Details...

The Curry Family garage sale in Saratoga Springs, NY has been postponed a week...more time to get donations to them! Contact me for drop off details! Thanks for everyone involved.

Also...The photo mini session date has been decided!! It will be October 20th at 10-4....1/2 payment up front to hold your spot. $50 for an edited image cd. Contact me to reserve your 20 minute session NOW! Spots are going to go fast at this great price..think nice outdoor photos of your kiddos, costumes? hay bales? Leaves? Christmas casual photos outdoors?...an updatded family photo....the possibilities are endless...and 1/2 of the profit goes to fund our adoption expenses! We will do it at Pullen Park, so centrally located for everyone!

We are still accepting donations for the HUGE bake sale/Garage sale on Sept 15! We have confirmation of a great face painter that will be there 10-12! We also have some great items being donated for the silent auctions and raffles! Don't forget the 50/50 cash raffle too!!

We are still in prayer over the details of our adoption..we cant wait to be able to move on in the process and help a little girl in need!! Please keep praying for her, wherever she is!

We need bunk beds...does anyone have any sitting around they don't need/want......we need a sturdy pair, twin on twin please. We have a bit of time, but will need them sooner rather than later probably. We are willing to pay a reasonable price for a pair.

Thanks so much for all the support and prayers everyone! We are beyond amazed and grateful for the support and generosity we have seen in the last week or so!

Plugging along

Hey friends! Just wanted to pop on and give an update...

well there really isn't an update. We are praying and waiting...and saving money however we can to raise funds for our adoption.

We recently learned about a new cell phone carrier that a friend of a friend started and are excited to save over $80 a month on it (it offers unlimited everything for $50 a month and no contract), and every three people we get to sign up and save money too we get $20 a month for as long as they have active service! While we aren't counting on it to make us any money we are super excited to save money every month on this must have service. If you want to hear more just visit www.solavei.com or contact Jason or I for details..you too can save money on your cell phone bill. We personally are locked in a contract, but are downing our plans to the minimum plans allowed for our carrier until its done....and STILL saving money.

We are still collecting donations for the huge garage sale Sept 15...and wow what an assortment of great stuff! If you have any toys, baby equipment you aren't using and are willing to donate for our cause please let us know..we will arrange pickup whenever is convenient for you!

We have a zebra!

Yup that's right folks we have a zebra!!

What...you want a zebra too??

Well you are in luck...our new zebra will be for sale at the huge bake sale/Garage sale....he/she would make a great addition to your home or yard!

 Thanks to an unknown donation at our door last night we now have a set of full hockey gear/bag, a zebra and some other great stuff to sell!

Photos anyone???

So who doesn't like new/fun photos of the kiddos or family?? I have two friends/family willing to help us raise money for our adoption through their photography skills!!!

So..if you are in the Raleigh, NC area, OR the Norton, Ohio area I have an opportunity for you to get affordable photographs and help us at the same time! CONTACT ME FOR DETAILS!!!

Thanks Melissa and Bernice for your willingness to help us!

Think fall pictures, Christmas pictures...or just because pictures.

Paperwork, Lemonade and everything in between

We have begun paperwork...and wow...we haven't even really begun and there's lots of paperwork. Good think I don't mind paperwork! So far its been pretty painless ;)

We are about $15 away from being able to send in the latest envelope of paperwork! $15 people.....woo hoo...God is good....step one..almost done!

On another note we have received more donations for the event, today from a neighbor moving out that didn't want to carry a couple boxes of great stuff with them..including some nice curtains/rods and knick knacky household stuff like artificial flower arrangement, decorative bird houses, etc to sell at the big garage sale! WOO HOO! Looks like the garage sale is going to be as great at the Bake sale!We are so excited that the garage is filling up!

 Probably the most exciting news is every day we have heard of more people praying for us and our adoption! We couldn't be more thrilled as this is THE MOST important thing people can do for us. Pray with us that God will bring the right people into the sweet child's life, that whoever and wherever she is tonight that she is tucked in and sleeping in a bed safe, warm/cool, loved and cared for. That she isn't scared, hurt, forgotten, or any other horrible thing that happens to older children without a loving family in our society far too often. We pray that the Lord guides her social workers, or other adults in her life to get her the help she needs across the board, and ultimately into our waiting arms/home when the time is right! In the meantime we pray for her, and ready our home and hearts and raise money like crazy to bring her HOME forever!

We have several offers for some awesome prize packages coming together! We are thinking (Thanks to my BIL Jeremiah) of doing a silent auction on some of the items/packages....both online and in person people will be able to "bid" on the item...and the person with the highest bid at the end of the day will win the item/package.

I think we will still plan to have a couple items to raffle off ticket wise...$1 a ticket gets you a chance, etc.

We even have one family now hosting their OWN garage sale in upstate NY for us, and donating 50% of their profit to our adoption expenses!! How amazing is that! Thanks Curry Family! If anyone in that area has anything they'd like to donate for that garage sale please let us know. Also please pass it on if you are local there....I believe the sale is being planned for next Saturday..but I will post again when details are finalized.

Some of our nieces and nephew are planning on holding a lemonade stand to raise money and one cant wait to braid her new cousins hair, but only if its long enough of coarse she said...the things kids think of!

My other sister (Thanks Mel) suggested having friends/family collect cans/bottles if their state does per can/bottle redemption.....NC doesn't do per bottle/can redemption for cash.....so if you have a soda machine in your break room at work, maybe you could put a box with a flyer taped on it for us? Then cash them in when its full and send us all or a portion of the cost?

I could never think of all this stuff myself. God is Great and we are so humbled by the generosity and kindness/willingness to help of complete strangers, friends and family!

I have never ever felt so strongly that what we are doing is a "GOD Thing". Do you want an example of why I feel like this?? Let me give you just a COUPLE of the things that have happened today, a random Thursday just days after making our desire and calling to adopt a child in need public knowledge....

- A local bakery has offered to donate a specialty cake/baked good
- Several friends who bake on the side have offered a delicious baked good(s)
- friends we havent talked to in years have contacted us telling us they are praying for us and our adoption from their state (MI, NY, NC...)
- Another sweet someone we know has offered to donate a horseback riding lesson for a child to raffle off
- we got some fabric donated for me to start making some burp cloths to sell, and more being shipped
-random people contacting us about great items to sell at our sale

I could go on and on but I wont. Just know that God is BIG and I am being reminded hourly just how much hourly or more! This is and never was about us, and it feels so good!

Sisters

Last night we sat down with Makenna to discuss the adoption...

We wanted to make sure that she was on board as she is an intregal part of our little family, and she is our number one concern at this point and time no matter what.

 We tried our best to ask her if she would want to help give another little girl a home forever that doesn't have one, its hard to balance telling her and making sure shes okay with it and not getting her too excited at just over 4.5.

We explained how we didn't know this little girl yet, that we had to wait for God to bring her to us, and we could start praying about her every day.She was absolutely elated, excited, joyful you name it.

 We went on to explain that it was going to take sacrifices for our family such as outings, toys, etc...and that she would have to share everything, her toys, her room initially most likely, her mommy and daddy, her dogs, her huge closet, her bedroom (shes elated about bunk beds), and then I said almost jokingly that she would have to share her bathroom. Her response was, " I have a big bathtub, so whats the problem?" Yes folks, in the words of my little girl, what is the problem? What is the problem when even a 4.5 year old is willing to share everything she knows and loves for someone she has never meant, yet we know grown adults that can't fathom supporting adoption???

The rest of the evening she would mention the adoption here and there, picking flowers on a walk with a neighbor then showing them to me and saying they were for her new sister so she would "feel welcomed". While we did our absolute best to paint an accurate picture of the unknown adoption timeline and the fact it could be a long time before it happens, and reality that it could possibly never happen (as there is no guarantee in the adoption world), its hard to not be excited...even as an adult.
She says shes going to tell everyone in the world about Jesus bringing her a big sister for us to adopt....YOU GO MAKENNA....tell the world!

So needless to say we are very pleased that our little girl is as much for adoption as we feel the Lord has led us to be!

W O W ....and more ideas!

WOW does not begin to express what we are feeling! Jay and I are so overwhelmed by the generosity and hearts of our friends and family! We have both been literally brought to tears in the last 48 hours over the outpouring of love and support just for following the desire God has put on our hearts to help a little girl who needs it!

I thought of a couple other ideas:


How about face painting...does anyone know how to do simple face paiting, or know someone who does who would donate all or a portion of their earnings to us...they could set up at the sale, pass out cards, etc!

-balloon animals
-business owners that would be willing to donate certificates or an item to be raffled off (one pizza certificate, a lotion, a toy, a ___________)  

Random things Im thinking we could use:
random baby themed fabric leftovers (im goig to make some burp cloths and need a strip of cute fabric for them)...any expense we can save on these would be fantastic!

Maybe you sew but have a bunch of fabric sitting in a closet you wouldn't mind sharing with me??? Maybe your Mom or Grandma does?

Well friends we have a date for our Adoption Fundraising Bake sale/Garage sale!!!
(incase you missed it we are pursuing domestic US adoption of a waiting child)

We are going to do September 15th, 2012 at 8-2.....We went back and forth on a location ideal but decided to just do it in our garage/driveway. Possibly the best part of doing it that date is that Makenna and I will be in NY the week before and driving back Monday or Tuesday....soo anyone that wants to donate any baked goods for the sale can send them back with me! So...if you are in NY want to help by baking for us..(and we sincerely hope you do since we aren't the best bakers)...start baking and freezing or mark it on your calendar to bake near then for us. If you are local and want to help we will do drop off the day/evening before for your convenience! Please make sure to make a list of ingredients for your creations as we know several friends with food allergies and want to make sure they can participate if they want to! You can do something as simple as copying a recipe, making an ingredients list and taping to the item, however you want to get creative to help keep everyone safe.

We will also be taking donations for the garage sale....items can be dropped off anytime between now and then and we will store in the garage until sale time. Just contact us for drop off details. Maybe you have an attic full of stuff you don't know what to do with....or a kids closet full of outgrown clothes/shoes...those are hot items at a garage sale in my experience! Any little item is one more dollar toward our adoption expenses!

I was also thinking about doing a raffle at the sale that day...still thinking about what to raffle off that wouldn't cost us much money.....any ideas?? Anyone own a local business they would donate a gift certificate for a raffle? Or have a cool new item that would make a fun raffle item that'd you'd be willing to donate? (kids stuff, adult stuff, spa services, restaurant, the list is endless)

FUNDRAISING!

I am so excited!  We have great friends and family!

So far we plan to do the following fundraisers:
***Please let us know if you have other ideas!!! Or want to help!***

1. Photo Day---a friend who does photography on the side has offered her very affordable photography services, and we would get half of all monies earned.  We will most likely have a day and people can register to come and get their mini photo shoot, then they will get a CD with the edited photos to do as they please.

2. Bake sale: anyone who knows me knows I am not a hobby baker by any means...but several friends have offered to help....so we plan to try and do that!

3. Crafts! I make burp cloths....I enjoy it and they are cute and cheap to make...so Im thinking maybe if I can get some free or very cheap fabric I can bundle a couple together and sell them online/ebay or on a table at a local craft fair/flea market....maybe other simple crafts too.

4. Yard Sale: get donations to sell and sell anything we can!

5. Resume writing/paper typing services...offer reasonable services to nannies, students, etc.....

Wow its been forever since I posted here! Thats about to change folks! Jason and I have been praying about  wanting to expand our family for years now, since Makenna was a wee one. While we are grateful and thankful and thrilled with her, our true Miracle from the Lord we just dont believe we are done expanding our family. While we have explored several options and seen and heard great stories of numerous ways to welcome another child into our home we have decided domestic adoption is the best, most reachable goal for us at this time. Let me note that we are open to the Lords calling in other directions, but will pursue domestic adoption until that door closes. Right now we are thinking we would love to find a little girl age 5-8 that needs a forever family for whatever reason.

We were going to do the traditional foster care to adopt route but feel like emotionally we and Makenna would have a really hard time saying goodbye when/if the time came. We then learned that our county does not offer hom estudy services unless you are becoming a foster parent (which I guess I understand because if they did them taking up the manpower/etc and then a family decided to adopt a child from another county/state, etc they would be doing it for nothing still having the same caseload as before....while I may not agree I do understand their logic I think). Soooo....

We are pursuing domestic US adoption most likely through foster care.

While we make enough money to pay monthly bills we dont have sums of money lying around to fork out for adoption costs, and no cc, etc. Some people would stop there. Not us!! Where there's a will there's a way, when the Lord calls he answers!

So....we are trying to raise money however we can to pay for costs associated with our adoption. The first and biggest cost we will encounter doing this type of adoption through foster care will be our private home study . We are researching the most affordable way..but it appears that its $1300-$1900 depending on the agency you choose, etc. There will also be a little bit of fees after a child were to come home with us....like post placement,etc...some places that $1900 includes such visits as well as the adoption court to finalize.

The fees are drastically lower adopting an already waiting child from the foster care system then say a domestic private newborn (10-30K on average)...but still seem huge for us!