Meet Clare

If you are here to donate to our FSP...thank you, BUT DO NOT DONATE TO US. Please see this family's FSP and DONATE TO THEM INSTEAD by clicking on ANY PICTURE of Clare.

I have stolen this post, without Suzanne's permission, in order to share their story and their fundraiser. Suzanne has worked her TAIL OFF to raise money to bring Clare home. Friends, it breaks my heart to see her struggle so to raise the funds they need. They need to travel soon to meet Clare and they still need $17,000. Clare knows her mommy and daddy are coming, they send her care packages. Here is Clare opening some gifts and seeing her family in the pictures.

Please, I am begging you, do for them what you have done for Jadon. PRAY. SHARE. DONATE. The following is from Suzanne's blog "Our Chinese Butterfly"

Many people may be reading this for the very first time, so I would like to tell everyone the story of our Clare.

2-28-07

Clare was found abandoned, as an infant and was placed in an orphanage. Shortly after placement she was transferred to Little Flower for hospice care. (Little Flower is a healing home that takes in fragile infants. You can learn more about them by visiting: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Little-Flower-Projects/230680524654). Clare was sent there to be loved by these wonderful people until she died. But instead of dieing Clare started to improve. Fast forward: She is now 4 years old and has been lucky enough to be able to stay at the baby healing home. She is doing so much more than anyone expected her to do. She has many health problems and has fought for her little life several times. She does not see doctors in China because she is on what is called "palliative" care. She is strictly nursed by the staff of Little Flower. Clare has several congenital heart defects (that we know of): venticular septal defect (intract flow), pulmonary hypertension (mild to moderate), tricuspid valve cusp cleft (partial ECD), tricuspid valve backflow (moderate), and a patent foramen ovale. She also has a cleft lip and cleft palate. Receives all her nutrition through a g-tube. Her diet consist of only pediasure. Clare is also blessed with Down syndrome. She is not considered a "candidate for surgery" in her country. We know here in America she will receive the medical care and the therapies she needs to greatly improve her life!

8-14-11

We have requested that our paperwork be expedited so we can get Clare home as soon as possible and start caring for her medical needs. We are still awaiting word from immigrations as to if they will honor our request. We do know that China is willing to expedite the process on their end. So, we don't want funding to be the reason we are unable to rescue our daughter.




We are approximately $17,000.00 short of being fully funded. We are continuing to hold garage and bake sales to help raise money. We truly believe God is calling us to His angel. He has already blessed us on our journey. When we were in our greatest need, He has provided us with the funds we needed to get to the next step. We don't want to just sit and do nothing, so we have to decided to step out of our comfort zone and ask for help.




This fundraiser will run from Sunday, August 14 to Saturday, October 8th at midnight. Winners will be chosen by: random.org and announced on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011.
With every donation: $10 gets you 1 chance and 1 freebie option.
$25 gets you 3 chances and 2 freebie options.
$50 get you 8 chances and 3 freebie options.


Freebie--is a way for you to earn extra chances. Once you make a monetary donation, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, I am begging here, share this blogpost and that will earn you another chance. If you donate enough for 3 freebies your can also Facebook, tweet or post on your blog about this fundraiser for your other freebies. I hope that makes sense. After you blog or post come back here and let me know you have shared and I will add your extra chances to the fundraiser. If you donate money multiple times over the fundraiser you will earn freebies for that also. YOU must leave your NAME, do not post anonymously because I won't be able to find you, if you are selected.


You can donate to our FSP by using the button on the top right hand of the page or by mailing a check to the address listed above ( be sure and write "CLARE FOR THE FRISTOE FAMILY" on it). BUT, if you donated using the CHIP-IN button, you will earn an extra chance, for being kind enough to help us with our out of pocket expenses.



That was a post from Suzanne on August 14, 2011---please stop by there blog, donate and bless their family. So, we are well, I have no worries. I would love to see the church MOVE in His favor and alleviate the burden for the Fristoe family too. It can be done, His will be done.




"I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3 (NIV)

I WANT IT NOW.....

Yes, that is one heckuva way to get your attention :)

I want donations, LOTS of monetary donations. I want prayers, LOTS of prayers. And I WANT THEM NOW.

But, not for me, I want them for the Warner family. They leave in less than 24 hours to ransom Joshua (a.k.a. Cliff) and to say fundraising has been difficult for them is a HUGE UNDERSTATEMENT.

I've pushed for them during our own fundraising time and I am PUSHING NOW. They still need about $2000. They can still have donations made to their FSP by clicking here WARNER FAMILY but once they return home for their 10 day wait, I am not sure they can keep fundraising (I need to clarify this but never seem to remember to ask someone).

What a blessing it would be for Lisa and her hubby to KNOW they do NOT have a financial burden for this adoption any longer. I am not doing a fundraiser for the family, I am simply asking you to GIVE, give GENEROUSLY. Seriously, if we can get 400 people to donate just $5 *the cost of a supersized meal* they will be so blessed.

What can you go without today so that Joshua can have a HOME forever. LOVE. FOOD. WARMTH. COMFORT. SAFETY. FAMILY. FOREVER.

Get ready friends, my posts are going to get harder and harder from here on out. Joshua is so blessed to have been 'well' cared for until his rescue. There are SO many children who have NOT EVER been 'well' cared for. There are children LITERALLY WASTING AWAY before our eyes.

Do you have $5? Do you have $10? Can you spare $20? What can you give to save a child from a life of struggle and strife? If all you have is prayers to offer, will you join me in this specific prayer?

"Dear, heavenly Father, my finances simply don't allow me to spare even $5. Lord, you know the needs of the Warner Family. I pray you pour out your financial provisions for this family in need. Lord, give them exactly what they need according to your will for this adoption. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen"


~Christie~

Thirty-One Fundraiser!!!

We are starting another fundraiser today and we will run for 3 weeks, so party will close on April 22, 2011. 

You have all made our Scentsy fundraiser so successful, THANK YOU!!!!

So, on to our new fundraiser. Christy M. found our story on Patti's blog and wanted to help. Christy has offered to do a Thirty-One party for us online.

Christy will be donating her full commission to our adoption fund. If you love Thirty-One products you can shop our party and help bring Alexander to our home, his FOREVER home.

The one catch with this party, since it is all online and I don't live where you all live; you must choose the option to have your products mailed to you. There is an additional $4.00 charge to do this.

So, thank you in advance--and can you say a prayer for Christy's beautiful little girl Bailey? She just had her heart repaired.


Clicking this LINK will take you straight to our event page on Christy's Thirty-one page.
Also, the catalog can be found on Christy's web site too – just click on the catalog tab.

All orders will be processed and credit/debit cards charged on the day the party closes, April 22.

Amazing....

WOW!!!  As of 9:34 p.m. March 24, 2011 our FSP and personal savings combined have grown to a total of $5,000.60!!!!  When we started this journey into iPad2 giveaway-land, we had $1,347.60 in our account. God's graces have been amazing over the past 7 days. The support from the community at large from here and far is AMAZING.

I have families who have pledged to give GENEROUSLY in April, our iPad2 fundraiser runs through mid-April, our Thirty-one Fundraiser begins April 1st and Sonia will wrap up our AVON fundraiser on the 4th of April. On April 30th, we will round out the month with our Scrapbooking Crop too.

March has been awesome so far, and we aren't done yet. Tomorrow, March 26th, my dad will be 57 years old, a little girl of a friend of mine will be 3 and Amy V. is holding a charity yard sale fundraiser in Walla Walla, Washington--she is donating those profits to our fund.

I will be absent today from blogland and fundraising. My oldest is having his left eye operated on (again) in an attempt, yet again, to re-align his eyes. Jared has struggled with strabismus his whole life. This is an easy surgery, but surgery just the same. He does not like going in for surgery and complains about the drunken side-effects left behind from anesthesia. Good thing is I am well versed when it comes to strabismus, which will come in handy for Alexander. I believe he will need both of his eyes repaired also. Jared has had both eyes operated on once before, his right eye has been done twice and now his left eye will be done again. Here's praying this time sticks...and here's praying he is up for his Pinewood Derby Race tomorrow evening. He is so excited about his hotdog derby car Shawn made for him!!  I love it too, the car cracks me up every time I see it!!  LOL

 

If this is your first time here, scroll down to the post before this one and check out our iPad2 giveaway information....if you have been here before, will share our story and pray for us? And, please, donate if you can.

3-21 World Down Syndrome Awareness Day!!!!

So, March 21st has rolled around again. For those of you who don't know (4 years ago, I had no clue) today is World Down Syndrome Awareness Day. March 21st or 3-21 is the chosen day to celebrate awareness for individuals born with Down syndrome because people like my son, Joseph, have 3 copies of the 21st chromosome. People like me (and probably you too) only have 2 copies of the 21st chromosome.

Celebrating awareness, celebrating World Down syndrome Awareness Day is a remarkable thing. Today is one special day we get to show the world how NOT SCARY Down syndrome really is. Down syndrome is not my son. Down syndrome is not a disease. Down syndrome is not a horrible curse. Down syndrome is a genetic anomaly resulting in extra genetic material that IS compatible with life.

My son is Joseph, and he happens to have Down syndrome. Down syndrome does not have him; Down syndrome does not have our life. Down syndrome cannot be cured. There is nothing you can do to make Down syndrome happen. AND there nothing you cannot do (besides NOT getting pregnant) to not make Down syndrome happen.

I am so blessed to have birthed my son in the United States of America. We may face obstacles and receive ignorant comments or unwanted, unnecessary pity---BUT my son was born at time and place where I was encouraged to take him home with us and LOVE him and RAISE him among his brothers. I have been encouraged to challenge him and encouraged to set the bar high and allow my son to AMAZE ME.

Sadly, Alexander--my son across the seas waiting for me--was not born in the USA, he was born in an Eastern European country. Maybe he was born to a mother who was so in love with him, maybe she sang to him during her pregnancy, maybe she wanted him more than life itself. Surely, she had no idea how he would be born carrying extra genetic material and doomed from the start in her society. I imagine Alexander was born, diagnosed, and abandoned. Left alone in the hospital nursery and denied love from his mother. No breast to suckle. No heartbeat to calm him. The protection his birth mother provided him was washed away as soon as she learned of his defect. I wonder if she thinks of him, thinks of him like I do. I wonder if she longs for him, longs for him the way I do.

I wonder if she lived here in the states, would she have kept him? Would she love him? I love him and I feel pity for her. I am on a mission to take her child from her---FOREVER. I want him, our family needs him. I cannot explain my connection to this child other than a simple calling to love him and care for him.

Money is not something my husband and I are blessed with. Sure, Shawn has a good job and we are good stewards with what has been given us--still we aren't rolling in the dough. I must admit, asking for financial help from strangers is humbling. VERY HUMBLING. If we had planned to adopt, we would have been prepared for this financial burden--truth is; we did NOT plan to adopt. God dropped this on our hearts like a bomb. We are praying God blesses us through the donations of those who are willing to support. We are working diligently to raise funds and this is our first BIG fundraiser. Will you help us? Will you help Alexander? If you cannot donate and you came this far...will you SHARE OUR STORY? Please? Alexander is already in an institution, he needs to come home.


So here is what our giveaway will offer:

iPad2 (choice of white or black)

16 GB with Wi-Fi

Your color choice of polyurethane sleep cover for the iPad2 (gray, blue, green, orange or pink)

Apple iPad2 Dock

THIS PACKAGE WILL NOT BE PURCHASED UNTIL AFTER THE GIVEAWAY CLOSES ON APRIL 17, 2010. WE WILL RUN THIS FUNDRAISER FOR ONE FULL MONTH. DRAWING WILL BE HELD ON APRIL 21, 2011. THE iPad2 WILL BE SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO THE SELECTED DONOR. APPROXIMATE SHIPPING TIMES (RIGHT NOW) ARE 4-5 WEEKS.  

The person selected as the giveaway champion will receive an electronic receipt of the purchase and delivery information as soon as we have communication as to where to send the information. 

Now, how do you get your option for this package? First donate at least $10 to our Family Sponsorship Page by clicking on Alexander's picture in the sidebar of my blog at the top. If you do not have a paypal account you can mail a check to Reece's Rainbow with "Alexander for the Taylor Family" in the memo line and send it to:

Reece's Rainbow

P.O. Box 4024

Gaithersburg, MD 20885

Then you can come here to my blog and leave a comment, your name and entries will be tallied and added to our bucket to select the winners. This fundraiser will be live ONLINE and we will also be doing direct-face-to-face donations as well. What that means is this, my husband will be gathering entries through donations to Reece's Rainbow as well around town. 

For $10 you will get 1 drop in the giveaway  (& 1 option for a freebie)

For $25 you will get 3 drop ins to the giveaway ( & up to 3 options for freebie entries)

How do you earn a freebie option?

Once you have made a monetary donation, PLEASE share this blogpost for another option. If you donate enough for one option, you can only earn one freebie option by reposting. BUT if you donate enough for 3 options you can earn 3 freebies too. Facebook it for another option. Tweet it for another . Blog it for another too. SHARE, SHARE, SHARE. Momma said it was good to share, right? Come back here and let me know that you shared it and we will add to your entries for this giveaway. If you donate money multiple times over the weeks this giveaway runs--you will get options for that too.  YOU MUST LEAVE YOUR NAME and, please, do not post just anonymously because I won't be able to find you if you are the selected donor.

So keep coming back to see how many options are going in the "bucket" and watch the blessings unfold!!

Thank you!!!!!! You are BLESSING AJ and BLESSING our family too!!!!!

HELP!!!!!!!!!!

Have I got your attention?  LOL

Our iPad Giveaway is headed into day three. We have been so blessed by the support we are receiving and the blessing given by His hand through each and every one of you. Please share, share, share our blog and our fundraiser. In doing so, you will help change the life of an orphan--our son, Alexander Jacob. His birthday is coming up next month, he will be 6 years old. Can you imagine being 6 years old and not knowing where your parents are? Wondering what love is? Longing to be held and comforted from the shouts you hear at night from the strangers among you in the cold, dark room that envelopes you? Can you imagine living in an institution? Can you imagine the fear he must experience?

YOU can help change all that by blessing him with your donation to our Family Sponsorship Page and receive an option for our iPad2 giveaway. So, do you have $10 to spare? If $10 is just too much today will you please, please just share our story? Time is of the essence, we must be ready to travel soon. I am praying for a July travel date, I would love for it to be even sooner (are you listening God?).

So here is what our giveaway will offer:

iPad2 (choice of white or black)

16 GB with Wi-Fi

Your color choice of polyurethane sleep cover for the iPad2 (gray, blue, green, orange or pink)

Apple iPad2 Dock

THIS PACKAGE WILL NOT BE PURCHASED UNTIL AFTER THE GIVEAWAY CLOSES ON APRIL 17, 2010. WE WILL RUN THIS FUNDRAISER FOR ONE FULL MONTH. DRAWING WILL BE HELD ON APRIL 21, 2011. THE iPad2 WILL BE SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO THE SELECTED DONOR. APPROXIMATE SHIPPING TIMES (RIGHT NOW) ARE 4-5 WEEKS.  

The person selected as the giveaway champion will receive an electronic receipt of the purchase and delivery information as soon as we have communication as to where to send the information. 

Now, how do you receive your option for this package? First donate at least $10 to our Family Sponsorship Page by clicking on Alexander's picture in the sidebar of my blog at the top. If you do not have a paypal account you can mail a check to Reece's Rainbow with "Alexander for the Taylor Family" in the memo line and send it to:

Reece's Rainbow

P.O. Box 4024

Gaithersburg, MD 20885

Then you can come here to my blog and leave a comment, your name and entries will be tallied and added to our bucket to select the winners. This fundraiser will be live ONLINE and we will also be doing direct-face-to-face donations as well. What that means is this, my husband will be gathering entries through donations to Reece's Rainbow as well around town. 

For $10 you will get 1 drop in the giveaway  (& 1 option for a freebie)

For $25 you will get 3 drop ins to the giveaway ( & up to 3 options for freebie entries)

How do you earn a freebie option?

Once you have made a monetary donation, PLEASE share this blogpost for another option. If you donate enough for one option, you can only earn one freebie option by reposting. BUT if you donate enough for 3 options you can earn 3 freebies too. Facebook it for another option. Tweet it for another . Blog it for another too. SHARE, SHARE, SHARE. Momma said it was good to share, right? Come back here and let me know that you shared it and we will add to your entries for this giveaway. If you donate money multiple times over the weeks this giveaway runs--you will get options for that too.  YOU MUST LEAVE YOUR NAME and, please, do not post just anonymously because I won't be able to find you if you are the selected donor.

So keep coming back to see how many options are going in the "bucket" and watch the blessings unfold!!

Thank you!!!!!! You are BLESSING AJ and BLESSING our family too!!!!!

N is for...

Need.

We need prayers. We need spiritual support. We need people to share our story. We need financial support. We need people to come alongside us in this journey and hold us up in prayer.

We will be interviewed by our local newspaper soon (this was scheduled for this afternoon at 1 o'clock but the flu has hit our home) in hopes that we can bring more awareness to our journey to raise money to adopt Alexander.

I know many people will read our article and think, "Why adopt if you cannot afford it?" Well, if we had planned on this we would have prepared for it. We did not plan on this, but God did.

I would like to have a motorcycle/poker run or ride to celebrate Alexander's upcoming 6th birthday. I would LOVE to show him pictures of bikers riding to save him.

I hope to hold a scrapbooking crop with the help of my cousin Patti. Anna has offered to donate some great items for a giveaway basket for the crop.

I intend to have a bake sale or two in the works also.

I have had one family offer to do a fundraiser for Alexander online.

I have had one woman contact me from Canada to send us a money order the end of March--she has been one of Alexander's prayer warriors and is so happy to see us bringing him home.

I have a friend from babycenter offer to make an afghan for a giveaway. Thank you, Dawn, I may very well take you up on that.

Katie has shared my story with several media outlets and that is how our local paper heard of us. Thank you, Katie.

The Guffey family of Guffey Acres here in town is supporting us financially and in prayer too, thank you, Jessica and Dan.

Stephanie is running a Scentsy fundraiser right now for us and it will last until March 31 and has already netted close to a $175 dollar donation to come in April.

I would like to do some 50/50 draws in Chrysler---so if you know a union rep that would be willing to help us out, let me know!! We will supply them with all they need. I would do it myself, but I cannot get in the place any longer since I no longer work there.

I cannot thank all of you enough for the help so far. It truly makes my heart smile
And forgive me, please, if I have left someone out already.

If you would like to get in on some action to help our needs, please leave a comment.

K is for...

Knot: to unite closely; to knit together.


My heart has been knotted with my Heavenly Father. My life has been knotted with my husband, Shawn and our kids. My soul has been knotted with an orphan I have never met.

I have had supporters of my blog in the recent days from people I have never met before. I have had the privilege of reading their blogs. I know my family is not alone in this journey.

I knew I had extended family in the Down syndrome community and now I am finding all new family connections all over the place. I have dropped off of Facebook for a few days and, yet, my friends from the Down syndrome community are out in full force letting me know they are thinking of me and praying for my family.

Thank you, each and everyone of you that have been thinking, praying, davening, sending good vibes, donating and sharing our story.

We are still on track :)

F is for....

FRIDAY!!

Friday, February 11, 2011 is the day we settled our commitment to Alexander. We had our AFD paper notarized and then we (meaning I) faxed and snail-mailed our information to Andrea to make it "official".

Waiting for our FSP to be announced through the weekend, Monday and Tuesday was excruciating. BUT, it happened and when it did it was WONDERFUL. I blew up my Facebook, Babycenter, my blog, emails; you name it, I was telling it!

Here we are today (Tuesday--because I am writing this blog early to set it to post tomorrow), now just 11 days later and we have our first homestudy appointment with Jackie D., our social worker. I am excited and frantic all at once.

So, even though you will be reading this on a Wednesday...


I will never forget our fabulous Friday!

E is for....

EXTENDED FAMILY!!!!

I have often referred to other families in the Down syndrome community as my extended family--tied together forever by that 47th chromosome. Most people are born with 46 chromosomes, people born with Down syndrome have an extra copy of the 21st chromosome and their karyotype looks something like this if they are males.



There is the bond--fascinating love really--that I have experienced within this exclusive community that we have belonged to for nearly 4 years now. It is a unique acceptance I wish every single person could enjoy. There is a genuine kinship and concern for one another and our families. When a child is taken too soon from this Earth, those of us who 'know' them or hear of the loss weep. I have cried many tears over beautiful babes gone in the blink of an eye.

Children like Gabby, Carly, Millie, Ike, Anya, Alexander (Gibson), Dante...the list goes on and on. Some of these children were orphans--several of them were not. Still the loss is great and their memories live on in our extended families.

Celebrations don't go unnoticed in our extended family. When our children walk at 2 years, 3 years, or 6 years--there is joy and shared excitement amongst us all. When some ignorant soul makes an ill-timed comment; WATCH OUT, we momma bears are pretty ferocious! We don't back down easily.

When IEP questions abound and potty training seems like it will NEVER happen; there is a mom who has been there done that and is ready to say, "I've got your back". When the times come for open heart surgeries, you can bet your bottom dollar there is a multitude of praying going on.

It is amazing. On Babycenter (my favorite online support group is there) we can discuss the good, the bad, the scary and the ugly and arguments rarely happen. Religion is not an issue. Age is not an issue. Stature is not an issue. We are truly like an extended family.

Now, because of our adoption journey we are drawing more people into that extended family and I could not be more pleased. I will learn more about other families, share their joys, triumphs and heartbreak too. It's all good because I have my family...my extended family.

D is for...

Down syndrome (that should have been a no brainer for me but I have to be honest "D" nearly stumped me!)


So, we all know Down syndrome is something very near and dear to my heart. I love my boys and I am so blessed for the opportunity to raise a child with Down syndrome. I am also blessed for the opportunity to adopt Alexander and give him a life. My family is blessed by this opportunity.

I know not everyone can understand our want in raising one child with Down syndrome, let alone two. However, there are plenty of families like ours doing the same things we are--and we may be in the minority BUT we are in good, no make that, GREAT COMPANY.

Down syndrome is not and should not be a death sentence for any child. Yes, some of our kids are born with less than whole hearts. Yes, there is a great variance in our children's cognitive abilities. Yes, some of our kids having hearing issues. Yes, our kids DO have developmental delays. BUT each and everyone of our children born with Down syndrome are WORTHY.

They are WORTHY of LOVE, LIFE,HAPPINESS and FAMILIES. I want nothing less for Alexander than I want for my other children. I want Jared, Joseph and Jackson to be loved, to be happy, to have a family and to LIVE LIFE.

LIVE LIFE. Wow, my son, who is spending his days and nights in an institution has never truly LIVED LIFE. He is surviving now, but he has no idea what it means to LIVE. TO BE LOVED. TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO LOVES HIM BACK that he can call Momma & Daddy. This truly breaks my heart. The days cannot move fast enough for us to reach him. I pray the time passes quickly and my son is kept safe. I regret it took us this long.

We love you Alexander, hold tight sweet boy. Mommy and Daddy are on their way, soon I pray.