A Hungry Child Can't Wait: Let's Change History

 

Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5
Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography

Thank you (The Berry Family Blog) and 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today.

A hungry child in East Africa can't wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we'll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps. 

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren't so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world's first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond--or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity's baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am inspired that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don't do anything at all.

When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn't want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother's hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya--the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, "I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm." The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. "We don't have enough food now...our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues."

Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.

That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called #Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on--in nine generations of 5x5x5...we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support, healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.

I need you to help me save lives. It's so so simple; here's what you need to do:

1. Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
3. Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!

I'm looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blog during Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you're interested in participating this week.

A hungry child doesn't wait. She doesn't wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn't wait for us to decide if she's important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on...please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.

Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped--you are saving lives and changing history.


p.s. Please don't move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you're life is busy like mine, you probably won't get back to it later. Let's not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let's leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today!

6 Year Anniversary!

6 year anniversary gifts: iron, wood and candy.

Mat and I both jump in with eagerness when it comes to anniversary gifts and the special year requirements that we both have fun indulging in. It's always so fun to see what we both come up with. One of the gifts Mat received was a 4# bag of Iron Plus soil acidifier and one of my gifts were dark chocolate truffles. Some have humor and others have more of a sweet sentiment. Mat also follows the flower of each year and this year was the calla lilly, mine is a pot of beautiful green and yellow calla lillies. I hope I can plant them in a yard soon!

Our evening plans were a surprise to me. Mat loves to plan romantic dinners for us and I love the anticipation and always love the thought and sweetness he has put into the event. We had dinner at Sullivan's which is a very nice steakhouse downtown. This is where we went after our wedding reception... in my wedding dress and his tux. So, we have very special memories at this restaurant. We were greeted with "Happy Anniversary!" from every staff member we encountered. We were seated at a table with gorgeous fresh cut flowers just for me and promptly received a glass of champagne from the manager who also wished us a "Happy Anniversary!" Our server and other staff also knew of our story and it was a fun experience and of course the food was out of this world. I was swept off my feet.

Once we were done with dinner we headed over to The Cruise Room at the Oxford Hotel. I had not heard of this place before but it was magical. As soon as you walked in you were transported to a time in the past, it exemplified the 40's on a cruise ship. It was relatively small with no windows, art deco feel and bartenders decked out in proper black vests. Martini's were the drink of choice and we enjoyed one and got a fellow patron to take a quick picture of us (above).

I am so blessed to have a husband who is such a genuine man. His thoughtfulness, goofy attitude, sweetness, and loyalty in every situation always shines through. I know he is the most amazing husband and I already know he is the best dad. You are the best Maty. Love you PB! Smooches to you!

Special Moments

I have been rather absent from my blogging activities for quite some time. However, I can summarize what has been going on to catch you up. We have been staying busy and having fun.



• Garage Sale to help with adoption expenses. My parents as supportive as ever came out to help. My Dad getting in fine and my Mom getting stuck at a random airport. It was pretty much an 18 hour trip for them. WE LOVE YOU GUYS!
• Rapids game to watch our friend Brian Mullan play and share the fun times with Eric and our God son Jeremy.
• Lots of running. Some bike rides. Lifting. Belly dancing for me.
• Denver Oyster Race with our buddy Eric. An urban adventure race around downtown Denver on foot and bike. Solving clues and puzzles to find the location we needed to run or bike to. Numerous fun activities (only 3 examples) a cool dip in the pool at the Denver Athletic Club swimming relay style, the 3 of us hooked together at our wrists and searching through Coors Field baseball park looking for picture clues to get us to our next location and another memorable one...an obstacle course in the Pepsi Center parking lot- climbing over hay bales (Mat & Eric), dumpster diving (Mat & Eric), keg walking (me), turning over large tires, carrying sandbags and finally a slingshot to hit a bell (Eric). Running- approximately 8 miles. Biking approximately 10 miles. We finished in just over 3 hours and placed 6th in our group.
• Pro Cycling Challenge. The race was all over the mountain cities in Colorado and ended in Denver. Racers included the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place men of the Tour de France. We stood on the side of the road on Speer Boulevard to see the amazing bikers. Lance Armstrong helped bring the race to Colorado. It was pretty amazing.
• 30th Birthday party for Jon Graffam, other birthdays celebrated, Adam Rodriguez and Jason Boyd. Chatfield Reservoir for games, food and fun times on the boat. We did some swimming and enjoyed the surprisingly quiet water over Labor Day weekend. Jeremy did not get in to swim with us off of the boat but was more comfortable on the shore where I took him in and got wet up to his belly. Yay!
• Overnight with Jeremy and a trip to the park to play on the playground and run around and play soccer with me, Mat and Momus (nanny fam dog we occasionally take care of).

Picture Time!

Oyster Race



"Take a picture of each team member doing a different yoga pose."

"Take a picture of each team member wearing their clothes inside out."

"Take a picture of 3 team members with only 2 legs on the ground."

Soccer Game!

Professional Bike Race!



Our umbrella was on television 6 times.

A Summer Morning

One morning this summer was spent headed North to the country. Along with the little guy I take care of, of course.
We went to Berry Patch Farms, quite a find. There was an extra large pig named Princess Pancetta and a little piglet named Miss Piggy and there were lots of cute fancy chickens, roosters, a turkey and ducks roaming around free (all pets). We picked flowers and got a ride to the strawberry and raspberry fields. Due to the extreme sun and heat we did not stay long in the fields but it was a great experience. I bought fresh eggs, cantaloupe, yellow watermelon, summer squash, zucchini, a sweet candy onion, toms and my hand picked strawberries. Other items were purchased for my nanny fam.
We had a picnic lunch and headed back. It was a nice summer morning.

On Hold

We are currently on hold with our adoption agency. Since we are working on attaining a new address we are not eligible to receive a referral at this time. I will keep you posted.

Abby

Are we Drifters? Renters? or First Time Home Buyers?

Here is a super quick back story for you. Within the span of about 6 years.

Nate and Mat are rugby buddies. Nate buys a town home and Mat is going to move in as a roommate. Nate gets an awesome job and the project is out of state. Abby and Mat are serious right from the gate and get married. Abby and Mat move into the townhouse and rent from Nate. Nate is the best guy out there (besides Mat) and allows us to rent for a VERY good price and allows us to make home improvements in lieu of rent. Abby and Mat make a home and fix the place up. Nate gets another great job opportunity and will be living not just staying in his next location. He puts an offer on a house in Cali. He is going to sell the townhouse in Co. We start looking for something else.


So, clearly there is a great deal to think about in a short span of time. Our Fairy God Father, aka, Nate has been so good to us and we have been so lucky to live in his town home for such a long time. Now, we are fastly approaching the end of one good thing to begin another adventure.

The important thing for us is to make decisions quickly because the adoption papers need to be updated, approved, home study again, etc. since our address will change. And the decision needs to take place sooner than later because we do not want to be put on hold as we near the referral. We are also within our 90 days of some of our paperwork being expired. We need to update the I-600A and our fingerprints...but do we do it now because it is free 1 time only extension or wait until we have a new address? The cost of these changes keep piling up but I suppose that goes with the territory and we knew of these possible scenarios.

This week. We got a call from Nate. Fast forward, things are moving fast and we need to get on the ball. Mat calls his sister Yvette who is a broker, we get numbers and start calling. We now have a realtor, have been pre-approved and should start to see some listings trickling in today. WOW! Our hope is to see some we would like to check out in person and go look at tomorrow.

Our Adoption Garage Sale has now evolved into an Adoption / Moving Sale and I see everything in our home with new eyes.

Keep. Pack. Sell. Pitch.

Our journey is never ending and our love for each other is the same. It is somewhat sad to say goodbye to the pace we have called home. The place we have made into a home. You should have seen it from the get go. The place where the first 6 years of our marriage started and the place we thought we would bring our kids home to.

This new adventure will be very exciting and scary. We hope to stay in the same area, the parks and trails are now a part of our workout routine and where we see us as a family. Realisticallyy. Anyone that knows me well would know I would move to a 1900 old farmhouse where you have to take a bike ride to get the neighbor's house in the South of France... in a heartbeat. Or a nice place in PA with lots of land for the kids to explore and a garden. For now, until we win the lottery or retire, we will stay here.

We are walking into this... looking for our first time home... thing...with conservative and realistic eyes. We know our budget and are planning to take necessary steps for how our life and salaries will look when the kids are home. I am cutting my hours, 11 most days will go to 6. And the Nanny/Household Manager title moves to Nanny/Mom. Which means I will be paid by the hour and no longer salary. The pretty new VW Tiguan, goes as well.

So, like I was saying- we are not looking for the beautiful move in ready 5 piece master bath and walk in closet house with the big yard. We are looking for what we can handle for the next 3-5 years as we adjust to owning a home, a fixer upper most likely and creating some equity.

Be smart. It's a business deal. It's not forever. Try not to get emotional. Have fun, it's an adventure. ~My new mantra.

All for now, Abby

Adoption Update

  

A good head and a good heart

are always a formidable combination.

Nelson Mandela

  

We have touched base with our East coast agency case worker and have been notified of a couple things.

There is another family in the program waiting on a sibling group referral who has been waiting 18 months, so at this point she thinks it is reasonable to anticipate waiting another 4-6 months for a referral.

Our fingerprints need to be taken again to update since we cannot allow them to lapse after this long period of time and our I-600A extension needs to be sent in for approval.

We are fine. This just allows us more time to get the $ for the adoption and to start saving for the travel expenses.

Pictures

Summer so far...

Estate Sale Find 

Mountain Biking in the Foothills

The Denver Art Museum - Marvelous Mud Exhibit!

Tiny ceramic flowers in different colors that made a picture-

this was tricky to photograph but you can get the idea.

Jigsaw of sorts made out of ceramic.

It was displayed in a shallow frame on the floor so you could walk on it.

Super cool chair located on one of the rooftops.

These areas are not a secret but it's hard to find them sometimes.

I think we find a new outdoor roof display each time we go.

Mat's Birthday! D-Bar chocolate cake slice- yummy!

A not so good picture of his birthday dinner I made (lamb).

Flowers before they were butchered by the hail storm.

My parents in town with a car load+ of garage sale items for our big sale this year.

Yummy watercress salad.

Dad with a birthday beer while wearing a beer shirt...while I am sure thinking fondly of beer.

Potato Print Success!

Ethiopia Child Sponsorship

Our East coast adoption agency, Wide Horizons for Children has a child sponsorship program in Ehiopia. Here is a peek into what they do for the children and their families.

Potato Prints!

I am so excited about my Tuesday night Crafty Girls Club! I am normally MIA or just unsure of my craft idea. This time I am diving right in! Check out a craft blog here where a woman made gift tags, thank you cards, etc. with them. 

I originally saw this application/idea on Martha Stewart where four mothers took this idea and made a business. Here is the how-to if you are applying them to fabric like I am. I will be making onesies and little people tees...with you guessed it. Africa on them and a few other ideas I have up my sleeve.

Amos Story - Music Video - Aaron Ivey

My amazing cousin Kris shared this with me. It gave me full body goose bumps. Beautiful. Thank you Kris, I love you!

To Do List

Updated Friday July 1st:

To Do- This week

• Lots of work, of course

It's Friday and I am done at 7:15, working a little longer today.

• Pottery class

Monday night class was great and went in on Wednesday for studio lab time.

• Belly dancing class

This was today while G was at preschool in the am. So addictive, I love it!!!

• Pick up and clean before parents arrive

Mat is doing this today- he is the best husband ever!!!

• Guest/kiddo room ready and organized

Ditto. I love you Maty!

• Grocery store- to include coffee for Mom and Dad

We went last night and I will likely go tomorrow am after belly dancing class to pick up the fresh produce.

• Workout

Only 1 night was intense. We did some lifting and running. Gotta get back in the swing of things before the Oyster!

Since I have many things swimming around my head I thought just writing them down may help. I suppose I am a list maker but that's not always bad right?

To Do- This week

• Lots of work, of course
• Pottery class
• Belly dancing class
• Pick up and clean before parents arrive
• Guest/kiddo room ready and organized
• Grocery store- to include coffee for Mom and Dad
• Workout

To Do- July

• Organize bedroom closet- garage sale pile, keep pile and toss pile. Clean and organize all.
• Start training for the Oyster Race!
• Try and keep our plants alive
• Book organization. The Book Rack (buy back) pile, garage sale pile, keep pile.

To Do- Before Fall

• Finish C for Caterpillar painting, start and finish M for music and think of and paint a 3rd and/or 4th painting.
• Organize guest/kiddo closet- garage sale pile, keep pile and toss pile. Clean and organize all.
• Hope to receive our referral so we can see the beautiful faces of our babies.
• Have a good workout/training regime in place and start to feel healthy.

Dia Frampton - The Cave (Mumford and Sons cover)

Dia singing The Cave!?

Beautiful!

Trying

...to stay positive

...not to cry

...to keep a happy face

With the latest news about our delayed referral and arrival home for the kiddos it has been a bit trying. I am not posting much since I am not super chipper. Just trying to have a good attitude about everything and sometimes that's hard.

Over the weekend I received a beautiful card and handwritten note from my very best friend, Christen. We have been friends since birth (hers) and are still so tight. The only thing that keeps us apart are the hundreds of miles and states that separate us. Christen is already attached to our kiddos and feels the hurt too. Thank you for the card!

Sunday was Father's Day as you know and Mat did oh so well. Much better than I did on Mother's Day. I made him a Shutterfly card - one of the pictures on the card included the one from above. That is the color of the room the kiddos will share. We hope it is the last Mother's and Father's Day that we spend apart from our beautiful children.

Where will we be this Saturday?

The Highlands Street Fair in historic Northwest Denver.

Our good friends Sarah Good and Eric Varner are in Ethiopia meeting their baby girl right now! And Sarah is a very talented artist that makes glass, copper and silver jewelry and other fun things like night lights. Sarah Good Jewelry has a booth at the Highlands Street Fair

and that is where we will be working.

Stop by to say hi and check out Sarah's beautiful work. We will be located on 32nd between Newton and Meade Streets. The Fair is definitely going to be a fun event, lots of shopping, food and fun events for the kids.

Hope to see you there!

~Abby