I had a wonderful time yesterday. I had lunch at the Spring Creek Tea Room with Jodi. Oh, and her mom, Katie, came too. :) Miss Jodi was quite warm and snugly in her sling with her mommy, but she was so kind as to let me take her out of her warm, cozy pouch and let me hold her. She is quite the beautiful, perfect child (pretty much like all those Bettendorf children). Yep, we bonded. Until of course she realized I was useless to help her hungry belly. Oh well.
Thanks for a great afternoon girls. And thanks to Jeff for letting me borrow a couple of his girls.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The kids our society forgets
Something that has been on my heart for a long time now is the fact that foster children are released from the system at age 18 and just abandoned to become adults. I have always been so blessed with friends and family and a support system, I don't know where I would be if I bounced from home to home and then was dumped on the street as soon as I turned 18.
The book for my church book club that I lead this month was Between Sundays by Karen Kingbury. I only knew a small bit about the book before I read it. And, who knew, it deals with foster kids and their hard road. It is a great, great read and I highly recommend that you pick up a copy and read it. It's an extremely touching story of a young man who's single mother dies and the boy believes his father is the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Aaron Hill.
That brings us to the actual quarterback for the 49ers, Alex Smith. Alex Smith has started the Alex Smith Foundation to help foster kids exiting the system to have support in getting jobs, housing and the education they need to succeed. Why is he doing this? This is why (taken from the Alex Smith Foundation website):
The book for my church book club that I lead this month was Between Sundays by Karen Kingbury. I only knew a small bit about the book before I read it. And, who knew, it deals with foster kids and their hard road. It is a great, great read and I highly recommend that you pick up a copy and read it. It's an extremely touching story of a young man who's single mother dies and the boy believes his father is the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Aaron Hill.
That brings us to the actual quarterback for the 49ers, Alex Smith. Alex Smith has started the Alex Smith Foundation to help foster kids exiting the system to have support in getting jobs, housing and the education they need to succeed. Why is he doing this? This is why (taken from the Alex Smith Foundation website):
Why does our society spend billions of dollars on foster children, only to abandon these kids when they’re on the verge of becoming adults? It seems like we’re dropping the ball at the goal line.
Within two years of leaving the system, why do:
• 50% end up unemployed?
• One-third require public assistance?
• Almost one-third become homeless?
• 25% become incarcerated?
• Less than one in 10 attend college, and only one in 100 actually graduate?
Source: Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles
I appreciate so much what this foundation has started. Not just as support for foster kids but they are actually working to change the laws for foster kids. If you have wanted to help, but foster care in your home is not the right road for you, please consider helping Alex and his foundation, or write your legislators to encourage them to help change the laws and hopefully change the statistics of these forgotten children.
• 50% end up unemployed?
• One-third require public assistance?
• Almost one-third become homeless?
• 25% become incarcerated?
• Less than one in 10 attend college, and only one in 100 actually graduate?
Source: Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles
At the Alex Smith Foundation, we don’t believe in sitting
along the sidelines, watching foster children fail. And, we’re not as interested in “why,” as in “how”—how can we help?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
How Do I Love You? Let me count the ways.....
Okay, so if you could not tell already I was totally stoked at the discovery and subsequent tour of Askinose Chocolate. So, because of the utter joy and elation of my chocolate experience I came home and blogged about it. And then what comes to my humble e-mail inbox but a request from an Askinosie angel asking for our address so they could send us some FREE CHOCOLATE for sharing our experience with our friends and family on the web. Did you get that? FREE CHOCOLATE!!!! Just when I thought I could love these people no more, they send me free chocolate. Now I have enough to last me until next week when I will have to drive across town to get more. :) For those of you not fortunate enough to live here, let me show what it will look like when you order some chocolate heaven online. I'll use pictures from the arrival of my FREE CHOCOLATE, and in sharing I will let you in on some more why you should get your chocolate fix from Askinosie instead of your every day chocolate maker.....
That's right Mr. Fed Ex Man, be careful with my chocolate there...please. :)
Forget diamonds, THIS is how you say I love you! Or I'm sorry, or you were right.....
Your chocolate will come lovingly packaged in biodegradable materials. That right, no annoying packing peanuts, just unwrap the chocolate and throw the padding on the compost pile. Askinosie not only has a commitment to a great product, but they have a commitment to protecting our environment wherever they can.
And here you go. My beautiful chocolate. From left to right they are a 75% Soconusco bar (please bury me with one of these ;) ), cocoa nibs (which are the insides after the cacao beans after the shells are removed), and a 70 % San Jose Del Tambo "nibble bar" meaning it has the nibs pressed into the back and really gives a unique flavor to the chocolate. Thankfully my kids don't care for the nibble bars so I don't have to share *impish grin*.
The best part, the actual packaging and the bar. Please take the time to go on their website and read about the company. Shawn Askinose is a Christian and left a high profile (and profitable) job as a lawyer and has pursed chocolate making. I believe God is going to bless him in this endeavor. Why do you ask? Because he lives out his faith. He sources his beans directly from the small farmers. See that picture of that farmer on the Soconusco bar? The reason Shawn was not there our tour day is because he was shaking this farmers and others in that regions hands and sharing a portion of his first year's profits with them, giving them a Stake in the Outcome ™. If your chocolate says San Jose Del Tambo then Shawn has met every person who has touched the beans that are in that bar. They do not source cocoa butter or beans from anywhere else. Every bit of that bar from the cocoa to the cocoa butter has came from the same batch of beans. The only thing not coming from those farmers is the sugar. I cannot tell you all the good things about this company. Please visit their website and read about all the reasons they deserve your patronage.
And a big "THANK YOU" for my chocolate!
That's right Mr. Fed Ex Man, be careful with my chocolate there...please. :)
Forget diamonds, THIS is how you say I love you! Or I'm sorry, or you were right.....
Your chocolate will come lovingly packaged in biodegradable materials. That right, no annoying packing peanuts, just unwrap the chocolate and throw the padding on the compost pile. Askinosie not only has a commitment to a great product, but they have a commitment to protecting our environment wherever they can.
And here you go. My beautiful chocolate. From left to right they are a 75% Soconusco bar (please bury me with one of these ;) ), cocoa nibs (which are the insides after the cacao beans after the shells are removed), and a 70 % San Jose Del Tambo "nibble bar" meaning it has the nibs pressed into the back and really gives a unique flavor to the chocolate. Thankfully my kids don't care for the nibble bars so I don't have to share *impish grin*.
The best part, the actual packaging and the bar. Please take the time to go on their website and read about the company. Shawn Askinose is a Christian and left a high profile (and profitable) job as a lawyer and has pursed chocolate making. I believe God is going to bless him in this endeavor. Why do you ask? Because he lives out his faith. He sources his beans directly from the small farmers. See that picture of that farmer on the Soconusco bar? The reason Shawn was not there our tour day is because he was shaking this farmers and others in that regions hands and sharing a portion of his first year's profits with them, giving them a Stake in the Outcome ™. If your chocolate says San Jose Del Tambo then Shawn has met every person who has touched the beans that are in that bar. They do not source cocoa butter or beans from anywhere else. Every bit of that bar from the cocoa to the cocoa butter has came from the same batch of beans. The only thing not coming from those farmers is the sugar. I cannot tell you all the good things about this company. Please visit their website and read about all the reasons they deserve your patronage.
And a big "THANK YOU" for my chocolate!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
The Hunsakers and the Chocolate Factory
On Friday we had the great privilege of visiting the Askinose Chocolate Factory in Springfield. What a great time! They make exquisite chocolate. They are the only small batch chocolate maker in the US that presses their own cocoa butter for their chocolate. They have personal relationships with the farmers who grow their cacao beans in Mexico and Ecuador. They are the only chocolate maker in 100 years outside of Mexico to make chocolate from the beans from the Soconusco region of Mexico. And I'm not sure why else these beans are special, but let me tell you that chocolate made from those beans.....oh, there is no description. They will definitely be serving Askinose chocolate in heaven. If you live in this area, drop by and pay them a visit. You can see the whole factory through big windows. They are wonderful, nice Christian people. And the owner and chief chocolate maker has an amazing story. Go to the website and read about it and then give them a call and order some chocolate!
Here are some pics from our day there:
Mariah and Aaron getting ready to attend "Chocolate University"
Some pictures from owner Shawn Askinosie's travels to the cacao bean farmers.
The room where the debris is removed from the bags of beans, the beans are roasted and cooled and winnowed.
Kyle our tour guide did a great job. He is also the son-in-law of Shawn Askinosie.
Cocoa butter, doesn't that look good for you? ;)
From beans to bar, mmmmmm.
Oompa-Loompas answering Mariah's questions. :)
The regions where their beans come from.
All in all, it was a great day and we came home with some great chocolate!
Here are some pics from our day there:
Mariah and Aaron getting ready to attend "Chocolate University"
Some pictures from owner Shawn Askinosie's travels to the cacao bean farmers.
The room where the debris is removed from the bags of beans, the beans are roasted and cooled and winnowed.
Kyle our tour guide did a great job. He is also the son-in-law of Shawn Askinosie.
Cocoa butter, doesn't that look good for you? ;)
From beans to bar, mmmmmm.
Oompa-Loompas answering Mariah's questions. :)
The regions where their beans come from.
All in all, it was a great day and we came home with some great chocolate!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Congrats to the Bettendorfs!
Baby Jodi has made her arrival today!! Congrats to Katie and Jeff and all the siblings on your new baby sister. Stop by HERE and leave them a congratulations message!
I can already smell that sweet baby smell....ah.
I can already smell that sweet baby smell....ah.
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