It's hard to believe we are we are almost in the final stage of this adoption! Back in November, I thought 8 months seemed like a ridiculous amount of time. Now, I almost feel like it's sneaking up on me!
I am in three country specific adoption groups on Facebook and keeping track of days and timelines is a big deal. I had to maintain a little sanity in my daily life and I do not keep track. I will occasionally look at a spreadsheet that another mom put together that keeps track of my days for me but not often! I would love for our LOA (the big 'ol "YES" paper from his country) to be here by the end of April. If it comes that fast we could travel by early July. We'll see!
That being said, I am starting to feel the pressure! We are still short our orphanage donation ($5,700) and Jay's plane ticket home ($1,000). We have applied for grants that we qualify for but we know it is very rare to receive an adoption grant. Thousands of families apply every year and there isn't enough funding to go around. Prayers would be appreciated!
To cover Jay's ticket, we are selling shirts that we were able to design. NOT EASY! I couldn't believe how many times we changed the design, words, image size before we decided to just go with it. The one thing we knew we wanted was a bow with arrows. I read this quote several months ago and it really told the story of our past year.
"An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward.
So when life is dragging you back with difficulties,
it means that its going to launch you into something great.
So just focus, and keep aiming."
I also wanted the shirt to reflect the huge amount of support we have received from our family, church, friends, and community. We are the arrows, God has called us and equipped us to go...those who have believed in us and lifted us in prayer are the bow. It just goes together. The first design we were sent didn't have the bow and I sent it back and said, "we really need that or the arrows will just sit there forever". He obliged.
At first we wanted tiny words, and then no words, and then fancy words, and then too many words. After much discussion, we decided on three words that have the most impact. #1 ~ because they reflect our lives as God's children. #2 ~ those three words summarize our adoption of this child. He was chosen by God to be our son, he is definitely loved, and he will be a member of our family forever and ever and ever and ever and I CAN'T WAIT!
Donate on the top right of the blog to receive a one-of-a-kind, Smith designed t-shirt! We will be wearing ours on arrival home with our new boy in the next 3 months, EEEK!
Fit is unisex and very true to size. Available in youth, adult, and adult plus. Regular or V-neck.
When ordering please specify "adopt" or "raising arrows" (see next post) in the PayPal info.
If you are local or you don't like ordering with PayPal, please send me a message or email and I can take your order that way too.
Every t-shirt purchase will get 2 entries in to a giveaway for this KOCASO notebook! AND if you share our t-shirt fundraiser on facebook, twitter, or by emailing our blog you will also receive an entry. You just have to send me a message and let me know that you shared it. Another adopting family donated this to us to use in a giveaway, SO AWESOME!!
If you would like to donate towards his ticket and don't want a t-shirt, you can
always make a tax-deductible donation to our Reece's Rainbow FSP.,
email or message me your receipt and you will
be entered in the giveaway. We will choose a
winner on random.org when we reach our $1,000 goal.
always make a tax-deductible donation to our Reece's Rainbow FSP.,
email or message me your receipt and you will
be entered in the giveaway. We will choose a
winner on random.org when we reach our $1,000 goal.
Thank you, thank you for all of the support. There are days that we struggle, it is so hard to ask for help but timely and kind words, offered prayer, a random donation, always brings us back to knowing this is where we are supposed to be.
Blessings,
Tanna
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