HUGE GIVEAWAY

In honor of World Down Syndrome day on March 21st, we are having a "STEP UP FOR DOWNS DAY"  event in Kearney on Sunday the 25th of March from 1-3pm, First United Methodist Church 4500 Linden Drive, Kearney NE.  This day is not only about our family adopting but about getting out awareness to our community about down syndrome.  If you aren't far please come and support us.  Please contact me if you would like flyers to sponsor walkers.  

As you all know there is another special family in our community getting ready to adopt sweet Atrem.  There family along with several others are helping to make this event happen.  So this fundraiser is for both of our families, as we will be bringing home three sweet children home into our community soon.  They will grow up together.  It brings tears to my eyes knowing that our town not only loves orphans but loves orphans with special needs.  The Lord knew what he was doing when he put these precious children on my heart.  I rejoice in knowing that I have a community full of people who will love my children.  I rejoice in knowing that there are a handful of special women out there so liked minded as me.  I met Atrems sweet mama the other day and can hardly believe it when I heard her talk.  She desperately has a heart just like mine to just love these little ones so much.  When I here her talk, I here myself talk, it is just so amazing.  

Friends I'm here to plead for help, our paperwork will be sent in days.  We will be traveling soon.  More than likely the beginning of April and we are trusting that the last 10,000 will come in.  Seeing my babies for Easter how perfect is that? What you, my online friends can do to help.  Be a part of our special day by buying a balloon. 

What my online friends can do.

BALLOON RELEASE  The funds from this event will help us bring home our girls.  This event will have a special spot in my heart because these balloons will hold information about rr, and children waiting  for there forever  famililes.  It is easy really.  Put 10.00 in the chip in for the balloon release for each balloon purchase and tell me which child you want to sponsor.  Any child on RR.  Your 10.00 will buy a balloon and attached will be information about rr, and a plea to help orphans with a photo and information about your chosen child. 

Make sure you leave a comment here telling me who you are, and which child you want to sponsor.

 Then in March , I will upload a video of the event for everyone to see.

GIVEAWAY will take place the day of the balloon release, everyone who bought a balloon will be entered, each balloon bought is one entry in the giveaway.  Also, if you share this fundraiser let me know and I will put your name in the drawing each time you share.  ( There have been a few more donations of prizes I will add in the upcoming days)

Prize #1  100.00 giftcard to Walmart

Prize # 2 100.00 giftcard to Target

Prize #3  A Vera Bradley bag.

 Prize #4

There is one for each month and then one with a cupcake for birthday. 

My giveaway starts now. This is how it works. Donate to the chip in on the side of my blog.
5.00= 1 entry
20.00 = 5 entries
30.00 = 10 entries

Blessing come in many forms.

A few days ago I received an interesting phone call from a lady I don't even know. She wanted to do a fundraiser to support our family to help bring Nellie home. Now what can one say except for YESSSSSSSS. I was actually taken back for a few moments because, if you have been reading our blog for any time, you know that fundraising isn't something that I have quite gotten the hang of yet. So, she has in the makes a fashion show in downtown Kearney. Sometimes I can't help but ponder the idea that maybe the money won't ever come. Yeah, I know my faith is so small one moment and huge the next. It is such a roller coaster of emotion. So, it was such a blessing to know that someone in our community wants to help us in such a way. Just a reminder to me that our Lord is so involved in all of this and His hand is in every step. Thankful beyond words that hearts want to help bring home our precious daughter.

Praising the Lord for the continued provision. 475.00 dollars came in this week, and we are at the point where we now have the money to send in for USCIS APPROVAL. Just waiting on the homestudy still.
So thankful to all of you for giving what you can, the Lord has seen our need and provided everything to this point. I really don't have the words to tell you just how thankful I am.


Fundraising has been on my mind a lot lately and I have ideas pondering away in my head. I didn't think anything would come but my mind is starting to work out some of the details.

First off, my coupon class in November 5th in Kearney, and I have another lady who has booked me to come to Hasting November 11th. Praise God, one class turned into two. I'm looking forward to sharing with others how to save money. If you still want to join one of those two classes let me know.

Second, I will hopefully have my blog giveaway online starting next week. If anyone has items they would like to donate, please let me know.

Third, I am going to be baking up a storm with my Mom, as we are going to be selling, Frozen homemade Pumpkin Pies, Apple Pies, and Sweet Potato Casseroles just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My family loves my sweet potato casserole and it is always what I am told to bring for family gatherings. So hopefully soon I will have a price list and order forms available.

Forth, on the back of my mind I am thinking about selling tutu's. I learned how to make them this week, and they are so fun. I'm considering making a link from my blog, and my facebook for others to purchase.

So there it is for now, busy still trying to put all the details together, but starting to see it all come together.

Oh how marvelous
Oh how wonderful
Oh how glorious
You are amazing
Oh how marvelous
Oh how wonderful
Oh how glorious You are

You are amazing
More than amazing
Forever our God
You're more than enough

These lyrics are stuck in my mind tonight. I so love to blare the radio and sing wonderful words of praise to Jesus. Sometimes though, I think my praise to my father in heaven can get to be somewhat conditional. Oh, thank you Lord for providing this or that, and not so much when things on my agenda don't always go exactly the way I like. I'm just trying to be real here, some days I get it and other days I fall so short. So today a day of rest spending time with my kiddos, remembering all that I have been given, and how blessed my life is. I spend my day remembering who He is, and Oh how marvelous, Oh how wonderful, Oh how glorious He really is.


I can't help but wonder how Nellie is going to take to the blaring of worship music around our house. Hoping that she jams to the music just like the boys do. I can just imagine her now, with this great big huge grin on her face wiggling around the living room.

I have never been one that has really thought much about down syndrome awareness month, or national adoption month until this past year. You know I have always loved kids with special needs and always wanted to celebrate who they are but never gave much thought about advocating for these precious lives in such a specific way. In fact for such a long time I really had no idea about what kinds of circumstances these orphans lived in in other parts of the world. But once I heard there was no turning back, my heart was broken THe Lord's heart breaks for these orphans and so does mine. So, now as it seems to me that everywhere I go I become a broken record about these helpless children sitting in orphanages half way around the world. I defintantly tell Nellie's story over and over again. I think by telling the story over and over that maybe just one other families hearts will be broken by these children.

Okay, I keep having these up and down days. Who new how lonely this process was going to be. I am taking it all in stride and not letting it get me down. For one I never never expected that people would be against this. I completely don't understand. I don't have to understand but I pray that hearts are changed. I think that this is why I will never never stop advocating. After our Nellie is nestled in the midst of our family I want to make sure that I love and support other families that go through this process. I pray for those that are thinking about adoption to step out in faith and do it. I know the road isn't easy but it sooo worth it.


I will continue to be a broken record for these children, I will continue to ask others to advocate for these children, and I will always try to be a voice for children who have no voice.


We are ordinary people following a calling from God, and we are about to be blessed with the cutest bundle of joy.

Yeah paperwork almost done

Okay, today was a great paperwork day. If I thought our home study would be done in time, I think we have everything else for our Dossier except USCIS approval. Anyone have suggestions about sending for USCIS approval without having the home study finished? Someone suggested we wait until our home study was done before sending in for USCIS approval. I know it will be at least a few more weeks before I have our finished home study in hand. I guess I am wondering if it might be possible to get this all worked out before the country closes.

SO the question is do I try and get it all done before the country closes or be one of the first with paperwork ready when they reopen.
I keep telling myself either way the outcome is bringing home Nellie, so it is a win win either way.

In His Hands

I can't help it but my heart is pounding at the thought that we are not going to have all of our paperwork in before November. What this means is we have to wait longer before we get to Nellie. I can't help but think what could I have done to make this process go faster, because each day is a day that she is not here. So in my mind I think well maybe I should have worked harder. Then I sit back and say wait a second she will be here at the exact moment she is supposed to be. And in the meantime, I spend all my time on my knees praying. I know that this whole idea of bringing home another child isn't only about saving her it is about growing me. I have already seen the Lord work thinks out for this to happen. Each time a bump in the road is hurtled in front of me I freak out, but that is my human nature. He is faithful, and I keep telling myself it isn't about what I can get done quicker because honestly it isn't in my hands to make it happen, it is in His. So, I will sit in His hands and spend time growing closer to Him while I wait for this precious gift that He is bringing home to me. So, I take each day as it comes and enjoy my boys because the Lord has blessed me with them also.

Thank You

A dear friend just donated 25.00 dollars to Nellie's account. I won't give her name because I don't know if she would want me too or not. This 25.00 was given and friends I know it is a sacrifice for her to do so. I never expected her to support us in this way. She did so out of love for me, my family, and for the love of Nellie, and boy it brings tears to my eyes. I am humbled and so thankful for such support. Thank you just doesn't seem to express what I really feel 25.00 is a large amount and I am asking others to donate what they can nothing is to small even if it is just 1.00.

Fundraising is not easy friends. It is the hardest part of this whole process. For me asking is the part that I struggle with the most. We are getting close to being finished with our homestudy and we still need around 600.00 more to send in paperwork after that.

In the next few weeks look for a chance to win a giveaway on my blog. Details will come soon.

So even though fundraising is hard, I will continue.

NEW PUPPY

Well, I'm not sure what I was thinking. Last night I was looking at my email and noticed on freecycle that someone was giving away there maltese bichon puppy. So, I asked Dan what he thought and moments before he went to work he said okay.

On a whim, I thought oh my boys would love another puppy. My boys sure do love there dog, Abraham. Caleb is the dog lover of our family. To be honest he loves our dog to pieces so my thought two dogs would mean twice as much love, right! So, I responded and sure enough we brought home a 10 month old puppy. After about two hours I was like what did we get ourselves into, as Abraham was showing himself to be quite jealous. It was a long night. When we brought him home he wouldn't stop shaking so we showed him all kinds of love and it didn't take long before he came out of his shell. The first thing we needed to do was rename him because we weren't going to call him dustmop, his previous name. So now the Cole Clan has two dogs Abraham, and Moses. Today we brought the puppy to the groomer and the vet. Come to find out this precious little puppy had been abused, given away, and was unloved. He had an infection and several other things that needed to be taken care of. He is at the vet for the night. Hopefully he will come home tomorrow.

This new abandoned puppy reminds me of my Nellie. In her world she is living a life of hardship. At four years old there simply is no one to show her love, or to take care of her the way she should be taken care of. She has been abandoned, given up on by society, deemed unlovable. But baby girl we love you and we are coming for you, and we will help you heal. We will be there for you. The Lord has a great plan for your life and I am so ready to watch you grow. So I persevere and work until I get to you. Praying that we can hold her soon, here her laugh, and just love her.

Quick Update

My passport came today. Now a bunch more paperwork that I can fill out.

Also, we were blessed this weekend to find out that we are 300.00 dollars closer to Nellie. I wanted to say thank you to those that felt led to send us checks in the mail. I don't know what else to say other than thank you. The Lord has provided everything we have needed so far, and it is amazing to watch Him provide in this adoption.

So thanks so much.

Couponing Fundraiser

I know that most of you are not local who read this but I thought I would put it here anyway.
If you don't know me very well then you don't know that I can be one of those crazy coupon ladies. Several years ago I started coupon clipping and learned how to save tons of money each month on my grocery bills. We have a family of seven and I run a full time daycare, and usually feed 15 people per meal. My grocery bills were getting huge and I needed to do something to get the cost down. A friend of mind showed me the ropes and boy did I find that clipping coupons saved so much money. My grocery bills were in excess of 350.00 a week, and now I spend depending on the week around 130.00. That is huge savings but now my grocery bill also includes diapers, wipes, formula, tp, shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, make up, vitamins, etc. The 350.00 amount I used to spend did not include all of these items and just food.

So as I learned the process I started stockpiling items, as I soon found out that I could get things for free I bought them. Yes, for free or even sometimes I was paid to take items home. What I found out is that my garage became overloaded with stuff that I knew our family wasn't ever going to use. So I started giving my extras to people that could use them.

So now I am hoping to use my skill of saving money to help bring Nellie home. I am hosting a couponing class in Kearney in November. I do have fliers if you are interested in handing some out. If interested please let me know. However, I wanted to put it out there that if you live in Nebraska, and think there is enough interest in your community I would be willing to travel and host a class. It would be a great way to support us and Nellie and learn how to get good deals at the same time. So if your interested comment with your email address and we can talk about the details.