Monday, January 11, 2010

~the coin jar ~

having had all sorts of activity filling my moments this weekend (you're shocked, I know) I do admit I have fallen behind in my photo-a-day plan. but in the spirit of understanding I leap ahead to pic 11 (I'll post a few to compensate)

laying in bed the other night, sleep drawing near but not quite there, I had a brain wave...and epiphany so to speak. as per usual our adoption was dominating my head space....babies, travel, adjustment, taking the kids to ballet ...all 6 of them! what kind of jogging stroller I dream of getting :assuming that our kids will either be infant twins or sibling: one being an infant the other around the 3 yr.old mark and I will be needing a new one. I dream about snuggling our new children. connecting with them. inhaling the scent that is uniquely there own. caressing their chocolate skin and whispering I loves yous........

my thoughts wind their way in and out, around and around, finding their way back to traveling. my stomach gets a bit twisty because, honestly, the thought of leaving my kids for 2 weeks ...at any age, is enough to make me sick!! How, I wonder, can we do this?? It is so important to Adam and I that we both travel, so one of us staying home isn't an option. The reality is we need to go together, as a family.

Its the way we do things. we shop together, we play together, we eat all our meals together. when we have a baby we labor together, we birth together, we bond together. why would this be any different?!! This adoption is something the WE are doing, not something that Adam and I are doing. Our next children are, in every way, already a part of this family! (okay, not legally, and they might not even be born yet, but you know what I mean!)

so it's settled, in my mind anyway... at midnight while the rest of the house sleeps. I have decided that We are ALL going to Ethiopia! (little happy dance in bed...I can hear the trumpets sound, lol)

did I mention that we have 4 kids already??...that we will be coming home as a family of 8?? flights to and from Ethiopia are expensive and, with the cost of the adoption and us being far from wealthy, there is no way we can just make those kinds of funds appear. hmmmmmmmmmm,

and that's when it hit me...the epiphany.

the coin jar!!


change is magic!! (go as deep as you want with that one!)


tossed into a jar daily, change can add up in shocking numbers in a short amount of time. with our adoption being a ways away we could acquire the money for our kids flights!! its totally possible....and painless!!

and so begins the era of the change jar...the kids are soooooo excited! The have each contributed to the jar (fists full of change nabbed from their piggy banks and placed, one coin at a time into the sacred "giant piggy bank" as Noah calls it) its become a fun game to search for lost change and toss it in. ( the "jar" is actually a 5 gallon water jug...we have lots of $$ to raise☺)
I've got to say, I'm feeling pretty darned pro-active!

the jug cover...so pretty!!

8 comments:

Julie said...

Fantastic. I love that you want to bring everyone. Sending you virtual pennies and quarters.

quail feather said...

Wow, I'll have to scout around this blog a little more, but just wanted to say your plans to go to ethiopia as a family sound so amazing! I am totally jealous and can't wait to hear more :)

InventingLiz said...

What a great idea! Good luck with it!

Anonymous said...

What a great idea! I'm so very excited for you and I think it's wonderful that you decided the whole family should go. You're right. It's so important.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Knowing you as I do I can't imagine you parted from your children for even half that long. I'm so glad for this epiphany of yours and the joy it has brought you. Make the sweet tinkling of heart money soon fill your home!

candibaby said...

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! I need to do a coin jar too. But mine being just for a vacation, a vacation of any sort, lol. Doesn't matter where. I can't wait to hear how things are progressing with your jar full of dreams. :D Miss you much!

nancy said...

i will have lots of travel advice for ya when the time comes!!
Blessings!!

Evelyn said...

I look forward to reading of the family's trip! Best to you!