One Less

My heart is aching.  It's aching for the children who don't have a families.  I believe that December is one of the worst months to have to endure when you are a child and you don't have a Mom and Dad....a FAMILY....to call your own.  These children do not sit around wishing for the latest PlayStation game or a cell phone or even an MP3 player......these kids just want to be special to someone.....to have a family.....to be CHOSEN.


I think of my son who is still in Ethiopia right now.  He could still be one of the many children in our agency's care center without a family this Christmas.  My son now has a smile in his heart, something to think about and dream of.  He now knows that very soon, he will not be alone any more....he will be surrounded by a family that loves him, a family that is very excited that HE will be joining THEM.  

HE has been CHOSEN....and HE is LOVED.

There is ONE LESS child longing for a family this Christmas.

I heard that when our son "Z" was told that we had CHOSEN..... HIM....his smile went from ear to ear and I keep hearing that this smile hasn't left his face yet.  This smile also traveled from his face, down into his heart.  He was so excited to learn that we couldn't leave him behind....and that we wanted him to be with us FOREVER... so excited....that he didn't even wait for the welcome bag that we were sending him to start writing us letters!  He also takes every opportunity to lead someone over to the map to proudly show them where HIS family lives and where HE will soon be living.  It is an extra blessing that we were able to spend time with him while we were there so he knows who we are...and he also has the comfort of having Tihun over there too.


There was a boy, that USED to be alone, but now he has a FAMILY across the ocean and a SISTER that is right there with him that he can spend time with and LOVE.....

He is not alone anymore.......and his heart is exploding with JOY this Christmas!

This is an excerpt from a blog of a friend of mine and fellow AAI adoptive parent, Rachael, whose heart is right where mine is this Christmas:
I am continually frustrated with the non-existent pedestal that some choose to place us on because "we adopted." We hear over and over how someone would love to adopt, and oh how wonderful it is that we gave a child a home and saying, "You guys are incredible." But we are not. We are not super heroes, we are not extra-ordinary people. We are not extra-spiritual, and we do not experience any more love and grace in our lives than the next Christian. We are surrounded by incredibly supportive and passionate family and friends who understand the joy of adoption. We simply just said "yes." That's it. It was that simple. God did not "make" Jon and me for adoption. He simply chose us first, and in His choosing, we said yes.  Adoption can't be sought merely for compassion's sake or for a massive tug on your heart strings, or because you think it will be all rainbows and unicorns, because it's not. It's more than that. My mind replays the words "chosen,"  and being "bought with a price" in relation to Jesus choosing me!
**Thanks Rachael, for letting me borrow this beautiful piece of your heart!  Please visit Rachael's blog to read her whole post!  =)  


I will leave you with one more story and a song.....

One Less by Matthew West (The Story Behind The Song) from emicmg on Vimeo.




Have a peaceful Sunday....and if you think about it, say a prayer for these waiting children.  God may not be calling YOU to adopt but there are still many ways to being involved and help out.  Prayer is one of them....

It's That Time of Year Again....AAI's Holiday Project Time, That is..

Just wanted to share a message from Mandie, who organizes AAI's Holiday Project every year:

In the spirit of the season, and reflecting on how truly blessed we are, and all the things we have to be Thankful for, I have to say how Thankful I am that we chose AAI. AAI brought three beautiful daughters into our family, and has offered me many opportunities to travel to Ethiopia, and to Layla House.

My life changed on February 10th, 2007... when I stepped out of Bole airport and into the crisp night air of Addis, and I haven't looked back. My eyes were opened to the plight of the people of Ethiopia, especially the orphans... Since that first trip, I've been back to visit and volunteer 7 times. My heart has the imprints of tiny hands and big eyes, workers who wash tons of laundry a week to provide for their own families, sponsorship kids, whose lives are changed by the contributions that thier sponsors send every month. 

I'm Thankful for the Holiday project... that allows me to play 'Santa' every year to hundreds of kids, not only in AAI's care center, but to sponsorship kids, and children in smaller government run orphanages, that AAI works with.  And I'm especially Thankful for all of YOU. You are the ones who keep this project going, who make it a success, and who brighten the lives of these children and caregivers... You continue to help me show them that someone out there is thinking of them... that they are loved... and that they mean something. 

Thank you to all who have donated! And Thanks in advance, to those of you who will find it in your hearts and wallets to do so now. 'm happy to say, that we have raised $5,705 since my last update, bringing our total to date to $5,755. With only 4 weeks left until Christmas, we need to really buckle down and raise the remaining $14,245.... I have no doubt that we will do it.... but I need your help! 

Here are a couple of pics from last years Holiday celebration

Debritu holding our daughter Tihun....Tihun waving 

Tihun receiving her Holiday Project gifts.....she's a little afraid of Santa, 

but who can blame her?  Santa's can be scary...have you ever gotten up close to one?  

Nice sandals Santa...  ;)

Back to Mandie's message:
Two years ago, my then almost 6 year old son, overheard me talking with my husband about the huge amount we still needed to raise, and how I was afraid we might not make it. An hour or so later, he came to me with his piggy bank, and a handful of change that he scrounged from around the house... he wanted to donate it all to the project. I thought it was a great idea (he has been to Ethiopia a few times, and has met and played with some of these kids!) and told him that whatever spare change he could find around the house, we would donate. Over the next day or so he managed to collect around $120 in coins from seat cushions, night stands, and the car.... Unbelievable, right?! This has become his annual tradition, the scouring of the house for loose change. I can't wait to see how much he finds this year!

I encourage you to get your kids involved... Allow them to empty your change purse, and look under the cushions... And when its all said and done in January, you can show them the photos on Snapfish from my trip, and let them see what they were able to do. I encourage you to give BIG... even if the best you can do right now is a few dollars... Every donation counts and helps us get closer to our goal! Go without the morning coffee for a week... Stay in this Friday night, and watch a DVD, instead of forking out money for dinner and a movie...
pack your lunch for a week... there are a lot of things we as American's could go without for a week (or more)in order to make a child's holiday brighter! What can you go without? How much can you donate by going without it for a week?

We have received many donations in the past in honor of a family or child that is home, grandparents, teachers, great aunts and uncles...A donation to the Holiday Project is also a great gift, for the 'folks who have everything'! For a minimum $30 donation, we will collect those names and addresses and a special "a holiday gift from _______________ in your honor will benefit children at Layla House and Humanitarian projects in Ethiopia" will be sent in mid-December to the recipient of your choice.

This year, the project will be smaller, and will encompass the following programs, with half of each total going towards Humanitarian Aid... (A $30 donation will provide for one child or caregiver)

*Children at Layla, Wanna and Opportunity Houses will receive A New Traditional Outfit, Small wrapped gift and Candy.

*Caregivers at Layla, Wanna and Opportunity Houses will receive a modest cash bonus which they can use to purchase holiday foods, and other items for their families.

*Children in the Orphaned Student Project (OSP) will receive a modest cash bonus which they can use to purchase holiday foods, and other items for their families.

*Sheep will be provided for several small orphanages in order for them to have a festive holiday meal.

For families who would like their donation to go to a certain child or program, I would be happy to receive those requests! Since I am in charge of keeping it all straight, Once you have made your donation via mail or online, please send me an email with your name, donation amount, and where you would like the money spent.Don't forget to send me the 'In Honor Of' info, if you would like a card sent to your honoree. Once we begin receiving donations, I will post weekly updates to let you all know where we are, and what we still need!

There are 3 convenient ways to donate....
1) Donations can be made by check or money order and sent (with a note
specifying "HOLIDAY GIFT PROJECT" and your preferences) directly to
AAI at the address below....

Adoption Advocates International
709 South Peabody Street
Port Angeles, Washington 98362

2) Donations can also be made conveniently at the AAI website, by
clicking the "DONATE NOW" button, click on "Holiday project" and type
what portion of the project you would like your donation to go to,in the Donation Designation Field.
www.adoptionadvocates.org

3) An option is also available at the Benefit Orphans store, where you can also find great gifts for the holidays that benefit the GRACE Fund and other AAI projects.
www.benefitorphans.org

**PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO EMAIL MANDIE WITH YOUR DONATION DETAILS! And feel free to email her with any questions! If she doesn't know the answer, she will find someone who does!
Mandie's email address:
socialbug69 @ hotmail.com (omit spaces!)

The children and staff at Layla, Wanna, Opportunity House, Orphaned Student Project and the orphanages that AAI works with, all thank you for helping to make their Christmas holiday a truly joyous one!

Wow....This Is Powerful....

Sometimes my heart just doesn't understand why people don't feel the needs of the orphans like I do.  Sometimes I wonder why more families don't choose to add a blessing or two to their family.  Sometimes I start thinking about all of the children at our agency's care center that still don't have a family and it makes me want to bring them home too.  These kids are wonderful, sweet, caring, funny, helpful and the list goes on...but the thing they long to hear most is that they were "chosen".  Have you ever thought about the ones that continue to get left behind and how devastating it must be for them......time ....after time.... after time....to be the one NOT chosen??  This destroys their sense of self worth, slowly over time......what's wrong with me?.....why wasn't I the one that the family "picked"?  I must be not good enough to be loved by a Mom and a Dad, maybe that's why I'm here and not with my birth family.....

Mostly when I start feeling this way, it gets overwhelming to me to think about and to carry, so I just quietly tell myself that maybe, just maybe, God hasn't spoken to their heart yet.

What if that child sitting and waiting for a family of their own.......was YOUR child?  Just think about that........wouldn't you want someone to take YOUR child in?  Well, these are someone's children, they're God's children.....and He wants you to take care of them .....for Him......



If this touched your heart in any way and you feel like God is whispering in your ear...... just let me know and I can fill you in on some wonderful children that are just waiting for you to realize that it is THEM that God is whispering to you about.......

Heartwork...Living James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. ~James 1:27

I ran across this a couple of days ago while doing a YouTube search for a song I was looking for.  As soon as I was done watching the first video, I searched for another, and then I googled "Desperation Band" and "Heartwork" to see if I could find even more information.  While reading and watching just about everything I could about Heartwork and Desperation Band, I sat bawling.  Ok, so pretty much anything can set me off these days but that doesn't mean that this is anything less than amazing!  


**Warning: Stop here if you don't want your heart to be touched or if you would rather not end up like I did....on the floor bawling.

Here is a paragraph taken from Desperation Band's website that explains what I found:

In 2008 God connected a group of passionate young people from a local church in Colorado Springs eager to fulfill God's purpose in their generation, a silver haired, soft-hearted businessman with a vision for orphans, and an organization with a mission to rescue orphans around the world. Something called Heartwork was born.

The challenge God issued to these young people was to live James 1:27. If they could give $60,000 for orphans in Uganda, the businessman would match it dollar for dollar. The end result would be $120,000 dollars, 4 orphan homes built, and countless lives changed. Challenge accepted.

They prepared for their first offering. They talked of sacrifice and fasting. They gave up cups of trendy coffee and overstuffed burritos with friends to feed kids who had no food at all. They refused to buy designer jeans in order to clothe children who dressed everyday in rags. They committed to providing family for those whose families had been ravaged by war and AIDS.

The day arrived and students came with hearts full of hope and offerings in hand. On that first night as worship ascended into Heaven, a group of high school students descended upon the altar and gave over $15,000 dollars. With great excitement they realized what just happened. One orphan home built. 8 weeks to go.

For the next 2 months high school kids worked extra hours. Junior high girls walked door to door to scoop dog droppings out of yards. Seniors drained savings accounts created when they were elementary kids. Public school clubs partnered together with the local church. Students who graduated years earlier sent checks in the mail. Friends and families, inspired by the vision, joined in and gave freely.

After 8 weeks of sacrifice these junior high and high school students gathered to give one last offering for these kids they had never met but already loved so much. The result was $67,000 dollars given freely by a group of 12 to 18 year olds. With matching funds, they gave over $127,000 dollars in 2 months to build 4 orphan homes. But they found that as they gave to rescue the destinies of orphans, their destinies were being rescued as well. Destiny rescuing destiny. This is a story of sacrifice. This is a story of worship, This is a story of Jesus at work in a generation without fathers. This is Heartwork.

And the story has only just begun......

I am in love with these kids and this song!

http://www.destinynetwork.com/


Heartwork and the Destiny Network are working together to make a real, tangible difference in peoples lives.  As focus is shifted away from a self-centered society and towards empowering others, cultural barriers are overcome and students get the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus...

My kids would LOVE to be a part of a youth group that actually DID things on a regular basis that made a difference....especially things like this:

Coming this summer  

Tour 2010

1000--Orphan Projects

1000--Youth Groups

1000--days

And if you spend yourselves 
in behalf of the hungry and 
satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
       then your light will rise in the darkness,
       and your night will become 
like the noonday. ~Isaiah 58:10

Heartwork from Desperation Band on Vimeo.

I'm so glad that you decided to continue on to learn about this wonderful organization and the unbelievable things that they are accomplishing.

May your heart be broken for the Orphans and Widows.....

Wendy

In Honor Of Mother's Day Yesterday.....

Katrina Kenison, Mother of two boys, wrote The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir.  Here is a review from Family Circle Magazine:

This eloquent book is subtitled "A Mother's Memoir," but that's not giving Kenison's chronicle of her sons' increasing independence its full due. It's also about longing and fulfillment , taking stock of failures and achievements, a search for the elusive "something more" of one's existence-and a reminder that life's seemingly mundane moments are often where we find beauty, grace and transformation".


In honor of Mother's Day and to help us all remember the importance of our "ordinary days".....Here is Katrina reading a chapter of her book..... 

I am a Mom that is experiencing the full spectrum of what Katrina is talking about in this video clip.  I have one child that has left our nest, has graduated from college, and is now married and I have 7 children living here at home at various stages of their lives and I also have a baby on the way.  Many times I have wished that I could bring my oldest back and do it over again.  But sadly, time doesn't stand still and we are only given so much time to enjoy our children while they are "in our nests".  Not to say that you still can't enjoy them after they are gone but it won't be very often that you will: wipe their nose (or their behind), fix a boo boo, read them a story, watch them participate in sports, trip over their things, take their temperature and nurse them back to health, drive them places at obscene hours of the night, lose sleep because they're not home yet, settle their arguments, teach them countless things that you know they will need to know before they leave home to set off on their own........and the list goes on and on.  


My prayer is that each day I will remember to slow down and savor these "ordinary days" God has blessed me with......because some day, they will be gone.  Wishing you also, the joy and blessing of discovering your Ordinary Days!


Wendy


"Seen in the right light, through the right eyes, everything is extraordinary." Katrina Kenison

World Aids Orphans Day...May 7

In 2010, the number of children worldwide who have lost one or both parents to AIDS is expected to reach 25 million – equivalent to the number of people living in New York, Paris, and Bangkok combined. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, over 15 million children have been orphaned by the pandemic. Experts believe that millions more orphans remain unaccounted for in India, China and Russia. 

The Impact:

• In addition to the trauma of losing a parent, orphans are often subject to discrimination and are less likely to receive healthcare, education and other needed services.
• In HIV affected households lacking community support, food consumption can drop by 40% putting children at risk to hunger, malnutrition and stunting.
• Impoverished and often without support to educate and protect them, orphans and vulnerable children face increased risk of HIV infection.
• Orphans are often easy prey to many forms of exploitation: forced labor, prostitution and child soldiering.

World AIDS Orphans Day (May 7) is a grassroots campaign to draw attention to and advocate on behalf of the millions of children orphaned by AIDS.

More than 15 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents to AIDS. In 2010, the number of AIDS orphans worldwide is expected to climb to an estimated 20 - 25 million children.

Too little attention is given to orphans and vulnerable children. Few than 1 in 10 orphans receives any external support.

Governments should direct at least 10% of their overall HIV and AIDS funding to support AIDS orphans and vulnerable children.

Speak up for orphans. It’s easy to get involve. Host a World AIDS Orphans Day event. Lobby world leaders. Generate press coverage about the orphans crisis. Spread the word.

All info taken from the World AIDS Orphan Day website.
Check out: www.worldaidsorphans.org

Your voice is their future.

Children On My Heart

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble..."  
~James 1:27

Every time I read something about the children of Africa, my heart breaks.  Yes, I realize that there are children all over the world that have the same needs and hurts, and that breaks my heart too....but Africa's children have a special place in my heart.  

It's been very hard to be in waiting mode this past year.  It feels like I'm just sitting here doing nothing.  I would love to bring a dozen or more children here, to become our children.  But we only have so much room and we only have so much money to support a family.....these two things are the biggest factors that help us to know just how much we can do.  We will be waiting and listening to God's leading as far as to how many children He will bless our family with.  As for right now....we are just enjoying the journey!

This is a poem that I came across early on in our adoption process and it really touched my heart.  This boy definitely has the right idea.  Sometimes a task can seem overwhelming but if everyone helps a little, eventually a lot can be accomplished!  

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy

picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, 

he asked, "What are you doing?" The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean.  The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die." "Son," said the man, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference, it's impossible!" After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf.  Then, smiling at the man, he said...." I made a difference for that one."

Sometimes I get overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness. There are so, so many hurting, hungry children; I want to help them all, but can’t. I want to save every life, but it’s impossible.
There are millions of children suffering from malnutrition all over the world today. Every year over 15,000,000 children die of hunger. We can’t save the lives of even one percent of the precious little boys and girls who will die this year. The situation is seemingly hopeless. But as we work, sifting through the sand our fingertips grasp something....we attempt to cast that little one back into the ocean. It’s not always easy to pick them up, to lift them out of the sand, but as we do, beauty is unveiled; life is found, a life that has simply been waiting for someone to pull them out from under the tide that is ever washing over them.

It's true, we cannot save every life, but we can save a few... 

...Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.   ~Matthew 25:40

There are so many children just waiting for someone to realize that they are missing something in their life...won't you reach out and love "The least of these"? 

This quote is posted on a wall of Betsega Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

"His Name is Today"

"We are guilty of many errors and many faults, 

but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life. 

Many of the things we need can wait. 

The child cannot. 

Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made, and his senses are being developed. 

To him we cannot answer....`Tomorrow,' 

......his name is today."

- Gabriele Mistral

Many blessings on your day......

Wendy

Contentment

Definition:  Satisfied with things as they are......Or how bout:  Accepting one's situation or life with mental and emotional stability and satisfaction.

So to catch you up on things....during these last couple of weeks we have heard some pretty discouraging news.  As of the 26th of this month we will have been on the waiting list for 1 year.  Actually it will be almost 18 months since we started the adoption process.  When we began this journey, it was taking around 6 months to get a referral for a baby girl.  The wait is currently over 14 months and climbing!

We had hoped, and were pretty confident, that we would receive our referral by the end of October 2009 and we would have Amayah home before Christmas -09.....well, that came and went.  We then were told it would probably be sometime in January 2010 that we would get our referral....you guessed it....that came and went too.  The last thing we were told was that it wouldn't be until March (approximately, of course).  BUT....and this is a BIG "but".... the families that are above us on the waiting list have now been waiting 15 months!  So as March is only our 12th month on the list......I'm kinda thinking that now it might not be until June/July that we will get the call.  


The latest thing that has been circulating among the Ethiopian adoption community is that the Ethiopian court system is now trying to require that the adoptive parents be there when their child's case goes to court.  Right now the Ethiopian government is allowing us to have legal representation at the court hearing....this being our agency's lawyer.  He goes to the adoption court hearing and acts on our behalf.  This change that the courts are trying to make is due to some families from other agencies that arrived to pick up their children and discovering that the child that they were told was healthy was not so much so.  Some families actually left the country without the the child that was now legally theirs.  So the court is trying to enforce this new policy, but the government has a law that states that the adoptive families can have legal representation at court in their place.  If the courts win, the adoptive families will have to make two trips to Ethiopia....once for court and once to pick up their child and bring them home.  This poses an extra financial strain on the adoptive families......the added travel expenses and also the time away from work.  We are all sitting on pins and needles wondering how this whole thing will play out because this could add $2000+ to the cost of an adoption. 


So what's an expectant Mom to do in a situation like this?  Sit and cry is a good idea....done that....wasn't very fun and didn't really solve anything anyway.  So I have chosen to be content.....and to keep very busy.....but I am a pretty busy chika anyway so I guess that's normal.......maybe I should go for EXTRA busy??  Yeah.....that sounds good  =)  Done.

Here is something that I came across that I am pretty sure will help me to find that ever elusive contentment that I will be searching for:

Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Contentment by Linda Dillow


Book Description:
Although many Christian women say they trust God, their lives are filled with worry and anxiety-about their children, their finances, their relationships, their jobs. They know their lives should be characterized by faith in God, but they're unsure of how to get that kind of faith. This book and twelve-week study helps women grow in contentment as they address the barriers to contentment and how to overcome them.
Check out these five principles of contentment from the first chapter:

• Never allow yourself to compain about anything — not even the weather.
• Never picture yourself in any other circumstance or someplace else.
• Never compare your lot with another’s.
• Never allow yourself to wish "this or that" had been otherwise.
• Never dwell on tomorrow — remember that tomorrow is God’s, not ours.

That's a pretty hard road to travel.....I will let you know how it goes.....

Wishing you a life filled with peace and contentment!

Wendy

And The Oscar Goes To.....

Sandra Bullock....for The Blind Side!!

"I would like to thank, what this film is about for me, which are the moms who take care of the babies and the children, no matter where they come from.  Those moms and parents never get thanked"~Sandra Bullock

I have to confess....we haven't managed to go and see this movie yet.  I keep saying that I want to see it but we just always seem to be so busy.  One of these days I will get to see it.....hopefully I won't have to wait until it comes out in the movie stores though!!

"The Blind Side" depicts the remarkable true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

Sandra didn't think that she would be able to make this movie until she met Leigh Anne Tuohy.
This is what Sandra had to say......


Here’s this family that does this, they didn’t do it because someone was writing an article or a book or making a movie, they did it because their instincts said this is what we’re going to do......we’re going to give love and reach out a hand. And everyone came and questioned them, of course. 

We don’t trust anyone who does anything nice. That’s just the sad world we live in. But the Tuohy's didn’t care, they just kept going. It makes you feel like you need to step up your game.  We’re capable of so much more than we think we are, because we don’t really live in a world that supports the good that we could do. 

One of my biggest questions was how people use their faith in their religion as a banner and then not do the right thing. But they go, “I’m a good Christian, and I go to church, and this is the way you should live your life,” and I told Leigh Anne, “One of my largest concerns stepping into this was that whole banner-hold.” I said, “It scares me because I’ve had experiences that haven’t been great. I don’t buy a lot of people who use that as their shield,” and she was so open and honest and forthright, and I said, “Wow, I’ve finally met someone who practices but doesn’t preach.” 

Leigh Anne has no idea the path she’s begun in terms of adoption and fostering.  It’s not been on the forefront of people’s minds. But it is on the forefront of my mind every day now when I get up. When I look around, I go, “Is he, is she, what is their situation?” And it’s because of this family. I don’t think they realize the profound affect that they are going to have.  You see this family, they were themselves and for no other benefit other than because they wanted to reach out and lend a hand..... they had no idea that they would get a son in return.

The Real Tuohy Family

Thank you Tuohy's for not only taking the time to see a need, but to step in and make a difference in Michael's life.  You are such great examples of how we should all live our lives!  

Wendy

'Ohana Means Family.......

Can you tell we just recently watched Lilo & Stitch?  I Love that movie.  It teaches such a wonderful lesson about what families are. At the beginning of the movie Lilo's 'ohana consists of herself and her sister Nani. (Their parents died in a car accident). Gradually Stitch becomes the third member of their little "broken" family.  "This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It is little, and broken, but still good..... Yeah, still good. ~~Stitch

By the end of the movie, and in scenes from events which take place after the story ends, you see that their 'ohana consists of quite a few new members including Nani's boyfriend David, the social worker Cobra Bubbles, and even the two aliens who were originally sent to capture Stitch, his creator Jumba and sociologist Pleakley.

The Hawaiian word 'ohana literally means family. The basic concept of a family is a Mother, a Father and their children. But many other types of families exist. 

In Hawaii, the "other" type of family is more the norm than the exception. Many families consist of parents, grandparents and children all residing under one roof. It's not unusual to see a child being raised by a grandparent or aunt while the parents live and work elsewhere. The Hawaiian family or 'ohana can also consist of others not related by birth.

A valued friend can be a member of your 'ohana. An entire group of close friends or associates can be their own 'ohana. The late Hawaiian music superstar Israel Kamakawiwo'ole who recorded "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World" (which is now a very popular song within the adoption community)---often referred to the friends he chatted with on the Net as his "Cyber 'Ohana".

This leads me to one of the areas we are going to start learning about and working on here at our house and in our home-school.  

Love... and what it means to be a family. Each day we will talk about what love is and also what it is not.  

Straight from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.....here is what Love is and isn't:

Got that?  ....ok.....so here it is one more time.....

*Love is patient*  *Love is kind*   *It does not envy*   *It does not boast*   *It is not proud*   *It is not rude*   *It is not self-seeking*   *It is not easily angered*   *It keeps no record of wrongs*   *Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth*   *It always protects*   *Always trusts*  *Always hopes* *Always perseveres*   *Love never fails*   

.......and Family (Love) means nobody gets left behind. 

Or forgotten.

Wishing you 

A house full of sunshine,
Hearts full of cheer,
Love that grows deeper
each day of the year.
~ from an old Welsh blessing

May your 'Ohana be filled with Love...

Wendy