On August 26th we got a new member to our family. Elli arrived from Germany and the kids were very excited to meet her for the first time at the airport. Josie, complete with the "Welcome Home" balloon and several hand drawn welcome pictures, was the most excited. Benjamin, well, he didn't really know what was going on but was excited all the same.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
"A Hungry Child Can't Wait: Ask 5 for 5"
Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5
Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography
Thank you
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 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 thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media 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:
- Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
- Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
- Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!
I'm looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout 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!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Summer Concerts
This summer we went to A LOT of concerts. Too many really even to count. But the unofficial tally is: 5 zoo concerts (Marc Cohn, Indigo Girls, KD Lang, B-52s and Brandi Carlisle) 4 Hiawatha Concerts (The Gothard Sisters, Massy Fergusson, Leroy Bell, Caspar Babypants) One Alki concert: YogoMan Burning Band. The above 10 all with the kids. They loved it. Both kids loved the music, loved dancing and loved being around all the people. Marty and I also went a few concerts on our own: Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt and the Chateau St. Michele Winery and The Bodeans at the Snoqualmie Casino. Marty's job has some pretty fun perks in the summer.
Top photo at the KD Lang show with Markus, Jen, Mia, Ellie and Julie.
Second photo with my sister, Kim, at the Marc Cohn show.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Pepsapalooza
In August Marty was asked to host the PEPS fundraiser, Pepsapalooza. It was a day full of fun kid bands, pony rides, face painting, trampolines, gymmagic bus (gym on a bus) and much more. Everyone had a great time.
Josie ran around from one thing to another of course being sure to pick up every single freebie that was offered at each booth.
When she got to the front of the face painting line she asked for a pink butterfly. I've never seen such a beautifully painted face!! She proudly wore it all day and night and unfortunately woke up with the paint all over her pillow case. I think she wanted it to stay on her face forever... or at least longer than one day.
Benjamin had a great time, too. He loved all the treats, dancing to the bands and watching the people. Here he is with the last bit of an ice cream cone stuffed in his mouth.
Marty had a great time too, although he did have to do some work at the microphone.
Benjamin had a great time, too. He loved all the treats, dancing to the bands and watching the people. Here he is with the last bit of an ice cream cone stuffed in his mouth.
Marty had a great time too, although he did have to do some work at the microphone.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Good Bye, Julie!!
We lost a BIG part of our family a couple weeks ago!! Julie's time with us was up and she had to return to Germany. To say we were sad was an understatement!! From the first day to the last we all felt like she was part of the family. On her last day she decided she wanted to spend it similarly to how she spent her first real day with us... down at Alki and Pegasus for dinner. One year later and we are all very different people.
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