But I didn’t know that God would bind our hearts and our lives in such an unbelievable way. Just four short months after meeting in Kenya, our family drove to meet Maureen at a Student Life Camp while on vacation last week. Compassion and Student Life partner with the goal of child sponsorship and they invited her to the United States this summer to travel from camp to camp sharing her amazing testimony (and thousands of precious kids have been sponsored with Maureen’s help!)

Through Facebook and email, we have become dear friends. But I wanted my family to meet Maureen. They fell in love with her and understood immediately why I fell in love with her and Africa.

We spent 2 glorious days together, eating pancakes and bacon in our RV, italian food for dinner and a late shopping trip to WalMart. Maureen taught us a bit of Swahili, we taught her how to eat sunflower seeds. She called my children her siblings. She referred to me as Mom and we exchanged necklaces. She called my husband Dad. And I cried when I learned that this was her first hug from a “father”:

We laughed and prayed and enjoyed rich fellowship together with our new daughter.

God is slowly revealing a pretty amazing plan for our lives to be intertwined…

We will meet again.

*Updated to add: Maureen isn’t one of our sponsored children. She is actually about t0 graduate from Compassion’s Leadership Program and will graduating from the University in just a few short months.

Our New Daughter is a post from: We are THAT Family

Have y’all heard of Groupon?

It’s pretty new to me, but I love the idea of getting a great deal on things!

How It Works:

1. Each day Groupon features something cool to do/buy at an unbeatable price.
2. You only get the deal if enough people join that day… so invite your friends!
3. Check back the next day for another awesome Groupon!

You can sign up to get emails for deals in your local big city. I’ve been pretty impressed with what they’ve offered so far at deeply discounted rates for restaurants, services, stores, etc.

Occasionally there are online deals. I’ve only bought one thing and it was from the cute dress shop Shabby Apple. The deal: $100 gift certificate for $40! That’s a 60% savings!

*UPDATED TO ADD* Just learned that you can shop different cities and occasionally there are online deals! I actually found the Shabby Apple deal under the Baltimore if your interested, but hurry!

Have y’all tried it yet?

Groupon works for me!

Next week, there’s a themed edition of WFMW: Your best bathroom or kitchen tip (organizing, cleaning, etc.) Please remember that themes are just suggested and you’re always welcome to link up a helpful tip.

WFMW: Buy in a Group and Save is a post from: We are THAT Family

Recently, I made the decision not to buy a single home decor item for my walls and shelves unless it meant something to me.

I took down about half of the stuff in my house and it was liberating. On my walls now: paintings and drawings from my children, pictures of Africa, heirloom linens from great greats, and art.

I call it Meaningful Decor. Or “Have I told you the story behind this?”

One of the perks of writing for (in)Courage is being paid in product-usually enough to buy a couple of small things or one bigger thing each month. (If you are related to me, you already know this since every gift I’ve given for the past year has been from DaySpring!)

I love LOVE LOVE the beautiful art infused with bright colors and scripture. If my walls are gonna talk, I want them to say something meaningful. I’m not kidding: this art (in)courages me:

DaySpring is giving away this beautiful gallery wrapped canvas -John 3:16 Heart & Globe (my very favorite) to one reader today:

Tell me where you’d put it as your entry. AND-DaySpring is doing a 25% anything and everything sale right now–coupon code THANKS2010, expires July 31st, so hurry!

This giveaway ends on Thursday.

Product Details:
*Size: 16″ W x 20″ H x 1.5″ D
*Made in the USA
*Product by Show Offs Art
$56.99

P.S. Want an extra entry? Answer this question in my Blog Frog Community: “What blogs inspire you?” and leave an extra comment here to let me know.

(in)Couraging Art {Giveaway} is a post from: We are THAT Family

But before and after all the bad, there was hiking and swimming and creek-wading:

Chigger-scratching and geocaching:

And some serious mudpie-making (this alone won me the title VACATIONING MOTHER OF THE YEAR):

I hope you’ve had at least a day or two to stay(cation) or vacation….what did you/are you doing to “get away” this summer?

Tell me s’more, please!

P.S. Is there really anything better than campfire s’mores?

S’More, Please! is a post from: We are THAT Family

I can’t remember where I read these words. But they impacted me so much, I jotted them down on the back of a receipt and held them close.

To see the little DIY project I created with these words, visit me over at (in)courage.

P.S. I’m taking the rest of the weekend for family. See y’all on Monday!

What I Want My Children to Know -A DIY Project is a post from: We are THAT Family

And we just started our first trial of Netflix.

Point made.

But, why am I just learning about  Geocaching??

Oh my goodness, our family was created for this frugal treasure-hunting-through-the-thicket adventures! (In case your as behind-the-times as I am, here’s a brief definition:  Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment. Search for a geocache below or learn more about getting started.

And it’s fun!

We had a GPS, Delilah was her name. She was a bossy gal until she was stolen from our car during church. (May the lost thief find their way. Amen). But you don’t have to have one to play this great family game! You can download an app off iTunes (the free trial lets you choose three hunts) for $9.99. There are also cool Geocaching devices for kids. I think my son wants to ask Santa for a child’s version. Anyway, there are many ways to play.

The iPhone app allows you to plan your road trips and it marks all the Geocaching spots. There are thousands and thousands, many that allow you to take a treasure/leave a treasure (just a small object).

This week we’ve been Geocaching in our recreational vehicle. We are official nerds.

Here’s our first Geocaching adventure:

The treasure:

There was a little trinket for us to take and we left one in it’s place. There are usually logs to where you can write a note, your name and date.

Have y’all gone geocaching before? Or even heard of it for that matter?

(P.S. There are hundreds of hidden treasures in the State Park we’re visiting!)

Modern Family Fun: Geocaching is a post from: We are THAT Family

I never thought I’d say this: but I missed my big white stinky, crumb-filled automobile something fierce.

Because noise and smells are magnified in a small car and the little people are VERY close to you.

For a split second, I rethought the whole driving for days and miles in a recreational vehicle.

The tight space reminded me that I really needed to have some activities ready for the long drive (it also reminded me to wash my son’s shoes).

Moving on.

A couple of years ago, I wrote this mega post of travel tips while on-the-road with kids. I thought I’d share it again with y’all:

• Audio books (my library checks them out) or you can download them here
• Ice chest w/drinks
• DVD player, preferably with movies that haven’t been seen
• We’ve been driving our smaller less gas-consuming car that doesn’t have a built-in TV.  So, we strap our laptop on an ice chest with a bungee, so the kids can watch a movie. (Yeah, we are THAT family).
• Bag or backpack with coloring books and small toys for each child.  
• This site says pack a plastic box for kids personal things and then use the lid as a tray to eat on.
• Lap Desk for writing and drawing
• Headphones for MP3 players and/or DVD player
• Kid’s camera
• Sketch pad/pencil
• Extra change of clothes, separate from luggage.  Because if it can happen, it probably will.
• If you’re traveling with a toddler, leave when they are tired.  If you leave first thing in the morning, this is their active time and they don’t make the best travelers
• A package of pipe cleaners (to bend, twist and create)
• Pack paper towels, wipes, and a couple of blankets.  Remember, we’re talking kids.
• Buy $5 Tape Recorder and ‘Read’ stories to your kids in your own voice
• Put a trash box in the back seat
• Travel Journal
• Sing silly road trip songs
• Travel games from the store  (Target has some great ones in the stationary section that are cheap and magnetic!)
• Travel freebies-links to free stuff for traveling
• Play the I spy game with license plates
• Wipe-off white board/marker
• Magnetic sets (paper dolls, fire trucks, found in book sections)
• Snack bag filled with pre-portioned zip-lock bags of non-messy foods
• Kid’s music
• Tin foil for creations
• Play Go Fish
• Make string figures
• Check out these awesome games (like Noah’s Ark, Build a Story and Fooler, Fooler) to play in the car!
• Kids pillow and blanket
• Treasure Jar
• Rest Stop Box-stock with jump rope, frisbee, inflatable beach ball and Nerf ball, according to July’s issue of Parents Magazine.
• They also encourage travelers to ‘crank up the radio, open the doors and have an outdoor dance-a-thon).
• Printable Car Trip Check List
• Child-safety scissors and paper (it worked on a long flight w/my preschooler)
• Invisible markers/Magic paper
• Chalk Cloth Oil Mat
• Moon sand on a tray
• Post It Notes-draw on them, then decorate the car (Women’s Day, July Issue)
• Spill-proof Bubbles (yes, in the car.  My toddler loves this).
• Printable Car Bingo
• Stickers
• Band-aids (again a toddler-pleaser)
• Leapster, DS Lite or hand-held game
• Magna Doodle
• Cookie sheet with magnetic alphabet letters
• The following incredible ideas came from MomsMinivan:  travel tickets, surprise packages, and more (Actually EVERY idea on this site is amazing!)
• Printable Boredom Busters
• I spy bags/jars
• Ear plugs for when the “how much longer questions begin”

What works for you on road trips?
Thanks for joining in, you can read the WFMW guidelines here

WFMW: Driving with Kids is a post from: We are THAT Family

La Bella Jewels has been one of my longest sponsors. She made a lovely necklace to memorialize my daughter’s water baptism and created a one-of-a-kind necklace for the work of Amazima (Kisses from Katie). My mom bought this one from her with her grandchildren’s names.

Her work is beautiful:What do you like?

Please let me know and that will be your entry. Two winners will be chosen from the comments to win a $50 gift certificate!

This giveaway ends Thursday.

*Shop early for the holidays because Mrs. LaBella is closing shop from November to January to welcome her new baby bundle.

The Lovely LaBella Jewels {Giveaway} is a post from: We are THAT Family

They don’t call it a recreational vehicle for nothing! What I’ve learned the last couple of days:

1. I love my family all the time.
2. I like my family. Sometimes.
3. My home (2,000 sq ft) is huge, luxuriously big.
4. You really can’t have enough cans of air freshener in an RV.
5. The big bed over the driver’s seat is totally worth fighting over.
6. We don’t need half the stuff we think we need (we’re getting by on just the basics and doing fine!)
7. That is one tiny shower.
8. I might need a vacation to recover from my vacation.
9. I rock at Uno (the Handy Mandy version).
10. This is way more fun than I anticipated!

Does a vacation like this appeal to you or definitely not? People usually feel strongly either way. (I’ll let you know if I’d do it again!)

What I’m Learning in this Itty Bitty Living Space is a post from: We are THAT Family

We leave tomorrow for the next week of vacationing in an RV, while our friend house sits and takes care of pets. We will be traveling through Texas and stopping in Oklahoma to visit Maureen (who is speaking at Student Life Camps this summer). She and I have become very close thru Facebook and I can’t wait to hug her neck and introduce her to my family!

Then we’re off to Arkansas where we will camp a little and visit with Amber and Seth. I’m sure we’ll talk deep into the night about Africa. It’s sure to be a great getaway and we might even spend some time educating ourselves on the art of unclogging the commode in a recreational vehicle (since our 3 year old “can’t wait to go potty” in an “RB”).

And we’ll play Uno, lots of Uno.

I can already hear my children fighting over who gets the bed above the driver’s seat.

Awesome.

P.S. I won’t have my normal Links I Love post up this weekend. But I do have ONE LINK, I’d love everyone of you to read. THIS *THIS* is why I blog.

Blogging from a Recreational Vehicle is a post from: We are THAT Family