CELEBRATE HOPE ROCKS CAPE G!!!!!

Wow, where to begin! Saturday night....I am still recovering from it!!! What a mind blowing night for God! We had our first Event in Cape to help Heart For Africa....Long story short...One of my best buds came home from Africa last summer and felt God leading her to raise $100,000 to build a new orphanage in Swaziland for Heart For Africa. When she told me this, I thought, OKAY, this could take a while, but LET"S GET AFTER IT!
One small gathering around her kitchen table grew to a second meeting at a local business in town and soon more than 25 people were attending these brainstorming, event planning meetings. God had a plan for this small town America and what HE did is still almost too big to believe.
Celebrate Hope Cape became our fundraising event...God got ahold of hearts of business owners all over our town and soon we had thousands of dollars in sponsors. We rented the coolest place in town, God kept giving BIG, and so did the people of our town, and 4 months later Celebrate Hope Cape was a reality. It was our lives really for those four months...We lived and breathed this event and what God was doing in the hearts and minds in some cases of the most unsuspecting people...
We had originally really hoped to have 250 people attend....And Saturday night we had 558 people come together to make a difference for children 10,000 miles away!!!!
Praise the ULTIMATE BIG MAN!
We had the most unbelievable night...Most of it a blur to me really as it was so so oversold....But when the event was over, we not only met the initial goal...
GOD RAISED A TOTAL OF $120,000 for Heart For Africa!
God is CRAZY HUGE!!!!!
Just still cannot process what has happened. Janine Maxwell, the VP for Heart For Africa spoke at the event and she announced that the children's home will house infants to two year old children. These will be babies left in pit latrines, found on the side of the road, and left to be found in hospitals. These children will be raised with their own Swazi cultures and tradition, and will know God very early in life. It is phenomenal!
I will say it again...I LOVE THIS TOWN! God is doing crazy wild stuff here and I am hanging on for the ride.
Take in this huge gift God has given us and the chance to just be a part of it has been unreal!

Time Flies By! Happy VDay and so Much More!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!
And, YES, I did this to them...I know it is for a limited time before they have a major opinion, so I am going for it while it lasts.


Hi everybody! First, let me say a HUGE thanks to everyone who has responded to the Country Music Marathon challenge! We are so so pumped! To get the best up to date info on the race please join the Room For One More group on Facebook. My friend Shari Stroup manages it and we are going To be putting new info on it as the race gets closer. So, for those of you totally in this, go ahead and register via the Country Music Marathon website....Then email or facebook us so we can get an exact count and be able to send out group emails to keep everyone up to date. At this point if you are planning to run, you should be training...And I mean, RUNNING at least 2-3 times a week. It is amazing how it can transform your mind and body in such a short time!
Since my last post so much has happened! I have been up to my ears in the planning process for the Celebrate Hope event happening here on Feb. 27th. It is going to be such a rockin' event! I can hardly believe all that has come together to make this happen! To learn more about it go to www.celebratehopecape.com. Buy your tickets now while they are still available online. We are helping to raise 100k for Heart For Africa to build a new orphanage and it is going to happen!!!! The businesses and people in our town have really blown my mind. I am so thankful to live in this town!

On another note, Solie has turned 1 since I last posted! We have had camera problems so I did not get any great pics that day. This kid is so amazing! She has a major head of hair these days and is getting a mouth full of teeth. She is using basic sign language for stuff and truly I think might be the happiest little lady alive. We are in love with Miss Solie Koket, living up to her nickname every day as Little Miss Sunshine!

I am not organized as many of you already know, so I have kind of been consumed with a few things happening in life for the past month. And with the Heart for Africa event in just 2 weeks, I will likely continue to be distracted until that is over. Please know however, we are full steam ahead with the marathon and we would LOVE for you to join us! The initial t-shirt design is posted on the Room For One More group in Facebook so you can vote on your favorite.

For now check out these adorable Becking Valentines!

Country Music Half Marathon....Run for a Cause!

I know it is a crazy time to even talk about something so generic as running with all of the extreme sadness happening in Haiti right now. I guess I have been kind of struggling to sort out my thoughts about it. Heartbreaking. We can all play a role in making a difference there...I am seeing so so much need everywhere I turn these days, it is hard to know how to best help. Maybe I will post more later on this.
Today, I want to talk about the Country Music Half Marathon....If you are a local here in Missouri or live anywhere EVEN REMOTELY close to Nashville, please consider this:
On behalf of orphans all over the world, Room For One More is pulling together a team to run and raise awareness for this cause. We are putting it out there now...And the response has just been awesome already! We will each wear a shirt with a message about the orphan crisis in the world, and on April 24th we will meet up in Nashcity to run for the cause.
This is the perfect time to step out...If you have been thinking that you want to get "back in shape", or, "I have always wanted to run a half marathon"....Or maybe you are completely out of shape and could never imagine doing this race....This is still for you!
I have been running the past few weeks, though previous to this past couple of weeks, have taken a hiatus from running for 3 YEARS!!!!
Feb 1 really kicks of the training time...12 weeks and you can start as a beginner, no problem.
I have friends who are avid runners who will "RUN FOR ONE" and also people who have not exercised in MANY years (you know who you are). This is a time to come together and make a physical sacrifice for a cause close to our hearts.
I was running this week inside our gym and I have just been using the time to pray and think about kids in need. I thought how crazy it would be for some of the children I have spent time with in various countries in Africa, and what they would think if they could see me running, in circles no less...I bet they would wonder what the heck I was doing. I was thinking what if they had a bird's eye view into my gym on a typical day. People working up a sweat peddling and peddling a bike that goes nowhere, people running on treadmills going nowhere, and those of us on the track running in circles....Focusing, all pushing ourselves to a "better body".
How freakin crazy! When I start to get sick of running, usually early in my run, I think about how a young girl, not much older than Bianca spends a good deal of her day, EVERY day just trying to retrieve water for her family. Carrying a load much heavier than we can imagine, and all at the same time, hoping, praying that she is not attacked on her walk back to her village...No thought of high priced tennis shoes, no heated gym, no perfect workout gear, thinking she needs to lose 10lbs...Just a child trying to help keep her family alive....Rocks my world.
This is life for millions.
So, when people tell me, "oh, there is no way I would run that race", that is fine, as of course it is totally your personal choice, but for me, it is different. I personally do not enjoy running...AT ALL.
But the time I spend running is a time I pray for and think about life for people in other parts of the world. It puts my privileged life in check, and I walk out of the gym with a clearer mission. I am more thankful, much more thankful when I walk down the stairs and pick up my kids in the child care. Overwhelmed sometimes.
I am starting to realize, every day, I want to make a difference, but it can be easy to lose focus. Of course, I want to be healthy, and yes, I am still vain in the sense that I want to be a certain size and shape, but even more I want to be "on task" with my life. Wow, life can really get away from you when you are a momma taking care of little people all day. These are precious moments and at times I find myself a little too giddy about the fact that their day school is about to start back...Selfish, yes, of course. These are moments not to miss.
I guess you can see where I am coming from here. Anyway, if you read my blog and are remotely interested, email or post me. We would LOVE it! And we will set up a page for support on facebook.
We will also partner with any other nonprofits for the race and come together as one. Just contact me about it...Now dust off those running shoes and your spandex...Okay, maybe just the shoes!
Face your fears!!!!
Here are a few of the latest pics of the girls!


I found Solie napping like this yesterday! How adorable

Loving the one day of warm weather!

HOPE RISING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was just an awesome day! I am still blown away by the info I learned today! As most of you know, we go to an awesome church and over the past year our church started a journey to make a difference for orphans in the world....Of course I am encouraging this big time!
For any local people reading, it is LaCroix Church and I am just so pumped about what God is doing there! (Please also see this as an open invite to join us at LaCroix if you are a local and looking for a church, checking out church as an option, or just thinking this place might be cool)We just finished a great series called Hope Rising, and it was all about serving the poor and standing for those in need. It had such a huge influence on my life. We were challenged in many ways as a church. One of these challenges was to live for 5 days on what millions of people across the globe live like EVERY DAY. We were allowed tap water and 3 meals a day of one cup of rice and beans.
If you know me at all, you know I love food! Too much I have learned. How interesting what we focus our time and thoughts toward...And for me, deciding where to eat or looking forward to my next meal, or snack seemed to be a big part of my life.-The funny thing is, I would have NEVER known this if I had not taken on the food challenge. I pretty much thought doing the challenge would be "good for me". Eric and I both did it as a family. We went to sleep hungry at night and I know we were still eating like kings compared to so so many people who live on so much less than the beans and rice every day.

Here are some of the random things that I learned/pondered during this week:-Frustration....I felt it big time because I could not be in total control
-We spend WAY too much in a week eating out!
-Looking at my girls in there warm cushy beds, belly's full- I cried at the thought of the 147 million children in the world who have no parents and no security, much less little to no food most of the time.
-I cried about almost everything as a matter of a fact...I was constantly overwhelmed by the feeling of being hungry and how over the top we are as a culture with all of our "stuff" while people around the world are LITERALLY STARVING TO DEATH!
-I was in a bad mood on and off all week from the lack of food...and still we had all of the tap water we could drink.
-Two days I went to the gym and did my typical cardio burn, and when I walked out of the gym I thought I might pass out...And it made me think of what women and children go through walking for miles to get water, only to carry the heavy container once filled while their bellies ache for nutrition.
I caught myself looking in the rear view mirror as I drove our over the top SUV, looking at my girls in the back seat thinking...THIS COULD HAVE BEEN THEM...Not a number that is easy to ignore...MY GIRLS, MY BABIES...BIANCA AND SOLIE

-I knew the 5 days would end if I could "just make it to the end" and then life would be back to normal....FOR US, NOT THEM
-I cheated by drinking tea a few days...How weak can a person be?
-I wondered, WHY ME? Why did I get this phenomenal life that I EXPECT, and take for granted, and millions of other people ARE DYING FROM LACK OF FOOD AND LOVE
-I still went to bed EVERY NIGHT, in my plush, warm bed, and had a shower every day, love every day, a family every day....a wonderful life...every day
Eric and I looked at each other and were brought to tears so many times as we ate our one cup meal, realizing that millions of people would be so so thankful for this one cup meal.
Well, the list could go on FOREVER, but this is a taste, if you will.

In addition to the food challenge our church partnered with a great organization called Feed My Starving Children, and we packed and shipped 157,000 meals for people in need.
On Christmas Eve an offering was taken in hopes of raising $37,000 to pay for these meals, and also to support a great organization called S.H.A.D.E, wHere we will help increase a feeding program for people already serving the poorest of the poor.
Today was the day we were to learn how much our church gave for this need.
I went to church so excited I could hardly stand it, and when the amount was revealed, I felt weak in my knees.

PEOPLE, REGULAR PEOPLE, CAME TO THE 4 CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES HELD AT OUR CHURCH AND IN THOSE 4 SERVICES A TOTAL OF $116,0000 WAS GIVEN FOR THE HOPE RISING FUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE GOAL WAS TO RAISE THE $37,000 THAT WOULD FEED 500 KIDS FOR A YEAR....
HERE IS WHAT GOD DID!
NOW THE MONEY GIVEN WILL IN FACT FEED 1500 KIDS FOR A YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Literally unbelievable!
GOD IS GIGANTIC!!!!
I am so thankful and humbled and challenged!
Are you? Where do you stand? Maybe you have thought about getting involved, maybe you already are involved....We have so much...We can all do more.
THIS IS WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT!

Happy New Year...In case anyone out there is still reading!

Much love for 2010! What will be on the horizon for the Beckstein family???? Oh, so much! I dropped the ball on Eric at lunch yesterday in mid conversation, how we would have a lot going on this year as I am sure we will start another adoption....HOLD THE PRESSES!!!! He kind of did a double take, but being his awesome self, pretty much played it cool. Did I mention he is a freakin' awesome dad and husband? Wow, I love that dude! I have been spending this whole holiday season taking in my blessings and I am so so overwhelmed by all of the good good stuff in my life! My whole family is just so great and we are so so thankful to have family who love us so big! The holidays were awesome! We just took it in big time as a family. We don't do a ton of gifts, though other people seem to give our kids tons of stuff. I have really been wanting to take on more as far as giving and have been torn between two great organizations we are involved with. On Christmas day Eric gave me this typed up letter that basically said we could totally go for it and take on a few kids in need or maybe even a family (Africa)and I am so excited, and also a little overwhelmed as there is so so much need in this world. Praying God will lead us to the right spot....which, duh? He always does! Side note: OKAY-I just reread this post and I know it sounds kind of too cheesy to be true...And I am not trying to act like my life is perfect, because I am far from that person, but I am just starting to realize more and more how unimportant alot of the "stuff" is that I have spent my time thinking/stressing about. I am always bummed to see awesome people with low self esteem or just not confident in who they already are. I don't want to get caught up in that....and man, if we could all realize what we HAVE...RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW...I am sure we would all live so differently.(ME INCLUDED!) Just awesome holidays in general and good family time. We went to a great New Year;s Eve party last night and just had a ball. There are some really really cool people in this town! And always fun to meet new people. Going to post some pics now!
Solie's First Christmas!

Bianca's Giggle Fest

Caution...Baby behind the wheel!

Solie & Dad

Happy New Year! I know the hat is cheesy, but it was only worn for a second....All you fashion guru's out there! To a GREAT 2010~~

Bianca Turned THREE...and YES, She is a Big Deal!

I know it has been a month already and wow, how bad I have been at blogging. But, hey, life happens and if I don't feel it, I don't do it. Don't forget...if anyone is still reading-Eric is the one the the great discipline in our family!
Bianca turned three and it is totally hitting me now. So wild how much she has changed just in the past month or so.
Here is a little taste of our sassy little lady:
*She is funny..And I mean, really funny. She has me laughing all of the time. Just last week she told me that she would always like mommy because I don;t have a moustache....Well not for now at least I told her.
*She is freaked out by anyone with facial hair...Deal with it...Just one of her gigs these days.
*She has a hear the size of Texas. It blows my mind how much this kid loves. We have been doing some stuff to begin to teach the girls what life is like in other parts of the world, and when Bianca was in the tub this week, she asked if some kids didn't have bathtubs...When I told her no-Not all kids have bathtubs, she then asked me about if all kids have toys...Again I said no.
After thinking a second, she said, Mommy, I will share my toys with kids who don't have any. (Proud momma moment)Then she topped it of when she said, I don;t want any kids to feel sad.
Me too...
*She has a fiery little spirit, which I love MOST of the time! Wow, this kid is creative at getting her way and also very opinionated when she does not succeed at it!
* She is an awesome big sister. She loves Solie so much...It blows my mind how much she loves her and tries to mother her...She loves to help feed Solie and she plays so great with her. They are a total little team.
* She loves her dad...Big time. Followed by her Mimi, Papa, and Gigi-all equal of course. She loves Dora, Max & Ruby, nail polish, her new Handy Manny repair shop, her babies, church, suckers, gum, bubbles in the bath, and pretty much anything where we can pretend.
I could really not be more thankful for this child. God has blown our doors off in the blessing department and I am constantly brought to tears when I think about how different all of our lives could have been.
Bianca had an awesome birthday with our family and both sets of grandparents. It was such a great day. Below are some pics of the day together.

Happy B-Day Bianca!!!

Just before SUGAR OVERLOAD!