Thursday, September 13, 2007

Sisters, sisters...


I have a blogger buddy who has just adopted this precious little girl, Tsebay, from Ethiopia. (As in the picture at the top of the page) Is she not the biggest cutie pie that you have ever seen?? Her new mamma, Maria (who is also using Gladney, our adoption agency) went a few months ago to pick her up in Ethiopia and while she was there Tsebay's birth mom came to meet her and begged her to also take her other daughter, Kozit, who is 2 years old. (In the picture above with Tsebay) Maria obviously couldn't just take Kozit home with her right then so as soon as she got back to the states she began the paperwork to adopt that precious girl. While Maria is happy to be home with Tsebay, there is a sadness lingering as she thinks of Kozit waiting at the orphanage to be reunited with her sister. As you can imagine it is very expensive to adopt one child...let alone two, so Maria and a few of her friends have come up with a plan to raise the money to keep these sisters together forever...they are attempting to raise $10,000 of the cost and get the other $10,000 from grants- but here is how you can help:

A minimum donation of $50.00 will get your name in a raffle.
Here is what you can win:
-round trip tickets for two to Maui
-a lei greeting at the airport

-10 day accommodations in a cottage on the North Shore of Maui
-10 day car rental
-2 nights out at beautiful Maui restaurants
****The cash out option will be: $3000****

Their goal is to get 275 tickets sold so please pass this along to anyone interested in winning a trip or even more importantly, helping to bring Kozit home to her little sister! Here is the email if you are interested in helping, katemcentee@comcast.net. Just let her know how many tickets you would like to purchase and she will send them to you!
Thanks guys!!
Tara

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Everything is bigger in OKC...


A few weeks ago I decided to take Charles to the Oklahoma City Zoo. We went early in the morning while it was nice and cool and the place was nearly empty, just a few moms and babies wandering around. It was so nice and peacefull and quiet, we were having a great time! Then as we strolled along we came upon an exhibit that was just trees so we stopped to read the sign and see what was in there and if we could find it. As I began reading I realized there were Cicada Killer nests in those trees...(hmmm, whats a Cicada Killer?)...also known as Giant Red Wasps...(what the...??) Within a few seconds we are surrounded by hundreds of crazy giant red wasps, so I start freaking out- swatting and shaking and running as fast as Charles' stroller will allow! I'm sure I was a lovely sight- doing the running boogy dance. But what the crap?! What kind of Zoo thinks it would be a great idea to have a wasp exhibit and hives- out in the open for all the world to be stung?! Well, we didn't get stung, but I will forever wonder who fabulous idea that was...us Oklahomans, we are duh smardest ever.