Fundraising update

We're using this time to focus on fundraising... In July we had submitted our application to Lifesong hoping for a matching grant and a Both Hands project, we received our letter from them last week notifying us that we had been denied both requests. I was feeling kind of down about this, this was one of the major grants/projects we were really hoping for. But I'm learning that for each disappointment God has something else in mind. Last week I  received a phone call just out of the blue, from a friend of my family growing up, just letting me know she had made a donation to our account with our adoption agency! Then at church this weekend I was speaking with a friend and she asked how our fundraising was going. I told her about our being denied by Lifesong and she said, "but that's just ONE to tell you no."  Exactly! That's what I needed to hear...I've been working on a grant application from Show Hope for weeks now and was now feeling that maybe I was just wasting my time. But she's right, why would I be discouraged with just my first "denied"? So as of today (thank you mom for acting as my assistant today while I'm at work!) we've submitted another grant request. This same friend also told me that her family was working on "a little something" for us...it is so fun to watch God work!!! I've had a lot of people asking about our fundraising efforts, so I am going to work on (done!) putting a "fundraiser thermometer" here so everyone can see how much every single donation, no matter the amount, helps us get closer to bringing our little one home! Right now we are working on raising money for our next agency payment. When we receive our referral, in order to accept, we have to make a payment of $8,500. So far we have about $1,900 toward this goal! Thank you to everyone who has helped us with fundraising efforts, made a donation or given us a word of encouragement. We know this is more than just bringing another child into our family; Not only are we giving a child a chance of a better life, it's giving them a chance, at life... We feel so blessed that God has put adoption in our hearts and is holding our hands along the way...


This weeks memories made:

Emmaline and Dixie enjoying the greenway (Dixie is our "miracle dog" who had cancer and was given 8 weeks to live  almost 2 1/2 years ago)! She is 10 1/2 years old and loves playing and going for walks

Yep, you saw that right...kangaroos in the background :-) We took a  day trip to Kentucky Down Under where we got to pet kangaroos, watch a sheep dog herd sheep, explore a cave and Emmaine got to milk a cow! Great memories made.

Little victories

We had an unexpected document in our mailbox last Friday! We had completed our biometrics appointment on Monday and never expected to receive our much anticipated i600a only 4 days later! We had hoped to receive it in 4 weeks...Needless to say we immediately got it notarized and in the mail first thing Monday morning! Our Dossier is now officially COMPLETE!!! I spoke with our caseworker on Friday about what to expect now. The wait right now for a referral for our age category, is about 12 months. We are in the 0-3 age category but we have told them we prefer 18 mo- 3 yrs. Since most people in this category are waiting for infants, we're hoping our wait won't be quite as long. We have chosen the "older" age range mainly because these are the kids more likely to grow up in the orphanage without families. To me a toddler is still a baby and it's such a fun age! Now we work on filling the time while we wait...somehow staying busy comes pretty naturally for us so we hope to pass this time quickly, but not so quickly that we don't take time to enjoy all that we are experiencing... Emmaline is at such a fun age! The conversations we have, just make me laugh! This past weekend we decided to have a campout in our yard, complete with a tent and a campfire & s'mores. She had so much fun it completely made missing a night in my bed to sleep outside worth it! She has also "become a ballerina"... Monday was her first ballet class & she approached it with such concentration, yet with a little grin the whole time! So sweet...this is how I love "passing the time"...

My perception...

Tonight I feel the anticipation of an OB appointment in the morning. Maybe a first early ultrasound where I anticipate seeing the first glimpse of a little heart beat...but instead of visiting the OB in the morning, Chad & I are visiting USCIS to be fingerprinted! Weird, I never thought jumping through government hoops would bring me this feeling of anticipation! Having this realization I really wanted to share my feelings about what we are experiencing at this point in our adoption. So today, I'm going out of character, I'm going to be blunt...

Adoption is not for the faint of heart...imagine a pregnancy and all of the things that go along with the experience... Now imagine that pregnancy, surrounded by people you love, who are so excited about your future addition, but not one of them has ever experienced pregnancy. Not only do they not share the experience of pregnancy with you, but they also don't acknowledge the fact that you are experiencing your pregnancy... Now your beginning to understand adoption... For those of you experiencing pregnancy, while you can feel your baby growing inside of you , I have an emptiness growing inside of me. With every form I have to fill out and every document I have to submit, I invest a little bit more of myself into my unknown child. But, instead of knowing that at least no matter how rough this gets, it'll all be over in ten months, I just hope I will at least have a face to put to my baby whom I already love, in 10 months. And then, if I'm lucky I'll bring him home in another 10 months...

I was told recently by someone, "I hear congratulations are in order?" they were attempting to be funny, referring to a picture they had seen in which my ill fitted clothing (thanks to my daughter pulling on my dress) made it look as if I had a baby bump. This comment went on to a conversation amongst the group about how "stranger things have happened! So and so tried to have a baby for years & when they stopped trying, she got pregnant"...I sat there listening wanting to say first of all, "thank you, yes I am expecting a baby!!!" Why is it so interesting to suspect I may be pregnant, when I'm standing right here spending every free moment I have, doing something to bring a new child into our family, and this fact is not being acknowledged! And two, " did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm taking birth control and actually have chosen adoption versus being pregnant!?" the assumption that this is a second choice & not nearly as "real" as pregnancy is so frustrating! This is very real & feeling as if it is ignored is sometimes exasperating!

We recently spent time catching up with some old friends, and after spending an entire weekend together the most they ever said about our adoption process was, "do you know when you will be traveling to Africa?" not "traveling to bring your baby home"... just taking a trip...if I was sitting here with a real baby bump, who would ever think to spend a weekend and never even acknowledge the pregnancy? Who knew adoption would be a huge step in my learning so much about sensitivity to others?


As I mentioned, I'm not used to being blunt and being so open about my feelings in this manner, so I feel like this post needs a disclaimer! So here it is: if you recognize any of these scenarios as yours, please don't see this as a personal attack...this is me, talking about the realities of adoption & all of the things I never knew or would ever have thought of, before being right here smack in the middle of it all! I want to openly share what we are experiencing so those of you who personally know us can better lend your support, and for those of you traveling on your own adoption journey I hope you can find comfort & strength in the fact that someone else is feeling the same way that your feeling!

I'm so thankful that God has put me here to experience this amazing journey, the ups and the downs...
And to have our friends and family experiencing this journey along with us!

Fundraising!

We are scheduled for our biometrics (fingerprinting) appointment for next Monday, one more thing to put behind us! We are anxious to get this done so we will hopefully receive our I171h letter soon. That is the very last document needed to complete our Dossier...We have submitted what we have to this point and are on the waiting list for a referral but can not be offered a referral without the complete Dossier. Basically, we are having our place held on the list... Over the past couple of weeks we have had a couple of fundraisers! Some friends had a bake sale/jewelry/donation table for us at a yard sale (so sweet, thank you guys!) and my hair stylist hosted a fundraiser weekend, selling jewelry and taking donations for us. We are so blessed to have so much support!!! Thank you for continuing to keep us, and our journey to bring our little son home, in your prayers...

My Sweet Helper... Emmaline is helping to carry some of our 147 Million Orphans jewelry into a boutique. We are working to get our jewelry featured in some local stores to help spread the word about our adoption and fundraising! She's so excited to be starting swimming lessons soon, she had to wear her hat and goggles out that day :-)

Here are the pieces of jewelry I have on hand right now. The earrings are made from broken glass and rubble in Haiti, by Haitian women. Purchasing these helps to employ the women, allows 147 Million to give 50% of their profits to orphanages around the world and helps us raise money for our adoption expenses! If you see a piece you would like, let me know. You can pay using the Paypal Donate button and I can ship them to you. I've placed a quarter and dime by them for size references. Earrings $17 each, beads $22. Contact me: caralitchfield@yahoo.com

Stone

Clear

Kentucky Blue :-)

Green

Brown
Beads made in Uganda out of recycled magazines. I will be ordering more hoop earrings and multicolored beads