Giveaway Time!!

It's that time again. Our letter of acceptance is heading our way and we have huge agency fees due when it comes. How much you ask? Well, around $8900.

And while that seems like an awful lot of money, we know with God all things are possible.

So that brings us to our one and only giveaway for this adoption.

Why a giveaway? Well we don't want to pressure you into donating.....If you feel called to donate, that would be wonderful, but if you do not, you can still enter to win the prizes listed below.

The way it will work, you can donate any amount you choose, either through our "donate" buttons on the blog or in this post or by sending a check to our agency for a tax deductible receipt.

Wasatch International Adoption

C/O Marilyn Cypers

1140 36th Street #240

Ogden UT 84403

For each $10 donation you will receive one entry. You may also receive an entry for commenting on this post and another for sharing on Facebook, twitter or your own blog.

Just remember to leave your name and email address so I can contact you if you win. (also if you donate through our agency so I can add your name in as well)

Now on to the wonderful prizes!!

First up in our grand prize, a Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire Case and a $50 Gift Card to Amazon!!!

Estimated Value $300



First prize is a Scentsy bundle with two warmers and some yummy fragrance!!

Estimated Value $100

Next is two custom made skirts with matching headbands. How adorable will your child look in these?? I will work with you to pick whatever fabric you would like.

Estimated Value $60

And did I mention Valentines day is coming and any of these prizes would make amazing gifts!!

The giveaway will run from Today December 28, 2011 until January 25, 2012

So please share and pray for our family as we get closer to bringing Joshua home.

Now a little about the reason we are asking for your donations or help in spreading the word......

Joshua Christmas 2011 in Zigon Sichuan

We first saw Joshua's sweet face back in July of 2008, he was just a little bitty thing, a file in my inbox....a child I had helped advocate for while we were in process to bring Gracie home.

I thought for sure he had found his forever family. His needs were not to difficult, he was young and goddness, just look at his handsome face!!

I didn't really think any more about him, maybe a passing thought of "i hope he is happy and his family loves him".

Imagine my surprise when we saw another little guy this summer that looked vaguely familiar~ the smile maybe was the same, it couldn't possibly be the same little guy, right? Surely he had not waited four long years for a family and was still waiting, right??

But he had, and Kerry and I knew looking at his face that he was meant to be our son. And we would do whatever it took to bring him home.

                          Thank you for praying and supporting us on our last journey to China.

Updated picture of Joshua~

How my heart aches to hold him...

Scentsy Fundraiser for Joshua~

Please consider ordering Scentsy through our fundraiser. It will help us with our adoption fees and we would be forever thankful!!


An update from our agency stated we should have our LOA (letter of acceptance) before Chinese New Year.
That is very soon!! We need to raise enough for travel. It looks like Kerry will be the only one traveling. We would appreciate prayers on that front to.

Just click HERE and the link will take you to the Scentsy home page and you can order from the "Christopher Family Fundraiser" tab.

Thank you!!

LID and another way to help bring Josh Home~

We have our LID!!! It's 11.8.11!! But our approval wasn't sent in until after this so we are in process as of 12.6.11.

Great news and definitely need to up the anty in our fundraising....

Which brings me to my new business venture!! I actually hadn't planned on selling anymore in home products but my mom gave me a scentsy warmer for my birthday and I L-O-V-E it!!!

We don't have a real Christmas tree this year but with my warmer it smells like we do and I love that...plus the wax doesn't get hot so the kiddos are safe! (and yes, I did test it by sticking my finger in the wax!! LOL)

So click here:

My Scentsy site.

and order away!! There is still time for Christmas delivery!!

Not only will you be making your house smell Divine, you will also be helping our boy come home~

Waiting kiddos~

Wasatch is an agency we have used three times now~ I LOVE Kathy Junk, she is amazing...an adoptive mama herself and so into helping these kiddos find their forever families.

They have a new blog, it's public and you can see all the waiting kids assigned to their agency.

Access it here:

Wasatch Waiting China Kids

You can also sign up to get email alerts when they add new kids.

Please e-mail: kathy@wiaa.org for more information about a child. You will be asked to complete a Parent Eligibility form.


 
For example, look at this beautiful girl just waiting for a family...could she be your daughter??
 

                                      Jia- 6/06, F, Post-operative Atresia, One kidney only

Fun with the Bigs~

ITt's not often darling Husband and I get to do things alone together, let alone with just the bigs~

We like it that way~ we are home bodies at heart and like nothing better than snuggling around a warm fire, watching our crazy bunch play and have fun~ It's what it'a all about.

That being said, Caleb had a field trip with his home school group at the local ice rink in town~

And I decided to take them and well, skate, even though it's been 20 years since I've been on skates.

And Kerry, he surprised us by showing up and skating also!!

 So, it was kind of like a mini date. So much fun!

And no major injuries~ unless you count my bruised pride when I fell in front of the teens~

Always a Fun Giveaway~

Head on over to Kristi's blog and enter her 12 days of Christmas giveaway!! It's always fun and the things she finds to giveaway!! Oh my~



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A full day~

of medical testing for our girl Rach. This super sweet child who takes the world by storm and doesn't let a little thing like a limb difference or eye issues or a possible non treatable special need get her down...

 was plumb wore out after almost a full day of testing.

And we are still no closer to an accurate diagnosis. It seems every time we see a new specialist they find something else concerning, or something more to be tested for~

But, bottom line is she is our daughter, we love her more than life itself and she will not be defined by a special need. She is a little girl with enough energy and spunk to keep up with the best of them!!

A Great Birthday Present!!

We got our I800A approval!! Finally.  Now we can submit that to China and join the next stage of the waiting game!!

Santa visit 2011

Hope was very excited this year and even made a list...

Gracie was ok, as long as Hope was around~

 Jake was just bored...although he did ride the train with the little's and liked it!

 And Rachel.....

Wanted no part of it at all~  maybe next year~

A wonderful opportunity!!

I visit quite a few blogs during the week and these three are amazing. Check out what they are doign and help spread the word!!


We are so excited to share a way for you to be part of a wonderful - and fun - opportunity this Christmas. We hope to make a difference in the lives of some very special children Christmas season: orphans in China under the care of Half the Sky, An Orphan’s Wish and Pearl River Outreach. And we need your help to do it!
WHO: Lisa, Diana and Stefanie


WHAT: We will be hosting 12 Days of Giveaways... for a total of 36 prizes to be given away just in time for Christmas giving or keeping ;)

WHEN: Between November 25th and December 21st

WHERE: Our blogs - First a Pearl, Then Three Rubies, The Long Road to China, and Ni Hao Y’all

WHY: For Orphans in China

HOW: WITH YOUR HELP!

New Digs...

Well, not the blog, just the camera. I sold my SLR and all the lens's to raise money for Josh's adoption and because I just didn't have the time to learn to use it the correct way....or the money for a class....

So I was actually able to buy a nice refurbished Nikon cool pixL120 and still put money away for Josh's fees. Did I mention it's super easy to use...and it was inexpensive and has a warranty?  And now I have a camera to take adorable pics of my kiddo's again....like this one ~




or this one ~



or wait, maybe this one ~



I didn't have to edit the pictures or do anything fancy, just point and shoot....Something this busy mama of six, almost seven really needs...

Not to mention I had a very beautiful model ;0   But I may be partial, she is after all my daughter....and she is modeling the latest fabric available....

New skirts and new pictures!!

I will start with the new picture of Josh we received today from another family. He is the cutest little guy ever!! The really cool thing or what I chose to believe as a God thing is that he and the little girl being adopted by this family will be only about an hour and half from us!! And because they are both older I think this may be important later on.

I just can't wait to get my hands on our little guy and hug him!!

OK, so enough with the mama bragging...on to the skirts. Just when I think I have had enough of sewing..and endless nights staying up late to accomplish this I get a surprise gift of pictures and then I just keep going!!

I mean look at him?!?!? He is so handsome and that smile!! Goodness. I will sew all day and night if that is what it takes to bring our boy home!!

I am going on again....so here are the new skirts ready to ship. I also have a ton more fabric on order with new Christmas prints coming!!

(please forgive the poor quality of the pics, I sold my SLR camera to help pay for our adoption expenses)

Ladybugs skirt and matching headband Available in any size up to 7/8

Paisley Check Size 3

                                                                        Red Floral  size 2

                                                          Owls  sizes 18 mths, 4

                                                          Retro Butterfly  sizes 2t and 4

                                                             Asian Tea party Yellow size 4

                                                                Dr. Suess  size 5

Blue Christmas  size 8

                                                                      Retro Birds  size 7/8

                                                    Strawberry Tea Party   size 5

                                                        Christmas Candy  sizes 2,3

                                                          Christmas Trees  size 2

                                                          Asian Umbrellas  size 2

                                                                          Floral    size 3

                                                              Black/pink Floral   size 6


I have many more fabric selections coming. If you have something specific in mind I will try to work with you, please email me. (hopeyfopey@yahoo.com)

Skirts are $20 with $2 shipping no matter how many you order. As always thank you for helping us bring our son come home.

Skirts with a matching headband are $25

Heritage Farm ~ Sunday Snapshot ~

It's been awhile since we've all been anywhere as a family. Usually it's three or four of us together but today, since it's Sunday we decided on a whim to venture down to a local farm and see what we could find~

Hope of course is always up for a road trip.

                                                             Even I got in on the fun~

We found some pretty cool sites to take pictures of....like my dream vehicle!! Of course the one i want is aqua blue and in prestine condition and costs a small fortune!

Silly Jake, always posing for pictures....

Look at my girls smile!! I just love Rachel's smile...she is so beautiful...

And as always the traditional fall wagon picture, wouldn't be a Christopher fall without one....

Trying to tame my crew of kiddos for a new blog header pic, but they wouldn't have it....kept saying it was silly...sigh~

  and my wooly bear, it's gonna be a long cold winter~

And what is a sunday outing without a chocolate treat?!?!?


Hope you all had a great Sunday!!