Girl Names

Similar to when I am pregnant, we spend much of our time around here throwing out random names for the newest member of the Krom clan. Different this time is the fact that we know the baby's sex, and so we focus on only girl names. It is fun, but it has that "we are not getting anywhere" feeling to it. I would like to be able to call my daughter something besides "her" and "the new baby."

This baby will have three names like her siblings. She will have a first name that she will go by, the name of her patron Saint for her second name, and the third name will be that of a member of the extended family.

Here's what we have come up with so far for first names. Please leave comments with more name suggestions.

Jessica likes: Elizabeth and Alice

Michael likes: Helen

James: Rebecca

Isaac: Sarah

Henry: Flowers

Graph #1 of Contributions Received.

We feel so blessed to know so many kind and generous people. In just two weeks we have received over 13% of the money we hope to raise to help fund our adoption. As you can see from the chart below, we are raising money through donations and grants. We are not yet able to qualify for grants, and hope to be able to apply to some by mid-March. That's why grants are not yet represented on the chart.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us!

The Fundraiser

Here is the information regarding our fundraiser:

We are hoping to only have to conduct one fundraiser for our adoption. Your support and contributions can make this happen for us. We have decided to hold a "Numbered Envelope Campaign."

It's easy to contribute:

1. We have 150 envelopes numbered 1 to 150.

2. Choose an envelope based on the dollar amount you are able to contribute. For example, choose envelope number 50 if you are able to contribute $50. Your donation amount will tell me what envelope you have chosen and I will remove that number from the box.

3. Mail that amount to the address in the sidebar OR use the Paypal button in the sidebar to make a secure online contribution.

4. I will update the blog with envelopes that have been taken as donations are given.

Thank you in advance for helping us get our daughter home!

26 Donations Received

It has been one week since we started our adoption fundaiser. We have received 26 donations at this point! We feel so fortunate to have already received so many contributions. Thank you to everyone who has given to us and also to those who have shared our journey with others.

The hardest part for me is the waiting. I am the type of person who likes to see instant results. With an adoption, there is a lot of time that you are waiting for others to do things. Right now we are waiting for four different establishments to return official paperwork to us so that we can proceed further on the adoption. Everyday I race to the front door as soon as I hear Chris the mailman fill our little copper mailbox. Today I thought I heard him and was disappointed by an empty box. No mail on Presidents' Day.

In my impatience I even emailed the agency to see if we couldn't just get started on the next step while we were waiting for the paperwork to arrive. I am sure it'll arrive soon, so what harm is there in getting a jump-start on the next step? No can do. Things must be done in a certain order. Official paperwork must be completed and notarized before we can move forward.

So we wait. Like a pregnancy there are many unknowns that only time can answer. And like a pregnancy we can not speed things along by sheer will power. A friend told me that God will delay and speed things up at just the right moments to make sure that we get the daughter that He has already chosen for us. And with a feeling that resembles end-of-pregnancy-impatience, I reluctantly accept this.

Received

Thank you, whoever you are. Thank you very, very much.

Encouragement

We received this wonderful email from one of the contributors to our adoption fundraiser, and I wanted to share with you her words of encouragement for us:

Good luck to you all. We adopted our son, from Moscow 16 years ago – we also went thru the home visits and criminal checks and everything. It’s a little overwhelming but so very rewarding... With our process, once we passed all the tests, we chose our son from videos and medical records. One month later we flew to Russia for one week with another couple who we are still friends with to get our son and their daughter. Truly an experience of a lifetime. He has blessed our life tremendously. My miracle daughter was born from me 4 years later. I always said that my son came from my heart and my daughter from my belly. I could not be happier for you and your family. Enjoy every moment. God Bless You!

TEN DONATIONS RECEIVED!

We only need 140 more donations! We received TEN donations in TWO days! Thank you to everyone who has helped us!

Our first donation!!!!

We have received our first donation of $10 from M.N.! So #10 envelope is taken.

Thank you so much for supporting us! We only need more 149 donations to make this adoption happen.

The Fundraiser

We are hoping to only have to conduct one fundraiser for our adoption. Your support and contributions can make this happen for us. We have decided to hold a "Numbered Envelope Campaign."

It's easy to contribute:

1. We have 150 envelopes numbered 1 to 150.

2. Choose an envelope based on the dollar amount you are able to contribute. For example, choose envelope number 50 if you are able to contribute $50. Your donation amount will tell me what envelope you have chosen and I will remove that number from the box.

3. Mail that amount to the address in the sidebar OR use the Paypal button in the sidebar to make a secure online contribution.

4. I will update the blog with envelopes that have been taken as donations are given.

Thank you in advance for helping us get our daughter home!

From IFS Regarding the Ethiopia Program

This was sent to me on January 18 from IFS:
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From our Executive Director:

"We have some MORE exciting news to report. Eight beautiful children are awaiting court dates to come home to their forever families. Look at how young these kids are!!! Court for one brother/sister is set for this month and we should hear of more court dates any day now!

Coming home to their new families soon:
3 year old boy and 6 month old sister
3 year old boy
1 year old girl
3 month old boy
2 month old girl
3 year old boy and 1 1/2 year old sister

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? This program is amazing!!!! BUT WE NEED FAMILIES, even for infants!!!!! We have received word that many on our waiting list will have referrals any day, which is very exciting for all of us! But wow, it almost clears out our list completely! HELP! How do we let people know that these kids are so beautiful and so in need of loving homes? Please spread the word.

We continue to have a huge list of WAITING CHILDREN and we are still looking for a family for the 4 year old boy triplets!!!

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This helps confirm for us that Ethiopia is the birthplace of our second daughter.

Map of Ethiopia