Sterling's 5th Birthday Blitz!!!!!!!!

I have a challenge for you all!!!!! Time for another $21 for a sweetie with an extra 21st chromosome!!! This challenge is to help the Hinz Family fill up their adoption fund.

Erin and her hubby are adopting Sterling from an orphanage overseas in the same country we are headed too. Sterling is turning 5 this week, this is his LAST birthday EVER in an orphanage. Can you help this family? They will be shipping their dossier off tomorrow for the country Sterling is surviving in right now. It should be there by the end of the week AND then they wait for a travel date to be issued.

In just a few weeks, they will be traveling to meet Sterling, adopt him and bring him home. They are $2000 shy of a full fund right now, can you help? Do you have an extra $21 for a boy sporting an extra 21st chromosome? Any amount will help, but if we can get 100 people to donate $21 bucks the Hinz fund will be full! And what better gift to give Sterling than a family?

you can donate here HINZ FAMILY SPONSORSHIP PAGE  
click on Sterling's picture to see his mommy's blog

"I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3 (NIV)

Birthday happenings......

Yesterday was my actual birthday...my 37th birthday. Same age mom was when she died--so surreal. I don't usually care for much celebration and yesterday was not any different.


The Sunday before my birthday, I got my one birthday card from Dad and Pam and a wonderful nighttime collection of devotions by Charles Swindoll to read before bedtime.

Monday, I was able to mail our dossier to the country it needs to be shipped to.

Wednesday, our dossier arrived in the Eastern European country we wish to adopt from and late that evening the birthday wishes on FB began.

Thursday, I received a few texts wishing me "Happy Birthday" and a phone call from my dad that evening--this year, no family members forgot my birthday. Jared even called from his dad's to tell me "Happy Birthday Mom"...even my ex-husband remembered to have him call me.

Many blessings indeed.

I got my one birthday present (other than the book I got from Dad and Pam) at 7:30 that evening when I noticed a brown box on our doorstep. I opened the door and I remembered immediately that Lisa Warner had told me she "had something for me on Thursday". I opened the box, read the sweet message of "Love and prayers always. The Warner Family". Next, I opened the silver box containing my gift.......

The most precious gift, words I shared with Lisa when they were landlocked in the Ukraine because of Joshua's illness and inability to fly safely per the doctor's recommendations.

I will treasure it always, Lisa. Thank you, so much.


Today, I read Sheva's blog about her birthday celebration. Sheva is a dear friend and she shared these words on her blog about birthday celebrations and what her Rebbe believed to be true and good about birthdays; "The great Lubavitcher Rebbe really pushed the custom of celebrating a birthday he said it was a day of renewal a time to reflect and choose what you want to better in the next year, a time to think of others and give extra charity, and most importantly a Birthday should be celebrated. I always followed this custom and with my kids, but why not me?"~~Sheva G.

WOW, I think I will be celebrating much more from now on. Thank you Sheva for sharing the words of your Rebbe and touching my heart with them.





"I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3 (NIV)