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Adoption

#BabyTex2 Gender Reveal

October 11, 2016

Last week, Expecting Momma found out the gender of her baby and decided to share!

A couple of weeks ago she wanted the gender to be a surprise. We of course supported that decision 100%.

I am not a surprise gal. Nope. Not one bit. So it was tough for me but again, totally good with her preference.

(On a side note: In adoption I find it easier to emotionally and mentally connect with the baby before birth by knowing their gender. Doing a gender reveal creates potential risk for heart-ache if a disruption takes place…but in our minds this baby is worth risking our hearts for. A place of vulnerability indeed but we believe we ought to act on the truth that we know today, which is that an Expectant Mother has made an adoption plan for her baby with us. We want to do everything we can in our hearts and minds to prepare for that child and a special reveal is part of that process for us, among several other things.)

While Expecting Momma was at her appointment, she decided to find out the gender and share with us! WOOT! WOOT! Very welcome news indeed.

When I knew we would find out the gender shortly via text, I buried my phone in my bag and refused to look, lest I spoil the surprise without Jonathan.  I went to the Dollar Store and purchased 2 pink and 2 blue silly string containers.

I took them to Jonathan’s office (while Josie was napping at home with Grandparents) and we had his boss read the phone text and then meet us outside with the appropriate silly string (only this time the cap was removed so we couldn’t identify the color).

We counted down.

3…………

2…………

1…………

It’s a……

 

WOW!

WOW!

WOW!

img_4817

A girl.

Sisters.

We couldn’t be more thrilled.

Please keep Expectant Mother and her baby in your prayers. We actually go to meet her this upcoming weekend. It’ll be a fast weekend mostly spent on the road but hopefully a good time to get to know each other better.

Thanks for celebrating Baby Tex 2’s gender reveal with us!

Lastly, we’re about 30% of our way to the overall fundraising goal, which is awesome. Some of you have continued to share our puzzle with others to bring in more donations and we’re so grateful. Thank you to everyone standing by us and this Expectant Mother and her baby as we walk through the adoption process together. If you are still interested in joining the journey or know someone who is, jump in below:




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Adoption

Growing Our Family Piece by Piece: Day Nine Update

October 3, 2016

Welcome to the last update about our nine-day adoption puzzle fundraiser!!!

A little over a week ago, we shocked not only ourselves but YOU ALL with the news we were chosen to adopt another baby due in December. And with that news came necessary costs we are happy to incur to be approved to go through this process. We didn’t have the funds readily available and y’all stepped in and supported our family in a time of great joy and need.

THANK YOU!

In just over a week, we will be traveling southbound (We’ll keep the location a secret for now…just for suspense sake) to meet a beautiful expectant Momma who chose life for her little one and from a place of love is considering an adoption plan with us.

We’re honored and humbled by her. We’re honored and humbled by you.

It’s a rare thing to get to watch family, friends, and strangers rally around oneself to move mountains. We don’t take this gift of support and encouragement lightly. In fact, it’s something we will never forget. It’s changed us and your generosity inspires us to want to be radically generous when our time comes to give to others. Thank you for your witness and example.

How did the puzzle turn up after our official nine-days were up?

(PS – Still have a long way to go to the finish line of fundraising so if you or anyone you know would still want to jump in and support us, we’d love to have you come on board!)

  • 382 pieces sold

  • $9,550 raised!!!!

  • 25.47% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress. You can see the word “delight” forming!!! 🙂

puzzle-day-09

 

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey. Thanks again!




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Adoption

Growing Our Family Piece By Piece: Day Eight Update

October 1, 2016

Welcome back to our puzzle fundraiser!

This is the LAST OFFICIAL DAY of our nine-day puzzle fundraiser. Now, of course if you want to give but couldn’t during this last week, donating later is acceptable too! 🙂

You will see we have a long way to go in meeting our goal. This week alone we cut checks totally $13,800 for the adoption process, which is a lot more than we raised and left our emergency fund raided. We were happy and willing to do that, as would any family in America when unexpected but necessary expenses come up, but we are now exposed to a great deal of risk if any other emergencies pop up. Here’s to praying that Murphy’s Law stays far far away.

If you’ve been wanting to donate but just haven’t gotten to it, please consider doing so today. After this nine-day fundraiser, we don’t plan to come back to our social media family to formally invite you to give again. We plan to begin making individual and specific asks to find the rest of the funds.

The Lord will provide and find the funds for us someway or another, granted we are working our little hineys off asking, seeking, and knocking on every door possible.

Anyone who’s been waffling about giving and leaning towards making a donation – let today be your day so we can close out the formal portion of the adoption puzzle with a bang!

Thank you to everyone who’s donated. We are so thankful and can’t wait to start writing your names on the back of the puzzle. May God bless each of you.

What kind of progress did day eight see?

  • 294 pieces sold

  • $7,350 raised!!!!

  • 19.60% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress:

puzzle-day-08

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey.



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Adoption

Growing Our Family Piece By Piece: Day Seven Update

September 30, 2016

Welcome back to our puzzle fundraiser!

We’re excited to have a few updates not only on the puzzle but on the adoption, birth family, and baby!

Today we had our first face to face meeting to kick off our home study process and it went really well.

I also got a text from the agency at the doctor’s appointment it appears all is going well with expectant Momma and baby was very active. They couldn’t see the gender but heart beat was 140, which of course isn’t helpful as everyone online says anything above 140 is girl but below 140 is boy. Um, what about plain ole 140? So between that and the uncertainty of what was going on in the nether regions, we hope to find out baby’s gender with certainty next week…here’s hoping baby isn’t running around so we can get an identifying glimpse. 😉

The puzzle is winding down and it’s been a week of realizing yet again how many generous people are out there. We are so thankful for everyone who has and will join us in bringing this kiddo home. It’s an honor to have your support and enthusiasm.

What kind of progress did we make?

  • 271 pieces sold

  • $6,775 raised!!!!

  • 18.07% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress:

puzzle-day-07

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey.



Donate w/ Squarecash

Adoption

Growing Our Family Piece by Piece: Day Six Update

September 29, 2016

Six days down and three to go in our adoption puzzle fundraiser!

Shout out to everyone who shared our post yesterday! We appreciate that so very much and know your shares are working since not only are people we know giving to the puzzle but strangers! You want proof, check out this guy:

Hi guys I just wanted to let you know that your story popped up in my Facebook newsfeed from two different people and I am rarely on Facebook so I really felt called to donate!

Yup – because of y’all. 🙂

Yesterday a heavy majority of our paperwork got turned in, which is a huge weight off our backs. Now clearances need to come through and the home study meetings are all that stand in the way of us being officially approved to adopt again! Oh and the funds we are trying to raise but you know what? God will provide. He will. As long as we work diligently and prudently with our time and resources the Lord will bring whatever we lack.

I had a strong sense of his providence yesterday while riding in the car ad listening to Hillsong’s Oceans. (Sorry to anyone at the intersection of 132nd & Harrison who saw that ugly cry). I asked the Holy Spirit years ago to lead my life and do whatever he wants with me to bring glory to God. There have been some major ups and downs already in this adoption process (can’t go into detail) but I’ve been begging for peace and it came. We are right where we are supposed to be no matter how things turn and bend ahead. Being confident of that leaves little room for fear…just for love.

Today I want to throw out a challenge. Many of you already have BUT if you are someone who’s life has been positively impacted by the presence of True Good & Beautiful or through Jonathan and I’s friendships/mentorship/whatevership we happen to have – would you join us in this adoption puzzle? We sincerely thank you for considering it.

What kind of progress did we make on Day Five?

  • 237 pieces sold

  • $5,925 raised!!!!

  • 15.80% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress:

puzzle-day-06

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey.



Donate w/ Squarecash

Adoption

Growing Our Family Piece by Piece: Day Five Update

September 28, 2016

Welcome back to our day five update for the adoption puzzle fundraiser!

We continue to be grateful for ALL the donations and support that has come in. You all can see that we have a LONG ways to go before our puzzle is done, which is slightly overwhelming. We plan to continue inviting you to join us through our puzzle but do want y’all to know we are working our tushes off doing additional things to scrimp, save, and make extra funds. 

  • We had an 5-year anniversary trip to Paris planned months ago that we cancelled last week and got a full refund on.
  • I’m writing a few eBooks and have taken on speaking opportunities this Fall.
  • Jonathan is planning to snag a seasonal job on nights and weekends between now and due date.
  • We have stripped all extras from our budget. If we don’t need it to survive, it doesn’t make the budget.
  • We are selling things in Craigslist and eBay. If it isn’t nailed down or breathing, its fair game.

In some ways we are back to gazelle mode from our early Dave Ramsey days. Back then getting out of debt was certainly a motivator…but bringing home our next child? WAY more motivating! 🙂

I share that for those people like me out there – those who might be tempted to think, “Well why should I donate to people that aren’t willing to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and do some good ole hard work and cut back their lifestyle?” We are working real hard and fundraising is part of how we are taking these expenses seriously and planning to tackle them without debt.

So thank you to all who’ve partnered with us as we scrape, claw, and press our way towards meeting our financial goal. We want to specifically thank those of you who have SHARED about our puzzle on social media or sent it in a message to select friends and family.

Statistically it’s been shown that each social media share is likely to bring the campaign $37 on average. We obviously have a lot of shares to go for our goal to be met but every share counts. So if you’re willing to share, that would be helpful. I know, there are probably many of you like me out there who are not big posters or sharers on Facebook. If that’s you – perhaps think about who YOU would call if you were fundraising and then connect us privately with them.

What kind of progress did we make on Day Five?

  • 200 pieces sold

  • $5,005 raised!!!!

  • 13.35% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress – We can actually see the top of the text forming!!!!! 🙂

puzzle-day-05

 

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey.



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THANK YOU!