Knit Together: School is out!

School is out!! Can you tell I'm excited? I have needed a break for so long and now it's here. Isabel has been counting down the days too and on Friday she told everybody, "today is mommy's last day of work for 14 whole days!" I am very thankful for a job and a job that I really do enjoy. I get to teach English as a Second Language to sweet elementary school kids. But, I am also ready for a break. Pink eye in both eyes and a sinus infection will do that to ya. :)

Last week my small group got together to celebrate and fellowship because we just finished a wonderful book. My sweet friend Meredith decided to invite friends from different places/churches to do a study together. It's so beautiful because we have just become great friends and have been able to share and open up with people that we didn't even know that well or at all before! I love how God brings people together like that. And I love how each person brought a different perspective but that we all had soo much in common and could relate so well. Well, let me just say that if you have never read "Satisfy My Thirsty Soul" by Linda Dillow then you need to! It's soo good. We learned about having a lifestyle of worship by bowing all the things that we never wanted to at His feet. Our time, our pain, our attitudes, etc. I highly recommend you read this and do it with a group! It even has a study in the back. Look aren't we cute?!

Oh, by the way, I realized that I never did an update this month on our Waitlist Number! Lots of people have been asking me and it's probably because I never posted anything! My bad. ;) Well, we are officially:

And unofficially:

We have been tearing off more links in our paper chain that is now hanging in the girls' bedroom! By the way, I've never said, "in the girls' bedroom" before but it will be!! :)

Speaking of our adoption, I am so excited because in February I am going with another sweet friend named Angela to an adoption retreat in Georgia! The other Angela also happens to have the same middle name as me and her family is adopting 2 little girls from Ethiopia! She is also pictured above in our small group picture. Well, there are some cool things going on with this retreat. Another adoptive momma that adopted through our agency is organizing it all but it has been God planning and working out all the amazing details! She is also making it so reasonable for us to afford the trip and is selling t-shirts as a fundraiser to help cover the costs of the conference and break out room fees, audio stuff, etc. There are 225 women signed up to go and she said that if they sell 225 t-shirts then it would cover it. They've already sold 50! This retreat is so cool because it allows adoptive moms to get together and share ideas and hearts and encouragement. We are also gonna be learning lots of things from people experienced with attachment issues, orphan care, and how to come together and help one another in our journeys. So, I had to share about this cool t-shirt that you can buy. It says "Love Makes a Family James 1:27." They are $25 on her blog. Also, if you blog or Facebook about it then you can be entered to win a free shirt in the giveaway. Or you can follow Andrea's blog. Just go leave a comment and tell her!

Anyway, go check it out here:

http://www.babeofmyheart.com/what-makes-a-family-t-shirts-are-in-let-the-fundraiser-begin/

I'm sure lots of other things have been happening with our family but it's already 10 till 5:00pm and I have to get Isa ready to go to Lovefeast tonight! She is going with her Nana. Brian's side of the family was/is Moravian so it's an important tradition for them. It originally started in the early 1700's. For adults you get to share a lovefeast bun and the most delicious coffee EVER made and for kids they get chocolate milk. In the summer time sometimes, they'll do lemonade instead. They sing traditional Moravian songs and everyone gets a lighted candle made of beeswax to hold up at the end when they sing the last verse of "Morning Star."

The last verse goes like this: