Author Archives: admin What makes a family–a family??? Is it blood? Is it marriage? Is it friendships so strong…what is it exactly? Well, it can be a lot of different things that MAKE a family…and at the core of each of them–it’s always LOVE. LOVE has no boundaries. LOVE will make a parent perservere dispite circumstances…it will make […] Did I grab your attention with that title? I thought I might. Okay, you usually get funny Frank stories, crafts, Isaac updates and our daily craziness–but today I was reminded of something…and then refreshed with something else–so I just had to share. No matter how old you are, every now and again you find yourself […] Needed that today Andrea. Thank you. I am so far removed from clique-yness. In our community there is a bit of snobbery that goes around the farming community (i.e. wealthy landowner’s wives) I have a girlfriend who is a farmer’s wife like me and she tries so hard to keep up with all of them. I have this liberated feeling that they are all running a race I’m not. It’s so freeing to remove yourself from any of that! When we moved back to MS, I just had to separate myself from groups like this. I just didn’t want to be a part of it anymore…it is so freeing. I don’t even think about it anymore…praise God! This really speaks to my heart. The Lord has been reminding me this week that forgiveness and loving people who don’t love us can be tough, but then again, so was dying for all my sins. I let go of some things and have felt amazing freedom and joy. And…as afar as not fitting in….I was at my neighborhood Bunco the other night, and although everyone was nice, I didn’t fit in. I can’t join in with the chatter about what happened at the gym, or what new clothes I’d bought or what I’m doing to my house. I wanted to chat about adoption and my passion to return to Africa. Polite smiles all around….. Have a blessed Christmas! BUT are we to remove ourselves from them completely??? This is my instinct and what I want to do…but not what we are called to always do. RIGHT? Oh, heavens no…hope it didn’t sound like I don’t still love these girls. Some of them are still my closest friends. It was just too tempting for me to be involved and not get so caught up in “keeping up”…Unfortunately, I was probably, although not on purpose, in a lot of cliques in high school and college…I know God doesn’t want that for me anymore…He wants me to love others around me, no matter what! We moved to an area where everyone goes to church every Sunday but this clique mentality is so prevalent. So many “let’s get together’s” & so few true friendships, it’s sad. I have learned that God wants us to be who he created us to be and to be kind to everyone. You never know how God is using you to change other’s hearts. I have adoption on the brain & I’m not afraid to say it or to talk about Wiphan. We’ve had a few joking comments about “drinking the Koolaid”. Yet those same folks have since donated to adoptive families & families in need when I send my e-mail blitz’s about a new cause/family that God puts on my heart. I truly believe that Jesus went straight to the folks who were perceived as “sinners” & if we are truly living in Christ, we will too. God bless! This is an absolutely beautiful reminder. Thank you. WOW, Andrea! (I know I always say that)… but God has certainly used you again to speak to my heart! I was JUST having this EXACT SAME conversation with my husband last night after leaving a party where many of the “elite” in our community were there. I just leave parties like that feeling like I just don’t fit it.. sometimes it is lonely and disheartening, but how amazing that God knew exactly what was on my heart and used YOU to speak to me! There is so much cliqueness in this small southern town I live in, it can be really hard sometimes feeling like an outsider… it is comforting knowing that I am not alone in my feelings on this! I love, Alison, that you came back to chime in again:). Wish you lived closer sister–you are one precious momma. And thank you ladies for sharing your words of encouragement! Sandi H…hoping and praying for sweet connections and deep friendships in your new area!!! Thank you, Andrea. Much comfort in knowing I’m not the only one.  Isn’t it SO MUCH FUN to run out to your mailbox EVERY day and sweet faces on pictures of friends and families you just love!? I just LOVE it! AND…I have to find a way every year to display EACH and EVERY one!!! We have already filled up BOTH of our huge message boards with […] I agree, Darcee is the Best!!! WOWWWW!!! So very cool and her heart is so strong with passion and love for others. Love Darcee, and Love your cards throughout the years! LOVE your cards throughout the years! Such a great idea to post them all together. Going to have to do that too! And I LOVED getting your precious card in the mail! Made my day! 🙂 I love all your cards from the past and we loved getting yours the other day. SO precious! I see ours and am so glad you got it! 🙂 The Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus one is SO precious! I just saw that idea this year and am so sad I didn’t do it last year when N was an infant. 🙁 You seriously need to do a blog post on how you get your kids to all look and smile for the camera. I try all sorts of tricks and don’t even force them to and just try to be silly… and it still barely ever happens! You have amazing talent! I really like your 2008 card… so cute!! Darcee is such a sweet, sweet lady. LOVE her:) I love the cards. Of course Frank makes a grand entrance that year on the card. 🙂 That is DEFINITELY the cutest card I have ever seen. I also like the 2010 with Frank’s great smile looking over at Baby Isaac T I love Christmas cards too!! Your Christmas cards are beautiful and your family is precious. We keep our Christmas cards up all year so we can pray for the families that have sent them to us throughout the year. Merry Christmas and God Bless! Andrea, Wow! ALL of the Christmas cards are so wonderful. I love that you shared them all with us. 🙂 I have to say, that the manger scene one was amazing!! Your kiddos will love having these to look back upon. That is so cool about all of the volunteers, I’m so grateful for their willingness to serve us adoptive mommies, what a blessing! Love your Christmas card message boards. I just made a much simpler (read: less crafty) version. Kari from My Crazy Adoption is posting it Monday as a guest post on simple decorating ideas. Your cards are so precious and it is beautiful to see how your family has grown! Love all the cute cards, especially the manger. You deserve some sort of “Best Christmas Card Award”. I nominate you. You are amazing ! Your family is BEAUTIFUL and a reminder of how GOOD God is, has been and always will be….Isaac has been loved and dreamed about and how sweet our Lord is to have put this desire in your family’s heart and to watch over the months of your trust and obedience and REWARD…ITY…he looks as if he has always been with you and your family… BEAUTIFUL ! Love. Just FYI, we will be the ones that surprise you with a Christmas card in like, March….just don’t think we forgot about you. 🙂 And, actually it won’t even be a card…you just wait. 🙂 I have a precious friend adopting with our agency whose little guy needs our prayers. You can read more about it on their blog here. Tucker is Lauren’s FIRST baby boy…and she will be traveling in ONE month to see him for the first time. They’ll then have to travel back home and wait for […] THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! It is so special knowing that so many people are praying for Tucker and the other little babies who are sick right now! God is with them in Africa and He’s with us here in the US… and He is good all the time! You are a WONDERFUL friend!!! love this post. You better believe I’ll be praying for those babes. You should check out the latest SixtyFeet post, it’s on a similar topic… Praying for Tucker and all the sick babies at HH! Thanks for the sweet words about Daniel. Hopefully he will be well just in time for our trip to PICK HIM UP!! As you know…it is SO hard to wait on God to reveal His plan…oh the waiting!!!!  We had an action packed weekend with the littles. Family night on Friday night. A Christmas party benefitting Wiphan and foster care on Saturday morning. Gigi took the older two to the Fox Theatre for the Nutracker…and Richard and I thought it’d be a good idea with JUST two kids to go Christmas shopping (HA! […] Andrea~ I always love your posts! And I know (at least I know my version) of what you mean about LONGING for Isaac last Christmas. Just yesterday a simple jewelry commercial with a mom rocking her baby on Christmas Eve made me burst into tears just filled with longing for the babies we are journeying toward. To think of them out there somewhere in Africa as orphans and us here this Christmas is heartbreaking…yet I know this is part of the process..part of God’s plan from the beginning of time…He is faithful. He is mighty to save, and so we walk with Him into the days ahead as we celebrate our Savior’s birth and journey toward the little ones He is leading us to. Awww I love you posts and pics, but that Frankie makes me laugh. I hope he gets a Buddy dog. i love all your pictures and think its great how your kids ask all the questions about santa and jesus and im excited to hear what your going to do with them for the day after Christmas! also…love Isaac’s little tummy…oh so cute! Lovely, Andrea! Your Laney’s heart, Parker’s wisdom, Frank and Isaac’s adorableness … wrapped up makes a forever and amazing blessing for you! Merry Christmas!!!!! WOW, Andrea! You have done it again! This post was so right on for me today, I know that God used your words to touch my heart! I can so relate to so much of what you said! Especially about hurtful things from “so called” friends, as we begin this adoption journey, I am so glad that God has placed a couple of true friends to support me along the way, it means so much! And we also do the three gifts from Santa, so fun to hear that y’all do the same thing! Have to say it again.. I LOVE THIS POST and my sweet “BLOG WORLD FRIEND”… I am so blessed to have you as a part of my life! haha I remember in first grade we had a stuffed koala and one time I got to bring it home for the weekend. Best weekend of my life up to that point! |
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by admin
I’m glad you posted this because I was going to buy one of these and forgot! 🙂 Done. Well, since I’m already a “follower” I could only do two…I Facebooked about it and am going to blog right now… 🙂 Thank you for all you’re doing for the retreat! I’m beyond excited and ready for it!
Love the new shirts! Already a follower.
posted on facebook.
I preordered one of these and probably ordered a small. Andrea, what size do you wear in it? I don’t mind a snug fit but if you think a med would be a great fit for you would you change mine to a medium, also? I’m sure either size will fit so whichever fits you best send me:)
thanks!!
Jenny Wallace
facebooked the giveaway 🙂
put it on my blog
i also became a follower 🙂 thanks andrea…LOVE the shirt 🙂 we are selling shirts for my hubbys upcoming mission trip if you want to check it out. it is on our blog. we havent gotten them in yet, but he did a great job designing them and I am excited to wear one. 🙂 and if I dont win this I will be buying a shirt from you 🙂
I am a follower and sharing on FB now! Awesome shirts…maybe my hubs will let me buy one after Christmas 😉 Praying you guys sell all the shirts you need to cover the costs…because I want this to turn into an annual thing so I can go next year! =)
I am a faithful blog follower already! 🙂 And I just blogged about the t-shirt fundraiser! I’m the only person in America not on facebook, so I guess I’ll just have 2 entries! 🙂 And I just copied your idea from your post with all your Christmas cards over the years!! SO fun to reminisce!
I’m already a follower, but I’m about to blog about it, and FB it!! Have a happy weekend!! Love the shirts:)And, beautiful Christmas card!!!Thanks:)
just bought one! they are awesome!!
Can’t wait to see all of you moms at the retreat!! Andrea, I posted to facebook and linked up to follow the blog.
just ordered mine!~!
I just blogged about it.
I am a follower!
And I facebooked about it. 🙂
you know i’m a follower! trying to decide what size to order… LOVE the shirts!
I just shared on Facebook 🙂
[…] give-away!!! We’ve already sold 50 t-shirts but we need to sell 200 more!!! SO…see this post and comment on how many times I should enter you…there just MIGHT a few surprises in store […]
Posted on Facebook
I’m a follower! I’m gonna blog about it too. Thank you SO much for doing all of this. I’m super excited about the retreat in Feb.
Not sure what you mean by comment on how many times you should enter us. 🙂 I think you should enter me 50 times. Like that?!? Oh, no? I think I only get to be entered twice since I could only do two things. I have a feeling I’m not pickin up what you’re laying down. 🙂
Okay, so I posted this on Facebook and I’m already a follower of your blog. I’m coming to the retreat, although I haven’t sent in the registration fee yet. If I don’t win the T-shirt giveaway, I will definitely order one. LOVE THEM!! We learned last week that we have $16,500 due on the 28th (yes, a mere 9 days) to continue the adoption of our daughter in Russia. Needless to say, ALL spending (including Christmas spending) has been put on hold until then. Anyway…
Happy Birthday Andrea! I posted on FB, I follow your blog and I bought a t-shirt. Sooooo excited for the retreat! Hugs, Kristin
I’m signed up to follow. The shirts are beautiful – good luck!
Facebooked it;)
🙂 Of course I follow:) Oh and I blogged about it! http://www.campbellfamilypartyof3.com
I’m a follower! Love this shirt…I’m definitely going to order one if I don’t win! 🙂
I blogged about the give away!
I’m a faithful blog follower 🙂 In fact, you’ll probably never truly know how much your words mean to me, and how often I’ve used them to get through my day.
and i’m already a follower…don’t know if that counts 🙂
I’m a follower!
And I just facebooked about it!!!
Hi Andrea! I’m doing all 3, please enter me three times!
Maybe I should make separate comments? So, consider this my facebook one. (my previous was my “follower” one)
I’ve followed your blog for awhile…..but am “officially” now! 🙂 Love the shirts!!!!
Blogging about it!
I also blogged about it and I’m a follower (forgot to add that to my first post!)
Posted link on Facebook!
Also added as a follower!
LOVE THESE SHIRTS! :o)
i will be a follower and will put it on my fb status:)
i just became a follower:)
I just bought one through paypal and realized paypal still has my old home address. I need to send you my new mailing address.
I just found these wonderful t-shirts! Are they still available for purchase? I tried to purchase one and it would not let me : (
Thanks!
Stori
PLEASE tell me I can still buy one of these shirts!?!? I LOVE IT!
Are these shirts still available?
Hi!
Also curious about these shirts? Still available?