Author Archives: admin This is a simple and fun project–so easy that even the kids can make it! For my wreath, I used scrap fabric–so the ONLY cost was the straw $2 wreath (50% off at Hobby Lobby). I did add a bird to the center which is the ONLY part that requires sewing which is optional! This […]  Okay…so I haven’t posted Part 1, 2 or 4 yet–but there are definitely 4 “share worthy” parts of our family’s Thanksgiving break. Some how though, I feel this part is the most important, and I feel like I NEED to write this one down first… For over a week my great Aunt Thelma had been […] oh, i love your aunt thelma…what a wonderful lady!! kj I am so very sorry for your loss! She sounds like she was a wonderful lady. How could it be ANYTHING but a PINK sunset? Pink was HER color. Thank you for this sweet, sweet post! It was amazing to sit and listen to her go on about the children. I never tired of it. Jesus’ love shined though every word. She was awed when she saw your face on that Skype call from Ethiopia. We will all miss her very much. She is in a better place. She live a full life and was able to pass from this life at home. She was blessed, but more than that, she was a blessing. She sounds like she was wonderful. Thanks, I’m all teary now. I am sorry for your loss, she sounds like quite a special lady! Andrea, what a precious post and a precious lady! I got chills when I saw the beautiful picture you took of the sky! Also could not help but think of my Great Aunt who we plan to name our daughter after! She, too is a ray of sunshine to all around her, my Aunt SADIE! (:  I know it’s a few days EARLY…but I had to go ahead and say it because we’ll be MIA for a few days soaking up time with family! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!! BUT I have a few things I just have to document to never forget that happened today. I am so thankful–and not just because it’s […] Happy Thanksgiving to you, Andrea, and your sweet family. What a fantastic day! I am thankful for you – for all that you share, for all that you do for others, for your leading example in living life for God and praising Him for all He provides. So Thankful!!! Hugs and Blessings this Thanksgiving!!!! oh,this made my day..what a sweet post….can’t wait to see yall tomorrow (or today really..i’m up late cookin for ya 🙂 Ok, so i was jealous that you don’t take all the kids to the dr…. I love my doc, but he just sits and stares in shock and laughs cause I have to take ALL 5 kids with me EACH time someone is sick..and yes, they are always licking the walls and always sick the next day…LOL What a beautiful post – thank you for sharing your heart. I am not a AGCI mommy, but your friendships and muffins make me a bit envious =) – lol. Ooooooh so amazing! Praising the Lord WITH you! Can’t wait to see all the cute pics of your Thanksgiving! have fun! I’m so thankful your pediatrician decided to share all of that with you! Praise the Lord for ITY! Andrea, oh how wonderful! Can you imagine what you life would be like right now if you hadn’t said yes to God? You wouldn’t have that little miracle to watch grow and become an awesome man of God. Thank you so much for sharing… Wow–what a powerful story…! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Your post was just completely moving, I had to write! I found your website through friends of friends and had to start following you. Your children are all so beautiful and your heart for the Lord is even more beautiful! You uplift me with your posts and bring me to tears at the same time. God knew what he was doing when he picked you, your husband and your family to take care of that miracle baby. Praise His name! Love this story and am holding the tears back myself! Melt my heart! So much warm and fuzziness. I PRAY that I handle the transition home as gracefully as you have. You mentioned in one of your earlier posts that Dr. Penny is your pediatrician. My children both see Dr. Penny as well. Last time we were there for an appointment I told Dr. Penny that I follow your blog. He went on and on about what an incredible family you have…he really cares about your family and Issac Temesgen. We love, love, love Dr. Penny. Kim Z. My little 2-yr old has also been wanting to take all his lovies with him out of the crib in the morning (he still has his paci too). Recently I nearly dropped him going down the stairs because there was so much between us: 2 blankies, puppy dog, bear, Elmo, Elmo fireman, and bed water! Your stories of Frank are too cute. I’m so glad my guy can’t open the fridge because who wouldn’t want to drink that open container of whipping cream I have in there. Oh how beautiful! What amazing work God is doing through you and your family!!! What a testament of faith you and your family are for the love of our God! Andrea – We are so lost in this paper chase. We just finished all of our education, and it can be a little scary and overwhelming. I thank the Lord for your miracle baby. What a great reminder. Thank you. Now I need to find the Kleenex. God IS already using little Isaac to touch the heart of your Dr and his staff!! So precious. This is a beautiful post, Andrea! Isn’t it awesome to see doctor’s hearts softened?? There have been so many healing miracles in my daughter’s life and I love to smile when the doctors say, “I don’t know how to explain this.” Well I do! Have a beautiful Thanksgiving! Reading your post this morning…tears…what a great way to start my day…praising the Lord for his miracles!! Oh my! Now I’m wiping away tears, too! How wonderful! (And that Frank drinking the heavy cream cracks me up!) Oh lovely! Precious. Happy Thanksgiving to your beautiful family full of miracles! Precious story! What a little miracle he is! And we have the FP Little People nativity set too…and the kids love it! Can’t wait to get it out this year! That was just too sweet… tears are now streaming down my face. God is SO good! He surely gives us the strength we need to get through difficult things…”I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 I remind myself of this verse often. =} Thank you for sharing this! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Andrea….your family is amazing! You have taken the leap of faith and God has BLESSED THAT in AMAZING WAYS!!!! He is truly a miracle. I remember after you accepted the referral….knowing this could be really really hard. Knowing that Isaac could have not survived…knowing that God had placed him in YOUR HOME for a reason. It just thrills me to see him change the world already! Just think of what he will do in the future!!! 🙂 YEAH ISAAC! Andrea, your post made me cry! I’ve spent lots of hours in specialists office with my kids and am always preplexed by how the Lord can use our circumstances (especailly the ones that aren’t fun for us or our kiddos) to His Glory. Thanks for the reminder that there is always someone watching and we can be a witness of God’s sustaining grace in how we handle life’s difficulties. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Sobbing as I read about your day. Thank you for sharing your miracles with us. As a momma who is walking the special needs adoption journey-you are such a huge blessing to me! how amazing our God is and how wonderful He is showing His love through your family. His mercies never cease! i also have to say frank is a man after my own heart…i love heavy cream!!! jennifer Such a miraculous little baby boy! SO GLAD for you that God chose this little angel for YOUR family! Very excited that God is uplifting you and breathing energy into you. So thankful to you for blogging your story! Have a blessed Thanksgiving! :o) Oh WOW! That is a moment to remember! Blessings to you this Thanksgiving Andrea! Now you’ve got us all crying! That just blesses my heart. I love when God breaks the “walls” of professionals and we all just become people with love for one another and tears and joy. I had a very cool experience with my Dr. as well, when I was getting a yellow fever shot to prepare me for going to Africa and getting our daughter, and he began to share with me how his son is a total miracle, and God saved his son’s life when he was just a tiny baby born prematurely, and we both just had a precious moment talking about our kids and God and miracles. I left there feeling like I’d had a “devine appt.”. LOVE THAT STORY! How awesome. Hey, and we also get the Little People Nativity out first each year! My kids love it! Happy Thanksgiving! Wow! What an inspiration. I am looking around trying to research Christian women blog sites and what I like and do not like on each…I love yours. It has you as a writer and God has blessed me today with your story and a blog I will always check in onfor more! God bless you and your family!  I went back and forth whether or not we should pull the Christmas decorations out before Thanksgiving–and I decided to slowly but surely get a few things out…and while we were at it…why not go ahead and make the banner tutorial some of you have requested:). SO…I decided to make a banner that we can […] Fun craft! When you posted the fall wreath I called my mom and asked if she had any burlap. She didn’t…so I went and bought my own. Little did I know she went and bought me some that day just to make me smile. So AFTER making the fall wreath, I still have two more yards! This will help me use some of that up! Thanks for the fun idea. Plus WHERE did you get your nativity?? The only one I have yet is the clay one I made in high school…I seriously need to invest! OH … if I could only find a Hobby Lobby in Hong Kong! I LOVE THE BANNER! Heading over now to check out the t-shirts! I LOVE the banner. I was all excited to make one until you mentioned sewing. I don’t sew! Any other way to get it together? 🙂 Of course you can do this without sewing!!! Buy Heat-n-Bond instead. You’ll iron it on the white fabric, pull the backing off and simply iron it on the burlap! That’s it!!! (You can buy heat-n-bond online, at Walmart or Hobby Lobby.) P.S. To do the roping w/out a machine, you will want some needle and thread to stitch the twine on the ends at least–OR you can try hot glue…hot glue works for just about anything and it should hold this just fine too! thanks so much for the tutorial…love it and hope to try it sometime! Love these. So cute yet simple. I was hoping you’d post a tutorial for the banner! 🙂  Although I’m not quite ready to take down our Thanksgiving decorations—I can’t help but get a head start of a few fun Christmas decorations…and it’s so much fun to have some new things each year–and even more fun when it’s easy on the budget! I decided to make a coffee filter wreath to go in […] wow…love it and cant wait to see that pic with the shooting star! Love it, love it! I so wish I was crafty and creative! Cute wreath. I made one with brown filters. I thought it looked great on my front door…then it rained. 🙁 A soggy wreath is not as cute. Love the wreath! I saw it on another blog about a week ago and it is on my to do list. I meant to get some pics of the kids today for our card, but I chickened out. It can be so stressful! Especially with four and one of them being 17 months! I’m so glad you got a great shot of your four! Maybe I can do it tomorrow… love the wreath idea.. and i can’t wait for the banner tutorial..I just went out and get burlap today!!! Will you post it here? thanks for being my blog friend and mentor..even though you know nothing about me!:) So funny, Andrea! I have a shirt in the exact same fabric as Laney’s dress that I bought a couple of weeks ago!!! I should sale it to you so y’all could be Mommy/daughter twins!!! I have only worn it once! Love this idea for the wreath… you are the most creative person I have ever met! You never stop amazing me with your craftiness!!!! (: I just love you Andrea! AND you always make me wanna be crafty;0) Love the reef (and white room) and can’t wait to see the pictures. Oops. Meant to say love the wreath. lol so cute! i’m adding this to the ever-growing list of pages i have bookmarked as “things to do/create when we move back to the states”. 🙂 however, im thinking this might be simple enough to do here. i’ll check for supplies on my weekly trip into town tomorrow. what an awesome idea. Can’t wait for the tutorial on the scripture banners. I have plenty of places in my home that I’d love to hang some special scriptures on. Oh my word, I love it! I’m wondering if I could do a smaller wreath for my kids’ rooms using cupcake wrappers… ? Seriously cannot even get my head around your craftiness…sadly, not a talent God gave me. I love how you get the kinds involved in everything! |
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by admin
This is ADORABLE:)
I am really digging these crafts!! Any children’s advent ideas coming?? =)
Andrea, I love your amazing craft ideas! I copied your banner and made a thanksgiving one! It turned out great!! Thanks for the inspiration girl!
Okay…too darn cute. I am so waiting for your next project. I need to redo my stockings now that we are a family of 5 this year 🙂
i LOVE this…i think i might try this, this week! :0) love the meaning behind the sparrow!
I love this! you have the best ideas 🙂
I just got out some old fabric and a wire coat hanger this morning, and made one of these after your example… it’s perfect! Thank you so much, Andrea! 🙂
We love the pics and are amazed how Isaac is growing big an dstrong…his smile is a melt your heart smile…even his eyes dance ! All the children are precious.
I am trying to make a smaller version with my pre k students. Practice for fine motors.