Family
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
First Fundraiser!!!!
I can't believe it's almost time to do our very first fundraiser!!! Our garage sale is this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!! I feel so blessed by all the donations we have received. We have filled a 10x20 storage unit, our garage and our office. We still have more donations that are going to be dropped off on the first day of the sale. I never thought we would have this many donations. Chris didn't even think the garage sale was a good idea, until he saw how may donations I've been receiving from other people. God is so good! I have been so busy this week getting ready for the sale. We still have to go get everything out of storage tomorrow evening and get it all set up Thursday morning. It's going to take a few hours to get everything set up on Thursday morning! I am so very thankful to have friends that are willing to come over and help us set up and help with the garage sale! Thank you Anna for the flyer you made for us!! I will update everyone on how we do with the garage sale when it's over!! Let's see how much we can make the thermometer rise!! This is all so exciting to me because these are all steps in bringing home our daughter from Ethiopia. I look forward to seeing everyone at the garage sale!!!
Monday, June 24, 2013
My sweet baby girl
To my sweet baby girl who isn't even born yet,
I haven't seen your face and I don't know your name, but I love you already. I can't wait to kiss your sweet little face and hold you so close. I'm so sad for your situation you're going to go through with your birth parents and all that you'll encounter in your first few months of life. I won't be there to hold you and tell you everything is going to be okay. But I promise I will be there as soon as God will allow it and I will always be there for you to make everything all better. You have 5 big brothers and 1 big sister waiting to meet you and play with you. We are so excited for you to be here with us and part of our family. You are going to love your daddy. He is so sweet and loving towards your brothers and sister. I'm sure you will have him wrapped around your little finger very shortly after you arrive.
I pray daily for your birth parents and everything that they are going to go through that brings them to the point of you being up for adoption. Things that are happening in their lives right now is setting all of this in motion for you to one day be here with us. When I come to pick you up, I will get to see your village that you come from. I may have the opportunity to meet some of your family and maybe even your birth parents. I will take lots of pictures for you to see where you came from. I promise to learn as much as I can about your culture and teach you about all of it.
You are going to experience a lot before you are in my arms, but just know that I love you and I am coming for you! Until then, God is with you and He will take care of you. No love is stronger than God's love for His children.
"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb, Before you were born I set you apart." Jeremiah 1:5
I haven't seen your face and I don't know your name, but I love you already. I can't wait to kiss your sweet little face and hold you so close. I'm so sad for your situation you're going to go through with your birth parents and all that you'll encounter in your first few months of life. I won't be there to hold you and tell you everything is going to be okay. But I promise I will be there as soon as God will allow it and I will always be there for you to make everything all better. You have 5 big brothers and 1 big sister waiting to meet you and play with you. We are so excited for you to be here with us and part of our family. You are going to love your daddy. He is so sweet and loving towards your brothers and sister. I'm sure you will have him wrapped around your little finger very shortly after you arrive.
I pray daily for your birth parents and everything that they are going to go through that brings them to the point of you being up for adoption. Things that are happening in their lives right now is setting all of this in motion for you to one day be here with us. When I come to pick you up, I will get to see your village that you come from. I may have the opportunity to meet some of your family and maybe even your birth parents. I will take lots of pictures for you to see where you came from. I promise to learn as much as I can about your culture and teach you about all of it.
You are going to experience a lot before you are in my arms, but just know that I love you and I am coming for you! Until then, God is with you and He will take care of you. No love is stronger than God's love for His children.
"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb, Before you were born I set you apart." Jeremiah 1:5
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Adoption Break Down
We are getting really excited about our upcoming garage sale. We have had many items donated. We are hoping to get close to our first goal. We know adoption is expensive and some wonder why it costs so much. Here is a break down of the cost. Our first goal to reach towards our adoption is to pay the first set of fees. This consists of the following:
International Program Application Fee- $400
Online Case Management- $175
Agency Fee Part 1- $2550
Home Study- $1800
Home Study Review- $250
Pre- Adoptive Education- $150
This brings our first total to $5325. Once we complete our homestudy, then we start working on our dossier (the collection of paperwork used in an international adoption that has been properly authenticated and translated).
The second set of fees that are due for this consist of:
USCIS- $720
Fingerprinting- $170
Dossier Notary/Authentication- $500
Agency Fee Part 2- $1275
International Program Fee Part 1- $3720
Dossier Translation- $685
This brings our second total to $7070. Once this has all been completed and paid for, this puts us on the official waiting list to receive a referral for a child.
Once we receive a referral for a child (which will be 12-15 months once on waiting list) more fees are due. This consists of:
Agency Fee Part 3- $1275
International Program Fee Part 2- $2700
Humanitarian Aid- $3300
Child's Visa- $230
Post Adoption Services- 2700
Travel- Airline, hotels, food- $12000
This brings our last total including airline tickets for 2 trips to Ethiopia to $22,205. This makes our grand total around $34,600. We will be working hard to fundraise as much as we can and work extra to put money into our savings account. We would really appreciate prayers for our adoption and our upcoming fundraiser, which is July 4, 5, &6!
International Program Application Fee- $400
Online Case Management- $175
Agency Fee Part 1- $2550
Home Study- $1800
Home Study Review- $250
Pre- Adoptive Education- $150
This brings our first total to $5325. Once we complete our homestudy, then we start working on our dossier (the collection of paperwork used in an international adoption that has been properly authenticated and translated).
The second set of fees that are due for this consist of:
USCIS- $720
Fingerprinting- $170
Dossier Notary/Authentication- $500
Agency Fee Part 2- $1275
International Program Fee Part 1- $3720
Dossier Translation- $685
This brings our second total to $7070. Once this has all been completed and paid for, this puts us on the official waiting list to receive a referral for a child.
Once we receive a referral for a child (which will be 12-15 months once on waiting list) more fees are due. This consists of:
Agency Fee Part 3- $1275
International Program Fee Part 2- $2700
Humanitarian Aid- $3300
Child's Visa- $230
Post Adoption Services- 2700
Travel- Airline, hotels, food- $12000
This brings our last total including airline tickets for 2 trips to Ethiopia to $22,205. This makes our grand total around $34,600. We will be working hard to fundraise as much as we can and work extra to put money into our savings account. We would really appreciate prayers for our adoption and our upcoming fundraiser, which is July 4, 5, &6!
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