Where he leads me I will go.......: 2014

I am sure you probably guessed it from my title that I am going back to New Hope!!!! I am super excited and I seem to be sticking with my every other year pattern for my trips. This trip will be similar to my last one as I will be staying for about 2 months at New Hope working in the preschool and where ever I am needed around the house. The wonderful Becca Shook who is currently there as the preschool teacher is pregnant and due the end of June!!! I am thrilled for her and Mikey and I am so happy that I will be able to meet baby Shook! So I will be heading over the beginning of July sometime......this will allow Becca to settle into motherhood without having to worry about preschool. I am super excited because I love the preschool and I am already on Pintrest thinking of all the fun crafts that we are going to make!

On the fundraising side of things I am still working on how much I am going to need to fundraise. The biggest part of my trip cost will be my plane ticket and visa fees. I am predicting that I will need to raise around $4000-4500. I have planned that all of my Jamberry parties sales, that are not already designated as adoption fundraisers, will go directly to my trip cost. Please let me know if you would be interested in booking a party. www.cutenails4acause.jamberrynails.net :) For the past 2 years my family has been using doTERRA essential oils. About 6 months ago, I followed in my momma's footsteps and became wellness advocate as well. I am still in the beginning stages of building my team but al my commissions that come in from doTERRA are going straight towards my trip. www.mydoterra.com/stephanieelizabeth/ or you can find me on FB at www.facebook.com/theoilbug With living in a new place I am also trying to build up babysitting jobs and I am hoping to do a few photography fundraisers for my trip as well. www.facebook.com/stephanieelizabethphotography

As you can see I am fired up and trusting the Lord to bring everything that is needed in just in the right timing.

Thank you all for your love and support

~Stephanie

This past year God has blessed me greatly. this blog post is just a short summery of some major highlights of the year!

The year started with the drive from Maryland to North Carolina! We spent time with family and friends and being there for Mary and Stephen's wedding!!

While I was in the states I was able to meet one of the families that adopted a sweet boy from China that I had met during one of my previous trips!

Our trip in the states ended with a super crazy space -a flight home!

When we arrived home we celebrated Jonathan's 12th birthday!

My best friend Becca was in Germany visiting her parents so they panned a trip to Belgium. I was finally able to meet her sweet Amelia and could not get over how much Gabriel has grown since I last saw him. It was just a fun time just catching up. Then was my 22nd birthday.

The Ravens WIN the Super Bowl!

We spent Valentine's Day in Disneyland Paris with the Thrall family . Aiden turned 10!

I spent a girls weekend for St.patrick's Day in Disney with Anne and Bethany!

Spring Break was spent with some awesome Middle schoolers at Adventure Camp in Durby,Belgium.

I joined the Jamberry family in April and have been able to hold fundraisers for several adopting families, students going on missions trips and to help buy Nebulizers for New Hope! Elise turns 14!!

In May I embarked on a 10 week adventure to China. I made so many wonderful memories with everyone that came through New Hope during my time! Jen, Mel, Dana, Anne, Chelsea, Stephanie, Callie, Rosey, Caterine the Flory and Ayres families, and all the teams! Along with everyone that lives at New Hope ; the Hill family , Mikey&Becca, Mona, Kristine, and Jona. The highlight of my trip was teaching preschool to all 5 of my wonderful classes. These kids changed my life in more ways then imaginable! I don't go a day without thinking about them.

I was blessed with the chance to meet 2 adoptive families while there the Freelings and Tasha R.It was so much fun to give tours and share with them about this piece of there children's life.

While there I had to make a visa run that was a huge blessing that our wonderful friends that used to live with us in Mannheim now live in Seoul, Korea. It was a great time of refreshing, stocking up on supplies to bring back, and seeing the sights of Seoul!

When I returned we were able to celebrate several of the kids birthday's!!

I was able to make a weekend trip down to Maria's Big House of Hope with Stephanie and was able to just go from room to room snuggling sweet babies! Maria's also is the home to several sweeties that were blessed with a n extra chromosome which made my heart happy and me miss Jameson while there! It was also wonderful to sit and spend time with everyone there! Mariah , the Martian family, and the interns Dan and Kelsie.

In my last week at New Hope a little girl arrived that both Callie and I feel in love with, she was 2.5 years old but the size of a 9-12month old. We decided that we both wanted to sponsor and name this princess. We gave her the name Eleanor Grace!

My summer was amazing and everyone saw a huge miracle and God's healing powers when Joyce Hill went into a coma and family arrived to say their goodbyes and just like that God said he was not done with the work Joyce was doing and has healed here more then what she was before the coma!! Saying goodbye to China was hard but I know I will be back!

I arrived home in the middle of VBS week and it was fast and busy before heading out on our summer family holiday! We went to Berlin, Sweden, Demark, Hamburg and Dosseldorf, Germany.

We came home for the boys to start their first tackle football season and Elise in theater camp. I also joined the PWOC board for the 2nd year in the row.

We had our last Shape Fest which is the big event that all the NATO countries come together.

Mom,Elise and I all ran/walked the color run in Brussels Belgium. We did it in honor of our sweet friends Jan and Melanie that were both diagnosed with breast Cancer in August. I was also doing it in honor of my future running buddy on IR4. I got matched with my buddy Trevor just a few days later.

Alex turned 16 this year! Crazy to think I have been a big sister for 16years. We got to make a trip to Disney in October which is our favorite month! Nicolas turned 7 and my wisdom teeth were removed in October as well.

In November Jameson turned 2 this year!!!!

We started our last and 8th holiday season in Europe. We tried to hit as many Christmas markets as possible this year.

Our Christmas present this year was to go on a family vacation creating memories along the way. We started in Disneyland Paris, Montpellier , Lyon, and a couple of small towns in France along the way. We ended 2013 in Barcelona,Spain ringing in the New Year as a family!