Upcoming fundraiser news!

Exciting day today.. Dave and I are not really creative when it comes to fundraising and bringing our story to life. I am great at pouring my heart out maybe sometimes to a fault but coming up with unique ideas that aren't already being done is not my forte. Enter in my best friend's daughter Shondra! She put me in contact with a woman named Karen Smigelski MA, LPC of WillowsEdge Counseling and Art Therapy in Lake Orion, Michigan.

Karen had an idea of doing an art project with our youngest son who as you all know happens to have that extra special something known as Down syndrome. We would allow him to fingerpaint till his little heart was content or until he was covered in paint all over :) Karen would take his "work" and design prints that we could sell online to help raise the rest of the funds needed to bring Joshua home. I really wanted to incorporate some of the Down syndrome creed in the prints. Of course anyone that knows me I tend to think bigger. Karen also looked at the bigger picture. We could not only fund our adoption but maybe make Jacob's art sell all over to help fund other Reece's Rainbow children. My philosophy is go big or go home. I mean who knows? Maybe Jacob's masterpieces will not only bring his little brother home but help other children find forever families! This is new territory for WillowsEdge and for us. They are fairly a new place and this would be their first actual fundraising project. We were happy to be the first as they were so gracious to offer up their time and resources to help us out. In the next week you will be able to see our efforts and buy a Jacob Warner print :) Here is a preview of his effort.

Pray that we are successful for not just our family but for others as well. I may not be able to adopt them all but I sure can do my part in helping other families who are struggling to raise their own funds.

Today we also had an interview with our local paper. They will be doing a story on our family, Joshua and Jacob and his art masterpiece! Getting our story out there and bringing attention to Reece's Rainbow is important to making our efforts work. I will say it again.. there are families that want these children. These children have value and love to offer. It is the exposure that these children need- they need their faces out there for their forever family to take one look and say there is my son or daughter. We have a moral obligation to give these children a voice.

Tomorrow our son turns 1!! I will post more tomorrow but the more detailed I get the more I just want to cry. I have never bought anything for him. It may sound weird but I have been waiting till further along. Our homestudy is completed and heading to our government for approval and since his birthday is tomorrow, I thought the time was right for a gift. I bought him a onesie that says "My First Birthday". I tell you it was quite a sight looking at the clothes and seeing it, then almost bursting in tears. I can't wait till he is home and I can lovingly put it on. I don't care if it is after the fact... he will celebrate his first birthday in style! He so has earned it!