Join Team Double Trouble for the 2016 Walk-and-Roll for Spina Bifida

We are excited to be participating in this year's 2016 Walk-and-Roll for Spina Bifida with the Spina Bifida Assocation of Arizona.  

Please consider walking with our team and/or donating to support our team.  You can sign up and donate at https://www.firstgiving.com/team/335313.  

Here are the details of the event....

 Date

Saturday, November 05, 2016 at 9:00 AM 

 Location

Steele Indian School Park
300 E Indian School Rd
Phoenix, AZ

 Contact

SBAAZ Office
6022743323
office@sbaaz.org

Thank you for supporting Team Double Trouble!  GO TEAM!

Books for a Cause

I am excited to host an Usborn Book fundraiser for a cause very near and dear to our hearts.... adoption!

The Erb family has stepped out in faith to bring  a sweet little one, Margarita, home.  They are working very hard to raise enough money to pay for her adoption, and we want to help them out.  Unfortunately international adoption is very expensive (we're talking about $35,000- $40,000 expensive!!) and it takes a village to make it happen! 

Here is a little bit of their story...

We adopted Aida in 2013... from Armenia. She is visually impaired. She was almost 8 when she came to the USA. With our other children, we felt like we had enough...but debated to return for Aida's best friend, who also has spina bifida... (our birth daughter has sb) but God did not choose to open those doors...

 

Last year, I felt God working on me and challenging me to be more open to other special needs..... the children that the world claims is hopeless. worthless. and has no value.... and he kept bringing Margarita to me.... a friend called from Ukraine and urged us to proceed and although we had zero funds from our last adoption and career change....we took a step of faith.... not knowing the impact that Margarita has has on so many.... and many people have contacted me asking me why Margarita, encouraging us and some, discouraging us...

 

When we started the process we did not Margarita had an older sister, names 'Niya', who is 16. And it is completely up to her whether or not she wants to come with us, but we are welcoming her.   Financially, we have started with nothing.... but God is supplying and we are trusting him completely.

 

 

And here's a little video on Margarita...

 

 

http://youtu.be/G6rIv8h-Fcc



 

 

Please consider purchasing some wonderful books and helping to support this wonderful family on their very worthy journey!  The girls love their Sticker Dolly Dressing Ballerina books and the art book we got and Conner loves his activity book for boys , airplane book, and drawing book.  We have lots of other awesome Usborn books too.  Check them out!   Here's a link to the fundraiser...

 

https://f4787.myubam.com/shop

 

 

 

 

Happy shopping!!

 

 

 

Prayers for Evie

Please continue to pray for my friend Jaime and her daughter Evie (I previously posted their story here... http://www.aworthyjourney.com/2014/10/beautiful-evelyn-needs-our-prayers.html...) as they are discharged from the hospital tomorrow.  Evie still has a long road of recovery ahead of her.  They will stay in a nearby hotel until the last of Evie's follow-up appointments is complete, which is at the end of October.

Evie didn't pass her swallow study and is currently fed via an NG tube.  In addition to the hotel fees they will be facing (the hospital housing has no openings and the Ronald McDonald house is only for oncology patients), there are now more equipment rental fees since they are out of state and cannot get equipment and supplies from their normal supplier.  They can get reimbursed for equipment and supplies, but have to pay up front. 

I would LOVE to be able to bless their family with the amount they need for hotel.  If you $5 to spare today, please consider giving to help them with their medical costs.  Thank you!! 

 http://www.gofundme.com/fakzyk

Beautiful Evelyn Needs Our Prayers!

A little over a year ago I heard about a beautiful little girl with spina bifida needing an adoptive family.  Though I would have loved if we could be her family, I knew it couldn't be us as we had just brought Ramya home.  I started sharing her story and trying to advocate for her.  Then, she just kind of disappeared.  Many months later, I got a call from my friend Jaime.  Before I tell you that part of the story, though, let me tell you the back story on Jaime. 

Jaime and I went to the same school but hadn't seen each others in years.  We re-connected through a mutual friend because we both were adopting internationally at the same time.  She just so happens to live close and even shares the same birth date as me!  They had been trying to adopt an amazing little boy from Russia and were so very close.... and then Russia closed it's doors to adoptions to the US.  They were (understandably!!) devastated.  They had gone and met him, he was theirs, and they loved him.  They tried everything they could within their power to find a way to bring him home, but there was just nothing that they could do. 

One day, Jaime's family got a call about a little girl needing to be adopted.  She just so happened to have spina bifida.  Jaime called me and over the course of the next few days/weeks, we spent a lot of time on the phone talking about specialists, day-to-day care, Evie's specific needs, etc...  Finally I realized it was the same little girl I had advocated for months before!  Wow!  There is a long back-story there as to why she came back up for adoption, but Jaime's family was just the family I had been praying for all of those months... dedicated, loving, kind, patient, amazing advocators that would never give up.  They were perfect for each other.

I'm telling you this story because sweet Evie is struggling with her health right now and needs your prayers.  She is in need of a decompression surgery, but she is a very complex case.  The neurosurgeons in Arizona had not done decompressions as complicated as hers before, so Evie and her family went to see Dr. Warf in Boston for another opinion.  It was decided that Dr. Warf would do the decompression surgery later this month.

Sweet Evie has been really struggling since getting home from Boston.  She was very fussy, cried a lot, and was just not herself.  They ruled out everything they could and couldn't find a cause. Jaime called Dr. Warf and it was decided they would bump up Evie's surgery date.  Yesterday at 5:30 am Jaime got a call that she needs to come to Boston THAT DAY.  They were worried about Evie and needed to run some tests and needed her there ASAP.  Life was thrown in to a whirlwind, but they got there and are there right now.  Jaime was not able to bring all 4 children, as she needs to care for Evie during surgery, so Jason, her husband, flew with her to get them settled and there safely, and then came home to care for their other 3 children. 

Please be praying for Evie as she undergoes decompression surgery.  Because her Chiari goes down so low, and because she's a complex case, we are praying she does not lose any function from the surgery, but will see big improvements in her health. 

If you would like to help Evie's family I have set up a Go Fund Me page.  Being out of state for medical care is never easy and the financial strain it can cause is something a family should never have to go through when they have so much else going on in their lives.  I would like to bless their family in a tangible way and help take away some of their stress.  Their page is http://www.gofundme.com/fakzyk. 

Thank you so much for your prayers!!  I will keep you updated on sweet Evie and how she is doing.  You can also wear red, Evie's favorite color, as a reminder to pray for her. 
 

Team Double Trouble is at it Again..... Join Us for The Walk-and-Roll for Spina Bifida with the Arizona Spina Bifida Association

Every year the Spina Bifida Association of Arizona hosts a Walk-and-Roll for spina bifida; it's one of their biggest fundraisers of the year!  The association has always been a big support for us, and we want to say "thank you" by helping them raise the funds they need to be able to support families all across Arizona.

How can you help?

You can sign up to walk with our team, collect donations yourself, and/or donate towards our team if you are unable to join us at the walk.

When and where is the walk?

This year the walk will take place on Saturday, November 8th at 10 am.  Registration begins at 9 am.  It will be held at Steel Indian Park.

How do I sign up?

Please go to our team page at http://www.sbaazwalknroll.org/faf/r.asp?t=12&i=1113415&g=6077790&faf=1&e=7886519356 to join or team or donate on our behalf.


THANK YOU!!  We hope to see you there!

The Walk and Roll for Spina Bifida was a BLAST!

Today was the Walk-and-Roll for Spina Bifida through our local Spina Bifida Association, and we had a blast!  A HUGE "thank you" to all of our friends and family who came out to walk and helped make the day so special.  We also want to thank those of you who couldn't be there to walk with us, but who donated and were with us in spirit.  Team Double Trouble earned $750 for the Association!  WOW!  Here are some photos from our day!

When there is music, there is dancing....

 



 

 

This Year's Crew...

 

 

And We're Off...

 

 

 

 

Other Photos and Fun...

 

 

 

Hill Rolling is a Tradition...

 

What a Fun Day!

 

 

 

 

 

Our California Vacation Part 2: Meeting Tracy

On our way from Disney to Carlsbad, we stopped at the beach and met with Tracy and her amazing family.  Tracy has 5 boys and her youngest son, Kumaka, rocks spina bifida.  They are working on adopting a really sweet little girl, Sophie, and get to go meet her in just a few weeks!  Conner really loved Kumaka.  He told me, "Mom, he has spina bifida.  I asked him if he wanted to be my friend and he said Y-E-S.  I think he's pretty cool.".  The girls had fun playing with Tracy and her family as well.  It was such a blessing to get to finally meet Tracy and her family.  Here are some photos from our beach trip...

 

 

And on that note, do you have $5 extra sitting around your house?  Or even $2 to spare?  Some extra change sitting in a jar?  Could you forgo one Starbucks, or one "extra" little treat this week, to help out the Jensen family?  They have 14 days left until they meet their sweet Sophie, but have a goal of $5,500 to go before they can bring her home.  $5,500 may seem like a lot, but if we all just give a little, I know it will add up in a HUGE way!!!  Please check out some fundraisers they have going on and consider donating to their family today. 

 

http://fromamomofboys.blogspot.com/2013/09/fourteen-days.html

 

Get Your I Love Someone With Spina Bifida Decal... And Support Team Double Trouble!!!

 

 

Do you love someone with spina bifida (AHEM... like my amazing girls ;))?

 

Do you want to help support Team Double Trouble in this year's Walk and Roll for Spina Bifida (uh, yes, who wouldn't?!?!?!)

 

Well, then I have the PERFECT thing for you!  It just so happens my wonderful friend Camille created this awesome "I love someone with spina bifida" decal AND she is donating a portion of every purchase to Team Double Trouble!

 

So what are you waiting for?!!?!?  Go purchase yours today!  Just follow the link below...

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/160933876/i-heart-love-someone-with-spina-bifida?ref=listing-shop-header-1

 



Join us for the 2013 Walk-and-Roll for Spina Bifida

It's that time of year again!  We are officially gearing up for the 2013 Spina Bifida Association of Arizona's Walk-and-Roll for Spina Bifida.  This is a really fun event that our family enjoys, and we are SO excited to get to walk with BOTH of our amazing little girls this year!  What a blessing! 

The Spina Bifida Association of Arizona was a great support when we found out Madi would be born with Spina Bifida.  They put us in touch with people that we could talk to who had little ones with spina bifida as well.  They also reached out to us when Madi was born and we were in the NICU. 

I feel like many organizations push awareness about the importance of taking folic acid for prevention, and then just kind of stop there.  As we all know, you can eat a super healthy diet, be on prenatals before you conveive your little one, and still have a child with spina bifida.  I know that was the case for us.  I had been on prenatals for years before conceiving Madi and never took any depression medication or other prescribed medication (some medications have been linked to spina bifida), ate a healthy diet, etc...  Madi was just meant to be the perfect, amazing little person that she is, and we are so thankful for her!

One thing that I appreciate about our local chapter is that they don't stop with prevention.  They have many, many activities to help enhance our kiddos lives.  They give away adaptive bicycles, have support groups, throw a yearly Christmas party, and have many other events and ways to connect throughout the year.  Sharri, from our local chapter, has even come to visit us in the hospital.  They really do care!

Please help us give back to our local chapter by donating and supporting our team... Team Double Trouble.  You can donate through our link, but we'd also love for you to join us for the actual walk.  This year the walk is Saturday, October 12th at Steel Indian Park. 

THANK YOU!

http://www.sbaazwalknroll.org/teamdoubletrouble

Some New Fun (Therapy) Toys!

First off is our new Leckey stander.  This beauty came to us totally free (thanks SO much Gina for letting us know about it and putting it on hold for us!!) and works great for both of the girls.  It helps Ramya feel secure so that she can focus on standing (she has a big fear of getting dropped and is used to supporting herself with her arms, so we are working through that with her).  It's also nice for Madi's legs because it holds them in a different position than her HKFOs do, giving her a different stretch.  Her legs have been less tight since we started using it.

 

 

Our next new items are our new Floor Surfers (tummy scooters or tummy board) from Southpaw Enterprises.  They have an awesome contoured base and nice foam top for comfort.  It's been great for building Ramya's upper body strength and Madi loves how fast she can go with it.  In fact, instead of crawling long distances on her own, she'll request it so that she can get there faster.  Both girls are really having fun with them!  These were purchased using the money from our Amazon Associates Account.  A HUGE thank you to each and every one of you who purchase using our link, or share it with friends.  These have been amazing therapy tools for the girls, and they would not have been covered by insurance.  Here they are in use...

 



 

And last but not least...

 

A while back we bought Madi a set of used special tomato padded seats as she outgrew the toddler highchair we had at the table for her.  It held her booty great, but held her legs in an odd position because the seat was too long for the padding.  It also slid around on the chair a lot, changing her positioning during feeding frequently.  When we had her feeding evaluation, the specialist said that she thinks a big part of Madi's gagging/choking/throwing up during eating is positional.  She felt that getting Madi in the correct feeding position would help a lot with these issues.  We like the special tomato chair because 1- It goes with the padding we already had, 2- It isn't bulky but still gives her enough support and 3- It's easy to adjust and wash and 4- For a feeding chair, it's pretty affordable.  We could have requested it through insurance, but we are STILL waiting on the shower chair that was requested and fitted in January of this year so that she can take showers.  We were very ready to help Madi stop gagging during eating, and decided to use her Amazon money for one instead of going through insurance so that we could get it right away.  gh, We tried really hard to find a used one but never did.  We found a discount code, thouand saved a bit of money on it, which was nice!  So far it's been great and we've noticed a ton of improvement.... Yeah!!!  The foot pads don't match the pads we already had, but Madi doesn't seem to mind :).

 

 

 

Thanks again for all of your support.  We love our "village" and are loving our new equipment!

 

 

Working on Gifts for Kiddos in the Orphanage...

As I said in my last post, my friend Amanda is generously taking it upon herself to collect funds to purchase toys and other needed items for the kiddos in Ramya's orphanage.  We will be bringing the items with us when we go to the orphanage to bring Ramya home.  I am excited to say that I have another way you can help give towards this cause :). 

My friend Star, who sells scentsy, has offered to donate 15% of her sales towards purchasing items for the kids in Ramya's orphanage.  You can purchase online and the party will be open for two weeks.  If you are interested in ordering anything from Scentsy, you can go to...

https://starwinward.scentsy.us/Scentsy/Buy?partyId=116394830

... With Christmas just around the corner, this is a great way to kick-off your holiday shopping!! 


Thanks so much for your help and support!

Orphanage Gifts and India News

We finally heard back from the orphange and basically they are STILL waiting on the courts to send them the paperwork saying the adoption is official.  That means the orphanage is still waiting to apply for Ramya's passport.  Sigh.  Please be praying this will be done quickly!

In other news, my friend Amanda (who is most likely joining me in India... WOOO HOOOO!!) has very generously decided to try and purchase gifts and supplies for the kids in the orphanage (about 100 kids).   She is raising money to be able to purchase gifts for the kids and has two different ways you can help:

1. You can donate directly to her and she will be purchasing the items.  Her paypal is amanda.mcmahon@gmail.com
2. Amanda will be donating 15% of all of her thirty-one orders purchased between now and November 15th.  You can purchase great items and help bring toys and supplies to the orphanage by following this link:  http://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/eventhome.aspx?eventId=E2465535&from=DIRECTLINK

Oh, and we are home from the hospital!!  I'm VERY excited about that one :).  Thanks for checking in on us!

Join Us for the Walk-N-Roll for Spina Bifida

Please join us for this year's Rock-N-Roll for Spina Bifida

What: A wonderful event put on by our local Spina Bifida Association to benefit our local chapter

Where: Steele Indian School Park

When: Saturday, October 27th at 10:00 am

Why?: Walk-N-Roll for Spina Bifida is a one day walk dedicated to raising funds for programs and services to benefit those with Spina Bifida. We are gathering in Phoenix in conjunction with cities across America to make a difference and show our belief that a better tomorrow is within our reach. Participants will share an incredible experience and take pride in their efforts to make a difference in the lives of families facing Spina Bifida.

What?:  Sign up to walk with us and/or make a donation to our local chapter in Madi's name

When Madi and I were in the NICU, we got a little care package from the Spina Bifida Association of Arizona.  It included information about the association, as well as information on what spina bifida is, who you can contact if you need support, and other useful information.  It was nice to know that there were people out there we could go to if we had questions or needed help.  We also attend their yearly Christmas party, which gives us a chance to network with other local families who have children that have spina bifida.  Donations to the association help make projects like this possible, and we want to help support their efforts.  Please join us!

To join or donate, please go to: http://www.sbaazwalknroll.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=1027278&u=1027278-332052133&e=5950846222

(Team Madi 2011)



An Awesome Shirt with a Purpose

My wonderful friend, Kimbery and her family are hosting an orphan in their home this summer through a program called New Horizons for Children.  Not only are they taking in a boy named Sasha for the summer so that he can see and know the love of a family,but they are also working very hard to get him medical treatment (and maybe even a forever family!!!) while he is here.  Sasha has spina bifida and is in a foster home with 14 other children.  Though his foster mom loves and cares for him, she is unable to get him the medical help he needs. The Dill family has been faithfully fundraising to bring him home and also has been working on finding him free or reduced medical care.  You can help Kimberly, Sasha, and the rest of the Dill family by purchasing a "That's How I Roll" shirt or by donating at http://www.active.com/donate/summer2012/dill.  I got a shirt for Madi and I and they are seriously AWESOME!  We love ours!  Here are ours in action:

For each shirt you buy, $10 goes towards helping Sasha get the care he so desperately needs.  You can purchase your shirts by going to http://www.3elove.com/products/thisishowiroll.  If you don't want or a need a shirt, even donating $5 would help get Sasha here to the US and in to the Dill family.  Here is the link for donations:  http://www.active.com/donate/summer2012/dill

Please be praying that Sasha can get the care he needs while he is here and, more importantly, please be praying that he will find his forever family.

A Recap of Fees Paid, an Estimate of Fees to Come, and an Updated Timeline

Here are the fees we have paid so far in our adoption process:

• Oasis homestudy application fee- $75
• Fingerprints (getting them taken)- $35
• Fingerprints (court fees to process)- $62
• Adoption Learning Partners adoption videos- $149
• Dr. Luberto- Physicals- $65
• Oasis homestudy fee- $1,250
• Birth certificate copies x 3 (Conner, Madi, and Jamie)- $60
• Apostles- $36
• Apostles (yes more ;))- $69
• Apostles- $6
• David's birth certificate copy- $15
• Apostle- $2
• Department of Homeland Security (i-800a)- $890
• Apostle- $6
• WACAP (application fees, agency fees, international processing fees, file maintenance fees, and post placement report transmittal fees)- $16,800

Total paid (there are probably a few more minor charges, but you get the point ;)) thus far: $19,520

Upcoming fees (these are based on Jessica's estimate from WACAP and talking with Oasis):

• Ramya’s US entry visa fee: $404 paid to US embassy in India
• Ramya’s visa medical visit fee: typically around $150 paid to MaxMedcenter in India
• Flights: typically $1,800-$3,000 per person for roundtrip airfare (2,000 x 4 =  $8,000 + 1,000 for Ramya's return trip = $9,000)
• Lodging, ground transportation, and meals in India: typically $600-$1,200 per person (we are hoping to use timeshare weeks that my aunt and uncle are letting us use, so for now we are not including lodging, $1,500)
• Post placement services: depends on Oasis’s fees, but typically $300-$600 per report plus mileage for usually two required reports paid to Oasis ($960)
• US finalization: typically $100-$1,800 depending on your state’s requirements and adoption attorney fees if needed ($250)
• Misc. fees for passports, court fees in India, etc.... $300

Estimated total: $12,564 (unless we end up needing a hotel)

The good news is that we should be getting a good tax refund, have our fundraiser garage sale coming up (and are getting LOTS of good goodies for it!!), and still have more bracelets to sell.  Oh, and we will be doing a fundraiser at Peter Piper Pizza as well (info to come soon).  Hopefully once that is all said and done, we will be VERY close to our goal!!  YEAH!

I will be updating our "money needed" to reflect our specific current needs.

As for an updated timeline on when we should be able to get her home, here is the remaining process/time estimations:

• USCIS will send your file to the US embassy in Delhi: takes about 2 weeks
• The embassy will send you an email asking for your DS230. When you receive this, forward it to me and I will reply to them for you: takes about a week to get the email and I can reply the same day
• The embassy will issue your Article 5 as their approval for you to move forward: takes about 2 weeks after I reply to the email
• We notify Vathsalya that you received your Article 5 so they can move your dossier through the local authorities to review and send to CARA. At the same time the embassy will forward your Article 5 to CARA. When CARA has both, they will issue your NOC (no objection certificate): takes about one month
• The court process can begin; Vathsalya and their lawyers handle it from here. Typically there are three court proceedings which occur over a span of about 3-6 months. At the end you’ll get your guardianship court order.
• Then the orphanage will obtain a passport application appointment and apply for Ramya’s passport: about a month
• We wait for the passport: about two months
• Once the passport is received, you can move forward with travel plans to pick her up!

So that's that!  For now, please be praying for God's protection for Ramya and for our paperwork to move through India much faster than expected.  Thank you for all of your prayers and support!!

Our Current Fundraising Adoption Goal

I just got our final bill from WACAP.  Unfortunately, this doesn't mean we are anywhere near done fundraising and paying for the adoption, but it does mean after we pay this bill, our WACAP fees are fully paid... WOOO HOOOO!  We will still need to raise/save about $5,000- $8,000 for a lawyer to do the adoption here in Arizona (I am hoping to find someone who will do it for less!!) and our travel fees.  Travel will be 4 tickets there times $1,500 a ticket, and then 1 return ticket home, about $750, for Ramya (about $6,500 for airfare).  We will also need food, transportation, etc... in India.  We also need money for her visa and the kid's passports.  The good news is, we have quite a few months to save it that portion up.

Here's what our current fundraising/saving goal looks like:

$2,300 Final WACAP bill

- 540    My babysitting money

- 100    From the Zupko family (THANK YOU!)

- 60      From the Merkel family (THANK YOU!)

- 65      Raised from selling bracelets so far

_______

$1,535  to go on our current goal

-210     bracelet sales

_______

$1325   to go!

-58       thirty-one fundraiser

_______

$1,267

-10       donation

-50       donation
-20       bracelet sale

_______

  $1,187 to go!
-25      bracelet sale
_______
$1,162
-$30    bracelet sale
_______
$1,132
- $27    bracelet sales from church
_______
$1,105
-$25      generous donation
_______
$1,080
-$14      another generous donation
- $5       bracelet sale
_______
$1,061
- $71.40 bracelet sales from church
_______
$989.60
- $20      bracelet sales
_______
$969.60
-$10.05   Church bracelet sales
-$607.00  Babysitting
-$150.00  Selling our old stroller
_______
$202.55
-$65          Play kitchen sold
_______
$137.55
-8             Bracelet sales
-25           clothing sales
______
104.55
- $100     fencing sold
- 5.00      clothing sold
______

CURRENT GOAL MET!

To read about our current bracelet fundraiser, and to see an update on how many we have sold and our total earned, please click HERE.

Thank you for following our journey, praying for Ramya and our family, and for all of your support!!  We couldn't do this without you!

$58 closer to our goal (and a quick update)

I just wanted to say a big "thank you" to Amanda for hosting a thirty-one fundraiser for us.  Thanks to her (and the generous people who purchased from her for our fundraiser), we are $58 closer to our goal!!  YEAH!  I updated the ticker, and we are getting closer! 

We do have a small update on the adoption as well.  The i-800a information came back saying that my fingerprints didn't go through (because they stink and they can never get a good copy), so I have to, instead, send in a letter stating I have no criminal background.  I already had a letter written, but that one went to India, so I go tomorrow to get a new letter.  Once that is done, we will hopefully hear back on our i-800a.  Once the i-800a is approved, we can be processed/approved in India.  Our paperwork is already in India, but for now, it sits waiting for our i-800a approval.  So, another un-update, but an update none-the-less.

Thanks for following our journey and for walking it with us!

Come Read an AMAZING Update!

Our latest goal was $10,500 (I previously said $10,200, but had my numbers wrong) to raise for our adoption.  I paid $3,000 of the bill from money we had saved up from me babysitting three times a week and money we had put aside.  That left $7,500.  At our garage sale we made $1,800, but we also sold a trash compactor that was donated to us on craigslist for an additional $200, making our grand total $2,000.  That brought our money owed down to $5,500.  I posted about my friend Emily's mom donating $200 to us, bringing us down to $5,300.  She also told me the company her mom works for will match her donation, which will bring it down to $5,100.  My friend Monica donated $50, bringing us down to $5,050.  My good friend Mary told us she would be donating $100, bringing our current goal down to $4,950.  And on top of all of this, yesterday I got some completely amazing news......


Someone (whom wishes to remain anonymous) donated $5,000 towards our adoption.  Yes, you read that correctly, $5,000!!!!  We are SO amazed, thankful, and in awe!  What a completely selfless and amazing donation!  Words cannot express how much this donation means to us.  It brought me to tears!

With our recent donation, we have a surplus of $50 on our current goal!!  Praise God!
After this round of bills, we will still have a big chunk to raise, but we are getting closer and closer every day!  We will owe the agency about $4,000 more approximately, will need about $5,000 for a lawyer here in the states (India does not finalize the adoption in-country.  Instead, you finalize after you bring your child home.  It is recommended you get a lawyer for this), and will also need travel money (about $10,000....  $7,500 in airline tickets (since we are bringing the kids), then money for hotel, food, and anything else that comes up).  There may also be a few more fees here and there, but that is the bulk of it. 

Our initial goal was $40,000, and we are already down to needing just half of that!  We are feeling incredibly blessed and thankful for everyone traveling this journey with us.  Your love for Ramya and our family is so touching and we really cannot thank you enough!  We love each and every one of you!

And the Grand Total Is......

Just over $1,800 earned at our garage sales on Friday and Saturday!!  YEAH!  We earned just over $1,200 on Friday, then almost $500 today.  I had also forgot to total in a few checks, giving us a grand total of just over $1,800.  We couldn't be happier with how well we did.  This money is going to be a HUGE help with our recent round of adoption bills!

We couldn't have done this without the help of our amazing friends and family.  Those who donated items for our sale, those who baked items for us to sell, those who helped us price and sort, those that helped us run the sales, and of course, those that prayed for us! 

We are also very thankful for my parents, who were there to help price, helped set up both days, helped run the entire sale both days, and brought additional items to sell.  They are always so supportive and helpful, and we couldn't have done it without them!  They are so excited and anxious to bring Ramya home as well, and it's awesome to have such great support behind us!

There was a very good chance of rain on both Friday and Saturday, but we were praying BIG TIME that there would be no rain.  Both days, there were grey clouds and wind, but there was no rain.  On Saturday, we brought everything in after our sale.  About 10 minutes later, it started pouring down rain.  It was crazy!  It was as if God was reminding us that He is in control, and that He has our back :).

I'm also excited to say that this total does not include our two latest donations!  Today, my friend Mary, her husband George, and there adorable kiddos, Alena and Teague, dropped by the sale on their way out of town.  While they were visiting, Mary told us that instead of their usual Christmas donations, they have decided to donate to bring Ramya home instead.  YEAH!!!!  I'm so thankful for their friendship, and their generosity!!  They are always there for us, and it means so much!  I also got a note from my good friend, Sue, who has always been there to support us and somehow always knows just what I need to hear. She is amazing!   She told me she had some furniture to put up for sale and has decided to sell it for a donation to our adoption fund.  Whatever she makes on the furniture will go to help bring Ramya home.  YEAH!!!!  I am so thankful for such amazing friends!!

If you are reading this, and following our journey, thank you for your support!

A Garage Sale Update

We had the first day of our garage sale today.  We were PACKED!  We sold most of our big items, and lots more too.  We had some generous and amazing people who gave just to give.  One man bought one bag of cookies and gave us $20.  A group of three women donated an extra $30 and someone put a $20 bill in our cookie money jar as well.  Then, tonight, as I got on to post this, I saw that my friend, Monica, send us an adoption donation as well.  Wow.  I was touched beyond words! 

I just wanted to say a quick "thank you" to those of you who donated items, baked goods, helped us set up, prayed for and with us, and who have been there to support us.  We are so thankful for you!!!

So without further ado.....

Our total today was $1,200 in sales, and that doesn't include the donation from Monica!!!!!!!!! 

We will go at it again tomorrow as well.  We won't have as much big stuff to sell, but we still have lots of great things.  A big thanks again to our village of support!