Where are all the pieces to this puzzle?

37 of 252 pieces - that's 15% of the puzzle - but that means 85% to go till Xavier's picture is fully revealed.  I so want to share our precious boy with you all!

I am finding that raising money for this adoption is NOT "quick and easy".  We have incurred about 25% of the adoption expenses already and more will come due in about 4-5 weeks when the remainder of our agency fee and post adoption retainer fee will become due.  The fees add up fast when you take a leap of faith into an unplanned journey.  A journey to redeem the lives of two children who did not ask to be orphans.  Despite this, I know the cost my God paid to redeem me; therefore, regardless of the paperwork costs to redeem the lives of these two precious children who do not deserve the "cards" they have been dealt, I know this journey will be worth it in the end!  We will be blessed beyond measure and my God will build the necessary funding bridge when the time is right!

Until then, we will cut back where we can (which isn't easy with 8 kids in the house), I will substitute teach as much as possible, and continue fundraising.

Are you one of the missing pieces to our puzzle?  Here are ways you can be a part of the puzzle:

• Donate items for our upcoming silent auction starting on November 30th (if we get enough items together) - are you a small business owner, crafter, have special items to sell that you would donate?
• Bid on items in the silent auction that will go on Nov 30th-Dec 9th - Go here to like our silent auction page and to stay up to date.
• Purchase a $50 Restaurant.com gift certificate for only $20 at our fundraiser site: fundraiser.restaurant.com/c/31882
• Make a tax deductible contribution at www.adopttogether.org/downey

Thank you to all who have contributed items and made contributions so far!  We are so blessed by you!

16 of 252 puzzle pieces in place!

Because this blog is a continuation of our second adoption journey, I have to give a shout out to our son Tegan!  Today his fourth year with us - we are so very blessed to be his parents.  Happy 4th Gotcha day, Tegan - can't wait to see you get to be a big brother to Xavier!!!  I know you are excited to finally have that title and not be the youngest Downey!

While the fundraising is slowly trudging forward (you can see our fundraising thermometer to the right), we are getting ready to begin the exciting paper trail ride of adoption!!!  I expect to have our completed home study in hand sometime tomorrow, which means I can then mail off our application to U.S. Immigration.  Then we wait on an invitation for my husband and I to go get our fingerprints taken.  I still don't understand why we have to do this again, we've done this multiple times before - do fingerprints change?

Things will keep moving on down the paper trial from here till the day we receive Travel Approval (TA) - roughly 5-6 months from now!!!!  While that seems like we have time to fund raise, we've already incurred about a third of the adoption expenses.

If you would like to help us with fundraising, please let us know.  Perhaps you have some things you could sell or would like to involve your kids in fundraising for a good reason!  We are blessed by every dollar contributed.  Thank you!