Thursday, July 28, 2011

Joseph: a starfish 1st

One night at Starfish, while we were eating yummy mexican food, Xiao Liu came in and told Amanda in Chinese that we had a "little friend" at the gate. Amanda rushed out and came back to tell us that a baby had just been abandoned at the gate. We took him to the office took of his layers of clothes and put all the stuff that came with him were put in a bag for his adoptive parents. We gave him a bath and bottle and got him dressed in some other clothes and a new blanket. Then Amanda had to call the police to report that he had been abandoned. Kelly, mom and I hadn't registered with the police yet, so we had to go organize clothes in the closet. :) The police had to take him to the hospital to see what was wrong with him and then the orphanage could choose if they would let Starfish take care of him. We left a couple of days after this and were happy to hear that the following Tuesday, after Amanda called them each day, they let him go back to Starfish. They recently figured out that he is missing a chamber in his heart and he recently had a surgery. 
The volunteers always get to choose the babies' names, so the 29 volunteers that were there chose the name Joseph since we were talking about Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Luckily he was a boy, the teenage boys were insisting on naming him Josephine if he was a girl. :)
 Joseph wearing one of the onesies that I made :)
Joseph in all of his blankets

And a big THANK YOU to the Woodwards, who picked up my camera from Idaho on their way down to Utah. Now I'll have it in time for Girls' Camp in a few weeks!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Skate World

 This week we went to Skate World with the Woodwards. It was fun as usual, but Lilly and mom didn't get to skate because they wouldn't let us use the stroller because there were "too many people". I seem to have a love for outdated pictures. These are from last year when my grandparents were here. The Woodwards left for Utah today. They're going to be gone for 2 weeks, so I have a feeling I might get really bored. I am cleaning and organizing our craft room for my Choice and Accountability project, so I'll post pictures when I'm done. 
 Hannah and Dad
 Elise and Mom
I had to post this picture. This lamb had huge eyes that looked fake. It was super cute, but freaky at the same time because it looked like it was always staring at you.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Donations for Starfish July 2011

 I decided I would take a picture of all of the donations that I've gotten so far for Starfish. Thanks to all of my family and friends for supporting me in this. I already have a bin full of stuff. There are 78 books, 3 dresses, 9 toys, 2 burpclothes, 2 bibs and 1 diaper. :)
 Pictures of just the books

 I thought that I'd take some pictures of my family's favorite little kid books.
The Good Dog, Carl books by Alexandra Day
 Olivia by Ian Falconer
 This is a new series that I found quite cute. 
Baby Bundt series by Jamie Harper
 Counting Kisses by Karen Katz
Also a big THANK YOU to all of the people that helped sew cloth books. 

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Fair 2011

Yesterday I went to the Washington County Fairgrounds to enter my stuff into the fair. I entered this picture that I took of Daniel before he was adopted and got a blue ribbon. Then I also entered a onesie that is in the group of onesies I'm making for little Starfish babies. That also got a blue ribbon. Finally I made an educational display on the Starfish Foster Home that got a blue ribbon. I hope it goes to state because it's my way of spreading the word. 

Don't you love my picture border!


I love all of the little Starfish everywhere

I love this picture of Matilda (Katie) and Caroline (Skylyn). They were both adopted last month.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

53rd Ave. Park

 Yesterday we went to a fountain park in Hillsboro with the Woodwards. It was really fun and not too crowded. Lilly and Elise love playing in the water. Hannah said that she would not play in the water and that she hated the park, but after we got there she was in the water the most and you could tell that she was having fun. Afterwards we went to Costco and got some ice cream. These pictures are from last year when my cousins were visiting, so a little outdated. 
 Lilly
 Maddy
 Elise
 Chloe and Maddy
Hannah, Chloe, Maddy, Natalie, Elise and Chloe's friend Katelyn

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Family History Trip 2010

Last May we went on a family history trip to visit our relatives who lived an hour away. We went to the Dalles, Salem and Klickitat. We learned a lot about people and saw some really cool pictures along with a video of my great-great-great-grandma. We've kept in touch with my great-grandma's cousin, Aunt Pat,  who lives in The Dalles, and have gotten to taste her many baked goods. 
 Aunt Vicki (my great-great-uncle's wife)
 Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Gilbert (my great-grandma's cousin and his wife)
 Aunt Pat (Uncle Gilbert's sister)
 Aunt Patti and Aunt Icel

Miss Mia

 Most volunteers have their one baby that they get attached to while they are at Starfish. They spend tons of time with them and take tons of pictures of them. My baby was Mia. There were those other kids that I hung out with when Mia was sleeping or someone else was holding her, but if you ask my friends who I talk about most they would tell you Mia. Mia has cleft lip and was fairly new when we came to Starfish. The birthday that the orphanage gave her is March 4, so she is 4 months old now. She was the youngest baby there when we were there and the healthiest for her age. I spent my time putting her in cute outfits that fit her and cuddling her. She is a cuddlebug. She won't go to sleep unless someone is holding her and will wake up if you try to put her down. I spent a few meals holding her to keep her happy. She had her surgery a few weeks after we left and will need another one next year. 
Pictures from Mia photo shoot



Pictures of Mia and Me



More pictures from our photo shoot


Mia at 7 a.m. right after she woke up

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Cannon Beach

 We went to Cannon Beach yeseterday with Grandma and Madelynn. The Woodwards joined us and we had loads of fun. It was busier than normal, but we had awesome weather. We got a lot more gnome pictures and walked out to haystack rock. Oh, and don't forget our aggressive game of Cat and Mouse.




 Madelynn covered herself in sand. It wasn't until we got home that she decided that it wasn't the best idea. :)
 We saw these 2 older guys building a sand castle together. We thought that it was pretty cool.
We went to the fairgrounds today so Autumn and I could enter in our photography stuff. I entered a picture of Daniel from when I went to the Starfish House. I'll tell you what I got in a few weeks when I enter the rest of my stuff. Autumn did get a blue ribbon. :)