Puzzle piece fundraiser

Hello everyone! I know I am terrible about updating my blog. Facebook seems to take all of my computer time. :) Well, this week we sent the last of our adoption paperwork to our agency who is reviewing it and will hopefully be sending it to Ethiopia very soon. This is a very exciting step in the adoption process, it means that we will soon officially be on the 'wait list'! We have been told to expect anywhere from 2-6 months wait time for a referral. We are requesting a 2-5 year old, either gender. So, at this point we have decided to start a fundraiser to raise money for the last part of our journey. (the expensive part!) :) Many people have asked how they can help and we think this is a fun way to document the help of others in our adoption journey. We have started a puzzle fundraiser. We have purchased this 500 piece puzzle and you have the opportunity to buy a puzzle piece for $10. Your name will be written on the back of the puzzle piece so we will always remember who helped us in this journey. As a family we will be putting the puzzle together as the pieces are purchased. I will keep you updated on the progress of the puzzle. There is a Donate button on the sidebar. You can buy one piece for your family, or a piece for each member of your family. Just let me know the name you want on the piece(s) in the 'note to sender' section. We are so excited about this project! Each donation will definitely be a blessing to our family!

An update on the BFF's

Ruby had her friend Destiny over for a playdate and I was able to snap some pretty cute pictures of the duo. At 2 1/2 these two are a hoot! They have super funny personalities and definitely keep us on our toes.

They both do a 'grumpy face'.

They love eachother SO much!

Brylie's cute new haircut

Hunter...always up to something

On Friday night Hunter disappeared into the office and this is what I found. I walked into the office and he said, 'Hi mom. Do you have a problem that needs to be solved?' Well, 1/2 hour later Robb and I had our problems solved and Hunter had $2 for his efforts. (He generously put the $2 in our 'Adoption Fund' basket on his way up to bed.) Love that boy!

Giveaway!!

My friend Erica is giving away a $50 gift certificate to Junk Posse! I absolutely love their unique creations! Erica and her family are in the beginning stages of their 2nd adoption from Ethiopia. They have an amazing family who has a heart for orphans. Go check out her blog here and sign up to win this fun prize!!

New bikes all around!

Everyone was due for a new bike so we took a trip to Wal-Mart today and everyone is pleased with their purchase! Robb and I were watching the 3 older kids ride their bikes yesterday and noticed that they were bumping their knees on the handlebars...quite the growth spurt since last summer! Since Ruby is not big enough for a bike, but loves to keep up with the older kids, we found her this really cool Hello Kitty motorized four wheeler. She smiles from ear to ear when she rides it. So cute! It should be a fun summer!

Happy Easter from the Arnold family!

Daddy's Diner

Robb is usually the breakfast cook in the mornings. On Friday night he decided to make a menu for the kids for Saturday's breakfast. It was such a hit I thought I would share it with you!

Daddy’s Down Home Diner

Where everything is made with a pinch of love!

1. Ham and Cheese Omelet 2. Blueberry Pancakes 3. Special Waffles (regular or blueberry) 4. The Saturday Special…

DADDY’S DOOZY

****1 ham and cheese omelet, 1 blueberry pancake, 1 piece of bacon, 1 piece of sausage, 1 special waffle and 1 GREAT BIG HUG!!!**** Beverages: orange juice, apple juice, grape juice Sides: sausage links, bacon strips

Enjoy your meal!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

'Hunterisms'

Hunter (8) "Hey mom, someday if I become famous there will be a sign in our town that says, 'Birthplace of Hunter Arnold'. Wouldn't that be cool?"

Dads 4 Adoption

I saw this on an adoptive friend's blog. Definitely worth watching!

The road is not always smooth.

The adoption that we started fell through and we are now on a different path, but it is the path we believe God has paved for us. We are going back to Ethiopia to adopt a 2-4 year old. We have finally decided on an agency and we are so excited to get back on track. The good news is we got all of our money back from the agency we were working with before and we can use all of the paperwork that we have already done. Praise God! None of this has been easy or without tears, but we have great peace about the direction we are going. We know that God has a child already picked out for our family and we are totally pumped to meet the little one! The truth is that there are 147 million orphans in the world and the devil would like to keep it that way...but God says that He has plans for them, plans to give them hope and a future. Proverbs 24:12 says that 'Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know and holds us responsible to act.' We know the conditions in Ethiopia, we have seen the pain and suffering. We will not turn our backs on a situation we can do something about! We feel so blessed to be on this journey again.