Sunday, April 22, 2012

Something Perfect

I have been a little emotional today
well more emotional than usual for me.

It wasn't until I was sitting in church that I figured out why.



Yesterday was our yard sale and I had been so busy
preparing for it that I hadn't thought much about 
what the date was.

So when I was sitting in church and I looked 
at the program and it said
April 22, 2012 it hit me.

I starred at it for a moment and thought
really

Is it really April 22nd?

I knew it was coming up but somehow it slipped my mind.

Had it really been two whole years?


Two whole years of no longer worrying about if the child I loved
would be placed back in a horrific situation.



Two whole years of her being just our daughter.
No longer having to drop her off at the halfway house
only to have her come back covered in bed bug bites 
and crying about hunger.

Two whole years of not having to worry if they would hurt her again.



Two whole years of not having to think that even though we had been
her foster parents since she was 2 1/2 months old 
they might not allow us to adopt her if 
her biological sister's adoptive parents wanted to. 



April 22nd is Nevaeh's Adoption Day. 



The day the courts acknowledged her as our daughter.

The day I no longer had to hide her face in pictures 
or have the government be in ever aspect of our lives from
having them visit our home to asking permission to go on vacation. 


It was the day I could finally be at peace with the 2 1/2 long years
it had taken to get to that point.



Yet,
here I am today on another adoption journey.

One that when I started  almost a year ago 
I promised God I wouldn't worry about.

I promised I would trust Him because I didn't
with Nevaeh's case.


I worried over everything from the time she was placed with us
until the day the adoption was final. 

This time things were going to be different I told Him.

This time I would trust because I could now look back on 
Nevaeh's story and see His hand in every aspect of it. 

This time I would let Him have full control 
because I knew He had set me on this course. 

So why or why couldn't I remember that
when the storms got rough once again and there looked like 
there was no hope. 

The way Nevaeh's story turned out was a miracle.

If someone would have told me at the beginning of our journey
that her parents would call us up 3 days before court 
and ask us to adopt her I would have never believed it. 



I missed out on so much joy when Nevaeh was a baby. 
So much wasted time worry about things I had no control over. 

I guarded my heart not giving it all to her
unsure if she would be ours forever.

After all,
we were just her foster parents.

Our feelings and emotions didn't count. 

We knew that when we signed up for it. 

So this time I promised I would be different. 

The seas have been very rough on this journey but not because God
has made them that way. 

It has only been rough because I have not trusted in Him. 

For some reason once again I have it in my little pea-brain mind
that my plan is so much better than His. 

That my time frame is more important. 

There is still time for me to change.

Still time for me to trust. 

Still time for me to remember my promise to Him. 




Little one,

mommy is coming 

I just don't know when

but 

God does. 

And someday this song will apply to you 
just as it does to Nevaeh now.



There's an ache that's missing today
There's an emptiness that's been filled
There's a cloud that's lifting and drifting away
There's a ragin' storm that's been stilled


There's a joy that's real
There's a wound that's finally healed
There's a future replacing the past
There's breath of new life in the cast


And there's something perfect happening here
And this moment will bury the mountains of fears
And through countless tomorrows
It won't disappear
This something that's perfect
Happening here

























I had a sweet friend contact me and ask to
do a Shake the Box fundraiser for me.

If you would like to help our family raise the
last $6,000 we need to get our little one home
please visit her blog.
http://www.marvelousloveblog.com/2012/04/shake-box.html
Posted by at 1 comment:

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Praying for a Good Wind

I know I promised I would write something on my blog
that didn't have to do with boring fundraising.

I really haven't written much lately because we really don't
have much to write.

Back in July of 2011 we started on this journey and I wrote a post called

I talked about how we knew we would encounter stormy seas.

I guess the part I didn't realize is how we would encounter 
what is known as the Dead Calm when sailing.

Which basically means to be stuck 
in the middle of the ocean with no wind and no 
idea as to when your boat will move.

So lately we have been praying for a good wind. 
In the movie "The Other Side of Heaven"
a boat full of missionaries are stuck.

One of them mentions they should pray only for a good wind
because if they pray for an east wind there maybe someone else stuck
somewhere praying for a west wind. 
So it is best to pray for a good wind.

Well, that is kind of where we are at right now.

Our region is shut down to American adoptions 
because there have been cases of Americans who have not treated their 
adopted children nicely and in some cases these children have died.

Now we know that the percentages are low as to how many
Americans treat there adopted children badly as to the ones
who love and care for their children. 

But that doesn't mean there isn't a problem that needs to be fixed.

So I have very fixed feelings.

On the one hand
I know that Steve and I have been prepared 
for this adoption. 

I know that we have been screened and trained and 
that we know it will be hard and we are not expecting a fairy-tale. 

We know we will have a child that speaks a different language
and will require lots of time and energy.

We know she will be scared and there will be many challenges. 

So while her country is trying to decide how best to deal
with the rotten Americans
we sit stuck in the middle of the ocean not knowing
when the wind will blow. 

Our hearts ache for a little girl that is an orphan. 

One that has probably moved 3 different times and had to adjust
to a whole new group of people each time. 

We want her to experience the love of a family. 
To know what it is like to have a mom and a dad.
To learn from brothers and a sister.

So the only thing we can do right now is pray for a good wind.

Pray that her country is able to figure out what they want to 
do to best protect the children that are being adopted. 

Pray for us to have patience as they work through this. 
Pray for her to be safe and feel loved while she continues to wait for a family of her own.

And of course pray that our fundraising efforts are fruitful and 
when the time comes we will have all we need to finish the journey. 

Praying that whatever is best for her will happen. 





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Friday, April 6, 2012

Name Your Price Curriculum Sale

In order to try and get rid of the 
last of my homeschool curriculum
I am doing a Name Your Price Curriculum Sale.

From now until Midnight on April 10th (PST)
you can go to an item and tell me how much you would like
to pay for that item and as long as you are the highest bidder on April 10th
the item will be yours.

There is no minimum bid but shipping is non negotiable. 
I only charge what the post office charges me.

Here is the link to what I have left.


I am now an affiliate for 
All About Learning Press.
So if you every need anything from there
please consider purchasing from me :)

I will be doing a review of this product later on.




And of course for those of you who 
purchase any of your homeschool curriculum at Amazon
I have an affiliate link for there too.





And last but not least there is my always popular
digital software fundraiser.

I have some fun things coming up with that one too.

Thanks again for all the support.
I promise to actually do a blog later on today
with some of my feelings about our adoption.

I know the last few months have pretty much been
boring post about fundraising. 

I appreciate you all hanging in there with us :)
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Curriculum and Book Sale

So it is Spring Break 
which means Spring Cleaning.

Below you will find links to my 
adoption FB page with items I am
trying to sale to help out with the last of our adoption cost.

The sale will go until Wed., April 4th 
and then on Thursday whatever has not sold will
be up for whatever price you are willing to pay for it. 

So if you see something you like but just don't
like the cost you can take your chance and wait until 
Thursday, April 5th and then see if it is still there.

Also, I did put shipping cost next to things but 
if shipping can be combined and lowered I will do so for you.

So just go to the FB page and tell me what you want.
You can either leave me a comment on the FB page next to the 
picture or you can email me at cans4carlene@yahoo.com.

I will also be happy to answer any questions you may have.

All payments will be made through the chip-in button on the right 
that says Curriculum Sale. These donations are not tax deductible
because I need to be able to use the money to ship the items. 
Whatever money is left over after shipping will go towards our adoption cost.

At the end of this blog there will be a list of books for sale.
You do not have to go to the FB page to see these 
there will just be links. 

I will only ship out an order if it is for at least $5.00
so even though some of the books may be .50 cents
I am not going to put them in a box and ship them out in less
the total I will make is at least $5.00.

Science Items

English/Language Arts

History

Math

Miscellaneous Books
These prices do not include shipping

Teacher's guide included

Jacket cover is a little wrinkled



Like New Book that has patterns and secrets
for making the best Pinewood Derby Car

No CD included/ Just music book 




All the books listed below are soft cover books 
and are 50 cents plus shipping. 
Remember that I will only ship if the order is at least $5.00






Not the updated version

Older version no cards included




CD's included



Wendy Corsi Staub Books:

Lisa Scottoline Books:









The following books are hard cover books
for $1.00 not including shipping.
Minimum purchase is $5.00.
All books are in good condition.
Some of the jacket covers are not the same
as what I have links for and far as I know 
none of the books are Special Edition so if the link you go 
to says it is my copy of the book is not. 



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows



These books below are not homeschool related and are adult
Murder Suspense Books.

If you know of anyone who loves to read these
types of books please send them here and just tell them they are all listed at the bottom
for $1.00 each minimum $5.00 order plus shipping.


James Patterson Books:

Robert Parker Books:

Michael Connelly Books:






Iris Johansen books:



















If you have any questions please contact me at
cans4carlene@yahoo.com

Thanks again for support us with your purchase.



Posted by at 2 comments:

Monday, March 26, 2012

Thank You. We Won!


We did it.

We won.


Thanks to your help we were able to 
stay in the top 10 
and will be receiving a $500 Visa Card
to help with the cost of our adoption.




This picture was taken the day we
finalized Nevaeh's adoption. 

If you would like to read more about that day
you are welcome to do so here. 

It has been almost 2 years now and if you would have told me
on that day that I would be crazy enough to endure
even more heartache and pain by 
venturing out into International Adoption
I probably would have thrown up on you. 

But here we are. 

Smack dab in the middle of turbulent seas once again.

I started out thinking this adoption would be so much easier.

That somehow it would be faster and I would be able 
to enjoy the process more.

But nothing worthwhile has every come easy for me.

So right now we just wait and pray 
and rejoice in the fact that we have made wonderful friends 
on this journey and have learned so much about 
learning patience and having faith. 

Apparently I didn't do a very good job at that the last time
so I guess I am trying to see if I can do better this time.

I promise as soon as I hear anything I will let you all know.

Until then please pray that she will feel safe and loved
and that whatever changes need to be made to allow us to go 
and bring her home will be done swiftly.

Posted by at 3 comments:

Friday, March 2, 2012

Consignment Sale

I have been so busy with life in general lately
that I haven't had much time to blog.

I am sure many of you have heard that 
adoptions in a certain country in 
Easter Europe have stopped.

What is interesting is that it is not ALL 
of that country. 

But it just so happens to be the region we are trying to adopt from.

Not unusual for this region. 

So right now things are just taking longer 
than what we had hoped. 

So for now we are working on raising the last of 
our adoption funds. 

We have enough money for trips 1 and 2
but are about $9,000 short for trip 3.

So I signed up to do a consignment sale. 
I had most of the clothes ready and then I got this
brilliant idea. 

If I sold the items on-line I could earn all of the money
and not have to give away 30% of it to the consignment people.

I didn't even finish posting pictures last night on 
our FB page when people were popping up and buying things.

Last night I sold $150 worth :)

Today $62.50 more.

I still have lots of clothes to go through but 
was exhausted after spending 12 hour yesterday ironing, hanging,
taking pictures and inputting the clothes into the computer.

Not much left in the little girls clothes but 
lots of little boys clothes.

So if you know of anyone in need of some
really cute boy stuff 18 months and smaller please come
and take a look and pass the info along. 

I will be posting more stuff as I find more treasures.









If you would like to make a purchase
just leave a comment on the FB page and message me your address 
so I can figure out shipping. 

If you don't have a FB account just email me at 
cans4carlene@yahoo.com

I want to thank everyone again for all the support
you have given us during this time.


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Friday, February 10, 2012

Please help us win $500 for our adoption

This week has not been the best week for me.

I am never, ever sick.

I can't even remember the last time I was sick.

So I guess I am making up for it this week.

Sore throat, cough, fever, achy body.

Not getting a whole lot accomplished as far as getting ready 

for my consignment sale in March.

So,

today I found a new way to help us raise $500.

Yep,

It's another one of those photo contest.

I really think we could win this one.

You can vote everyday until March 22nd.


They will choose the top 10 as winners.


Just click on the link below.





You do have to sign up and you need to click the VOTE button.

Then you can click the LIKE button and share on FB for us.

The photo I choose is from our Adoption Day.

We were at Disneyland the day we got the phone call that 

Nevaeh needed a home and so we went to celebrate at Disneyland

on her adoption day.



As far as this adoption goes,

we are sitting in limbo once again.

We were submitted on January 26th and were hoping for a traveling date

around February 20th. 

But we have now been told we will not be getting a date until 

at least February 27th with a March travel date. 

That is if all works out well with this region.

Sometimes I am sad that they are so picky

but I know that they just have the best interest of the children at heart.

So we continue to wait and give them any extra information they want.

I will be posting in a few days about how you can help another family 

that is having court in a few days with their expenses.

I am scrapbooking pictures of their trip with the digital 

scrapbooking software that I make $20 off anytime someone purchases it.

I will be donated all proceeds to Kelly and Charlotte this month

along with any money I make off of Amazon.

Next month I will choose a new family in need.

That's right.

Go to the top of my blog and click on the link and shop at Amazon

and Kelly and Charlotte will get whatever money I make off of it this month.

Hopefully by Monday I will have the adorable pictures of Charlotte up.

But for now I am taking some serious medicine and 

going back to bed.
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