l o a day!

Today I was at my good friend Amy's house visiting with her and talking about an upcoming trunk show she is hosting.  I heard my phone ring but ignored it.  Grant and I left Amy's house, we ran a few errands, and then came home.  After I was home for a few minutes I thought, "hmm, I wonder who that was that called about an hour ago."  When I looked at my phone I was shocked to see Anna, our social workers name.  I called her back quickly and when she did not answer I tried to leave her a message.  I was such a mess I somehow screwed that up.  Anyway, then I checked my email and saw those three wonderful letters, LOA!!!

I was really not expecting this!  I was hoping it was soon, but figured it would come on a Monday, not a Wednesday (since that is when they often come).  For those of you that do not  know what LOA is, it is China giving us the official green light to move forward with our adoption.  We had "pre-approval" but now we have the real deal!  It also means that we are about 2-3 months away from traveling to bring home sweet Mae!

Now we are busy again with paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork.  But it is so much fun to be requesting visas for your child and to be petitioning to classify and adoptee as an immediate relative!!

noonday collection

I am thrilled to announce that I have become a Noonday Collection Ambassador.  In case you have not heard of Noonday it is a relatively new company that sells jewelry and accessories.  I was first introduced to Noonday Collection through the adoption world.  When I heard about how Noonday was helping orphans through jewelry trunk shows I was hooked!  

Noonday was started by an adoptive mom who was selling jewelry to help fund her adoption (sound familiar?). She hosted a trunk show for some friends selling unique pieces from Uganda. The show quickly sold out and so she started booking more and more shows.  From these first trunk shows Noonday Collection was born.

Today Noonday Collection's mission is to provide a pathway out of poverty for struggling artisans, while at the same time styling women in amazing jewelry and accessories. Noonday is also focused on the needs of orphans. They provide adoptive families the opportunity to host trunk shows as fundraisers for their adoption, they support orphan care, and they work to end poverty which helps prevent many children from ever becoming orphans in the first place.  

All of this gives me goosebumps and it is why I am so excited about my partnership with Noonday Collection.  I can't wait to share the mission, the stories of the artisans, and the stunning products of Noonday with others.  This is such a fun way to use our purchasing power to create change in the world!

The fall line is launching on August 28th, so I am looking to book trunk shows after that day.  If you are interested in partnering with me I would love to talk to you about hosting a trunk show. Together we can give the Noonday artisans a marketplace for their amazing pieces.  If you or someone you know is adopting I would love to talk to you about our adoption fundraisers.  If you do not live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area or you just want to shop from the line you can always order products through my Noonday Collection website (heads up- there is a great sale right now!).   I would also be happy to connect you with an ambassador in your area who can help you host a trunk show or an adoption fundraiser. 

I feel truly blessed to have found an outlet that combines my love of jewelry, adoption, and care for the vulnerable.  If you have any questions or just want to learn more please contact me.


"...when you satisfy the needs of the oppressed, your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:10

little stewpot stewards

Last week we had an incredible experience helping with a local project for the homeless. My amazing friend April Gorman organized the Little Stewpot Stewards.  This group held lemonade stands all summer long to raise money to buy summer survival kits for the homeless.  The kids assembled the kits and then handed them out to the clients of the Stewpot.  Handing out the kits was by far the best part.  To see the smiles on the clients faces and to know that we made the smallest difference in their day was priceless.  It was beyond inspiring to be part of this project and it was fantastic to see our community and our children come together to help others.

Love!

John stuffing the bags with Gatorade.

Andrew adding sunflower seeds to the bags.

The assembly line

Our gang!

This was only some of the packets we made!

The kids got to hand the packets out (this was the best part). 

Here is our lemonade stand!

we're baaack

We had a great trip to the beach and now it is back to reality. However, we have many fun activities planned for the rest of the summer and I have a really big project in the works!  Stay tuned for more...

Here are a few more pics from our trip. 

This is a great shot, except for my finger.  Drat!

Papa and Grant enjoying some post movie popcorn!

Uncle Rob and Americo on the bay

Miss those beaches already!