"It's A Wonderful Life"

"Dear George, remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love Clarence."

Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

And that is exactly how we felt this weekend. The people we didn't personally know, friends of friends, people who adopted themselves, people who cared, all kinds of people came to our "tasting party fundraiser." We raised almost $4,000 dollars to go towards the $9,700 dollars we have left.

I know it's just a movie, but I pretend it's not.  I can't image the feeling George Bailey must have had.  All those people in his house, coming to show him that they loved him.  People he never knew loved him.  People who loved people he loved, coming to love him.  People gave towards our adoption that didn't even know us!

I could say so much.  Kenney and I have so many thoughts swirling around in our heads.  God has used our adoption to teach us so, so very much.  His faithfulness, our lack of faith, His promises, our lack of trust, His mercies, His grace, His love.  We have had an incredible opportunity to have our eyes opened. The difference between knowing and seeing.  Jesus has become so much more real to us.

Thank you to every single person who has prayed, who has supported us, who gave to us without even knowing us. Thank you for helping us glorify our Father. Thank you for reminding us...

See George, you really had a wonderful life.

Excuse the Dust

So I really wish I would have taken some computer classes.  I feel like my kids know more about computers than me.  Which is really sad. I just linked up a site that has some of my items I have been making for my craft shows I have been doing. This is a work in progress, so please excuse the lack of information, the links that probably all don't work, the lack of pictures, the lack of just about everything.  But, if all that doesn't bother you, please check out the site. Just click on the pictures of the owls to your right and it will take you to the site. If there is something you would really like and know I have made, but you don't see it, email me. If there is something you see and you don't see the color you want, email me.  If you are a friend, family member, or co-worker of course I will arrange to get the product to you with out any charge (I couldn't figure out shipping options) In short, just email me!

God has allowed us some upcoming money making opportunities, so hopefully they will help chip away at the about $7900.00 we have left to come up with.  Thank you to everyone who has helped support us in these crazy things we have decided to do.  It really means the world to us!

One Hundred Good Wishes Fundraising

I wanted to put a couple of details regarding our "100 Good Wishes" Fundraiser out there.

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or 100 Good Wishes Quilt.  Which by the way is where our little girl Isabelle is from. It is a custom to invite friends and family to contribute a patch of cloth with a wish for the baby. Part of the patch of cloth goes into the quilt for the baby, and the other part of the cloth can go into a creative memory notebook with the wish for the child. The quilt contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.

The idea of this fundraiser is quite similar.  Our friends and family can click on a square of our "100 Good Wishes Quilt.  From that square, a picture of yourself or any photo can be uploaded, as well as a good wish or prayer to our newest babies.  Once the squares are all filled, we will be able to get a large print out of all the pictures and good wishes that we can then frame for our children. 

We thought this was a simple and easy fundraising idea.  Both Tommy and Audrey have baby pictures, and special pregnancy pictures that neither of these children will have.  This is an opportunity for us to show our children that no matter the "birth" situation they are loved by many!!  It will be a special keepsake for them forever!

For us, anyone who clicks on the square can donate any dollar amount to help raise money to fund these adoptions.  We are specifically looking to raise the orphanage fee (which is $5,000.)  You can choose to donate as little as a dollar or whatever amount you'd like.  You can also keep the donation private if you choose.  The other nice thing with this fundraiser is payment is through a credit/debit or check.  Which most fundraising opportunities are cash only.

I would really like to encourage our closet friends and family especially, to just click on a square, upload a picture, give a good wish, and donate a dollar (I'd say donate nothing, but the website has to have a dollar amount.)

We would really love to fill all the squares and let our children know they were loved and prayed for even before they came into our lives.  It would be very special to us to have our friends and families support, even if there is no monetary contribution, so please, this fundraiser to us, isn't about fundraising really, but about showing our children the love that we have for them!  All you have to do is click on the 100 Good Wishes icon on the top left side of the blog page, the rest is pretty simple!