Thursday Thank Yous! [First Edition]

Our family has been overwhelmed by a pretty significant problem.

Although it's probably the best "problem" we could have: we have SO MANY supportive people to thank!!

We are still in the thick of the paperwork and red tape portion of our adoption process. During this time, as anyone around us is well aware, we have been fundraising. Asking for money isn't a comfortable thing for most people, and Paul and I have had some mixed feelings about the best ways to involve people who would truly like to help us. Fortunately for us, we have some exceptionally loving and generous people in our corner!

Now, one thing I know about these individuals and families: their support does not come with conditions or expectations. In other words, they are not looking for recognition, accolades, or to be placed on a pedestal. In fact, we've received a few gifts anonymously, I think for this very reason. And although I do want to respect their intentions, I can't help sharing some of the ways God has provided for us through others. I hope they are cool with that :)

Today, I want to put out a big THANKS to two special people who each came up with their own fundraisers for us using their home businesses: Heather Stevenson, with Mary Kay, and Katrina Henry, with Usborne Books & More. Neither of these ladies know each other; in fact, Heather lives in Florida, while Katrina lives in Indiana. But they both have huge hearts for helping others and they both use their businesses to do just that!

Heather was planning a visit to our hometown of Lima, Ohio (we grew up in the same school and church!) and had the idea to host a Mary Kay open house to benefit our adoption. But she also went a step further and sought out donors in her town in Florida who would be willing to match the proceeds. She worked her tail off putting together this event, securing matching donors, and giving up her own commission. When it was all over and I opened the envelope return addressed from Florida, my jaw dropped to see a check for $1571.20!

Meanwhile, Katrina was busy organizing a virtual Usborne party for our family. She did all the work, donated her entire commission (and then some!), AND gave us all the hostess rewards earned from the party. That was $300 cash toward our adoption and over $200 worth of books for all FOUR of our kids! Y'all know how I feel about books!

So many friends and family participated in one or both of these parties by purchasing products, sharing our links, and making separate donations towards our cause. I want to say here how thankful we are for your support. You could've bought your skin care/cosmetics and kids' books somewhere else, but you chose to shop my parties; together, you all made a big difference for us! Thank you!

I'm a big believer in the notion of "do what you can with what you have." You don't have to be a millionaire, genius, celebrity, whatever...to make a difference. Heather and Katrina blessed our family immensely by using their businesses and abilities. Their willingness to serve means more to us than the cash, but hey, the cash was nice too! THANK YOU!! I hope I can look around more this week and find ways to use what I have to do something for someone else. Thanks for your love and example, Heather and Katrina! - B