Compassion: Sponsoring a Child

Today I came across the blog of Angie, she is in INDIA right now with compassion. I have read her blog before as I am sure most the blogging world has.. Her blog led me to other compassion bloggers and I felt pulled to sponsor a child the more I read and the more pictures I saw. I chose India and decided I wanted to chose a girl because I thought that might interest Kaila more. When I saw this photo of Veni I didn't have to think twice about picking her. Why you ask? this may sound silly to some but I have become pretty good at identifying physical features of Turner Syndrome.. which this girl exhibits some of those features. Does she have Turner Syndrome? I don't know. I think there is a very good chance she does though. I have asked if she has Turner Syndrome and told them I do see signs and it should be brought up in her next medical exam just as a precaution. I will update with any further information I get about that. It is 32$ a month to sponsor a child and if you go to Angie's blog and the others she links to in her posts you will see what compassion is all about firsthand.

Child Biography

Birthday: October 13, 1999
Age: 9
Gender: Female
Region: South Asia
Country: India
Program: Bethesda Child Development Center

Personal and Family Information:
Veni lives with her father and her mother. Her father is sometimes employed as a seller in the market and her mother is sometimes employed as a seller in the market. Veni works at home carrying water and cleaning. There are 2 children in the family.

Hide-and-seek is Veni's favorite activity. In primary school her performance is average and she also regularly attends church activities and Vacation Bible School.

Your love and support will help Veni to receive the assistance she needs to develop her potential. Please pray for her.

Yummy Tummy Thursday ~ Easy Crockpot Chili

Okay I know I am neglecting blogosphere... the kids have been sick, work, laziness, facebook etc.. all not good excuses but thats all you get.

Easy Crockpot Chili

This recipe can be changed to your liking, it is just an easy basic recipe that I nearly always change up each time.. It is made from things you normally have in the pantry at any give time.

Ingredients~

2lbs Ground Meat (I used 1lb turkey with 1lb beef usually)

2 cans of Beans, whatever you prefer (I use one kidney, one pinto) DRAINED

1-2 cans of Tomato Sauce

1 can Diced Tomatoes

1 medium Onion

1 Green Bell Pepper

Celery

1 tsp Onion Powder

Chili Powder to taste

1 tsp Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

I also add crushed red pepper to mine as well

Directions~

Brown meat. Add onion, celery and green pepper. Place all ingredients in crockpot and stir. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

And another year bites the dust...

Yummy Tummy Thursday ~ Ginger Ale Meatballs

Ginger Ale Meatballs

(courtesy of laura at above link!)

Ingredients:

39 ( 1 1/2 pounds) frozen, fully cooked meatballs (I only use 1 pound, that was enough for my family of 5)
2 cups ginger ale
2 cups ketchup
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions:

Place frozen meatballs in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker prepared with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine ginger ale, ketchup, and garlic. Pour mixture over meatballs. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 3 hours. (I will cook them a bit longer next time, maybe I just have a weak crockpot lol but I like the sauce a little thicker, etc.) Serve with toothpicks as an appetizer, on hoagie buns, or over hot cooked noodles. (I have had them on sub shown here and brought as an appetizer to my moms bunko night). Dipping the sandwich in the a little bowl of the sauce is yummo!

Wacky World Wednesday ~ What not to do.

Published: Saturday, March 28, 2009

Teen couple accused of robbing south Everett dollar store

Also arrested was a 26-year-old man who prosecutors say helped the teens plan the heist at the south Everett store.

By Diana Hefley
Herald Writer

EVERETT -- A couple of lovebirds are now a pair of jailbirds after allegedly hatching a plan to rob a south Everett store to finance a love nest.

The suspects, both 18, have never been in trouble with the law until now.

Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Janice Albert charged the pair this week with first-degree robbery in connection with a heist at a Dollar Tree store in south Everett.

A third man, 26, also is charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. He is accused of helping the couple plan the March 16 robbery, including giving them a plastic BB gun for use in the holdup and a hand-drawn map of the store.

The teens were in love and wanted to rent a place where they could stay together, Albert wrote. Because they didn't have any money, they and a friend devised a plan to rob the store on 128th Street SW.

The older man used to work at the store. He drew them a map of the business and surrounding area. Then he gave them a small knife and a plastic BB gun, Albert wrote in court documents. They painted the toy black to make it look like a handgun. The teens agreed to rob the store while the older man waited nearby. They'd meet up later to split the take, Albert wrote.

The boyfriend and girlfriend walked to the store about 10 p.m. just as three employees were locking up. The girlfriend pointed the gun at one of the employees. The clerk dropped her wallet; one of the bandits picked it up and ordered the woman, 20, back inside.

The girlfriend held the gun on the woman and ordered her to hand over the cash from the store safe. Meanwhile, her boyfriend waved a knife at the other two teenage employees and told them to leave. One of them was worried the woman was going to get stabbed and stepped toward the bandit.

The robber held out the knife and said, "Don't even think about it," Albert wrote. The two employees ran off.

The pair got the money and fled to a nearby apartment building.

Their getaway was short-lived.

Several people called 911 to report seeing a man and woman jump a fence. They said the couple were still standing in a dumpster changing their clothes.

Police swarmed the complex and found clothing, a painted BB gun and a knife in the garbage bin. A police dog followed a scent from the Dollar Tree to the dumpster, then to a nearby park-and-ride lot and onto a waiting bus.

The lovebirds were sitting on the bus.

They confessed to the robbery, Albert wrote. They turned over the money and the employee's wallet. They also told officers about their friend's involvement in the heist.

Police saw that the older man had sent a text message asking the robbers where they were. The officer sent a message back and the man was arrested when he showed up near the park-and-ride.

He first told police he didn't know the couple. Then he told police he thought they were just going to snatch a purse. He said he chickened out and stayed home instead of waiting for them at a Taco Bell, Albert wrote.

No one was injured in the robbery. The teens pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday. They were being held on $50,000 bail. The older man is expected to be in court on Monday.

You have to see this.

If you haven't seen this woman sing yet you have to do it now. I've been an emotional wreck the last hour or so because of some videos and then this comes up :-(.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Head over to Mckmama's creator of Not Me Monday and pray for Stellan!

My van did not get broken into and my radio/cd player stolen, along with my work bag that has my pens, papers, work card etc in it. The TV was not loose like they tried to steal it but got interrupted or something.

I did not leave my car unlocked.

My work bag did not have a spare key to my van in it.

My van is not destined to the garage until I can see how much it costs to change the locks or get an alarm if the locks cost way too much.

Some guy did not pull up behind my driveway and take a picture... he said he was doing it to show someone was living here for the mortgage company and they do it all the time. I pray it's normal and not because the people who own this house are not paying on their mortgage.

Alana did not miss 2 1/2 days of school last week after spring break as well as today and tomorrow because she is sick. She would be fine at school really but I know they would send her home for coughing too much especially since she doesnt cover her mouth.

I do not have to get up at 6:30am tomorrow to be at children's by 8:30am for Alana's heart check up.

I did not sleep in an extra 30 minutes this morning and get Kaila ready for school in 5 minutes.

I did not read the whole Twilight saga in 2 weeks. I certainly did not stay up until 5:30 one morning, and did not totally skip sleeping another day to do so. I also.. ahem.. did not skip posting my Thursday food post so I could read some more.

I am not taking my kids to Jump Planet tomorrow for special families night.

I am not bringing them home only to go out to PF Changs for a ladies night out celebration/birthday event.

I am not procrastinating enrolling Kaila for kindergarten because it just seems so final.. even though she has been in some sort of schooling since she was 18months old.

What have I been doing lately??

Wacky World Wednesday ~ I feel so intelligent right now.

Published: Saturday, March 28, 2009


Stolen ring proves to be the key to jail

Herald staff

SNOHOMISH -- A man who stole a ring to bail a friend out of jail landed behind bars himself.

Police were called Thursday afternoon to investigate a strong-armed robbery at a Snohomish jewelry story, Snohomish police spokeswoman Sheri Spainhower said.

A man forcefully grabbed a ring out of the owner's hand around 3:15 p.m. at Johanna's Fine Jewelry, Spainhower said.

Before the robbery, the store owner overheard the man talking about needing to bail his girlfriend out of jail. The man mentioned a name.

Police checked jail records and learned a woman with the same name had just been bailed out, Spainhower said. The bail bond company said they had taken a ring as collateral.

The store owner identified a photo of the suspect and police tracked him down and placed him in a different kind of jewelry: handcuffs.

Almost Wordless Wednesday~ Picture Egg Hunt

Can you find the egg in this picture?? (don't mind the spots it was raining)

Answer Below..

Answer...

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If Picasso painted eggs..

We colored/painted eggs Saturday after we got home from soccer. Donni slept.. I am not that brave.. he would just try to eat it anyway. Alana has her shirt off because well.. u guess.

She didnt care much at all for dunking the eggs (well she did dunk her hand in green at the end lol) but we got these Qtip things so that was more like painting and she loves those.. next time I will buy a few packs.. they run out fast!

We had a tie dye kit.. this is how it is supposed to look like.. I did this one lol.

I love this picture lol.

One of Alana's Qtip masterpieces.