Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Whirlwind
This weekend was such a whirlwind for me. I was pretty stressed out about the garage sale ... feeling a lot of pressure in light of the press that we received last week. Good pressure though I guess, if there is such a thing. Now that the weekend is over and our garage sale has come to a close, the emotion is rising to the surface. My aunt sent me some more pictures of our fabulous day yesterday that brought me to tears and I wanted to share ...
L-R: My mom and my cousin, Debby ... thank you so much to my mom, who has helped me so much with everything for this garage sale, from pricing to set up to the keeper of the money to promoting awareness to clean up ... you have been a tremendous help and a stress reliever! And to Debby, thank you so much for organizing the lemonade stand(s) and for helping with everything from making tees to pricing to helping customers to spreading awareness to folding and organizing clothes ... your support means more to me than you could possibly know!
L-R: My mom, my sister Kristie and Mason ... to Kristie {and Casey} - thank you so much also for everything you have done ... making tees, making those dang signs, pricing, organizing, helping customers, spreading awareness, clean up ... all of it - thank you so much for all your help!
L-R: Me {lovely picture, eh?} and Jodi ... Jo {and Shea}, thank you so much for all your help as well this weekend ... pricing, helping customers, helping me try to figure out how to fold a dang tent, hanging signs and getting yelled at by the cops and most importantly, promoting awareness ... we love you guys!
L-R: Uncle Tom, Ella, Maddy, Kyle and Payton ... to Maddy and Ella - thank you for having such a successful lemonade stand! We appreciate it SO much ... you have got to be the best lemonade girls ever! {I have to tell everyone that the girls were sort of being run out of town by the bake sale on the other side of the driveway, so they started delivering the lemonade to shoppers ... Maddy delivered the lemonade while Ella walked next to her with a sign around her neck that said something to the effect of "Lemonade - We Deliver". It was so stinkin cute and it was even better after their mom figured out why the lemonade tasted like coffee and they were able to dump that batch. Who mixed the lemonade in the pitcher that had stored coffee beans?} 
L-R: Ella, Maddy and Mason - aren't they cute?!
And last, but not least, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Shay and Jeremy. Somehow I have zero pictures of you, but I appreciate your help with everything on Saturday and Sunday ... pricing, organizing, hosting the donut/juice/hot dog stand on Sunday, clean up, helping customers, promoting awareness and for buying a lot of baby clothes ... we appreciate it tremendously!
I hope everyone had as good a weekend as I did. All of our hard work paid off and I can't wait until Addison is here to prove it. Thank you also to everyone in the community who supported our garage sale ... we appreciate it so much!
L-R: Uncle Tom, Aunt Sherry, Dorothy and Melinda ... thank you to Tom and Sherry for all your help setting up, organizing, helping customers and spreading awareness ... thank you to Dorothy and Melinda for doing the bake sale, helping customers and spreading awareness as well {now I just have to share with everyone that I had never even met Dorothy or Melinda prior to this weekend ... they both work with my aunt and had planned the bake sale to help support us ... isn't that awesome?!}
L-R: My mom and my cousin, Debby ... thank you so much to my mom, who has helped me so much with everything for this garage sale, from pricing to set up to the keeper of the money to promoting awareness to clean up ... you have been a tremendous help and a stress reliever! And to Debby, thank you so much for organizing the lemonade stand(s) and for helping with everything from making tees to pricing to helping customers to spreading awareness to folding and organizing clothes ... your support means more to me than you could possibly know!
L-R: My mom, my sister Kristie and Mason ... to Kristie {and Casey} - thank you so much also for everything you have done ... making tees, making 
L-R: Me {lovely picture, eh?} and Jodi ... Jo {and Shea}, thank you so much for all your help as well this weekend ... pricing, helping customers, helping me try to figure out how to fold a 
L-R: Uncle Tom, Ella, Maddy, Kyle and Payton ... to Maddy and Ella - thank you for having such a successful lemonade stand! We appreciate it SO much ... you have got to be the best lemonade girls ever! {I have to tell everyone that the girls were sort of being run out of town by the bake sale on the other side of the driveway, so they started delivering the lemonade to shoppers ... Maddy delivered the lemonade while Ella walked next to her with a sign around her neck that said something to the effect of "Lemonade - We Deliver". It was so stinkin cute and it was even better after their mom figured out why the lemonade tasted like coffee and they were able to dump that batch. 
L-R: Ella, Maddy and Mason - aren't they cute?!
And last, but not least, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Shay and Jeremy. Somehow I have zero pictures of you, but I appreciate your help with everything on Saturday and Sunday ... pricing, organizing, hosting the donut/juice/hot dog stand on Sunday, clean up, helping customers, promoting awareness I hope everyone had as good a weekend as I did. All of our hard work paid off and I can't wait until Addison is here to prove it. Thank you also to everyone in the community who supported our garage sale ... we appreciate it so much!
Garage sale {day two}
We had day two of our garage sale today and even though it was a lot slower than yesterday, we still made around $500. We are so happy and feeling so blessed! It is amazing how many people have been touched by adoption in their lives. Thank you again to everyone who supported us this weekend!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Our garage sale {day one}
Well, day one of our garage sale is over and it was a huge success! We were open from 7am - 3pm and we only had one person who came a bit early. It didn't take long for the crowd to gather ...
My aunt and two lovely ladies from her work had a bake sale with baked goodies, drinks and snacks. People loved it! Maddie and Ella also had a lemonade stand ... both were a huge success! My sister, Kristie, and my cousin, Debby, made tshirts that said "Help us bring baby Addison home from Russia" for everyone working the garage sale ... it was such a great idea because people knew exactly where to go with questions ...
Thank you SO much to my mom, Kristie and Casey {thank you for making the signs, too!}, Shay and Jeremy, Jodi and Shea, Sherry and Tom, Melinda, Dorothy and Debby and the girls for all your help today and in setting up for our garage sale ... there is no way I could have done this without you!
Oh, one other thing ... I'm sure you are wondering just how successful our garage sale was? Well, we made about $2,000 ... isn't that awesome?!
My aunt and two lovely ladies from her work had a bake sale with baked goodies, drinks and snacks. People loved it! Maddie and Ella also had a lemonade stand ... both were a huge success! My sister, Kristie, and my cousin, Debby, made tshirts that said "Help us bring baby Addison home from Russia" for everyone working the garage sale ... it was such a great idea because people knew exactly where to go with questions ...
Thank you SO much to my mom, Kristie and Casey {thank you for making the signs, too!}, Shay and Jeremy, Jodi and Shea, Sherry and Tom, Melinda, Dorothy and Debby and the girls for all your help today and in setting up for our garage sale ... there is no way I could have done this without you!Oh, one other thing ... I'm sure you are wondering just how successful our garage sale was? Well, we made about $2,000 ... isn't that awesome?!
Touched by our community
After the article about our family was published on Thursday, we found our community reaching out to us. That was such an awesome feeling. I never really know what to expect from people after they learn our child has Down syndrome ... and that we are adopting another child with Down syndrome.
On Thursday afternoon, I got an email from a local mom who wanted to donate some stuff for our garage sale. She learned about us through a friend who had seen a post on a local mom's group about our story and our garage sale. I was touched in two ways ... one because someone {whom I believe lives a street over, but I do not personally know} was nice enough to post to local moms asking them to support us ... and two because a local mom went out of her way to drop off some donations.
A bit later, an older gentleman knocked on my door. I honestly thought he was going to ask if he could shop early. I opened the door and he said, "Well, hello there darling. I read your story in the paper and I was so touched by it. I have some things I want to give you for your sale." I about cried ... this man was so sweet, so genuine. He gave us a lawn mower, coffee pot and a toaster oven.
So, if you are reading ... thank you so much to those of you who have reached out to us from our community. It means more to us than you will ever know!
On Thursday afternoon, I got an email from a local mom who wanted to donate some stuff for our garage sale. She learned about us through a friend who had seen a post on a local mom's group about our story and our garage sale. I was touched in two ways ... one because someone {whom I believe lives a street over, but I do not personally know} was nice enough to post to local moms asking them to support us ... and two because a local mom went out of her way to drop off some donations.
A bit later, an older gentleman knocked on my door. I honestly thought he was going to ask if he could shop early. I opened the door and he said, "Well, hello there darling. I read your story in the paper and I was so touched by it. I have some things I want to give you for your sale." I about cried ... this man was so sweet, so genuine. He gave us a lawn mower, coffee pot and a toaster oven.
So, if you are reading ... thank you so much to those of you who have reached out to us from our community. It means more to us than you will ever know!
Now we made the Russian news
You may have seen my earlier post about an article that was written about our family in the Washington Post. On the day that it was published, I received an email from a reporter for the Novoye Russkoye Slovo, a daily Russian American newspaper that is circulated mostly in New York and New Jersey, as well as on the web. The reporter told me that they planned to publish an article about our family in their paper as well, on the front page, no less. Yikes! The article was very similar to that of the Washington Post article and delivered a great message to the Russian community. Like I said before, if this article helps just one person understand why we are doing this or why we have been touched so much by Down syndrome, then our job is done. Awareness is key.
If you would like to see the article written in Russian, click here ... if you want to see the {very loosely} translated version, click here.
If you would like to see the article written in Russian, click here ... if you want to see the {very loosely} translated version, click here.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Apostille {Paperwork Update}
Definition: Since most documents are only recognized in the country where they were originally issued, in 1961 a treaty was signed by many countries to provide mutual recognition of documents. In the United States, an apostille is provided by the Deputy Secretary of State of all the individual states.
Pronunciation: uh-pos-til
Our paperwork is currently in the hands of the Virginia Secretary of State being apostilled. Yay! After it is sent back to our agency, it will be sent off for translation and then it will be sent off to Russia! From there we will wait for an invitation to travel.
Pronunciation: uh-pos-til
Our paperwork is currently in the hands of the Virginia Secretary of State being apostilled. Yay! After it is sent back to our agency, it will be sent off for translation and then it will be sent off to Russia! From there we will wait for an invitation to travel.
Our Newspaper Article
There is an article in the Washington Post today about our family. The article speaks about our adoption of a child with Down syndrome and our garage sale that we are having this weekend. I am so impressed with the reporter and the article in general. If it helps just one person understand why we are doing this or why we have been touched so much by Down syndrome, then our job is done. Yay!
A Garage Sale in Bristow for a Little Girl in Russia: The Balsises' Daughter Has Down Syndrome. They Plan to Adopt Another With the Same Disorder.
There is nothing out of the ordinary about the stereo systems, clothes, dishes and lamps that Kyle and Bethany Balsis of Bristow hope to sell at their garage sale this weekend. But what they plan to do with the proceeds is help cover the costs of adopting a young girl with Down syndrome from Russia.
The couple's main reason for adopting a child with the chromosomal anomaly is equally surprising. They already have one. Since the younger of their two children, Peyton, was born with Down syndrome 2 1/2 years ago, the couple have considered her a blessing, saying she has changed their perspective on what is important in life.
"There are other things out there besides a job and material things," said Kyle, 34, of what his daughter has taught him.
Bethany, 33, described her daughter as "very outgoing," recalling a recent family outing to Chili's. Peyton stopped by every table she passed on the way out to wave and say hi.
"She does stuff like that all the time," Bethany said.
Before Peyton was born, Bethany said, the couple had planned to have three children. But she got interested in international adoption after reading on the Internet about the treatment of children with Down syndrome elsewhere in the world.
In Russia, Bethany said, they are often abandoned at birth because society does not accept them. If not adopted by age 4, she said, many end up in institutions.
"It's stuff like that that makes you want to do your part, no matter how small it might seem," Bethany said.
She and her husband soon decided to help one of those children and began the adoption process in May.
The couple plans to file the paperwork in a few weeks, then travel to Russia in late September or October to meet the child they are paired with. They will return to Russia for the official transfer of custody. They said they hope to have the child, whom they plan to name Addison, home by Christmas.
The process is not cheap. The adoption agency will waive its fees because the Balsises are adopting a child with special needs, but they have to pay the Russian agency and cover the costs for food, travel and interpretation. Kyle estimates that the whole process will cost them close to $20,000.
"At the end of the day, it's all worth it if you can get a child out of where they shouldn't be and get them in a home," he said.
Raising a child with Down syndrome entails difficulties, Bethany said, but she worries about many of the same things other parents do.
"What does everybody want?" Bethany said. "They want their child to be accepted into society."
The couple said they hope to create a warm environment, in which all their children will be loved and supported. They see their 4-year-old son, Mason, doing his part.
"The whole Down syndrome issue is over his head," Bethany said. "He doesn't even know his sister has Down syndrome. To him, it's just his sister, and that's how she is."
Mason has been asking when his new sister will arrive, she said.
The Balsises' garage sale will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. All proceeds from the sale, and all other contributions, will go into an account to help pay for the adoption and are tax-deductible.
For more information, see Bethany's adoption blog at http://dreamingonanangel.blogspot.com
A Garage Sale in Bristow for a Little Girl in Russia: The Balsises' Daughter Has Down Syndrome. They Plan to Adopt Another With the Same Disorder.
There is nothing out of the ordinary about the stereo systems, clothes, dishes and lamps that Kyle and Bethany Balsis of Bristow hope to sell at their garage sale this weekend. But what they plan to do with the proceeds is help cover the costs of adopting a young girl with Down syndrome from Russia.
The couple's main reason for adopting a child with the chromosomal anomaly is equally surprising. They already have one. Since the younger of their two children, Peyton, was born with Down syndrome 2 1/2 years ago, the couple have considered her a blessing, saying she has changed their perspective on what is important in life.
"There are other things out there besides a job and material things," said Kyle, 34, of what his daughter has taught him.
Bethany, 33, described her daughter as "very outgoing," recalling a recent family outing to Chili's. Peyton stopped by every table she passed on the way out to wave and say hi.
"She does stuff like that all the time," Bethany said.
Before Peyton was born, Bethany said, the couple had planned to have three children. But she got interested in international adoption after reading on the Internet about the treatment of children with Down syndrome elsewhere in the world.
In Russia, Bethany said, they are often abandoned at birth because society does not accept them. If not adopted by age 4, she said, many end up in institutions.
"It's stuff like that that makes you want to do your part, no matter how small it might seem," Bethany said.
She and her husband soon decided to help one of those children and began the adoption process in May.
The couple plans to file the paperwork in a few weeks, then travel to Russia in late September or October to meet the child they are paired with. They will return to Russia for the official transfer of custody. They said they hope to have the child, whom they plan to name Addison, home by Christmas.
The process is not cheap. The adoption agency will waive its fees because the Balsises are adopting a child with special needs, but they have to pay the Russian agency and cover the costs for food, travel and interpretation. Kyle estimates that the whole process will cost them close to $20,000.
"At the end of the day, it's all worth it if you can get a child out of where they shouldn't be and get them in a home," he said.
Raising a child with Down syndrome entails difficulties, Bethany said, but she worries about many of the same things other parents do.
"What does everybody want?" Bethany said. "They want their child to be accepted into society."
The couple said they hope to create a warm environment, in which all their children will be loved and supported. They see their 4-year-old son, Mason, doing his part.
"The whole Down syndrome issue is over his head," Bethany said. "He doesn't even know his sister has Down syndrome. To him, it's just his sister, and that's how she is."
Mason has been asking when his new sister will arrive, she said.
The Balsises' garage sale will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. All proceeds from the sale, and all other contributions, will go into an account to help pay for the adoption and are tax-deductible.
For more information, see Bethany's adoption blog at http://dreamingonanangel.blogspot.com
Q & A
Becca said...
Hey, Bethany--we'd love to come to your yard sale. Please let me know where and when (I know it's next Sat., but what time?).
Our garage sale will be held this Saturday and Sunday from 7am - 3pm. We can't wait to see you there! :)
Barb said...
Hi there! We are also adopting from Russia (St. Petersburg). I was just reading through some of your older posts and came across the Russian doll. I was hoping you could tell me where you ordered the cd and doll from?
I purchased the Russian doll and lullaby CD from this website. I am so excited to share them with Addison!
Wendy said...
We just moved to Alexandria, VA and I've been reading DSANV's listserve plus going to some of their functions. I noticed you too were on the listserve:) I'd love to meet you sometime!
Hi Wendy! Welcome to NOVA! I am not able to contact you through blogger, so please send me an email at the email address listed above and we can plan to get together ... I'd love to! :)
Hey, Bethany--we'd love to come to your yard sale. Please let me know where and when (I know it's next Sat., but what time?).
Our garage sale will be held this Saturday and Sunday from 7am - 3pm. We can't wait to see you there! :)
Barb said...
Hi there! We are also adopting from Russia (St. Petersburg). I was just reading through some of your older posts and came across the Russian doll. I was hoping you could tell me where you ordered the cd and doll from?
I purchased the Russian doll and lullaby CD from this website. I am so excited to share them with Addison!
Wendy said...
We just moved to Alexandria, VA and I've been reading DSANV's listserve plus going to some of their functions. I noticed you too were on the listserve:) I'd love to meet you sometime!
Hi Wendy! Welcome to NOVA! I am not able to contact you through blogger, so please send me an email at the email address listed above and we can plan to get together ... I'd love to! :)
Monday, August 18, 2008
Our friends and family
We put a plea out to our friends and family asking for donations for our garage sale. I wasn't sure that we would even get anything ... boy was I wrong! We have gotten so much stuff, some even from people we don't even know. That is just awesome. I pretty much think we have the best friends and family ever. Yesterday, we spent the entire day with my mom, sister and brother-in-law going through all the stuff we have gotten ... and we still are not done.
I do have to give a shout out to our friends, the Corcorans. A couple years ago, they moved over an hour away, so we don't get to see them as often as we like. Nonetheless, they have always been present for anything that we have ever had for the kids {i.e. Payton's buddy walk, birthday parties, etc}. This weekend, they make the trek to our house to drop off their donations for our garage sale. They pulled up and this is what I saw ...
Note that this picture was taken after much of the stuff had already been unloaded. They brought us SO much stuff and we are so thankful to them. We are so thankful to everyone. When we figure out how to thank you, we will let you know!
I do have to give a shout out to our friends, the Corcorans. A couple years ago, they moved over an hour away, so we don't get to see them as often as we like. Nonetheless, they have always been present for anything that we have ever had for the kids {i.e. Payton's buddy walk, birthday parties, etc}. This weekend, they make the trek to our house to drop off their donations for our garage sale. They pulled up and this is what I saw ...
Note that this picture was taken after much of the stuff had already been unloaded. They brought us SO much stuff and we are so thankful to them. We are so thankful to everyone. When we figure out how to thank you, we will let you know!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
And the winner is ...
There were 231 raffle tickets purchased ... that means we raised $1,155 ... holy cow!! How else can I say it? Wowza! Yahoo! Yipee! THANK YOU!
Okay Mason {he wanted to show you his cool Batman shirt}, I know all these people want us to get on with it. Reach into that big bowl ...
... and pull out a winner! Who is it?!
Thank you again to everyone who participated in our raffle. This has made a good dent on the fees we currently have due to our agency. That is just awesome, you don't even understand. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Okay Mason {he wanted to show you his cool Batman shirt}, I know all these people want us to get on with it. Reach into that big bowl ...
... and pull out a winner! Who is it?!
Thank you again to everyone who participated in our raffle. This has made a good dent on the fees we currently have due to our agency. That is just awesome, you don't even understand. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
USCIS Update
We just got a letter from USCIS saying that they need an addendum to our home study that specifically notes that we have been approved for not just a child with special needs, but a child with Down syndrome. Ugh ... so frustrating! So I have to get this addendum completed by my home study agency and sent over to USCIS so we can get our 171H issued. This does not affect us traveling on our first trip, but it would be nice to have had our 171H in our hands by now, nonetheless.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Fundraising {A Couple Things}
First of all, I would like to say that I am absolutely humbled by the support we have received throughout this process. When we started this process, we were not necessarily out looking to adopt. However, after learning of the all the kids internationally with Down syndrome and the horrible conditions that some of them were in, we became determined to help. The most important thing, however, is that we would not be able to do this without your help. So thank you!
Garage sale ... we have scheduled our garage sale for next Saturday, August 23. We have already received so many great donations and they continue to come in. If anyone has anything they would like us to pick up locally, let us know and we can schedule a time. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to our garage sale ... the generosity is overwhelming!
Raffle ... we have one day left in our $5 raffle to win a $100 gift certificate to The Polkadot Platypus! The raffle has done very well so far ... we only have a little ways to go before reaching our goal. I know we can make it! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has participated ... again, the generosity is overwhelming! To enter, click on the chipin below. If you would like to buy a ticket but don't have paypal, send me an email letting me know that you will be mailing your payment.
Tax-deductible donations ... we have an account set up through Reece's Rainbow that accepts tax-deductible donations. That money will be disbursed to us when it is time for us to pay that big chunk of money {which is pretty much soon ... yikes}. Donations can be made through paypal by clicking here or by mailing checks {include a note saying you want to donate to The Balsis Family and include your email address} to:
Reece's Rainbow
PO Box 2055
Dacula, GA 30019
Direct donations ... if you prefer that your donation come directly to us, you can send your donation through paypal to bethanybalsis@mac.com. Many of you have asked how you can donate since you do not have a paypal account. Donations can also be mailed to:
Balsis Family Adoption
PO Box 61
Washington, VA 22747
Once again, thank you so much for all of your support ... we cannot wait to get to Russia and share our journey with you!
Garage sale ... we have scheduled our garage sale for next Saturday, August 23. We have already received so many great donations and they continue to come in. If anyone has anything they would like us to pick up locally, let us know and we can schedule a time. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to our garage sale ... the generosity is overwhelming!
Raffle ... we have one day left in our $5 raffle to win a $100 gift certificate to The Polkadot Platypus! The raffle has done very well so far ... we only have a little ways to go before reaching our goal. I know we can make it! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has participated ... again, the generosity is overwhelming! To enter, click on the chipin below. If you would like to buy a ticket but don't have paypal, send me an email letting me know that you will be mailing your payment.
Tax-deductible donations ... we have an account set up through Reece's Rainbow that accepts tax-deductible donations. That money will be disbursed to us when it is time for us to pay that big chunk of money {which is pretty much soon ... yikes}. Donations can be made through paypal by clicking here or by mailing checks {include a note saying you want to donate to The Balsis Family and include your email address} to:
Reece's Rainbow
PO Box 2055
Dacula, GA 30019
Direct donations ... if you prefer that your donation come directly to us, you can send your donation through paypal to bethanybalsis@mac.com. Many of you have asked how you can donate since you do not have a paypal account. Donations can also be mailed to:
Balsis Family Adoption
PO Box 61
Washington, VA 22747
Once again, thank you so much for all of your support ... we cannot wait to get to Russia and share our journey with you!
I failed to mention ...
... that we have sort of been on the edge of our seats wondering if we would even be permitted to adopt a child with Down syndrome. A few months back, an adoptive family in Utah murdered their little boy from Russia. The little boy had Down syndrome and the Russians obviously were very upset about this. The problem is that even before all of this, {some} of the Russians didn't understand why anyone would want "these children" and that anyone who did want them must have wanted them for ill reasons {i.e. to do research on them, etc}. When I say "these children", I'm talking about children that have Down syndrome ... those children are taboo in their society.
In light of all of that, we wanted to make sure that our adoption would be successful if we traveled to Russia. We found out yesterday that it will be and that we will be permitted to adopt a child with Down syndrome. This is such a relief to us, as we were really starting to get worried! Can I get a wahoo?!
In light of all of that, we wanted to make sure that our adoption would be successful if we traveled to Russia. We found out yesterday that it will be and that we will be permitted to adopt a child with Down syndrome. This is such a relief to us, as we were really starting to get worried! Can I get a wahoo?!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Russia:Georgia Conflict
This past Friday, August 8, 2008, I learned that Russia had invaded Georgia. Obviously hearing that Addison's country is involved in a war is disheartening. I learned that Bush was siding with Georgia and urging Russia to pull out. While it is great that he is intervening, I just hope and pray he doesn't do anything to make Russia mad! I'm not sure at this point what effect this could have on our adoption.
In Washington on Monday, President Bush said Russia's attacks against Georgia have "substantially damaged Russia's standing in the world". Bush also warned Russia against trying to depose Georgia's government, saying evidence suggests Russia may be preparing to do so. He called on Russia to accept a cease-fire proposal that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili had signed.
In Washington today, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said: "I wanted to make very clear that the United States stands for the territorial integrity of Georgia, for the sovereignty of Georgia; that we support its democratically elected government and people, and are reviewing options for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Georgia. But the most important thing right now is that these military operations need to stop."
The latest that I have heard today is that Russia agreed to cease fire, however Georgian officials are claiming that the firing has not stopped. Bush is getting further involved at this point.
Please pray this ends quickly and peacefully ... and that it doesn't have any implications on our adoption!
In Washington on Monday, President Bush said Russia's attacks against Georgia have "substantially damaged Russia's standing in the world". Bush also warned Russia against trying to depose Georgia's government, saying evidence suggests Russia may be preparing to do so. He called on Russia to accept a cease-fire proposal that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili had signed.
In Washington today, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said: "I wanted to make very clear that the United States stands for the territorial integrity of Georgia, for the sovereignty of Georgia; that we support its democratically elected government and people, and are reviewing options for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Georgia. But the most important thing right now is that these military operations need to stop."
The latest that I have heard today is that Russia agreed to cease fire, however Georgian officials are claiming that the firing has not stopped. Bush is getting further involved at this point.
Please pray this ends quickly and peacefully ... and that it doesn't have any implications on our adoption!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Touched by an angel
Yesterday I received a phone call from my friend Carmen. Carmen is mom to Jaemen, who happens to have Down syndrome ... they live in Colorado. I met Carmen through a Down syndrome forum, as crazy as that sounds. She has become one of my best friends ... we have that "Down syndrome connection".
Carmen has a friend, Jennifer, who I loosely know from Reece's Rainbow. Jennifer is mom to Cadence, who also happens to have Down syndrome. Cadence celebrated a birthday this past weekend and in lieu of gifts, Jennifer asked that donations be made to our family to help bring Addison home. How cool is that?! I got a bit teary eyed and had the chills after Carmen told me this yesterday ... I am just in awe of people's generosity!
So to Jennifer and Cadence, thank you so much for your support! Maybe Cadence could take Addison to prom some day? ;)
Carmen has a friend, Jennifer, who I loosely know from Reece's Rainbow. Jennifer is mom to Cadence, who also happens to have Down syndrome. Cadence celebrated a birthday this past weekend and in lieu of gifts, Jennifer asked that donations be made to our family to help bring Addison home. How cool is that?! I got a bit teary eyed and had the chills after Carmen told me this yesterday ... I am just in awe of people's generosity!
So to Jennifer and Cadence, thank you so much for your support! Maybe Cadence could take Addison to prom some day? ;)
Friday, August 8, 2008
Why Not?
I know I've already tried to explain myself to help those of you who just cannot wrap your mind around why we would want to adopt a child with Down syndrome, but I'd like for you to read something. Remember the Urban Family? They adopted little Ava from Ukraine. During their time in Ukraine, Ava's Daddy kept a blog so everyone could see their journey from a man's perspective. Today, he blogged about how he came to accept his wife's request for them to adopt a child with Down syndrome. Before Ava, they were a family that had all typical kids, so Down syndrome was obviously something totally outside of their realm of normalcy. Here is what he wrote ...
When Charissa came
to me and asked me, "Can we adopt a little girl
with Down Syndrome?". I didn't say anything. I just thought.
Then she said, "... there is a little girl in Ukraine that needs a family." I didn't say anything except.. mmmm.
I began to go over and over in my mind how MY life would change. How would this affect ME. What if this happened what if that happened. How would this little girl integrate into our family?
So, here is a list of questions I asked, prayed over and meditated on for several days:
- This is a huge commitment
- Will she talk, eat, walk
- What will Word of Faith folks think of me having a child with a disability
- How will my life change with this little girl
- Will my kids accept her
- Will my kids rebel
- Will my kids be safe while I am half way across the world
- Can I afford this
- and many other thoughts
Then I had this thought.. What is this little girl thinking:
- When is my daddy going to come kiss my neck and throw me in the air?
- When is my daddy going to come help me get my eyes fixed?
- When is my daddy going to help me learn how to eat, walk, talk?
- When is my daddy going to take me out of this crib and put me on his shoulders?
- When is my daddy going to hold me close at night before he puts me to bed?
- When is my daddy going to tell me he loves me?
- When is my daddy coming to get me? Why's he taking so long? I'm ready!
God defends the orphan! He will defend me and my family..
What a blessing little Ava has been in my life! I just cannot imagine life without that little girl. Jesus will increase your ability to love every child you bring into your home. He'll work miracles in your heart and in the hearts of a whole lot of other folks too.
Don't be afraid to LOVE! Love heals.
When Charissa came to me and asked me, "Can we adopt a little girl
with Down Syndrome?". I didn't say anything. I just thought.
Then she said, "... there is a little girl in Ukraine that needs a family." I didn't say anything except.. mmmm.
I began to go over and over in my mind how MY life would change. How would this affect ME. What if this happened what if that happened. How would this little girl integrate into our family?
So, here is a list of questions I asked, prayed over and meditated on for several days:
- This is a huge commitment
- Will she talk, eat, walk
- What will Word of Faith folks think of me having a child with a disability
- How will my life change with this little girl
- Will my kids accept her
- Will my kids rebel
- Will my kids be safe while I am half way across the world
- Can I afford this
- and many other thoughts
Then I had this thought.. What is this little girl thinking:
- When is my daddy going to come kiss my neck and throw me in the air?
- When is my daddy going to come help me get my eyes fixed?
- When is my daddy going to help me learn how to eat, walk, talk?
- When is my daddy going to take me out of this crib and put me on his shoulders?
- When is my daddy going to hold me close at night before he puts me to bed?
- When is my daddy going to tell me he loves me?
- When is my daddy coming to get me? Why's he taking so long? I'm ready!
God defends the orphan! He will defend me and my family..
What a blessing little Ava has been in my life! I just cannot imagine life without that little girl. Jesus will increase your ability to love every child you bring into your home. He'll work miracles in your heart and in the hearts of a whole lot of other folks too.
Don't be afraid to LOVE! Love heals.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Our Raffle {Update}
As of today, we have raised $490.50 for our raffle ... and that doesn't include the pending paypal payments that we have! That said, I have doubled our goal ... to $1,000. It may be very unrealistic, but I'm excited to see how close we can get. I still can't figure out why the chipin widget isn't updating like it should be. We are truly humbled by everyone's generosity to help us bring Addison home ... truly humbled. Thank you so much to everyone who has purchased a raffle ticket {or tickets} ... you will be hearing from us personally after the raffle is over. :)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Gift of Adoption Grant {Boo}
I just received an email that said we were not selected for a grant through Gift of Adoption. They said our financial need was not great enough ... really, have they seen my bank account?! So much for extra consideration being given to families adopting children with special needs! This is upsetting to me, although I understand there are many families trying to get grants ... I'm trying not to sound like a sore loser. I'm not sure what to do next, other than continue trying to raise money the traditional way ... I'm trying to stay encouraged.
We are about half way through our first raffle ... and I think we have raised about $379 so far! The chipin widget in the sidebar isn't updated yet, because some donations are still pending in paypal. Thank you so much to everyone who has purchased a raffle ticket {or tickets} ... we are truly blessed to have your support in trying to bring Addison home! We still are hoping to meet our $500 goal for the raffle, so if you would like a raffle ticket, click on the chipin widget in the sidebar. :)
We are about half way through our first raffle ... and I think we have raised about $379 so far! The chipin widget in the sidebar isn't updated yet, because some donations are still pending in paypal. Thank you so much to everyone who has purchased a raffle ticket {or tickets} ... we are truly blessed to have your support in trying to bring Addison home! We still are hoping to meet our $500 goal for the raffle, so if you would like a raffle ticket, click on the chipin widget in the sidebar. :)
Friday, August 1, 2008
Raffle {Bring Addison Home}
We are moving into full force fundraising here because ... well, we are getting really close and somehow we have to get to Russia! Our first raffle is for a $100 gift certificate to ... you guessed it ... The Polkadot Platypus! What a fabulous online boutique, don't you think? We have set our goal at $500 and we will be ever so grateful if we meet that goal. For every donation of just $5, you will get one ticket entered into the raffle. The more you donate, the more tickets you get. Click on the ChipIn widget in the right sidebar.
Ahem ... to my fellow blogging buds ... hook a girl up? :) I would be ever so grateful to all of you that would put our ChipIn widget in the sidebar of your blog. Addison will give you one {or two or three} big wet kisses for it when she comes home!
Ahem ... to my fellow blogging buds ... hook a girl up? :) I would be ever so grateful to all of you that would put our ChipIn widget in the sidebar of your blog. Addison will give you one {or two or three} big wet kisses for it when she comes home!
Our visit with IAG
Kyle and I drove up to Pittsburgh yesterday to meet with the folks at IAG, our new agency. They were absolutely fabulous and I really believe that we are in good hands. We talked about our desire to adopt a child with Down syndrome and I hope we were able to make them understand how important this is to us ... and why we want to do it.
One of the great things about IAG is that they handle all the notary and apostille right there for you. That saves us a lot of work and we pretty much have all of our paperwork done in order to travel for our first trip. Whew!
I have to admit I have been a little reserved thus far, trying not to get myself too excited in case I'm let down. After yesterday, I am really excited and pray that everything goes smoothly from here on out.
One of the great things about IAG is that they handle all the notary and apostille right there for you. That saves us a lot of work and we pretty much have all of our paperwork done in order to travel for our first trip. Whew!
I have to admit I have been a little reserved thus far, trying not to get myself too excited in case I'm let down. After yesterday, I am really excited and pray that everything goes smoothly from here on out.
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