An Update

The birth of beautiful Malcolm has kind of put me behind on updating our adoption blog! We are still moving slowly forward, getting little things in order so that when the adoption moves quickly again we are ready.

My etsy shop has been helping to fund our adoption since December 2010. To date we have made $709 towards our adoption expenses! I don't have a lot of inventory in there right now and need to get busy creating things so we can move closer to our goal of bringing our daughter home!

Michael and I have been taking some required adoption and parenting classes. These classes are all on-line and through an organization called Adoption Learning Partners. The first class we took was called Conspicuous Families. It was about bringing a child of another race into the home and dealing with reactions from friends, families, and strangers. It was a really interesting course, and Michael and I both hope and pray we won't have to deal with some of the scenarios presented in the course.

Our goal for the remainder of the summer is to get some more paperwork in and have expired paperwork updated. Our homestudy needs to reflect Malcolm, and we have been assigned a new social worker named Rita. As always, your prayers are most welcome and we will update the blog again soon!

An Interview

I was featured in an on-line interview discussing my etsy shop and our adoption efforts. It won't be on there for long, but please check it out if you have time! Here is the link for the interview: Modest Mama Creations.

The Generosity of Strangers

People have been so supportive of our adoption efforts. It's a slow process for us, and sometimes the financial burden and the emotional stress seem too much to handle. Encouragement comes in many forms, and today I received a very generous and encouraging message. UPS delivered two packages weighing over 30 pounds each. Margaret is excited and eager to find the treats inside!
Both boxes were stuffed full of fabric and other sewing supplies! Fellow etsy seller Janet found my shop on etsy and learned about our adoption efforts. She had these supplies she no longer needed and offered to donate them to me for our cause. She shipped them to my house from Santa Barbara, California!

Zippers and trim and tons and tons of usable fabric! All waiting to be used in creations designed to help fund our adoption!

Besides being a fellow etsy artist, Janet is a wife, mother, sister, and breast cancer survivor. Please consider visiting her shop, Santa Barbara Studio, and supporting her after she so generously supported my own family. She offers several beautiful handmade rosaries, as well as other unique creations.

Can I sew my way to an international adoption?

The response to linking my etsy account to our international adoption fund has been incredible! People are so supportive of our adoption efforts. Complete strangers have left the nicest notes encouraging us, or relating their own stories of adoption success.

In the last two months etsy has earned us over $500 for our adoption! Even a small purchase helps us reach our goal.

At times the financial burden of this adoption seems too much for me to handle. I knew it was going to be expensive, but facing the reality of the expense is daunting. We are forced by money to take baby steps through the process, something that I struggle tremendously with. Our next big payment is nearly $6,000. With our etsy earnings that comes down to $5,500. Still a lot of money, but little by little it is seeming more manageable.

Every day a successful adoption becomes a little bit more of a reality for us.

Visit my etsy shop at: Modest Mama Creations.

I have been selected!!!

My embroidered denium bicycle purse is being featured on the weekly blog listing Treasury Tuesday. Each week, Inspired Mama chooses a theme and finds handmade arts and crafts that fit into that theme. She hopes that by running this weekly blog post she can help promote the handmade marketplace and the artists that make it possible.

It is such an honor to have an item from my etsy shop chosen for the theme, "I Want to Ride My Bicycle." Selling items from etsy is currently the main source of funding for our international adoption. All the proceeds from my sales go to support our adoption.

Please consider visiting Inspired Mama and leaving a comment for her about her site. I know she would love to hear from you!

Linking etsy with our adoption

Sometime before the holiday season I decided to link my etsy account directly to our adoption account. Now all the proceeds from my sewing sales will go to support funding our adoption.

To date, my sales on etsy have earned $225.00 towards our adoption. We are hoping that etsy sales will significantly contribute to our fundraising efforts.

You can visit my etsy shop by clicking on the banner above or clicking this link: Modest Mama Creations.

Check back often as I am continously adding new items.

National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month. Our adoption is far from being complete, but we still enjoy hearing adoption success stories. Since this is also the month of Thanksgiving, we would like to mention a couple adoption-related things that we are grateful for:

Continued prayers and encouragement from friends, family, and even some strangers!

A new Ethiopia program director to work with! We didn't seem to hit it off with our last director, but our new director seems the perfect match for our family. Jennifer is an adopted mom herself and knows first-hand the emotional and financial strain that adoptive families feel. She understands how confusing the process can be and doesn't mind my questions and need for endless "hand-holding" as we navigate this amazing journey together.

My four beautiful biological children who never forget to pray for their baby sister.