WINNERS

For the most part I have everyones address,   please let me know if you want the items sent to your paypal address or a different address.  Thanks everyone who contributed, it means so much to our family to have your support.

200.00 gift card from target  WINNER: Elissa L

Apple® iPod touch® 8GB MP3 Player (4th Generation) with Touch Screen, Wi-Fi
199.00 value   WINNER  Steph L

WINNER Martha E

V.Reader Interactive E- Reading System
Vtech Electronics V-Reader Animated Reading System - Pink

With VTech's V-Reader Animated E-Book Reader children discover the joy of reading while seeing well-loved characters like Shrek and Disney Fairies in stories featuring vivid animations. While reading the story and playing eight reading games, children develop the necessary building blocks to grow from a pre-reader to a confident and fluent reader.

Cartridges are age graded for 3 to 5 year-olds and 5 to 7 year-olds. Each story cartridge includes a fully narrated and animated story, 8 reading-skill games and a Story Dictionary. Additional Cartridges sold seperately.

WINNER: Vhonda S

Radical:  WINNER Jessica B

The Hole in Our Gospel   WINNER Steph Z

Crazy Love: WINNER Rosemary M

A set of hair bows, and bands.  WINNER Lenetta K

This second set of head bands is for an older girl. WINNER Fares M

                                                          hair bows for baby    WINNER Suzi B

Christmas wreaths

With Christmas right around the corner, I thought I would sell rag wreaths for Nellie.  If anyone is interested in buying one comment which one you would like and put 35.00 in the chip in.  I can make these in many different color so if the colors here aren't what you would like let me know I can make them anyway you would like.  These are great, the photos make them look a bit  uneven but that's just the way the fabric landed all you have to do is re fluff  the way you like.

1. 12 inch wreath 30.00 plus 5.00 shipping

                                      2. 12 in wreath 30.00 plus 5.00 shipping

                                      3. 12 inch wreath 30.00 plus 5.00 shipping

Oh my!!!! Thank You, ThankYou, ThankYou!!!!

I went late last night to look at my blog and looked at Nellie's account and there was an extra 500.00 in it.  Oh my, you can ask Dan, I was so excited I felt like doing cart wheels in the house.  Whoever donated this money thank you so much.  Because you donated through reeces rainbow, I do not know who donated.  If you want to be in the drawing for the giveaway, let me know and I will put you in it.  This 500.00 ends the giveaway and prizes will be drawn sometime Monday or Tuesday.  Stay tuned to find out winners.  God is so good.

On another note if you have been waiting for magnets, they are in envelopes and ready to be mailed.  Thanks for being so patient with me, I didn't forget.  Life sometimes gets busy but I promise they are on there way.

FUNDRAISER

As the holidays near, I find myself content.  Learning to trust God in his timing with Nellie.  Knowing that He is taking care of her until I can wrap my arms around her. Overwhelmingly thankful for how God weaves together stories perfectly.  I thank Him for Nellie's story before it  is even complete, I know that these months leading up to her adoption will be ingrained in my head and  will be close to my heart forever.  Even in the weariness of it all, I wouldn't change a moment of it because in the end we will have Nellie home.  This is the way it works with adoption, I have been reading many many adoption stories, and our story sounds  familiar to so many others.


 I haven't talked much about paperwork lately because we were at a stand still.  Please pray with us that we will have our home study sometime this week or next, and can send off  to USCIS soon.  Now that we have almost overcome the home study, we can look on to the next step.  The next step, my goal is to send over our dossier and have it there in hand when the country open backs up.  The part that I am not so confident about is the money.   So, now is the time that we really focus on making sure everything is in check so that we can get to Nellie as soon as possible.  We really need your help with the funding.

I am calling out, that I need help with the fundraiser.  I am hoping that I hit the 1000.00 mark before I draw for winners. Friends for this giveaway that is a little under 500.00.  I know we can do it.   So please let others know.  Money is now starting to be our biggest obstacle.  Please post and tell others about her story, the story that Nellie has a family and her family is working so hard to go get her.  Tell others about the life that orphans live in these countries, share, and pray that in the next few months that it comes together.  Pray expectantly,  that He will move mountains on her behalf.  He is so good, and my faith in Him  gets me through the daily ups and downs.




5.00= 1 entry
20.00 = 5 entries
30.00 = 10 entries

200.00 gift card from target

Apple® iPod touch® 8GB MP3 Player (4th Generation) with Touch Screen, Wi-Fi
199.00 value

V.Reader Interactive E- Reading System
Vtech Electronics V-Reader Animated Reading System - Pink

With VTech's V-Reader Animated E-Book Reader children discover the joy of reading while seeing well-loved characters like Shrek and Disney Fairies in stories featuring vivid animations. While reading the story and playing eight reading games, children develop the necessary building blocks to grow from a pre-reader to a confident and fluent reader.

Cartridges are age graded for 3 to 5 year-olds and 5 to 7 year-olds. Each story cartridge includes a fully narrated and animated story, 8 reading-skill games and a Story Dictionary. Additional Cartridges sold seperately.

The craziest, hungriest, fastest interactive pet ever created
This loyal dinosaur comes when called, dances, and even plays catch
Kids will love sending him on the attack
Train him to remember up to 30 different actions and sounds
Features over 200 sounds and animations and 8 different ways to play

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream [Book] by David Platt

The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us? The Answer that Changed My Life and Might Just Change the World [Book] by Richard Stearns

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God [Book] by Francis Chan7yhtgfvc

A set of hair bows, and bands. These were made by my friend and are super cute.

This second set of head bands is for an older girl.

This third set of bows are for babies. The bows are interchangeable with the bands.

With Thanksgiving just days away, and Christmas right around the corner all I can think about is all those little faces of kids in orphanages that won't have a full tummy on Thanksgiving, or  families to love them for Christmas. To be honest, I am a shopper, a couponer who is always getting things for free.  Black Friday is one of those days that I look forward to every year.  However, this year is different because I am trying to save every extra penny.   Even so, I will probably go just because....
It's the beginning of the Christmas season  and consumerism is what lingers in my every thought.  Do we need this or that, is it really going to make my son happy to have one more lego set.  Today, I bought lego sets for 9.00 each thinking what a great deal but really in the whole scheme of Christmas is another lego set going to really make a difference. I mean stores are filled with people with carts full to the brim of stuff, that will eventually break and be thrown away.  Yes, I sometimes can get caught up in it too.  Is that really what I want to teach my children, that stuff is what makes us happy in this life.  No, and I think we as a family do a good job of showing our boys that a giving heart is so much more fulfilling.  That is something that is important to us, for our boys to understand where our happiness should come from.  Two of my boys have suggested that they give up there Christmas this year and have the money instead go to Nellie.  Oh, how I love them so much. I would squeeze them but my thirteen year old doesn't think that is cool anymore.  I probably won't let them give up gifts entirely but what character does that build?  Really, kids thinking of others instead of themselves at Christmas time.  I am one proud momma.

FLU BUG

Our house has been extremely sick.  Last week three of my boys had the stomach bug as well as several daycare kiddos.  A week went by and yesterday I was sick all day. There is nothing like feeling icky all day on a weekend.  I made it through, and the boys liked having extra time on the computer as I laid feeling like there was going to be no end to my misery.  Then at last I felt better, yet now it's Sunday night and I have a whole house to disinfect before tomorrow morning.

I have wanting to say how well our fundraisers went.  I have had two couponing classes with another one in a few weeks.  We also had the fashion show down town.  We made a total of 550.00  Thanks you all for help.  We are getting there slowly but surely.  Still willing to travel all over Nebraska for a coupon presentation, so if you would like us to come just let me know.

Online giveaway drawing will be soon. Donate for a chance to win.

 I was listening to a sermon tonight that talked about how God keeps his promises in spite of contradictions.  When I heard that, I started listening intently.  My mind has been obsessed lately with orphans, I prayed a year ago that the Lord would break my heart for orphans, and that is exactly what has  happened.  So, you all know that we have listened to the call to bring home Nellie.  We kind of felt that the money would come quickly, and that the process would be easy.  Well, it has been several months and during the wait it has been confusing, painful, and full of tears. It just seems to make no sense.  God broke our hearts for these kids but it seems impossible to make it happen.  It seems to be this huge contradiction.  How could God want us to go and get this little girl but make it almost impossible to go get her.  Then I heard the words, God keeps his promises in spite of contradictions.  Do what God says even when it makes no sense.  In the confusion, pain, and craziness of it all go forward and don't turn back, believe that He will work it all out.  How did Abraham feel as he was about to sacrifice his son?  When God told him to sacrifice Issac,  how shocking is that really?What is God doing here, I mean it makes no sense to us.  God seems to be acting out of character here.  But really, God gave Abraham a problem here that only the Lord could fix.  We have to trust Him, how can our little minds expect to understand Him. He is completely beyond our understanding.  I have a tendency to disagree, and not listen when things aren't going the way I think they should go.  But what did Abraham do, he obeyed God even when it make no sense.  He trusted that the Lord knew best, and he went to sacrifice his son.  Abraham could do what God said because he believed Him.  So even though things seem to make no sense with our adoption, I don't know  how He will work it out but I know He will.

Waiting

Woke up this morning to new information about the paperwork trail. Honestly, I wanted to get upset, angry, anxious, and plain worry about it. But instead, John Wallers song While I'm waiting fills my head. So, I'm praying for all you others out there going through the same thing, I'm praying for peace. I know the process sometimes seems like it will never come to an end, but in the moment we have a choice, a choice to glorify God through the process. That's what I choose, I choose to know that He is in control and it has already all been worked out. So in the meantime I will faithfully wait.


I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting

A House Full.....

A long time ago, while I was dating my husband I worked with children who had disabilities to help pay for my college education. The other night I was reminded of a conversation that Dan and I had then oh 14 years ago. I was so passionate about many things in my life at that young age, but my main goal at that point was to be a elementary teacher, I wanted to teach kids with disabilities. What I remember saying to Dan was that one day I hoped to have a house full of people with special needs living with us. Yes, I said this to him. Tonight, I asked him if he remembered that conversation, he looked up at me and smiled. He remembered.

I just smile as I look at this new season, this new direction of our life's. A house full I said. People with needs, children that are different this is so my comfort zone. I am a home body, I feel comfortable in my home with my kids, with Sherry, with our family. When I learned of the urgency of these children with disabilities in orphanages, it just seemed to make sense, it was right up my alley, in my comfort zone. Yes, Lord I can do this. Didn't seem to be any sacrifice there for me at all, I wanted to go. I was ready. It was quick, and easy to commit to Nellie. But, then that's where it got hard. Oh, that was when things flipped that was when I figured out I was completely out of my comfort zone. Overwhelming amounts of paperwork, spending time in a country that doesn't speak English, going once without my husband, fundraising, having others think we are crazy and say some not so nice things, for having no control of what lays ahead, and speaking in public about orphans. These are just a few of the thinks at the moment that I can think of. But, I can say Yes Lord, to all these things too. Ah, having Nellie home and taking care of her needs and loving her that is going to be the easy part. That is the part that is comfortable. These other unknowns are the difficult things, I knew that great things were in store for me during all of this. I serve an awesome God, and what ever the circumstance I give all parts that are hard to Him. He will take care of it. So, the parts that seem to hard for me to handle, I realize I'm not in it alone He is walking with me every step of the way.

In Nellie's country they just have reorganized the adoption process. Several parts of our paperwork needs to be redone. Money that was already spent needs to be spent again. This is crazy and affects a number of other families that haven't already submitted paperwork. The part I am dreading is contacting our doctors again. They made it pretty clear that they didn't think that this paperwork was something that they needed to be bothered with, and after taking the documents to them over and over again. Here we go again. The interesting thing is I am not anxious about it, this is new to me. I cling to Philippians 4 6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but with pray and petition make your requests known to God. My heart is at peace, and I know that we are capable of redoing the paperwork, it's inconvenient and not fun, but Nellie is worth so much more than a few sheets of paper that need to be redone.

I think about her constantly. But I don't only think about her, I think about all the others that are still on Reeces Rainbow, and know that there are tons of others not pictured. I pray for these kids constantly, and rejoice when a few get families. I cry tears of thankfulness when I see the one that so broke my heart little Julia, weighing in 6 months after being home at almost double her weight. I am so thankful that others are listening to the call. I know this is a difficult road but I wouldn't change it for anything. Bring on the messed up paperwork, the lack of funding, and all the hurdles that seem to be in our way. I am on a mission and won't stop until she is home.

Thank you so much for all the support yesterday, and thank you all for the donations. They are so appreciated. I am personally writing thank you's but they haven't left my house yet. I don't want anyone to think that there gift to Nellie isn't appreciated. They are greatly appreciated and every dollar donated we feel love and support. We know that some of you love her as much as we do.

I wanted to give updated information about the the coupon classes. We didn't have a huge turnout in Kearney, but possibly another person might host another class. We have another presentation tomorrow in Hastings with about 20 people. I'm hoping out of that group maybe another person might think about hosting a class. So if any of you in Nebraska would like us to come present a class just let me know. Willing to travel all over the state. Think about MOPS groups, church groups, small groups, support groups, parent groups.
Also Beth Brand put together a fundraiser for us this past Monday. It is amazing how I can get in front of a group of people and talk about Nellie and other orphans. The words just come out of my mouth, I'm not one usually for public speaking but this night I did all the talking.

You all must be praying because the further along we go the more peace I feel. Realizing that in all obstacles I can have peace. Remembering to have gratitude, because my Lord is going to trust me with another precious soul. Filling my heart this morning with His word, because that is what fills me up. Singing songs of praise to my God, who has put passion, love, and heartbreak in my soul for orphans.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Colossians 3:15

Nellie is five today.

Today should be balloons, family, and celebration. I have been avoiding today emotionally, it is just so hard. Today Nellie is 5. We won't have her home this year to celebrate, and that is heart breaking. But I can rejoice in knowing that this will be the last time she will be alone with no birthday celebration. We are praying that she stays in that orphanage until we get to her. There are a huge amount of people praying for us and praying for her and I take comfort in that. I truly appreciate the prayers. Thank you all so much.

I think we can celebrate Nellie in a big way today. I want to ask all our friends, family, people we don't know, to donate to our chip in. Please help make it possible for Nellie to know the love of family. Please tell everyone you know about little Nellie and to consider giving a donation today. Remember our fundraiser is still going.

Well, I am full of mixed emotions tonight. I think maybe our family is being over analyzed by everyone. We get lots of opposition and then we get a lot of you guys are doing such a great thing. I think I spend to much time thinking about what others are saying about me. I am working on that, truly I am. Working on letting the comments go.


However, when people say what we are doing is wonderful, in my head I think we are an average family, with an average income who struggle just as much as everyone else. What I really want to do is tell all the staggering statistics and want them to just ponder the fact that they also could possibly do something to help the 147 million orphans worldwide. I understand that everyone isn't called to bring home a child. But we Christians are commanded to do something. I just want to scream what is your part? How can we sit and watch and say yes it's horrible isn't it yet overlook it.

Even though everything isn't perfect in our life, our plate seems full, we still can't pretend that this problem doesn't exist. Dan works two jobs, I run a daycare, we take care of Sherry's needs and I homeschool, we are busy people. Most of our opposition comes from that fact, yes we are busy. How can you take care of another child especially one with so many needs. I just want to say, how can we not, knowing about the crisis at hand how can we turn our backs. We can't ignore and do nothing. The number 147 million orphans, I can barely get the number out, how can it be that we sit and do nothing. I know that bringing a orphan into our home won't always be easy, but I can live with myself knowing that we helped just one. Knowing she will be our daughter, a sister, a friend, a somebody. Knowing that we saved one child from certain death, that we poured our hearts into one child so she could feel love. Knowing that the number of orphans was reduced just by one. Giving hope to just one.

Today has just been a rough day, I'm not going to lie.
This chorus has been echoing through my head tonight.


I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength
And I don't have to be
Strong enough
Strong enough

I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength
And I don't have to be
Strong enough
Strong enough


On another note, if you know how to put a tab at the top of a blog, I could really use help. I want to put the fundraiser under a tab but just can not figure it out. So if some computer expert is reading this please help me figure it out.