Ok folks, I am really, really excited about this! We are having our first giveaway and I am a little nervous! I have never done a giveaway! If it was a silent auction for my favorite charity *cough*Best Buddies*cough*.....well, I help with that every year and could do it with my eyes closed! So this is a little new for me!
Here's the deal, we still need a lot of money to go get our little man! Like, a LOT. Right now we have a large chunk that we will need to have very soon to get our dossier on it's way across the ocean. We are doing everything in our power to raise this money. We don't like to ask for help. Ever. But this is a little different and a little boy is waiting in an orphanage.....waiting to come home and be loved.....waiting for his family.
So what better way to help bring him home and give you something in return to show our appreciation?
Here is how works.....
You can earn 3 entries a day just by sharing this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. You have to then come back here, comment how you shared and leave a working email that I can contact you at if you win.
Want even more chances to win? No problem! Just donate to our adoption fund via the Paypal button or to make a tax deductible donation, use our FSP account. If you donate through the Paypal button we will double your entries!
Here is how you can earn more chances:
$ 5 = 1 chance
$10 = 2 chances
$15 = 3 chances
$20 = 4 chances
$25 = 6 chances
$50 = 15 chances
$100 =35 chances
Wanna know what you can get??? It's awesome.....really awesome! I feel like Oprah.....it's like Shauna's Favorite Things round here!
Oh, yeah.....you wanna know what we are giving away!
A brand spankin' new iPad Mini!
Squee!!!
Want more??? Ok, ok.....IF we hit $1500 in donations we will add another item! Did you hear that? Another. Item. This one is something that I use every single day and can not live without! I love it more than my luggage.....any Steel Magnolia's fans out there? No? Sorry, I'm easily distracted!
A Keurig Special Edition Brewer!
So get busy! Share away! Donate now! We are running this giveaway until December 12th! Make sure to come back and comment on this blog post so I know how many entries you have! Don't forget to leave your email address or I can't contact you if you win!
Thank you so much! It's really hard to put ourselves out there and ask for help and we want to know how much we appreciate all of your help and support!
*I HATE to have a disclaimer, BUT.....we are having to pay for these items out of our own pocket, they are brand new and have not been donated. We will have to have a "reserve" on the giveaway. We need to reach $850 to break even and make something to help bring our sweet boy home! Thank you for understanding!
So we have these friends that we truly love. When we met them they had 4 children also, very similar in age to ours. They are an awesome family and they step out in faith without batting an eye. I really feel like it is a one-sided relationship. I feel that they do way more for us than we do for them. They introduced us to our church and some amazing people, they are so good to our kids and don't even blink when the little man says something crazy. They are just good, fun people to be around and our lives have been blessed immensely by knowing them. Chrissy even coined the term "Jackelope" and she is the ONLY one allowed to call him that. Just ask him. You can't use it. He won't let you. "Jackelope" is a Miss Chrissy exclusive!
They brought 3 siblings home from Ethiopia about a year ago and we were lucky enough to watch vicariously as it all happened......and they are doing it again! This time there are 5 siblings. 5 sweet children that didn't ask to be orphaned, but have been all the same. And they need a home and a mommy and a daddy to love them and lots of siblings to fight play with!
Yes, they will have 12 children when they are all home...Am I surprised? No. Do I think they are crazy? No. Do I think they can handle it? Yes. But really, why does it matter? This is what they are supposed to do. It fits for them. And guess what??? It is okay. Really. It is. Trust me.
So why am I writing about this? Well, today I watched as a miracle happened. I know, I know, people throw that word around all the time, but today......truly. A miracle. They set up a fundraising web page yesterday evening...go here http://www.acharityproject.com/f/7for7tickets to see. They needed $10,000 for plane tickets home from Ethiopia for 2 adults and 5 children! So, $7 for 7...catchy, huh? My friend, she's clever like that. I made the off-hand comment to Jeff that "oh, they'll have it by tomorrow afternoon" and by 9:00 pm last night, they were at the $10,000 mark! That's like, just over 24 hours! HOURS people! Haha! See, a MIRACLE. Don't say that it isn't, cause that is the only explanation.
So, yeah. Amazing stuff. God showing off and letting us all know that when it comes to His children, He shows up. And He shows up BIG! And I think it is nothing but cool! But they've reached their goal, so why am I blogging about this now? Because I want it to keep going. I want to blow the doors off this fundraiser. I want people to know for an absolute fact that there is no other way that this happened than but for the grace and awesomeness of a God who loves His children. Especially "the least of these".
Adoption is hard, expensive, emotionally draining stuff. Jeff and I know....we are starting our adoption full force with engines blasting in January. I won't lie...we are scared. We don't have enough money yet.....January is going to be a stretch for us having the funds for even our homestudy. But we are starting, because we know we are supposed to start. The fact that a few months ago Jeff was still at the "I don't think so" phase and we are now starting is ah-mazing! We know a little of what we are in for because we have seen what our friends have gone through with their first adoption and with this adoption. She is my "go to" girl for adoption info! I know she gets tired of my endless, ridiculous, mind-numbing questions.....but she answers them with a smile and a slight roll of the eye any way.
I hate that money is the thing that stops most people from pursuing adoption. Money is what has been in our way of adopting for a loooong time. It is the reason Jeff has said no for so long. And I don't want my friends to worry about the money part of it. I want them to worry about going over there and bringing those children home to their siblings so they can know the love of a family. A FOREVER family. The kind with kisses and hugs...going to bed with a full tummy, a kiss on the forehead and a "I love you sweet baby"...knowing that mommy and daddy are just down the hall if you wake up scared and will be right there for you if you should ever need. That kind of family. The kind every child deserves.
So please, forget your double tall, super gi-gundo, mocha-frap-u-what-ever you were planning on getting on the way to work, don't eat that calorie-ridden, your pants-ain't-gonna-fit-if-you-keep-eating-like-this-for-lunch, fast food...skip your "it's winter anyway, no one is gonna be looking at your toes" pedicure and do something that will make you feel good for a lot longer than ANY of those things will!
$7...that's all I'm asking. If you can't do $7, do whatever you can, or heck, if you can do more, please...DO!
But please...
Just. Do. Something.
It will honestly change a life...14 lives, in fact.
Read my friend's blog at www.paulandchrissy.blogspot.com
She's super funny and I love her...you will too!
