Monthly Archives: July 2009

Favorite Photo(s) Friday

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Hubby snapped this picture of me sitting on a huge pile of rocks at the entrance to a cave we were exploring.  A roughly 1 mile hike into the cave led to a gorgeous waterfall:

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{OK, so remember, the cave is completely dark inside, so we had to shine every light we had just to get a picture (flash does nothing in this setting) so the quality is a little low, but it was beautiful!}

I really need to do a real post on this particular cave trip…it was a good one.  Ah, I need some motivation to go back and post pictures from the last several years!

Also, don’t forget to enter my GIVEAWAY!

A GIVEAWAY to show my gratitude!

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“A friend is one with whom you are comfortable, to whom you are loyal, through whom you are blessed, and for whom you are grateful.” – William Arthur Ward

I’ve been humbled and blown away by the great response we’ve had for Mothers in Action for Vietnam. Your donations are changing lives.  I am so grateful for all of you who have taken the time to blog about our cause or have given a donation.  I consider those who read this friends, and I want to thank you deeply for your support. I’d also like to take this time to thank two very dear friends by whom all of this is possible, Kerry and Kelly, xoxo.

Now I want to pay that forward by being generous with my readers…my friends. This small purse/clutch was handmade in Vietnam through this organization. It’s made of 100% silk and it’s very lovely. It’s my gift to one lucky reader:

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Now, here is what you have to do to enter for a chance to win…leave me a comment and tell me these two things:

1. tell me how you found my blog or why you enjoy reading it

2. if you could raise funds for a cause you are passionate about (any cause in the whole wide world, heck it could even be for you), what would it be and why?

**you can earn an extra entry by posting about this on your blog…once you’ve posted and linked to me, leave another comment on this post to let me know**

Leave a comment and include your answers to these two things.  Only people who answer both will be considered for the drawing. Then I’ll pick a winner randomly on Tuesday, August 4th!  If no one enters my little giveaway, no worries…I’ll just pick a friend to send this to :)

Also be sure to check back tomorrow for the kickoff of NaBloPoMo, which involves the theme “tomorrow,” ironically.  Oh yeah, and if you haven’t already…visit HERE to get in on the action.  Amazing things are happening, don’t you want to be a part of it?!


**I think I will start doing giveaways more often…and for April, Angie and Leah, I have not forgotten you!  Your small gifts are on their way :)

I must be crazy

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Truly, I must be.  You see that badge over there on my sidebar (no, not the one I’ve been obsessively posting about–although you should check that one out–but the superman one).  Yep.  I’m crazy.  Not only do I start back to work (almost full time) in August, but I’m going to attempt NaBloPoMo for the entire month of August as well.  Yippee!  That means lots of mindless, random, meaningless ramblings from me.  Aren’t you excited about that?  I know I am.  And yes, two sentences can and will serve as a “real” post.  It’s my blog, so there, I said it.  I’m sure I’ll have a bunch of boring ramblings about teaching freshman chemistry, adventures in updating our homestudy, the one year anniversary of River’s adoption day, a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains and our 8 year wedding anniversary.  Gee, August is a pretty busy month for me.  Maybe I should rethink the whole NaBloPoMo…

Seriously though, if you’ve been hiding out under a rock for the last couple of days, please check out the Mothers in Action for Vietnam button.  Pretty please :)   And you know you want a badge for your blog…so go ahead and grab the code already (see posts below)!  And seriously, why is it so quiet lately? Did I scare everyone away?  I promise I don’t bite.  It’s just that the chirping crickets are starting to get to me…so leave me a comment…what’s on your mind today?

***I also want to thank each and every supporter of Mothers in Action for Vietnam.  We have been humbled and blown away by all of the generous donations…we have received enough to start planning sponsorship of a mobile clinic so stay tuned!***

Inspiration, in the form of a video

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUcLkUeqW1A

Watch, listen, think, act…if you missed the part with Pham Dinh Duc singing, you might as well stop reading now.

The work done by non-profit organizations here and around the globe are keeping children alive and healthy.  Often, they go unnoticed as volunteers work tirelessly to take care of those they serve.  Every child is important, and every child deserves a chance at a healthy life. Children don’t need our pity, they need our support. We can be a voice for those who don’t have one. We can’t help every child in the world but we CAN make progress one child at a time. Won’t you join us?  See the post below for ways YOU can help.

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My very own inspiration:

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It is in his honor that I have devoted countless hours to Mothers in Action for Vietnam, and I will lovingly and enthusiastically devote even more.

PROGRESS!!

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In 2 days through generous donations, we have raised 410 dollars for the boys’ surgeries! Please help us spread the word!  We still need more to reach our first goal…

And remember, no money touches our hands, it all goes directly through the organization Friends of Hue…


This is a comment we received from Friends of Hue on our blog:

Dear everyone,

I am the Chairwoman for the Friends of Hue Foundation, and recently we noticed an increase in donations to our programs. One of our Board members realized that the source of the donations came from your blogs and your commitment to helping the children of Friends of Hue. I just want to let you know that we are immensely grateful for your help, support, and unyielding kindness.

With our utmost gratitude,

Uyen & FHF Board Members

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Here are some ways you can help:

Link to Mothers in Action for Vietnam

Blog about Mothers in Action for Vietnam

Place our button on your blog *see the post below for details*

Email your friends

Join our FaceBook group

***We also have the opportunity to sponsor a mobile health clinic. With a sponsorship of $500 we would be able to send a medical team of 5 physicians and a pharmacist to a rural remote village of Thua Thien Hue to provide free medical services and dispense free medication to the poor.  We would need your help to move forward with this!***

Mothers in Action for Vietnam

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…a way to unite the large number of bloggers we know for a common purpose. This idea has been born out of a great passion to see what kind of good we could do if we all united to support a series of projects with different organizations. It is in honor of our children that we have come together for this project. For our first project, we need $600 to change the lives of two children through much needed surgeries.  We need YOUR help.

We also have the opportunity to sponsor a mobile health clinic. With a sponsorship of $500 we would be able to send a medical team of 5 physicians and a pharmacist to a rural remote village of Thua Thien Hue to provide free medical services and dispense free medication to the poor.  We would need your help to move forward with this!

See the post below to read more details, and please visit our blog.

With your $30 dollar or more donation, you will receive a handmade travel organizer or decorative pillow cover {your choice}. Fabric design will vary, but we promise it will be beautiful & made with love by Kerryanne! Visit Mothers in Action for Vietnam to learn how to donate today:

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Will you please consider posting this on your own blog…and please grab our button as well:

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Thank you deeply for helping us!  And if you have already donated, thank you, thank you, thank you!!  We will be adding something to our blog to keep you updated with our progress.

Mothers in Action for Vietnam: we need your help!

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead

Are you ready?  Here IT is…

Several months ago, two awesome blogging mommys (3Continent Family and Laugh Every Day) and I united in our desire to do something in the country of our sons’ births.  I’d like to introduce you to Mothers in Action for Vietnam.  Check out the button on my sidebar…

You may remember this post from my other blog.  The video in that post is of a HIV+ boy living in the Tam Binh 2 orphanage–the orphanage where our precious son spent his first 11 months of life.  The boy in the video talks about how anit-viral medication donated through a non-profit organization has changed his life. That video moved us in a deep and profound way, and I encourage each and everyone to watch it.  That video also set into motion the events that would lead to the creation of Mothers in Action for Vietnam. After watching it, the three of us began a dialogue about finding a way to unite the large number of bloggers we know for a common purpose.  We began researching non-profit groups working in Vietnam with one goal in mind: to bring medical aid to disadvantaged children, orphans and families. In that spirit, we hope to partner with various non-profits in Vietnam by sponsoring projects that align with our goals and passions.

For our first project, we met several dead ends as we researched, until this week, we found an organization Friends of Hue, which is based in California – and run by all volunteers – with a staffed in-country field office in Hue, Vietnam.  This organization offers many programs, but one of them is sponsorship of children in need of serious surgery.

We reached out to them this week as they received word of a 3 month old infant in need of heart surgery to repair a serious birth defect. Within twenty-four hours of learning of this child, we got word that he had passed away.  Our hearts were so heavy upon learning this…because of money a young life was cut short, and that was a very bitter pill for us to swallow. And so, with a great sense of urgency, we would like to tell you about the two children whose surgeries we would like to now sponsor, with your help.  These children are not orphans, but children with loving families who are desperate in their need and petitioning Friends of Hue for help:

Buu, age 9

Surgery needed:  Facial Deformity correction

Sponosorship money needed: $300

Tuy, age 2

Surgery needed:  Cleft Palate correction

Sponsorship money needed: $300

Facial Deformity and Cleft Palate are not mere “cosmetic” problems.  These are problems that can seriously impact a child’s ability to eat, drink and speak – not to mention the social implications.

We felt that these situations were worthy of serving as our first project, and we intend to sponsor more surgeries as the need arises.  We are also anticipating sponsorship of a mobile health clinic that operates through Friends of Hue. It is our hope that with enough support, we will be able to expand our partnerships with other non-profits to encompass  projects in the areas of oprhan care, HIV/AIDs care and education.  We have started a blog to keep you informed of our efforts,  Mothers In Action for Vietnam.

***And if you donate $30 or more to our first project, you will receive a beautiful handmade gift from  Kerryanne of 3ContinentFamily, so check out our blog to find out more***

We want to stress that we are not representing or endorsing Friends of Hue, we are sponsoring a project through them.  This idea has been born out of a great passion to see what kind of good we could do if we all united to support a series of projects with different organizations.

Please help us spread the word. Please help us reach our goal through a donation!! Email the link of our blog to your friends and family!! If you have a blog, please add our button to your blog just like the one you see on my sidebar (email me for the code or grab it from our website on the “link to us” page). Twitter it, Facebook it…whatever!  I know times are tight, so if you can’t make a donation, just tell a friend or two.  We would be greatly appreciative.

So go now to Mothers in Action for Vietnam and let’s get started!  Let’s dish out some hope and love, one child at a time.

Thank you for your support!

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Thinking of Vietnam today…

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{one of the temples we visited in Sài Gòn}

Man how I miss that place. This evening I will be posting about something IMPORTANT…something BIG, something you don’t want to miss, so please check back.  You’ll be glad you did.

A must read post for all adoptive parents

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My friend Laura so eloquently states my exact thoughts on two pieces of pending legislation: The Families for Orphans Act (FFOA) and the Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act (FACE).  I have read both Acts and I have read the arguments both in support and opposition to these pieces.  Laura highlighted my exact concerns that this legislation bring to mind.  To me, these concerns are very significant and need to be considered carefully before you decide how you will support these pieces of legislation.  Go take a look because I think it is worth your time.

Please go HERE to read the post.