She works hard for her money.....

This time last summer Abigail and I were planning to head to Guatemala for a mission trip in March of 2013.  We both had our passports made and were starting to think about how to get the funds to go.  Much to my surprise in August we found out about my sweet little Finn and he would be arriving right around the time of the trip.  I cried.  And I cried.  And I cried.  I wanted to go so bad on that trip and then I realized that I couldn't hold Abigail back from going.  It took a while but I just let it go and allowed her to go without me but only under the close supervision of a good friend.  She left without me crying in the parking lot.  I actually didn't lose it until she called from the Atlanta airport and said they were about to board.  Then I sobbed.  My baby was getting on a plane, flying over the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico to travel to a foreign country.  I sat by the phone and computer awaiting messages from her the whole week while I was "great with child" at home.  The 75 second phone call sustained me the whole week. As did the Facebook pictures from some of the folks there.  I would look all through them happy even to see her shoe in one picture!  She had free wifi one day in a McDonald's and emailed Amelia a picture.  I stared at that sucker for a while.  When she got home I looked over and over through the pictures wishing I had gotten to go with her.  She had an amazing week and no doubt was changed for life.

Fast forward to this July.  Rusty has agreed to Abigail, Amelia and me going in 2014!!!  He will be taking the week off work to stay home with the other babies.  You have probably seen me posting pictures to Facebook of various jewelry and now book party info.  Here is what we are doing to raise $3000!  Abigail had some money already in her Sponge Bob locker, where she is saving money.  She babysat for a week all day long a sweet little boy.  Next, she dog-sat for a neighbor.  Abigail and Amelia actually split that one.  For 2 weeks now they have gotten up early, I mean 6:30am or 7:15am! Abigail is almost fully funded for her part but I told her she could start helping Amelia.  Amelia has been selling mostly earrings.  She is making them each by hand and selling them pretty cheap too!  So far she has made almost $200!  I'm hoping they can both fund the trip on their own.  Not that there is anything wrong with parents paying for someone to go or just getting donations but I am loving watching them count money and realize that THEY did it!  Last Christmas Abigail and I offered to wrap Christmas presents for donations.  Strangely only one person took us up on the offer but keep that in mind this November and December again.  ;)  We will be doing it again.  For myself, I have started selling Usborne books.  Now this is not strictly to pay for me to go on the mission trip (I've got kids to feed with it) but I hope it will help.

Here are a couple of links...

Jewelry pictures...
https://www.facebook.com/kelly.j.riley/media_set?set=a.10151471175456126.1073741825.503271125&type=3

Usborne books...
https://w3799.myubam.com/shop

Thanks to everyone who has already helped!  Don't think we are crazy, just doing what the Lord commanded us.