My Sweet Hailey!!

Remember when I gave away this doll

in hopes of finding a family for this doll?

Well, today I learned that

Sweet little Hailey has been found!! 

A family has committed to adopting her!!

If her family is a reader of my blog, please, please send me an email at fivethousandfootsteps@gmail.com

There is a waiting period before families are allowed to make their announcement public, so it could be a few weeks before her family steps forward (if you contact me before it is public announcement, I promise I'll stay quiet!) As soon as I do have information that I can share, I will be sure to let you all know.

Hailey's family, whoever you are, wherever you are, you have made this old gal jump for joy today!

Just a Few Reminders For You

If you collected change as part of the Jar of Hopes and Dreams, please send me an email with a photo of your jar (if you have one.) It ends today so if you let me know totals, I'd love to tally it up and share the total collected.

If you want to get in my Motherly Love Giveaway, hurry! It doesn't cost you anything, and the prize is so cool!

The ONE FOR MANY giveaway ends TODAY. Multiple adoptive families are a part of this giveaway, and we are one of them. Your donation will help two orphans (Elisha and Andriy.) We are both expecting to travel somewhat soon, and funds raised will help our efforts to get to our babies on the other side of the world. Give a gift, win a cool prize!


Thanks again for your support! Hopefully I'll have news and/or an inspirational post soon; right now, I'm just bogged down with paperwork and daily life!

Today Was a Very Good Day

Today, my friends, was a very good day.

I spoke with our agency contact. She set me straight with a bunch of paperwork mumbo-jumbo. I only had about 42 questions, no biggie. All is well now.

While chatting after discussing the 72 court documents I need to compile (I kid, it's not nearly that much... just  20 total documents,) I confirmed with her what we are waiting for now.
"USCIS approval, right?"

No, she told me. We're just waiting for the first set of documents to come back from ApostilleLand
(You've never heard of ApostilleLand? Wait, you've never heard of an apostille? ApostilleLand is wherever our first set of documents are right now. I have no clue where that is. An apostille is a fancy french word apparently meaning "We-want-to-be-sure-your-notarized-documents-are-notarized-by-a-real-notary-so-we-are-notarizing-the-notary-signatures." Those silly french.)
Anyway... the documents are going to come back, and be shipped off to EE, and then, apparently it seems we should be prepared to get a travel date.

Say WHAT?
You mean, we really get to travel sometime soon?

(Can you tell I'm feeling a little silly and giddy over this?)

So, yes, what she said was that we should expect to travel in
OCTOBER.

As if I weren't already brimming with excitement, I received MORE good news shortly after hanging up with her.
We won the lotto!


JUST KIDDING. (snicker.) But it's nearly just as exciting:

We have a USCIS officer!  Realistically, we were told this may not happen for a few more weeks. Now our fingerprints are done, AND we have an officer, so we just have to hope she reviews and approves our case quickly. Although apparently we don't need this for the first trip, so there isn't a HUGE rush, but still, we want it done and over with as soon as possible so that we can send in all our court documents asap. I think we'll have them finished this week.

My to-do list is ten pages and growing, but I'm thrilled, because October is just another month away!  I cannot explain how anxious I am to meet our daughter. There are so many things that I wonder about, and soon, we'll have answer. Honest to goodness answers.

Sorry I'm rambling, but hey, today was a very, VERY good day!

Motherly Love Giveaway!

Have I told you lately that I love you?

Yeah, YOU! Elisha's Village. You rock my world.

I wanted to do a little something to say thanks.

Recently I came across something too adorable to even try to resist.

Are you familiar with these?

They are Russian Matryoshka dolls. The word "Matryoshka" derives from Latin word for mother.  From what I've heard, they are tourist kitchy junk in Russia, and no one there would ever want one (you know, just like I don't own a snow globe with the Sears  Willis Tower inside,) but for anyone traveling to eastern europe, I think it's practically expected that you bring one of these back home.
(And if you aren't planning a trip of any sort to EE, that's okay, you can just buy them online instead.)

Anyway, these are cute, and my kids love them. But recently I came across something SO cool I just couldn't resist making the purchase:

Not my photo. Thanks, Google.

Russian Nesting Dolls.... as MEASURING CUPS!

Can I get a "whoop, whoop!"
Come on, seriously, these are just the cutest EVER, aren't they?

Here's how you can win your very own Russian Nesting Doll Measuring Cups (up to three chances per family!):
1. Leave a comment telling me how you found my blog (be specific or general, your choice.)
2. Become a follower on my blog if you aren't already. If you are, leave me a comment that you already follow.
3. Share my blog on your facebook/twitter/etc. and tell them to leave your name (or email or whatever identifying information you choose) in the comment section.

U.S. shipping- I cover the cost. Elsewhere- you take care of it. :)

Giveaway closes on September 2nd. Winner will be chosen at random soon after.
Have fun!

P.S. If you can't stand to wait and you just have to get your hands on this, go HERE.

Fun With Math

PROBLEM:

A family-filled minivan is traveling 50 miles each way during rush hour, stops to feed 3 kids a fast-food breakfast, incorrectly programs a GPS to "Green Bay Street" instead of "SOUTH Green Bay Street" (adding 7.7 miles to the trip,) and ends up at destination 2 hours later. 1 child is crying due to his previously eaten breakfast now all over his lap and carseat. 

How long will it take for the family to display excitement over this adventure? 

ANSWER: 

15 minutes.

Because that's how long it took for us to get our immigration fingerprints completed!

YES, THE FINGERPRINTS ARE DONE!!  We received the appointments in yesterday's mail. The date was scheduled for Sept. 16th, but I decided we'd take a chance and try doing a walk-in visit instead. (It's possible that I might have forgotten to mention to the mister that we didn't actually have our appointment scheduled for today and could easily have been turned away. Sorry, hun, some things are just better left unsaid.)

Now we just wait for our USCIS approval and complete the court documents!!

Department of Homeland Security

Raise your hand if you get excited to receive mail from the Department of Homeland Security.

(My hand is up high. Probably so is anyone else who is adopting.)

On Saturday we received our NOTICE OF ACTION by mail. Also known as the I-797C (for those who care.)

This beautiful piece of paper doesn't really mean much, I guess. It shows that we wrote a giant check (because heaven forbid they use a more efficient system that would allow them to use the fingerprints already on file with the FBI, right?) It also informs us that immigration has received our request and we will be receiving a fingerprinting date sometime soon.

So, really, this means very little, but nevertheless, I was very excited to receive it and may have looked it over a few hundred times over the last few days. You know, just in case I missed a key clue as to when we might receive the appointment (nope. no clues given.)

ONE FOR MANY

I thought I was going to be taking a break from fundraising for a bit, but my dear friend Amanda, adopting Andriy, contacted me with such a wonderful idea that I just couldn't pass it up. So, if you missed out on the Wildfire Auction I recently hosted, here's another chance to throw a few bucks in the fundraising pot for a chance to win REALLY COOL STUFF. 

Amanda is the lovely mom hosting this giveaway. She has a lot of money to raise for her adoption, and not a lot of time to do so. So, she decided to do something big. Something REALLY big. And then, because of the kind heart that she has, she contacted fellow adoptive families (including ours) to see if we'd like to be a part of the fun.   

The amounts of giveaway chances and prizes available are listed below. If you use the ChipIn on my page to enter the giveaway, half of the donation will go toward Elisha, and the other half will go to little Andriy. If you don't want your donation split up, please go to Amanda's page and use her ChipIn instead, so that all the money will help get little Andriy home (which is perfectly fine by me... each child has a desperate need to get home, so whomever you choose to support is absolutely wonderful and so appreciated!)

ONE FOR MANY GIVEAWAY

$5= 1 chance

$10= 3 chances

$25= 10 chances

$50= 30 chances

(Click on the chipin to donate)

AND NOW FOR THE GOODIES!!

NOOK Color by Barnes and Noble

Nintendo Black Wii Console w/ Mario Kart

Apple iPod touch 8GB With

Ematic 11-in-1 Accessory Kit for iPod Touch (4th Generation):

Garmin nuvi 1100LM 3.5" GPS 

w/ Lifetime Map Updates

Bonaia's Shop 

Winner receives one Owl Onesie

This item is made to order, each onesie is hand printed,
you choose size. My very first Esty donation :o)
If only I wore this size.

Jajansi's shop

Winner receives choice of two bibs 

And choice of one Pop Bead Child's Purse 
Those bibs are some of the cutest bibs I have seen in a long time
and I have never seen a child's purse like that before.

CiteFuzz 

Winner receives one Mini Monkey Hat.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Mathew Broderick's Twin girls Marion and Tabitha, were spotted in NYC wearing our popular CiteFuzz Cotton Mini Monkey ear flap hats.
You know you want to see your little one in this because you can't go to E. Europe and
not have a hat on your child.

Laksaware's shop

Winner will receive one Dish Towel and One square Sponge
I bought one of her round scrubbies for David last Christmas and it is still going strong.
The kids love to wash dishes with it!! (win random colors)

RedeAndRite's

Winner receives one Wreath Of Pearls Necklace
This necklace reminds me of the pearl necklace my mother and 
father gave me to wear for my wedding. Beautiful.

Bentleysbands

Winner receives a $25 Store Credit
What a sweet heart she is! I asked for one item, she gives me two.
She shares about Andriy all the time on Facebook and we just "met".
 See making friends while helping Andriy.

Bentleysbands

Winner receives a $25 Store Credit
(Yes she donated TWO $25 credits, her husbands idea)

 

Fridascloset1 

Winner receives one Minnie Mouse Pillowcase Dress. 
Available sizes: 3-6m, 9-12m, 18-24m, 2T, 3T, 4T, 5T, 6T

Please allow 7-10 days processing time before shipping.
You know who I picture wearing this dress.....Paisley!

 Owlsay's shop 
Winner receives a $40 Gift Certificate
To be used within 3 months after auction ends.
This sweet lady has never donated to a giveaway but she felt
lead to donate to this one. Please show her she did the right thing.

Littlesnuggliebug's

Winner receives one "Little Round Up" Snugglie 
This is not only a blanket/lovie it is also a pacifier holder. If you know my kids this 
would have been so handy when they were younger. 

 Littlesnuggliebug's

Winner receives a "Brown & Pink" Sugglie
Yep another sweety that donated not one but TWO items! I am so amazed!!

LoveLeeSoaps' shop

Winner receives a $10 store credit
Every time I look into this store I gain a pound. JK 
Just image what they would smell like ;o)

(these look good enough to eat but they are soaps)

Morganprather 
Winner chooses any one piece of jewelry from this store.
Now I have totally fell in love with this store. She has such great 
pieces of unique jewelry at great prices. 

Morganprather 
 Winner chooses any one piece of jewelry from store. 
It is like getting something you love twice, Yes she donated two items :o)

Please check out all the "leaf" necklaces, don't they remind you of my leaf fundraiser?!

GrowingUpVintage's shop

Winner receives a $30 Store Credit.

How great would it be to be able to keep your child's growth chart and

pass it down to their children. These charts are so pretty you will want to do just that.

Little Loulees

Holiday hairbow collection (including birthday cupcake)

How cute will these be in the hair of your princess. One for each month. Non-slip design

Charolette Mae Boutique

The sweet lady who runs Little Loulees also runs Charolette Mae Boutique, she wanted to help and donated this adorable headband.

Imagine this on your sweet bundle. Hand cute & sewn wool felt flower infant headband.

HURRY! Ends August 31st

A Glimpse at Her Village

This project is a work in progress, and is far from finished.
I wanted to give you a brief glimpse, though, of just how big Elisha's Village is! At this point it is a list of some names of those who have made financial contributions to Elisha.

I still have a lot of names to add to the list (once I get through the financials, there are still more categories of supporters!) but as I was working on it last night, it truly hit me just how huge her village is. I did not bother to actually count the names because it would take way too long to do so.
Thank you. Each and every one of you, whether I have your name recorded yet or not, thank you. We will never forget the love you have shown our daughter.

This print, when completed, will be a print that hangs on her wall. Seeing as I still have a long way to go, I think instead it will have to be a set! :)  Very much still a work in progress; once it is done it will be much prettier. 

This is our family

I was saving this until we reached our goal.
Today, I feel that it is better to just share it now. We've been so supported by so many people, that I just feel like it is time to say thank you for what you have already done. You are Elisha's Village. A village that has come to mean the world to us.

(This slideshow was originally created for the concert that the Niegsch family held to help raise money for Elisha. Since we couldn't be there in person, we sent this for them to share instead. We were totally blessed by the family and people who attended the concert.)

BEFORE HITTING PLAY, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF MY BLOG AND HIT "PAUSE" ON THE MUSIC PLAYLIST.

Customize a free slideshow design

If you haven't already paid for your auction winnings, please make sure to do so asap! Thanks!

I have multiple cookie orders to make this week, and I will be contacting you regarding flavors soon. My neighbor has happily agreed to be the taste-tester to make sure you are getting the best ones possible. Isn't she sweet? :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quick "Where we are" update:

We are going to attempt to get to ANOTHER notary today to get the last of this set of dossier documents signed and mailed off. We still need just over $1000 (I'm figuring in the $700 from the recent fundraisers) to send for our agency fees (due with these documents,) but I'm confident that this is our week to get everything mailed in. Prayers that we have no more delays!




I'd like to write more, but I'll have to say posting for another time. I'm actually walking (hobbling) on two feet now, so it's time to take over the mother/housekeeper role once again. My poor husband, God bless him, has been doing both of our roles on top of working 12-13 hour days, so you can probably imagine how our house is looking about now. :)  (He really tried, but who has time to worry about cobwebs when you are having to care for the family after an incredibly long day at work?)

List of Winners

I literally spent HOURS yesterday creating a document of all the emails of winners and donors from the wildfire auction, organizing who won what amounts due, contact info, etc.


Today, I open the document... and it's a BLANK PAGE!  WHAT HAPPENED???? I saved multiple times so I wouldn't lose my work, and the document title exists, but upon opening, there is nothing there. sigh....


I am out of town for the day, so it looks as if I know what I will be doing tomorrow. I will send that out as soon as I have it finished.


Sorry about the delay; I thought I was coming on here to give a heads up to watch for that email. Apparently not!


NEVERMIND THAT! I was able to recover the document, whew.




The winners of the auction have all been emailed. If you didn't get an email from me, it means I have an incorrect email address for you. Please contact me if you did not receive the chart of winners so that I can send it to you again!

Off to celebrate birthdays and the weekend with family today. Have a great weekend, everyone!

ONE BIG GIANT THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!!!
To everyone who spread the word about our Wildfire Auction.  Thank you so much for getting the message out.

THANK YOU!!!
To every single person who bought something that was offered up in the auction!

THANK YOU!!!
To every person who donated something (or somethings) to the auction.

THANK YOU!!!
I had a lot of people willing to help out and do what was necessary to pull off a successful event. To my dear friend Kelly, I am especially grateful for all your hard work.  Kelly was not only a sounding board, but she went out of her way to rally people to visit my auction. She then came up with the idea to "branch off" and start her own when the bidding slowed, so that there were twice as many chances to win stuff.  She offered up donations even without receiving anything in return, and she found other people to do the same.
Kelly, I cannot thank you enough for all your support during this entire process (not just this fundraiser, but this entire adoption process.)

AND A BIG GIANT SMOOCHIE THANK YOU EVERYONE...
because of you we raised

$602!!!

PLUS,
Angie Brown held that Scentsy fundraiser for us a few weeks ago, which is another $100!!!

$700 toward the agency fees is an EXCELLENT start!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!

IF YOU WERE PART OF THE AUCTION:

I need an email address from the following people: Angie B., Meg T., Mandy, Mindy, Katie R., Laura, Robin, Erin H. Jill S.   
(I have a lot of you on facebook but need a regular email address to put winners in touch with each other.)

To pay for your bids: You may pay through the ChipIn at the top of this page. If it allows a "note" (it should,) please state what you are paying for. Alternatively, you can pay directly through paypal. The email address to make payments to is fivethousandfootsteps@gmail.com    
If you do not want to pay online, please email me at my address (see above) and I will give you my address to send a check by mail.  FYI: When you make the payment to the ChipIn, I believe it will come up as "-For Danil". Ignore that, it's actually for Elisha. :)


I will be putting everyone in touch with one another sometime today (as soon as I have have everyone's contact info.) I will give you the email information for the person you bid from and the person who won your donation. Remember that shipping was the responsibility of the BUYER unless the donor chooses to include that. (If you need to pay the donor for shipping, please make sure to send that person the payment, not me!)


THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYONE!!! 

End of the Wildfire, Items Still Available

I will write a separate post to thank everyone for your participation in the wildfire auction, but I won't here so that this one doesn't get cluttered. (I will hint, though, that I am greatly appreciative and thrilled with the $400+ that was raised!)

I've had such generous donations given, so we still have some amazing items available. Since we still need $1500 for our agency fees, I am putting them up in typical auction fashion.

If you would like to purchase any of the items below, the donation amount listed is the MINIMUM bid amount. If someone else would like to have the same item, they can outbid you. All bids are final at midnight tonight. Use the comments box to make any bids using the following format:

"(Item name) Bidding $______"


When available, I will post information and the items value. I am listing prices well below value, so whether you get it for that price or bid slightly higher, you are still getting a fantastic deal!

ITEMS STILL AVAILABLE (TODAY ONLY):

LIA SOPHIA JEWELRY (value over $200)                         MINIMUM DONATION PRICE: $50

Knotted up bracelet: 7 1/2", Retail value $76. Hammered  finish of interlacing knots with fold-over clasp. 

Knotted up necklace retails at $128. Length is 30"-33". 

LEATHER-BOUND STUDY BIBLE, NKJV                   MINIMUM DONATION PRICE: $35

15th Anniversary edition from TV 38. All leather cover. Still in factory wrapping. Could very well be valuable collectible! (Unable to find information for this particular edition.)

HANDMADE TUTU, SANDALS, and HEADBAND:          MINIMUM DONATION PRICE: $25
(you pick the size)

Sorry, photo unavailable!

147 MILLION ORPHANS TOTE BAG                           MINIMUM DONATION PRICE: $50

This is a GORGEOUS tote from 147millionorphans.com   The bag has been sold out and unavailable for months now, so this is the only place you will find it!

TWO TICKETS CHICAGO 
CHOCOLATE TOURS (value $80)                                       MINIMUM DONATION PRICE: $40

$80 certificate for two people. Take a guided walking (and tasting!) tour of the various chocolate shops  in Chicago. 

NOTE: In the event that Chocolate Tours or the certificate suddenly becomes no longer available, I will send you a gift card to Target instead. These tours are a big hit, so I'm not too worried! :)

TWO HANDMADE BABY GIRL HATS
CROCHETED, COORDINATING PRINTS (value $30):      MIN. DONATION PRICE: $15

Handiwork by Jessica at Merry Klay and Krochet. These are adorable for a baby girl (or two!)

TWO HANDMADE ORGANZA RIBBON NECKLACES
(using your images)                                                                 MINIMUM DONATION PRICE: $20

Custom made; you get two, using any pictures you'd like. Perhaps make a mother/daugther set? Or best friends? There are lots of possibilities for this fantastic piece of handmade jewelry! 

REMEMBER:

This is for one day only, a final push to raise more donations for our agency fees toward bringing Elisha home. Ends at midnight tonight, so don't delay, get your bids in right away!

WILDFIRE BLITZ!!!

THE BLITZ HAS ENDED. 
THANKS FOR BEING A PART OF THE FUN!!!


MISSED THE WILDFIRE BUT STILL WANT A GREAT DEAL? CHECK HERE.


CURRENTLY RAISED: $412
CURRENTLY NEED: $2000

Bidding starts at $63. Bid early, get the whole package!

The longer you wait, the price drops... but so does the offer (items get removed)

Each package is valued well over $100, and some of the prizes are one-of-a-kind, hard-to-find items.

You do NOT want to miss this opportunity for fantastic prizes at such a great deal!

Remember, the TOP price bid is only $63; and this is not a bidding war! 

The first person to write "SOLD FOR $___ (and package name)" wins it!

Now, since this IS a fundraiser, you have other options available as well.
1. Don't want to bid on "more stuff" (even though it is GREAT stuff?)  How about just making a donation instead?   If you feel so inclined, just write "No Bid- Donation amount $____"  and your donation will automatically be included in the thermometer!

2. Don't have money to give, but have an item to offer up for auction? Send me a message and I will include it in either the Blitz or the regular auction.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING A PART OF THE FUN!!! IT'S ALL TO GET OUR SWEET DAUGHTER HOME!

THE END OF THE BLITZ:

CREATE A PACKAGE

JUST $63

Choose any four items to create your package from the following:

LIA SOPHIA JEWELRY SET

ONE DOZEN HOMEMADE COOKIES AND FERRERO ROCHER GIFT SET

STARBUCKS COFFEE (WHOLE OR GROUND PACKAGE)

LEATHER-BOUND STUDY BIBLE, 15TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION NKJV (NIP)

147 MILLION ORPHANS TOTE BAG

BOOK "THE LOVE DARE" DAILY DEVOTIONS (Inspired by the movie Fireproof)

HANDMADE TUTU + SLIPPER + HEADBAND SET

TWO HANDMADE ORGANZA RIBBON NECKLACES (using your photos)

TWO BABY GIRL COORDINATING CROCHETED FLOWER HATS

To claim a package, go to the comments and write "SOLD FOR $63 CREATE A PACKAGE: (with your four choices included.)

SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

PACKAGE

$55

LIA SOPHIA  JEWELRY SET

(value $128)

AND

ONE DOZEN HOMEMADE COOKIES (from ELISHA'S KITCHEN), and

a FERRERO ROCHER GIFT BOX

(value $20)

AND

GROUND OR WHOLE BEAN STARBUCKS COFFEE PACKAGE

(value app. $10)

(Tell your husband this would a make a simple and fantastic gift for you. Throw in a coffee mug and you are all set!)

KIDS ARE WORTH IT ALL 

Package
FINAL OFFER $45
SOLD!!!!!!!  (THANKS, BROOKE!)

Classic Boba Baby Carrier (1st generation)

(gently used, excellent condition)

value $75+

AND

an AUTOGRAPHED copy of the new children's book

"It's Almost Time" (ages 3-7)

by author Debbie LaCroix

(being offered directly by the author herself!)

value $15

--------------THIS PACKAGE IS SOLD!!------------------






BLESSINGS ABOUND
Package:
FINAL OFFER $45




Leather-Bound
15th annivesary (TV-38) special edition
NKJV
STUDY BIBLE
(wrapped, new in package)

not a great photo, but a GREAT Bible to own!

AND


147 MILLION ORPHANS TOTE BAG
(highly sought, currently unavailable elsewhere!)

This bag has been out of stock for some time now... getting it here is quite the big deal!

MAKIN' MAMA HAPPY
package
FINAL OFFER $40
SOLD!!!!!!!
(Thanks, KC... you got a great deal!!)




MARY KAY "TIMEWISE" FOUNDATION
($20 value)

AND


ANN SCOTT PENDANT AND EARRING SET
($85 value)

------THIS IS NOW SOLD------








CRAFTER'S PARADISE 
package
FINAL OFFER $53
Meg made an offer and I couldn't refuse!
SOLD!!!!!! $45 $50 (because she's just that nice!)
(You are one smart cookie, Meg. These are two beautiful pieces of art that are well worth your bid!! Congratulations!)


BLUE DOTS NECKLACE
$70 value
(recognize this? yes, it has been donated again just for this Blitz!)

AND


HANDMADE SWAN MOBILE
(Your choice of blue or pink)
$42 value

----------------------SOLD---------------

YOU MAY ALSO CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS AUCTION.