Online Fundraising for your Adoption

Since I have been in the adoption world since 2010...not long...but I have seen so many fundraisers come across my Facebook newsfeed that could be so much better! I do not want to step on anyone's toes. But I want to help....

 

This is my advice on having online fundraisers. Ignore if you want.

 

Online Auctions:

 

-Offer incentive. Such as for sharing your auction with others, give them a chance on some sort of giveaway. Examples: an iPad mini, an iPad, a camera, kindle fire..whatever. Plan to take this out of your earnings. Just having people share this is HUGE in the amount of money you will make.

 

 

-Offer items people WANT or NEED. Offer services. Not the 'junk' you did not sell at a garage sale. We all have friends that are direct sale reps for something. Have a party. Get the free stuff you earn and auction it off. My wonderful friend Rebekah had a Premier Jewerly party and gave me ALL of her free jewerly. It made over a $1,000 and because of some other fabulous donors; we made close to $4,000.

 

-Offer chances on your giveaway for every single bid. Increments of $1. Don't believe..check out this auction....https://www.facebook.com/#!/BringingHomeOurChinaCuties

 

-Post photos of the children you are adopting.

 

Puzzle Fundraisers

 

Okay this is an awesome one. Have a puzzle made of your child you are adopting. The person purchasing the puzzle piece gets there name on the back of the puzzle piece. A 250 puzzle piece at $20 a piece would let you earn over $5,000!!! Yes $5,000!!!!

BUT.....

 

-offer a large incentive.

-offer a small incentive

-offer both

 

I have seen so many cute ideas with these puzzle fundraisers.

 

1.On Mother's day, purchase a puzzle piece in your mother's name or a grandmothers's name.

2. Purchase a puzzle piece in memory of someone.

3. When putting the puzzle together, put the pieces of your child's face on LAST so you can the progress of the puzzle. Post actual photos of the progress of your puzzle.

 

Know Your Friends

 

This is hard for me to type. But you will see who your true friends are. BUT be a friend. Bid on others auctions. Buy chances. Donate. Whatever....

 

Again, treat others as you want to be treated.

 

 

 



Beyond Blessed....

I can not even describe the blessings we have received just in the past 4 months. 
Without going to into too many details, because some people would like remain anonymous. We saw her face last night.. She had a unexpected scholarship... And a massively, huge, unexpected donation this morning...we can continue on HIS walk.
But because of unnamed blessings, we have decided to host a little girl from Wide Horizons. She is 11 years old. She is an orphan in China.She will be here for about 4-5 weeks this summer. She reminds me so much of Camye.
My other kids are awesome. All my kids from Mia up to Chloe....every one of those kids of mine saw her picture and said lets get her.




So for about 4 weeks we will get to have a mission trip at home....we will love this sweet girl and hopefully tell her about God.

Please pray for us as we go on another journey!!!

Ocean and Continent Lapbook

I do love lap books! We are actually done with our 180 days. I haven't told the kids yet... We always do school until out co-op picnic which is the 10th.:)


But I do lighten the workbook load and do things that are more fun such as lap books!!:)


Click here

My Sweetness!!

Last week we recieved 8 new videos from our agency. I love that we figured out how to freeze frame photos so I can pretend I also got tons of new photos too.:)

Isn't he adorable!! He is doing so incredibly well. He has started preschool and loves it.

 I am so happy he is well enough to be at this orphanage and not back in a hospital. I pray he stays healthy and does not have to go back to a hospital before we can travel.

 Since the day I met this little guy..he has only gotten happier and happer...each update he looks healthier and happier...every time!!

 Look at that crazy laughter!! Makes my heart so happy!!!!

And just not anyone can rock some acid washed skinny jeans...but this Korean Cutie sure can!! Loving this! Can't wait to shop in Seoul for a little boy!!

 

Hold on precious boy! Mama is coming...

~Top Rules For My Christian Life~

We’ve all got rules that we live by. Consciously or not. Some of them empower us and some restrict us to a life that we don’t really want or enjoy. I always get asked about my beliefs; the ‘life rules’ which I do my best to live by. I say “do my best”, because I fail...fail miserably... to live up to them on a regular basis and am a work in progress.

Here’s some of my ‘Life Rules’:


1. Trust and Follow God. Sounds easy and of course this is everyone's first rule of life right. But I mean do it. Trust HIM. Follow HIM to unimaginable places. HE will rock you to your core.

2. When everyone throws in the towel...dive in harder. Do what everyone else is tired of. It will motivate you and then others.

3. Finish whatever you start. Everyone is great at starting things but few are great at finishing.

4. Avoid energy suckers. This explains itself...

5. Make the tough decisions. Most people would rather someone or something else make the tough decision for them. Success is a choice.

6. Change what you can and don’t worry about what you can’t.

7. Don’t be a critic. You’ve got enough of your own issues and weaknesses to work on. People who constantly criticize others are typically insecure. Avoid that like the plague.

8. Don’t make excuses, make plans. Stop talking about it. Start creating it.

9. Invest into others in a practical way. Be generous with your time, your knowledge, your skills, your money and your love. The best return on investment has nothing to do with money.

10. Don’t base your expectations for your future, on your past. Too many people are hostages to their sinful past, so they simply create a sinful future. Ask for forgiveness and MOVE on.

11. Get uncomfortable on a regular basis. Take risks. Physically, emotionally and psychologically.‘Safe’ is boring and unrewarding. 'Safe' will not get us to heaven.

12. Don’t spend your life waiting for the ‘right time’. It is always the right time. If you’re breathing, it’s the right time.

13. Live, laugh, learn and love. While many walk around with the world on their shoulders, choose to be different. Choose to live. Choose laughter. Choose learning. Choose LOVE. Choose to be that person.

There’s no right or wrong with this stuff because we all need to find our own truth and we all need to choose how we live our life.

We must choose to be that person....that is not lukewarm. Be HOT.....Go for it. Be what God created....Be his image.

God's Girls

Literally... These are God's Girls.


And I got the blessing of spending the day with these girls and taking them to the God's Girls youth rally in Pittsburgh.


The theme was transformation. It was an awesome theme for young christian girls and older for that matter.


This was Camye's first year and she was positively giddy!


They released live butterflies to symbolize releasing the sin in their lives.


Love these girls!



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A moment in time...

Do you ever have those moments when God just tells you something? Just says it..
Yea.. Me either...
Unless it is about WHO he has planned as my child. And he does.. For some reason he lays it on my heart like nothing ever before.
Almost like God knows if he doesn't shove it right in my face.. I would miss it. He knows me so well.
In the same hour of meeting Avah, we met our son Robert Cade HyunSoo. He was screaming....crying...he was hurt. He was lieing on his back ...just wailing. No one was going to get him. Kenny and I could not take our eyes off of him. A few minutes of his screams and our Korean social worker went and brought him to me. She showed me his scar from a previous surgery and told me he would need a liver. I looked at her and said, "I want him." I knew it. I just did. He looked back into my eyes....and touched my face. A total and complete GOD moment. The Korean social worker told  me he was on our US adoption agency list. I was in disbelief I had never seen him before. But it was true...he was there just waiting.
I waited for every door to shut. BUT Every single door opened.
Our insurance pays 100% of transplants....
we live near the best liver hospital on the East Coast...
and the biggest obstacle...Korea approved us.
We have six children so it is unbelievable we are approved. Praise GOD!!



I know.. He is adorable!!!!! The first two photos I found on a Korean blog!! What a blessing!:)
And yes we were ATK yesterday!!
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328 days...

The amount of days since we have met sweet Avah.

The amount of days since the first time we have laid our eyes on our third son.

Tomorrow could be the day we go ATK.. To officially begin our wait.




Here is his newborn picture. He is almost 3 1/2 years old now... It's time for his mama to come and get him.





Thanks to some great stalking skills I found this picture on a blog advertising Natural Plan milk. They were kind enough to donate to his orphanage.

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Spring Fun!

Thank goodness ... Spring has arrived. I hope to get back to my blogging more but I am in a funk until our acceptance paperwork can be complete.
So I am going to do my best.

Mia and her friend Evan... She adores this little guy at church!:)


Avah is so silly. We went to get her passport and for her photo she tried to do the Korean 'peace' sign. Yea.. Didn't go over so well. I promised to take her photo like that if she would smile.. Just a little....:) Avah is all smiles usually! Her whole face lights up!:)


Spring time. Sidewalk chalk. Water hoses. And purses!:)


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Lads to Leaders 2013 Part 2

Well I am bummed but our camera messed up. So for now I only have what was on my phone or what I stole from Facebook.




This was our 5th grade bible bowl team!




Chloe first place scrapbook in winners circle!:)




Camye's team was a bible bowl finalist!




Great family pics on Easter morning besides for whoever had my camera... Had their finger over the lense.;(




Excitement for our K-2nd graders!




Yay Paul and Mia!




More excitement over bible bowl top scores for K-2nd grade!!




11th grade puppet team places 2nd!!! That's me in the middle!!:)




A little Rogers bling for all their hard work. This year I incorporated L2L curriculum into our homeschooling. I must say I have never done as much bible as we have done this year. It has really been such a blessing. Winners or not... We learned more about Gods word and that is all that matters.
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Lads to Leaders 2013-part 1

We participate in a fabulous program with our church called Lads to Leaders and Leaderettes. And basically it is a tool for kids to study Gods word, give speeches, learn to lead songs, work as a team on a puppet team, art work.. The list goes on and on. I can't say enough about this program.


We attend the Nashville convention. It is held every year at the Opryland hotel. Yes.. Awesome.


Our hospitality room... Ran by my fabulous friend Lori. She keeps things running smoothly at us well fed.


4th grade puppet team!:) we did out tonight if they won. They worked so hard!:)


8th grade puppet team!!:) they ha their best performance of the year yesterday which was a good thing because we were put in the 9th grade category. We needed a perfect performance!


Some of our bestest friends moved away this year but not after a long hard working L2L year!!! This is Camye with their oldest daughter Holly.


Waiting for the show to begin!


Mia sneaking in the candy bag!!


It is so incredible out of 10,000 people attending conventions across the US this weekend.. We have the blessing of attending the same convention with my first cousin and her family. AND we are in the same color!!! And tonight out girls Camye and Kinlee will be competing against each other in Winners Circle Scrapbook. Both deserve to win and both worked super hard!!


Bronze medals for Good Samaritan!


I had the honor of teaching Gifts to these beautiful christian girls.:)


Just a glimpse at our families bling for Friday night!! Bring on Saturday night!!!


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And finally...

My favorite word... Matched!!!




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