A Hurdle Overcome and More to Go...

My dear little Abbott has finally achieved $2500 in his fund!  Thank you so much for helping him reach the Sizable Grants page.  It's also called Moving Mountains page...for a good reason.  Money is the major factor preventing people from adopting these children.  The larger the child's grant, the better chance he or she has to be chosen.  Please pray for Abbott; that his family will see him soon.  He's been in a mental institution for months and no one knows how he is doing there.  No one is adopting from this institution right now, so there will be no updates for the foreseeable future, unless someone is seriously inquiring about him.  I pray that the day will come soon to see him on the "My Family Found Me" page.  I will continue to advocate and fundraise for Abbott until he comes home!  Right now, you can help him and get a handmade bookmark.  For a donation of $10 or more to his fund, I will send you one of the beautiful creations my daughter and I have made. Click here for more information.

Speaking of hurdles, specifically financial ones, the Olympics are coming up soon.  This has thrown an unexpected monkey wrench into several families adoptions.  Airfare, food and hotel costs have soared, leaving fully funded families short and those almost funded are farther than expected from their goals.  Efforts are underway to help them and others that are traveling soon.  Please click through to offer your support to these families who are following the calling of the Lord.

A Baby Shower for the Unroe Family  This faithful family has 13 children already....1 by birth and 12 adopted domestically.  They are now adding 5 more from Bulgaria, each of whom have Down Syndrome.


The Rogers Family is bring home dear Bernadette and handsome little Mason.  I've blogged about them before.  They are getting quite close to travel and are still in need of God's people to help!


The Finale Fundraiser    The Westbrook Family recently brought home two children and are returning next month to add two more girls to their crew.  They are many thousands of dollars short of what they need.  ETA: This family is now fully funded, but they are continuing their giveaway to benefit other families that are very near to traveling!  PRAISE THE LORD!!

There are other families that aren't traveling in the next few weeks, but will be soon and would love some encouragement and support.

The Morse Family are trying to quickly raise the last of the funds they need to bring darling little Xenia home.  There are many ways to help them, listed at the link.


The Friedl Family are bringing home two darling girls and could use your support.  They do not have a blog, but do have a page at Reece's Rainbow where you can help.


The Cooper Family is bringing home dear Michelle and Felicia soon.  They are doing a puzzle fundraiser and could really use some encouragement.


The Sheffields are adopting sweet little "Vinnie" and are waiting anxiously for their first travel dates.  


Updated to add: The Menges Family.  They just got their travel date tonight for their first trip.  They will be traveling in late July, which will be here in a blink of an eye! They also have the great news of TWO matching grants being given to them, so they have a giveaway going to help them reach their goal.  They are not too far from being fully funded.


And The Marble Family, who are getting two of the cutest towheads you ever did see!  


What an opportunity the Lord has given us!  Please pray for these families, children and countries.

As a bonus, please enjoy this post from a Reece's Rainbow family that adopted their son last year.  What a difference LOVE makes!!  I can't wait to see Abbott's transformation when he's finally taken home!

Brady Murray IS Kona Inspired

It's been a busy few days over at the Reece's Rainbow Group Facebook page. We're all voting like crazy to keep Brady Murray's Kona Inspired video in the top spot.  Wondering what all this is about?  Here's Brady's words:

Two months ago, Ironman announced a contest called Kona Inspired.  How it works is they have given the general public an opportunity to submit a 90 second video based around the theme, "Anything is Possible".  Winners receive a spot to race in the Ironman World Championship in October, but most importantly, they will race as a media athlete and have the opportunity to share their story on NBC's nationally televised broadcast of the championship this year!  THIS COULD BE OUR OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THESE PRECIOUS CHILDREN'S STORY WITH THE WORLD!!!

Have you seen the video yet?  You can vote as many times as you want. Please share, watch, vote and vote again!  So many folks will come to know about the precious children of Reece's Rainbow through Brady's efforts with Kona. This little thing can mean a great deal.

The link below will show you how to vote and link you to the actual video.

KONA VIDEO LINK

Bookmarks For Abbott

My dear Abbott.  All day, every day, spent in an institution without a mother's love.  Perhaps even without anyones real attention.  Did he get enough food today?  Did anyone meet his eyes and greet him?  Did someone abuse him?  There's no way to know.

A while after finding Reece's Rainbow, I asked the Lord who He would have me pray specifically for, advocate for, yell for, yes, even love, from a distance.  Abbott was the one to whom He directed me.

Now, my eldest daughter and I have been given an idea of how to build his adoption fund.  This money will help the adopting family who chooses him with the costs associated with international adoption. The costs are great.  Indeed, they are considered a ransom by many, as they are what stands between loving families and the children they so desperately want.  

Bookmarks For Abbott

We have crocheted these bookmarks using #10 thread. They are beautiful and delicate and yet durable at the same time, just like any child must be to survive long in an institution.  Each is available FREE for a confirmed donation to Abbott's fund of $10 or more.  We hope to get his fund to at least $2500.  Then he can move to the "Sizable Grants" page where he will be seen more often. He's made it to Sizable Grants!  Now we are aiming at $3000 in his grant fund.  Please pray that his Daddy and Mommy find him soon!  

If you want help him find his family, click here, donate $10 or more, then forward the receipt that you receive from Reece's Rainbow to bookmarks4abbott@yahoo.com.  Tell me which bookmark you want and your mailing address and I will get it out to you and mark it as "CLAIMED" here.

There are no duplicate bookmarks, so if one catches you eye, act quickly!  I will mail by the time of the requests if there are multiple requests for the same bookmark.

Thank you for helping my dear Abbott.  I very much look forward to the day I can write the marvelous words announcing that he has a family coming for him.  With God's grace that day can be in his future!  Please pray.

Red Cross

Pretty Petite

Blue Ribbon

Pretty in Pink

Lynette Has Passed Away

Little Lynette, aged 11 died recently.  She died having never learned to walk, having rarely been out of a crib.  She lived and died alone, never knowing the loving touch of a mother or the protection of a father.  She died unwanted by all.

She was about the size of an American three-year-old, even though she was actually eleven.  She suffered years of nutritional neglect.  She simply could not endure anything else.

Do you wonder why we cry out for these children? Do you wonder why we spend our time advocating, crafting, why we sacrifice money into children's adoption funds and adopting families FSP's?   

It's because each of the children listed on Reece's Rainbow faces the same future as Lynette.  Death often follows hard on transfer.  Other, stronger children endure for years.  Very few are snatched from death.

Look at their eyes. Imagine their futures.

Abbott has already been transferred.  What will his next picture look like? Will he have lost his cheek chub and have become gaunt?

Ross, already so thin.  He has very little time left before he will be completely unadoptable. Will someone save him in time?

Alex was captured smiling in his last picture.  Do you think he's smiling right now?  Loved? Fed?  Where is his mommy?

Sweet Gemma, transferred and unchosen.  Is she worthless? Of course not!  But she is doomed to die alone like Lynette if someone doesn't go save her!

Adorable little Sonny, so charming and curious, has been transferred.  Recently a new picture of him was received.  What a difference. Yes, just below this paragraph is the same little boy as beside.  Please don't let him be the next Lynette! 

Pray, Advocate, Adopt, Do SOMETHING!

Dilly Carrots and Beans

We harvested the remaining carrots from our garden last week.  Troubles had a great time pulling them. He was so excited each time he got a big one!  We got one that looked like a person walking that made him laugh and one that we called The Octopus Carrot because of it's many small points.  I forgot to take pictures of them, though.

We can't eat all these carrots before they go soft, of course, so we saved a big bag of them for crunching raw, and set about preserving the rest.  We topped, washed and cut them up and made Dilly Carrots!  I haven't had them before, but I am hoping that they will be a tasty snack for the kids a couple of months from now.

I purchased some green beans to try Dilly Beans, too.  I can't wait for green bean season!  We still have some of last years but I'm not sure if we'll have enough to make it until late summer.  I made 68 quarts last year, figuring that over 1 quart a week would be enough but we enjoy them SO much! I often use 2 quarts for a meal.

You can always find more canning ideas at my recipe blog: Feeding the Crew, and there's lots of other recipes, too.  Here's hoping that all of your harvests are going well and that your summer garden is growing well, too.

This post is linked at the current Carnival of Home Preserving.

Joy in the Morning!

I'm so happy to announce that Abbott's fund has grown!  He's up to $2311 and needs just $189 shy to get to the Moving Mountains page!  Please pray for Abbott; for safety and health while he's in the institution and that a family would choose him soon!









In other good news, Silas has found a family!  He's waited for so, so long!  Hopefully his family will get their blog set up soon, so we can follow them on their journey to their son.



Kristopher, too, has been chosen!  He's such a little cutie and trapped in that bad orphanage....you know the one.  The b.a.d. one.  Pray for a fast process for his family so he can be home as soon as possible!

Keith, Ahnja, Nicholas, Paula and Anjelina's family has finally been given a court date.  They will be in front of the judge on June 12th.  Pray for a good judge and that they will be home by the end of the month. 

Rummage Sale Totals and Other Opportunities

We organized a rummage sale last month for Abbott and Michelle and had it on the 7th.  Abbott doesn't have a family yet, but we are praying that someone will choose him soon.  Michelle has a family working hard to get her and they have recently chosen another girl to be their daughter!  Felicia will soon be a Cooper, too!

Our sale began at 7 am and we were cleaning up by 6 PM.  There were people digging through the clothes as we were trying to put them away!  We had a lot of good items donated and many of them sold in the first few hours. All day long, though, people bought small things and even things that I thought would likely not sell.  Thank the Lord for His blessing on our efforts!  After the sale, we were able to send $200 to Abbott and $200 to Michelle!

There are many other opportunities to help families who are adopting or children who need a family still.  Soon I will announce a new fundraiser for Abbott; I'll give more details as it gets closer.

The giveaway for Bernadette and Mason ends today.  Hopefully you can get over there and enter.  There are few people playing, so your chance of winning is really good! 

Here's a chance to win an iPad and bring Ava home. 

There are gift cards, beautiful dresses and more available here, to benefit the adorable Claudia.

This is an online auction that will benefit Jaxon and help him come home. There are tons of beautiful bows for that special little girl in your life, along with others great items.

Hidden Treasures will be holding the week-long Mission: Makayla auction beginning June 1. There is always a wide variety of items donated to this auction and they are of such great quality!  Don't miss out helping dear Makayla get out of "the very bad place" she is in and get home where she belongs!

Miles is a newly-listed child and so, adorable!!

Gabby hasn't much more time to be available for adoption.  She desperately needs to get out of the orphanage she is in and see a doctor!  Please pray for her!












Dear Mabel is longing for a mommy to cradle her and love on her!

Little Jolene is so sweet and needs daddy and mommy to cherish her and a brother or two to look out for her!

Ransoming Bernadette and Mason

Sweet Bernadette, whose new name will be Jessica, and little Mason are being adopted by the Rogers family. Time is critical for this adoption because Bernie is already 15 years old.  They are working desperately hard to get them as fast as possible, however, money is tight.  They've only been home about 5 months from adopting the last time!  From Renee's blog:

They still need the following (in US dollars):

5625     rent/food/transportation per day ($125/day x 45 days)
  600     train tickets (2 to region, 4 back to capitol after adoption)
1600     airfare for the parents over to EE
3200     airfare for the parents and Bernie and Mason back to the USA post-adoption
2000     2 one-day visas ($1000/ea) for Bernie and Mason
2000     USCIS i600 fees ($720/ea x 2, $225/ea x 2 for required Embassy medical exams for kids)
1000     miscellaneous


Please, please, please go read that link to Renee's blog.  Rene has been in this orphanage. She has spent time with Bernadette and knows how the Orphanage Director is reacting to this incredible, unbelievable adoption. 

Let's come alongside the Rogers Family and help them raise the ransom for these dear children!  They need the church right now!  Another friend is graciously hosting a giveaway.  I have donated an item, as have several others.  It's not a huge, flashy giveaway, but a chance to do the hard work of James 1:27.  


"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."


Please go visit Mandy's blog and contribute to the Chip-In.  Leave a comment letting her know that you did.  You'll have the chance to win a prize, but much more importantly, you'll show the Rogers that they are not alone in this.  That others are praying and caring about dear Jessica and Mason. They are NOT forgotten!

Catch-Up Post

We've had so much going on lately that blogging has fallen by the wayside.  Therefore, a catch-up post in in order!

Of course, I have to include the family Easter picture.

My father-in-law, sister-in-law and all three cousins came for a visit!  While the guys went to the range to shoot a while, we went to The Dizzy Park, ran around and fed the ducks and geese.  What fun! My SIL and I also made Creamsicle Jam together.

My dear Oregon in-laws are coming for their annual visit later this month and we are beyond excited.  We love this special time of year!!  It's often the first hot streak of the year while they are here, but our weather has looked like this lately, so they might get lucky. The forecast is variable, calling for temps from the mid 60's, mid-70's to low 80's for their visit, with low chances of rain, even.

I've been working on our front yard landscaping.  It's been the same for ten years and the plants were getting pretty tired looking.  On a whim, I ripped everything out one morning and began anew.  I'm making a special little spot we're calling "Shady Grove" for the little  girls who love hidden places to read and do schoolwork.  It's coming together nicely and I should be finished this week.  I haven't taken any pictures yet, though.

I am collecting items for a Sidewalk Sale at church to benefit Abbott and a least one other Reece's Rainbow child.  The announcement was in the bulletin last Sunday. Please pray that we raise local awareness of the need and also lot of money to donate!

My Honey and I took our eldest daughter EmBlem and her friend R. to Six Flags last week to celebrate Em's 16th birthday.  We had a great time.  I sure do love roller coaster-ing. Colossus is still my favorite ride, with Ninja a close second, but I rode Scream for the first time and liked it, too.  The girls even rode the bigger rides like Tatsu and X-2.  Brave things!

I am making a cute retro granny square afghan to donate to a giveaway or auction, as the Lord leads.  It's working up fast and I really like how the colors look together.

We had a swarm of bees across the street in a neighbors bush on Easter Sunday afternoon.  We really didn't want them sprayed so we called all the bee collectors in the area.  Only one would come out that day.  He was something else.  He did collect the swarm.  We got to watch the process close up. One of my girls walked up to the swarm barefoot, though, and as we were saying, 'Go put on shoes!" she stepped on a bee in the yard and got stung.  This was her first sting. She is not allergic, so yay! Her remark?  "I thought it would hurt more than that to get stung."

All in all, it's been a great spring!  What have you been up to?

New picture of Abbott

There's a new picture of Abbott! Isn't he the most handsome boy?  There was no new information, but I am SO glad to see that he is, at least, getting food in whatever institution he was transferred to.  His grant fund has grown a little over the past few days.  If you have donated to it, here's a big THANK YOU! from me. (((Abbott)))  I'm praying that your daddy and momma find you soon!