While we were waiting... the past 30 days...

In the 30 days between Trip #2 and Trip #3

Went to the Shrine Circus!

We climbed rock walls..... 

Spent Labor Day weekend upnorth

Hung the pictures that my friend Amy gave my kiddos... LOVE them

Painted and decorated Owen's room

 Don't worry the chair will be recovered... 

Painted the Foyer

We started school...

 I froze corn for winter... 

Painted the foyer...

We hosted our St. Louis friends and visited Greenfield Village, Detroit Zoo, Sterling State park  Beach with them...  We were busy busy the weekend of September 15th...

Kids turned the table at the roundhouse at GFV.

Patiently waiting for the Carousel

Glass Blowing... 

Visited with my College friends!

Also...

Elina started Brownies
Connor started Soccer
Elina went to her first birthday party for a child at her new school...
Connor made a best buddy... his new friend Mason is in his Kindergarten class and lives 2 houses away.
Working on Cleaning and organizing my room... it has become the dumping ground and is the only area that is a mess... ugh.
PTO
Made new neighborhood friends
Attended the Mane Grand Gala event for Children With Hairloss


I am sure there were 50 other things... Hope to get the rest of painting and organizing done before Sunday morning at 9 am when I leave my house to take the kids to my mom and go to Russia and rescue my little guy.  Oh and the packing!! LOL!!

Happy Birthday Owen

I am sitting here thinking of my sweet boy with his wide grin and wishing that I could have been with him on his birthday.  We will celebrate in Moscow... I am determined to find a cupcake for Owen to demolish! :)  I am almost there...  I leave this Sunday, just 3 more days!  I cannot even believe it...  please pray that Owen comes home and transitions smoothly.  Let him attach to me and begin a life long bond...

Time to Raise Some Ransom

As you all know, I am working to bring home a sweet boy from Russia. He is a beloved baby brother and son to my little family... he will also be a cherished nephew, grandson and cousin.  This Momma knows he will always be surrounded by love.

We don't need to discuss how expensive Adoption is, just the three trips to Russia is way more than pocket change. My goal is to cover a portion of the thousands of dollars in travel costs by fundraising.  

Also, for each item purchased from one of the below parties you will also become "a piece of Owen's puzzle".   This puzzle began a few months ago which has up until this point been a $5 donation per puzzle piece; however, I would love to finish his puzzle and feel that support thru these fundraising avenues should also be included in his puzzle. There will be updated photos soon so that you may see how many friends and family have already shown Owen support and love.  When the puzzle of St. Basil's Cathedral is completed it will be sealed and placed in a double glass frame so that he may look at all of the people who brought him home.

Please check out all of the great deals!  We held the parties until September in order for everyone to get the Fall New product arrivals!!  So, get a head start the Christmas shopping begin!!

Thank you to my wonderful friends Heather, Meghann, Tammy D. and my new friend Tammy M. for  choosing to show support by donating proceeds from these parties to Owen's adoption fund.  Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart!

Pampered Chef Party by Heather Robertson

Check out the stoneware, cookware, cutlery, utensils, cool gadgets and more!

http://www.pamperedchef.biz/hcrobertson?page=home

Thirty-One Party by Meghann Crawford

Add a monogram, personalize, initials... possibilities are endless!! 

Thirty One Fundraiser
http://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/eventhome.aspx?eventId=E2195660&custId=16441737&from=INVITATION&verify=true

Scentsy Fundraiser by Tammy Dziagwa

How about a warm fall scent like Cinnamon Vanilla or Baked Apple Pie... mmm... 

Scentsy Fundraiser

https://tammyd.scentsy.us/Scentsy/Buy?partyId=102688938

Be A Voice Fundraiser by Tammy McIntosh

Please check out all of the beautiful pieces of jewelry use the code word "Yvonne" so 75% of the cost goes into Owen's fund.

Be A Voice Fundraiser

T minus 10 days

And I will be on the road to my baby... and once he is in my arms and the decree is in my hands...  I will post pictures... LOTS and LOTS of them!  He is beautiful... he looks like the V side of the family... with his dark hair and brown eyes.  

I can not wait to meet my little guy!

Trip 3

Plane tickets are reserved.... Apartment is reserved... now just have to buy a few gifts for the caregivers,  drivers, translators, and other key team members, etc... then on my way to Russia to bring Owen home!  I can't wait to share him with everyone!

Please help bring Mr. "Zack" home...

You can find the following on my good friend Katherine's blog.  She is a wonderful advocate for little Zack... who is one of the children left behind.  He is the best friend of her daughter who just came home a couple months ago.  Now she is working hard to raise funds for a family to adopt him...  is he your son?  Do you know someone who can bring him home into their family? Please read below...

http://adoptingsinglemom.blogspot.com/2012/09/fundraisergive-away-for-z.htm

Fundraiser/Give away for Z!

Ok, so I have talked a lot about Maria's best friend at the orphanage "Z".  He is officially up on Reece's Rainbow and under the name "Zack", not his real name.  You can see his page here.

Maria and "Zach" about 4 years ago.

Yes, these two friends were very close and their story has touched many people.  My friend Vivian has been kind enough to make some fun entries for "Zack's" give away.  Shelley and Toni have done a lot of work to get "Zack's" file and give him the chance to find a forever family.  We all are very invested in having these two friends see each other again.

Ok, so here are the details....Below are pictures or descriptions of the items that you could win.  I'm going to have the fundraiser/give away going for 2 weeks (ending on 9/23/12).  Names will be randomly drawn the evening of the 23rd.  So, I'm sure you want to know how to enter to win...
1. Donate money to Zack's account (you can do this through the RR site or the chip in button on this blog).
2.  Help spread the word about Zack and the fundraiser (on your blog, twitter, FB, etc).

For every $5 donated you will get 1 entry.
For mentioning the fundraiser for Zack on your blog/twitter or FB you will get 1 entry.

If you are donating or spreading the word make sure you leave a comment on my blog so I can make sure I know who I need to include in the drawing.

Ok, you have waited long enough...

These are fun Christmas ornaments.  There will be 2 winners and they can each choose 4 letters to be made into ornaments and also choose the color(s) they want.

T-shirt headbands!  2 winners (each will get 1 headband).

Fabric covered canvases with buttons sewn on spelling out LOVE.  (1 winner)

Wood letters spelling out LOVE (1 winner)

Ceramic tile coasters (5 winners 4 coasters per winner)

Bead and cord bracelets (3 winners, 1 bracelet per winner)

FALL wall hanging- picture doesn't do it justice (1 winner)

SNOW wall hanging (1 winner)

Bandana shirt/dress for girls (5 winners, 1 dress per winner, winner can choose color)

Yummy soup for cold fall and winter days (4 winners, 1 bag per winner)

Jar of S'mores (2 winners, 1 jar per winner)

I also have 1 $25 gift card for Toys R Us (1 winner)  and 1 $25 gift card for Starbucks (1 winner).

A friend has also donated one of her customized nature photographs...will post it soon for you to see.

Please help Zack!  He is an amazing little boy who really needs a family.

Trip #3 is just around the corner...

Plane tickets are reserved on American.  I am kind of excited to take a new route to Russ*a and see what another airlines has to offer.  I also connect on FinAir on the way there and British Airways on the way back...  hopefully Owen will be a trooper in the air.  I have my Ergo to help keep him close and plan to take my single stroller for him.  I am so excited!