Life...priceless

Okay, I admit it. I've been a total blog slacker. Family, work...LIFE, got in the way.

That is so appropriate, because this blog is about LIFE. It is about life in a family for children whose first families and cultures had no place for them.


Today, as it has been on many days, this blog is about the LIFE of one little boy and one particular family.

The boy is that little sleepy-head in the picture, Paul.

The family is Charlie and Melissa House, who have persevered through disappointment and heartache to the point where their paperwork is complete and submitted to the country in Eastern Europe where Paul lives. (You can read their update here).

In this process the projected cost of thier adoption has changed. It has increased from $30,000 to $33,000. (I updated the thermometer on the side of the blog to reflect this change).

Why is it that the cost of adoption never goes down? Why does it cost so much to ransom a child from life in an institution? I don't know the answers to those questions, but I do know that the value of a child's life is beyond cost. Paul's value is priceless.

Charlie and Melissa are now only $2,000 from their original fundraising goal. The increased cost of Paul's adoption makes it more crucial than ever that we help them to meet that goal. We can do it. After all, Paul is priceless.

ipad 2 giveaway

The Senti family is doing an ipad 2 giveaway to help raise money to bring home this little cutie.


Adding a Senti: 4 days left!: "Only 4 days left to have your chance at winning the ipad 2! Just click HERE to make a tax deductable donation and get entered into the giv..."

Generosity

Generosity is such a beautiful thing. My little guy--the one who can be absolutely reckless as he rushes through life--has the most generous spirit. He is always giving away his things to his brother, friends and cousins. I love his generous spirit and try to encourage it whenever I can.

Charissa Browning is another person with a generous spirit. She is doing a give away on her blog to help the Burger family bring home this little guy, Brian, from an orphanage in Eastern Europe. AND she is doing it with some great prizes.

Check out the giveaway on Charissa's blog to learn more about Brian and how you can help.

A 7 day blitz for kirill.

Remember Kirill? He is the little boy with Down Syndrome who was deemed socially unadoptable in his own country. Well, his prospective adoptive parents have taken an appeal and some fellow A-Moms are doing a 7 day give away to raise the additional funds they need. There is every reason to hope that the Davis family will be able to adopt Kirill eventually, since the same judge who found Kirill unadoptable allowed another child with Down Syndrome to be adopted last week. Yeah!

Follow the link to learn more:

our perfectly imperfect life: a 7 day blitz for kirill.: "On March 17, 2011, the Davis family sat in a Russian courtroom and listened as the judge rejected their plea to adopt Kirill, an orphan with..."

Our Eyes Opened: Kirill's Story

Our Eyes Opened: Kirill's Story Sometimes things happen in the world that just break our hearts, and compel us to prayer. Please join in prayer for this situation, this child, this family, and all the other children and families this legal decision will effect.

Give Away Winners

And we have two winners! Yeah!

The winner of the Green with Envy Jewelry Give Away is Colleen at Sunshine from Heaven. Colleen, would you please leave a comment or email me, so I can put you in touch with the Fab Four at To Love the Unloved? They still hold the jewelry and can send it to you.

The winner of the Adoption Wisdom Give Away is Therese, who doesn't have a blog. (In the interest of full disclosure, Therese happens to be related to me, but that is purely a coincidence.)

Thanks to all who participated. Those Give Aways may be over, but there is still plenty of opportunity to help the House Family, and all the other families working so hard to bring children with Down Syndrome and other disabilities from insitutions into families.

Give aways ending March 17

Just a reminder that the two great give aways to raise funds for Paul's adoption end this Thursday, March 17!

See the Give Away buttons on the side of this blog? They will both come down on Friday.

To enter make a tax deductible donation to Reece's Rainbow to benefit "Paul for the House Family". You can donate by clicking on the Paul button on the side of the blog or mailing a check to:
Reece's Rainbow
PO Box 4024
Gaithersburg, MD 20885

Then leave a comment on this blog or send me an email, letting me know that you make the donation, and which give away you are entering. $5 per entry, 5 entries for $20.

Even if you cannot make a donation, please spread the word about the give aways by reposting on your blog or facebook. That will also get you entered in one of the give aways, just leave me a comment so I can confirm your reposting.

Your odds of winning are very good, since as of this minute only one person is entered in the Green with Envy Jewelry give away and no one has entered the Adoption Wisdom give away. It's a good cause--just look at the little guy--and your chances have never been better.