Ask and you shall receive

I had someone ask for us to put up a thermometer to show the progress we are making. So you will see it on the left hand side of the home page now.

Keep in mind, that it does not include all the money that we have spent to make fundraisers happen and such.  For instance we bought all the ingredients and packaging for the enchiladas which was around $450.  Then figure in mileage, time, electricity for stove, etc.  We had rock stars help us make them and then also people who helped transport them back to Des Moines and Fort Madison. 

So we keep trudging along little by little everything helps.  So please continue to help spread the word!  826 more $20 donations if I don't include passport and document money, 801 more $20 if I do, either way we are getting closer!

Thanks for your help.  We have lots of maybes for the golf tournament, but no one has stepped up and registered.....a little nervous about that to say the least.

Back at it

I have been avoiding the computer and blog for a little while.  Sometimes you just wonder what there is to write about.  I'm never sure if people want to hear about what's going on in our lives, or if they just want to hear about how the adoption is going.  As far as the adoption, we are still praying for $ to land in the right spot.  Our homestudy is complete so now on to the second step with USCIS. 

We have received lots of pictures from a family that was at Jeremy's orphanage.  It is just so amazing how precious stories and pictures of him are.  I liken it to the ultrasound pictures in a way.  You know the baby is in there, but then you get to see him and it just changes everything.

Still working on the golf tournament.  Still need teams to register and sponsorship. So please keep spreading the word. 

Also, the tshirt design that we have is now available on a reusable shopping bag.  I hope to get some sort of picture up to market those a little better.

I would love to hear from those of you who read this blog through comments or through the blog email.  I just wonder what you think we could do to improve our fund raising efforts. 

Also, what would you like to read about on the blog?  Like do you want to know the tooth fairy will be visiting our house tonight for the first time ever?  Do you want to know that we rented our rental house finally!? Do you want to know about the cool present my mom gave me or the experience my best friend facilitated for our family?  Ya know those sort of things.

Well until next time.  Love on the ones you love and pay it forward.

Blessings abound

We had a very blessed day today.  We were asked to present at our church.  I felt like I was in high school speech class preparing to publicly speak.  It went well, even though I was nervous I remember how much I enjoy having the chance to speak about something I believe strongly in to a group.  David did well, standing in front of many people isn't exactly in his comfort zone. :)

At the end of the day we are down to needing 816 more $20 dollar donations!  Thank you to each of you who have contributed with $20, so many have done more, others have given less.  The small gifts mean just as much as the large, every sacrifice made to give this little guy a home is worth it! 

Please continue to pray, pray this little boy home!  Continue to consider giving up a dinner out, or a few lattes to provide a forever family to a wonderful little boy.  Every gift is so appreciated!  Our family and the ones before us and the ones after us who have fund raised their children home understand how hard it is to put the gratitude into word.  Thank you for being part of Jeremy's story.

No Impact Man is crazy and we're crazy

I don't know how in the world I had never seen it before, but last night I watched No Impact Man.  As many people know I am a bit of a closet environmentalist.  I am a Christ forgiven lover of responsible environmental practices.  Politically, it seems backwards I know.  But the Earth was given to us by God as I believe and therefore we should be responsible to take care of it as the one's He created to be the stewards of this Earth.

Well anyway back to why I am blogging about this.  Throughout the movie the family who lived for a year with minimum impact on the environment got much criticism for going against the popular consumer driven/selfish people in their lives.  There were so many moments that paralleled our own journey.  We are going against the tide and doing something that many know is right.  But, because they themselves don't feel they could make such a sacrifice for the greater good project that onto us and call us crazy.  Many try to find some alternative motivation. 

Granted it's frustrating.....but from the beginning I saw what a road this would be.  It's not all just about fundraising enough money to save our little boy, it's also a personal and spiritual growth road.  I have had to learn how to be humble, how to not degrade people for being selfish, how to handle criticism of something I believe so strongly in. 

It's really similar to how I have seen some people in my life act when I hold them accountable for being too lazy to recycle.  I had a unique experience while in Brazil to see the real impact of our convenience driven lives.  It was so sad to see the lungs of our planet demolished for the strip mining of Bauxite. 

Believe me I am not a perfect tree hugger, LOL!  We definitely have a net energy usage.  I get it that it is hard.  But there are so many little things we do that if everyone did would make a huge impact.  Realize by walking the extra 10 feet to recycle your soda can save 90% of the original energy that it took to make that soda can.  Plus, here in Iowa its 5 cents and I would be happy to take it for you :)

In regards to helping and saving these unwanted children, it is not realistic for every one to accept a child into their homes, but it is realistic for people to help those who are willing.  Many people, including us, support children through organization such as World Vision, Children's International, Feed the Children.  It's not so taboo to send your $25 dollars a month off for those kids.  Well, we are sort of doing the ultimate child sponsorship by bringing these babies home.   

We may be as non-conventional as the family who under went the project presented in No Impact Man, but our project is a little different.  We are going to be Jeremy's family. 

We need your help!  $20 that's all.  Please consider how much you spend on every day conveniences, realize how these kids have never experienced those things.  Jeremy has never had McDonald's or a soda or take out.  A VERY small sacrifice will mean the world to him.  Please $20. 

Well back to cleaning, the littles are helping clean the floors and having great fun doing it, last weekend I was so busy with the bake sale that the house got a teensy bit trashed.  A good friend is coming over with her kiddos to watch mine tonight while I announce the Go-Kart races and I promised her I would have this pit cleaned up.  Have a great weekend everyone, keep us in your prayers please.  Tomorrow we get to stand up in church and tell our story.  We go to a decent size church, I am totally excited to see what God does with that opportunity!

The reality

We have continued to get new pictures of Jeremy on almost a daily basis!  It's just so exciting and encouraging every time we see a new picture of our boy!  It helps us to realize what we are working so hard for.

Our bake sale went well as I said earlier. But, I thought I would share what I said to people as they glanced as they walked by and then what I said to help them understand.  As they would walk and grumble, bake sale, I would smile and say Good Morning We are working hard to bring our son home.  Puzzled....they would walk over and begin to read the sign.  Then, I would say Jeremy was born into a culture that when a child is born with a disability they do not go home with mommy and daddy, they go to an orphanage.  We are going to be his mommy and daddy. 

I just don't understand.  As a mom, I would have loved my baby to the end of the Earth even if they were born purple with 8 legs.  It's just hard for me to understand.

I have heard over and over, why international why not take care of our own.  We do take care of our own.  Children with disabilities have an amazing life when you compare them to other children across the world.  Even the poorest, have it better. In this country, no matter your disability you receive love and an education. 

At age 4, special needs CHILDREN go to an adult institution.  I just don't know how better to explain the tragedy of that.  Imagine a little 4 year old boy sent into a setting of minimally supervised, 100% uneducated, special needs men!  I mean really the injustice.  It's a harse reality, but many do not survive long in an institution.

So we ask, keep Jeremy out of an institution.  Give him what he dreams of! $20 is all we are asking from everyone.  What have you spent $20 on lately that could even come close to comparing what this $20 means?  This isn't money for us, this is money for Jeremy.  Your $20 could make one less orphan.

My new favorite picture of little Jeremy!
Jeremiah 1:5 "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations."

God doesn't make mistakes.  Jeremy was born perfect.  And now he's going to be a perfect addition to our family with your help.

A new picture

We got a new picture of our little boy yesterday!  It came at such a wonderful time.  Can I say that I am totally exhausted from this weekend's bake sale?  Days of baking, and a whole day on my feet in the sun with a 3 hr nap before, I was a zombie yesterday! LOL!  But, just when I was getting discouraged an email popped up with a new picture of our little guy.  Our whole family was thrilled!

David is out working on getting a few more sponsors for our golf tournament.  We NEED sponsors, so if you know of any one or think you might have once known someone, ask them to sponsor our tournament.  Hole Sponsors can do so for $100, we also need door prizes.

Also, don't forget about the premier jewelry.  If you want to host a party, please contact me asap.  All sales in the month of July that go through Leah will result in at least 70% of each sale going to our adoption.

Thanks again everyone for all your help.  I'm staring down the barrel of a couple night shifts....