trump!

 
photo source: beautyinthegutter

... this post causes a step back with pause & thought searching. it is a question many want to know about adoption.  yet also very personal.  but it is at the forefront of thought.  people are curious by nature.  we all know adoption is not cheap.  heck, it is downright expensive.  but up until now i have hesitated to even post about the totality of expenses involved because i do not like to give power to money.   the paper dollar is not the forefront of adoption, it is only the tangible token to pass go.  and because i do not like to empower the deception of the green bill, i still Must recognize it in adoption.  before continuing, it cannot be stressed enough that for an adoptive parent, adoption is not about money but it is required to proceed.  whether one has '$' or not, adoption is about love. and to be fair, the agencies involved in adoption are not money hungry; not the majority.  they do genuinely want to place children with families.  but there are guidelines, there are fees, there are fees in each direction of the compass.  that is just how the ball rolls.  domestic , international, government, foreign, you name it the fees add up.  i have found myself in anger visualizing a waiting child half way across the world,  turning my eyes to us as the prospective adoptive parents also sitting here waiting,  and in between are - green bills? is it fair? No!  and it has hurt my feelings that this power facade of the coin must be recognized to reach a waiting child . and that bothers me. deeply. hard core bothers me. yet,  learning now to accept this 'unfairness'  has given calm and as quick as those hurtful feelings come- no is the answer!  'don't go there'  comforts my mind and  my focus turns to God knowing He will provide.  money is just the illusion to scare and create doubt.  this is when my Faith rises and i know that God has placed adoption in our hearts for a reason.  it is a path we are to follow. nothing can smother our feelings of Love for our journey.  Faith does conquer the green dollar and trumps doubt.  and that is what keeps us focused.  to sum this up, we have been asked in subtle ways, 'how much will your adoption cost overall'  and today i will answer that question because grace in truth opens doors for peace in Faith.  the cost- 30,000.  do we have that sitting in the bank?  nope, not at all. will we be taking the path of sacrifice , fundraising and Faith to fulfill our path, yes we will. to humble oneself in being open is a good thing.  and being open about this here is a learning experience for i do not enjoy that when we talk about adoption, money has to also be discussed.  it is part of the package.  money may have its palms up hand  in adoption but we have the greater hold of faith.  it makes us appreciate each and every struggle, step forward, step back, and everything in between that takes us toward that goal we reach along the way.  it is the journey that defines and strengthens us, not the destination.
As others have inquired, we will share:

• our adoption total will be 30,000 +
• the small fees start in the beginning.
• the fees grow as the adoption progresses.
• there are hefty lump sums due to move forward.
• each fee  must be met to progress onto the waiting list.
• more fees upon acceptance of referral
• in country fees
• travel alone will cost us 10,000.

that was a very basic outline.  there is so much more detail than that but maybe that will help others understand and get some idea of the process. something i have not liked to discuss, is now here written out like a bad sticky note tucked away.  but now i feel moved in my humble validation of how money plays it part in this process.  that sticky note can now cling to the frig in view and no longer receive my growl but my smile.  it no longer is a deterrent but a mirror of our accomplishments . 


others may wonder?  why are you doing this if you don't have 30,000 in the bank.  now lets get real!  the truth of adoption is about 1/2-3/4 of committed prospective adoptive parents do not have that kind of cash.  most adoptions consist of fundraising, refinancing homes, loans, etc.  it is all about sacrifice for the children.  those of us who have to work hard toward paying these fees are parents who are truly in this with the appreciation and humbling grace knowing our efforts will be validated in  form of a sweet little boy. all  the obstacles and patience of our journey to get to him will be shown in the reward of love and grace.

 

photo source: xospislovexo

conclusion?  Truth!  money won't get you through adoption
nor anything else. only inner strength will endure and ones Belief
system sustain! money sucks- the good out of Hope and the Truth
out of what is real. within adoption it is not the green dollar, it is
Convictions that get that token to pass Go! now, when  invisioning a
waiting child and then us also waiting, green bills are no longer part of
the in between.   now,  Faith, Love, Hope, Courage, Stength and
Conviction are what are in between the present and the future.
Faith trumps all stinkn thinkn every time  ; )

toll road

okay, so an addendum to last weeks post. as some unexpected

expenses sprang up we will have to wait a little bit longer to send in our

second agency fee. the positive side is we still did manage to save half of what we

need and put it in savings! in a couple weeks we should be posting an updated

post that we were able to mail in our fee in full ! patience and time is being learned

and taught to myself  in full force. and, i have come to see this is a good

quality to have going forth in the adoption process ; )  it is similar to

pulling up to a toll booth with .50 when you need 1.oo. ; coming back

later waiting for that bar to raise to continue on your path. My husband

 told me just today, ' God is preparing us with patience for our journey with him' , 

and that is exactly what this woman needed to hear. 

- thanks hon! -

23Feb

next Wed. we mail in our Request for
Adoption form & our second agency fee.

next?  we receive our list of papperwork to compile

for our Dossier.  prepare for home appraisal as
equity is needed toward  heavier agency(s) fees.
set up our Home Study interviews.  and for the next
3-5 month we paperchase!

there is some yee-hawing &  a happy dance around here;  as for months now, we have worked very purposely to get to this point & we both are happy, content & proud of our persevering patience & focus .

so Hello sweet seven (sabat) days ; )

one step closer. one day at a time. for one little boy.

V to my B

happy v-day, i love Us .

" You know you're in love
when you can't fall asleep
because reality is finally better
than your dreams " 

- quote source Theodor Suess Geisel -

five stars

referring to one of my recent posts Here ,

bye bye satellite tv, hello mr. Flix.

it was SO refreshing to see the high quality and quanity of the movies,
documentaries,

television shows, etc. available thru netflix. 
- no more glaring ' assortment ' of brain numbing broadcasting .

for shows that aren't streaming, dvds can be queued.

our first two are:

Hotel Rwanda

and,
Babel

with about one day turnaround to landing within our mailbox.

our first documentary thru streaming will be,
The Cove


all three are based on truth, and offer to educate those listening.

researching The Cove, it without a doubt is heartbreaking.
in the Hope of its' documentary may it alert all of us viewing to this
 tragedy happening to one of Gods most peaceful creations, the dolphin.

couponing

So, I have been doing my research on ways to save at the market. 
For awhile now I have become interested in finding ways to coupon that actually make
a dent in food bills.  I am new to this.   If anyone has hints or advice on other sites
or these, and ways to get the most for your buck, please chime in. 
I know there is an art to good couponing, so if any artists of the savings kind
are reading , please leave a comment if you have strategies or techniques
you have come across putting pennies back into the piggy bank. 
Not looking to become a fanatic about it nor become overwhelmed as coupon
sites may reveal, but am looking to not just a couple square papers which only save
minimally short term, but rather to a ziplock full of paper savings which result in
the gratitude of walking from the market feeling proud. 
I already offset between the market with the dollar store which
does create savings within itself.  i love our small town however our
local paper does not spill out with savings so i would like to find ways to
get the most from couponing;  at an angle that supports
consumer savings and effort.
  

 These are the sites I have come across so far. 

http://save-a-lot.com/

http://www.kroger.com/Pages/default.aspx

http://thethriftycouple.com/

http://www.hip2save.com/

http://moneysavingmom.com/

http://www.coupons.com/

Curious if anyone is using one or more of these sites and if so, do you recommend?

For now, continuing to research this art form
and preparing to sharpen up the scissors  : }

rhythm

Mr. Watts is ROCK'n that beat.
LOVE it !
- goove'n it into the weekend ...

borrowed from a fellow adoption blogger Here;  thanks for the share :}

jeep'ers

with my husbands touch, things tend to not only get fixed but become

 part of the bigger picture within our family's path. together, we are good at seeing things from the inside out; so when we saw this needed vehicle, offered at a heck-of-a-deal from a friend, an '88 Jeep, loaded not only with personality and charm, but more importantly

4 WHEEL DRIVE;  this baby had us at hello.

it has become hubby's project, with a cause as it will offer us more flexibility,

especially with weather.  it allows us an alternate to drive

at lower gas costs compared to our current work vehicle. 

he has worked purposely over the past months,

toward its' delicate transplant.  next, finding a donor jeep was crucial for

replacing needed parts;  as it would offer up a replacement motor. 

and as of today, the motor exchange is almost complete.

with some love and attention, it will be fabulous.

 like adoption; we saw something that needed us, and we needed. 

under our arm we mix in some patience, understand

what needs to be sustained, for this lone gem to Shine.

the Donor.