22May

Items of Business

July 8, 2011 by

Andrew discovered today that the blog email has not been forwarding to us. Hence, if you’ve emailed in the last few months and been ignored, it was totally unintentional. We love hearing from you guys and I will work on getting back to all of you this weekend. My apologies!!!

Also, we are temporarily suspending operations of HopeSuds while we enjoy the cute little fruit of our labors and figure out what the next step for HopeSuds is. Thank you for all of your support. We couldn’t have done this without you.

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I Am Not Fit For Technology

December 9, 2010 by

So, if you follow the Vitafam in a Reader (and you should!), you may have noticed that I inadvertently published a copy of the Home for Christmas Master List. Again.  Because I am unfit.

What I was actually doing was adding another wonderful link to the Master List, something that I have been stealthily doing for weeks now.  But I thought it was a good opportunity to point out to you that NEW LINKS ARE BEING ADDED ALL THE TIME and to remind you that YOU CAN DO ALL YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING HERE.

When else can you go shopping and save orphans at the same time?

Also, because I can, I give you A Shameless Plug:  HopeSuds make a fantastic gift, at the office, for the teacher, or for the relative that has everything.  I mean, everybody does laundry, right?  Our travel date will be here soon.  So keep your clothes clean.  And help us bring Baby Girl Home.

And now I’m done bossing you around.  Promise.

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Ellen’s Career Prospects and Why We’re Cutting Apples Out of Our Diets

October 10, 2010 by

Thank you for all your anniversary love.  We felt it.  We had a fantastic day.  A dear friend watched the kids so we could go to a festival and sell HopeSuds which meant we were together all day long.  This was a huge treat.

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While we were at the festival, I bought 16 apples to get us through the week.  I sent them home with the kids when they came to visit and told the baby-sitter they could have an apple for snack if they wanted it.  When we got home, there were only 5 apples left.  My kids devoured those apples.  Ian ate three, all the way down to the core.  I tell you that to let you know that the last thing my friend said before she left was, “You may pay for those apples later.  All that fiber…”

Late last night, after we’d been asleep for several hours, I woke up.  There was something bright in the room.  I made myself think for a bit and then realized the light in the hall bathroom was on.  I listened and heard nothing.  I thought even harder and remembered it being dark when we fell asleep.  My heart started to thud.  I poked Andrew awake.

We laid very still and listened.  I broke out into a cold sweat and felt my heart go into overdrive.  Every commercial for every intruder-enters-home creepy Lifetime movie I’d ever seen came to mind.  Andrew agreed the light had to be investigated.  I sat in the bed with my cell phone and was ready to dial 911 at the slightest sound.  And, no, I’m never dramatic, why do you ask?

After performing his Rambo maneuvers with a flashlight, Andrew came back and said all the doors and windows were locked.  He checked out all the corners of the rooms and closets downstairs.  It was then he noticed the potty was stopped up in the hall bathroom.  Keep in mind, we weren’t home all day and had no idea when the potty got stopped up.

We decided we’d go upstairs to check on the kids, just for our own sanity.  Halfway up the stairs, I heard Ellen singing to herself.  It was 2:30 in the morning.  I opened her door and noticed immediately that she wasn’t in the same pajamas she went to bed in.  It took her awhile, but she eventually admitted she had wet the bed.  (We usually put her in a pull-up at night.)

While I changed the sheets and willed my heart to stop thudding, I realized the child had come downstairs, pooped for quite awhile by the looks of the potty, changed her own clothes (and put herself in a pull-up), and taken herself back to bed.  Without ever once making a peep.  She’d make an excellent thief.

She’s also pretty stinkin’ independent for a three year old.  Don’t you think?

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Later, once the adrenalin had quit coursing through our veins and we were trying to go back to sleep, I heard another noise and sat straight up in bed.  We listened for a bit and then I sighed and put my head on my pillow.  ”It was probably just Ellen making herself a sandwich…”

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Filed Under: Family Stories, HopeSuds, Random
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Stuff You Should Know

October 1, 2010 by

A migraine kicked my tail yesterday.  Fortunately, we’ve all learned how to cope with these events, so Andrew wasn’t surprised last night when he walked in the door and the kids were parked in front of the TV and I was buried in my bed. Somehow I had managed to text him something about “must sever head from body ASAP” so he arrived bearing supplies for smoothies for dinner.

I believe he parked his white steed out by the side of the house before he entered.

Anyway, I thought I’d give you a few random things I keep meaning to tell you…

1.  I’ve mentioned our love for the Jesus Storybook Bible.  The kids wore out our first copy so I used some Amazon points and bought them the Deluxe Edition, complete with the Audio version.  I popped it into the van yesterday and we all enjoyed the sounds of some British actor telling the Gospel for all he was worth.  And, of course, I cried.  It’s magical.  You must get this.  Seriously.

2.  I went to visit a friend recently and she told me about a children’s book author I had never heard of, Rachel Isadora.  Her books were illustrated with pictures of babies from all around the world, something that we are wanting to include in our home.  I checked out a bunch of her  books from the library and our absolute favorite is What A Family.  It’s all about the convoluted family tree and genetic traits that get passed around.  My kids love comparing their ear lobes, second toe lengths, and “thumb bends” (double jointedness).  Plus, the ending makes all of us laugh.  Heartily recommend.

3.  Many of you probably already read my friend Kristen’s blog We Are That Family.  But in case you don’t, Kristen and her family recently started a new ministry to provide care for pregnant girls living in the streets of Kenya.  They have an etsy shop to raise support and I used some birthday money to get myself a “my heart is in Africa” necklace.  They’ve gotten lots of neat donations to their shop, so there’s something for everyone and it’s such a worthwhile cause.  Go check it out.

Most importantly… If you’re in the Huntsville, AL area, we’ll be selling HopeSuds at the Madison Street Festival this Saturday.  Hope to see you there!

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Filed Under: Book Review, Family Stories, HopeSuds
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It Takes A Village… Or A Flea Market

August 1, 2010 by

I downloaded the pictures off my phone so I could look at my weekend and remember what happened.  The short version is: with the help of our sweatshop elves, some relatives, and the kindness of strangers, we sold HopeSuds at a local market.  But you know I have never yet let the “short version” suffice in place of a good long story…

First, we should all begin with a deep sigh and a “Poor Aubrey.”

Aubrey is my sales guru.  She always holds my hand at festivals, because she’s got business savvy and she can make her booth look pretty.  These are valuable assets to have in a friend.  This was my first go-round without having her with me in flesh and bone.  Thank goodness for unlimited texting.  I assaulted her eyeballs with numerous photos of our table, asking if I should move something a little to the left or put more product out.

She never got these pictures or texts until much later, because her phone is possessed, but she very sweetly checked on me often and talked me down off of numerous booth decor-related ledges.

For the second day of the market, I brought out the big guns and added a few pics of Ugandan children and then one of my own kids grating soap in our little sweatshop.

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This shameless use of my children to sell product did not stop there.  Oh no.  I had my sister haul the kids up to the flea market for some face time with the customers.  The three boys stood in front of our sign with open bags and invited people to smell some HopeSuds.  Sam sold 3 bags and Adam sold 2.  It was all very Oliver Twist.

Before the kids brought the cute and started to move the detergent off the shelves, I had some quality time to sit behind my booth and mentally shop.  Had I visited the flea market as a guest, wandering the booths, I wouldn’t have found half the good deals I found.  But since I was sitting there, staring, my eyes would light upon items which would have otherwise never garnered my attention.  Which explains why there are pictures of such items like this one on my phone.

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It was followed by a text to a friend that said, “Get over here and talk me out of buying these peacocks.”

She arrived not thirty minutes later for a peacock intervention.  Only she intervened the “wrong” way (according to Andrew) and I am now the proud owner of peacocks on paper.  You may congratulate me.  (No, seriously, I have a plan for them, do not be afraid.  One day, it will all be clear.)

In the end, we sold some ‘Suds and I bought a dress for fifty cents.  (And some other things.)  But more than that, it was a family affair.  Aunt Katie arranged for us to have the booth.  Uncle Stik helped me out in the booth on Friday.  Aunt Abbi watched the kids.  Andrew did some hauling of goods and he was also a charming salesman.  Our kids got to see the bags of HopeSuds go into a customer’s hand (something they don’t understand when we’re shipping boxes).

And one day, hopefully soon, I will get to tell our new baby about how loved she is.  How wanted she is.  And how many people, family and strangers alike,  who worked to bring her home.

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Filed Under: Adoption, Family Stories, HopeSuds
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This May End Our Chances Of Anyone Ever Volunteering To Help Us Again

July 29, 2010 by

So the crazy around here has reached record highs.  We’re selling HopeSuds at a local flea market this weekend and have a lot to do to get ready.  Yesterday I resembled something akin to a chicken sans head.  Well, until the Caped Realtor swooped in to the rescue.  Remember her?  She saved me from flat tires, early labor, and Chik-fil-A cravings.  I had lunch with her a few days ago and mentioned the crazy that was about to ensue in my kitchen.  She offered her son and husband as slave labor helpers.  (Yes, the same son we had to drop off at football practice before L. would take me to the hospital when I was in labor.  L. says he still thinks I’m liable to keel over and pop out a baby at any moment.  Probably why she sent her husband, too.  Safety in numbers…)

The addition of more “employees” meant we had our own little sweat shop here.  I mean, the kids have always had to help out, but I knew we’d reached a new height when someone cut their finger and I yelled out, “Don’t bleed into the soap!”

Don’t you all want to come and work for me?

Speaking of working for me, in true “Office” management style, I left them alone to do the heavy lifting while I took Sam to the doctor.  He’s finally sporting a naked left leg again!  In between mixing bags of detergent, we took the kids out for dinner and ice cream to celebrate.  I am suspicious that they’re secretly plotting to throw another sibling off the trampoline soon in order to ensure the return of ice cream celebrations.

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By the time our minions helpers left, they’d saved Andrew and me 4 hours of work and, consequently, gave us the gift of sleeping before midnight.  After we got the kids in bed, we put in another hour and a half and ended up with this:

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127 bags of HopeSuds.  And can I tell you?  My house smells AH-MAZING right now. Which hopefully makes up for everything but my kitchen being totally filthy…

If you’re local and want to come by and say hey, we’d love to see you at the Briarwood Flea Market!!

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Filed Under: Adoption, Family Stories, HopeSuds
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Vitafam Goes Public

April 25, 2010 by

Last Thursday, the kids all had super special fun playdates at other people’s houses.  I took advantage of an empty house and had a friend come over to help me give the place a good scrubbing.  (My first inclination was to run screaming around the house and then to eat all the chocolate.  But I pretty much eat all of the chocolate anyway.)

When the kids came home, I had about ten minutes to pull myself together and keep the kids from trashing the place before the doorbell rang.  We had an interview scheduled with a local county paper to talk about adoption and HopeSuds.  The kids were fairly cooperative, even when the photographer wanted posed pictures of everyone grating soap and looking cute.

You can go here to read the article.  And since I had enough sense to pull my hair back, many of you will be seeing my profile for the first time since 2006.

Now here’s the funny part:  The reporter and photographer left and my kitchen was covered in soap particles.  So basically, it was like the whole Cleaning Binge never happened.  I rounded a corner and found Ellen in the kitchen, cheerfully grating soap all by herself.  She told me proudly, “I gway-ding soap so we can bwing home our bay-bee from Oo-gandah!”

And everybody said Awwwwwwww.  Of course, as soon as no one was looking, she turned up the charm to the 4th power.  You can see some video footage on the HopeSuds Facebook fan page.

One more link for those of you who purchased or want to purchase the Sseko sandals I told you about.  My incredibly talented sister Rebekah figured out a new way to tie her Ssekos (no ankle straps!  just slip them on!) and it’s up on the Sseko Designs YouTube page.

I wisely kept my hair out of the footage.

I’m all about public service, people.

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I’m Having A Rocky Balboa Moment

April 18, 2010 by

I blinked and the weekend is over.  Oh, what a weekend it was!  We had a booth for HopeSuds at the local festival on Saturday.  Which means I remember next to nothing about Friday.  I have a vague recollection of some lists, two sets of errands, lots of mixing and bag-filling in the kitchen, and a crisis or three.

Our biggest drama involved a banner for our booth.  We thought we had ordered one, but it never came in.  We realized this around 7 pm on Friday.  Fortunately, some friends who were already planning to come over and help us mix up another batch of detergent had “connections” with a print shop.  By just a little after midnight, we had a GIGANTIC sign, logo included, totally free.

Purely Providential, I assure you.

Aubrey, who is the Queen of Craft Fairs, came to help me out at the booth while Andrew manned our Vitafam Brood.  His job was tougher, I’m well aware.

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Once we arrived at our spot, my job was to obey Aubrey’s every command.  She moved, she shuffled, she putzed around… When she was finished, this was our display:

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We also had a lovely table full of Cheeky Maiden Soap and some Sseko sandals, both of whom donated a portion of their proceeds to us.

Now here’s the really amazing part:  People showed up. We had a steady stream of visitors and buyers.  I was amazed at the generosity of others, friends and strangers alike.  I know there’s a lot wrong with our world today, but sometimes?  People just plain ROCK.

Swallowing around that ginormous lump that’s been in my throat since about noon on Saturday, I heard God saying, “See?  I’m writing you a good story.  I’m giving your new baby an incredible tale to tell, about the literally hundreds of people who chipped in to bring her home.  So that she’ll know, and you’ll know, that I’m the Provider.  I’m the Faithful One.  And I’m Bigger than any road block you can imagine.”

Now, with that kind of affirmation, who wouldn’t feel the need to run around the cul de sac, Rocky-style, shouting a wild, “Hallelujah!”?

Y’all keep spreading the word, folks.  It’s working.  She’s getting closer… I can feel it.

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Sam on the Lam and Other Great News

April 15, 2010 by

So I’ve got good stories to tell you.  I could tell you about how Aubrey and I took our nine kids to the zoo today.  (We had another grown-up with us, never fear.)  But Aubrey already did that.  And she’s got better pictures than I do.

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Or I’d really love to tell you about how Sam committed a federal crime and is living in fear of the police coming to get him.  He even made us promise that if the Fuzz comes to arrest him, we’ll be sure to remind them that he’s just a kid.

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And then there’s the horrifying discovery that when Willa wants to cuddle, her “lovie” of choice when I’m holding her is to suck her fingers and play with my under arm.  You know, the spot that may or may not jiggle a little.

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But I have something more important to tell you, something that is just begging for a YAY, GOD!!!!

For several months now, the situation with adoption in Uganda has been stalled.  Not just for us, but for many families.  But today, after lots of emails, phone calls to congressmen, and so. much. prayer., the State Department gave all of us the statement we needed.  Nothing is certain yet, but things are looking up.  I feel just a little flicker of hope in my heart again.  (I mean, besides all the amazing Hope you guys have been sending our way with your support of HopeSuds.)

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I’m starting to think this thing might happen.

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And I’m glad we’ve got a membership at the zoo.  Because I’m really hoping we’re going to need to add another little face to this animal photo op before the year’s out.

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We Aren’t Breaking Any Child Labor Laws, Are We?

April 14, 2010 by

This past weekend was all wrapped up in taking care of the sick (We’re a regular infirmary around here with various and sundry ailments) and making laundry detergent.

Our first order of business was to chop and grate the Cheeky Maiden soap.  In the middle of all that, I had to cross the cul de sac to “borrow” some medicine for the nebulizer for Willa.  I mentioned that we were grating soap and my neighbor very sweetly humored me and nodded her head and smiled.  “Uh-huh.”

I put this picture up on the HopeSuds facebook page later in the day and I believe it clarified what I meant.

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We had some serious grating to do.  And we had discovered that our little hand-crank grater worked better than the food processor.  Even better, we discovered that our kids LOVE the grater.

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Ian grated and grated and grated.  He’s a very focused, diligent child when he wants to be.

Even Adam got in on the action.

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Adam quickly got distracted by his need to touch everything, though.  See him in the back, digging around in the grated soap?  It makes his sweet little tactile-self happy.

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Despite the fact that we had lots of little bodies to help with the grating, we barely made a dent in the pile of soap.  We grated enough for what we need for the week.  My other neighbor noticed when we opened our door that our house smelled fantastic.  Grating eleventy-hundred pounds of soap will do that for a house.

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A few days later, our neighbors bestowed on us this Bad Boy:

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Shiny, right???

Now we have two graters we can put to work.  And since we’ve still got more kids than graters, I’d say we’re set.

Now I just have to teach them to operate the washing machine and my life of leisure can begin…

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