Updates

Okay guys, so lots of updates to talk about today!

(1) Adoption Auction

           Since I first posted about this a few days ago, I have already had several generous offers for donations for our Adoption Auction!  I wanted to let everyone know more about our upcoming online auction to raise money for our enormous adoption fees.  A few of you have asked when it will begin.  We have set a date!  The Adoption Auction will begin Thursday, March 1st.  I am thinking we may do one item per day, but I'm not 100% on that.  We have already received promises (due to arrive at my house in the next couple of weeks) of the following donations (a little teaser) in no particular order:  Several Atlanta Hawks' game tickets, a Scentsy basket, a family game night basket, handmade one-of-a-kind stationary, another handmade goody, and a custom piece of Subway art!  I may throw in a canvas or two of my own art as well.  I am so appreciative to all that have donated already...thank you!!

            I will accept donations for the auction all the way up til the auction. So, if you or someone you know could make or own or can get a hold of something that we could auction off, we'd be so grateful!  Another idea -which I will be doing as well- is to ask your favorite local place (restaurant, store, theatre, etc) that you frequent or 'know' someone at if they would be willing to donate an item or a gift card for our cause.  It doesn't hurt to ask, right?  Remind them that I will ADVERTISE their information along with the item being auctioned.  And of course, make sure they know their contributions will literally help two orphans from Honduras have a forever family!  

            If you are interested in donating, or have a question about the auction, feel free to email me at peachzyo@hotmail.com.  Thanks, friends!

(2) Paperwork Meltdown

            Okay, so I nearly *lost it* the end of this past week.  All over paperwork.  Oh, and communication.   I'm sure it won't be the first time.  But, boy was it ever frustrating. I can feel a knot forming between my shoulders as I recall it now.  I would like to say, "Here's the short version," but I make no promises.   This paperwork is a mountain.  It's a beast.  I've heard more than one adoptive parent tell me that this is the toughest part of the whole process.  (I'm guessing fundraising as well?)  So, anyway, we have one agency that we are working with to do the adoption (Dillon/Buckner).  We will communicate with them throughout the whole process.  The other agency is a local one that will complete our Home Study.  The gist of the problem last week: one was telling me one thing, the other telling me another.  And it was over an important matter, and involved whether or not we'd have to wait more than 8 weeks longer to complete a certain step/get approved.  Anyway, that's TWO months longer than we had expected to have to wait before getting on the waiting list to bring our babies home.  It was all very, very confusing, and I won't bore you w/ the details.  I can hardly keep them straight in my own head, so I won't cloud yours. ;)  But I was having a hard time figuring out what exactly was correct information, what they wanted, what I had to do first, when certain things were due, what amounts were needed first, etc.  It was a maddening couple of days.  (Which could have contributed to my near breakdown in the chiropractor's office this morning.  Poor guy became a counselor too. Did I mention this month of Feb. I'm doing a new diet/exercise program? Well I am.  And I haven't had sugar or dairy or LOTS of other things in 2 weeks?  And I've lost 8 lbs so far.  Yay me!)  Moving on.  So FINALLY I was able to talk to our homestudy agency, who revealed that it was a miscommunication & unfamiliarity of a certain way that GA does things.  She was so kind & helpful (& eased my stress....guess she could sense it on the phone?!), and she called Dillon/Bucker on her own, figured it out, and called me right back to set it all straight.  Ahh, what a God send!  Finally an answer to the riddle.  

            So the solved riddle provided both encouragement and discouragement.  How is that possible?  The encouraging part is that we do NOT have to wait the additional 8 weeks to get something approved we thought we did.  Yes!  (The faster we get on that list, the faster we can rescue our orphans).  The discouraging part is that although we don't have to wait, we do have to do another step faster than what we originally thought, making some of the payments due earlier than we thought.  Yikes!  

            That brings me to my next point...

(3) Funds (!)

         Awesome news: we've raised over $500 since our adoption announcement at the end of January!  Thank you all so much for your help.  We could NOT do this without you.  Thank you family, friends, and several complete strangers who have heard our story through friends' blogs & Facebook pages!  We appreciate every single donation.  

       I think since you all are helping, you deserve to know what the money is going towards! =)  We have already paid a $50 App #1 fee.  We have bought sippys, labels, envelopes, stamps, etc. for the Sippys 4 Siblings start up.  We are working on completing App #2, and upon mailing that paperwork (ideally w/in a week or two), we will send a $300 check.  *This has to do with the confusion in (2)... Then, we have to do our Home Study paperwork & mail them a check for $900.  Few little fees not calculated in getting through paperwork, fingerprinting, documents, etc. as well.  Then once the Home Study paperwork is in, and we're in the system, they will do a step for us.  Only THEN can we be approved for App # 2.  After that approval, we owe $3500.  Big one.  Then we complete the home study (takes a few weeks) & owe another $900 to them & another $3500 to Buckner.  <There's more after that, but we'll stop there for now.>  

        So, yeah, I don't know about other people, but that's a lot of money...really fast...for us.  And the hard part is knowing that we can only do the paperwork as fast as we can raise the money.  So, at this point, we're not waiting on paperwork.  We're waiting...and trusting God...and raising money.  It's hard to think that there are babies...children... in orphanages all over this world, waiting for their parents to raise the money to bring them home.  We're just one of those stories. We're just one of those families.  But they are as real to us as ever, and so we will work hard and do all that we can to get them home as soon as possible.  

          So that's the $ update. 

(4) Reminder of Fundraisers:

       * Sippys 4 Siblings- We've had an amazing response with SO many willing families!  If you are hearing about this for the first time and want to participate, send me your address & I'll happily mail you a sippy cup. You then just fill it with your spare change & then mail it back to us! (Or we can meet if local).  Some of you are using your own sippy cups, and that works too! -There's no current time limit on this on-going fundraiser.

        * Adoption Auction- See info in (1)

        * T-Shirts! - We are hoping to have T-shirts created, printed, and ready for purchase by March!  I'm designing "Adoption" tees, so look for those soon!  Is it silly I can't wait to wear one? For those of you who don't know me personally, I wear T-shirts. Every. Day.  I'd say, "Poor Cuban Daddy." But I wore them when we met in college eleven years ago & haven't stopped, so he knew what he was getting into.   Eleven years ago?  Geez, I must have been like, what, 10, then?? ;)

         * It is **possible** that we will try to squeeze our (ginormous?!) yard sale in the end of March.  I'll keep you posted.  

(5) Thanks.  That's just it.  Thank you all so much for your support.  For sharing our story (email, twitter, Facebook, word of  mouth...). For participating in fundraisers.  For your prayers which are so needed.  For your words of encouragement.  We are grateful for you.

After reading ALL of that boring stuff, 

you deserve a few pics of G & K:

Math Question: Does doubling the number of children in a family automatically double the number of 

"Little People"?  We may need a bigger house...

I love my babies.  They love theirs.

Get used to our front door.  It's the go-to back drop when Mommy wants a pic on the way to or from somewhere. And the sweeties are usually happy to oblige. ;) *Not looking so 'happy' here though...Ha.

Donuts with (Cuban) Daddy at school...they were so excited!

  My lunch date!

Yours truly

~ 6 in Love ~