China

Summer Brings More Than a Road Trip for Seventeen China Families with Healthy Referrals
 

Colombia

Colombia Sibling Groups Placed Quickly in Loving Homes
 

Ethiopia

New Relationships Made; Court Closing Date in August as Opposed to July
 

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Adoptions Pick Up Speed Going into June Travel
 

Russia

Still Waiting for Accreditation
 

Vietnam

Making the Connection: Families Traveling to Vietnam

“Green Freeze” Icy Grapes

SUBMITTED BY: Linda Dahlgren, Fundraising and Donor Relations

“They taste like sherbet! My family likes to pack them in the cooler for canoe floats. It’s an easy finger food that helps keep everything else cold, too.”
 

INGREDIENTS

green grapes

DIRECTIONS

1. Pull green grapes off of their stems, wash and dry them.

2. Pop them in the freezer for a quick and healthy treat!

Little Reece's Peanut Butter Cup & Brownie Cup Cakes

SUBMITTED BY: Ann Tollefson, Adoption Services and China Program Director, with children:
Mary (11, China), Sophie (10 India), Peter (8, Vietnam) and Andrew (6, Vietnam)

“We LOVE these with cold milk! You cannot eat just one!!”
 

INGREDIENTS

1 box Brownie mix

+1 Egg

1 bag, Reese’s mini peanut butter cups

DIRECTIONS

1. Make your favorite brownie mix. We add the extra egg to make the brownies more cake-like, as directed on the brownie instructions.

2. Spoon brownie mix into foil mini cupcake liners until 1/2 full. Paper cup cake holders are not suitable for this recipe.

3. Place one Reese's mini peanut butter cup candy in the center of each cupcake and press down until the brownie mix covers the sides of each candy.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool before serving. This recipe makes between 3 and 4 dozen little cupcakes.

Homemade Playdough

SUBMITTED BY: Jennifer Newcomb, Communications Coordinator

“My mom (I call her Mommo) is an amazing crafts woman. In her Sunday school class, she teaches fifth and sixth graders about the wonders of God, but also about the power of creation. Every week she comes up with fun crafts for her kids to create. When our extended family gets together in the summer, we have a blast using her ideas, dumping out the supplies onto a huge bed sheet at my grandparents’ country home in Illinois.

These next three crafts are from her.”
 

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cups salt

1 T powered aluminum

2 packages unsweetened Kool-aid (for color)

2 T vegetable oil

2 cups boiling water

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix together flour, salt, aluminum and drink mix in large mixing bowl. Add oil.

2. Pour boiling water over flour mixture; stir until well combined.

3. After it has cooled to the touch, kneed dough until smooth.

4. Store in airtight plastic bag or covered container.

Flower Lei

SUBMITTED BY: Jennifer Newcomb, Communications Coordinator

SUPPLIES

colored tissue paper

Straws

yarn or string

scissors
 

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut out flowers from tissue paper or other colored paper;

cut yarn to desired length and straws into 1 inch pieces.

2. Alternate stringing flowers and straws on yarn.

3. Tie yarn together when finished

Father’s Day Card

SUBMITTED BY: Jennifer Newcomb, Communications Coordinator

SUPPLIES

colored construction or scrapbooking paper

stapler

scissors

markers or fun paints

DIRECTIONS

1. Take 3 pieces of colored paper and cut in half.

2. On 5 pieces of paper cut a 1 1/2" to 2" circle in the same location on all sheets.

3. Staple all 6 pieces together.

4. Draw a circle on the last page, through the holes on the top pages. Add a happy face.

5. On each page put a heading and draw a picture to depict that heading.

For Father’s Day, for example: “My favorite thing to do with my dad is...” “I can help my Dad by...” “This is a picture of me and my Dad.” (use the face from the circle window to be you)

6. Make sure to say “Happy Father's Day” on the last page and sign your name.