The Great State Fair of Texas!

It's tradition. It's one place I use to love going to as a child, and where I still love going to and taking my girls now.


Funnel cakes,

Funny looking animals

Games and prizes




Sweet sweet smiles


Lots of laughter




And of course Big Tex and Fletchers corny dogs :)

Every year the fair has something crazy they fry up and everyone has to try it. Last year was chicken fried bacon....eeeewwww. This year's big item was fried beer....double eeewwww! Aaron and I walked over to purchase some deep fried waffle balls (lol) and a man was eating the fried beer, and we asked how it was and he let us try one. It was the grossest thing I ever put in my mouth! It was like a deep fried ravioli with beer inside. But, in saying that, it was the experience that was great, not the nasty tasting fried beer thingy.
I love everything about the fair and getting ready to go and walking in those gates and seeing all the same familiar things from my childhood, makes me feel like a kid again. As a kid, the last thing we would do was stop at the salt water taffy shop and my dad would buy us a big box of assorted flavors....walnut being my favorite!
Another tradition I still keep is the Fletchers corn dog and a nutty caramel apple! I cannot leave the fair grounds until I have had both! For my girls, it's the cotton candy. If you have never been, you should check it out next year. It never disappoints and is always a great time!

FUNDRAISER T-SHIRT PREVIEW!!!!!!

So we FINALLY got our sample t shirts in!!! It seems these things have been in the works FOREVER!!!!! We are so pleased at the way they turned out! The front is a quote I got from Amy Block's blog (Thanks Amy :). The first time I read it, it just really struck a cord. I thought it was very thought provoking. It reads: "Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice in the world when He could do something about it- but I'm afraid He might ask me the same question."
The back of the shirt is a Helen Keller quote, to which also really just jumped off the page at me when I first read it, and it says...."I am only one. I can not do everything; but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse the something I can do." and below it we added "What can you do?"
We love these quotes, and we love the shirts. Our hope is to not only raise money for our adoption with these shirts, but when people read them, we hope that it makes them think of the "something" they can do in this world to impact others in need. Anyway, I hope you like them too. Let me know what you think! They will be on sale here shortly!


This handsome man here modeling our men's version is my husband Aaron. The men's version will be available in sage green with a red Africa and brown lettering.




The makeup-less model here modeling the women's version is me :) It is an actual fitted women's cut, in chocolate brown with red Africa and cream lettering. These shirts run true to their size. Actually this one I have on is a little tight. It is a small and I typically wear a medium, so if you want a tight fitting shirt, you may want to go a size down. I think I will be sporting the medium myself in the future, just for comfy sake :)

Not so trendy

The other day I was shopping at the mall, and I was at the checkout counter. The girl at the counter started chatting with me and asked me how many kids we had. I told her we had 2 girls, and that we were pursuing adoption of a little boy. One cool thing was that the girl at the counter told me that she had been adopted from Romania when she was a child. As we were talking I could see this other woman out of the corner of my eye looking at me. She very sweetly spoke to me and said,"may I ask where you are adopting from?" I told her from Ethiopia, and she had this look on her face like 'of course,' and she told me,"we are about to pursue adoption in Ethiopia as well." Come to find out, this very sweet woman and her family live very near to us and visited our fruitstand the following Saturday. She shared with me that she knew before she even asked the question that I was going to anwer "Ethiopia" to her. God is so great like that! He brought encouragement to both of us while we were at the mall and I believe confirmation :)I am excited to see what God is going to do in this family's life through adoption!
It sure seems like a lot of people are stepping out and adopting now-a-days. In fact, the case worker from our homestudy told us that there were more adoptions coming out of Ethiopia in our area than anyplace else, and that there is a HUGE Ethiopian adoptive community in this area...whoop whoop!
I have heard several people say that adoption within the Christian community is "trendy" right now. I guess if you are on the outside looking in it sure may seem that way. There are more and more people opening up their homes to adoption these days, which is so wonderful! Trendy it may seem, but I don't think that is the case. In fact, I know it's not. It's too hard to be trendy. The adoption journey isn't an easy road to walk down, and ours has only begun. It's surely expensive and difficult, and stressful, and an emotional rollercoaster. You meet people who are wonderfully supportive, and then you meet a lot of people who aren't understanding and don't quite get it, and don't agree with the path you are on. One day you are excited and the next, fear tries to creep in with all the what if's. It requires a lot of work and sacrifice. You kind of have to toughen up, and you for sure have to have your game face on. IT IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE! I think people are pursuing adoption because God is calling them to, and because their hearts have been broken and changed forever. Their eyes have been opened and they can't look back. It's not because it's trendy. God is doing something! He is magnifying His heart for the orphan! His timing is perfect and He knows what He is doing! He is opening eyes, changing hearts, and breaking down barriers. I can't wait to see the day when the new "normal" is the culturally diverse family. God's way is beautiful and it's going to catch fire and blaze through other hearts. It's not trendy my friends, it's God's work and His heart for His people, for we are ALL adopted as orphans into His kingdom. It's a reflection of His kingdom! On earth as it is in Heaven!