It Costs How Much?!?! You're Joking, Right?!?!

It costs a lot to adopt from China. The low end, $29,500 and high end over $40K. No, I'm not kidding. Its a lot - a whole lot! If you want to see for yourself, take a look at our adoption website here. 

So, now that you'd had a bit of sticker shock, just how are we going to pay for it? In all honesty, we don't know. Oh, we have a plan, but the last I checked I can't see the future so really, I don't know.

Even so, here is a rough idea of our plan.

1. Pray. Pray a lot. Pray that our adoption will be on the low end of costs and pray God will provide!

2. Cut back. For the next 18 months, are aren't planning any family vacations, weekend trips or many dinners out. Along with that, the cables getting cut after the Super Bowl (oops - sorry kids! Take this as your warning!) and any way we can decrease our basic expenses we are and will continue to do.

3. Save. We personally hope to contribute $10K to our adoption from our own savings plan.

4. Apply. After our first phase in the adoption process is complete and our home study is done, we then will qualify to apply for grants. I've got a running list of grant options, currently numbering over 20 different groups and charities.

5. Raise. We plan several fundraisers. First is our crowd funding campaign! You can find a link to the right here on my blog or here at Pure Charity, Beyond that, our next fundraiser starts next week! I'll be selling my mothers homemade kaiser rolls by the dozen for delivery on Dec. 23rd for your Christmas holiday celebration! In the months to come we plan a puzzle event, online garage sale (ongoing beginning in January) and we're still throwing around ideas for summer. All in all we hope to do about 5 fundraising events.

Our hope is to fly sometime early in 2018. Much of that hope depends on the money. I hate that. I really, really hate that loving another child, expanding your family and giving someone hope and a future is dependent on money. Still, I rest in a great God who looks after all that I have no control over.

So with that, we step out in faith. We move forward, never back in this journey to complete our family. Because after all, our Family Makes 7.

XOXO - MusicalMom

Our First Goal Has Been Met!

I have to tell you I don't like asking for help! In fact, I really, really hate it!

I was raised that I need to to be able to stand on my own two feet. This was excellent advice and I thank my mother for being an incredible example of that. And yet, there are times when its good to humble ourselves and seek help.

Posting our crowd fundraiser was my family doing just that - seeking the help of others to come alongside us and help us to bring Tori home. Was it easy? No. Is it scary? YES!!

You see, there have been times in my life when I have overstretched myself; when I have launched into a ministry or event and it flopped. Those experiences taught me to be cautious to stay in God's will. It took me years and a lot of soul searching and good counsel to help me see why I was doing too much, and why they flopped. It was part me being codependent and part that I was not doing what God had called me to.

All of that produced scars. Scars of doubt on my soul. So, as you may imagine, doing a campaign to help raise the money we need to adopt our daughter brings up a lot of those failures and fears. I have doubted if we are in God's will, I have doubted my own ability to succeed and yet, Chris and I see how God has orchestrated this time for us to adopt. So I gotta let go. I gotta do our part and watch as God does the rest. Its scary and its a battle of our faith but we are holding tightly to His promises and the desires He's given us.

So with that, what an update! We are so thankful that our first goal was reached!

That first goal was simply getting a donation and you got that done! Thank you so much to those who have contributed to our campaign!

Now, what is the second goal? Our first down payment is due Feb. 28th, with a stack of paperwork and $2400. We know we can meet this goal! Here is how we hope to meet it:

Crowd Funding - $1,000
First Fundraiser - $500 (see details below!)
Our Family Contribution - $900

So, what is that first fundraiser you may ask? I'm going to be selling dozens and dozens of my mother's famous keiser rolls for Christmas! If you've had the privilege of tasting these, you know how GOOD THEY ARE!!!

We aren't set on the price yet, but I am thinking $10 a dozen, or $18 for two dozen. Let me know if you think that's a fair price.

We plan to have them ready for delivery to your home on Friday, Dec. 23rd or early Saturday, Dec. 24th!

We can do this! God is good, He is great and He will provide!

Again, thank you SO MUCH to those who have contributed thus far! We pray you will follow our updates and see God work in this! 

Also, please consider coming alongside us and helping us bring Tori home! We need prayer, wisdom and your help!

Much Love,

MusicalMom and the family!  #bringtorihome

Lets Get This Party Started!

Its October 22nd, 2016. Okay, okay, I know its been 3 years. Yup 3 YEARS since I posted on our adoption blog. Well, a lot has happened.

First off, its my birthday. No really, it is. I am 47 today! I'm having a 'mom' day - aka look back to my first post about the pj's and fluffy blankets (that part of me has NOT changed). My family celebrated with me a few weeks ago with a long weekend riding horses at a ranch in Leavenworth. It was wonderful - my horse-loving daughter Sarai and I hope to go back next summer and volunteer a week.

Anyhow, back to 3 years. Why has it been 3 years? Well...in all honesty I'm not really sure. Much has happened. I went back to work on a more permanent basis as a school bus driver. Its an awesome job! My kids have aged - we graduated our first born who is now attending the local community college. One of my boys is now in full-time public school, and the other two are still homeschooled. Along with that, we've done a ton of work on our fixer-upper (and yet, it still isn't ready to pass a home inspection!). Plus I'm in the process of applying to grad school. So, tons going on.

Yet, life is always busy. Why the adoption wait? I guess it comes down to fear. Fear of the money (or lack thereof), fear of the changes, fear of the unknown. All of that comes down to faith, or my lack of it.

A few months ago I had enough of lack of faith and we finally put our application in! Upon review, our application was stalled because my BMI did not meet the standards for China (yes, that's embarrassing and totally shaming to me). So I had to work to get my BMI down. Thankfully it wasn't much. Now I'm working on lowering it further. Its a process.

So yes, we have applied. I am now working on the paper chase, slowly. We have 4 months to put in our intent and our first deposit to the tune of $2,400. I think it'll happen - I pray it'll happen. There's a plan, now I'm just hoping life won't get in the way.

With that I an researching grants, fundraising and all kinds of adoption cost reduction options. Though our goal is to do this adoption debt free, we are willing to seek a loan if needed for the final expenses. We pray to get through phase 1 and 2 without any debt - God let it be so!

Soon I will post some links for you all - ways to help us along in this journey. Though we would love for you to partner with us in reaching our financial goals, what we seek more is your prayer support! Please pray with us! Pray for our waiting daughter, for our children here and for God's timing in it all.

All I want for my birthday is faith. Faith that I do not question God's calling. Faith that He will provide. Faith for my family to be complete.

Love and Prayers -

MusicalMom