Birthday Party: Vietnam style

Norah turned two recently. We decided to have a relaxed party at our house with close friends and family and cook some yummy Vietnamese food. I may never eat another spring roll again, however. Frying food is not my favorite hobby.

Here's the birthday girl and her sister, dressed in outfits from VN.

Blowing out the candle. Grandma and she practiced this for months! :)

Pho, the main dish and a Vietnamese staple. My favorite. Here's the recipe.

Be kind...

"Be Kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle"--Plato

A friend of mine has this posted under her signature on an online forum I frequent. Today I was reminded of it while reading another friend's blog.

I've spent a lot of time the past two weeks planning a respite night at our church for 50+ kids. I'm pumped. I'm also exhausted. Reading through registration forms and pairing the kids up with volunteers has left me drained...mostly on the physical end, but emotionally it wears on me as well.

There are lots of people out there fighting a hard battle. It isn't always noticeable to the naked eye. Some of these kids look okay on the outside, but are fighting battles on the inside.

This is a part of what I'm doing, starting with respite night tonight. Clicking on the link will take you to a website that, for now, is a placeholder. But as churches grow in number to provide respite for families who desperately need it, our coalition grows. What an amazing, awesome idea!!

hug your children tight

I had a post all set for today but when I opened up my inbox, things changed. My heart is breaking.

A mother that I know in Canada is saying goodbye to her nine year old son today. He's a very sweet boy named Ethan who has fought a hard battle his entire little life. Please keep his mom, Karen, and Ethan as well as his brothers and sister in your prayers today and please, hug your children tight.