Who loves BBQ??? I know I do! We are having a Spirit Nite at Jim N Nick's BBQ in Smyrna on March 25th, and we'll have a table set up in the front with a big bowl. All you have to do is show up, eat, and put your receipt in the bowl on your way out! We'll get 10% of the receipts in the bowl! So, go ahead, have dessert, too! :-)
Here are the details!
What: Spirit Nite Adoption Fundraiser
Where: Jim N Nick's BBQ
523 Sam Ridley Pkwy West
Smyrna, TN 37167
Date: Thursday, March 25th
Time: 5-9pm
Instructions: Tell everyone you know. Come eat. Put receipt in bowl. That's it! Bring the whole family!
http://www.jimnnicks.com
We are possibly going to be having a silent auction as well, depending on if we get enough donations. Got something you can donate? Or services you can provide? Let me know!
Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Coffee Drinkers wanted!
Are you a coffee drinker? If you are, then here is another way you can help us bring baby home!! Go to our coffee store website and buy a bag of coffee! It's that simple! For every bag we sell, we get $5! That $5 adds up fast, so go ahead...get your coffee fix now!
http://www.justlovecoffee.com/Swindellfamily
Oh! And a special THANK YOU to Katie and Sarah for spreading the word on their blogs! Sarah has even offered to donate 20% of her Avon sales to us!! So shoot on over to her site and get ya some sassy stuff! :)
http://www.justlovecoffee.com/Swindellfamily
Oh! And a special THANK YOU to Katie and Sarah for spreading the word on their blogs! Sarah has even offered to donate 20% of her Avon sales to us!! So shoot on over to her site and get ya some sassy stuff! :)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Training Session 1: Complete!
I'm feeling a little better about things today. We had our first training session last night, and it was really good. We both got a lot out of it. For one thing, we learned that adopted children need to be disciplined differently than biological children. I never would have thought of that. We learned a lot about bonding with the child, and what they call "attachment parenting." One thing that really stuck was when they said that every couple at some point or another will experience delays, and that those are just part of our journey. They reminded us that these delays are opportunities for us to educate ourselves and our loved ones, and that we should keep our eyes on the end result, which WILL be a baby. So, although I am still feeling frustrated that I don't have 2K to cough up, I feel a little more motivated to get out there and work to get it and less apt to just give up. I am learning to let God have control of our journey, which is VERY difficult for me. So, I am focused on trusting God and doing what I can to raise some money. Suggestions are welcome :)
Thank you for all of your prayers, love and encouragement.
Thank you for all of your prayers, love and encouragement.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
A little distraught
This is one of those days. I am feeling very...anxious. Distraught. Hopeless. It seems like we will never have the finances to go through with this adoption. We have to come up with 2K just to turn in the paperwork. They make it sound like it's sooo affordable to adopt. Yeah right. Not when you have to have a completed homestudy to apply for grants, and the home study itself costs $5600, but the loans available have a 10% interest rate, which means it would be another car payment until we got our adoption tax credit, which we don't get until the year the adoption is finalized. Yeah. It's not as easy as they make it sound. And I'm feeling like we'll never come up with that 2K, much less the total 12K. It's ridiculous. A home study should NOT cost $5600. Period. Anyway, I'm done ranting for the moment. Someone remind me that God is in control, and will provide....please?
Friday, February 12, 2010
Are we crazy or not???
Well, we survived our psychological tests last night. Whew! Glad I can mark that one off our list! We won't have the results for a few weeks, but hopefully neither of us will be committed :)
The psych test was sort of stressful. It is very nerve wracking to have a strange man pick your brain apart and ask you such personal questions. But, it wasn't too horrible. It consisted of a 45 minute interview individually, and 2 written tests. Brandon took the tests while I was interviewed, then we switched. The tests were easy. The first one was 300-some-odd statements like "My drug use has caused problems at home," to which we circled an answer from False to Very True. The 2nd test was a series of words and situations, and we had to choose the one that appealed most to us. That one was easy. I hope our home study is that easy.
The psych test was sort of stressful. It is very nerve wracking to have a strange man pick your brain apart and ask you such personal questions. But, it wasn't too horrible. It consisted of a 45 minute interview individually, and 2 written tests. Brandon took the tests while I was interviewed, then we switched. The tests were easy. The first one was 300-some-odd statements like "My drug use has caused problems at home," to which we circled an answer from False to Very True. The 2nd test was a series of words and situations, and we had to choose the one that appealed most to us. That one was easy. I hope our home study is that easy.
Bite your tongue
I've always heard adoptive parents complain about the things people say or ask. To be honest, I always thought they were overly sensitive. But, as a future adoptive parent myself now, I have realized how they feel. Somehow, the process makes you sensitive. I already feel like a mom. My baby is out there, somewhere...I already love our baby and feel protective of him or her. So, just for the heck of it, these are some of the comments/questions we've received so far.
"How much is your baby going to cost you?" As if our baby was a special order product from Walmart.
"Oh, I'm glad you're adopting within the U.S. We need to take care of our own kids instead of everyone elses." Foreign kids are just as much God's children as American children, and they need a home just as much. Seriously. And definitely don't say this unless you are adopting, fostering, or sponsoring a child in America.
"You're gonna adopt and then you'll get pregnant! Just wait and see!" Adoption is not a cure for infertility. And if it were....that would be a bad thing???
"Aren't you afraid the birthmother will come back one day and take the baby?" Um, no.
"What if something is wrong with the baby?" I didn't know biological children came with a satisfaction guarantee.
"Heard anything yet?" No. Stop asking. You'll know when we do....we'll be shouting it from the rooftops.
When we tell someone we're adopting, do not say, "Awwww, I'm so sorry. You can't have kids?" Just don't.
"I could never give up my baby." or, better yet, "Don't these women know how to keep their legs closed?" I mean, REALLY??????? It doesn't matter how they got into their situation. All that matters is that birthmoms are faced with the hardest decision they will ever have to make. They love their babies just as much as you love yours. Maybe they made a mistake, maybe pills failed, maybe they were raped or molested...you don't know their story, so stop assuming you do. I love our birthmom already, and I admire her for making a decision that I don't know that I would be strong enough to make.
Long story short, if a friend or loved one is adopting, get educated, and be sensitive. This is her baby you're talking about.
"How much is your baby going to cost you?" As if our baby was a special order product from Walmart.
"Oh, I'm glad you're adopting within the U.S. We need to take care of our own kids instead of everyone elses." Foreign kids are just as much God's children as American children, and they need a home just as much. Seriously. And definitely don't say this unless you are adopting, fostering, or sponsoring a child in America.
"You're gonna adopt and then you'll get pregnant! Just wait and see!" Adoption is not a cure for infertility. And if it were....that would be a bad thing???
"Aren't you afraid the birthmother will come back one day and take the baby?" Um, no.
"What if something is wrong with the baby?" I didn't know biological children came with a satisfaction guarantee.
"Heard anything yet?" No. Stop asking. You'll know when we do....we'll be shouting it from the rooftops.
When we tell someone we're adopting, do not say, "Awwww, I'm so sorry. You can't have kids?" Just don't.
"I could never give up my baby." or, better yet, "Don't these women know how to keep their legs closed?" I mean, REALLY??????? It doesn't matter how they got into their situation. All that matters is that birthmoms are faced with the hardest decision they will ever have to make. They love their babies just as much as you love yours. Maybe they made a mistake, maybe pills failed, maybe they were raped or molested...you don't know their story, so stop assuming you do. I love our birthmom already, and I admire her for making a decision that I don't know that I would be strong enough to make.
Long story short, if a friend or loved one is adopting, get educated, and be sensitive. This is her baby you're talking about.
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