A Christmas Wish

Our only wish this year is to bring Olga and Vanessa home. We are finishing up on the last of the updates the judge in their region requested. We should have it all sent to our agency next week. This is a big step. We only have 90 days to be in country and go to court and bring the girls home. After 90 days our paperwork expires. We have been working like crazy to raise the funds needed to bring them home. My husband has worked all the overtime they will give him at work. Now that budget cuts to the DOD have been announced his job has stopped overtime. We are very blessed he still has a job as his work just did a second round of layoffs. We are praising God he had enough sinority and had all his training and was not one laid off. I have been making hair bows, capes with matching masks, and felt sets. Thank you to everyone who has supported my efforts. It truly means the world to our family. Especially with it being Christmas season and money being so tight for everyone. 

Adoption is hard, expensive, and 100% worth every minute of it. But we can't do it alone. It takes a village to rescue these children and bring them home. I'm not one of those people who will put down the orphanages or care takers. After being in country and meeting the directors and workers I believe with all my heart they love the children. It may not be true of all places but we are lucky that Olga & Vanessa are in good places. However, it's still not a family. They don't get the one on one time, the cuddles and tuck ins at night. They don't get a mom to hug them and tell them it will be okay when they get shots or get sick. They don't have daddy's who build tents in the living room to have camp outs when it's too cold and rainy outside. They don't wake up on Christmas morning to family breakfast, and a day of being in your pj's watching Christmas movies, opening presents, reading the nativity story, and drinking hot chocolate. These are all things we take for granted.  Basic things like getting a bath every night. They get it once a week. There is not enough time to give all the children a bath everyday. If they have a hard time eating they don't have a momma to encourage them to try and eat, they are considered full and they move on to the next child.  In their country they are deemed "worthless" and "unworthy".  Here we see children with down syndrome and we say how cute they are, how blessed the family is. The families have goals and expectations for their children with down syndrome just as they do those without. In the girls country they have no future. There is truly 

nothing there for them, much as the U.S. was 50 years ago. We were asked over and over again "Why not a healthy child", "why a child with such medical issues, she won't last long". Hearing these things broke my heart. We are half a world away busting our butts to bring them home, they mean the world to us!!We cant do it alone! We need your help. So in the spirit of Christmas we are asking if you would give our girls the gift of a dollar. Yes $1, that's all we're asking for. Each dollar adds up and every single dollar helps bring the girls home to a family. We also want to help our friend Katrina who is adopting a sweet little girl herself. So anytime you donate a dollar to our FSP or Katrina's FSP you will be entered to win this Matryoshka Doll Salt & Pepper Shaker Set & Set of 3 Matryoshka Doll Storage containers (in 12, 20, & 28 oz). I know it's not a lot but it's what we have to give. 

Our FSP for Olga & Vanessa HERE

Katrina's FSP HERE

Thank you so much for helping bring our girls home. Please share on your facebook page and blog and you will get an entry as well. 

*Jenn*

Day #3 Blog Challenge

I'm a couple days behind but here we go Day 3 of the blog challenge. Today's prompt is:

Top 5 Pet Peeves

Here we go. 

1.) People who try to ignore our adoption like it's not happening. You know those who act like you never said anything when you mention it or the girls. Makes me so irritated!

2.) People who pick and choose when to be a Christian. I would rather a Christian say "I sin, I make mistakes A LOT, but I believe Christ died for my sins" than one who says "I'm a Christian" and then is a complete hypocrite all the time. 

3.) Fake people in general. Just be yourself and those who matter will love you in spite of your flaws. 

4.) When my family throws dirty clothes on the floor when there is a basket within reach. 

5. ) Pushy sales people. 

I think those would be my top 5 Pet Peeves. 

Day #2 Blog Challenge

 Today's Blog Prompt: Where do you see yourself in 10 years.  (You can read about the blog challenge by clicking here)

In ten years I see myself living in Georgia with the love of my life, raising our kids in the southern way he was raised. Don't get me wrong I love the Pacific Northwest however, anyone who has spent any time in the south knows there IS a difference! A place where Yes Ma'am & No Sir are the rule, not the exception. Where saying Please & Thank you is expected. 

I see myself sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch drinking sweet tea watching our kids playing in the yard. Living where there are open fields even if we don't have a lot of land. I grew up in a very rural (at the time) part of California. Driving behind tractors was a daily occurrence. Hard working men & boys in boots and wranglers was a common site and 4-H was a family affair. Kids hung out at the local Rodeo or on the back of a tail gate around a bonfire. Those are memories I want my children to have. 

In 10 years I see my husband and I sharing homemade peach pie and vanilla ice cream with his family talking about when he was growing up in Georgia. I see taking my grand kids (can you believe in 10 years my kids will be 21, 22, 24) to the cabbage patch hospital to pick out their first cabbage patch doll. And I see myself smiling up at my husband every time I hear him say " Ya'll " with that twinge of southern accent. 

In 10 years life looks pretty good :)

Day #1 of Blog Challenge

While Blog hopping I came across this blog challenge and thought I'd try it. You can read more about it here (30 Day Blog Challenge).

Today's Prompt is: Your current relationship.

My current relationship is I'm married :) I have been married just over 3 years and am looking forward to many more. I met my husband online and we were married almost exactly a year from the day we met. I love my husband more than words can say, but our marriage hasn't always been a walk in the park. It has had it's ups and downs.

 I've realized just how hard marriage is. It takes a lot of work! It takes two people who want to be together. Who make mistakes, who forgive, and who no matter what love and fight for their marriage. There will always be things that come up against you. We have to keep Christ as the center and focus on Him when everything else says turn and walk away.

My best friend, my protector, the love of my life. 

*My husband*

Where the funds Go...

We were asked if we had a break down of the fees we need in the next 30 days. Are you ready for sticker shock...  here we go ;)

Trip 2 breakdown is this:
7000-service & support
1000-registration deposit
2000-post placement deposit
450 post placement administration fee
All those paid 10 days prior to traveling
$8000-In country fee
260 per day adoption team services (total $5460)
Hotel-2500 (3 1/2 weeks)
Meals-400
2700 for in country travel (including paying for teams travel to region)
400 US- legal paperwork fees (to be paid in rubles)
1800-8 doctor medical exam in country
1000- miscellaneous expenses & needs- recommended by agency to take for emergency
Flights-$2000 (estimation going off flights found 10/26/12)

We have about all but $18,608 covered. 

If you'd like to donate to help bring these sweet girls you can make a tax deductible donation using the "donate" button to the right. It will go to our project hopeful account. 

You can also donate to our Reece's Rainbow FSP ** HERE**

Our family is humbled by the outpouring of support and love for Olga & Vanessa as well as for our family. 

Blog Challenge

While blog surfing last night I came across this 30 day blog challenge and decided to give it a try. Each day I will write a blog post on one of the following topics. It should be fun. If you take the challenge leave me a comment, I'd love to stop by your blog. 

( If your looking for the iPad Mini giveaway click HERE )

1. Current Relationship

2, Where would I like to be in 10 years

3. Top 5 Pet Peeves

4. Views on Religion

5. Favorite Comfort Foods & Why

6. Zodiac sign & does it fit?

7. Favorite Childhood toys

8. A moment you felt most satisfied in your life

9. If you would have any job in the world what would it be?

10. Your guilty pleasures

11. Put your Ipod (in my case iphone) on shuffle and write first 10 songs that pop up

12. Bullet your whole day

13. Somewhere you would like to move/visit

14. Earliest Memory

15. Write 15 interesting facts about yourself

16. Your views on mainstream music

17. Your highs and lows this last year

18. A book you could read over and over and never get sick of

19. Your biggest regret in life

20. How important you think education is

21. One of your favorite TV shows

22. How have you changed in the past 2 years

23. Post 3 pics of famous people you find attractive

24. Your favorite movie & what it's about

25. Someone who fascinates you and why

26. A problem you have or have had in the past

27. If you had 1, 000, 000 to spend how would you spend it?

28. Something that you miss

29. List 10 people dead or alive you would invite to dinner, include the menu

30. Goals for the next 30 days!

So I will begin this challenge tomorrow. I'm hoping it will keep my blog from collecting cobwebs and will give you a little peek into who I am.  :)

*Have a Momtastic Day*
Jenn

Christmas GIveaway Update

**** UPDATE****
Winners were drawn 
The winner of the iPad Mini was Christina Schye
The winner of the Silpada Bracelet was Jennifer Stanley

Thank you all for your support and donations! Each dollar helps bring Olga & Vanessa home. 


We  started our giveaway yesterday with an Ipad Mini 16 gb wifi.  Tonight we are adding another wonderful item. After church tonight our church had a pie fellowship. During it a sweet lady called me over and handed me a beautiful piece of jewelry from Silpada.  We were thanking God tonight for it as we had been praying for more items to add to the giveaway.  These sweet donors have touched our family so much. If you are reading this THANK YOU!!! 

Now on to the giveaway

Entries are :

1 Entry for $5

or 

5 Entries for $20

Also, if you share on your blog or facebook page and leave a comment here (or on my fb page) with the link you will be entered for 1 free entry. 

The Prizes:

#1

An Ipad Mini 16 gb wifi

Retail Value of $329

#2

A Cavalier Bracelet from Silpada

(Silpada.com)

Sterling Silver & Cubic Zirconia

Adjusts 7.5 to 8.5"

Retail Value $259

Please donate using Chip in or Project Hopeful links to the right. Project Hopeful is tax deductible. Chip in is not.  Only donations to these two accounts will be counted in giveaway as we need to be able to use these fees prior to getting our 2nd trip date. 

Our auction is also still going on Facebook. Stop by and see if you can find something to put under or on your Christmas tree  HERE

Thank you for your support & help. All donations will be used to pay unexpected fees. Any donations left after that will be used towards agency fees for trip 2. 

It's all for Olga & Vanessa!