I’ve been excited about this post for weeks!  Readers, I can now officially introduce you to my new friend who I came across through my blog.  Ladies and gentlemen meet the amazing Rachel.  (You can read how we met here.)  Most people won’t accomplish half of the things she has in their lifetime let alone by the age of 17 (hello, she’s written and had two books published already!).  After meeting this lovely lady about a month ago we’ve been dreaming and scheming about this shoot.  It’s a miracle that we got to meet and I’m so thankful we did because Rachel has been such a gift to me!  In light of that we wanted to make the most of the time and play big girl dress up. 🙂  You heard me right.  Oh yeah and to put it over the top we decided to go matching.  If you’re going to play dress up in a public place it might as well look intentional right!?  Not to mention that we were inspired by two of our favorite bloggers who regularly travel around the world in decidedly twin like outfits.  🙂  I hope you like part one.  Part two is coming next week and is quite tulle filled and colorful!

Rachel, I’m incredibly grateful to know you.  You’re an amazing woman and I’m always forgetting that you’re only 17 because you’re so mature.  I love your exuberance and energy.  I love that you have exciting goals and that you are willing to learn and grow.  I had a grand time laughing with you and I always enjoy our long chats.  You’re a beautiful woman inside and out and I look forward seeing your story unfold.  I love you.

To see more photos go check out Rachel’s blog here.  Make sure to leave her some comment love too!  And you can follow her on twitter as well.  🙂

(Photos by Rachel Coker Photography)  Rachel’s mother was incredibly patient and kind to take these pictures! Thank you Mrs. Coker.

Warning:  This is a very miscellaneous post.  Then again that’s okay since I’m Miss Elaini ous. 😉

I love numbers (but you already know this).  For some reason I have taken an affinity to 3…and 7.  I can’t explain it.  So to have three threes in one post makes the child part of my heart really happy.  Hey, I’m easily amused!

It’s been a while since I’ve done an outfit post so I thought it would be fun to try my creativity.  I haven’t really bought any new things since I started the project back in May of 2011.  Of course I have gotten some hand me downs but it sounds way better if you say re-gifted items right?  😉  Although my sweet friend gave me this amazing necklace from Towne & Reese as a Christmas gift and I like it so much.  It instantly makes outfits better.  I’d love to hear how you make shopping your closet more fun.  Any good tips for me?

Many people choose to make goals at the beginning of January but most of them peter out by the end of the month.  I didn’t make any resolutions in January but I did make some for February.  I’m going to try and blog twice a week and I even made a schedule.  This is something just short of miraculous since I’m not so great at planning.  I’m excited to see how it all turns out and I hope you’ll enjoy it too.

Update on Hosanna:  Well….his sister isn’t a match for a bone marrow transplant and if a sibling isn’t a match then they won’t do the transplant.  But his count’s have been going up on their own which is very good!  I’m still waiting to hear more info but in the meantime I continue to pray for our sweet boy.  If you’re the praying type I’d love for you to join me in praying for him.  (For those of you who don’t know, Hosanna is a 10 year old boy in India with Leukemia)

UPDATE! $71,090.14 😀  So what should the new goal be?  Please let me know what you think in the comments below!

(Not to annoy you or anything but this post is also on the 23rd of this month and it’s 2013 which means that’s a whole lot of threes!)

Right at the first of the year I got an email that definitely made my day.  My lovely friend Sherry invited me and my mum to come to Urbaca Salon for a little pampering.  Okay, a lot of pampering.  I got a facial and it was the most relaxing and wonderful hour and a half.  I basically never wanted to leave.  Ever.  My face, which has been a bit bloody from my health issues, was quite happy when I left.  And two days latter I was still glowing.  Someone even asked me if something really great had happened to make me all radiant.  Yes, it was that good.  The really neat thing is that Sherry is an incredibly talented woman and makes her own products!  What I love about them is that they are paraben, sulfate, and cruelty free.  Not to mention that a lot of the ingredients are organic and feel amazing on your skin.  AH.MAZE.ING.  Oh and it tickled me pink that she named the shea creme after me. 🙂  You really should go check it out!  You can find her products at Okamura Farmacopia and if you’re in the Portland, Oregon area then you should go get a facial by her at Urbaca.  You won’t regret it.

Sherry that you for spoiling me time and time again.  I very much appreciate all of your support for me and my kiddos.  You’ve been such a blessing to me and I’m grateful that I have the privilege of knowing you.

(These pictures are of several of the delightful products that I have received from Sherry and enjoy using.  You can also check out her Facebook site here!)

I scanned the room and then my face lit up as I beheld the joy on hers.  Even in the sea of black suits her gorgeous smile was more than enough to draw me right into her giant amazing hug.  I had been hesitant before to return to this event that had held so many emotions for me but seeing Rachel made everything right.  I was supposed to come back to this memory laden place like this.  Not for me but for her.  And I couldn’t imagine it being better.  As we happily chattered I glanced over and saw a boy of the tender age of six sling a backpack right on up over his miniscule suit jacket and walk off.  “What’s that I thought?!  Are they cloning these brilliant students now?”  Much to my surprise I found out that there was a junior track.

Welcome to speech and debate tournaments people.  For high school students…and apparently little children too.

So we waited for breaks and anxiously held hands waiting to see whether Rachel and Gabe had moved on to the finals.  Of course they did and we screamed and then the room started revolving in the hurry and scurry of competitors quickly scanning the line up for each event.  Danielle and I made our own list of speeches we needed to get to and then we were off.  As we waited for Rachel’s speech to start I looked at her serenely standing there waiting for the judges to let her begin and I felt a certain sense of controlled tension mixed with a prayerful calm as I winked her way.  It’s difficult to explain the vibe of those rooms.  It’s as if a cello string is about to be plucked and air thick with anticipation will hold it suspended for those 10 minutes that can feel like eternity to the speaker.  But speech after speech my sweet friend triumphed and sparkled and made me proud.  Yet she is humble and gracious just like the rest of her wonderful family.  We’ve “adopted” these delightful friends who came into our lives for a speech tournament 3 years ago and I’m so thankful that the Lord brought them.  Mrs. H, Danielle, Rachel, and Gabe we are so grateful to know you.  You all shine the love of Jesus and are some of the most delightful people I’ve ever had the honor of knowing.  Thanks for letting me be a small part of your life.  I love you.

P.S.  Hosanna update:  He has been moved to a private hospital which will cost more money but we hope he will get better treatment here.  At this point they are saying that the only hope is for him to get a bone marrow transplant.  The catch is that the doctors will only do it if his sister is an exact match.  So please pray that she is!  And that this treatment will work for our sweet boy Hosanna.  Thank you all for praying.  It has been an immense blessing and very needed!

P.P.S.  UPDATE! $70,990!!! Does anyone want to push it over to the $71K mark?! 😀  Each and every donation really does make a difference for these sweeties in India.

Yes, I took a mini (and much needed) break from blogging but I’m back now.  I have good new and some very difficult news.  I’ll start with the good news first! Official update is now $70,730.14!  I’ll be setting a new goal soon…

Now for the post that I have been trying to formulate in my mind and just struggling with.  You see one of “my” sweet children, Hosanna, has leukemia.  I wrote about him here.  Since then he has only gotten worse with the different counts going up and down.  Last night I heard from my friend Paige in India and she said that Hosanna is coughing up blood and that the doctors have only given him 2 days to live.  Knowing that sends a knife straight to my heart and I wish that I could give my bone marrow or platelets to make him better.  He needs a miracle and I long to help.  And I can.  I can pray.  I can pray that God will heal him and I will.  If you are the praying type will you please join me?  Also please spread the word about this precious young boy.  He’s only ten.  Please pray for his mother and for his sister too.  As you can imagine this is incredibly painful and heart wrenching.  I will do my best to give you all updates as I get them.  Thank you!

Happy New Year! 

Thank you for being such wonderful readers!  I’m so grateful to announce that:

We made it! 

$70,455.14

I’ll be getting another update soon with the official total. 🙂  Thank you everyone for helping change these sweet little lives in India.  It makes such a difference.

(Photo by: Autumn Johnson Photography)

Well somehow I’ve managed to blog another year by the grace of God!  Here are a few of the pictures that meant something in my life this year for so SO many reasons.  I’m blessed.  I wish I could tell you why each one of these matters but it would take too long…

Praise the Lord, all nations!  Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Psalms 117

Can we reach the goal??  We only need another $1,115 to get us there! If you give even just $10 dollars then that will make a huge difference.  I believe we can reach the goal! DID I MENTION IT’S A TAX WRITE OFF??  BECAUSE IT IS. 

Another UPDATE! $68,885.14

Oftentimes I wonder how much I should pour out my heart on here.  In many ways I forget that anyone anywhere at any time can read this.  I long to be real and genuine with any sweet and faithful readers on here while also being careful too because this isn’t my journal.  Careful or cryptic usually wins out even though I can say that every post has been who I am.  It just doesn’t always carve as deep as I want to.

I don’t really remember ever having a normal year.  Whatever normal is defined by I’m not sure so maybe they have been.  Yet this year has been a hard one for me.  It seems like it has been weightier than others and one where the crying and joy of my soul has only found true repose in Jesus.  Him alone.  I’ve felt my soul stripped down bare to the raw real me before but this year took me to a level just as deep if not deeper then I had been before.  I almost feel this year has left me to simmer in a good way.  To wait and let the low yet constant heat bring out a sweet fragrance that is sorely needed in my life.  To hopefully boil away more inconsistencies.  That is what I pray.  I’ve come to realize even more that I don’t really love, not that true sacrificial love.  And trust?  Well I’m learning that I put my trust time and time again in things that let me down while all the time the only One that I can really trust carefully and patiently waits for me to come to him.  Yes, Jesus is faithful and putting my trust in him will never prove me wrong.  I’m so grateful and overwhelmed to be his.  While this year has had its difficulties I’ve found so much real joy and for that I’m thankful!  Real joy…well it isn’t circumstantial.  It is based on a perfect person who will never change.  What a gift.

As you all know by now I’d really love to reach the goal by the end of this year…which is just hours away.  Will you please help me?  Will you help these sweet orphans in India?  Just $5 dollars will help to make a Christmas wish come true.  Can $2,000 dollars really be raised in two days?  It has before so let’s do this!

(Top photo by: Autumn Johnson Photography)  Just look at all those silly, happy crinkles on my face!  Yeah that’s me being a dork while Lorianne looks cute. 🙂  I like it.

All I want for Christmas…is to reach the $70K mark!  Will you help me?  Only $2,000 left to reach the goal.  Since I’ve seen miracles happen around here I’m looking forward to seeing this one come to life.  I really do need your help though.  Will you share about this on fb/twitter/blog.  Maybe tell a real person… 😉  That would be such a gift and I know the sweet children in India would thank you with excitement and the most beautiful smile.

Here’s an unofficial UPDATE!  $67,983.14  We can do this! 😀

(Photos by: Autumn Johnson Photography)