A review of 2010
Wow, we had an amazingly busy year. From moving, to Africa, up a few mountains in Colorado, visiting friends in Illinois, friends visiting us and somehow fitting school in-between all of that gave us some great memories. I can't believe that we are already finding ourselves a third of the way into 2011. I am finally getting around to recapping the fun and eventful year that we had... Enjoy!
A Long Time Coming
I never intended to let so much time pass between updates. Rose and I have had an extremely fun and active summer. Between my recent trip to Africa, summer school, moving and Rose, life has been a whirlwind- a beautiful mess. I'll be posting some new pictures and sharing some of our recent adventures soon!
Love you all.
Are You Thirsty Yet?
Some of you may know about my involvement with Blood:Water Mission, a non-profit organization that is committed to bringing clean water and clean blood to Africa. I'm not really sure why, maybe because I am mom, but the thought of children dying or watching their parents die because of unlivable circumstances shatters my heart.
I have a new way that you all can get involved in helping out those in need. It's called a Biosand Water Filter. Day-to-day when we go to our refrigerator to get water most of us probably don't think of what it would be like to have to walk miles in order to get that water...and what if after we got it we had to scrape the bacteria from the top of the water just so that we could get a drink. Gross.
Get this. There is a new water filtration system that is being built into homes and here are five things that it does:
1) Eliminates 98% of the bacteria in water that is killing people.
2) Eliminates the need for families to walk MILES in order to get water.
3) Can provide clean drinking water for 10-20 years.
4) Provides work for men within the villages- because somebody has to build it.
5) Can give life to more people than you may ever realize.
Are you ready for the best part? THIS THING ONLY COST $85! I spend more than that on a pair of shoes. Are you getting this? CLEAN water can be provided to an ENTIRE family for TEN to TWENTY YEARS for EIGHTY-FIVE DOLLARS.
Please, just go to www.bloodwatermission.com/christmas and check it out. See what is up. It will blow your mind.
IDEA: For Christmas, instead of buying someone a meaningless gift to show them that you care, buy a gift full of life to show them that you care. I mean really, what is it going to cost you?
This year I have made the decision for Rose and I that we will not be spending money on gifts. Instead we will be giving the gift of clean water to another little two year old girl in Zimbia.
Love you all!
I have a new way that you all can get involved in helping out those in need. It's called a Biosand Water Filter. Day-to-day when we go to our refrigerator to get water most of us probably don't think of what it would be like to have to walk miles in order to get that water...and what if after we got it we had to scrape the bacteria from the top of the water just so that we could get a drink. Gross.
Get this. There is a new water filtration system that is being built into homes and here are five things that it does:
1) Eliminates 98% of the bacteria in water that is killing people.
2) Eliminates the need for families to walk MILES in order to get water.
3) Can provide clean drinking water for 10-20 years.
4) Provides work for men within the villages- because somebody has to build it.
5) Can give life to more people than you may ever realize.
Are you ready for the best part? THIS THING ONLY COST $85! I spend more than that on a pair of shoes. Are you getting this? CLEAN water can be provided to an ENTIRE family for TEN to TWENTY YEARS for EIGHTY-FIVE DOLLARS.
Please, just go to www.bloodwatermission.com/christmas and check it out. See what is up. It will blow your mind.
IDEA: For Christmas, instead of buying someone a meaningless gift to show them that you care, buy a gift full of life to show them that you care. I mean really, what is it going to cost you?
This year I have made the decision for Rose and I that we will not be spending money on gifts. Instead we will be giving the gift of clean water to another little two year old girl in Zimbia.
Love you all!
It's the Holidays!
Well, I finished an extremely busy semester at school and boy-oh-boy am I glad! Rose and I finally finished decorating our Christmas tree this past week. It was the first time she has been able to help and she loved it!
For Thanksgiving Rose and I drove to Illinois to see some very very good friends, Jessica and Brian, and their two little ones, Liam and Evvi. That was our longest road trip yet. It took us right at 13, which is a really long time, but it was a great experience. On the way home we stopped in St. Louis and went to The Arch. It was a great time.
On Christmas day we will be leaving for New York and will be spending about a week there. It's always exciting and fun to see family and Rose is stoked about riding on the airplane again!
I will be posting some pictures soon from Thanksgiving and other fun times.
Much love to you all.
For Thanksgiving Rose and I drove to Illinois to see some very very good friends, Jessica and Brian, and their two little ones, Liam and Evvi. That was our longest road trip yet. It took us right at 13, which is a really long time, but it was a great experience. On the way home we stopped in St. Louis and went to The Arch. It was a great time.
On Christmas day we will be leaving for New York and will be spending about a week there. It's always exciting and fun to see family and Rose is stoked about riding on the airplane again!
I will be posting some pictures soon from Thanksgiving and other fun times.
Much love to you all.
Fall
It is the fall season, an extremely busy time of year for us. Sometimes it seams like we can get bogged down with the day to day things. Between work, school and Rose it's like I'm running in circles sometimes.
Rose is growing and growing. Everyday her vocabulary gets larger and she says things that are so random I can't help but laugh. I can already tell that her personality will be that of a little jokester. She is so independent, I'm not really sure where she gets that from :) The other day we were driving in the car and she told me, "Mom, I want to drive okay?" I about died laughing.
I also started a new job this fall. I'm working at a coffee shop, Zula's Coffee House, downtown Waxahachie, about two blocks from my house. It's great.
I haven't had much time for bike riding, unfortunately but I've been able to get a couple good runs and some rock climbing in.
We are looking forward to the cold weather and the holidays!
Happy fall everybody!
Rose is growing and growing. Everyday her vocabulary gets larger and she says things that are so random I can't help but laugh. I can already tell that her personality will be that of a little jokester. She is so independent, I'm not really sure where she gets that from :) The other day we were driving in the car and she told me, "Mom, I want to drive okay?" I about died laughing.
I also started a new job this fall. I'm working at a coffee shop, Zula's Coffee House, downtown Waxahachie, about two blocks from my house. It's great.
I haven't had much time for bike riding, unfortunately but I've been able to get a couple good runs and some rock climbing in.
We are looking forward to the cold weather and the holidays!
Happy fall everybody!
Ride:Well
If you've been around me for any length of time then you have probably heard me talking about Ride:Well Bike Tour. It is something that I am so passionate about. Ride:Well is an event to raise money and awareness for the need of water in Africa. A group of people spend the summer biking across the US and along the way different churches and organizations host special events to raise money for them. The money is spent on building clean water wells in Africa. This year we are focusing on a specific community; Marsabit, Kenya.
This year I am doing my part by assisting in the organization of events for my church. We have already had a huge car wash where we raised over $1,300- enough to build one water well in Marsabit! And in July we are hosting a Benefit concert and art auction featuring some amazing singers and artist. We are also going to spend the day, Saturday June 27, riding our bikes in a local bike race to show support. I've pledged to go 100 miles!
Training has been so fun. I've been going to spin classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The first day kicked my toosh but it has really helped to build my endurance. I've also sparked an interest for bike riding in quite a few of my co-workers, so we have been riding together some. Two of them are going to ride with me for the Ride:Well Tour on Saturday! I love sharing my passion with people.
If you have a second take some time to check out the Ride:Well Tour at www.ridewelltour.org
Much love,
Jessica
This year I am doing my part by assisting in the organization of events for my church. We have already had a huge car wash where we raised over $1,300- enough to build one water well in Marsabit! And in July we are hosting a Benefit concert and art auction featuring some amazing singers and artist. We are also going to spend the day, Saturday June 27, riding our bikes in a local bike race to show support. I've pledged to go 100 miles!
Training has been so fun. I've been going to spin classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The first day kicked my toosh but it has really helped to build my endurance. I've also sparked an interest for bike riding in quite a few of my co-workers, so we have been riding together some. Two of them are going to ride with me for the Ride:Well Tour on Saturday! I love sharing my passion with people.
If you have a second take some time to check out the Ride:Well Tour at www.ridewelltour.org
Much love,
Jessica
4 Generations In One Chair!
We were so lucky to have my mom's mom, my grandma, Rose's great-grandma in town a couple weeks ago. For months my mom has been talking about taking a picture with all four generation of our family. We finally got to do this at Rose's party. As I was sitting on the arm of the chair I realized how special it is that Rose will know her great-grandma. Not many people can say they do. I also realized what strong women have come before me. I only hope that I can be as good of an idol to Rose! Food for thought...:)
Attachments:
Say What?
In the past 2 months Rose has really caught on to the whole talking thing! And just in the past 3 weeks, sentences are flowing out of her sweet little mouth! It is really keeping me on my toes though. She can repeat!...ok, change the tv channel. She can sing!...ok, change the radio station. My two favorite things that she can say (both she learned from her Tia Linda) are "Don't pick your nose!" and "I love beans!" It really is a new adventure and I'm loving every second of it :)
