{giant} chalkboard

So I saw and fell in love with a friends giant chalkboard that she found at a flea market...

I haven't had such luck finding one of my own - but while brainstorming fun projects with my sister - it hit me - I can make this wonderful chalkboard!

I started with the trim pieces - I was a bit over-zellous and didn't measure beforehand the wall it was going to go on -- so I had to trim it down a bit. (**note to self: measure before you start**)

Final measurements are 33.5in x 43in

I sanded down the boards so it would look worn and kind of old, I used a power sander - much quicker.

Added paint (that I found in my sisters garage, love shopping at her house :) and sanded it again
(*I cut the corners at an angle as well)

Sprayed a piece of thin-ish plywood with chalkboard spray paint (under $4 a can) I used almost 2 cans - I wanted a true chalkboard feeling.

Coming together nicely! Originally I tried gluing the trim to the board, but they kept popping apart, so we screwed the chalkboard to the trim from the back - totally the best way to go, its super sturdy now.

I do love that it doesnt look brand new - and the wood is super soft.

I put a wire hanger on the back - and there she is!

I LOVE it, and as you can see my kids love it too - although I think most of the artwork is Carters.

 (all the pictures were taken with my phone - sorry! :)

Z's {first}

Today was a new first.
We made our very first purchase for our new little girl!
We have been waiting patiently
(albeit painfully patient at times).

This Momma's heart has been aching for this moment. 

We're adopting a little girl that is between birth and 5 years old. 
As a mother your hearts desire is to provide and prepare your home for your children.
SOOO difficult when you simply can't.

Since I can't prepare my home, God has been using this time to prepare my heart.
I've decided to look at it as a gift. To me and my daughter.

So sweet Zefina ~ Here is our long awaited gift from us to you.

We love you Zefina!

Love, Mommy & Daddy

{anything} is possible

I overheard a short conversation between my boys last night -

It went like this:

Carter: "Did you know not EVERYthing is possible?"
Tanner: "Yes - Anything can be possible, God can make it possible."
Carter: "I'm gonna start praying that Ellie will talk."

End of conversation.

(these were taken last night :)

painting {therapy}

{Today marks a new day}

We are officially {done} with our adoption paper work.
We are now just waiting to clear immigration and then will be free to travel - we're hoping May!

{woooooo hoooooo!!!}

Man this has been a trip! I know its not over - in fact really its just beginning...but it still feels so good to be finished with the mounds of papers to be filled out, documents to be found, doctors to visit, friends & family, banks & doctors to notarize forms, shots, passports, hours of classes, fingerprinting....done.

Aaaaah :)

So, this evening I found myself in a quiet house. Boys were in bed, hubby's working, I had just sent Haley off to bed after enjoying a late night cup of tea with her.
...I was feeling like my brain was a bit fried.
With our adoption (and I would assume with most) everything must be exactly 'so'.
No: if's, and's or but's.
My time has been spent pouring over pages of directions and instructions on how to fill out a single form. No room for error. No room for mistakes.

Ugh.
All day my mind keeps going over everything I can think of -- certainly I've forgotten something...? Can we really be this close to done?!

So I picked up a paintbrush, turned on some music and refilled my tea...
I am NOT a painter. At all. But what's interesting is I had all my supplies - canvas, brushes and paint - all tucked away in the corner of my office...I must have subconsciously known this day would come and I would need an evening of painting therapy...

While letting my creativity and mind go, I couldn't help but think about my daughters and when this is finished, hanging it in their bedroom...

{update}!!!!!!

What an amazing night. {really I could just stop right there!!}

I don't think either one of us actually anticipated the type of support that we have been bathed in! In short, its been overwhelming...

{I} truthfully never imagined that our family would be able to gather so many people that would clear their schedules, to come out and support our family. It was like a wedding. Only better! And 11 years later -- and when life is So so much sweeter. :)

January 29th we had a wine tasting fundraiser to help bring our daughter, Zefina home from Zambia, Africa. It was held at Apex in Woodinville, they were wonderfully generous in donating all proceeds from the wine sales that night.  Apex is also where the story of our daughters name began...that will be another post, or a part of our Lifetime movie special as someone suggested - haha! :)

Our fundraising goal that night was to raise $10,000 towards the minimum of $25,000 needed to go get Zefina and make an impact in the lives of countless other kids in Zambia, Africa.  Over 150 of our closest friends, families and strangers attended the event or gave online raising a total of $5,000 profit that night!!!  AMAZING!  It was so cool to see so many of YOU committed to our adoption and the partnership with a Zambian community.  Even more exciting to think of how many people were there that night who are also in the adoption process, open to thinking about it or are just now wrapping their minds around the WHAT IF?

Thank You doesn't seem like quite enough to express our deep gratitude to each and every one of you. YOU have made a great difference, in the life of our little girl and our family, and in the lives of countless children- that truthfully could not survive without you.

 It's not too late! You can still make an incredible impact on a little life.

Donate.

Donate what you feel led. You have an amazing opportunity to be an infants saving grace between life or death. {It can be done quickly and safely by clicking the "Donate Now" button at the top of this blog}

More updates on progress to come.  Thank you all so much!

Chris, Carlee, Haley, Tanner, Carter & Zefina

{journey} to our daughter

We are so excited to share our journey of adoption to our daughter.

This journey began in May of 2009 after I {Carlee} took a trip to Thailand in efforts to fight Human Trafficking. It became clear to both Chris and I, that our 4th child was to be through adoption. After two more trips to Thailand to help fight Human Trafficking as well as trips to an orphanage, our ability to adopt from Thailand was stopped due to the strict Thai governments rules and regulations. Our hearts were broken for these children, and the heartache continued as those doors were slammed shut.

Within weeks of learning a Thai adoption was impossible, a friend of ours told us about children in Zambia, Africa.

In the coming days and weeks, God made it very clear that this was His route to our little girl.

During the summer of 2010, we began gathering any information we could on Zambian adoptions, there was little to be found. Early in September we found a private homestudy agency here in Seattle, Wa and have since been going hard after our 'babies'.

Yes, babies...
God has revealed to us over this time that he would like us to be prepared that he may ask us to adopt two siblings.   

We are overjoyed as we anticipate to travel to Zambia late May, 2011. We are blessed to be able to take our children Haley, Tanner and Carter on this life changing journey as well! We plan to immerse ourselves in the Zambian culture and serve in the local community.

We were connected with an amazing woman who runs three rescue homes for abandoned infants, orphans and young children in crisis.  They also provide assistance to local families, offer free education to children who cannot attend school due to family poverty, and provide infant formula to babies at risk of abandonment or starvation.  When a birth mother has lost a battle to HIV/Aids or dies due to birth complications, it is all too common to bury her baby just a few days later, the families left with the infants may be too poor to provide the proper nutrition - leading to death within days or dropping the babies at these homes - which creates another orphan and need.  Through this program, they have seen children, families and communities thrive! We're excited to partner in these efforts and help by serving, delivering and donating to the program during our estimated 4-6 week stay in Zambia as we wait for our adoption process to be completed.

Will you be a part of our journey and partner with our family in bringing our daughter(s) home?

We're excited to continue sharing our journey so please check back for updated blogs!


Love,
Chris, Carlee and the kids!

my {heart} in his pocket

I must share a conversation I just had with my 7 year old, Carter.

It began with a simple question:

Mom, have I always had a twirl in my head?
Yes hun.
Wow! So I'll probably have it until I die.
You'll have it even after you die!
Uh - One more question...
Yes?
Will the world come to an end?
Yes! When Jesus comes down from Heaven to take all of his believers back up with him.
Yeah, but we can't see him when he comes down...
I don't know if we'll be able to see him or not - we'll have to wait and see.
Well you know how we don't take our bodies to heaven - just our hearts go - so he'll probably just put our hearts in his pocket or something - and take us up that way (completely sure of his answer).
Hmmm...
Uh, Mom? One more thing -
Yes?
Did you know that in heaven we wont get any scratches!
Yes I did know that! Very cool, huh!?
Uh - one more question -
Yes?
Do we sleep in heaven?
Nope! Because we won't get tired!
Wow! We're going to be awake for a long time!!

Who would have thought this is what goes through this boys head - all while matching socks! :)