Almost out of time...

My Kate has a family! I am so excited for her. I can't wait to see who her family is! At the same time, I'm sad that Anastasia is not there with her. Anastasia is still waiting and you can see her HERE.

There are several children currently available who are in DESPERATE need of a family. These children are about to age out of the system, meaning they will *forever* loose their chance of having a family and living outside the walls of an institution.

Sam: Sam will turn 16 in May and needs a homestudy-ready family ASAP. He would make an amazing son. He's intelligent, loves soccer, and speaks some English already. His only special need is some of his fingers are deformed. PLEASE help him find a family. Read all about him HERE.

Bernadette: A sweet girl the Reece's Rainbow community has dubbed "Sunshine girl". She is 15 years old and has down syndrome, but she is about the size and mental age of a 7-8 year old. A family would be so blessed to have her!

Laurel: Laurel looks so sweet in her picture! She's about to age out in a few months. She's in a good place now, but she's set to be transferred to an adult institution soon and her life will be over. She has arthrogryposis. Please don't leave Laurel behind! She has so much to offer.

Harmony: Harmony lives in Asia and is also about to age out. She has down syndrome. Harmony is doing VERY well. She goes to school and lives in the dorms. She completes her homework and has good self-care skills. Harmony would be such a great addition to a family! 

Kate and Anastasia

My girls Kate and Anastasia still need a family! Their grants have been growing, and together they have over $5000 in grant money! They would be fantastic sisters. Please, someone go get them!
Kate
Anastasia

It's Orphan Sunday

Today is Orphan Sunday. It's a day to remember and pray for all 163 million orphans in the world. It's a great day to bring awareness to others about the plight of the orphan, as well as sharing resources on how to help orphans. But don't pray for orphans today, and forget about them tomorrow! If you'd like more info, look under the tabs at the top of this blog for links. And, as always, consider opening your home to a child in need! (Do I sound like a broken record yet? :-) )
Here is a post from my family blog that shows just how much of a difference a family can make to a child:

October marks six months home for Charlie.

When we met him, he was 3.5 years old and weighed only 16 pounds. 

Charlie was very weak, and had just begun sitting up on his own. He frequently fell over. Our 1.5 hour visits completely wore him out. He had no language. He wore size 9 month pants.

When he first came home, he was quite sick. We were in the ER one week after he came home, then again 2 days later for an 8-day stay. 

Once we got him healthier, we saw the real Charlie start to come out! We found out he's smart, a good imitator, and very observant. He's a quick learner! He quickly learned his first word, "All done!". It was a long summer as we met with many specialists and dealt with lots of fevers. In his first five months home, Charlie had 5 ER visits, 3 hospital stays (not including surgery), 2 day procedures requiring full sedation, a sleep study, one failed heart surgery attempt, and numerous consults, doctor appointments, xrays, and labs. And, finally, the heart surgery we'd been waiting for! 

Now, at 6 months home, Charlie has truly blossomed. He is my Superman. He's gained a whooping 11 pounds, weighing in at 27lbs. He's now in size 24 month clothes and is finally catching up to his little brother in size! He's gained a lot of strength and energy, as well. Charlie can sit for long periods of time, roll across the room, and bear weight on his legs for up to a minute! He works really hard at physical therapy and leaves us amazed. He's learned a half dozen spoken words and around 30 signs. 

Charlie is a completely different kid than the one we met in the orphanage. He's come so far in so many ways. I am so glad God blessed me with Charlie. I love you, rock star!

Help adopting families!

Lately I've been feeling led to donate to more adopting families, but I had no idea who to give to. Today I found a huge fundraiser going on for dozens of families! They are all in one place, so you can choose which family you'd like to give to. Then be entered to win a prize! More details and all the families here: http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2011/10/together-we-can.html. Good luck choosing! ;-)

Kate

Recently I wrote about Anastasia, who is listed on Reece's Rainbow. She just turned 9 years old and wants (and needs!) a family of her very own. There's another little girl in her orphanage - Kate - who has also captured my heart. Kate is 7.5 years old and has down syndrome. She's a capable young girl who REALLY wants a mama. It breaks my heart knowing that these two are waiting, knowing what a mama is, and knowing they don't have one. They know they're missing something. I wonder, often, what they're thinking. Do they think it's their fault? Do they feel like no one would ever want them? Do they wonder why no one has come for them yet? Do they know they're lovable?

Oh, those girls.
I would l.o.v.e to bring them home, and snuggle with them, let them grow out their hair, read to them. I would love to teach them how deeply they are loved. It would be so long before we could give them a family. There's no reason to keep them waiting. There IS a family out there for these beautiful girls. PLEASE consider adding these girls to your family. If there is anything I can do to help a family adopting one (or both!) of these girls, I will do it! I can't wait to see these girls home.

HERE is a link to Kate's profile.
HERE is a link to Anastasia's.

Theo has a family!

I first wrote about Theo in June. I am so happy to say that he finally has a family! He's so cute. I'm glad he'll be going home to his family soon!

Let's support adopting families!

I know first-hand how expensive adoption can be. Finding and raising funds is not fun, and it's embarrassing to ask for money. No one WANTS to beg for every dollar they can get. But families 
 will do whatever they can to bring home their children. People are always willing to give money and gits to families who give birth to a new baby - adopting families deserve the same! They are getting a new child in their home, and working hard to do so. Let's support them!

Diamond necklace giveaway from a family adopting two boys from Eastern Europe. They are in "crunch time" - they are leaving soon and really need to raise their final amount!

Cookie Lee Jewelry fundraiser for a family adopting a little boy in EE - also in crunch time!

31 Fundraiser for a family adopting a little girl in EE. 

Here's an Etsy shop for a family adopting from EE. Cute stuff and all proceeds go to the adoption. 

Several fundraisers going at this blog of a mom working to bring her sweet girl home.

This family urgently needs initial funds to officially commit to their child before his file is returned to his country.

Or how about an Ipad2 giveaway from a family adopting two sweeties from EE?

And here's a great fundraiser for a family adopting a sweet little boy.