Do You See What I See??

I know you southern folks can't appreciate this quite as much as those around here, but, this is the first sign of spring....my TULIPS are coming up! I am so darn excited. I can't tell you how bad I have spring fever. This is one of the worst winters Chicago has had in many years, total snow this winter is beyond 60 inches. Every time it starts to snow, I say, you HAVE to be kidding me....HELLO..it is APRIL! I am WAY overdue for some sunshine, fresh flowers and yard work. So, hopefully this is only the beginning of lots of blooms to come.

MandyB

Cheer Alliance, Together Strong!

Well, it happened!! Hayden's team won 1st place at their last competition. She was elated! We were so proud of these girls. Hayden's two grandma's were there, her grandpa and of course, Troy, the boys and I. She had quite the audience and she put on a show. She loved every minute of it. Thanks for a great season, Cheer Alliance! We look forward to next year~TOGETHER STRONG!

Our Easter

Our Easter was a day filled with family. We went to church at 11 and then came home and spent the afternoon hanging out together. Troy's parents were here so we enjoyed spending time with them. Hayden gave me the cutest Easter Card. On the front it said, "Happy Easter" On the inside it said, "Dear Mom and Dad, I just wanted to wish you a happy Easter. I hope we can have a happy Easter with a good spirit. I am so happy that my mom won vice prez. I am happy that dad got the job and that we get to stay here. Love you Mom and Dad. PS: Thank you for everything you have givin me. My favorite part is that you gave me life and love. Love Hayden.

This is one of the "mommy paychecks". I find myself in a daily grind, doing the same thing, same routine over and over without a "paycheck". These little sentiments, these cards, they are my paycheck for what I do. They are worth more than millions to me. These are the memories I will cherish a lifetime....nothing could take that away from me!

Hope you all had a wonderful day, celebrating our LORD and his RESURRECTION!

Happy Gotcha Day Hudson!!

For the last two years we have been blessed beyond measure by this sweet little gift from God. This day, two years ago, Troy, Huddie and I were on a flight headed to the USA bringing Hudson home forever. We were taking him from everything he had ever known and bringing him to a new life, a new language, a new house, a new brother, a new sister, a new pet, new grandparents, new EVERYTHING! I just remember how magical that day was, it was a day that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. The Lord led us to Hudson, in Guatemala, and I truly know that he was meant to be ours from the day he was conceived. The Lord has great plans for this little man. He is so very smart, so handsome and so precious. Thank you God for your many blessings on our family and lead and protect Hudson through his life. He is such a sweet boy that absolutely makes everyone laugh! Here's to a lifetime of happiness with our Guatemalan Prince!

Quick link to Books for Guatemala

Hello everyone! My dear friend send me this photo show showing all of the books she has received for Guatemala. Take a look! It is so exciting. I am so proud to be a part of this project to help these orphaned children. We have surpassed the 50 book goal and are now on book 70!!! GO GOD!!! God is awesome and has truly blessed us through this journey.

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/CG6mi3SY


Mandy B

Book Sale Update

Well....we have surpassed the goal!! We are over 60 books now and I am so excited! I told my dear friend that is moving to Guatemala that they may have to build a library in the childrens home now!! Thank you all for your kind donations. The book sale is open until the 15th so if you are still interested in purchasing books, there is still time!

God Bless You ALL!
MandyB

Books for Guatemala

Hello everyone,
Today I am posting to you on behalf of a project that I have decided to take part in. I have been praying for some time for something that I could do to "give back" to Guatemala. A family friend and her husband are going to Guatemala to serve for a couple of years at New Life Childrens Home in Villa Nueva. This is an excellent Christian facility that houses boys and girls from ages 9 mo to 24 years. The children are not available for adoption, but have been relinquished, abandoned or taken out of their homes for various reasons. You can look at their website at www.nlch.nlai.org I was overwhelmed when I read that one in eight girls that start 1st grade will only finish to 6th grade. The illiteracy rate in Guatemala is about 50%. I cringe to think that our little Hudson could have been among the percentage that would have never made it to school or never learned to read or write. So, I am heading up a book drive to send with our family friend to Guatemala in May. Here is the invitation and link if you want to donate a book!

You are invited to an Usborne Books eShow to explore the world of Usborne Books. A child's interest in reading and learning is stimulated by the lavish illustrations and informative content. There are over 1300 bright, colorful and fun titles covering activities, puzzles and a wide range of subjects for children of all ages.Usborne Books - the books kids love to read!Hosted by: Place: www.ubah.com/HOS109081When: Today thru 3/15/2008 11:59:00 PMChat Scheduled: - Everyone is welcome, so invite a friend.