Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Rolling Elephant
We attended the Fall Festival tonight at First Baptist and Ella decided to roll around the gym floor in her costume. This was the happiest she was all evening. Remind us next year to just stay home with the kids and pass out candy...these carnivals are for the older kids for sure.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Curls?
People always ask where Ella gets her curls from...so here are a picture of my brother (the blonde) and myself when we were kiddos and had some curl.
..granted, it's not as crazy in these pictures as Ella's usually is.
..granted, it's not as crazy in these pictures as Ella's usually is.
Picture Update
Daddy holding Judah Michael Kramer...4 days old! 
Playing at the Kramers...I needed attention since everyone was looking at the baby!
At church tonight we went to a big party...here I am in party mode!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
What is going on with the Mitchells?
I know...it never takes me this long to really update the blog. I probably won't write long, too much to do. We moved into our new house exactly a week ago today...wow. We almost completely out of boxes and things are starting to find their place. If you would like our new address and didn't get the email please let me know!! mitchells1016@sbcglobal.net Oh, and then I didn't have internet for 5 days and no time at all to blog when I finally did. Ella and I did her overnight stay in Bridgeport, TX last night at a nursing home to finalize her Medicare qualifications...we are WIPED today. E didn't go to sleep till 11:30pm and woke up at 5am...NOT enough sleep. Still enjoying having my mother-in-law in town and helping us get our house into a home. William is moving like CRAZY and all of my appointments are going great. Ella continues to impress her therapists and we are working on really getting good at the crawling position...crawling is around the corner...we just know it! Oh, and we started Aqua Therapy...physical therapy in the pool...it's on Mondays and she's starting to kind of understand...or at least not mind so much. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but I'm including pictures to make up for it. Oh, and we got her new stroller...can't remember if I already told you all that.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
My Husband
Since our 3rd Anniversary was this past Tuesday I decided to steal this post from a few blogs I read and write a little about my greatest earthly love.1. Who is your man? Joseph "Joe" William Mitchell
2. How long have you been together? 4 years, our first date was November 3rd 2003
3. How long did you date? almost 7 months when we got engaged...hey, when you know, you know
4. How old is your man? 31
5. Who eats more? Depends...I would say I do because I make sure I never miss a meal, but he can eat a huge steak in one sitting!
6. Who said "I love you" first? He did...on February 23rd after he came home from his grandfathers funeral.
7. Who is taller? Joe and I love it.
8. Who sings better? Neither of us. If any of our children sing it will be a true gift from God.
9. Who is smarter? JOE!! He's the smartest person I know.
10. Whose temper is worse? Joe has no temper so I would have to say me.
11. Who does the laundry? right now, my mother in law, but Joe is ususally better about getting it done
12. Who takes out the garbage? Joe...I don't think I've ever done it since we've been married
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do, it's closer to the bathroom
14. Who pays the bills? Joe
15. Who is better with the computer? ha, me...Joe can't even save email addresses in the address book
16. Who mows the lawn? well, at our new house my dad is the only one who has mowed it so far, but Joe really likes doing it...when he has time
17. Who cooks dinner? I love having dinner ready for Joe when he gets home. This has yet to happen in the new house, but I pretty much cook 5 days a week when we are in our routine.
18. Who drives when you are together? Joe, everyone seems to think I'm a crazy driver...whatever
19. Who pays when you go out? Joe...unless he wants to pay cash and I happen to have it, but otherwise he has the molah
20. Who is most stubborn? Joe...Becky warned me that he was a little stubborn when we were dating..."a little" HA
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I don't mind doing it at all...I think I'm pretty good at it, but I would say Joe will if he's ever wrong...which isn't often.
22. Whose parents do you see the most? Right now, I've seen his mom every day since she's been at our house for a week, but now that we are 4 miles away I've seen my family almost every day too...it's gonna be interesting having both sets of families within 20 min radius.
23. Who kissed who first? Joe thinks I tried to mug down with him on our second date...but our first official kiss was 4th date and I'm thinking it was mutual.
24. Who asked who out? Ha, Joe asked me to run errands with him...which ended up being a date from about 10am till 3am the next morning
25. Who proposed? Joe, in the kitchen of his old apartment while I was washing dishes...he wanted to surprise me!
26. Who is more sensitive? Me...no question
27. Who has more friends? Joe has a lot of long-time friends, but I think he has a max number he lets into his friend file...I would have a million friends if they would have me.
28. Who has more siblings? Joe has 3 brothers and I have 1 sister and 1 brother...so I guess he wins this one.
29. Who wears the pants in the family? Joe and I love that.
Friday, October 05, 2007
I Heart This Website
Email sent from website creator:
Hello friends and family! We wanted to share with you a little "adventure" Lance and I are trying out...we've created a baby website and need your help in spreading the word. If you have a family blog, we'd love it if you posted the web address (www.popularbabyproducts.com) as a link on your blog. This helps increase the flow of traffic to the website and rates us higher in the search engines (ex: higher up on Google's list). If you don't have a blog, you should get one! (they're fun!). Seriously though, if you don't have a blog, just check out the website and encourage others to do the same. If you like it, feel free to forward the site to friends and family!
The website features popular baby products, baby names, lists of restaurants where kids eat free and more! We'd like to add a section which features products/items that our friends make and sell. For example, if you or anyone you know makes stationary, paints names on canvases, makes baby blankets, hooded towels, etc. send us their website or a picture of their item (along with contact information) and we will promote the item on our website. In addition, if you have ideas of things you would like to see on the website (products, features, capabilities, etc.) send us those ideas as well! This is a work in progress and we'd love your feedback.
Hello friends and family! We wanted to share with you a little "adventure" Lance and I are trying out...we've created a baby website and need your help in spreading the word. If you have a family blog, we'd love it if you posted the web address (www.popularbabyproducts.com) as a link on your blog. This helps increase the flow of traffic to the website and rates us higher in the search engines (ex: higher up on Google's list). If you don't have a blog, you should get one! (they're fun!). Seriously though, if you don't have a blog, just check out the website and encourage others to do the same. If you like it, feel free to forward the site to friends and family!
The website features popular baby products, baby names, lists of restaurants where kids eat free and more! We'd like to add a section which features products/items that our friends make and sell. For example, if you or anyone you know makes stationary, paints names on canvases, makes baby blankets, hooded towels, etc. send us their website or a picture of their item (along with contact information) and we will promote the item on our website. In addition, if you have ideas of things you would like to see on the website (products, features, capabilities, etc.) send us those ideas as well! This is a work in progress and we'd love your feedback.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Letter from Friends for Help
Dear Family and Friends,
For starters, thank you for taking the time to read this long email completely. I am not a big favor-asker, but I am pleading for your help to assist us in this situation.
As many of you know, Rebecca and I are in the process of adopting a baby girl named Ava from Guatemala . Ava was born on August 6 and is living in foster care. If you had asked us last week, we would have told you that we fully expected to bring her home six to eight months from now. We have now, though, hit the first real test of faith during our adoption of Ava. The Guatemalan government announced last week that it will not process U.S. adoption cases after December 31, 2007. This means that those families (roughly 5,000, including ours) whose cases are currently in process with Guatemala risk either a significant delay in bringing their children home or outright cancellations of the adoptions.
Unless the Lord moves miraculously in our individual timetable, and/or unless the Guatemalan government (Guatemalan president Oscar Berger, specifically) alters the law that was just enacted, our ability to bring Ava home any time soon (or maybe at all) is in jeopardy.
With that in mind, we are calling on you for specific needs. We would ask that you pray for this situation, and that you contact specific lawmakers and organizations to voice your concerns.
Prayer Needs:
1. Please pray that, throughout this whole situation, Jesus Christ would be glorified and that this would be a vehicle through which His name is made known.
2. Please pray that, if the Lord wills it, those families currently in process with a Guatemalan adoption would receive special dispensation from the current law, or that the law would be changed altogether.
3. Please pray for Ava and her foster parents as they go through this uncertain time. Please pray that Ava would be aware, even at 2 months old, of her Heavenly Father’s love for her and his protection over her. Pray that she would receive favor in the eyes of her foster parents and all those who care for her. Pray that she would be surrounded by people who love her, and that all of her needs would be met.
4. Please pray for Wil and Ben as they wait for their sister, that they don’t feel insecure or unstable in any way during this confusing time. Pray for wisdom for me and Rebecca, that we would understand their thoughts and needs as we go through this together.
5. Please pray for me and Rebecca, that we would face this time with joy, trusting that the testing of our faith produces endurance. Pray that God would use us during this time to amplify Christ, and that we would be constant supports to one another.
Practical Needs:
As I mentioned above, POLITICAL PRESSURE IS IMPORTANT. Below is a list of 3 people and 3 organizations you can call, 1 organization you can email, and 1 petition you can sign to plead the case for Guatemalan orphans. To achieve maximum effect, we have been asked by Gladney to focus our efforts into a 72-hour time period: October 9 (Tuesday) – October 11 (Thursday).
1. Senator John Cornyn (202) 224-2934 - ask to speak to the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
2. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (202) 224-5922 - ask to speak to the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff. Senator Hutchison is a member of the Senate Adoption Caucus.
3. Your U.S. Representative (you can find out who this is at http://www.house.gov/) - ask to speak to the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
4. Office of Children’s Issues at the Department of State (202) 736-9130
To these people, feel free to speak from the heart. Additionally, you can say something like:
“I am calling about the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. As you are aware, the Guatemalan government has announced that it will not process U.S. adoptions after December 31, 2007. Their announcement also indicates that there will be no “grandfathering” of adoptions already in process. If these adoptions are not fulfilled, roughly 5,000 children will be forced to live indefinitely in institutional or foster care.
As your constituent, I am asking that you be a strong advocate for the children of Guatemala by signing the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) sponsored letter to the President Oscar Berger of Guatemala and signing the Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) sponsored letter to UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in process as of January 1, 2008 be processed to completion under the existing notorial laws.”
5. UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Headquarters (212) 326-7000 - please ask to speak to Ann Veneman, Executive Director
6. UNICEF Guatemala 011-502-2327-6373 - please ask to speak to Manuel Manrique (we will reimburse you for the international call)
Feel free to speak from the heart. You can also say something like:
“I am calling on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. As financial supporters of UNICEF (through my tax dollars), I am asking that UNICEF lend its support and considerable influence to the Guatemala 5000 initiative.
As you may know, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there would be no “grandfathering” of adoptions already in process. If the 5,000 children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. UNICEF must get involved and help ensure that all intercountry adoptions in process as of January 1, 2008 be processed to completion under the existing notorial laws.”
7. Send an email to Joint Council on International Children’s Services supporting Intercountry Adoption to mailto:guatemala5000@jcics.org. JCICS will use the cumulative email petition in our advocacy for intercountry adoption.
8. Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/foafoa1/petition-sign.html.
If you have any questions about our adoption or anything discussed above, please call me at (214) 213-7476 or email us at toddandrebecca@tx.rr.com.
We appreciate your help and praise God for His steadfast love and unwavering devotion to us, His adopted children.
Todd and Rebecca
For starters, thank you for taking the time to read this long email completely. I am not a big favor-asker, but I am pleading for your help to assist us in this situation.
As many of you know, Rebecca and I are in the process of adopting a baby girl named Ava from Guatemala . Ava was born on August 6 and is living in foster care. If you had asked us last week, we would have told you that we fully expected to bring her home six to eight months from now. We have now, though, hit the first real test of faith during our adoption of Ava. The Guatemalan government announced last week that it will not process U.S. adoption cases after December 31, 2007. This means that those families (roughly 5,000, including ours) whose cases are currently in process with Guatemala risk either a significant delay in bringing their children home or outright cancellations of the adoptions.
Unless the Lord moves miraculously in our individual timetable, and/or unless the Guatemalan government (Guatemalan president Oscar Berger, specifically) alters the law that was just enacted, our ability to bring Ava home any time soon (or maybe at all) is in jeopardy.
With that in mind, we are calling on you for specific needs. We would ask that you pray for this situation, and that you contact specific lawmakers and organizations to voice your concerns.
Prayer Needs:
1. Please pray that, throughout this whole situation, Jesus Christ would be glorified and that this would be a vehicle through which His name is made known.
2. Please pray that, if the Lord wills it, those families currently in process with a Guatemalan adoption would receive special dispensation from the current law, or that the law would be changed altogether.
3. Please pray for Ava and her foster parents as they go through this uncertain time. Please pray that Ava would be aware, even at 2 months old, of her Heavenly Father’s love for her and his protection over her. Pray that she would receive favor in the eyes of her foster parents and all those who care for her. Pray that she would be surrounded by people who love her, and that all of her needs would be met.
4. Please pray for Wil and Ben as they wait for their sister, that they don’t feel insecure or unstable in any way during this confusing time. Pray for wisdom for me and Rebecca, that we would understand their thoughts and needs as we go through this together.
5. Please pray for me and Rebecca, that we would face this time with joy, trusting that the testing of our faith produces endurance. Pray that God would use us during this time to amplify Christ, and that we would be constant supports to one another.
Practical Needs:
As I mentioned above, POLITICAL PRESSURE IS IMPORTANT. Below is a list of 3 people and 3 organizations you can call, 1 organization you can email, and 1 petition you can sign to plead the case for Guatemalan orphans. To achieve maximum effect, we have been asked by Gladney to focus our efforts into a 72-hour time period: October 9 (Tuesday) – October 11 (Thursday).
1. Senator John Cornyn (202) 224-2934 - ask to speak to the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
2. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (202) 224-5922 - ask to speak to the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff. Senator Hutchison is a member of the Senate Adoption Caucus.
3. Your U.S. Representative (you can find out who this is at http://www.house.gov/) - ask to speak to the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
4. Office of Children’s Issues at the Department of State (202) 736-9130
To these people, feel free to speak from the heart. Additionally, you can say something like:
“I am calling about the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. As you are aware, the Guatemalan government has announced that it will not process U.S. adoptions after December 31, 2007. Their announcement also indicates that there will be no “grandfathering” of adoptions already in process. If these adoptions are not fulfilled, roughly 5,000 children will be forced to live indefinitely in institutional or foster care.
As your constituent, I am asking that you be a strong advocate for the children of Guatemala by signing the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) sponsored letter to the President Oscar Berger of Guatemala and signing the Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) sponsored letter to UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in process as of January 1, 2008 be processed to completion under the existing notorial laws.”
5. UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Headquarters (212) 326-7000 - please ask to speak to Ann Veneman, Executive Director
6. UNICEF Guatemala 011-502-2327-6373 - please ask to speak to Manuel Manrique (we will reimburse you for the international call)
Feel free to speak from the heart. You can also say something like:
“I am calling on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. As financial supporters of UNICEF (through my tax dollars), I am asking that UNICEF lend its support and considerable influence to the Guatemala 5000 initiative.
As you may know, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there would be no “grandfathering” of adoptions already in process. If the 5,000 children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. UNICEF must get involved and help ensure that all intercountry adoptions in process as of January 1, 2008 be processed to completion under the existing notorial laws.”
7. Send an email to Joint Council on International Children’s Services supporting Intercountry Adoption to mailto:guatemala5000@jcics.org. JCICS will use the cumulative email petition in our advocacy for intercountry adoption.
8. Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/foafoa1/petition-sign.html.
If you have any questions about our adoption or anything discussed above, please call me at (214) 213-7476 or email us at toddandrebecca@tx.rr.com.
We appreciate your help and praise God for His steadfast love and unwavering devotion to us, His adopted children.
Todd and Rebecca
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