Kiva

Kiva has opened up more opportunities.

If you're unfamiliar with Kiva, its a novel concept that allows us to loan money (as small as $25) directly to desperately poor individuals in third world countries who are trying to start a business. Many of these people just need a few hundred dollars to start a sewing, cleaning or cooking business that would make them "rich" in their country. You get to read about the people who want loans and you can decide who you want to loan money to and how much money you loan. The recipients ("entrepreneurs") are screened by real financial institutions and repay the loans within about a year. Once its repayed, you can find someone else who needs a loan.

If you're wondering if you'll make money off the interest, don't even click the link. This is to help others. But instead of just donating money to something and never seeing it again, you can actually see the money helping someone, then with that same money, you can help someone else. Its a very cheap and selfish way to help others! :) You get to see the good things happening and feel good about yourself. And what other organization lets you use your same donation over and over? With everyone else, once you give it, its gone and you can't claim to donate it again. Not with Kiva. You can resuse the same money.

If you come back later and can't find this post, Kiva is in our Links section.

Beckett

For those of you who don't read the Rowe's blog to know about Beckett Rakes, please go to the Rakes Fam to read an incredible story about a wonderful little miracle. Todd works with Matt & Scott and we're thrilled with how wonderful everything is turning out.

Even knowing that Beckett is going strong today, you can still get emotional reading their old emails.

High Chairs

The twins are seven months old and we have gradutated to high chairs! We can't believe how fast they're growing up. High chairs in restaurants are still a little ways off as the ones we've seen don't have a tray to help hold them up in case they start tipping over.

Dylan's excited to eat

This is the first thing she does everytime we put her in a high chair. She reminds us of an old cartoon character who did something like this at a table, but we can't remember its name.

What? You've never seen someone nibble a tray before?

They're pretty clean eaters.