Adoption, Fundraisers, and Obedience

We have embarked on a journey that keeps us continually looking at God and praising Him! He continues to provide and in this way He reminds us that He is good, that He loves us, and that indeed He has called us to adopt our precious Nina.

When we committed to adopt Nina, we did this out of obedience. We did not do it because we have the money, or because we are wonderful people (we are not!) We felt God leading us to do this and so we trust Him.

I won't lie, there are times where I start to question myself. The idea of a child with Cerebral Palsy can at some times feel overwhelming. Should we have adopted a child with Down syndrome instead? We know Down syndrome, it is familiar to us, we can even say that we love it! But Cerebral Palsy? What if her condition is worse than what we have been told? What if she lags behind in her development, even compared to Nichole? What if, what if, and what if?

But God...

Wednesday when Nichole had Occupational and Physical Therapy we met a little girl with Cerebral Palsy. Her condition seemed very similar to what we believe Nina will have. The mom and I were introduced and I was able to ask her questions, and she was also able to tell me all the different doctors and appointments I should make sure we have lined up for Nina once we are home. The thing is, we were nos supposed to be there. The only reason we met her is because the OT room was being used and we ended up in the gym. Coincidence? I don't think so, but a perfect plan crafted by God so that we could meet.

What if we really do not get to raise much money? What if we really do have to take a large loan? Can we even afford this right now with Andy going to Seminary and having small children?

But God...

My friend Marian asked if her and her husband could organize a fundraiser for us. They planned a Caribbean dinner party. They took care of everything else, all Andy and I did was show up and share our story.

Being a holiday weekend not many people were able to come. Marian and her husband Fernando had been praying for a specific amount, and the goal was met, with even a cherry on top!

I question and wrestle because I am human. But one thing I have very clear is that we are taking this journey because God wants us to. He confirms it over and over again. At therapy, or at a dinner party.

God is in this, and God will provide.

It has been an exciting road. We have experienced love and encouragement through people in very special ways. We feel honored and blessed because not many people get to experience God's blessings this way.

We trust, and we obey. And along the way we continue to praise God because He is good! And because we know so well that the journey of life is exciting, that his plan is so perfect, and He has our family wrapped in his loving arms! Thank you Lord!

You can see all the fun we had last night at the party on our adoption blog

Nichole absolutely loves talking on the phone lately. Not to anyone in particular as it usually distracts her from actually talking on the phone.
She just jabbers away and has long conversations with her phone friend. I think she thinks she is talking to her daddy.
And I am telling you, that girl burns some calories even when she is on the phone!
Believe it or not, I got only the end of her conversation, but this probably lasted about a half an hour!

Isn't she adorable!

Few Days!

We need to raise $24,000 for our adoption, and we are trying to come up with as many ideas as we can.

One thing I set as a goal was to have at least $1,000 by the end of the month in our Reece's Rainbow account, and we are so close! All donations are tax deductible if you donate through Reece's Rainbow.

You can give to this account any time by clicking on Nina's picture, but we would love to see our goal met in the next three days!

So if the next 20 people that check our blog donate only $10, we will be there!

Will you be one of those, or at least consider giving $1?

Birthday Girl

I cannot believe that Ellie is already four! Time has gone by too quickly and she is a big girl.

How she has changed our lives!

We are so proud of her! Not only because she is so good at what she does, but because she has a wonderful heart. I have had a few people comment on the fact that she treats Nichole so sweetly and protects her so well (okay, not always, sometimes she screams at Nichole, it is part of being sisters). But what is true, is that Ellie has a heart full of love and acceptance, and we enjoy to see her grow and mature into a beautiful and caring little girl.

Ellie made her very own birthday cake!

Beautiful creation, isn't it?

And we made a pinata the night before her birthday party. It was a blast for the kids!

Back to School

And it is another year of pre school. Ellie is loving it and has so much fun seeing her friends and teachers. After a long summer the routine is welcome for everyone!

If You Have a Blog

If you have a blog and would love to help us out with our adoption, I have something very practical that you can do.

On the left, where you see Nina's picture, there is a box underneath that says, "grab this button."

That is where you can copy the code and paste it on your own blog layout.

When you are in the blog layout, click on "add a gadget"

Then you select the option "HTML/Javascript" This is where you post the code and you can title it anything you want, like "Click on this button to help Stumbo's bring Nina home"

Then click save, and voila! All done. Then check your blog and make sure the link is actually working :)

If you want to, you could even write a little something about our family! :)

And if you do post Nina's button, will you leave me a comment and let me know? Thanks!

Gifts 2!!!

After the incredible success of the first book, I am proud to announce that "Gifts 2" will soon be available!

I remember holding "Gifts" in my hands, standing in the middle of the aisle at Barnes N Noble with tears streaming down my face. I had only read the back cover, and it had already touched the deep places of my heart that were aching as I was dealing with Nichole's diagnosis of Down syndrome.

This was a book about Down syndrome that had nothing to do with statistics, numbers, possible health issues, or challenges due to the condition. It was a book about mothers and their children and the reality of living day to day with a child with an extra chromosome.

Nichole was only two weeks old. I devoured the book. I cried with almost every story I read. And my heart was changed because these women were strong enough to tell their stories, they were honest and shared about their lives. I needed to hear that!

These women gave me hope, they painted a bright future for me. They filled me up with courage and desire. I had dreams again!!! So many dreams!!!

And now the second book is out, I cannot wait to hold it in my hands!

And, I am one of the contributors to this volume. I get to be one of the moms that shares her story, and maybe, just maybe, I will be able to help someone like the women in Gifts 1 helped me.

You can click here and pre-order your own copy!