So where are we??

 Oh my goodness.

We are in the throws of piles and piles of paperwork.. I thought it was a lot last time but 

this is unbelievable. I have been up for 2 weeks, late every night answering essay-type question after question, filling in endless forms, running to the bank for cashier's checks, visiting doctors, notarizing lots of signatures, taking all six kids for TB tests, getting fingerprinted, running back to the doctor for checkups or other immunizations, even getting the dog a recommendation from the vet...(I am not kidding). And that is just SOME of the things I have been doing (life still goes on, as well, in our busy household in the busiest month of the year...).

Tho I have been a bit frazzled lately, I'm glad to see I am  still lookin'  pretty good according to Jemila (in a portrait she made of me). No, I don't typically wear a crown and I'm not so sure my eyelashes or lips are nearly that big either   (Yikes!).

 The first round of paperwork has just been mailed in -  YAY! This will start the homestudy process which will hopefully only take 6-8 weeks. There will be online training classes, home visits, more paperwork, more fingerprinting, it seems endless.

Once our homestudy is approved, we will move on to the "dossier" phase - basically more paperwork, LOTS of notarizing, certifying and stamping by the state governments of EVERYTHING, waiting for clearances, translating, shipment of all the documents to China, and then more waiting.

Adoption requires one to be committed and undaunted by the endless hoops and lists and be willing to  bare it all and be wide open. It is a humbling process...and rather exhausting.

But I am NOT complaining (ok, maybe just a little...).


PUZZLE UPDATE:   33 PIECES HAVE BEEN SPONSORED! YAY!

I have had a couple of people tell me that they couldn't use the Chip-In box. It will only work if you are viewing the blog on your computer. I can't get it to show when I view the blog on my phone. If you are more comfortable mailing in a donation, that's great too! Our address is shown on the original puzzle blogpost (May 4).

We continue to feel blessed and excited to get to do this amazing journey again!

Puzzle Fundraiser Kickoff

Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west. Isaiah 43:5

Wow! Last Thursday morning, I sat nervously with my finger hovering over the "post" button on Facebook. I had written a status saying that we had a family announcement with a link to this blog - my private blog, my little home on the internet, my unknown blog. We were so excited to finally tell everyone and yet, a bit nervous that we might hear comments that weren't so positive.

No need to be nervous.

We were overwhelmed with the kind and sweet messages from family and friends who finally know our big "secret" and who are as excited as we are to meet our newest daughter. Thank you to our friends and family who have been so encouraging and happy for us.

Many of you have asked us how you can help - and some of you already are (writing recommendations, serving as our notary, providing clothes and gifts already, offering extra beds)! THANK YOU - THANK YOU!

Thank you for your offers of help - we appreciate them so very much. Adoption is costly. We have been through it before and every penny is worth it, but it is a huge expense. We worked hard to do it last time but this time will be an even harder task. We are relying on our faith that God who called us to this will not let us down and will help us to find a way to accomplish the many huge fees and travel. Which brings me to our first effort - 

OUR JIGSAW PUZZLE FUNDRAISER!

We have purchased a wonderful, 500 piece, children's map of the world puzzle (see it pictured above). Since we will be a very international family, we thought it was quite fitting!

Anyone can help us put our puzzle together by purchasing a piece or pieces. Each puzzle piece costs $10 - and you are welcome to purchase as many as you would like!

When you purchase a piece of our puzzle, we will write your name (or family's name ex: "The Snell family") on the back of the piece. As the weeks go on, I will post photos of the pieces as we label them. Be looking for your name!

Once the entire puzzle is funded, we'll put it together as a family and have it framed between two pieces of glass. One day T will be able to look on the back at the names of all the friends and family who helped to bring her home!

To make a donation, click on our Chip-In donation box in the upper right sidebar. ** This Chip-In box will NOT show up if you are viewing this on your phone.**

The Chip-In will take you to PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account, you can still donate by clicking the "I do not have a PayPal account" button - this will allow you to pay by credit card. Or you can send a check to us. (3256 Turnberry Circle, Charlottesville, VA 22911).  Please be sure to note on your donation (or leave a comment here) the names you would like on your puzzle pieces.

**PayPal donations are NOT tax-deductible - we hope to have an account later in the process for tax-deductible donations. We are also planning a local fundraiser and another online (possibly t-shirt) fundraiser on line.

It is very difficult for me to ask for donations tho' I know that there are many who feel for the plight of the orphan and tho' they may not be able to "go," they might like to help "send" a family. It is gratifying to be able to give in a way that enables you to actually see the child you have helped.

I know some of our friends are also adopting, some are getting over the costs of adoption, some are saving for mission trips, and many of you (like us) are just trying to survive these financial times. Please know that we are not expecting all to be able to give. We do ask that you would pray for us!

Thank you for considering a donation to our adoption. Thank you for praying for us. Thank you for your encouragement and kind words. We are forever humbled and grateful.