Really Cool Giveaway!!!

Ok, so I have a really great prize that was donated and so I am going to add to it and make a really great giveaway!!  The last pieces of our dossier have been mailed to our children's country and will arrive in just a few days.  We need to get all our funds in place, so I can go on trip #1 to visit our 3 children!!  Will you help!!  There are 10 prizes up for grabs here, plus a whole other giveaway you can be a part of while you help!!!

So here are the prizes:

1. We have the entire What's in the Bible with Buck Denver series!  That is Volumes 1-10!!!  This is the best dvd series ever for kids and honestly has everyone in our house excited every time a new episode comes out.  They are so wonderful there that when I told them about our adoption and fundraising needs, they donated the WHOLE 10 DVD SET!!  This set retails for $129.99 and even more if each is bought separately!  We are so thankful for their help and generosity!!  They also are letting us raise money towards our adoption as affiliates, so you can shop with them and help our adoption anytime at this link:  SHOP HERE

WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO ADD THAT GREAT SET TO THEIR LIBRARY!!??!!!  

2. We have a $100 giftcard or donation to waiting child or adopting family of your choice!!  The winner of this will let me know if they prefer a giftcard to Walmart or  child or family on Reece's Rainbow to recieve the $100 once the giveaway ends!

3. VEGGIE TALE PACK #1:  This is a package of Veggie Tales DVDs

4.  VEGGIE TALE PACK #2:  This is this package of Veggie Tale DVDs

5.  VEGGIE TALE PACK #3:  This is for a package of  "I Can Read" books

6. VEGGIE TALE PACK #4:  This package of Veggie Tales Lesson Books

7.  The newest Veggie Tale movie can be added to your collection!

8 and 9!!  We are going to order and give away two copies of Volume #10 of What's in the Bible!!  This is seriously the very best presentation of the Bible ever and it is our pleasure to give it away.  Your children will experience God's love for them with an explanation that they will understand and will leave them in awe of His love and Christ's sacrifice.  

10.  I am going to order a What's in the Bible Volume #1 for someone else to start their collection just for  SHARING THIS GIVEAWAY!  So you help us get started with our giveaway and we'll help you get started with your What's in the Bible collection!  (For this part of the giveaway all you need to do is share and comment to tell me where you shared to be entered!!!)

Entering is easy as 1, 2, 3!  1)Just donate towards our adoption at our FSP:  CLICK HERE 

                                          2) Email me your receipt from that donation to abcunroe@yahoo.com

                                          3) If you want to be a part of the share gift then share this and comment!

For every $5 you donate to our adoption fund you will receive one entry into our giveaway, so the more you help us the more chances you have to win!!!!  

THEN, if you would like a chance to win LOTS of extra prizes (over $5,000 worth!!!) go see how you can enter Mulligan Stew as well!!  CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW YOU CAN BE ENTERED THERE!   This is a really great giveaway and Casey is one of the orphans that is listed there that you can give money toward.  If you donate to him, send that receipt to abcunroe@yahoo.com  for an extra entry into my giveaway as well.  

Please pray that things will move quickly with the process! The last pieces of our dossier is on its way to the children's country.  Most of our dossier is already there and translated.  We are getting so close to trip #1!!!! Aleshia will be having Open Heart surgery on June 6th, so I really need to do this trip #1 in May!  Matthew there is in such horrible condition, so I really need to get to him quickly as well.  We really need our FSP to read around $9,000 for this first trip.  Can you help us get there???    This Giveaway will go until the 20th of April!!!  

                                                                                     

Keith's Bag of Things

Well, Brent starts visits with Keith in just a few hours.  I can't wait to hear about how things go, get new pictures, and see some videos of my sweet boy. 

Here is his bag of stuff:

Keith's Snacks

Keith's Things for His Crib and for Brent to do with him:

Keith's Clothes, Blankets, Snacks to leave there

Brent will not be able to feed him all of those snacks, bc we don't want to make him sick.  We do however want to know how he will handle food that isn't from his orphanage.  I need to know as much as I can so that I will know what to do about feeding him for when I pick him up. 

The crib toys will all be attached to his crib before Brent leaves.  I should be able to let you know soon as to how those things work out!

The things that are to hopefully be left there for his care would be left with his "Baba".  That is a hired grandmother type person who comes to visit him several times per week as a part of some ministry that works there.  We are hopeful that she can work with him with the book with my voice, picture book, teddy bear with the family picture, etc.  We are also leaving extra diapers in hopes that she will change him more often.  :)

Just a few hours until I should have a good update!



Anita's Bag of Things

Brent will visit with both Ahnja and Anita next week (not this coming week, but the week after).  Right now I'm waiting to hear that he landed in Rome, Italy and is going to make his next flight without issue.  I thought while I'm waiting, I would go ahead with the post of Anita's things for their visit. 

Anita is 6 years old and is very blessed to still be in the "Baby House" where she has been since she was born.  Since Brent is visiting now, it is unlikely that she will ever see the inside of an institution and for that we are very thankful to God!

Anita's Bag:

Anita's Snacks:

Anita's things that are in her bag to do.

What is in her bag:

• a magic screen writer (anxious to see what she draws, writes, or scribbles for Brent)
• doll with hair and brush (will she pretend or comb its hair?  Can't wait to find out)
• stuffed poodle that came with the doll
• 2 pair of sunglasses (you know she will love to dress up)
• 5 or 6 bracelets (more dress up)
• Chinese yo-yo
• Dora Stickers (will work good with the magic marker paper too)
• Slinky (small and so fun)
• Noise stick (everyone loves noise and it is great for cause and effect!)
• baby doll (girls love dolls!)
• light up textured ball (it bounces, lights up, and has sensory input!)
• 5 packages of toddler fruit snacks
• 2 fruiteeze packages with a fruit puree in them

Brent will of course be picking up more snacks for her to enjoy as well.  :)  There's also a gorilla that makes sounds, a toddler pretend camera, and a singamajig toy as well as the magic markers and paper for him to do with her. 

We should know next week as to how it all goes! 

Stay tuned!!!!!

In the Air

Brent is in the air.  He should be over the ocean somewhere right now. 

We miss him already, but we are so glad that he will be checking on our little ones.  I can't wait to see pictures and videos. 

Pray that his last connection goes ok!  Also pray for the other two families who are traveling right now as well. 

Lots more to come!!!

Nicholas's Activity Bag

Well, if you read the previous post then you were probably expecting Nicholas to be next.  Brent won't visit him until the last week that he is there.  Nicholas is a few months younger than Ahnja, but he too is 9 years old.  From the reports we recently received we expect him to be quite a tiny guy.  He is the same height as Cody (our 5 year old here), but only 26 pounds (Cody weighs 43 pounds at that height).  My tiny little guy will be home soon though.

Here is his bag of things for Brent to do with him.

Here are the things that are in the bag for Brent to play with him with.

Here are the snacks that I have in there, plus Brent will pick up

cookies, juice boxes, crackers, etc once he gets there.

What is in Nicholas's bag:

• 2 pair of sunglasses (boys like to see themselves in those too)
• a school bus that you push forward and then the wheels make it go fast (we'll see how fast he catches on and all boys love cars and trucks, etc)
• a race car that you push forward and then the wheels make it go fast
• a ball that lights up and is a strange texture, plus it bounces (lots of sensory input on that one)
• a Chinese yo-yo
• a magic screen writer (cause and effect and maybe he'll show Brent that he knows how to write a little who knows)
• Spiderman stickers (They will work good on the magic marker paper too)
• 3 matchbox cars
• a slinky
• a sound tube (hopefully he'll be entertained and show some cause and effect thinking)
• 2 fruit chew sticks
• 3 packages of fruit snacks

Brent will be picking up more snacks (juice boxes, cookies, crackers, fruit, etc) once he is there.  We have some other things packed as well.  There is a gorilla that makes noise when you squeeze it.  There is also a camera with sounds that is great for the toddler age that might be appropriate.  There is a "Sing a ma jig" (I think that is what it is called, but it sings when you push its stomach) as well. 

Nicholas's visit isn't until the last week, so it will be a while before I can let you know how well we planned for Nicholas!

Frustration

I am not smart enough to figure out how to write things in Bulgarian.  I have an English/Bulgarain App on the ipad that I thought would make things simpler.  I just can' figure out how to properly make some of those characters nor do I know which version of the words to use.  I wanted to label the picture albums tonight, but it is currently an epic fail.  I also wanted to write something like "Mommy and Daddy Love Me" on the shirts (I posted them in a previous post) that have Brent and my picture on them.  Problem is I can't figure out how too.  :( 

If anyone has any great ideas, I am very open!

So Much To Do

We are super busy right now.  We are trying to get Brent ready to travel.  We are also trying to get some of the 2nd stage documents (due after trip#1) done for Brent to take with him.  We already have the new medical forms to get apostilled.  Brent went this morning to get the local police clearance, but the sherriff was headed to a meeting.  They will hopefully have them ready to pick up tomorrow.  We also go tomorrow to get our new "psych" paper filled out.  All three of those documents will be notarized and certified on Thursday.  Then on Friday morning we will leave extra early to go and get them apostilled in the same city that Brent is flying out of.  That will allow him to hand deliver those to our "in country" person.  :) 

We also had ADT here today.  We decided that since someone got into our unlocked vehicles a couple weeks ago and so much is going on in today's world, that it would be a good thing to get installed before Brent leaves.  Just a little added security!

Packing

I'm trying to get Brent's stuff packed.  There is so much to send.

Orphanage and Institution Donations (every kid is at a different place by the way)

Packs of things to do with each of the 5 kids

Enough clothes for Brent to make it for a month (He will have to have his laundry done, bc we can't pack enough for a month without laundry, but we do need him to have enough to do each week that he is in the a city doing visits.)

You may want to pray for our packing.  You definitely need to pray for his trip and that all connections are made and that flights make it in good time.  You need to definitely be praying for all 5 of the children.  Pray that God will open their hearts and make them receptive to love. Most of them have no clue what "family", "love", "Mommy", or "Daddy" means.  They've never had those things!  Then you add in the language barrier and it would have to be interesting.  Pray that they aren't scared of the "strange talking man".  Pray that they can find "hope" from the visit and hang on till I can get back there for them.

Flights are Booked!

The flights are booked!  That is a great relief.  :)  Brent will fly out on February 3rd and land in country on the 4th.  He will travel to Keith's city on the 5th and start visits with tiny Keith on the 6th.  He will visit with him every day through the 10th. 

Keith is the first one.

Week #2 will be visiting with Ahnja and Anita.  :)

Week #3 will be visiting with Aleshia.

Week #4 will be visiting with Nicholas. 

I can't wait for the updates and I really can't wait for my trip!

Travel Plans

The plan is for Brent to fly out on the 3rd of February and arrive in country on the 4th.  He will return home on March 4th.  He has to stay there for so long because all five of our kids live in different orphanages and institutions.  They also live in 3 different cities. 

We are in the process of getting the flights figured out!  :)  I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't wait to have new pictures to show you all!

Prayers and Faithful Planning

I ordered the pictures for the picture albums for the kids tonight.  I've been trying to "pace" myself during this waiting.  I don't want to have absolutely nothing to do to feel like I am doing SOMETHING for them.  They are just ordered from 1 hour photo, so they could have been done last minute.  I have the photo books here to put them in. 

I also found some more rattle/key rings for donations to Keith's place.  They had them on sale at Kroger so I got some of them to go with the other donations we have ready.  That made me feel like I could do something for him. 

I do ask that you continue to pray.  I am going to go to bed and hope that I wake up in the morning to a written referral and a travel date for Brent.  I love him dearly, but it is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy past time for him to go!