Help Colleen and Adam adopt!!!

My good friends Colleen and Adam from our church, GracePoint, in Massachusetts are in the beginning stages of adoption and they are currently fundraising via Pampered Chef in order to eventually adopt from Moldova.

If you are local (Tidewater area) and would like to order something and help this cause just click on the link and enter Jessica Herndon as the hostess that way all of your purchases will be linked to the Young's adoption savings account. I will deliver your items to you when they are delivered to my house after the show ends.

Here's their letter explaining all the details and you can also check out their blog:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PAMPERED CHEF ORDER!!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Colleen Young and I have been a Pampered Chef Consultant for the past couple of years. It has really been just a fun hobby for me that has brought in some extra income here and there for me and my husband. But now, this “extra income” is serving an amazing purpose: it is helping bring home our first child (or children). Adam and I are adopting!

Adam and I started doing missions work with our church almost six years ago. Our church became involved in Moldova, the poorest country in Eastern Europe, where we started ministering to a small orphanage that is home to about 100 kids. Since our first trip, our lives have not been the same. We knew we were carrying the burden to adopt and God started piecing together necessary steps that we needed to make. Over these last 6 years He has been paving the way for us to start a family and we know without a doubt that adoption from Moldova is His will for us.

pastedGraphic.pdf

We are in the very beginning stages of our adoption process and have a long road ahead. The youngest child that we will be able to bring home is 2 years old. We are also praying about adopting a sibling group, which means our family could instantly double

Our prayer is to be good stewards of our money and to utilize some of the avenues He has already placed us in. One of those avenues is my Pampered Chef business~ 100% of my commission that I make from your order will go into our adoption savings account that will be utilized to offset the accruing fees. Our fees include social work fees, government fees, travel expenses (we will need to travel twice to Moldova when our child is ready to come home), and the list goes on. So, throughout this process, I will be doing as much as I can through Pampered Chef to raise money for our adoption fees.

Some facts about Moldova:

  • It is located between Romania and the Ukraine and received its’ independence in the mid-90’s.
  • With that independence, came an incredible economic decline. Most of the children who are orphans are abandoned because the parents just can’t take care of them and go abroad to find work.
  • Moldova is a hub for human trafficking of young girls and women. They are often deceived into thinking they are being recruited to find jobs at restaurants or travel agencies.

Thank you for being part of us starting our family! We are grateful and beyond appreciative. Check out our blog: www.adamandcolleenyoung.blogspot.com to follow us through the next year and a half. I’d love to hear from you!

pastedGraphic_1.pdf


Thank you for helping me support my friends in this great endeavor! Feel free to comment if you have an questions.

The winners are...

Here are the winners for what photos are going to be the first on display in my new photo gallery. Thanks everyone who commented and helped me decide what to use.

Hall Display 8X10
Hall display 5x7

Print for another spot in the house...this photo was taken on the way to Yosemite...I literally pulled over on a pull off from the highway.
These will be in my master bathroom, which is currently void of any art on the walls. I may print them in Sepia tones since the bathroom decor is chocolate browns mostly.
Thanks again for all your input!

Sorry for neglecting the blog...

I'm finally getting caught up...where has the last month and a half gone...I'll tell you...I've been working really hard on getting my National Board Teaching Certification, which I am SO excited about! There are only 80 teachers who are actually certified in my school district, so it's a pretty big deal. My portfolio is due at the end of March containing four papers where I reflect extensively on teaching ESL as well as two videos of my teaching (which I taped my second one today...whoohoo) and documentation of my accomplishments as a teacher. It's all well on its way, which is good because instead of giving myself a year like most people to get everything together and done...I gave myself three months after qualifying for a grant at the last minute for this year's entry...a little crazy, but who turns down free funding?! Oh well, you know me! It is quite an undertaking, but one I am REALLY enjoying and feeling challenged by...so I'll keep you posted. I take my exam in April and find out the final results next November (yes quite a while away)...but the benefits of getting certified will be awesome! So wish me luck...and hopefully I'll be able to update the blog a little more here and there between working on this project, helping with wedding plans for two of my best friends Shelby and Haley who are both getting married this year...not to each other of course...but the planning provides a great distraction when I need to focus my mind and energy on something besides education for a bit because I LOVE WEDDINGS, oh and I'm in the process of directing this year's one act play! (I'm finding I always need a project...last year's was planning Italy and other various summer excursions while juggling these other odds and ends sorts of things.) Love you all for loving me just the way I am...crazy projects, business and all!

Celeste's Baby Shower

Thais and I had the honor and pleasure of throwing Celeste a baby shower up in DC a few weekends back. The last time we were all together was this summer in New Orleans...our last girls weekend before that next season of life begins...motherhood! How exciting!
Yummy shower food...and healthy too!
Our mommy to be with her two moms
Our two mommies to be...
now one mommy to be and one mommy who is...Kathy had Alethia (congrats! such a cutie!)
Everyone hanging out, catching up and enjoying the shower.
Thais leading Baby Jeopardy
Team 1
Team 2
Fun while playing Baby Jeopardy
Personalized onsies...the CUTEST shower idea ever!
Some happy highlights while Celeste opened gifts for her and Ariana.
Hooded towel hand crafted by yours truly in one of Celeste's favorite colors as one part of the gift Thais and I put together.
A lamby her mom got for baby all the way from England.
Adorable outfits!
And much much more...
It was such a fun shower and we all can't wait to meet the newest addition to the Ainsworth family! I love you girls (all THREE of you...hehe get it...Ariana counts too)!

Retro post: New Year's All nighter highlights

Okay...so I realize we are WELL into 2011, but I got a little behind with some of my postings...so we pick up with the New Year's Eve All-nighter!

It was a blast and my sister Anna was even able to join us for an event filled, sleepless night!

After getting the students all checked in...we began with worship music...
Followed by a message from a friend and fellow pastor, David Klindinst...I even went to high school with this guy and he goes WAY back with Adam and Nima in youth group...small world right!
Then it was time to chill, chow down on pizza and snacks, play some crazy games and get ready for midnight!
A game where the person with the most signatures on their feet would win!
Last year at this time...Alicia realized Paul was the man God had for her...and now just a year later they are married! So exciting to see God's plan as in unfolded in their lives before our very eyes!
Twins?!?
New Year's Chicken
The big midnight moment...complete with balloon drop, confetti and silly string!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Me and my sista!
A huge annual game of musical chairs
Just us gals
Cotton candy!
Obstacle course...Anna and Emma raced
Our own youth group talent competition...The Talent Vault complete with judges...
and our own MC...I got to help organize the talent show...fun times!
We even had the students text in votes to decide on a winner!
Line dancing hour!!!
and we rounded out the night/morning with dodge ball and a ton of hanging out in between!
It was a great night and it's always such an eventful way to ring in the New Year!

  © Blogger template Sunset by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP