It's a Girl!

If you're a parent, how excited were you when you found out what sex your child would be? Did it matter if it was a girl or boy? It does to some. Did you know that China still has a one child policy? They do.  So, that leaves a lot of girls and mamas left to fend for themselves, if they survive. Women are looked down on for having more than one child, especially more than 1 girl. Sometimes they are kicked out of their homes, made to have abortions or to give their babies up for adoption. Or they're abandoned or aborted. My heart breaks for the hearts of these mamas.

This is a cause worth learning about and getting involved in. All Girls Allowed supports these families. And this week, so can you! Check out Sevenly's site today. Great shirts and bags supporting a great cause!

By the way, remember the O'Dell family? Daddy Devin is in China right now with their little girl! (you can follow them on their blog!)

Isn't she the cutest?? They'll be picking up their son very soon, too!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Adopting?

So, you're thinking about adopting? I'll bet you have a lot of questions.  Here are a few that I hear often...

Is it expensive? Yes ma'am!
Does it take a long time? Usually so. (Ours seems to be taking about a year, but you can't predict a timeline in adoption. Some take several years and some move faster depending on the child's needs, age, country, your adoptive readiness, etc.)
Do you know a lot about your baby's history? Some details, yes, but every situation is different.
Can anyone adopt? Check with your agency or look online at different agencies.  Here's my agency's page Holt International and here's Beth's agency's page America World and one more that I know of in my area, Bethany Christian Services.

You can also look at Reece's Rainbow for children who are waiting. They can point you in the direction of that child's agency.
Agencies are usually pretty up front about their requirements and those requirements differ based on the country you are interested in adopting from.

Questions? Leave me a comment or email me at tonyagarrick5 (at) gmail (dot) com.  Let me know if you would like to be a family of the week, too.  There are several working on their videos, so we should start seeing families again very soon!

Have you checked out our world map? I know some of our other pages have families this week, so get your dollars ready!

Soon, we will talk about adoption etiquette and using the correct language when you're asking your friends about their adoption. Let me know if you have any suggestions or examples of your own!

Enjoy your week, everyone!

Supporting Others

Having a good day?  I hope so!

Have you seen Sevenly's page this week?  This week's products are supporting orphans abandoned due to AIDS. 

Also, take a look at this blog.  They share about a recent visit to various Holt agencies in Korea.
Many agencies offer different trips for supporters and families. 

Lindsay also shared some info on YourAdoptShop.org  Good stuff!

There are so many ways to support others who are caring for orphans or are on their own adoption journey.
What are some of your favorites?

Have fun checking out these sites! Have a great day!!

Funds for Your Adoption

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by!

Have you seen Africa's page this week? They have a family to support and some good info over there.  Our Caribbean page has a family, too!  Give them a look.

A few FAQs for you to think about.......

Is adoption expensive?  YES.  Plain and simple.  Can you afford it?  YES, again! How, you ask??
Since adoption generally takes several months or even years, you should have time to start saving.  Look at your budget and what you can scale down or do without. For me, I"ve decided to skip buying new clothes for myself (no, my kids are not wearing rags) and go easy on my coffee habit! Also, we skipped the big vacation this year and are just, in general, watching our pennies.
Maybe you can get a part time job or use a tax refund.  Are you crafty? Sell your creations on Etsy:) Get creative!

Also, you can fund raise, apply for grants and of course, be featured on our blog!

Here are a few suggestions for fundraising.....

Flip Flop 2 Adopt was started by an adoptive family when they realized how expensive it was to bring their son home from Taiwan. Check them out!

Just Love Coffee is another. These 2 fundraisers allow people to shop and you get a portion of the proceeds.  Sweet!

Our domestic blogger, Bonnie, included fundraising tips on their page, too!

Did you have any hugely successful fundraising ideas you would like to share? I've heard of people hosting dinners, having garage sales, auctions......the list goes on!
Once you determine in your heart to adopt, you'll figure it out!

See ya next time!

Welcome!

Happy Monday!  I hope you enjoyed your weekend. Congrats to Katie and Jody, the winners of our very fab Starbucks cards and thanks to everyone who supported the O'Dell family last week.  Your generosity is so appreciated!

This week, I'll post a few articles about international adoption, fundraisers and try to hit on some frequently asked questions.


First, I'll give you a little background about my family. My husband and I have 2 extremely awesome boys, ages 8 and 11, and are in the process of adopting a sweet little girl from South Korea. We have hit that part of the adoption where the application has been sent in, we've made the big announcement , submitted more paperwork and now....WE WAIT.
Sooo, in the meantime, I have bought a few girly things for my all boy home and will start compiling her life book soon. Also, I've applied for every grant under the sun and tried to figure out creative ways to save money.

 What did you do to pass the time during the long wait? Decorate the new room? Take some classes?

If you're adopting, what agency did you use? There are many adoption agencies to choose from. We chose Holt International. They have a waiting child program that seemed to be exactly what we were looking for. Interested? Take a look. Have you had great experiences with another agency? Let me know and I'll mention them so everyone can know!

Check out the other Give1Save1 pages this week, too. You can click on our "back to world map" button and select the Caribbean, Africa or the US page from there. Adopting or know a family who is adopting?  We would love to feature them on our blog.  Email me at tonyagarrick5 (at) gmail (dot) com.
Have a blessed week!

Friday Fun

Happy Friday!! Have you seen our new button?? Click on "back to the map" and see our  new world map! Then you can click around and go to the other pages featured:) Pretty cool,huh? Also, we were mentioned in a blog post by No Hands But Ours. (thanks, Stefanie!!)  They provide family support for children waiting in China. Give them a look!!

Guess who's traveling next WEEK?? In a few days, to be exact.  Devin O'Dell!! He'll be bringing their 2 new additions back HOME! Do you have a dollar to help with those travel expenses? You're great, thanks!
Click our big donate button on the left. Your gift is truly appreciated.

Remember to leave a comment after you've given and shared. Right now, there's a 50/50 chance for Katie or Jody to win a Starbucks card.......if you can't leave a comment, shoot me an email or FB us!

Thirsty Thursday (and a giveaway!)

Okay, it's not your typical thirsty Thursday, but still...

We will have a giveaway starting today! Yayy! If you donate and share the O'Dell's story, leave a comment telling me that you did both, then you will be entered in the drawing for a Starbucks card!:) Why? Because I love Starbucks, so I assume everyone else does, too! By the way, their new very berry hibiscus refresher is pretty good if it's too hot for coffee!

Did you know the O'Dells are adopting 2 children? Their home is about to get a lot louder!! Do you love a house full of kids? I do and I know Jolene and Devin do, too. Can you help them with their travel expenses and that extra $1000 expense that was thrown their way? It would be awesome if you could!

DONATE HERE.....my big button's being finicky!! (but the new color's cool!)

Remember--give, share, and leave a comment.  I'll announce our winner Sunday!!

By the way...I don't have a family for next week! Adopting? Shoot me an email...tonyagarrick5 at gmail.com