Elder Update

Major update on the Elder front. Wynne would write this herself, but she had to hop on a plane to Ethiopia (where she will remain until she brings those babies home). Intrigued? Yep. Hop on over to her blog and read the whole story. We'll keep you posted as it plays out.

You guys have a good weekend. Take it easy. Celebrate all those referrals and court dates and pray for all the traveling families and all those beautiful children that now have families. 

Gotcha Day Art

I came across these brilliant customizable typewriters by Vol. 25 a while ago. I can't wait to buy one. Hmmm, I guess I just need a date. Here's the scoop. You can customize the quote, color, and date. I'm thinking it would make a fabulous Gotcha Day momento.

Going Away: Adoption Tax Credit

Farewell

Over the last nine months, I have been involved in one of the greatest blessings of my life. I have worked behind the scenes and as a blogger for Give1Save1, helping dozens of families offset the immense costs of providing homes and new futures to orphans around the world.

But I’ve decided to take a leave of absence from my post here on Give1 to tackle some other projects. And in leaving, I have a shameless request. I want a going away present. And not just any going away present…I want you to give me about $13,000 in support of my adoption…in fact, I want you to give every American adopting that much, too. 

“What did she just say?” Yep. I’m serious.

Adoption Tax Credit 

I want you to help pass the Adoption Tax Credit. When my husband and I first considered adoption, the Adoption Tax Credit was a giant piece of the financial puzzle for us. At the time, we figured our adoption would easily be finalized in time to take advantage of the credit. Then the “slowdown” came in Ethiopian adoptions. Then we heard that that tax credit was due to be “sunset” at the end of 2012. Wow…not good news. This meant that the $13,000 we were counting on to reimburse some of the debt we were taking on for this process was probably not an option anymore. A very big deal for us…and thousands more families.

For many years, the Adoption Tax Credit has helped 100,000 families annually to offset the costs of adoption, both domestically and internationally. It has made the difference for countless families to provide homes to foster children and the world’s many, many orphans.

Source: Hope for Orphans

On the fence for political reasons? I hear you. I am proud to be this group’s “token liberal” (a term I’ve given to myself), and I’m not a big fan of tax breaks when our country is at war or is facing such an immense deficit. But without this tax credit, fewer (probably dramatically fewer) families will be able to afford adoption. Fewer adoptions mean more children in “the system” (a vast majority of the people adopting in the US adopt domestically). More kids in foster care means more tax dollars needed to support that system of care. Whether we devote tax dollars directly to foster care or through the adoption tax credit, orphans need resources. They need us.

What You Can Do for Orphans 

As it currently stands, the Adoption Tax Credit has a 1 percent chance of passing as legislation. So what can you do about it? Give us 5 minutes and call your Representative today and urge that he or she co-sponsor the bipartisan bill H.R. 4373, the Making Adoption Affordable Act.

You can reach your Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives by calling the U.S. Capitol Operator at 202-225-3121 and asking for your Representative's office. If you don't know your Representative's name, click here and enter your zip code in the box provided.

Here is the message we would ask that you give to your Representative:

•                I am a constituent in your district and the adoption tax credit is important to me. (It matters to me because...)

•                I urge the Representative to become a co-sponsor of The Making Adoption Affordable Act, H.R. 4373.

•                If Congress does not act, the credit as we now know it will expire in December, 2012.

•                H.R. 4373 is bipartisan and it supports all types of adoptions (domestic private, foster care, and international adoptions).

•                This tax credit has made adoption a more viable option for many parents who might not otherwise have been able to afford adoption, allowing them to provide children with loving, permanent families.

•                Thank you for your support of H.R. 4373.

Finally, help us spread the word about this important issue. If you want to learn more about the adoption tax credit, click here. 

Also, "like" the Save the Adoption Tax Credit on Facebook.  

With Love... 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading this and my other weekly posts on this blog. You have enriched me spiritually and personally. You gave me a purpose so much greater than I could have dreamed when I started this adoption journey.

Keep giving. 

Sick Day

Can I call in a sick day on a blog? I'm still here, but we've had some drama. Brandon had to have a pretty major surgery yesterday to deal with this...

Yeah, that's like half a glass stir stick. He even spilled his drink. It was a bad day, followed by several more. Today is proving to be particularly bad as the packing from his surgery needs to come out and you guys, it's not going well. Prayers, por favor. 

Love ya. See you tomorrow.

PS. Have you donated to the Jacksons yet? Do that. It'll make me feel better. 

Babycakes

Hey hey, everybody! Today is part infomercial and part educational... well, worth your time. I'm kind of wild about the Babycakes product line-up for a bunch of reasons. Ready?



1. They are created by one of our Give1 mamas, Chrissy Jensen, and I always love to support our little family. But this product is way more than a shout out because -
2. The products are all natural, nothing weird, carefully researched ingredients.
3. It's all designed to be absorbed into the skin, not sit all greasy on top of the skin.
4. Kids with sensory processing disorders or autism find the products to be tolerable since they aren't slimy in texture.
5. Can be used on boys or girls (or moms as night cream)
6. Prevent scarring.
7. Has even been used to effectively treat scalp ringworm if your child flat out refuses to take their oral medication. That's good info to keep in your back pocket, right?
8. They can be used by just about everyone. Chrissy is mom of twelve kids, with hair and skin covering the spectrum. She's seen it all. Babycakes is geared primarily towards ethnic skin and hair, though.


So let's get down to the educational bit. This post is a wealth of info coming straight from an interview with Chrissy where she answered all my totally dumb questions about how we might find this new hair and skin to be different, and still handle it's challenges confidently.

Before we talk style (that's a whole other blog), let's talk basics. Many of our children are coming from Ethiopia, as Chrissy's did, and her children's hair and curl patterns varied much between her kids born in the north and in the south. Wildly different. So no one thing is going to work for everyone. She emphasized that nothing is magic, not even the $45 bottle of fancy pants stuff. But generally, African hair is going to be very brittle and fragile and prone to breaking. When brushing, never brush dry. Let's say that again. Never brush dry. A little detangler or even some olive oil and water in a spritzer goes on first. Then brush gently from the ends to the roots.

Another bit of advice for you mamas heading to the pool. Their hair is like a sponge and will soak up whatever it touches first. You don't want that to be chlorine water or salt water. So get it wet first, even if you're using your water bottle! Also, consider using a swim cap if they'll go for it.

Chrissy's favorite products include:
Kinky Curly Knot Today for detangling
Tangle Teezer brush for short hair
Africa Sleeps sleep caps for sleeping, traveling long distances, and keeping in your purse for impromptu sandbox stops. Sand is also an enemy! She recommends gently using a vaccuum to suction out sand if you really need to.
And of course, Babycakes (mint) for moisture, and Honey Butter for styling. Just dab some on top of braids or twists to help hold in place.

Head on over and stock up for your little one. I just got a bottle of Clementine orange scented babycakes. Heavenly. Can't wait. Now I just need the kid...

So anyhow, thank you so much, Chrissy for chatting with me. Ladies, aim your questions at Chrissy in the comments section. She's a safe place to ask totally ignorant questions. She's been there too. :)

New Week, New Family

You guys are in a for a treat today. This video is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time! Drew and Cassie have, since they filmed this, received their referral and court date. They'll be traveling to meet their little man in a few weeks. You know what to do! Donate and share. Believe me, they have given you something to share with this awesome video!

Check out their adoption blog, We Can't Adopt, and donate to the adoption right here.

***So far the Jackson's have raised $725 towards the adoption***

Qualified

You know what’s weird? Some people think I must really love kids. Or I must be a really awesome parent to want to take on more kids. Some kind of super mom. Super Christian. Most of those people have never met me in person.

The people that do know me think I:

• have my hands full with two kids
• am easily overwhelmed
• hate noise 
• despise babysitting (and actually other kids that I don’t know that well - sorry) 
• rarely craft with my kids
• sometimes give them frozen waffles for dinner (when their dad is working nights) 
• often don’t remind them to brush their teeth
• avoid going to public places for fear of mortification by offspring

And personally, I’m no saint. I have a tendency to:

• be materialistic
• be short tempered
• get depressed
• quit easily
• spend too much time online
• care too much about what others think

So you’d think that adopting another (maybe two, eventually) would be a stretch for me. But despite all my ridiculousness in the parenting department and personal shortcomings, I’m beyond thrilled to add another into the mix. 

Because I also have

• a habit of telling my kids that they are loved (20 times a day)
• a welcoming home 
• a desire to grow
• a generous and kind spirit
• a tendency to snuggle
• some pretty awesome qualities that make me a fun, loving, accepting, creative, and supportive mama

Sometimes we feel like we’re not equipped. Sometimes what you see online from me and everyone else is not the whole truth and we know it, so we feel unqualified in our weak moments. But we’re strengthened with a strength from above, and today, and this weekend, please remember that He’s with you the whole time, equipping you as you walk. If you are willing and you’re stepping out in faith, He’s there the whole time. There is a wealth of parenting advice from the ultimate parent if only we ask and be willing to learn. You got this, and so do I. Nobody's perfect, but you're going to be great.