Critter Keepers

Many of you who know my children know that my oldest is a critter lover.  Any type of animal from dogs to snakes, lizards to chickens, and of course let's not forget the ones with extra legs that make us scream like spiders, crickets, etc.  I have tried to be a good sport and gracious mom when it comes to keeping and showing me these creatures.  I finally drew the line when he had destroyed most of my containers making homes for these "lost" ones by making holes in the lids.  Not to mention the thought of storing food in what once held a dead bug was less than appealing and no longer an option.  

Soooo......after being disappointed from containers and cheap dollar tree bug cages, my husband decided it was time to make a sturdy cage that would last and boy did he ever.  I can't tell you how impressed I was with what he came up with.  We have been talking about ways to earn extra money for the adoption and after seeing the lack of sturdy cages on the market, Bryce suggested we sell these

I think it's neat that the idea of providing a home for his bugs turns into helping provide a home for a child.  Being our first and most difficult at times, it is moments like these that show how BIG his heart is.
We will be selling these "Critter Keepers" for $15 at an upcoming event called the Creative Hearts Marketplace at Open Door Church in Raleigh this Saturday, October 1st from 9:30 am - 3pm.  This event actually helps support the adoption ministry at Open Door. Win-Win! Their address is 9801 Durant Rd., Raleigh, NC 27614.  If you can't make the event, but would like a cage or know someone who does, just leave a comment or send me an e-mail and we'll be happy to get one to you.

Fundraiser Success and Thank you!

 I know you are all curious to find out how we did Thursday night so bottom line folks - this is for you.

Chick-fil-A at Falls Village had their biggest fundraiser EVER by a couple hundred dollars thanks to you!  Total Sales from flyers received was $1,840.33 x 20% = $368.07!!!!

+ Raffle Sales - $405
+ Silent Auction - $1,100
Total - $1,873.07!!!!!!!

I honestly don't know where to start or what to say in regards to the fundraiser at Chick-fil-A.  It was incredible, humbling, glorifying, encouraging, and arm hair raising all rolled into one.
A huge thank you to God and his people in action.  (Thought we might have needed everyone to help build an ark by the time the night was done it was raining so hard.)  A huge thank you to Chick-fil-A for making super tasty food and doing all the cooking for us with smiles on their faces.  And last, but not least, a HUGE thank you to you guys! To all who piled your wives, husbands, kids, friends, whoever in the car to buy more food than you would normally eat, on a night you probably wouldn't eat it, for the LOVE of adoption and supporting friends. We had folks from Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Burlington, all to buy food on behalf of supporting us. I know many of you were feeding your families without your spouses to help which makes it twice as hard. My husband and I felt like we should have on a fancy tuxexdo and big white dress as we walked around talking to new and old friends.  It was like our wedding day all over again except the bride we were celebrating who was calling us to adoption is Jesus.

This night reminded me that in spite of ourselves and our short comings, God is there and will reveal himself in ways we can't imagine.  The Chick-fil-A night was one of those nights.
As I looked at the large group of people in the dining room area, I saw children adopted from the US, Guatemala, Russia, Korea, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Vanuatu, and China. This was a glimpse of heaven on earth.  We didn't care about race, country, or background; we all have one common theme which is to share the love of Christ by offering these children love, food and shelter.  We don't know exactly when we can bring our little one home, but seeing everyone there confirms that we are one step closer for the one God has created in our hearts to fit the missing piece in our family.  From the bottom of our hearts, Thank you!

 I think every seat filled was there for us

My raffle saleswoman for the evening - Cailey

Raffle Winners - 
Hand made Soaps - Suzanne Garrison
31 Gifts Gift card - Joy Emery
Premier Design Bracelet - Denise Sawyer
Premier Design Earrings - Anthony Williams
Premier Design Cross Slide - Dottie Amos
8 inch decorated cake - Ellie Nelson
Craft Gift Basket - Lisa Maxfield
Date Night Gift Basket - Brandie Kutch

Silent Auction winners have been contacted. 

Final Bid Totals

8pm has come and gone and these are the following bid totals which is incredible!  I will contact the winners to let you know how to proceed.  Thanks to all who participated and donated these goods, services, and vacation homes. 

Portrait Session - $250
Skirt - $15
Table - $125
Beach Week - $150
Beach Weekend - $200
Mountain Week - $200
Mountain Weekend - $160

Silent Auction bids

AMAZING! To God be the glory!  This fundraiser night couldn't have been successful without God's people in action.  We would like to say THANK YOU so much for coming out to support us.  I will write more on that as soon as I can find the words to say.  We were blown away, blessed, and thrilled to see so many of you give of your time, evening, and energy to be there either in person or in car to show your support.  Also a special thanks to those who helped with their time, donated goodies, services, and vacation homes.  God Bless! 

We won't know the totals until sometime next week, but let me tell you that Chick-fil-A was packed OUT!

Here are the current bids.  E-mail me the max you want to bid before tomorrow night at 8pm.  I'll announce the final winner around 9.   Here is the link to the auction information here.

Beach Rental 

•  Sept 23-26th - $125
• Oct 15 - 22nd - $100 minimum bid (not yet bid on)

 Mountain Rental

• Nov 11-13th - $50 
• March 23-30th - $100

2T-3T Hand made skirt - $15

Beasknees Photo Sessions - $175

Shabby Chic Hand Painted Table - $75

Chick-fil-A Fundraiser

I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for a good excuse not to cook. So I've done you a favor and created one for you.  Bring yourself, your family, or your friends and stop by the Falls Village Chick-fil-A (located at 6701 Falls of Neuse Rd) between 5 - 8 pm on Thursday, Sept 15th.  A portion of your sales will be donated to help with our adoption from Ethiopia.  You MUST have this flyer in order for us to receive the proceeds from your sale and we are not allowed to hand them out that night.  If you don't have time to come in, you can go through the drive-thru as long as you have this flyer.  The easiest way to print would be to copy and paste into a word document or e-mail me and I will be happy to e-mail you a flyer.

Feel free to invite anyone.  We will also be holding a raffle / silent auction. Each raffle ticket is $5 or you can buy 5 tickets for $20.  Here are the items we will be raffling:

3 pieces of Premier Design Jewelry - donated by Sylvia Credle
Basket of handmade soaps by Cheryl Schoenling
Thirty-One gifts, gift card - donated by Jennifer Otto
Date Night gift basket- donated by Kelly Klick
Craft Gift basket - donated by Beth Williams
8 inch cake by Darlin' Designs - http://triciasdarlindesigns.blogspot.com/

We will also hold a silent auction for the following:

• Photography services by Laura Hileman www.beasknees.zenfolio.com

• 2 Bedroom Beach Condo in Indian Beach, NC - donated by the Kind Family
• Dates Available for Auction - Sept 23-26th, 2011 (usually rents for $582 plus tax) or Oct 15-22nd (usually rents for $$775 plus tax)  Opening bids start at $100 for both dates.
• http://www.bluewaternc.com/CrystalCoast/VacationRentals/IndianBeach/Details/SummerWinds223/  

• 2 Bedroom Mountain Condo - donated by The Wiest/Orum Family - centrally located between Banner Elk, Boone, and Blowing Rock Weekly rentals are $875, Nightly rentals are $185 for the first 2 nights and $150 for additional nights.  Opening bid for a weekend is $50, week is $100
• Dates available are Nov 11-13 and March 23-30th
• http://echotaontheridge.blogspot.com/ 

• Girls 2T-3T handmade skirt for the fall donated by Julie Cash-

• Hand painted, Shabby Chic table by Susan Boylston - H- 28.5, W-16, and L-39.5

Thank you to everyone for all the support you've shown to us so far on this journey.  We feel truly blessed to have such supportive friends, family, and friends of friends who don't even know us come along side us to help.  To all those bloggers out there, feel free to copy this link to your blog as well to help spread the word.

Getting Connected

I promise not to do too many long posts, but things are a little slow right now. Plus I thought we could get to know each other a little better. 

We are gearing up for our Home Study this week and I'm nervous.  Nervous because it's been a long summer and I'm not sure with my kids just starting school this week if that's enough time to find my nice, friendly mom self who hasn't heard constant sibling bickering and requests to get them food round the clock, while juggling a heavy, grumpy almost 2 yr old who has had 6 ear infections in the last 4 months.  All this while trying to wear them out  fill their precious time off of school by going to the pool, parks, and play dates in excessive heat and humidity.  What's that I hear, the violins of sympathy playing?  Probably sounds like your life too doesn't it? I know I'm not alone in this feeling am I?  I'm also nervous because I feel like it's a reflection on me as a wife and a mother.  Are we "good enough" to be the parents of another child? Is my house kept up to par?  Do my kids answer adults respectfully?  What will my kids say about me?  I know I don't need to worry, but I still do.  I'm also pretty sure I've never heard of anyone not passing their Home Study.   (By the way it went great and I had nothing to worry about.  Forgot to post this earlier.)

While preparing for the Home Study, we are also required to read a book by one of our agencies called, "The Connected Child." Another confession and one I'm sad to admit is that this is probably the first book I've finished in 8 years.  GASP... there I said it for you.  I'm just not that into reading or I haven't found that book or series that leaves me craving more.  Now that you've picked yourself up off the floor for knowing I don't like to read, I found this book very convicting and probably in my best interest to read it this summer.  It was written mainly to prepare you for issues that arise in adopted children and an eye opener for soon to be new parents, but it was a refresher for me.  Some of the scenarios they gave sounded just like my own kids and I remember them kicking me from within so I know they haven't had a traumatic past.

I began to realize that now that my kids are at the age of playing well by themselves without much supervision, I was barely even looking them in the eye as I ran around the house getting my daily duties done.  They would beg for attention and one on one time with me by acting out or having bad attitudes because their little mommy time tanks were empty.  I would get mad, but now that I understand why, I can't blame them.  It was easy when I just had Bryce.  I could spend more time alone with him, but more kids = more work.  Poor Stacy and Jay would get bits and pieces of my time as I would drag them in the car for errands or when another sibling was at school.   I've been forgetting to acknowledge them individually, enjoying their passions with them.  Instead I was being a referee/ cook and nagging them to do certain things.  Who would want to be nice to that person?

I read how much a child, infant on up (i.e. husband), needs that personal one on one time to get connected and stay connected or they will not thrive as individuals, spouses, fathers, etc.  So true.  Gulp...I felt horrible because I wasn't even doing that now.  Sure, I would arrange their day around fun things, but all they needed was at least 15 minutes of my undivided attention.  For instance, Stacy is our party/people girl, something I am NOT.  She's been having quite the "tude" this summer and I couldn't figure out why.  So at lunch one day I turned on some oldies and we danced.  She lit up! Then Jay wanted in and I held both and we danced and then I was able to write that off as my workout.  See you can kill two bird with one stone.  All she needed was a little fun and not me just nagging and dragging her places.  Bryce on the other hand wanted to puke while we danced.   So daddy suggested he take me on a date and what better place to go than ice cream.  I never knew how many words he had and what he had been holding in all this time.  I barely said a thing.  More importantly, he felt special.  I'm still not perfect and carving out time is a work in progress, but I know it's essential for me to practice not only for my children's sake, but before we bring home our new little one.