Well, that was unexpected

We are NOT doing our flea market fundraiser today.

Last night, I walked into the garage (on my crutches) to see if I could use a piece of wood as a sign. As I turned around to head back into the house, I heard a rustle next to me. I think it was a mouse. It could have been my imagination. I have no idea.

Whatever it was, I jumped. Just a little, but enough to throw my right crutch out a bit. When I took my next step, my crutch wasn't in the right place, so I fell forward. Right onto my nearly-healed broken foot.
I heard a little crunch, dropped to my knees, hit my head, and started sobbing, because I knew immediately that the bone is no longer "nearly healed."

Tomorrow I will go back to the bone doctor to see what a new X-ray shows.
(I didn't go last night; there was no point, as the ER will only offer medicine that I can't take, and crutches, which I already have.)
I put the air cast back on and am now just trying to tell myself that it'll all be okay.

Right now, every thought of the problems this now causes is playing through my mind.

I wish I could hide behind the sadness and have cheery, positive messages to say, "I know it will be fine."
Today, though, I'm not feelin' it.

(Has anyone seen the movie Frozen? I just watched that a few nights ago... if you've seen it, you'll understand  when I say that the one thing that ran through my head when I was laying on the floor was "Wow, this could be a whole lot worse.")

And that's that.

Paper Pregnancy, The Second Term

Expecting! But don't you dare touch my belly...

So now that I've finished the first term of this "paper pregnancy," what comes next?

Well, it starts with a large sum of money and lots of paperwork! FUN!

Our second agency fee is now due; they spread the fee over the entire timeline so you aren't paying everything in one lump sum. The fees are for a laundry list of different things, so it's kind of like how a doctor's office will spread all the hospital bills for a pregnancy into multiple appointments while you are still pregnant so you aren't stuck with one enormous bill when the baby pops out.

I'm hosting a booth at the flea market this Sunday, hoping it will really help with this next set of fees. Today I realized not only are the agency fees due now (since we are ready to send in the first set of dossier documents!,) but our USCIS application fees as well (that's the immigration paperwork that the U.S. requires.) Once they have our money and application, they will assign us an appointment for new fingerprints (seriously, I don't understand why we have to have so many sets of fingerprints taken, but whatever.) After that is completed, our dossier will be submitted and we can travel to meet Elisha!

After debating this for a long time, I've decided I'm going to put up a ChipIn for these immediate needs. I hesitate to do so, because between all the fundraisers I've had for our family plus those for other kids, it would be nice to take a break from talking about money.
However, I'm going to do it anyway. The reality is that we DO need to father gather these funds as soon as possible, because both are ready to be submitted, but without that money in hand, we'll be just sitting here stressing about how to move forward. (A big thank you to the lovely Faith for pointing out that fathering funds is a whole new way of fundraising. HEHEHE! I know I should have erased it but it was just too funny not to share.)

SO...
I'm putting the ChipIn up, and, well, we'll just see what happens. This one is not tax-deductible, because it does not go to our grant account. If you  feel so inclined to help us with these immediate needs, we are once again beyond grateful at your willingness to do what it takes to get Elisha home. Perhaps you have friends or family that have never followed our blog, but may be happy to help out. Maybe you just won the lottery and are trying to figure out what on earth to do with all that new money! (hehe, if you are someone who has so much money you literally don't know what to do with it, shoot me a message. I know a LOT of ways you could change the world with your pocketbook!)


For anyone who contributes to this ChipIn, I'm offering a small thank you gift in return. If you decide to give please include your address in the notes section offered from paypal or send me an email with your address. I promise, it'll be a delicious and fun surprise! :)

AND... as a bonus, just because I love Elisha's Villagers so very much...

A few weeks back, you may remember the very lovely Niegsch family hosted an absolutely incredible fundraiser for our family? Well, for this fundraising event, since we couldn't be there in person, we had instead put together a family video montage to share with everyone.
I'm not a big fan of getting my picture taken, and I'm really not a fan of sharing my picture with others! But I really want to share this video with everyone, because the message in it applies to each of you.
So, when we reach this next goal, I will be posting the video here, on my blog, to give all of you a little more about who we are as a family, and why Elisha and our (current) family are such a great match.
(And if you have already seen the montage because you were at that concert event, well, I hope you enjoyed it and want to see it again!)

   

It's on, baby!

My LIFE is in You, Lord;

my STRENGTH is in You, Lord;

my HOPE is in You, Lord...

This was the song I was singing in the shower this morning.
I've been having a little trouble lately, remembering it isn't MY timing, or MY journey, but His.
In fact, my focus has been so distorted lately, that last night I had to sit myself down and say our adoption verse aloud:

Lead me, O Lord; make Your way straight before me. 

So, after finally feeling like I'd again gotten my head on straight... like I am finally remembering just who is in charge leading the way down this road....

Well, I guess maybe that's what He was waiting for.

Because today, I opened the mailbox

to see a big, fat white envelope sticking out

with the very important words 

YOU ARE APPROVED

written inside!

It's official! We've now gotten ALL the approvals that we needed. The Minister of Education in ee (eastern Europe), the adoption agency, the homestudy social worker, and the state of Illinois are all in agreement that we allowed to become Elisha's forever family!!!!!!

Hallelujah, praise God, and thank you ALL for your prayers. Elisha, we've just taken a giant leap forward, and we are coming to get you soon!

"C" You At The...

What do you do when you have lots of good STUFF

(This is not my stuff. )

but nowhere to put it?

What do you do when you make a lot of CRAFTS

(These are not my crafts. )

but they are just sitting around taking up space?

What do you do when you need a big chunk of money

(This is not me.)

but you just got slammed with huge hospital bills thanks to a broken foot? (Not that you'd have that money otherwise, hehe.)

Why, you gather all that happy fun stuff and head over to the FLEA MARKET, of course!

(One more fine image brought to you by Google.)

I've been wanting to hold a garage sale, but 1) our neighborhood is not "make-money-at-a-garage-sale-friendly" (the one I held years ago was a disaster and I swore never to waste my time on another); 2) hosting a garage sale is hard to do on one foot; and 3) some of the stuff I am trying to re-home is not the kind of stuff people would show up to buy at a garage sale (too pricey of items.) 

Instead, I started looking for different venues, and suffice it to say, I think I've found the right place!

A nearby drive-in theater (yeah, a few still exist!) holds flea market events on Sundays throughout the summer. Now, I'll admit, I haven't been to a flea market in years. Decades, in fact. So I'm going into as a total newbie, just hoping and praying that it is the solution that I want it to be.

I contacted them a few weeks ago to make sure they still had room available for this weekend. Lucky me, they do, and as a July 31st ONLY special, vendors who pre-register get to set up shop for FREE!  AWESOME!!

If you are in the McHenry vicinity, I hope you decide to stop on by. This should be a really fun event. My booth is featuring various "collectible" type stuff, homemade treats, crafts, and more. All the funds we raise will be put toward our next set of dossier fees. (FYI: Thanks to multiple generous donors, we do have a large sum of money in our FSP. This will be available for use at the time we are making travel plans. This is a GREAT system that Reece's Rainbow has set up, so that, in the event a family backs out of an adoption, the funds remain protected in the child's name.)

Here's the information for the flea market. I hope to see you there! 

"C" You At the Movies Drive-In Theater presents

MCHENRY OUTDOOR FLEA MARKET

SUNDAY JULY 31st 2011

8am-3pm

At the Drive-In Theater

1510 W. Chapel Hill Rd.

McHenry, IL

(RAIN OR SHINE, WE’LL BE THERE!)

Admission Cost $1 per person

brought to you by

cyouatthemovies.com

HAPPINESS IS...

Today I was able to Skype with my fantastic friend.
She just happens to be a fellow adoptive friend.
She just happens to be in the same region as Elisha.

Whether or not her son and our daughter are at the same baby house remains to be seen... but regardless, it brings me nothing but HAPPINESS to have spoken to her today!

Thanks, Vashti; you are a ray of sunshine in my life!
And based on the look on this little boy's face, I'd say he feels the same!

(Hop on over to this family's blog to hear the cutest little laugh in the whole world!

The Lotus Blossom

Out of the mud

Grows something of beauty.

The lotus flower.

Revered in many cultures because of its uniqueness, because of it’s ability to break free of its dark start

and emerge as something clean and pure.

Little Hailey needs a chance to blossom, too. She needs a family that will appreciate her uniqueness, her pure heart. 

That’s why I’m raising awareness and grant money for her adoption. 

To do that, I’m giving away a different Blossom.

Blossom is a doll that I acquired directly from the sculptor herself. She's a unique collector's item that I know you want to get your hands on! 

Isn't she a beauty? She stands 11" tall and is extra special because she is made of vinyl rather than porcelain. 

And what really makes her a collector's dream?

See that tag? This is a special edition doll... 

that belonged to the sculptor herself! This is the STUDIO EDITION doll, boxed up and ready to be loved on and displayed in a new home. 

In fact, Dianna Effner offered up this doll specifically in hopes of raising money for Hailey in hopes of finding her an adoptive family. 

So, ready to help Hailey and have a chance to WIN Blossom?

Click on the link below to make your tax-deductible donation. My goal is to raise $5,000 to help Hailey find her forever family. Every $10 you donate is an entry into my giveaway. It ends on JULY 31st, so hurry and make your donations today!! 

http://fivethousandfootsteps.chipin.com/hailey-needs-a-family

Prayer Request

I've already written once today, but I just wanted to add a special prayer request.
I learned today that DCFS can take MONTHS to approve the homestudy.
I've also heard of people being approved in as little as a week.

Please pray that our homestudy isn't forgotten about or pushed aside right now. Pray that God move this paperwork so that we may move forward in getting to our daughter.

Thank you.

Villagers, It Is Time

There is a family that needs it's village to grow rapidly. Today.
Joshua's family is in a very desperate situation right now, and I'm asking Elisha's village to step forward and act.

The ultra-condensed summary is this:
The family is currently overseas and has essentially completed the adoption to bring Joshua home.
However, his required medical testing (required to complete adoption and head home) showed a lung issue. Seeing this, the doctor would not approve letting him fly home (to be rechecked and treated in the U.S.)
The family has now been running ragged, trying to find out whether he indeed has the issue or not (he acts healthy, and it could very possibly be scarring from a previous bout of illness) but second opinions are not frowned upon where he is from. Basically, the first doctor's diagnosis is the one that they have to follow. But... he doesn't seem ill, so can't actually get anyone to treat him.
The family is STUCK in the country, unable to treat him, unable to travel home, unable to get a different diagnosis... while the rest of their family is back in the States.
As if this entire situation isn't enough stress to deal with in a lifetime, they are now also dealing with the death of a very close relative back at home.

Basically, the family is stuck in limbo right now on the other side of the world. Money is gone, stress is at an all-time high, and this is all just a very scary helpless place to be emotionally.

The family needs it's village to grow now, so that they know they are not alone.

Please support them in any way you can. Let's do our part in being the village that brings Joshua home.

Right now, the song based off of Psalm 98 blares loud in my mind. I think it is a great reminder of that HE can take charge of this situation, as long as we remember to do our part first.

SHOUT TO THE LORD ALL THE EARTH LET US SING
POWER AND MAJESTY, PRAISE TO THE KING
MOUNTAINS BOW DOWN AND THE SEAS WILL ROAR AT THE SOUND OF YOUR NAME
I SING FOR JOY AT THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS
FOREVER I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER I'LL STAND
NOTHING COMPARES TO THE PROMISE I HAVE IN YOU


Warner family, we are shouting God's name for you. Across the earth, He can do great things. Nothing compares to the promise you have in Him.

To learn more about this family and get the story in more detail, visit their blog:
http://buildingourvillage.blogspot.com

Friendship

Kelly
Lisa
Faith
Mel
Renee
Angie
Jessica
Marcie
Vashti
Karen


These are the names that lift me when I am down. These are the names that have shown me pure friendship. Some of them I have known online for years. Others, I only have known months. A couple I don't really know at all; how amazing is that, to have someone you don't even know offer acts of friendship completely on their own accord.

This post is for nothing other than to say thank you, dear friends. This road is not an easy one to travel, and the further I go, the easier it feels to turn back. You are the ones who keep me going. You are the ones who remind me that I'm not alone, that we have a village, that Elisha really, truly exists, and we really, truly are on the path to bring her home.

Sometimes it's so easy to forget. Sometimes it just feels like something in my head. The hurtful comments, the ignorant remarks, the complete lack of acknowledgement... sometimes the worldly way just feels so much easier, and sometimes, I want the easy way out.

So, to my friends, I say thank you. Over and over and over, I thank you. Because it is when I am feeling so low, so defeated, so lost and overwhelmed, I just think of you:
Kelly         Lisa           Faith             Mel           Renee              Angie               Jessica                Marcie                            Vashti                  Karen                      

and I remember that we are not alone, that God has given me true friends who keep me strong, so that I can turn around and keep my husband strong, and he can turn around and keep our children strong. And together, as a village,
we
will
bring
her
home.

Two Announcements

Announcement #1: TOMORROW WE SET THEM FREE!!
Don't forget to release your balloons in honor of the 147 million children who are deemed orphans throughout the world.
If you haven't picked up any balloons yet, don't despair, you still have time!
Here are the details  and the message card that you can print off to include inside your balloon(s). I'd love to receive pictures of everyone's release so I can include them on the blog. Please email me at fivethousandfootsteps@gmail.com to send your photos afterward. Thank you!

Announcement #2: The delightful Angie Brown graciously offered to help us raise funds by hosting a Scentsy Fundraiser in our name. Her 25% commission is being donated from all sales between now and July 31st. Please use the link below to check out the wonderful Scentsy items and make your purchases. Thank you, so much, Angie!!    https://angiebrown.scentsy.us/Buy?partyId=45040239
If you've never heard of Scentsy before, check it out! People RAVE about their products, and they'd make excellent Christmas gifts (which is going to be here before you know it, so get your shopping done early!)

Have a great weekend!

If Only You Knew

Today is your birthday.

I’m sorry that you don’t hear anyone singing to you.

I’m sorry that there are no presents.

I’m sorry that you have been locked away for a full decade, and that no one has ever come to rescue you from the prison in which you live.

I know you don’t know it, but there’s at least one person 

here who would love to call you son.

There is at least one person who wishes you were home.

One person, at least one person on this planet, is thinking about you today, wishing she could sing to you, hug you, bake you a cake, buy you presents, and celebrate the day of your birth.

I’m sorry that I’m not there with you. I’m sorry you aren’t here with me.

I’m sorry that I can’t be your mom, and that I haven’t fulfilled my vow to find someone who will be.

I wish I could do something more.

How do I keep shouting when no one listens?

How do I stop shouting when I’m the only voice you have?

I know that time is running out.

I know that your chance of rescue is slim, and that soon it will be too late.

I know this isn’t a happy birthday, but I pray that it is the last one you spend alone.

I can’t be your mama, but I can love you like you are my son.

I can fight for you as my son. Whatever it takes, I won’t let go until you are home.

Happy Birthday, my sweet Kolya.  You are loved. 

If only you knew.

A Chinese Doll

This is Hailey.
Hailey lives in China. She's five years old. She has Down syndrome. She is an orphan. She needs a family.

This is Blossom.
Blossom is a doll created by Dianna Effner. Dianna has donated a vinyl Blossom doll specifically in hopes of finding a family for little Hailey.


Blossom is adorable. She's a lovely little collector's doll, but vinyl rather than porcelain, so that little hands can admire her without doing damage.

Want to help Hailey?
Want to win Blossom?

Between now and July 31st, I'm taking donations as a Reece's Rainbow warrior for Hailey. All donations are tax-deductible and go into a special account to help with Hailey's adoption expenses. Each $10 donation is an entry to win Blossom. I will pick the winner on (or about) August 1st, so check back here to see if you've won.
Please spread the word for Hailey! Let's find this little princess a family of her very own!


TO DONATE TO HAILEY'S 5/5/5 WARRIOR FUND (and for a chance to win Blossom) CLICK HERE

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HAILEY CLICK HERE

SET THEM FREE details

ANYONE CAN PARTICIPATE!! YOU DO NOT NEED TO GATHER A CROWD UNLESS YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO!

Here's the skinny on the balloon release.

CURRENT HOST CITIES: Algonquin IL- exact location tbd
                                            Jackson MS- exact location tbd

(To add yours, comment below along with a specific location. Park name, etc. and I'll add it to the list.)

TO GET YOUR BALLOONS:
Order directly through my ChipIn THIS WEEK if you need me to send you latex balloons. Alternatively, you can just pick some up at the store yourself. ;) NO MYLAR!!!! They MUST be latex and CANNOT be released with curling ribbon hanging. (Ribbon is not biodegradable and posts a safety hazard with power lines, etc. Mylar is not biodegradable. Latex is a biodegradable, safe option and will break down over the course of a few months.)

MESSAGE CARD:
Click on the image below. Copy and paste to your computer, then you can print on a sheet of paper or light cardstock, or at a 1-hr photo place. You should be able to adjust the size of the image by pasting into Word, Paint, or any editing program.  (NOTE: Realize that the paper will only last if on a permanent paper such as photo paper, which is why I suggest a one-hour photo place if available in your area.)

Print out whatever number you need for your own release (one per balloon.) If you are doing a large release and would like me to send the materials (balloon plus message card) please donate $3 per balloon to the chipin and EMAIL me your request so I can send it out asap.

Don't forget to write a special message on the back of the card. It can be the name of an orphan, your family's name, in honor of ________, a picture, or whatever other "special message" you'd like to send.



JULY 17TH 4PM CST: THE RELEASE!
Remember, you can release from anywhere, not just host locations. We are releasing at EXACTLY 4pm CST on July 17th (different time zones, please adjust accordingly.) You can buy a helium tank to keep if you'd like (I keep them around for birthday parties), or just call your local craft, party, or grocery store (wherever sells balloons in your area) and explain that you need to fill a few balloons. They will usually do it for a very small fee.

If you have tied curling ribbons to the balloons to hold them, please CUT THE RIBBON OFF at release time. Latex is biodegradable. Curling ribbon is not. Hanging ribbons, etc. can also be a safety hazard, so please make sure you are ONLY releasing the balloon itself (with the message enclosed inside.)




REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU ARE PROVIDING BALLOONS FOR OTHERS OR JUST DOING THIS AS A SMALL PERSONAL GESTURE, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO COLLECT DONATIONS FOR EACH BALLOON RELEASED.  Suggested donation is $3 per balloon/message card. ALL donations collected will be donated to one or more children listed under Reece's Rainbow 5/5/5 Warrior Project. These donations will go into grant account for the 5-year-old orphans listed with Reece's Rainbow. These children NEED families!! The grant accounts will be held for them, so that if a family chooses to adopt a child, the funds will help with the adoption expenses.

Please send all donations to my ChipIn at the top right of the screen. Alternatively, you can send a check directly to Reece's Rainbow (information below ChipIn.) Make sure to make a note in the memo so that donations get collected together. (Please email me or leave a comment so that I can easily keep track as well!)

*** For what it's worth, consider this. For my son's 2nd birthday we brought him to see Sesame Street Live in concert. At the venue, they were selling Elmo balloons. For $15 each. I quickly counted and calculated that  they easily sold a couple hundred balloons during that show alone.Imagine what kind of donations they could have brought in participating in something like this!


I'd love pictures of your release, regardless of however small or big it is. If you send them to me, I'll be sure to  post them on the blog after the event!  


THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN SPREADING THE WORD FOR THESE CHILDREN!!!!!!!! TOGETHER, WE ARE THE VILLAGE THAT WILL SET THEM FREE!

Boo Hoo... Welcome to the Pity Party

Life comes with ups and downs, and I guess lately I'm just stuck in the down part. I'm stressed, I'm overwhelmed, I can't think straight, I can't function well with this aggravating broken foot.

I'm trying to stay positive. Our homestudy is finally in the state's hands, which means now that is no longer something for us to think about. There are a bunch of little things that need to be done to compile dossier stuff, and because of my broken foot that just seems to be getting pushed aside (basically, I'm totally dependent on the mister to take care of it all, and he's too busy playing the roles of Mommy and Daddy, so he doesn't have the time in his schedule to take care of it.) We're exhausted. I guess that's what it boils down to.

I see this upcoming $2000 figure looming before us, and once again, I'm throwing up my hands, wondering how it might appear at the right time. We were supposed to have a garage sale to help raise funds, but, because of the broken foot, it's just not realistic right now. So... plan B is in the works, and hopefully it'll be a great one. :)

My balloon release was supposed to be happening two Sundays from now, but seeing as the response was less than stellar, I've lost motivation. It's still on, and it may not be much of anything, but if you interested in participating, please comment below so I can figure out the easiest way to move forward. You can do it from anywhere, and it can be as simple as just you or as elaborate as an entire neighborhood coming together. Personally, we'll be going to the local park and releasing balloons there. It'll be interesting on crutches, but hopefully I'll remain standing!

So that's me. Not much to say other than throwing myself a pity party. I vow that my next post will not be such a whiny one. Sometimes, you just gotta get it out. This is a road we are traveling, and I think it's only fair to everyone reading to get the good as well as the not so good.