you get to learn how to say "I am your mom" and "You are my daughter". I love that. It bridges the gap until they start learning English a bit better, but more importantly provides much needed familiarity and comfort to the child.

So, if you are adopting from Ethiopia, or thinking about it, this book is the way to go. Want one? I've got five and there are five ways to win. It all goes down in the comment section. You'll get one entry for sharing on facebook, one for liking Give1 Save1 on facebook, one for a comment telling me why you'd like to learn Amharic, one for a blog post, and one for donating to the Family of the Week, the Mortellites. Just tell me what you did in the comments section.

And suppose you're adopting from somewhere else?... Well, Simple Language also comes in Chinese, Haitian Creole (hopefully I'll be needing this one someday), Spanish, and Russian. If you don't win a book, hop over here and buy one. For $30 it's well worth the purchase. I use mine in the car when I go pick Will up from school, but the book is compact and easy to take around. I highly recommend. So good luck! We'll let you know who wins on Saturday morning.

Have a good one,

Beth

New week, new family

This week we're giving a big welcome to the Mortellite family. You guys, this is Kelly and Nick.



They have both spent some time working in Ethiopia and found their daughter several years ago. Imagine knowing her for that long and waiting for that long. I'll let them tell their story. Click on over here to watch their video and get to know them a little bit. They're a really sweet family. Let's give them a toasty warm welcome with cash, shall we? You know how Christmas is coming up? Oh, yeah, taxes too. Add an adoption on top of that. It's actually a little pricey and stressy. Let's just lift that burden as much as we can. Ready, set, go.

Deck the Halls!

So it’s Black Friday. You’ve found the deals and hidden the presents. Now, it’s time to go all Christmas on your house and put up the tree. So put on the holiday tunes, and check out our favorite new holiday décor ideas (courtesy of Pinterest).

When I was little, I used to make these ornament balls out of Christmas cards. Mine were always sloppy-looking, with glue all over. But these classic holiday crafts will keep your kids entertained every time.



I’m usually one of those nutty moms who searches high and low for the perfect gift wrap that will match the color scheme on the tree. Not this year. (I am trying to save for an adoption, after all.) So why not go green with these cute (and cheap) alternatives?

  

How about repurposing some things you probably already have in your house for some fresh holiday design? Love these ideas.



Sweaters turned into stockings. Genius.



So simple. So shabby chic. So full of holiday cheer.



Or perhaps you’re looking for ways to bring African culture into your Christmas? You can find this and other African ornaments on Etsy while supporting adoption. Melkam Gena is Merry Christmas in Amharic.

Have a good weekend, and we'll see you next week!

-Lindsay

A Leos Family Recipe

Hey Everybody! Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your house is smelling delicious right now. Mine does. I'm making pumpkin creme pies to take to our little family celebrations. I asked Rachel, our Mama of the Week, if she had a favorite Thanksgiving recipe.



Thanksgiving recipe, this one is actually hard. I am not a huge Thanksgiving food fan, I know, I am super weird. I do just about everything to get out of eating turkey and dressing. And if we eat it at Thanksgiving, we definitely don't eat it at Christmas - we have been doing Mexican the past few Christmases with homemade tortillas, enchiladas, and rice and beans. but for a favorite recipe that we start making at Thanksgiving, it would have to be these cookies. We start making them at Thanksgiving and make several batches through Christmas. 

Cranberry-Pistachio Shortbread

2 1/3 cups  all purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt (add more salt if using unsalted pistachios)
2 sticks unsalted butter , at room temperature
2/3 cup  granulated white sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup  salted or unsalted pistachios
1 cup dried cranberries

I used salted pistachios and Craisens; I loved the sweet and salty combination. I would recommend buying pre-shelled pistachios, it is worth the extra money. We bought the shelled kind when I made them last year and it was a huge pain! Also, I did not chop my pistachios or cranberries. When we sliced the cookies to bake, the knife cut right through the ingredients and this turned out perfectly.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt.

In the bowl of your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract, then gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. (Add a couple tablespoons of milk if it seems dry) Fold in the chopped pistachios and dried cranberries, and make sure they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Divide the dough into two equal portions. Place each half on the center of a 14 inch (35 cm) length of parchment or wax paper. Smooth the dough into an evenly shaped rectangle that is about 10 inches (25 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Wrap the shaped logs tightly in wax paper, twist the ends to seal, and refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to three days. Dough can also be frozen for up to two months. If freezing, it is best to defrost the logs in the refrigerator overnight before slicing and baking.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a sharp knife, slice the logs into ¼ inch thick cookies, and place the cookies on the prepared sheets, (I placed the cookies very close together as I was out of parchment paper, they didn’t expand so this was fine). Bake on the center rack for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Recipe makes about 45 cookies and they taste great with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee in the morning!

You guys, I made them and they were so yummy and Christmasy looking. They're all red and green. And super easy. I'll be making these again. Thanks for sharing, guys! So, speaking of the Leos family, they have had an awesome week on Give1 Save1. You guys must be feeling extra generous with the holidays and everything. The week is coming to a close, so if you haven't made a donation to help bring those babies home (for some tasty cookies), then go ahead and do it now. Before you spend all your money on Black Friday craziness! ;) You guys have an awesome weekend. I'm outta here. Lindsay's kicking off Christmas tomorrow. You remember Lindsay, right? Well, she's a Give1 blogger now. She's actually already done a few posts on family updates. So give a warm welcome to Lindsay, who'll be sharing some fun Christmas pins tomorrow!!! See ya next week.

Lots of Love,

Beth

3 Ways to Pray

Turns out I just love this 3 Ways to Pray thing. Let's just take a breather in the middle of our week here and pray for the Leos family. Here's what's on Rachel's mind:

1. That our children are safe, loved and protected physically and emotionally. That they would have a peace beyond all understanding as they also wait for us, as in order to be adopted, they will have to suffer a tremendous loss that they will likely not be able to comprehend – pray that God would use that loss for His glory and their joy as He promises to us through scripture.

2. For the process itself. We hit an unexpected snag last week. Although I can't share the details publicly and we are moving forward albeit some changes to our original desires, it was a great reminder to us that God is in control (after I had a slight freak out), and we constantly must put this journey, our lives and our children on the Cross. Pray that we rely on God during this time, that we are able to trust in His provision during this process. 

3. For our hearts. We are so excited to meet our kids and cannot wait to be parents, so the waiting is hard. Unexpected changes and lack of control over the process, which, although we know is ultimately controlled by our Father, is still hard. Pray for our hearts during the wait, that we will always remember Christ's love for us and our children and His sovereign plan over every detail. That we would rest in the peace that He will not be surprised as as the process unfolds, and that He is good in all things.

Turns out that there is strength in numbers regarding prayer. So many times we casually toss out an "I'll pray for you", but let's just freeze in our tracks and really do it. It means the world to this family and it moves the Heavens on their behalf. That's pretty darn powerful.

I know tomorrow's Thanksgiving, but finish up your casseroles and everything and meet me back here tomorrow. Mama Rachel is passing on her recipe for cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies and we can just kick off Christmas as soon as your last piece of pumpkin pie is polished off. Have a good one.

 

Super Cool Slings

  

The adoption world tosses around the 'attachment' word a lot. Like alot alot.  Truth is we all need help "attaching" to our kids and keeping that bond strong. I'm reading so many books about how to foster attachment with your adopted child, but honestly I'm finding all this stuff ridiculously helpful bonding with my birth kids. Of course I read all kinds of stuff like this when I was prego with my kids. And everybody under the sun recommends some kind of baby back pack to hold your bambino while you go about your daily business. Literal attachment. :) For babies, there are a ton of options. Wraps, back packy contraptions, and slings... I was a sling girl myself. These slings by Seven make me want a baby all over again. When my babies were small enough to wear in a sling my hair did not look like this and neither did my belly or arms...huh, weird...



Experts recommend that you hold and snuggle the toddlers and older kids as much as possible as well. This one by Ergo is BY FAR everyone's major top dog preference for giant toddlers and preschoolers. They aren't as cute as the slings. I know. But they're practical. I could probably carry my grandma in one of these suckers. And everyone says they're really comfy. And the color's not bad. They even have some Petunia Picklebottom prints. This is the route I'll probably be going.

Then they're a wrap style. There's some serious versatility in these. I love how the African women carry them on their back. Duh! Why don't we do that? How many times have I had awesome intentions to carry around my kid in a sling and then had my household duties nixed because the sleeping baby was in the way. You can't really chop onions with a six month old reaching for your knife. So anyway, those African ladies have one on us with the whole rucksack carry. Here's a good little tutorial on how to pack your baby like a proper Ugandan.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFLhddgIEIQ]

Rachel and Jesse are adopting two bambinos, so they're going to have to get used to using some of these things. Some of those Seven slings are manly enough for a guy I think. By the way, you guys ROCKED OUT day 1 of the Leos Give1 week. That was record breaking wildness. Thank you so much for everyone who has donated. You guys are awesome. Have I told you that lately?