Chanukah 09

It has been so busy here with all the holiday preparations, partying and holiday celebrations! The kids are enjoying Chanukah and I believe they are starting to understand the spirit of the holidays. They have enjoyed their gifts and spending time with family and loved ones.

Here are a few pictures from our holiday celebrations:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Sela's Thanksgiving Feast & Nathan's Report Card

Sela had a special celebration in school this year for Thanksgiving and I was so lucky to be able to attend.

Here is my beautiful girl dressed as a Native American: With Mommy:

With Morah Ellen:

and with Morah Amy:

Nathan received his report card this week and got very good grades. I also had my first parent-teacher conference of the year and was overwhelmed by all the teachers who came to Nathan's classroom just to meet me and tell me how special my little boy is. I have always known my kids are special, but it feels great to hear that others feel the same way! I am an incredibly proud momma!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Gifts arrive in Guatemala

Thanks to the help of my parents, sister and of course my beautiful children, we used our proceeds from our annual garage sale to send a backpack filled with school supplies, toiletries, clothes and gifts to each of our three sponsored children in Guatemala. For more information on sponsoring a child in Guatemala, and Mayan Families, please go to their website at: http://www.mayanfamilies.org/ It is always such a joy and an honor to see their smiling faces and to know that you are helping to make a difference in someone's life.

Halloween 2009

The kids were so excited about Halloween this year. They picked out their own costumes and both actually wore theirs! Sela loved trick or treating, but I am not sure which she enjoyed more: the walk with PopPop, the treats she received, or the fact that everyone told her that she was pretty!! Nathan had enough of the trick or treating after about 6 houses so we returned home to be with Bubie and give out our candy.

Sela was a fairy princess ballerina mermaid and Nathan chose to be a police office from the swat team. Sela wore high heels with this outfit and walked very well. In the middle of trick or treating, I asked her if her feet were ok to which she told PopPop that she walks better in heels than her mommy does....so true!!

And my little fashionista with her new boots from Auntie Mary before going to the Disney on Ice show with our cousins Seth, Bret and Becca:

Catching up...

The kids have been sick for over a week and our lives are beginning to get back to normal, until the next big disruption! This past weekend, we enjoyed celebrating Aunt Sherry's birthday and seeing family, the beautiful weather outside on Sunday and spending time with Uncle Rick after he ran the Marine Corps Marathon with cousins Larry and Josh yesterday.

Happy 60th Aunt Sherry!

Mom with Baby Hollie

Sela enjoying the party:

Mom and Dad:

Nathan found a friend to play with - Simon Says with Brian:

Impromptu photo shoot with kids outside Sunday:

Visiting with Uncle Rick:

Shabbat at Sela's school

Today was Sela's turn to be Ema (mother) at school for their Shabbat service. PopPop was able to attend and just sent me some pictures. I am so proud of my little girl.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Shabbat filled with peace, happiness and love!

Mayan Families Fundraiser

A few years ago, I made beautiful photocards (printed professionally on Kodak 5x7 paper) and personally paid for these cards hoping to use them as a fundraiser for GAFI (our online forum of Guatemalan adoptive families) to raise funds for Mayan Families. All cards have the Mayan Families website on them and note that a donation has been made in the recipient's honor.

I still have some gift cards available and thought this would be a good time to remind you as the holidays near. If you make a donation to Mayan Families through paypal for a the minimum amounts listed below, I would be happy to send you or your recipient a beautiful gift card. All you have to do is forward me your paypal receipt as proof of donation made and I will send it directly to your recipient (with personalized message on the back) or send to you inside a larger envelope for your distribution. I will pay the postage.

Here are the cards I have available:

9 cards for a donation of chickens to a family $35 donation

1 card for donation to the emergency fund $20 minimum donation

8 cards for donation towards the purchase of an onil stove $50 minimum 9 cards toward a new traje (traditional outfit) for a young girl $50 minimum donation 6 cards toward the donation of desks and chairs for classrooms $30 minimum donation 8 cards for a donation to provide vaccinations and worming for a dog or cat $15 minimum donation 9 cards for donation toward having a dog or cat spayed or neutered $20 minimum donation
To donation to Mayan Families please click HERE. Or, go directly to their website (www.mayanfamilies.org) and find the DONATE NOW button.

Also available are the beautiful cookbooks made by GAFI members also to benefit Mayan Families. We have over 50 of these left for sale. The price is $10 each and includes shipping. To purchase a cookbook, please contact me directly at RLK913@aol.comSome of the recipes included:

For more information on the cookbook, please contact me directly.

THANK YOU!!