A hand to the human race

 WE DID IT. WE RAISED EVERY SINGLE CENT WE NEED FOR OUR ADOPTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe it! People have been so extremely generous it boggles my mind.  Friends, family, friends of friends, and even total strangers have all helped us to reach this goal. Here is a little bit of how we got there.

In less then two years we have had 6 GIANT garage sales, recieved three grants, put together a 750 piece puzzle, had a jewerly party, had a very cool high schooler have a very cool raffle for us, had lots of personal donations, had donations from total strangers. scrimped and saved our extra money, had members of our church give above and beyond (like always).   And I'm sure a bunch of stuff I forgot.

At times it was a real stuggle and i felt like we were never gonna be able to come up with this extreme amount of money neeeded to bring our baby home, but it seeemed like always at those times something would come along to make my heart lift, so here are a couple highlights from our fundraising adventures.

We had a cousin of mine who was a senior in high school and just up and decided one day to make our adoption her senior project. She spent a good portion of her senior year selling raffle tickets for prizes with all the money going to our adoption. what a sweetheart.

Our church held an ice cream social in our honor. We spoke about adoption that day in church and it was great to share our story with our church family. They also set up a church fund in our name and everyone has been so generous. Furthermore it has just been wonderful to share this experience with them. they ask us every week how its going and are so supportive. They are so loving.

We had many family and friends give very generous donations. Thank you

I work about twice a month in a little christian book store and when  work I put prayer cards for our adoption on the counter so if people are interested they can take one and pray for us. This has been a wonderful experience just sharing adoption with so many people. I have had so many great conversations that have just lifted my heart.

I try to talk about the adoption a lot because I figure you never know who is listening and I want to spread the word that we are adopting. I have found this to be a fantastic experience 98% of the time. people are so supportive and so caring. it is incredible.

During our last garage sale I was so sick and tired of garage sales I could hardly bear to have another one, but I did it because we had to. At this time a man came and was shopping at our garage sale, he bought a few dollars worth of stuff and then as he was leaving he put some money in our donation jar. It was $440. from a total stranger, someone I have never seen before or since.

One of the things I found most interesting is the amount of people that have come out of the wood work to help us in this adoption and fundraising endeavor. so many people that i have not talked to in YEARS. There is one gril that I have not talked to in at least 13, I call her my biggest fan. She has helped in every single fundraising event we have had, she has had friends of hers that I have never meet help in our adoption. She is just one example I have had so many friends that we literally have not talked to since high school help us out. It has been great because I got to renew old friendships and that has been a fantastic experience.

Lastly I want to thank our family (and friends that are close enough to call family) for all your time, energy, support, hopeing with us and complaining with us. Thank you.

TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO HELPED IN ANY WAY AT ALL THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED ON OUR OWN, WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU.

AND NOW...... PLEASE PRAY THAT A BIRTH MOTHER FINDS US SOON. HAVING AN ADOPTION PAID FOR MEANS NOTHING IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BABY TO BRING HOME.

And we wait!

      Really I have nothing to say, but I feel like I haven't written in a really long time and I have some time to kill so I guess I'll think of something. I talked to our case worker the other day. She informed me that we've been on the waiting list for a baby for 16 months. O is that all and here I've been telling people it's been a year and a half. She also said that two of our books were out right now with birthmothers who were considering us (I'm not sure that she was supposed to tell me that). So lets pray that one of them thinks we are as great of a family as I know we are.
       It has become apparent that we have a pejudice against us because we already have a child and birth mothers it appears, prefer to give thier child to parents who don't already have childern. This INFURIATES me. I feel like I'm being punished for already being a good mother (and father) and whats worse is your punishing my daughter who so despertaly wants to be a big sister (and will be the best big sister anyones ever had). It makes me so sad, instead of looking at us and saying "o look at what great parents they already are to India, they will be great parents to my child too" were not even considerd.
       According to my calculations we only need to raise about $4,000 more dollars before we have all the money needed for adopton. This makes me estatic! $4,000 is a lot of money but its a drop in the bucket compared with the total cost of $28,000. I can't believe we raised that much. THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who helped us do so. And hey I need another great fundraising idea, anybody got any?
        And we wait! We wait and we wait and we wait. We wait for God's timing wich we know is perfect but we are not and it is hard to wait. And we wait. And it is frustrating to wait. And we wait. And I can't make a pretty tear off chain to count down the days because we don't know how long it will be. And we wait. And we reconsider if were doing this the right way even though we both really feel this is what God wants us to do. And we wait. I can't cross off days on the calander because we don't have a stopping point. And we wait. India and I play in the babies room that has been ready for months and we talk about how great it will be to have a baby. And we wait. I bought India a shirt that says "awesome big sister" and I'm worried it won't fit her by the time she is one. And we wait. People ask me everyday for good news about the baby and I have none. And we wait. I worry that my childern will be so far apart in age that they won't be close like I am to my siblings. And we wait. Why God do you make us wait when you know waiting is not my strong point? And we wait.
         Someday we will have a perfect baby, It will have parents that will love it with there whole heart and soul. It will have a big sister that will cherish it and fight with it and defend it, and get in trouble with it. It will have grandparents that adore it and think it can do no wrong, it will have aunties and uncles that will spoil it. It will have cousins to play with and get into mischif with. It will have the best most loving family ever. I know because it's already there, it's my family and we are ready for you baby. But for now we wait.

FINISHED THE PUZZLE!!!!!!

THE FINISHED PUZZLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO DONATED. THAT IS $750 DOLLARS TO HELP US GET A BABY. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE. DID I MENTION WE RECENTLY RECEIVED A MATCHING GRANT SO ALL THIS MONEY HAS BEEN DOUBLED. THAT'S $1,500 TO HELP US TOWARD OUR ADOPTION.  WE ONLY HAVE $6,478 LEFT TO RAISE. (AND A BIRTH MOTHER TO FIND US.)

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!

Only 117 pieces left!

puzzle update

We are still waiting for a baby. While we wait we still need to raise just over $7,000 dollars to get to the goal of $28,000 which is the total cost of adoption these days. Friends and family have been awesomely generous and supportive but we still need help. If you would like to help click on the donate button and buy puzzle pieces for our current fundraiser. This is how the puzzle looks so far.

Puzzle Update

WOW look how far we have gotten on our adoption puzzle thanks to the generous donations given today! We only have 275 more pieces to go. If you want a puzzle piece or two, along with facebook acclaim and a great feeling in your heart that you have helped find a baby the loving home it so deserves.

click on the donate button on the right.

Surprise Blessings at a Bookstore

      I spent all last week working for my friend in his Christian bookstore while he was on vacation. Usally I am a stay at home mom but I like to help out in the bookstore every once in a while when my friend needs a day off. I have little prayer cards I made asking people to pray for our adoption with us. When I work at the bookstore I set these on the counter and people can take them if they wish. Usally one or two people a day will take one.
      Last week I think God was trying to cheer me up, it seemed like every other person wanted one and they were all so ethusiastic about are adoption it really lifted my spirits. I had several people tell me stories of how they adopted or knew someone who had adopted and how wonderful it was. I had one man tell me about his foster son and then the next day brought his wife and son back in to meet me.
        On Monday a lady came in with her family and was so excited for us she asked if there was anything we nedded and I said, "well of course we are going to need things like diapers, and wipes, and formula." She left and came back about twenty minutes later came back with a box of diapers and wipes, and a little gift bag of baby shampoo things. It was so sweet. It was the first present somebody other then us got for the baby. I almost cried and I gave her a big hug.
          On Tuesday a lady came in and we talked for a long time, she took a prayer card and then as she was about to go out the front door she turned around and said "can I pray for you right now" well of course. So we held hands and she started to pray. I'm sure it wasn't very long but it felt like about five minutes. It was such a powerful moment I don't know that anyone has ever prayed that intently for me before (at least not in my presence). It left tears in my eyes and made me fill great the rest of the day. I can't describe the feeling it left in me it was fantastic. I gave her a hug to.
           And then today, a lady wanted me to add her two dollars she had on her to our adoption fund saying "Every little bit helps" Indeed it does.
           What a great week.