Igor

That time of year is coming up, and for those of us in the Reece's Rainbow community it means it's almost time for Angel Tree. This is when we commit to raising $1000 for a certain child between November 1 and December 31. The child I chose this year was Igor.

Igor is almost twelve, and he's in Eastern Europe. He has a sad story and was found in a TRASH BAG AT THE AGE OF FIVE. Can you even imagine what that must have been like for him? Igor's special need is listed as a mental delay, but that could be mostly due to being in institutions for most of his life. Honestly, his being found in a trash bag at the age of five points to the very high likelihood that he didn't receive very good care before entering an orphanage. He really needs a family, love, education, and a chance.

The director of Igor's orphanage loves this boy and wants him to find a family so badly. She doesn't think he should be where he is and expects him to blossom in a family.

Now, any donations before November 1 don't count toward the $1000 goal, but if you feel the need to donate now I'm not about to stop you. Also, look at this boy and wonder if he could be your future son. His country requires a married couple but has very few other restrictions. Travel is required, but his area is known to be very friendly toward adoptions.

Click here for Igor's profile.

Last year my hair bow sales didn't go so well. However, this year I'm going to really try to step that up. I'm also trying to come up with other fund raising ideas.

Blog Blitz For Brett

OK, everyone. Here is a boy that is very near and dear to my heart. His name is Brett, he's eleven, he has Down Syndrome, he's an orphan, and he's a fighter. Brett  Brett was abandoned in an open field at birth, where he remained for about six hours. SIX HOURS all alone as a newborn in a field. That shows you just how much of a fighter he is. Oh, here's his picture.

He has alopecia areata (hair loss) which is not uncommon in children with Down Syndrome. Sometimes it's temporary, and sometimes it's permanent. Look at his eyes, though. I think his eyes are so full of soul. He hasn't given up on life yet, and that's a very good thing. Brett can walk. He cannot talk, but he can communicate with gestures. The honest truth is that he probably got very minimal care for most of his life in the institution. I firmly believe he'll be able to learn to talk after coming home. This boy is just such a fighter and doing pretty well despite his circumstances.

Brett is in a country that is known to be very easy to adopt from. Married and singles are allowed to adopt. You have to be fifteen years older than he is. The process is usually about a year, and the travel is easy. The travel is one week in country getting to know him. You then go home and come back a few months later for another week. That second trip is when you would bring him home. Also, you can adopt multiple unrelated children at the same time from this country for very minimal extra cost.

Someone, please save Brett. If you can't adopt him, please consider donating to his grant. A larger grant helps others to see him. Brett is a fighter and will make an excellent son.

Kiddos Who Need Medical Treatment Part 1

I've decided to advocate for some kids who desperately need medical treatment that they won't get in their home countries. These children REALLY need families to bring them home and get the care they need. This first post is for those kids who need heart surgery.

Kristopher (almost 6) is a little boy in Eastern Europe who has HIV, cognitive delays, vision problems, and a heart condition. Click here for his profile. He's such a precious little boy.

Next up is Justin, almost 2. He's also in Eastern Europe and has Down Syndrome and a heart condition. Also, look at the size of his grant. There is over $8000 available to help with the cost of his adoption. Click here for his profile.

Then we have little Liam, age 2. Liam is in Asia and has some delays along with his heart condition. Many of his delays could be due to his uncorrected heart condition, though. Click here for his profile.

For some more cuteness we have Barrett. Barrett is about one and a half and in Eastern Europe. He does have some other medical needs in addition to his heart condition, but he would truly be a blessing to any family. Click here for his profile.

Finally, we have Tessa, age about two and a half. Tessa is in Asia and has Down Syndrome, Cleft Lip/Palate, and a heart condition. The heart condition is not listed on her RR profile, but it is in her actual file. She has had one surgery for her cleft lip, which she had just prior to this picture being taken. Click here for her profile.

If you are looking to adopt, please consider one of these children. They all so desperately need medical attention, and no child should have to suffer due to not being able to receive it. If you can't adopt and feel so called, please consider donating to their grants in order to help the people who do feel called to adopt them.

Change of Plans

Darina

Today's spotlight is on Darina. Click here to see Darina's profile. Darina is five and has Cerebral Palsy. Her older pictures show just how much potential little Darina has. Please save her from the mental institution, as she is likely bedridden there.

 The one above is the more recent picture, and the one below is the older picture. She has so much potential.

Darina has likely NEVER received therapy for her CP. It is possible that with therapy here in the U.S. or Canada she can learn to walk.

Chase

We're currently working on saving money for our home study and commitment fees. Don't forget about our giveaway and our puzzle fundraiser. Giveaway and Puzzles

In the meantime, it's time to spotlight another orphan. It's Chase. Click here for his profile. Chase is five and does have a mental delay. He's a beautiful boy and needs a family so much. Here are his pictures.

He's in a beautiful region of the country, but he doesn't get to enjoy any of that beauty. Is he your son? If not, you can donate to his grant or pray for him. Thanks.

Mac n' Sweet Peas...: Giveaway Update!

Enter this giveaway to help bring a very precious little boy home.

Mac n' Sweet Peas...: Giveaway Update!: Huge news, friends! HUGE! The prizes for our giveaway have been donated to us! We do not have to pay anything out of pocket for these items!...

One More Smith: Black Friday Bonanza Electronics Giveaway!!!

Go to this link to enter an awesome giveaway and help a family bring a little boy home.

One More Smith: Black Friday Bonanza Electronics Giveaway!!!: That's right, in the spirit of annual mayhem known as Black Friday, we are proud to announce an Electronics Giveaway to be held on Black Fri...

Giveaway

We are having a giveaway in order to raise the initial fees we need for our adoption. The reason we have to raise this money is because my husband was unemployed for awhile, so we had to deplete our savings. However, we are in the situation where we can adopt now. So, this giveaway will run until we reach $3,000. We have three prizes, and they are the following:

First place:

An IPAD 2. You can choose white or black. The winner can choose a donation to the child or family of the winner's choice in the amount of an IPAD 2 in place of the actual IPAD.

Second place:

A Kindle Fire. The winner can also choose a donation to the child or family of the winner's choice in the amount of a Kindle Fire in place of the Kindle.

Third place:

A $100 VISA giftcard. The winner can also choose a donation to the child or family of the winner's choice for $100 in place of the giftcard.

The entries.

-One entry for every donation of $5. So, a $10 donation gets you two entries and so forth.

-One entry for sharing on your Facebook or blog. Limited to one entry per day.


Please  comment when you donate and/or share.

Once we reach $3000, I will use random.org to choose the winners. Remember, this will help bring TWO lovely little boys home to a desperately needed family.

To donate, please use the PayPal widget on the right side of the blog. It is not tax deductible but much appreciated. Thank you very much.

Puzzle for Weston

I'm drawing a blank for fund raisers, and all I can come up with is a puzzle fund raiser. This puzzle has 300 pieces. Each piece is $5. Just donate the money to Weston 9HA here Weston's Profile. Then, let me know how much you donated and what you want written on the back of the pieces. When Weston has a family, I will send the puzzle to the family. He'll always be able to see who helped him get home.

P.S. You can also still donate for our puzzle fund raiser (for our future adoption of two boys) by donating to our PayPal widget. Here's that post. Puzzles

Weston 9HA

Previously I said I would be a warrior for Kael, but Kael has found a family. Woohoo for Kael and the family. So, I am now a warrior for Weston. Look at this sweet boy. He shouldn't be in an orphanage. He should be with his forever family. Weston has a few medical issues. He is newly 3 and has hardly any grant money. We need to fix that. I don't have anything to sell in an auction, and I'm not crafty. The only thing I can really offer is this. For every $200 in donations I'll get a pie in the face. At $1000 my husband will get a pie (he doesn't even know yet.) At $2000 my mom will get a pie (she doesn't know but is a good sport and loves kids.) For every donation over $35, you get an ornament with his picture. You can donate to his profile here. Weston's Profile. If you donate through there and want an ornament you have to specify that. You can also donate on this page; however, you'll have to scroll down to his picture. Angel Tree page.

Presley

Here's Presley. He's a precious four-year-old boy who desperately needs a family. Presley has leukemia, and is said to be receiving treatments for it. Just imagine going through all those treatments with no one to love you. He doesn't have a mom and dad by his side. Leukemia usually has a very high success rate when treated with the proper treatments. Doesn't Presley look like a bundle of joy, even despite the life he's currently living? Could he be your son? If not, could you think about donating to his grant? Click here to see Presley's RR profile.

Back on Track

In my last post, I said that we couldn't start the adoption process. Well, the problem has been figured out, and we can start. Woohoo. Well, we can start when we have the money for a home study. I know it's easier to raise funds once your kids are on MFFM on Reece's Rainbow, but we will not commit until our home study is approved. Why? We don't want everyone to get excited that they have a family only to have our home study denied. It's just not how we roll. We still have our Puzzle Fund Raiser going on. For every $5 donated, you get you name written on the back of a piece of the puzzle. Our boys will be able to see all those who helped them get home. Only one piece is spoken for.

I also have bracelets. They are stretch bracelets and smaller in diameter. They fit my wrist, but my wrists are extremely tiny. So, they are great for kids. Each bracelet is $2 plus shipping or three bracelets for $5. The pattern for each bracelet will be different, but the number and type of beads will be the same.

Thanks guys. Also, I am still a warrior for Kael. My husband and I are planning a car wash in November and just figuring everything out.

I'm A Warrior

Unfortunately, we won't be able to start the adoption process as soon as we would like. So, we have decided to become warriors for an orphan. The goal is to raise $1000 for him by December 31. Fund raising is new to me, so I'm going to be a bit rough at this. OK, so you want to know who I'm a warrior for? Why, it's Kael.

Kael is a little boy in Eastern Europe with down syndrome. He's cute as a button, though, and needs a family. You can click on his name above his picture to get to his Reece's Rainbow profile. Stay tuned for future fund raisers. Thanks everyone.

Puzzles

OK, so we're going to start the process soon. The soon part is because we need some initial money. We need home study money and a payment to the placing agency.  Obviously, we're going to use some of our own money. However, this process is going to be extremely expensive, and we could use some help. So, we decided on a fund raiser. This is one of my favorite fund raisers. It's a puzzle fund raiser. Each piece costs $5, and when you donate for a piece we will write your name on the back. This way the boys will always remember those who helped to bring them home. We are planning on bringing two boys home, so we hope to be able to fund two puzzles. We would love for each boy to have his own puzzle if at all possible. The first puzzle to be completed is this one.

I think it's an excellent puzzle for a little boy. And, if possible, this is the second puzzle we would love to be able to complete.

Just donate to our PayPal widget on the right and let us know who you are. Any donation of more than $5, but in $5 increments will get you more pieces and us closer to our boys. Thank you so much everyone.

By the way, we can let you know who our boys are once we commit to them on Reece's Rainbow and send in the initial fees.

Darling Girlies

UPDATE: Natalia has a committed family that is in country now. Woohoo.

Usually I post about boys, and the reason is two-fold. I love boys first of all, and the second reason is that boys are often overlooked when it comes to adoption. It's sad, but true. However, I'm going to showcase two girls that need families today. They are both in the same orphanage (so they could probably be adopted together *wink wink*.)

It's Victoria. Victoria is nine and has arthrogryposis. Basically, she can't walk. However, I am told that this can usually be corrected via surgery. Imagine, she could get a family AND the ability to walk. What a great present that would be. She also has convergent squint. She has so much light in her face even after living in such a difficult situation for so many years. Click here for Victoria's profile.

Who i that beautiful girl with great eyes? This is Natalia. Natalia is nine. She had a bone that was set incorrectly before leaving her unable to walk. Now, I have been told she may be able to get it corrected in the U.S., but we aren't sure on that. The reason is that we aren't exactly sure what bone it involves. She has some form of epilepsy, but epilepsy can also be controlled very well (usually) by medication. Some cognitive delays have come as a result of her epilepsy, but we don't know they extent of her delays. Also, she has lazy eye (which can be fixed in the U.S.) and possible FAS. FAS is not documented, but it is a cautionary disclosure. I know that the fact that she has a number of needs is scary, but many of her needs would not be a concern in the U.S. Click here for Natalia's profile.

Both of these girls need out of their institution. Since they have been in it, though, they have been affected by malnourishment and neglect. That is something to be aware of. However, many families have brought home kids from even worse places, and the kids often thrive. They need love. Both girls are also said to be friendly and fun. Please give them a look.

Boys in Region 13

Today I am showing two boys in region 13 who need parents.

 

 First off is Dash. Dash will be seven in September, and is in an orphanage. He has an illness that can be controlled. Look at his precious face. I love his smirk. Dash 13G

Now we have Alexander G. Alexander has a brain tumor that doctors in his country will not operate on. However, it is believed he has a chance if doctors here operate. He needs a family badly so he can get necessary treatment. No child should be just waiting to die because of where he lives. Alexander G. 13G

Our Future Adoption

Please help us raise money for our future adoption. The area we plan to adopt from is very expensive, and we can use all the help we can get. Any money donated through our PayPal widget to the right is not tax deductible but very much appreciated. Thank you all so much.

Prayers

Can we have so me prayers please? The kids we wanted to adopt may no longer be available, and if so the reason is only half positive. I mean, no one died or anything, but what may have happened is not the best possible situation. Thanks guys.

Darn Government

Did you know that dealing with the government is frustrating? OK, I'm pretty sure that's not a secret. Dave's school told him he has to change his FAFSA to say that he registered with the selective service. Well, there are a couple problems with that. The biggest is that he didn't register. Why? He didn't become a permanent resident, thus able to register, until he was too old to register. What the heck? The other problem (which really doesn't matter because we're aren't lying) is that you can't change that on the application. It's one of those that can't be changed. So frustrating, but he'll figure it out.

I know that we will be really frustrated with the government when we go through the adoption process, though. Plus, we will have two governments to be frustrated with.

We keep thinking of the kids we want to adopt, but right now we can't do anything. Man, I can't wait until we move and can get a move on it.