crafts for congo, take 2

if you are my friend on facebook, then you have already seen the additions to our crafts for congo fundraiser. additions will continue to happen and i want to keep it updated on the ol' blog too, in case any readers aren't on facebook! so far we (yes, we. adam cuts while i sew. he is an awesome husband) have made 20 shirts and lots of other goodies too! we are in awe of your generosity and God's provision. and we are trusting that He will keep on providing! if you missed the first crafts for congo post, you can find it here. now on to the crafts for congo additions!!!

this is a crayon roll-up. you can purchase one (or 5!) for $10 a pop. if you order for a boy in your life, it will come with an elastic closure instead of ribbon--you know, to man it up a bit :)

this tote can be yours for just $15. if you have a country that is close to your heart, a heart can be appliqued onto the spot where that country lives! and if you prefer a letter or a flower (or something else) let me know--we can probably make it happen! or at least we will try!

this week we have had requests for things not in the crafts for congo album/blog posts. so if you have something in mind that you do not see, let us know! we will try almost anything to get our baby in our arms faster! if you would like to order any of these things, write me on facebook or email us at thejochims@gmail.com!

thank you in advance for helping us meet our 2nd child!

THANK YOU!

we are 4 days into our fundraising and we are already so overwhelmed by the generosity of our sweet friends! so THANK YOU! thank you for loving our family. thank you for loving the fatherless. God is so good.


more crafts are up in the crafts for congo facebook album. check them out! and if you want to sign up for a mini-photo session, there is still time!!

crafts for congo

coffee cozy

soda can cozy

our next fundraiser in our adoption journey is crafts for congo! i will be adding more crafts to my facebook album in the next couple of days. each item will be $10 (except the applique africa tshirt/onesie, which is $15). if you are interested in supporting our adoption in this way, please let us know! you can email thejochims@gmail.com or write me on facebook.

we are so excited that time slots are filling up for the mini sessions. if you are interested in getting some family, maternity, baby photos taken, let me know! its a deal and it goes to a great cause.

thank you for joining us in our journey!

we've been accepted

on friday afternoon, adam and i received an email from one world adoption services informing us that we have officially been accepted into the congo program!!! we are overwhelmed with excitement and thankfulness. we will begin our home study in the coming days, which is the first step in bringing our sweet child home. i'll be sharing more in the coming weeks on why we have chosen to adopt, why the democratic republic of congo, and where we are in the process.

but today i am sharing the first way that YOU can be a part of bringing a sweet orphan to his/her forever family!

my very talented friend ashley miller (ashmill) has offered her services to help fund our adoption.

AshMill Photography will be offering mini-photo sessions in Bowling Green, Kentucky on Saturday, April 16 (and Sunday, the 17 if needed) and in Evansville, Indiana on Saturday April 30. Each session will last 20-30 minutes and will be a combination of posed and candid portraits. For $50 clients will get to choose 10 images (high-res, custom edited digital files, with full rights for printing) with the option to purchase additional images. Groups (individuals, couples, families, etc.) of any sizes welcome. $30 from each session will go directly to our adoption fundraising.

you can check out some of her photography here.

send an email to thejochims@gmail.com or message me on facebook to set up your mini-shoot. we'll send details about where to meet and answer any other questions you may have as well.

and don't forget to help spread the word and invite your friends!!!!!

one year

one year ago today, we welcome our sweet isabella joy elizabeth jochim into this world. we became momma and daddy to the most beautiful creation we had ever witnessed. what a wonderful day that was.

our baby girl is now 1 year old! she has grown lots and lots in her first year. (we will know just how much after her 1 year check up on thursday). and she has developed lots and lots in her first year. she learned to nurse. she learned to bottle feed. she learned to hold her head up. she learned to roll over. she learned what surgery is like. she learned to babble and jabber. she learned to scoot. she learned to crawl. she she learned (is still perfecting) to walk. she said and signed her first words. she learned to smile and give kisses. she learned to click her tongue and be a copy cat. :)

bella joy, your daddy and i are so in love with you, and we fall more in love with you each and every day. not a day goes by that we do not thank our God for you and for entrusting us to be your mommy and daddy. we can not wait to see what you learn in your second year of life. we can't wait to watch you run after lylah and teach elsie ann all of your tricks. we can't wait to see your reaction to your other new cousin and become a big sister. sweet baby girl, we will enjoy every moment we have with you.

bella joy, at 1 year old you love to eat. your favorite thing is grilled cheese, however, you are beginning to love other things too-spaghetti, quesadillas, more and more fruit, muffins, and even lasagna soup. you love to give kisses. you love love love to play. you could spend hours opening and flipping the pages of your books (which is nice considering just a few weeks ago, you were gnawing chunks out of them!) you love when your daddy gets home from work! you often hear the garage door open before momma does and you get so so so excited!! you love to crawl and you crawl so fast. you love to pull the dvds out of their baskets (even when momma and daddy tell you know 400 times!) you love to sneak into the bathroom and lift and drop the toilet seat (again, even when momma and daddy say no!) you love to copy your poppy and he loves when you cough back at him. you are such a smiley joy (most of the time) and we are so thankful for that. we love to watch you make new discoveries and to love us back.

**oh, did i say we can't wait to see you become a big sister? that's because we will (Lord willing) bring our second child home from the democratic republic of congo before bella joy's second birthday! :)

treasuring God in our traditions: Easter

lent. i guess it starts today. i've never understood the "i'm giving up ____ for lent" thing. i've heard many. facebook. gum. ice cream. eating sweets. tv. etc. etc. i've never stopped and asked a person, why? why are you giving up whatever it is that you are giving up for lent? until the other day.

you see, i've had "treasuring God in our traditions" by noel piper on my to read list since before we were expecting bella joy. i've read bits and pieces, but never the whole thing from front to back. a few days ago, i opened it to the section on easter...since easter is the next holiday that we want to intentionally celebrate as a family. i wanted take from her ideas and see what she had to say in general. and i am so glad that i did.

"lent comes from an Old English word that means lengthen, signifying that the days are getting longer because spring is here. among many Christians, lent has come to mean the pre-easter season that begins on ash wednesday.

traditionally lent is a season of sober, realistic reflection on our own lives and our need for a Savior. it is a time for turning away from anything that has kept us from God and for turning or returning to him. it is a time to pray that God will renew our love for Him and our dependence on Him." page 93-treasuring God in our traditions

she goes on to talk about how many people choose to fast from things that distract them from God.

now many would argue that it shouldn't take a single holiday for us to turn to God or to depend on Him. but lets be honest, in our lives, there are many many distractions! facebook, tv, magazines, friends, kids, husbands, blogs :). i think it is a wonderful idea to fast from these things to redirect your focus. but i think it is lame to say "i'm giving up _____ for lent" just because thats what you do during lent. why give something up for no reason? or just because?

so in thinking of what often distracts me, to the point of satan using it to feed me lies, several things came to mind. tv. blogs. facebook. and that is just 3. and my decision for the easter season was to remove the facebook app from my phone and also to remove words with friends from my phone. this may end at the end of april. it may stay this way forever. i may decide that i like my life with way way less facebook so much that i never look at it again. or i may put the app back on my phone having learned a whole stinking lot about boundaries.

i am not doing this to say "look at me, look at me!" that is the LAST thing that i want! i am doing this to say "emily, look to Jesus. your Savior. His sacrifice. reflect. seek Him first. not facebook. not the biggest loser. not words with friends. not some blog. seek HIM first."

now, when you see me on facebook-don't think that i have given up and given into temptation. i am not ridding my life completely of facebook (for reasons that will be revealed in the next week or so). but since i have a beautiful (almost) 1 year old filling my days, i won't be chronically checking it via my phone, but will only look at it when she is sleeping, if then.

how will you remember Christ and His sacrifice this easter season? does your family have any fun ways that you celebrate intentionally?

thankful

our sweet nearly one year old was diagnosed with rsv on monday. oh my, i have never seen anything so pitiful. i don't know if you remember that she pretty much cried constantly her first 4 months of life, but the past few days, seeing her this way has been the hardest part of mommyhood yet. we've done lots of snuggling and napping together, which i absolutely love, but i think i will love it more when she is back to her happy giggly self!

anyway, i'm not thankful for sickness. not even a little. but i am so thankful for my awesome hubby during this sickness (and always really). we have been taking turns getting up with her at night, when he really could just make me do it every time. as soon as he gets home from work, he jumps in and helps with boo. last night when we put sweet baby girl to bed, we started watching biggest loser and my awesome husband went into the kitchen and made pumpkin muffins for our breakfast this week (because i haven't had time to do any baking with a baby that doesn't want to be put down). i told him that i could do it, and he insisted that he wanted to do it for me. what an awesome hubby and daddy. we love him! :)