He Summons Us By Name

Isaiah 45:3...
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."

 

I saw this verse on someone's Facebook status this morning.

 

Wow did it speak to me.

 

How precious is that verse on this Monday morning!

 

Please please please keep praying for Xavier. He truly needs a miracle. 

 

His family loves him so much!

 

Our Orphans Treasures Auction and Giveaway continues.  We have182 items without bids as of this morning.  I'd really like to see that number drop!  So many really really cool items up for auction.

 

I apologize to all of you who clicked THIS LINK yesterday and were unable to see the cross stitch pictures!  Please go back and look again!  It is a special donation. 

 

CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE ORPHANS TREASURES

 

(We are STILL waiting on travel dates...)

 

Please Go Bid!

 

I just added a very precious donation from a supporter who lost her sister to cancer this past fall.  It's called Cross Stitch in Memory of Shirley.  You have to CLICK HERE to find out what it is. 

 

 

 

 

The Reindeer Picasso by Judd is now available for bidding!

 

JUDD'S PAINTING

 

 

So is the painting by Judd's Sister, Lanie..

 

EUNOIA

 

 

 

Aren't they AWESOME???

 

I just added them to our 375 item auction!!

 

Come on!!

 

 

If you can't find something to bid on in our auction then you haven't looked hard enough!!!

 

 

CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE ORPHANS TREASURES AUCTION AND GIVEAWAY


 

372 Auction Items and a Giveaway

DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE NOW 372 AUCTION ITEMS??

 

That's crazy!!

 

ORPHANS TREASURES

 

I just added a few today - Hair clips and bows and the like...

 

Later on today I'm planning on adding a few more sweet paintings by the Hartman family including one by a very precious to me former Lost Boy and another by his older sister!! 

 

 

 

So Stay Tuned!!

 

 

We have not heard about travel dates but are painting and rearranging and cleaning and organizing and packing at a frantic pace!!

 

If you honestly can't find anything to bid on in our auction...

 

PLEASE make a donation of any size to any of the three family grant accounts and let me know so I can put your name into the drawing to win a prize.

 

We have only had a few donations so the chances of winning a prize are HUGE.

 

 

The auction ends February 14th.

 

The giveaway ends February 21st.

 

ORPHANS TREASURES

 

 

 

Made With Love

 

A little over a month ago a friend of mine in the area e-mailed me and shared that she wanted to make a quilt that we could sell to raise money for Harper.  She was  going to call it THE HARPER.  I told her about our auction and she was more than willing to let me auction the quilt off.

 

A few weeks later she sent me pictures of THE HARPER.

 

I about fell over.

 

The colors she picked are the National Colors for Harper country.

 

It's a lap blanket. 

 

It's BEAUTIFUL.

 

 

 

 

I'm Jealous of whomever wins it!!

 

 

Just saying!

 

CLICK HERE TO BID ON THE HARPER

 

 

And here's another BEAUTIFUL work of art.  It was finished JUST LAST WEEK - made specifically for this auction by Frankie Miller who was sick all week but determined to get this done.

 

A Handmade Baby Afghan!

 

 

This would make an amazing baby gift to give to someone!!! 

 

I could no more crochet a straight line much less create this masterpiece!!

 

I am in awe of Frankie's talent! I am in awe of her determination!

 

CLICK HERE TO BID ON THE BABY AFGHAN

 

I'm not done yet with blankets made with love for this auction...

 

Kat Drinkwater made this BEAUTIFUL Matryoshka Quilt for us to use to raise money for Harper.

 

She made us two.  A quilt for Harper's bed to match the quilt she made over 4 years ago for Aaron's bed.  Aaron sleeps with his quilt every night.  We tuck it under his chin. 

 

Gifts made with love mean so much!

 

 

 

This one is BEAUTIFUL.  It has patterns on both sides!!

 

 

It would make a great gift for a Russian or Ukrainian treasure!!

 

(So would The Harper)!!!

 

CLICK HERE TO BID ON THE MATRYOSHKA QUILT

 

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Finally - My heart is heavy this morning....

 

There are two Reece's Rainbow families who are hurting.

 

This week Timmy (Jacob on RR) went to be with Jesus.  He died unexpectedly.  His family is in shock and grief. 

 

Please pray for the Kroll family.  I am so hurting for them!!

 

Plus...

 

Xavier Jones (Vincent on RR), adopted in 2013, is in a fight for his life.

 

He took sick about a month ago with a cold which turned into some kind of flesh eating virus.  Right now he is in surgery.  The outcome looks bleak.  Please please pray for Xavier.  His family is not ready to let him go.

 

 

Please please pray for him!!

 

 

 

 

Unopened. Unused.

 

I am so blown away by the many acts of kindness being shown to us!! 

 

I am just so blown away.

 

How many of you gave items to our auction?   

 

How many of you in your bids are adding a dollar or two or ten or more to the starting bid????  Goodness I totally didn't expect that.  I'm used to e-bay auctions where people are trying to get something for nothing! 

 

How many of you are leaving kind words of encouragement and support in your e-mails??

 

You just don't know how much those words mean to us!

 

How many of you have given and are giving without getting anything in return?

 

I am just so blown away by your kindness!!

 

 

---------------------------------

 

See these two items up for auction....

 

They are BRAND NEW DONATIONS

 

A Puzzle and Spirograph

 

What makes them cool???

 

 

 

They were donated by a 12 year old boy, Isaiah. They were birthday presents.  Unopened. Unused.

 

He donated them to us.

 

 

 

 

He knows all about adoptions because his family has adopted and adopted again.  I LOVE his family.  Their blog is one I follow.  They were part of our first Mulligan Stew and watching their boys grow and thrive is such a highlight!!

 

Isaiah is watching our auction.  He wants his gifts to be a help!! I know bids for his items would put a smile on his face!!

 

CLICK HERE TO BID ON HIS SPIROGRAPH

 

CLICK HERE TO BID ON HIS PUZZLE

 

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If you haven't checked it out... please go over and check out our auction...

 

If you can't find anything you want then just make a donation to one of the family grant accounts.  Five dollars gets you a chance to win a cool giveaway prize. Right now we only have a few entries so your chances of winning are absolutely enormous!!! 

 

CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE ORPHANS TREASURES AUCTION GIVEAWAY

 

 And to just donate...

 

CLICK HERE FOR THE DRAKE FAMILY ADOPTING PEARSON

 

CLICK HERE FOR THE HARTMAN FAMILY ADOPTING GRADY

 

CLICK HERE FOR THE NALLE FAMILY ADOPTING HARPER

Leave a comment here if you donated so I can enter you in to win a giveaway item!!

 

Orphans Don't Have Treasures

Orphans don't have treasures.

 

They just don't.

 

Aaron came to us with nothing.  Nothing.  We provided everything for him right down to his socks and underwear.

 

I did barter for a hat to take home with us. I traded an extra hat we brought for it.  I really wanted the 101 Dalmatian hat he wore the day we met him.  But I didn't know how to ask for it.

 

Instead they gave me the too small frayed hat that he wore only once or twice. 

 

 

It wasn't truly his hat.  They had piles of those hats. All the boys wore them.  It wasn't truly his. The one they gave us didn't fit and he refused to wear it. Ever.  

 

They thought I was nuts that I wanted to trade for one.  They didn't understand our desire to have something.. anything... for a keepsake. Even a keepsake that wasn't truly his in the first place. Even a keepsake that didn't fit and that he wouldn't wear.

 

Orphans don't have treasures.

 

They come with nothing.

 

It's why every picture or scrap of anything we can get our hands on becomes precious treasures we never give away.  Precious.  Because they become the only tangible way to show/prove their past.

 

A frayed hat.  A few pictures.  A pile of souvenirs from the vendor on the street. 

 

A Star of Hope.

 

 

 

A Star of Hope from a mental institute in a currently closed country.

 

A Star of Hope that is Precious Precious to a family because it is that scrap of memory their son can have forever of the place he left.

 

Yet they have donated it to us.

 

They donated it to our Orphans Treasures Auction.

 

Orphans don't have treasures.

 

I cried when they shared the story behind the star.

 

I could not believe they were giving it up.  For our girl.  For the boys. 

 

They are giving up a precious treasure so we can bring our treasures home.

 

Right now it doesn't have any bid!! Please someone bid on it.  Please a bunch of you bid on this most precious of gifts.  You can CLICK HERE to read the story and bid. 

 

Get your Kleenex.

 

It's a treasure of a story.

 

Orphans don't have treasures.

 

They don't need treasures.

 

Just families.

 

ORPHANS TREASURES

 

 

Hidden Treasures

 

They were Lost Boys.

 

All three destined to spend their lives locked away from the rest of the world.

Hidden Treasures in Faraway Places.

Aaron was the first one to be found.

A picture and a whisper caused us to drop everything and go. 

 

What we found shocked us.  Saddened us.  Forced us to reconsider our lives.

 

 

He lived in a world of sheds.

 

Each day of the 45 days we walked the roads to visit our little son and rescue him from a lifetime of shed-sitting, we saw two little boys - Brady and Heath.  The only two out of an institute full of boys who had a chance. One chance of breaking free.

 

 

 They were available for adoption.

Hope.

We came home and screamed.  And yelled.

Brady's family stepped up first.  Six months after we left those gates sweet Judd (Brady) ran free.

 

Heath was harder.  For two years we shouted and prayed.  Many others prayed and shouted. 

And finally, finally... a family stepped forward.

Last year Boden (Heath) was redeemed.

 

Three Lost Boys.

Three families forever bonded together.

All three families adopting again.

Two going back for the Lost Boys they left behind.

We are crossing the ocean for our little girlie.

Three families.


One Auction.

One Giveaway.

THE ORPHANS TREASURES

Raising money for Hidden Treasures just waiting to be found.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER



Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
 

Those Darn Ducks!

 

 

I've been working like crazy to get all my ducks in row for this adoption..

 



 

Checking off my check list...

 

 

 

Check

 

Check

 

Check.....

 

I had my days planned out between now and March...

 

Do this... do that... get this.. get that... go here... go there...

 

You know what I mean??

I was trying not to panic because March is SO CLOSE and we have so much to do and trying to figure out convention stuff was overwhelming me...

 

But it WAS March which meant I had ALL of February to line up my ducks in a nice straight line!

 

 

Well....

 

This morning things got a bit out of control....

 

Like CRAZY!

 

 

 

 

Remember we were submitted yesterday....

 

Remember I said we were expecting travel dates in 6 weeks at the earliest..

 

Fast yes... but not crazy...

 

 

 

Get this...... The families that were submitted a week ago just received travel dates...  They have to be there in a week and a half...

 

AWWWW!!!

 

TRAVEL IN 2 1/2 WEEKS FROM SUBMISSION TO APPOINTMENT

 

My ducks are not only NOT in a row.... Those darn ducks just multiplied on me!

 

 

 

 

We could be flying across the ocean in a matter of 2 1/2 weeks.

 

My to-do list just blew up!

 

But... as one of my dear friends just told me... This is when GOD SHOWS UP AND SHOWS OFF... 

 

If you weren't praying for us up until now... now is the time to start.

 

Much has to be done....

 

Including our Auction...

 

We are still having our Orphans Treasures Auction which starts on Sunday, February 1st.

 

Over 250 items are up for auction along with some cool Giveaway prizes.

 

It is looking like the auction will end around the same time we may be traveling which means that any of the items at my house will have to be mailed when I return.  Not my preference but there is little I can do about it...

 

Please support this auction!!!  We need shares and bids and shares and more bids... And donations if you don't want to bid.  As soon as it goes live on Sunday morning please check it out!  There is something for everyone!  On every price level... Little kids can even bid on some of the small stuff....

 

I will provide the link as soon as it goes live so please stay tuned to this blog!!

 

WE ARE LEAVING SOON...

 

We can't wait to go because we have a little duckling across the ocean ..

 

 

 

 

...and we are longing to bring her home!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S.U.B.M.I.T.T.E.D.

You read that right!!

 

We are submitted.... 

 

 

Our dossier is in the hands of the power that be across the water and now we just wait for an invitation to come!

 

 

I'm a wreck.

 

No.  Seriously.

 

I've been weepy all morning.

 

Tears are just leaking down my cheeks.

 

Joy.  Terror.

 

We could travel in 6-8 weeks.

 

Middle of March.

 

Right smack on top of two conventions where I'm SUPPOSED to speak!

 

South Carolina and Tennessee

 

Harper trumps conventions.

 

 

WE ARE SUBMITTED.

 

It's insane in my house.  Rob's fixing Ben's bedroom in the basement so Elijah can move down. Then he has to strip wallpaper and paint Harper's room (Elijah's old room).  Then he has to fix another area in the basement for Ben when he comes home for the summer.  Drywall dust is coating everything.  Stuff for the auction which begins on Sunday is in piles in my living room.  Our to-do list is out of control.

 

WE ARE SUBMITTED.

 

We have no control from here on out.  We don't know when we will travel and once we are in country we will just go where we are told to go and sit when told to sit.  In Harper's country there is NO HOLDING a child so there is NO guarantee we are adopting her until we have referral in hand. 

 

Joy.  Terror.

 

WE ARE SUBMITTED.

 

 

Pray for us.  Pray for her.

 

Please, Please pray.

 

WE ARE SUBMITTED.

 

Thank you, Jesus!

 

 

 

 

 

The Ship - By Aaron

The Ship

By Aaron.

 

His first watercolor.

 

We weren't sure we wanted him to watercolor it.

 

 

 

 

 

His sketch was so nice we worried that it would get messed up if he put watercolors on it.

 

I  A.G.O.N.I.Z.E.D!!!!

 

I'm a wimp that way.

 

But he wanted to try it so..... we mixed some colors and practiced on a separate board and he took off..

 

 

And after I stopped being paranoid, I had a blast sitting next to my little son watching him work... helping him figure out colors, whispering encouragement, enjoying the moment. 

I mean this was his FIRST watercolor!

 

 

 

He blew me away.

 

No. I do not want to sell it.

 

Yes.  It is going up for auction.

 

Sunday.  February 1st.

 

Along with a whole host of other items.

 

The Orphans Treasures Auction and Giveaway benefitting three families adopting three treasures is going to be a BLAST!! 

 

Tons of cool items for everyone in the family...

 

Including Aaron's 2nd watercolor masterpiece...The sweetest fire engine you have ever seen!!

 

NO sneak peak's on that one... you will just have to wait!

 

Stay tuned people.....

 

Stay tuned!!