It has continued to be a bit of a whirlwind around here ... there has been homeschool, Zoey's therapies & school services, gymnastics (paid for by the school), the "little kids" started back at swim lessons (also paid for by the school), AWANA, Annicka decided to switch schools and will be homeschooling ... oh and yes, adoption, adoption, adoption!
We've gathered documents, we've filled out forms, we've been to the doctor - and the lab, we've met with the social worker (9 & a half hours so far - one more visit to go), we've worked on our education hours (reading & online courses so far, going to a workshop this weekend) ... and, indeed, we have been working on fundraising - hoping and praying that finances won't slow us down at any point in this process!
When we said yes, we truly were stepping out in faith. We chose to recognize this as God's timing and so after a lot of prayer, we took that step! We absolutely know we are this sweet girl's family, but I'd be lying if I said that meant saying "yes" to her didn't come with worries and reservations. Those worries & reservations all had to do with paying for the adoption! We knew that the financial aspect was going to be the hardest part, as far as the initial adoption process goes (we are aware of the many potential challenges once we have her in our arms, but first we tackle the challenge of getting to her!). We kicked off the fundraising immediately. We were off with a bang - lots of enthusiastic folks joining in along side us, helping us raise money in whatever way they could ... at this point, that has all slowed down greatly!
I wanted to talk about that a little bit today. I wanted to make it clear that we have a lot going on, as far as fundraisers, because there is a lot of money needed to complete the adoption. There are points we will hit where finances could not only slow us down, but stop us in our tracks - stuck until we could cover whatever expense was needed at the time. And no matter what, I will not be allowed to travel until everything -everything- is paid in full!
With that said, I wanted to say that I believe sharing our story is a powerful tool. I am trying hard to keep everyone up to date on how things are progressing, I feel as though that is one small thing I can do as a thank you to the many who have donated money toward bringing our sweet girl home, as well as poured out so much love on us!
Every prayer makes a difference.
Every dollar makes a difference.
Every share makes a difference.
Please, please feel free to share our story and help us spread the word. We need the continued prayers and support - it's awesome to know we are not marching alone on this journey!
and if you would like to help financially, here are our fundraisers:
Reeces Rainbow FSP
this is the perfect place to donate, as your donations are tax deductible!
ReecesRainbowBringHomeLittleSister
GoFundMe
*we have now closed our GoFundMe*
it's more than a place to donate money! we use our GoFundMe page to track all fund-raised monies, as well as post updates on how things are going as we move along!
Heart of Hope Designs
this is a little shop I put together to sell things I make, all proceeds go towards our adoption!
Be a Piece of Our Puzzle
This idea was one I loved the moment I learned of it, I knew that I would do a puzzle fundraiser - this one means a lot to me and I hope many will be able to join in and be a piece of our puzzle!
How it works:
I created a very special puzzle, 252 pieces! As pieces are "purchased" (sponsored) we will write the sponsor's name/names on the back. Then, once a week we will work on putting those pieces together, revealing the puzzle as we go! (I share puzzle progress each week on our instagram page: bringinghomelittlesister as well as sharing each sponsored piece in instagram stories on all our instagram pages ( ItsaBellaZoey & cathartic513 ) and on our facebook page: BringingHomeLittleSister!
Each puzzle piece is $20!
You can sponsor 1, 2, 3 - no limits! You can even split it - maybe you & a friend want to each give $10!
Donate to our paypal link: paypal.me/littlesisterhome
*be sure to leave us a note stating your name/names - or we'll just use what paypal shows us!
Once all the pieces are sponsored and the puzzle is complete, we will put it in a floating frame - so we can see the back as well as the front! We will hang it on our wall and cherish the visual reminder of the many people who helped us bring little sister home, the people who are a piece of our puzzle!
Dollar Campaign
This campaign was born out of the requests for something that more people could participate in! We're putting hearts on our living room wall, with the names of sponsors! Each heart is just one dollar!! donate here paypal.me/littlesisterhome and leave us a note with what name you'd like us to put on the heart! We also share this on instagram!
the best Nana
if you know my mom, feel free to reach out to her regarding her fundraisers!
she's doing a quilt, similar to our puzzle fundraiser - you sponsor a square on a quilt being made for sweet little sister (what a treasure!)!
she's also in the process of planning a yard sale!
she's currently taking donations for the yard sale, so if you have stuff that needs a new home - let her know! I believe the sale will be late April and she's also looking for a few people to help out with the sale as well as help to advertise!
we are super excited that we have now turned in everything necessary for the homestudy! now we get to begin the dossier paperwork - yay!
from the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
we honestly can't do this alone and as I said before everything helps!
