Journey to a Little Leonard

Choosing to be Thankful

2012-02-09T17:53:00.001-08:00

Recently I've been "in the dumps". We've crossed the year and half mark of official adoption wait time and are nearing the four year mark of trying to grow our family. There are times where it's not that difficult to push the yucky emotions aside, but then there are times where it seems I'm too weak to push them away. Going through this is definitely not what I would have chosen, but I know God has a plan for each and every struggle I go though.

Though there are trails in my life, I have much to be thankful for.
*I'm thankful for Charlie. I am so very blessed to have such an amazing husband.

*My parents are extremely supportive of us adopting. It's so nice to have their support. Daddy sent a simple text this week letting me know he was proud and that he loved me. It made my day. Mama and my David often lift my spirits with their words of encouragement. Again, I'm so blessed.

*Charlie and I both have wonderful friends who encourage us and pray that we will be matched with Little Leonard.

*Our church family truly feels like family. I'm oh so very thankful for the prayers our church family lifts up. I'm also thankful Sam / Libby will grow up at FBC.

*We both have jobs we enjoy. Charlie likes what he is doing at Affordable, and I love being surrounded with my kids and amazing coworkers. We are so very, very blessed.

*The support group meetings that Bethany offers are wonderful. Sometimes they make me oh so emotional, but they also make me feel like a true expectant mother.

*I'm thankful we are healthy. So many of my friends and their loved ones are facing battles.

*We have a cozy home to welcome our baby into.

*We have the money to pay for the adoption! WOO HOO!!!

Thank you all for your constant prayers. Please continue to pray that we will be able to update ya'll soon that we have a miracle by the name of Little Leonard.

Little Leonard's Mama

Adoption Bug

2011-11-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

Some time ago (I can't remember... HAHAHA) we began an Adoption Bug T-shirt fundraiser. We are going to close out this fundraiser on December 31, 2011. Here is the link to the T-shirt fundraiser if you'd like to grab yourself a shirt before the fundraiser ends. :)

Adoption Bug Fundraiser

Support

2011-11-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

Support – verb, to keep from falling, to help, to back a cause, to serve.

Sometimes along the journey of adoption support is having a friend to say “I don't fully understand what you are going through but I am praying for you.” Sometimes it means just sitting back and listening to a rant about some aspect of the journey. The adoption process is a lot more like a life journey than a pregnancy journey. All three have a definitive start, but a pregnancy normally has a 9 month term and you can lay a path, plan the dates, know when to have a bag packed for the end result. Not so with life or an adoption journey. You have a start, but show me someone who when they start life's journey or an adoption journey who can even give a somewhat firm answer to what date these journeys would end. We started the journey of growing our family in May, 2008 and almost a year later in February, 2009 we started our adoption journey. We were told when we completed our paperwork and orientation that once approved we would be looking at anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Now as I write this we have been on the path of adoption for almost 2 years, have been approved and paper pregnant for 14 months and our 4th Christmas season since beginning our journey to grow our family, it becomes harder each year. It's not anyone's fault, life goes on and others see their families growing or see the growth in a pregnancy with a defined date it becomes hard to not get mad at God and can become difficult to be around those whose families are growing because we love them and are happy for them and are glad for the joy of another baby to spoil but still mourn our loss and do not want to rain on their parade as it were. Now back to the support part. (I should be a preacher the way I chased that rabbit trail.) When you've seen a friend who is going along the path of adoption, remember that it has as many ups as it does downs. Sometimes the better thing to say is “I'm praying for you,” because with a domestic adoption, generally “anything new on the adoption” is “We haven't heard anything, still waiting.” On another note, we have added a donation button to the top right corner of the blog. It's setup through Paypal so it is secure. It doesn't require a Paypal account to use. Do not feel obligated to do anything but we wanted to give the option for those who felt led to aid. We look forward to the day that we can say, “We met the birth mother!!! We have 'x' amount of time before the baby God has for us is here.” The best way to be supportive is to pray without ceasing, love unconditionally and follow James 1:19.

Little Leonard's Daddy

James 1:19
King James Version (KJV)
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

Snipits

2011-10-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

*We've made nearly $250.00 so far from the Duck Duck Goose consignment sale! WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! I sold some of the stuff we previously bought. I'm so over green and yellow. HA! Now we will have more to register for. :)

*We shared with our Sunday school class at First Baptist of Chickamauga that we are adopting. Now we have more brothers and sisters praying we will soon be matched with our precious miracle baby.

*This week after supper (or on nights when Charlie works late... as soon as he gets home) we've prayed together for our baby's birthfamily and that we will be matched soon. I'm praying that we'll be matched by Christmas. God very well may decide to have us wait longer, but He said "Ask and ye shall receive." :)

*On October 21st, I celebrated 1 year of friendship with the Kenneth and Kandle Lee! We met at a support group meeting at Bethany and hit it off. The rest is history! I love how God brought us together through our adoption journeys. Kandle is not only like a friend but more like a sister. :) I can't wait to raise our children together!

*Please continue to pray for the soon match of us with a birthfamily and that we'll be able to pay for the adoption in full!

Duck Duck Goose!

2011-10-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is the second time we've consigned in Duck Duck Goose (Consignment sale). We are extremely thankful for those who donated items for the sale. :) So far we've made over $100!!! God is the Almighty Provider!

We took all of this to the sale!!! YAY!

Persistent and Focused

2011-10-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

The message at church Sunday morning convicted both Charlie and me. This was the passage that was read.

Luke 18
NIV

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

As Chris said, our prayers should have a focus... 1 focus. We should not give up or get distracted; we should strive to be persistent like the widow in from the Bible.

For Charlie and myself, we realized our prayer for a child has not been persistent and focused as it ought to be. After a discussion on the way home from church, we decided to lift our prayers to the Lord after supper (and when we come together if circumstances prevent us eating together) to pray specifically that we will be matched with our Little Leonard and for his/her birthparents.

As we've been on this journey to a Little Leonard for nearly 3 1/2 years, God is continually bringing things to our attention to grow us closer to Him. We are grateful that He continues to convict us and bring us closer to Him!

Prayer

2011-10-15T20:12:00.000-07:00

I'm struggling with the "longing for a baby blues" a lot lately. Instead of going into detail, I want to keep this entry simple.

We are extremely grateful for your prayers.
We firmly believe God will answer our prayers.
We ask for your continued prayers that we will soon be matched with our baby.
We ask for your continued prayers for strength to press on for the birth parents and us.

Adoptive Families Picnic

2011-09-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

We walked away from the picnic today with encouragement and a bit of sadness. It was wonderful to hear other adoptive parents share their stories of being matched with their little miracles. We were extremely thankful that there were 2 other waiting families there today as well! YAY! It was great to catch up with them and not feel like weirdos. :)

While we totally loved hearing adoptive moms and dads tell their stories, it was hard to swallow that we are still waiting for our story to get REALLY exciting. I didn't cry while at the picnic though at times I wanted to. I'm so thankful God gave Charlie and me the strength to get through this picnic and to have a good time. :)

Hopefully next year we will return our reservation card to Bethany with at least 3 who will attend!

This cake made me smile so much that I'm sure I now have a wrinkle!

Bethany did a fantastic job of entertaining the kids! There was face painting and lots of fun blow ups!

Sam or Libby's daddy enjoying his food. :) I'm so thankful for this wonderful man!

Full of Fun

2011-09-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend will be quite busy for us, but we are excited!

Friday, we're having our best friends over. We've missed them and totally look forward to a good time of fellowship. :) We are blessed with great friends!!!

Saturday, we are going to the Adoptive Families Picnic that Bethany hosts each year. We didn't go last year because we felt it would be far too emotional to go and see everyone with their children. Truth is... it's probably going to be hard this year because we still long for the day with God adds our Sam or Libby to our family. We are hoping to find encouragement and a good time of fellowship Saturday though. :) We're praying that neither of us will be emotional and that a good time will be had by all!

Sunday is the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure! I'm looking forward to the race with my family. I will walk in honor of my Aunt Diane who is a breast cancer survivor and a wonderful woman of God. Little Leonard will love her just as much as we all do!

Please continue to pray we are matched soon. :)

The Roller Coaster

2011-09-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

Since our homestudy update has been finialized, we've just been waiting...

The waiting process to grow our family has very much been a roller coaster in multiple ways. We're so ready to get off this ride to get onto the roller coaster ride of parenthood.

The waiting has been easier as of the past couple weeks, but today for some reason has been hard for me. It's hard to know what triggered it too... Another friend announcing her pregnancy, our extended family is growing, the lady with a screaming infant in her hands and a toddler being yelled at that I wanted to run up to today at Goodwill. I know that my Father will take me out of this low point. He's been there through this whole entire ride.

Please continue to pray for us as we continue waiting and praying for our Little Leonard.

Sorry, Immortal Dragon is taken!

2011-08-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday we had our monthly support group meeting, and the topic was on legal issues. The guest speaker was an adoption lawyer who is extremely knowledgeable! My favorite part of the night was when he told us the strangest name a birthmother has ever had put on the origional birth certificate is Immortal Dragon. BAHAHAHAHAHA We all got a big laugh about that!

After the meeting was over, we turned in all of our paperwork for the homestudy update as well as some more money. We then scheduled for the home visit. Next Friday we will have our home visit, and I'm not as nervous as I was with our first home visit. Thank goodness! :)

On another note, Sunday was a one year "paper pregnant" day. I was not as emotional as I thought I would be because I was with Timmy, Melissa, Carter, and Mama for most of the day. Looking back, the spur of the moment beach trip to visit Timmy and the fam was a total God thing. I'm so thankful that He used my family to lift my spirits and take my mind off of the waiting process! :) Thank you Lord!!!

1 Year Homestudy Update

2011-08-16T18:36:00.001-07:00

The next week will be busy with getting things together for our 1 year homestudy update. Charlie and I have to have physicals, Alfie boy has to get his yearly doggy checkup and shots, and we have to gather tax papers.

We will be turning in everything next Thursday so we can get our homestudy home visit scheduled. Our social worker who did our initial homestudy has moved which makes me sad, but our new one is fantastic!

Charlie went to Bethany a couple days ago, and he asked if our profile was being shown. He was assured it is being shown. The lull in birth mothers is slowly picking back up. I love that the staff at Bethany understands the emotions and struggles that come with the waiting process.

Please continue to help us pray that we will be matched soon. I'm praying specifically that this will be the year we grow our family. 2011 is quickly approaching its close, but my God can move mountains! :)

Still clinging to this passage!

50 Days

2011-07-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

In 50 days, we will have been "Paper Pregnant" for 1 whole year. In some ways this makes me sad, but in other ways it's not so bad.

Bethany told us to plan on it taking 2 years to be matched with our baby, and by their estimate, we're about half way there. There are days though when it's hard to think about all the time we've already been waiting prior to being considered "paper pregnant".

We know that God is using this season in our lives for His plan. :) Ecclesiasties Chapter 3 has always been a passage I cling to, and it has such meaning now as well!

Please help us continue to pray we will soon be matched with our Little Leonard. :)

Support

2011-07-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

We are blessed with a wonderful support system! It seems like when either Charlie or myself are feeling down about things, someone from the Little Leonard support team steps in and says or does just the right thing.

Thank you big time from both of us!

Also because of the support from our wonderful support system, we're over half way to what we will have to pay Bethany upon our placement of Little Leonard!!! SO EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you all!!!

Music That Speaks Volumes

2011-06-22T22:42:00.001-07:00

Thank you Father for choosing adoption to grow our family! We feel truly honored that You have chosen this path for us!!!

This video is the background behind the song "Everything To Me"

And here's the song with video. Click the link to listen. :)

Everything to Me

We love the music by Third Day and knowing that they are adoption minded makes us love them even more!

A Letter to Little Leonard

2011-06-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

My Precious Baby,

There are many things I've been meaning to write and tell you, but no more procrastinating! That's one thing you'll learn about your mama and your daddy too... We definitely procrastinate on some things. :) Let's get started on some of the things I want to tell you.
Your daddy and I just celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. It was such a special treat to get away and go camping for the weekend. As we were camping and spending time with one another, we couldn't resist talking about you and the dreams we have of you. I also realized that we've been trying for you for half of our marriage. The wait for you has not been easy, but we realize that God is working His plan out for our family. You are so worth the wait little one! We want it all to be perfect, and the only way that's possible is to follow God's will for your life. We continue to cling to the promises of His Holy Word, and we pray you will be with us soon several times throughout the day.
I wanted to tell you some things about your great-grandmother, Nanna, as I call her. She was very special to me, and oh honey did she spoil your mama rotten! I spent many nights at Nanna's house as a little girl. I would follow her all throughout her house like a shadow! She never seemed to get aggravated with me, yet she listened to me always and answered all my questions as best she could. One thing that sticks out in my mind is how much she encouraged me as I waited for you. She called me every Mother's Day to make sure I wasn't left out. She never missed a chance to ask if you were growing in my tummy or if we had heard anything from Bethany. She wanted so badly for your daddy and me to hurry up and get up and bring you down to her house. She also wanted her Cilla to be a mommy and she it in action! I will tell you many more stories of your Nanna as you grow up. :)
Your daddy and I have been amazed at how God has provided for us to pay adoption fees. He has used the generosity of others and provided us with extra jobs to work! We know we have no need to worry and stress out about the remaining money needed because we know God already has it worked out! We cannot wait to share with you how amazing God is and what He did for everyone! Without Him, we are truly nothing!
You are loved so much already! You will be showered with an abundance of love when you arrive! Your cousin Carter was playing in your room just this past week, and I said something about you referring to you as his cousin. He replied with, "let's go get my cousin! RIGHT NOW!" I couldn't help but hug and kiss your big cousin. He will be a big part of your life! Your Dodie wish your Daddy and me a happy anniversary yesterday, and she said she hoped next year we would be much busier with our Little Leonard. She can't wait to have you over to her house! She'll teach you all kinds of stuff, and give you almost everything you want. :) Your cousin Makayla has learned to walk and run and can't wait for you to get here to play with her! She has a VERY fun play area to share with you when you are big enough! Her mommy and daddy are your mommy and daddy's best friends. They aren't are family by blood, but we know that blood similarities don't make you family.
I'll leave you with one last thing. Your mama and daddy are nerds. We will most likely pass this on to you, but that's okay. Trust me. Your daddy is amazing at so many things, and he will teach you so as much as he possibly can. I'm leaving for a writing and reading conference with my school tomorrow, and I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight because I can't wait to learn how to better educate my kids! Nerds have more funny, or at least I think they do!
I'll fall asleep dreaming of you my little miracle!

I love you!!!
Mama

Three Years

2011-05-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Three years ago we hoped to grow our family by having a child. God taught us both so much in the two years we went through fertility treatments, and we don't regret any of it at all. It was quite an emotional roller coaster, but through those 2 years we are closer with our Lord. Our marriage is also stronger as well. For the past year we've been on our Journey to a Little Leonard through adoption. :) Again God is teaching us so much on this somewhat different journey! We are so thankful that He continually strengthens us and holds our hands throughout this journey! We know that what's in store for us is amazing, and we cannot wait to soak every second of it in. For now, we will continue to praise Jesus and pray without ceasing that our family will grow to three soon. :)

May Support Group Meeting

2011-05-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

We were totally thrilled about another support group meeting, and adoptive grandparents got to come tonight! :)

Three couples shared their adoption journey stories. The first couple that shared, we knew of them because the adoptive mother spoke at our orientation. :) Their story was great!!! The second couple to share was a couple from our orientation group last year. Their story was amazing. The third couple we have seen at support group meetings and poof they were gone. :) Now we know why. Hehehehe. :)

I had a difficult time tonight. I held it together until the end, and Charlie asked if I was okay. As I was explaining, Gloria came up to talk with us. I was so embarrassed that she saw me in my moment of weakness with tears... She reassured us that we were not being overlooked (haha). She also shared with us that they are having a lull with birthmothers coming into the office and choosing adoption.

I'm so thankful for all the support we have in our family and friends. Bethany has been amazing too!!! God led us to the right agency! I know that His timing is perfect, and that there is a purpose for this waiting period. I seem to be in a dip on this roller coaster of a journey, but I know that better days are yet to come. :) Yipee!!!

Please continue to pray for our Little Leonard whereever he or she may be, for his or her birthparents, and for our family. :)

Month 8

2011-05-16T17:41:00.001-07:00

Our profile book has been "out" for birthparents to view for 8 months. We've not had a single call from Bethany about meeting a birthparent or the slightest possiblity of a match. They told us to plan for the match to take up to 2 years, but they said that most prospective parents are matched within 6 to 12 months.

If I were physically pregnant, we would know that we'd have a child within the next month. Since I'm paper pregnant, there's no guarantee of when we'll have our child. In some ways this is totally exciting, and I enjoying dreaming about the call as I drift to sleep at night.

I write this because I need prayers of encouragement. It's much easier some days to stay positive and upbeat about the waiting part. God has definitely taught us about waiting. :) Other days are rather hard for me and for Charlie as well. This Thursday we have a support group meeting which always encourages us and makes us truly feel like expectant parents.

Please don't feel sorry for us, but please lift us up in prayer that we can focus on preparing for our little miracle instead of feeling depressed. We'll have another update after our support group meeting!

Adoption Yard Sale

2011-05-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Our first Adoption Yard Sale went really well! We had a lot of help from family and friends so we were able to pull it off!

We had an issue with some of our signs being confiscated by city police because of a city ordinance.... I wish we had known prior to sending a couple hours putting them out. Charlie received a call from an officer that the signs that were still out MUST be removed IMMEDIATELY and we MUST ask for permission from neighbors to put signs in their yards. Because we have great friends in the city, we had all signs back out (plus Mama's van was decorated with signs... hehehe). We were a bit baffled that the officer who confiscated our signs left another sign for an event that had already happened. Phooey!

Anywho, Friday was an AMAZING day for sales! We sold a lot of stuff!!! Roxanne, Mandy, Cindy, Charlie, and I enjoyed helping shoppers out! Yipee!!! Saturday, we had more shoppers to help! Roxanne, Mandy, Jen, Makayla, Mama, Melissa, Timmy, Carter, Charlie, and I helped out shoppers Saturday! By Saturday we were getting worn slap out, but it was SO worth it!

God provided for us big time! We totally didn't expect it at all!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to all those who donated to our yard sale, helped out, shopped, and prayed! You all made it possible, and we are very blessed to share our Journey to a Little Leonard with ya'll!!!

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

A year ago on Mother's Day, we went out of town because I have struggled with Mother's Day for the past 4 years. Charlie does a phenomenal job of making it special for me! Thank you hugsband! Last year I remember a particular voicemail from Nanna that I will never forget. It went like this.

"Happy Mother's Day baby! You might not have a baby yet, but you're a Mama already because you have a mother's heart. I can't wait until you get that baby! I love you!"

I can't help but boo hoo as I type this and remember that message from Nanna. Nanna is celebrating Mother's Day in Heaven this year with her Mama and our Jesus! I'm so thankful that she's not in pain anymore, but I want to call her so badly and tell her Happy Mother's Day and hear her love and encouragement again. I know that when we are matched with our precious miracle, Nanna will be hootin' and hollerin' up there!

Last Mother's Day my mama also made it special for me. Actually she has every year since we've began our journey to a Little Leonard. I'm so very blessed with a Mama who is all around amazing. I love her to pieces, and I can't wait to watch her spoiled her next grandbaby rotten! Thankfully, I'll get to spend the day with Mama. I am VERY blessed!!!

My best friend Jen also makes Mother's Day special for me as well. She's just thoughtful like that. Last year she sent flowers to school, and I blubbered for the rest of the day! Yesterday there was a precious card on my pillow! Again I boo hooed, and I'm pretty sure it made my mama cry too. :) I am so blessed to have Jen in my life!

There are many others who are uplifting as well, and for that I'm so very grateful! I love how God shows Himself to me over and over again through His people! As Tommy would say, "God is good ALL the time! ALL the time, God is good!"

Happy Mother's Day to all you adoptive Mama's to be, Adoptive grandmama's, and birthmama's!

Cilla

Fundraiser Update

2011-04-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

We were very blessed this weekend with donations for our Adoption yard sale! The youth pastor from our church and his wife gave us 2 couches, a love seat, and a bunch of other stuff!!! One of my students and her mom gave us a lot of stuff too!!! My parents also brought over some things for the yard sale! WOWIE WOW WOW!!! I have oficially went through every closet, drawer, nook, and cranny in our house looking for things to sell. It's rather nice to not have our house so bogged down with stuff (BUT come buy it please...). Charlie and I have priced everything so far! We've even gone through my couponing stockpile so people will really be able to come grocery shopping at our house! Here are more details on the yard sale.

Adoption Yard Sale Event on Facebook

We filled up the bed of Charlie's truck and the trailer with newspapers and mixed papers. We had 2,300 pounds! We got a check for Little Leoanrd for $34.50. It's not a whole bunch, BUT it's $34.50 we didn't have. :) We've already started saving paper again. This time we're going to recycle cardboard as well. :) Here is a crazy video of our paper adventure....

Our Adoption Bug T-shirt fundraiser is also still going on! We had another one bought just this past week (Thanks Aunt Melissa!!!). Here's the link if you would like to order one.

Adoption Bug T-Shirt Fundraiser

Lastly, I'm going to create a photo album on Facebook with some of my crafy work (sewing projects, Cricut projects, etc.) to sell. I'm nervous about this one, but if it helps us pay for the adoption it's worth it!

That's it for now!!!

It Ain't Always Easy

2011-03-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I said Ain't. I'm allowed; I'm from Alabama after all. :)

This past week has been hard. We do our best to hide our disappointments, sadness, etc., but sometimes it spills out. Sunday was one of those times. After the closing prayer, a friend from church embraced me and shared with me what I needed to hear. Immediately after letting go of her, our pastor was there with tears streaming down his face. He also embraced me, and the sobbing came back. His prayers and hugs, as well as those of our other church family were a way of God reassuring me that He's still working on our journey. I am praying for this "funk" to go ahead and move on our pronto! As I was enjoying some Pandora Radio while sorting papers, I heard this song. Again, God showed Himself to me.

Please pray for us to have Faith in Him and for the strength to make it through each day.

Little Leonard's Mama

National Memorial For The Unborn

2011-03-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Our monthly support group meeting with Bethany was tonight. We took a field trip to the National Memorial for the Unborn. I had mixed feelings about going tonight, and I wondered if I would be able to hold it all together.

I am very thankful that we went. It was such a blessing to tour Choices Pregnancy Center and hear about their ministry to women who are faced with an unplanned pregnancy. The birth mother we will be matched with will be faced with an unplanned pregnancy, and I feel this trip helped us better understand somewhat of what she will go through.

We toured the Memorial for the unborn tonight also. The exact location where an aborntion clinic once stood was torn down and replaced with a memorial for all the lives that were ended too soon.

I am so thankful that they have started an area where women can go to mourn the loss of a child through miscarriage. The memorial garden was beautiful.

While this support group meeting was a bit more sad for us, it was much needed. We needed the exsposure to the pregnancy center and the Memorial for the Unborn.

This is the website for the National Memorial for the Unborn.

National Memorial for the Unborn

Fundraisers

2011-03-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

Our Duck Duck Goose Fundraiser went pretty well. :) Between the items I consigned and our Fundraiser Friday Flyers, we were able to deposit nearly $90 in the Adoption Fund! WEEE!!!!!

We've been colelcting a lot of papers! A LOT! We have quite a few family members and friends who are saving paper for us. THANK YOU!

Our yard sale is a little over a month away, and we've turned the garage into a yard sale zone where we can organize and price items. We are very thankful to those of you who have donated to the yard sale. We are constantly overwhealmed with the generosity of everyone around us. There are no words really to express how thankful we are.

Here's a dorky video of our garage for ya'll to see. :)

Busy Week Update

2011-03-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

We've been super busy, and a lot has been going on. Here are some tid-bits as to what's beeen happening!

Funrdraiser Friday seemed to go well! We thoroughly enjoyed working at the sale of FF! It was hard to choke back the tears as family, friends, and people we didn't even know handed us Fundraiser Friday Flyers! We'll find out soon the amount. :)
Our newspaper and mixed paper recycling has been going very well! Students are bringing in paper from their houses which makes me SMILE big! We also have many friends and family members saving paper for us! We have Charlie's trailer full of newspapers and nearly 2 big barrells full of mixed paper! As son as we have enough to fill up the bed of his truck, we'll be taking a load off!
We're planning an "adoption yardsale" the first weekend in May! We have had many generous offers for donations already! We have been very overwhealmed with the giving hearts of those around us!
This past Sunday, Chelsey Sizemore shared her Adoption Awareness presentation with the church. It was great! I will post the video interview she did with us.

We've began stacking newspaper in the floor of the garage!!! Yipee!!!!!!!

This is the interview by Chelsey Sizemore!

Thank you all for your support for our soon to grow family and for your prayers! We are so blessed that God chose so many amazing people to surround us!

Duck Duck Goose

2011-02-27T18:06:00.000-08:00

We are very excited about Fundraiser Friday with Duck Duck Goose!!! What is this?

Duck Duck Goose is an amazing consignment sale for children and teens, and on Friday they offer fundraisers! Little Leonard's Adoption is going to be a part of FF this Friday, March 4th from 10 AM to 8 PM!!! We have flyers that we've been passing out to as many people as we can think of. If you do not have a flyer yet, and would like one you can click on the link @ the bottom and print one out! :) When purchasing your items, you will present your flyer for Little Leonard's Adoption. We will then get 10% of your total. :) At the end of the day, the sales will be totaled, and we will get a check! WHOA! We hope to see a lot of you there! We will both be working shifts from 4 PM - 8 PM!!! We worked a drop off shift yesterday, and we were impressed with all of the nice items!!! It's well worth stopping by (with your FF Flyer).

Duck Duck Goose is in the former Bi-Lo in Tiftonia. The address is
115 Brown's Ferry Road
Chattanooga, TN 37419

Fundraiser Friday Printable Flyer
http://download101.mediafire.com/x9ytdyyyb0sg/hz0y8d081djr18z/fundraiser+friday+flyer.pdf
A Box will pop up. Click Open, and it will begin the process. You will then be able to print. :)

Spoiled Rotten!

2011-02-22T17:52:00.000-08:00

Charlie and I fell in love with a shelf / toy storage bench at Bethany when we started the adoption process. We soon asked my brother Timmy if he would like to make it for Sam or Libby, and he said YES! :) Timmy is very gifted with woodwork, and I can't wait for it to hold our little Miracle's books and toys!

I can only imagine how spoiled our child is going to be. Do I care? NOPE! I love how much I've been able to spoil Carter and Makayla, and I look forward to spoiling more nieces and nephews! Timmy is already showing the signs of spoiling Sam/Libby! I LOVE it!!!

We love you Uncle Timmy!!!

Little Leonard's Mama

Adoption Blog

2011-02-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

We have decided to create a blog and use it strictly for our Adoption updates. :)

Continue to check back for more updates!