Lilypie Waiting to Adopt tickers

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Storage...question for my blogger friends

Ok I have so much to post and yet blogger saying I'm out of storage?? I've seen other blogs mentioning this as well.....what solution did you find?? Thanks!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Scentsy=Adoption Fundraising!!

I have now signed up as a Scentsy Consultant with the sole purpose of raising funds for families in the adoption process!
I do not know where this will lead me, but I PRAY that I can build a solid foundation where I can bring in a decent amount of money to donate to these families!

I am currently focusing on one family...The Brower's! This sweet family I spoke about in my previous post. We held an online party for them through MercyFound Ministries (click their button to the right to learn about them!) The party was a huge success and so I signed up as a consultant under Stephanie, SOOO a percentage of my sales will actually go back to that incredible ministry as well!! I'm so pumped and excited about what God is doing with these two ladies with MercyFound and with me as well!

Currently 100% of my commission I will be donating to the Brower's!!!! I will make NO money off this at all. All of it will go directly to them.

How can you help? Start Christmas shopping!!! Or shopping for yourself!

--You can shop directly from my website www.ItTakesAVillage.scentsy.us
--You can shop from one of my current online parties, just click their page from my Scentsy page!
--You can host a party!! Online parties are big right now and EASY!! I can also schedule an in person party in the DFW area as well, just contact me for details! The hostess rewards are AWESOME!!

Hop on over to the Brower's blog to follow their journey! www.broweradoption.com
FACT: The main reason people choose NOT to adopt is because of the steep fees that can be attached. This family is taking a huge leap of faith and leaving it all to God. Please shop away and know that you are part of the 'village' that is helping bring a little girl home to her family! The orphan crisis is REAL and you do not have to physically adopt a child to help bring one home!

Happy Thanksgiving! And thank you to those who have shopped already!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Orphan Sunday and Attention Early Christmas Shoppers!!! YOU can help this family bring their daughter home!!

Today is Orphan Sunday.  There are so many orphans in this world, an estimated over 147 MILLION orphans.  I've seen many blog posts and facebook updates today, stating the sad statistics and presenting emotional videos.  I was trying to think of a way to embrace this day in a way that will help. So I've decided to help just ONE.  That's all it takes. To help just ONE orphan find her way home. You can not save all the world's orphans, but you can help save one (or two or three ;)), but let's just start with ONE. You do not need to adopt to help an orphan find their way home.  Not everyone is called to adopt, but YOU CAN help support the families that are called to adopt.  This is ONE family I'd love for you to help...

As I mentioned in my last blog post, the Brower family (http://broweradoption.com/) is just starting their adoption process to bring home a little girl from Russia! I know they are in good hands, as they are using the agency that facilitated James' adoption, but they need help raising the funds to cover the adoption fees. So here is my personal plan to help them out....and how you can help as well!!

1) I'm hosting an ONLINE SCENTSYand THIRTY-ONE Party starting NOW!! It'll last a couple weeks and we may extend it if nessesary.  Get your Christmas shopping done early!!! Scentsy always makes great gifts for anyone!! I am doing this in conjunction with a fundraising ministry that two fellow adoptive mama's are starting, called MercyFound (more on that later, it's exciting!!)

How to participate? Click the links below and start shopping!! Once the party is closed in about two weeks, my MercyFound girls will then send 20% of the sales to the Brower's!! It's that easy!!

Shop.Give.Donate...ALL-IN-ONE

Can it get any better than that?!? :)

Start shopping and share this with everyone you know!!!

Scentsy: Click or copy and paste this link:
https://mercyfound.scentsy.us/Scentsy/Buy?partyId=115852036

Thirty-One: Click or copy and paste this link:
https://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/eventhome.aspx?eventId=E2490582&from=MYEVENTS

2) Starting December 1, I will be donating ALL of my Advocare (https://www.advocare.com/09093889/)  commission towards their fundraiser! I'll do another post about that later!


3) Don't want to shop,but want to donate? Check out the Brower's webpage (http://broweradoption.com/) to make the donation directly from their site.


3)Want to help MercyFound get going??  Host your own ONLINE SCENTSY and/or THIRTY-ONE party. You'll get hostess gifts and ALL of the commission will go directly towards an adoptive family in need!! Contact me and I'll get you the details!! As soon as their website is up and running I'll post more information. This is going to be an exciting ministry!

Questions??? Contact me!!!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Adoption awareness and just so excited!!!!

November is adoption awareness month!! So here is an incredible story that is happening in my neck of the woods. :)
Ok so background story, back in June (I think it was June, that time of the year was quite a blur :)) one of our pastors went on a mission trip to Russia with this AMAZING ministry.... http://www.russianorphanaid.org/Home.aspx
Our church followed her journey into the orphanages there. I LOVED reading and hearing about her experience!!! And of course I was super excited that she was making awareness of not only the orphan crisis, but specifically the Russian orphans. I reached out to her and started what began a special relationship. I mean, I absolutely adore this woman!! Little did Pastor Reid know, she was also stirring the hearts of some of our own church family!!
The first email I got from her about a family wanting to pursue a Russian adoption was sooooo exciting!!! I quickly became friends the sweet wife of this family and then learned she lived just a street over!! Fast forward...their dossier should be on Russian soil right now!!!!
So if that wasn't exciting enough, Pastor Reid sent me another email about ANOTHER family wanting to bring home a child from Russia as well!!! I seriously pray that I keep getting these emails!! I haven't had the pleasure of meeting this family in person yet (it's a big church :)) but we've gotten to know each other though email correspondence and have I said how excited I am!!!
Both of these families are incredible and this is now TWO more children who will be orphans no more!!! And now Three little Russians (most likely very close in age) that will attend the same church and grow up in the same town!! I love it!!! I love LOVE how God is moving hearts here in my little town (ok soooo it's not so little anymore...)
Anyways, the second family just went public and I'm pleased to pass on their blog to you! It's... http://www.broweradoption.com/
Please lift this family up in prayer!! I also plan on being a BIG advocate for them as they get going with their fundraising efforts so you'll be hearing a lot about the Brower's!!!
Please pray for the other family as well!! Now that their dossier is finished, the hard part has started...waiting!! Both families are requesting little girls, so their journey could be a bit longer than James', but the timing is all in Gods plan for each of these families!

The Halloween Post!

This is the first year Hannah really got to go trick or treating. Her first year she was just 4 months old, last year we Trunk-or-treated in Galveston, and so this year was really fun!! We had everyone over to our house for pizza and then ventured out to trick-or-treat! Hannah had so much fun! After the first house , my reserved little girl realized what was happening. She would run as fast as she can to the house yelling 'Trick me! or Trick treat!' LOL and elbowing her way to the front of the group. ;) James had fun too, but still too young to really understand. We had a fun crew! Here's the pics! (Disclaimer: FULLY aware the Cowboy's are terrible, but still fans! What can you do? ;))
My little DCC and Romo ;)



Sigh, just so pretty


So cute!!

Acorns anyone?

Playing peek-a-boo!

Boo!

Best.smile.ever

And then she was minnie mouse...

Presents from Mimi


Why's he scared looking?...

This guy :) Chris totally freaked James out! LOL

 
His daily accessory these days!

Caleb's sister's and Blair :)

The cousin's minus James.. he was done
 
Since our formal dining still sits empty, it turns into another playroom

Trick or Treat!

Caleb getting his own 'treat' from our neighbors cooler ;)

Some of the crew

Sprinting to the door!

Blurry, This house looked so cool! It was a mummy CREEPY!!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Update! and lots and lots of pics!

So this Saturday marks 8 weeks HOME!!!!! It's hard to believe he's been home just 8 weeks, because it truly feels like he's been with us forever. Hannah and him have adjusted nicely after a power struggle of a start :) I mean they are exactly 1 year apart, so really it was/is to be expected.  She loves him so much!  It's absolutely precious hearing her ask for him and watching them interact. She always wants to read him book and if he's upset, she right there trying to console him. LOVE!

It is absolutely amazing that he understand just about anything we say to him. He's picked up understanding English so so quick! I love toddler brains! They truly are little sponges. He's babbling a lot and making purposeful sounds, says mama and dada, ball, hi (which he says as soon as you walk into his room...so sweet!), bye, yes (ya) and will make the syllable sounds of many other words. I'm also pretty sure he's said Dora as well ;) as it's Hannah's current fav.

When we came home he was walking, but fell after just a few steps, now he's full speed ahead! His growth and development is right on track, if not ahead in some aspects, which is awesome!  He really came from a great baby home and I'm so grateful for the care he was given.  He attached very quickly and has only gotten stronger.  He's been in the church nursery a few times and cry's appropriately! And is super excited to see us when we pick him up. So so happy about the attachment progress!

Since he's been home he's had lots of Dr visits, blood work, and shots, but he's done so well with them all.  He loves the zoo, swinging, and just playing! It's so neat seeing him learn basic puzzles and how to eat with a fork and basic things we sometimes take for granted. He does well when we go out to eat and eats just about anything we give him which is so nice! He loves milk, which is such a change from Hannah. He's sleeping great and loves to take bath's finally!

I know there is a ton more to tell, but I'll just post pics now.  He is such a joy and we love him so much and we are so blessed to have him in our family!!! We have our first post placement report meeting this coming Saturday already! Crazy!! Before we know it, it'll be our last. Enjoy the pics!!

First trip to the zoo!

Feeding the birdies

Gorgeous girl of mine

loves him mama ;)

Cooling off my little Russian in the indoor part of the zoo

Siblings :)

Second trip to the zoo with the cousins!

Love these girls!

Precious

Best cousin friends

So handsome!

more birdies!

First time on the zoo train
 
Picking flowers

sweet girl

hehe love his hair

and his smile :)

Fun times!

LOL love this goofy girl!

Love her!

Coloring outside

Learning the piano!

No worries, daddy is right behind them!

Sassy

Oh my word, I love him so! 

The boy loves him some Tupperware

;)

playing!

Swinging!

Have I mentioned he LOVES his papa too? :)

First pumpkin patch at our church

My pretty one and her teeny-tiny pumpkin!

He seriously was trying to pick this up!

LOL love his face

Love

LOVE LOVE!