Hey birdie birdie...

Life as I know it is crazy. I have been trying to post pictures of our spring break trip for oh... several weeks now. Yeah... can't quite seem to finish it.

So today... today, I would like to introduce you to a bird.

We have been pounded with rain. I am pretty sure it has rained more in the past several weeks than it has in the last 11 years that we have lived here. After yet another torrential downpour yesterday afternoon... we headed outside to play while we had our chance.

Hey birdie birdie.



As I stepped out onto our porch... I heard the chirpings of a baby bird. As soon as he saw me... he hopped right on over like he had been waiting to greet me. I admit... I was a little freaked out and was waiting for him to peck me.



I ran back inside the house and the dude seriously came after me! You know those moments where you think to yourself, "Is this really happening to me right now?"

Yeah... totally that kind of moment.



I had no idea what to do with this little guy. He couldn't fly more than a foot or two and he seemed to be starving. His chirpings told me so. Ha.



So feed the baby birdie we did. A worm...



Some wet bread...



Yeah... we were clueless. We later found a nest in a neighbors tree and placed the birdie there. We did not really think that was where he belonged... but figured maybe he would find a foster mommy. Ha.

The little dude was not there today though... hope he found his way. Anything had to have been better than the bucket we offered him.



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Please keep Kirill and the Davis family in your prayers as they travel back to Russia and appear in the Russian Supreme Court for their appeal hearing on May 24th. Tesney and Greg are so thankful for the blessings you gave in raising nearly $20,000 for their appeal. Thank you again... a million times over!

And... if you are feeling lucky and wanting to help another orphan and have a chance at winning a DSLR camera... this time a Nikon D3000 or a $500 gift card to B&H Photo. What what!

Renee is hosting a fundraiser for the Walters family... they are adopting Dillon... a handsome little guy that happens to have Down syndrome. They travel in two days and are $6,000 short. So what do ya say... can we help this sweet family get Dillon home?

For each $5 donation... you will get a chance at winning the Nikon D3000 or a $500 gift card to B&H Photo... or a slew of other great prizes. Awesome!



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Goodnight!

Our little man -- Zhora

Just a little shameless plus for our little man Zhora ---> please consider sponsoring him and helping him to find a family!

$10 ... it is all it takes. And you could end up with an iPod Touch or a beautiful quilt!

We can't let him end up in an institution. We can't let him die.

Please? Click here to read all about it ...

National Adoption Awareness Month

Prior to adopting Nika, I always had a place in my heart for adoption. Being someone who suffered years of infertility, I used to search photo listings of children available for adoption ... thinking that might someday be our reality.

In the end, we were able to successfully have our beautiful biological children via IVF (in vetro fertilization). After our second child was diagnosed with Down syndrome, we weren't sure which direction to proceed in adding to our family.

IVF is expensive. Adoption is expensive. We figured that either way, we had to pay for our next child. So why not adopt a child who needs a family?

It sounded like the perfect solution to us!

So we did. And our adoption has been one of the most amazing experiences of our lives.

When speaking of adoption, I am sometimes conflicted. Many times people don't see the challenges that can come with adoption ... whether it be attachment difficulties, behavioral problems, whatever. Fortunately, we have been very lucky to not have hardly any issues with Nika ... so our story sort of looks like a fairytale story. But it doesn't always happen that way and I just want people to be prepared for that when they decide to adopt a child.

That said, I am here to advocate for all the orphans out there that need a family! Because the benefits always outweigh any challenges that may arise. I am asking you to look deep inside yourself and see what you have to offer an orphan.

These families are already on their way ... how much can we support them?

The Garcia Family ... adopting Kellsey from Eastern Europe ---> They are in country now!

The Stumbo Family ... adopting Nina from Eastern Europe ---> They have their travel date!

The Westbrook Family ... adopting Ruslana from Eastern Europe ---> They are waiting for their travel date!

The Beasley Family ... adopting Elisa, Vanessa and Arthur from Eastern Europe ---> They are waiting for their travel date!

The Nemes Family ... adopting Ana from Eastern Europe ---> They are waiting for their travel date!

The Mayden Family ... adopting Yana and Tavi from Bulgaria ---> They are working on their dossier!

The Rieben Family ... adopting three older children from Bulgaria ---> They are working on their dossier!

The Davis Family ... adopting Sergey from Russia ---> They are working on their dossier!

The Lorenz Family ... adopting Liza from Eastern Europe ---> They are working on their homestudy.

The McDonald Family ... adopting Misha from Eastern Europe ---> They are working on their homestudy!

The Velander Family ... adopting Lera from Russia ---> They are working on their homestudy!

The Zoromski Family ... adopting Lily from Eastern Europe ---> They are working on their homestudy!