What do you call it when your birthday actually falls on Thanksgiving? Well, Happy Thanksbirthday of course!
Laura, As you celebrate turning 6, we have soooooo much to be thankful for! We love you and are so thankful for you!
Happy 6th Birthday!
Here is our sweet little "gift". Yup, we've got ourselves a real goof ball!
How did my Eric get sooooo tall?!
Laura with her Grandparents, Grandpa and Memere.
This was our third Thanksgiving in a row that my parents came up fom GA.
Laura loved all the special attention she got. : )
W set up a bouncy in the front yard and all the niegborhood kids came over and jumped and jumped!
Playing with Alex on the bouncy slide.
Here she is just 1 1/2 years ago. Laura has always loved sliding! : )
Ok, back to Thanksgiving, I mean, Thanksbirthday. We celebrated Laura's birthday with cupcakes around noon and then a big Turkey dinner at 4:00. Thankfully, turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy is one of Laura's favorites.
Ust-Kamenogorsk. What? I can hardly say that. What and where is that?
Ust-Kamenogorsk is in Kazakhstan. This is where our daughter, Laura, is from! Two hearts for hope is a Non-profit organization who are building a playground for the orphans in Ust this coming summer!
Two hearts for hope has already replaced all the windows in this orphanage and painted the building. What a blessing!
So, today, on the morning of Nov 10th, on this our Marine Corps Birthday, I have started my Christmas shopping. I started it right here, by going to; Two hearts for hope and sending in a donation for all the current children and future children, waiting for a family to come get them from Ust-Kamenogorsk. I have sent in my donaton in honor of our little gal from Kaz! Please consider the gift of children playing and laughing in a new playground while they wait for a Mommy.
We are excited to begin our next big project in Kazakhstan! Our goal is to raise $20,000 for a new playground at Baby Home orphanage in Ust-Kamenogorsk. The orphanage has approximately 125 children between the ages of 0-4. The children have little to no room to run around and exercise their bodies and brain.
A new playground would get the children moving and having fun at the same time. The children will have climbing structures to exercise their legs, bars exercise arms and shoulders and all together the equipment encourages children to run, giving them a healthy does of cardiovascular exercise.
Playground equipment has also been proven to help develop toddlers' brain, as they learn about the world through motor activities and sensory experiences. Brain development in the first six years of life is especially important, and the more the children exercise both their sensory and motor skills, the more brain connections are created.
Playgrounds not only have physical benefits but social and self-confidence benefits as well. Children learn how to take turns and exercise self-control through group interaction. Children also gain self-confidence as they master the playground structure which leads to an increase in self-esteem.
We feel it is essential for the orphans to have a playground that will aid in their physical, mental, and social well-being.
Playground to be built in May 2013. Please consider helping the children of Ust!
