Spread The Word

Almost the weekend......what are your plans? The weather is great, so I'm hoping for some time outside. Can you do me a favor? Can you tell someone about Give1Save1?? You can invite them to like our Facebook page or share a blog post. We reaallly want to spread the word about our community.   So, after you catch up on laundry and watch the football game or go to the park, will you do that for me? Thanks!!!!!

And remember, we'll be bringing everyone together onto 1 blog page soon. We'll keep you posted.

The LaBahn family will be on our blog through Sunday and then we'll have a new family to introduce. Thank you for supporting each other! Enjoy your weekend:)

                                                                   

Being Prepared

I'm adopting a toddler! She should be joining our family very soon, so I've been getting our house ready for her.  We have to baby-proof everything, put the finishing touches on her room, we just bought a booster seat for our dining room and I'm in the market for a car seat.  Busy, busy!    But, more importantly, we're trying to prepare for her needs.  I've been reading, trying to gain a better understanding of what she may experience when she leaves the home she knows and joins ours.

"Adoptive parents will want to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the developmental tasks of toddlers so they can respond appropriately to their child's behaviors and plan activities that stimulate their development. Children need to be parented according to their developmental age, which may not correspond to their chronological age. Many adopted toddlers display acute grief during their first weeks and months at home, seen in crying, withdrawal, poor appetite, seeking behavior, sleep difficulties, fear, or infantile behaviors. Acknowledging and supporting their child's grief is one of the first acts of love adoptive parents can give their new toddler. Grieving toddlers should be supported in their need to grieve the loss of former caregivers. Offering well-known food and maintaining a familiar routine is comforting. Accommodating a grieving toddler's need for being fed or comforted in a manner usually reserved for infants also supports the grief and provides a wonderful opportunity to develop attachment."    Read more at Rainbow Kids,  Toddler Adoption: More Than You May Expect.

Parents who've already brought children home, what did you do to prepare for your child's needs?

LaBahn Family!

Please welcome the LaBahn family to our blog! Jacob and Jenny LaBahn are adopting a sweet little boy from China and he will be welcomed by his brother and sisters, Jesse, Keenon, Hannah and Hudson.  This will also be their third adoption from China.
You will LOVE their video....their family looks so fun!
 So, this is how it works:
 you watch the video (see it over on the right side??)  then you "back this fundraiser" on Pure Charity and give to the LeBahn family.   Your donation goes to their adoption agency and you get a tax deductible receipt.  And they will be very grateful!
Okay, now it's your turn........go watch, give and share this page! Thank you for supporting the LaBahn family!!

Thompson Update!

Happy Friday!! What are your plans this weekend??  I hope to get some (overdo) yard work done.

 The Thompsons have raised $460 so far! Thanks so much for giving your dollars!

Go take a look at their blog.  They did a great Q & A post that you'll enjoy. 

Have a great weekend!

Update and Giveaway Winner!

Last week, you gave $906.96! AND, it was doubled through their matching grant! So, the Hudson family ended up with $1813.92!!  Such a blessing!
Also, the winner of the Coach Handbag was Lisa Harmon! Congrats, Lisa!! Contact us here or on Facebook and we'll get your info to Misty.
Thanks, everyone!

Their Story

Okay. I've been doing some reading about establishing trust and attachment in adoption. What are some books you recommend? Or websites?
Something I read today said that telling a child their story, the part before they became part of your family is super important.  Here are a few reasons why:
If they don't know their story, they may fill in the blanks with fantasy. The fantasy will probably not be realistic and will lead to disappointment later.
Your child needs to be able to trust YOU. If you keep secrets, you are not building trust.
Having no connection to their past is confusing and can leave them feeling disconnected.
I enjoyed reading about this on Focus On The Family's site.

What do you think? How important is it to you that your child knows all the parts of their story, the good and bad? AND, how private do you keep it? I'm looking for feedback, so feel free to comment!

Meet the Thompson Family!

Hi there! I'm happy to introduce the Thompson family to you today! They will be on the blog this week  so let's give them a warm welcome!:)
Matt and Ashleigh Thompson have 3 handsome sons, Jacob, Aidan and Tru, and have been matched with a beautiful daughter in China.  Her name is Ellie Kay, she's 8 months and they hope to travel this fall! Go visit their blog to get to know them even better:)
Can you give them $1 AND ask your friends to do the same? Just share this page on your own Facebook, Twitter, blogs, emails, however you choose! All of our dollars add up and make a huge difference.
Watch their video....

And since you LOVE them already, give your dollars!  They have a grant through Lifesong.
This is the info needed to donate-it will take about 2 minutes:) LIFESONG For Orphans Link Please specify Thompson family (#3637).
Thanks so much-have a great week!

                                    

Hudson Family

It's the weekend! I hope you're enjoying it . You can give to the Hudson family thru the Sunday afternoon. 

Remember, they have a matching grant and a Pure Charity account. 

Thanks! See ya tomorrow!

-TG

Hudson Family

Hey there! Misty, our family of the week mom, shared on her blog today.  Go read and learn more about them!
Beautiful Possibility is their blog link.  And before you go, donate $1 to them, too!

Meet the Hudsons!

New week...time to welcome a new family! I'm pleased to introduce Brandon and Misty Hudson! They will be on the blog all week and we are so thankful that you stopped by to visit!
The Hudsons are adopting a beautiful little 7 year old girl from China, named Maya.  Maya needs to be home with a family and the Hudsons hope to travel soon, so let's bless them with a great week:)
The Hudsons have a matching grant through Lifesong for $2500, so anything you donate will be doubled.  Also, we're showing their video from their Pure Charity page. You can give in either place, but the Lifesong link is the one that's doubling gifts! This is the LINK TO LIFESONG  Their  account # is 3813 and the Family Name is Hudson.   Thank you for taking a few minutes to support this family! Every dollar makes a difference.
*Be sure to watch the Hudson's video on the sidebar and learn more about this family. Just click, watch and give!!!

One more thing......the Hudsons are giving away this Coach Travel Pouch! Just comment when you share this page or donate. They'll pick a name at the end of their week!!
                                                       

 

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Togetherness

Change is in the air, friends!   (just so you know, I looked for some catchy song lyrics about change. they're all sad, so, yeah.)     First, thank you for taking time to read our blog and support our families every week.  As you probably already know, our Europe, Africa, US and Caribbean pages all feature families, too. Instead of spreading everyone out, we've decided to bring everyone together, like one big happy family! We are giving the blog a makeover and will consolidate all of the blog pages into one. This should all be completed in the next few weeks, along with a new look!  In the meantime, you will see some of our bloggers moving around from page to page. We will keep featuring families as we wait for the "one big blog" concept to be finished. Steph will guest post, Katie Hurst will be helping out on the Africa page, I'll still be here for Asia, Jennifer Adank and Kristie Gonzales will be at domestic and Katie Richenback will blog on Europe's page and keep us all super organized behind the scenes. (Because she's really, really good at that.)  We'll have some other bloggers helping out, too.  Then, when we are on one page, we'll switch it up! 

So. Let us know if you have suggestions for us, be on the look out for the grand re-opening of our new and improved blog AND keep sending families our way.  We LOVE helping families and love that you love it, too! We'll keep you posted!  We're all excited about the changes and hope that you are, too!

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
― Mother Teresa

If you want to....

guest post

be a family of the week

ask a question

make a suggestion

email us at

giveonesaveone@gmail.com 

Silvers Family

These girls are ready for their brother to come home!!

And so is Mom and Dad!

Thanks for supporting the Silvers family this week:)

                                         Haven't donated yet? Here's the DONATE button!

New Week, Welcome the Silvers Family!!

Time to welcome the Silvers to the blog! Dan and Brandi Silvers are our family of the week, so let's show them some love!
The Silvers are adopting a little boy from China (waiting on the referral) and he will join his 3 siblings at home.  The Silvers are excited to add a little boy to their "all girl" family! Can you help them out?
Learn more at their BLOG (The Silver Scoop) and DONATE HERE.  Their blog has some good info on the adoption process! Go take a look!

(If you need a tax receipt, donate on their blog through Pure Charity. It's on the right side of the blog.)
Thanks for stopping by and check back this week for an announcement:)

Have a great week!

                                                    

Happy Weekend

Hey there! Summer's almost over...school's about to start! Are you ready? I'm pretty sure I heard your kids scream no;)
Take a look back at this weeks' posts to get to know the Ledbetter family and about a fundraiser you'll love. Come back next week to meet our new family and to learn about some changes that are happening around here. Change is good, right?

-Tonya