I Want to Breathe Again

Tuesday is the LAST DAY for the Build Your Bundle sale.

I'm sharing the link here again because this really is a cool sale.

Plus... if you buy through our link then we get a portion of the sale and all the money we make is going to cover plane tickets for Mary so we do have a vested interest in the sale doing well!!!

So do me a favor and at least go check the sale out.  There are a whole host of great curriculum in this sale to choose from..

CLICK HERE to get to the sale.

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We were sent new pictures of Mary this weekend. 

I was in Florida at the homeschool convention when the pictures were sent.

They undid me.  I couldn't concentrate. I couldn't focus. 

I COULDN'T BREATHE!!

I don't want to be here right now.

I don't want to wait 3 weeks or 3 months.

I want to breathe again.

I want to breathe again.

We won't know for another week or so what our timetable is going to be. 3 weeks or 3 months.  Honestly, 3 weeks is a crazy nightmare because we have a convention and a wedding and Shriners appointments but we don't care....

We will drop it all.

Breathing is much more important.

There is a little girl on the other side of the ocean who has taken our breath away.

Please, Dear Lord... Please!!

MARY

Purchased. Today.

He's just a simple bear.

Stuffed with fluff and very little brain.

A simple little bear for a little girl across the ocean.

Purchased.

Today.

Because yesterday our dossier was submitted.

And just like that the reality of this adoption has taken hold of our hearts.

We have a room to prepare.

Because soon - soon - a little girl is going to be living in this house.

Oh My Heart!

I can't breathe.

I am gasping for air.

I don't want to lose her.

I don't want to lose her!

Oh Dear Lord - Please!

We were submitted.

All that's left is to wait for travel dates.

And here's the crazy because with adoption - there is always crazy...

We could travel in one month.

We could travel in three months.

The timetable is dependent upon the wording in Mary's file.

In her country, they have created a punch list of special needs that a child could have that are considered urgent. If a child has those any of those special needs on that list then their adoption is expedited.  Fast-tracked. Mary has epilepsy. Epilepsy is on the special list.

IF Mary's file has the correct coding for epilepsy then we will be crossing the ocean in a month.

If Mary's file does not have that coding then we will be crossing the ocean in three months.

We won't know either way for another two weeks.

That's crazy!

Honestly, we don't think the coding will be correct on her file.  But we are laying the groundwork to leave in 4 weeks just in case.

I would drop everything to be able to leave in 4 weeks.

Mountains be gone.... Gasping for air is hard on the lungs!

A boys' toy room is being transformed into a room for a princess.

Sheets for her bed are on the way.  A comforter. 

And a bear.

Filled with fluff and with very little brain.

But ready to valiantly cross the ocean to bring home the one who will whisper secrets in his ear at night.

Soon.

Soon.

Dear Lord - Please!

MARY

It's Live!!

The Build Your Bundle Sale is LIVE!!

Click HERE to check it out!

I don't often do advertisement on this blog but this sale is one of a kind. None of the material that is in the sale this year was in last year's sale except for one back by popular demand curriculum!! It's all new material!

For all of us moms who have special needs kids... there is a Special Needs bundle that I have already bought!! 

Three of BiblioPlan's products are in this sale including our Medieval Days Audio book, our brand new Giants of the Faith Ancients and our Hands on States Notebooking!!

I highly recommend you check this sale out if you are a homeschooling mom or if you teach school!!

BUILD YOUR BUNDLE STARTS NOW!

From 8AM EST for only 9 days!

The ONLY bundle sale that lets YOU pick & choose what to purchase!  There are 234 products priced up to $120 that you can choose from. There is even a NO PRICE CAP bundle this year! Don't forget that if you buy 2 Build Your OWN Bundles you will get the 3rd one for FREE! Let me do some math for you: Purchase 3 Basic Bundles of Five for just $50! That is 15 products priced $19.99 and under at a savings up to 83%! Purchase 3 Basic Bundles of Ten for $78! That is 30 products priced $19.99 and under at a savings up to 87% Purchase 3 Premium Bundles of Five and get the best savings! 15 Products with NO PRICE CAP Choose from 234 products priced up to $120 Total potential value: $1,094.91 for just $78.00! You can save up to 93% with the Buy 2 Get 1 FREE deal when you Build Your Own Premium Bundles! Click here for complete details about the Buy 2 Get 1 FREE offer.

Save up to 96% on 20 individual bundles packed full of resources for your home and school! *All new products and no duplicates throughout the bundles! Over 240 products from 112 authors Cathy Duffy Top Pick Publishers 3 Build Your OWN Options - you can pick and choose what YOU want with an option for no price caps! Get the Bundle of Bonuses Book for FREE with ANY purchase. This is loaded with over $250 in freebies and awesome sales and deals! *The only repeat products from prior years are Ellen McHenry's curriculum because it is wildly popular. We bundled it all up in one bundle this year! Remember - these bundles will NEVER be sold again. For 8 days only you can take advantage of prices starting at just $9.95 (up to 96% off!) Don't forget that if you buy 2 Individual Bundles you will get the 3rd one for FREE! Click here for complete details about the Buy 2 Get 1 FREE offer. Take a look at the individual bundles and how much you will save: Character Bundle - $312.65 NOW ONLY $49.95   Charlotte Mason Inspired Bundle - $319.24 NOW ONLY $49.95   Early Learning Bundle - $201.81 NOW ONLY $29.95   Elementary Bundle #1 - $280.86 NOW ONLY $39.95 Mystery Bundle - $215.47 NOW ONLY $9.95   Thematic Units Bundle - $279.31 NOW ONLY $9.95   Brother & Sister Bundle- $279.81 NOW ONLY $14.95   Homemaking Bundle - $119.61 NOW ONLY $9.95   Healthy Families Bundle - $142.76 NOW ONLY $9.95   Homeschool Helps Bundle - $230.82 NOW ONLY $19.95   Special Needs Bundle - $149.44 NOW ONLY $19.95   Unit Studies Bundle - $147.28 NOW ONLY $14.95 If you would prefer, you can Build Your OWNBundle!

Corrected Build Your Bundle Link

To enter the giveaway please use THIS LINK! The post from yesterday will be correct now but it wasn't yesterday. So to enter, hurry and go now!

Build Your Bundle - Oh My!!

I am not big on advertising stuff on this blog but once a year we put some of our BiblioPlan products in this cool Build Your Bundle sale for homeschoolers and teachers.

Since many of you are homeschoolers I don't feel guilty telling you about this sale.  I can't share what products from BiblioPlan are in the bundle sale this year - you will have to wait until Monday because that is when it starts. I can say that I was allowed to make my purchases early and I was thrilled at what I bought!! 

I can also say that if you click THIS LINK you can enter the Build Your Bundle Giveaway. If you win you get some really cool prizes...

 Even if you don't win.. you will get a coupon good off a Build Your OWN Bundle which means you can pick all the cool BiblioPlan products we have in the sale plus a whole bunch of other cool stuff!!

This is the ONLY bundle sale that lets YOU pick and choose what to purchase!

There are 234 products priced up to $120 that you can choose from. There is even a NO PRICE CAP bundle this year!

AND.... if you buy 2 Build Your OWN Bundles you will get the 3rd one for FREE!

Click here for complete details about the Buy 2 Get 1 FREE offer.

Besides the build your own bundles... there are great packaged bundles.

Charlotte Mason, Early Learning, Character Building, Elementary, Upper Grades, SPECIAL NEEDS, Unit Studies and more and more and more...

There are bundles for everyone... including a fun mystery bundle!! 

So go check it out... enter to win... and get ready for the best sale of the year...

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Sometimes You Just Gotta Brag....

I don't brag on my older boys very much even though they make me so proud so much of the time.

But I just need to stop and brag a bit this morning....

Yesterday Elijah was SUPPOSED to walk the aisle and receive an Associates in Computer Science degree with honors but he was a bit busy following the Yellow Brick Road...

He figured being a scarecrow is definitely much more fun than wearing a robe and listening to a bunch of speeches.

Plus, he gets to stick an oil can in his brother's face which is definitely a highlight for him!!

And for Rob and me... to see BOTH OUR SONS on stage is precious!

They blew me away last night with their talented acting and gorgeous voices!

I am just so very very proud of them....

And we are also really proud of Aaron who was also rocking the stage last night as a monkey!! He was adorable! It is definitely his favorite part ever!! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to share of him.  I backstage manage so I am dependent upon everyone else taking pictures of my actors!!

If you are in the area, tickets for the shows can be found HERE

Kind Acts and an Announcement!!

Sometimes silence needs to be broken.

Sometimes a commitment made needs to be set aside for a moment in order to acknowledge the kind acts of others.

This is one of those times.

Sweet friends have been fundraising for us.

Beautiful works of art by a former orphan have been auctioned on behalf of our little girl across the ocean.

An amazing fundraising full of prizes is currently in process. The young lady who is doing the fundraiser truly has a heart of gold.

Donations have been quietly coming in from so many of you that we are just overwhelmed beyond words. 

We are so very grateful for each and every kind act being shown towards us and Mary.

Our little Mary's puzzle is definitely not going to be blank!! 

Though we are not fundraising.... God is providing through all of these kind acts and I need to break my silence and acknowledge them.

Thank you to each and every one who has so lovingly given!!

This morning we found out WE HAVE BEEN APRROVED BY IMMIGRATION!!

Our official approval paper should be here some time next week.

All the rest of our dossier is already in country so all we need to do is get that paper over there and we can be submitted.

Then we just wait for travel dates.

We are projecting travel between August and October!

It's coming fast and we can't wait.

Please keep praying for Mary. For our process.  Pray that mountains lay low and paths remain cleared for this adoption. Pray that our little girl is not transferred from the babyhouse. Pray protection around her heart and that fear will not keep her from family.

Mary

CLICK HERE to get to Leah Hardwick's amazing fundraiser

Happy Gotcha Day, John

Two years ago today, May 8, he walked out of the orphanage and into our lives...

Our son.

He was so little!



 He rocked our world!

We love him.

We cherish him.

John Edward Nalle

Happy Gotcha Day!!

Just Consider for a Moment

Here's what I know.... If I don't share about their need - then you can't respond.

So I am sharing again. 

Often we see that the families need thousands and we think that our little measly 5.00 isn't going to make a tiny bit of difference so we throw up our hands and walk away. 

But if everyone who had a measly little 5.00 gave that measly five... then those measly fives begin to add up to a lot more than that. 

I've seen it happen over and over and over again.

All I'm asking is for you to consider just giving 5.00 dollars.  Pick a family and donate 5.00. 

That's all.

At least pray about it.  Pray and consider for a moment what 5.00 feels like to the family.  Consider how 5.00 feels to a family who is scrambling around trying to do this and that and the other to get  ready to cross the ocean... or consider the family sitting over there now - short on funds but trusting that God will provide.  Consider how they feel when they see their grant account jump. Even a tiny jump.  Watch them smile a bit as they realize that someone out there cares enough to give to them.  They are not alone. They are not without support and encouragement. Though they may not know you - though they may never meet you on this side of heaven - they are touched by your kind act.

Do a kind act today.

Find 5.00 in your wallet.

Pick a family and let them know you care.



The Steinhoff's are adopting these two lovies.... They are about $2,200 short of funds. Their grant account needs to read $5,200 to be fully funded.

The Hefner Family  are currently IN COUNTRY and are getting to spend time each day loving on their new lovie!!  Their grant account needs to read $7,000 to be fully funded. They are about 3,600 short.

The Thorp family  and are still $3,500 short of funds and are now in country. Their grant account needs to read $6,500 to be fully funded.

The Thomas family  is still $2,800 short of being fully funded. Their grant account needs to read 6,600 to be funded. They will be flying out this weekend to bring their lovie home for good!

Just 5.00

Thank you!!

P.S. The Hollisters won the chocolate!!