A special sisterhood

Last night, I drove almost 2 hours to be with a special group of 25 mamas.  Adoptive mamas.  And yes, they really are THAT special.  Even though I don't see them often, I feel so privileged to call them my very dear friends.  They understand the tough times and offer support without judgment.  Yes, I am part of a true sisterhood that runs deeper than many others I know.  Thank you, special sisters, for being YOU.  I love you!

Thanks Amber for the iphone pic (it's nice to leave my camera home!) and a big, huge, special thank you to Kelly for organizing the event.  That's me with my dear friends Johanna and Angie, love you girls like crazy!

'Tis the Season

Caught them watching the sugar cookies bake ... all at once ... together.  Ah, adorable.  These were for Advent Day #6 - bake homemade cookies to give to neighbors we don't know well.  Got the cookies baked yesterday, and we will finally be getting these where they belong later tonight when everyone is home from work.  Seems many of our Advent projects are running into multiple days, but we are loving all the projects!

I prayed for this child,

and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27

Welcome home Renno Family, love you so much!  I shot so many pictures at the airport yesterday, it seemed like a slideshow was the only way I might be able to do the homecoming justice.  I have many more images to give Melissa, but please watch the short video below to experience it with them.  And yes, you will absolutely need a tissue!

Advent Day 2: A Giveaway!!

Today we read "The King's Christmas List" by Eldon Johnson, and then visited their website.  We gifted a share of a new water well, 2 chickens and 2 ducks to other less fortunate families around the world.  The kids had a hard time deciding how to spend the money but really gave it a lot of thought.  I liked this activity because it forced them to think about families in other parts of the world that live very different lives ... a concept that I know must be quite difficult for them.

The book itself is really sweet with pretty illustrations.  Without giving away the whole story, it's about a girl who learns that helping people in need is the best way to give gifts to the King on His birthday.  It teaches young children the true meaning of Christmas in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand.

It would be a perfect addition to your Christmas book collection and I'm GIVING AWAY one free copy on the blog!  There are a few ways to enter the giveaway:

1. Share this post on Facebook or your favorite social networking site and then comment here letting me know.
2. For an extra entry, visit "The King's Adventure" website with your kids (you don't need to purchase anything, although that would be wonderful!) and then comment here letting me know.
3. And for another extra entry, "like" the Living Out His Love's Facebook page to stay updated on the rest of our Advent activities and then leave a comment letting me know you did (or comment letting me know if you are already a "liker").

You will need to comment for each entry.  Please make sure that I can get in touch with you by leaving an email address!  Tell your family and friends, spread the word!  The winner will be drawn on Monday, December 10, 2012 in the evening!  Merry Christmas!

Advent Day 1: Prayer Sticks

I love how this project turned out!  In case you don't know what we're doing for Advent this year, click HERE to read about our Random Acts of Christmas Kindness Advent projects!  Our first day's project was to create Prayer Sticks  -  we now have a collection of popsicle sticks with pictures of family & friends glued on them to help us pray in the evenings before bed.  And we'll definitely be adding more in the future!

The kids had fun putting this project together.  I painted a wooden cylinder box from A.C. Moore to hold our Prayer Sticks and mod-podged the image on the front (that I found online).  This is a new tool we will use every night.  Praying for others is definitely an act of kindness that will reap rewards indefinitely, and we are so excited to have a fun way to incorporate it into bedtime prayers!