How can you be in two places at once?

Do you have a bucket list?  I don't officially, but simply because I never thought to write one.  If I did though, I'm pretty sure that "being in two places at one time" would have been on it; that is until recently when I would have been able to cross it off. 

You see, my friend Erica Shubin introduced me to a few of her friends from church about a year or so ago (Mrs. B, Rachel Walser, Melissa Maser and Christy Waulk), and friendships started to forge.  We all love the Lord, which laid a mighty good foundation.  We all have a heart to see orphans grafted into Christian homes and are working and praying to that end in various capacities.  I didn't think I was short of friends, but God knew what a blessing these gals were going to be to me and gave me a few more to enjoy.  Thank you, Father!  I live in Oregon and they live in Florida...we've not YET met face to face (besides Erica who I knew here in Oregon before she moved to Florida), but that has not stopped us from communicating often.  Mrs. B and I are like the ra-ra squad, cheering the Shubins, the Walsers, the Masers, and the Waulks on as their families pursue adoption. Locally, my family is also currently cheering on more Shubins, and the Marls.  What a delight to get to be a part of each of these stories of love!  What an amazing God we serve who sets the solitary into families!  But I divert (due to excitement about such things).

Well, in two short days, the Walsers get to board a plane bound for Ethiopia where they will soon gather their Abby-girl into their arms and bring her home with them.  And recently there was a shower to celebrate little Abby, as we all anticipate her homecoming.  The morning of the shower, I was at home getting ready to go to my niece Leah's for a candle party we had planned to raise funds for the local Shubins and Marls when I got a phone call from Mrs. B.  She called to tell me she was printing out a picture of me so I could be at Abby's shower.  Very sweet!  I was giddy all day about being able to be there, at least in flat form.  Of course I had to ask the party gals later what kind of time I had (I reportedly had a blast! and I believe it). 

 Here is beautiful Abby!

Erica's oldest daughter Nichol made sure I had a good time 

(thanks Nichol, love you friend...

I think I'll need to be at Zahra's shower too...hint, hint)

Rachel, getting ready to open the present we sent

Mrs. B reading the story that went with the gift

(thanks Barbara)

When we learned from Rachel's trip to meet Abby 

that she loved purple,

my girls made a scarf and necklace for her.

How my girls bless my soul with their sweet spirits!

Can you find me?

I'm sitting on Christy's shoulders :-)

These gals know how to make someone feel special.  Please join me in praying for the Walsers as they make another trip to Ethiopia and for Abby's homecoming.  There will be great transitions to go through, but I believe with all my heart that the grace of our God will prove sufficient in them all.

The other really fun news is that while in Ethiopia, the Walsers will get to love on Zahra.  Who's Zahra?  She's a 4 year old princess in the same orphanage as Abby who will be grafted into Erica's family as soon as all the legal i's can be dotted and the t's crossed (oh, and the funds raised to complete the process).  How cool is it that these two four year old girls will be joining two families in the same church?  Way cool!  Please pray for the Shubins too as they wait upon the Lord to bring Zahra home.  

Thanks for stopping by and joining in the fun,

Connie