The Holiday Spirit

I've been meaning to write a post for what seems like forever. The topic was supposed to be a complete breakdown of how well the auction went for us. Instead I'd like to just quickly sum it up by saying, "the auction was spectacular!" Twenty donated items were auctioned off in a span of just under 4 weeks! From which, we raised $1,799!! Now to be honest, that amount is actually a little more, because some of you paid/donated a little to a lot more than you were supposed to!

We have had so much fun getting all of the items to everyone, and hearing how they can't wait to open up some of the items on Saturday! All of your generosity is so appreciated, and we truly feel as if we are the most cared for people in the world! Thank you.

It's hard to believe that we are only days away from Christmas. When Chelsey and I started this process in February we had actually talked, hoped, and dreamed that we would have our referral by now (possibly even traveling to get our baby)! As the time has ticked by, we realized that our initial hopes were not going to be met. There has been many times through out this adventure that we have had to shift our plans/hopes. I guess the reason I'm saying this is because we are sitting days away from the biggest holiday of the year. The holiday where families come together and celebrate a love for each other, and for the world around us. And here we are a family that in many ways is missing a piece. It is crazy to know that at this point our child is out there. We have no idea what he or she may be feeling, and whether there will be a Christmas gift or hug or whatever.

That feeling was obviously being put out into the universe by all of us in the house, because the other day a commercial for World Vision USA came on the TV. It captivated Chelsey and both of our kids. When Chelsey asked them if we should do something to help, PK and MG agreed that we should. So, after doing a little research (World Vision USA is a quality organization) we decided that our gift to our child was to donate to a family in need. We decided to donate money to go toward the purchase of a goat and two chickens to help a family out. There was something so moving about the four of us sitting on our couch and deciding how we were going to include our baby in our holiday celebration. The holiday spirit told us to give, and that's what we did.

So to our little angel out there.. we love you, and we look forward to 2011. We can't wait to have you with us for next Christmas, and the countless number thereafter.

Merry Christmas to you all, and thank you for following our wonderful journey.

Love- Ken, Chelsey, PK, MG, and Baby

I just had to share.

There are a million & one things I want to tell you guys & share ... about so many aspects of growing our family & what this means to us that sometimes, it's hard to even sit down & start writing because it's definitely not a train of thought that starts at one station & ends at another! ;)

But today, a bigger message was sent to me. I was watching Oprah (I know, roll your eyes if you want, but seriously, I have a heart for Oprah & while I *never* get to watch her shows anymore - toady somehow, I was able to steal away for a few minutes to see this part ... maybe there was a reason for that) and John Travolta was on. The next thing I knew, they were showing a clip from Oprah's 50th birthday bash where Johnny (as she likes to call him ;) ) made a toast to her, with the general sentiment that the world is a better place with you in it.

This stuck out in the mind of a fan from Alberta, Canada who, long story short, ended up volunteering in an orphanage in Africa, later raising funds to build them a house. I was in tears. It just all seemed so real to me.

The mail also came today and with it, some holiday cards & holiday cheer, gifts toward our baby. Very unexpected and yet, almost seemed unreal due to the events of the day. I know there's a daddy post coming soon ... and I am going to show our puzzle - your puzzle - that we've been putting the pieces together for, very, very soon ... but somehow through all of this, we are just a little over $1,000 shy of hitting our half-way mark of $5,000. Isn't that amazing?!!!

And I think why it makes me more sentimental is that somehow there are signs along the way ... a few weeks before Thanksgiving I declared, "Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could hit the 2500 mark?! Wow! That would just be incredible!" A week before, it looked like it probably wasn't feasible ... and then ... just days before Thanksgiving, the truly thankful blessing of meeting & then surpassing that amount.

Shortly after that I whispered, "How cool would it be if we could raise half of this by Christmas ... wow, that would just give me such peace ... such a sigh of relief" we're not even traveling yet but the thought of being able to somehow cover some of this ground & be ready for the unexpected, as you have to be in this process, would be incredible. Beyond amazing.

With only 12 days until Christmas, I don't know if we'll make it ... but I feel such gratitude ... and such HOPE that we've made it this far.

Thank you.
And Merry Christmas to each & every one of you.
YOU make a world of difference.

The final set of items! -- CLOSED

So, we've saved this last set of items for the end, because we know they will help get you over the fact that this wonderful auction of ours is coming to and end (at least for now). Almost like a bad break-up, your heart and soul are going to need some healing. To help put both at ease, our twitter friend, Osbornmel, has decided to offer up a homemade batch of Kahlua Bon-Bons! There is nothing like a wonderful chocolately and alcohol filled dessert to help you through this holiday season (and the end of our auction)! This wonderful treat will be ready on December 21 for pick-up and there will be enough to fill a gallon size Ziplock bag! 

The next item is from our dear friend, Linda. We've know Linda for almost 5 years now?? Wow, I think that's right! Anyway, Linda and her family have become great friends to us to the point where our kids run to give her hugs anytime we get to see her. She is such a fantastic person. The item that she put together for us is a dozen eggs from her free range chickens! A perfect match for the bon-bons because after you eat such a wonderful dessert, you are going to NEED to do some baking for yourself! And most every recipe is going to call for eggs!! 

Both items are Fairbanks area only!

Starting bid is $5

In the Lead :: Winning bid $30

Starting bid is $5

In the Lead :: Winning bid $10

Winding the Auction down!

Alright, we are down to the last couple of days of this auction... :(
But! We have 5 great items left! We are going to do three items this round, so get yourselves ready!

Items 18 and 19!

So do you remember the bags from our drawing (click here)? Well... we have two more! These are wonderfully handmade by a friend of a friend in Anchorage! Surprisingly, she has yet to go out and set up her own business! But, after the reactions we've received from the drawing winners, I think she should start considering! And also I wanted to send a very special thank you to the friend that introduced us to these wonderful bags. Nikki and her family have been more than amazing to us, and we couldn't be more thankful for their friendship! Now, check out the last two bags!

Estimated Value per bag : $80 to $100

Bidding starts at $15

Bag #1 - Winning Bid $35 

Bag #2 - Winning bid $30 

Item # 20

Our wonderful friend Heidi has offered up this item for us. You may remember Heidi from this post. She and her family have been so very supportive with our fundraiser. We couldn't have asked for a better family to call our friends. 

Now onto the item! Heidi has put together a wonderful Mary Kay gift basket! Contents include:

(1) Plush Robe
(1) Red Tea and Fig Pampering Set (Body wash, lotion and deo spray)
(1) Make-up bag
(1) Rich Cocoa Lipstick
(1) Shave Gel/Body Wash and Lotion
(1) $25 Gift Certificate to spend in the Mary Kay store of Heidi Haas

Total Value: $140

Bidding Starts at $20

In the Lead :: Winning Bid $40

Auction Items #16 and #17 :: Wonderful Toys for the kids!

The first wonderful kiddo toy is a stick pony made by another one of Chelsey's wonderful photography friends, Elizabeth! You can see her work here. The horse is all handmade using cotton, (recycled)felt, and fleece. His eyes are felt buttons. The stick is a branch from a pine tree.  It is hard to see but there is still a pine cone attached at the bottom of the stick. The horse is  approximately 3'9" tall, the perfect size for a kiddo. Elizabeth has also agreed to pay shipping to anywhere in the US. And for you international followers that are interested in such a wonderful item, we'll split shipping costs with you! 

Approximate value: $70.

Bidding starts at $20


In the Lead :: Winning Bid $30 

The next item is a wonderful kid fly rod built for kids from 6 - 12 and is perfect for wrangling an Arctic Grayling on the Upper Chena, if you are here in wonderful Alaska! It comes packaged in a box, so it's ready to wrap and put under the Christmas tree! This is another item that will be shipped anywhere in the US, and we can thank our good friend Karen for donating this item for us from her wonderful employer, Redington! 

Approximate value : $99

Bidding starts at $20

In the Lead :: Winning Bid $60 

A last minute bid!

Auction Item #15 : Homemade Burp Cloths

These burp cloths were made for us by Chelsey's photography friend Jennifer Bertoch. You can see her amazing work here. The most amazing thing about her putting this together for us is that she is expecting her third daughter at the end of the month!! So, not only is she keeping up with her own business and two little ones already, she is also taking time to put some burp cloths together for us at 9 months prego!! Have I mentioned just how wonderful you all have been in supporting our fundraiser? Jen that goes double, make that triple, for you! Thank you sooo much!

Estimated Value : I'm putting it at $50. 

Bidding starts at $10. 

In the lead :: Winning Bid $20 

Auction Item 14 : One night King Suite stay in the Fairbanks Hampton Inn and Suites!

Closed!!

This is another great item donated to us through Chelsey's Twitter connections! It just so happens that Casey of the Hampton Inn and Suites here in Fairbanks not only follows Chelsey on Twitter, but his sister is also adopting a baby from Ethiopia! We have been very fortunate with all of the people that have come to help support our fundraiser!

Now, this auction item is another one that many people have been asking us about! Mr. Casey has provided us a gift certificate for a one night stay in a KING SUITE! Winner will also receive freshly 

baked hot breakfast in the morning and use of the indoor pool and hot tub. Maximum occupancy of this room is 2 people. The winner can trade down to a standard room with two queen sized beds with maximum occupancy of 4 people. The certificate must be used prior to May 1, 2011 and is not valid 
on December 31, 2010. Please check out the website here.

Item Value : $150

Bidding starts at $20!

In the lead :: Winning Bid $75!!

Auction Items 12 and 13 : A Homemade Alaskan Quilt and Pioneer Wells Water

CLOSED!!

We have two very exciting items up for bid tonight! 

1) I'll start with the Quilt!! This beautiful quilt was made entirely in Alaska with an Alaskan Theme! You can see in the pictures below that the animals are all silhouettes and are all native to our great state! Our wonderful friend Robyn asked her mom to put this together for us, and she more than out did herself! Combine her expert quilt topping with our new friend Monte's finishing skills and we have this piece of comfy art!! I have to admit that there are several people out in the blogosphere that have been eyeing this one, so be ready for a bidding war!!

In the pre-finish stage. Taken to show the all of the animals together.  

Final Product!

Wonderfully Finished Border

Final Product!

Estimated Value : more than $600!

Bidding starts at $50

In the Lead :: Winning Bid $225!!
2) Our next item is one that was up earlier in our auction process, but unfortunately, our high bidder never claimed the prize! So, with permission from our friends at Pioneer Wells, we are going to re-auction the gift certificate good for a one time water delivery up to 1500 gallons! I know there are a lot of people in the Fairbanks area that could use this with the holidays coming up, or better yet, it may be a great item to donate back to your church! Something to think about!

Estimate Value : $150

Bidding starts at $50

In the Lead :: Winning Bid $50 

Auction Item #11 : Set of Four (4) Inspirational Art Pieces

The next set of auction items comes to use from our good friend Dale Taylor all the way in Australia! She is another one of the amazing photographers that has become a tremendous friend to my wife, Chelsey. You can view Dale's work by clicking here. As you can tell, she is a truly a fantastic photographer and artist! So, we were very excited when she offered the following art prints for us to auction off for our fundraiser. 

Reads:

Go Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams. Live the Life You Have Imagined. 

Reads:

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Reads:

Friends are the Sunshine of Life. 

Reads:

Life Isn't About Waiting for the Storm to Pass. It's About Learning to Dance in the Rain.

These are all original pieces of art from Dale, and will be an excellent set of art to have framed in your home or office! They will be printed at 12 x 18 poster size. Thanks Dale!!

Estimate Value : $200 to $400

Bidding Starts at $10

In the Lead :: Winning Bid $100!!

Discovery Toys!!

A few weeks ago, I was sitting at a meeting at work when a co-worker looked at me and said, "Hey, I want to do something for you and your family! I sell Discovery Toys, and I'd like to donate the proceeds to the adoption!" I'm not sure I talked for at least a minute. Then it was easy to say, "Sure!"

After our talk, the Ice Storm of 2010 happened, and I had forgotten all about it. Thankfully, she didn't! So, she is now accepting orders. You can go to her website (click here), and browse the "Our Products" tab and place orders. One hundred percent of the proceeds after costs will be donated to our family. Discovery Toys are great, and I really hope you at least take a look!

Thank you Ms. Linda!! You rock!

Since 1987.

Auction Item #10 : Complete Kelsey Anderson Design Shop!

This one is just amazing! When Kelsey Anderson contacted my wife about wanting to help out with our fundraiser, we didn't know exactly what she had in mind. So, it was a total, complete, fabulous, and amazing surprise when Kelsey came back to us and said "I will donate my whole shop for you to auction to go towards your adoption costs. :)" Yes.. She even included the smiley!! 


We were seriously knocked over by her generosity, and could not feel any more love and gratitude toward her! So, Kelsey.. From the bottom of our hearts thank you! 

What does this mean for you? 
If you are unfamiliar with Kelsey's work, I feel badly for you! You will have to get acquainted soon!! Kelsey is an amazing photographer in Las Vegas, Nevada. She designs her own Photoshop Templates (e.g. Calendars, Birth Announcements, etc.), Photoshop Actions, and Lightroom Presets. (See everything at her Design Shop here). And what she is offering is her ENTIRE DESIGN SHOP!! All items!! Up for auction! 


That means the winning bid will get all items in Kelsey's Design Shop! A value of $1080!! 

The bidding will start at $50!

In the lead :: Winning Bid $275 

>

A Drawing!! Beautiful, Handmade Purses/Bags!!

My lovely wife, and avid researcher and adoption blog reader, recently asked me, "Ken, what's the difference between a raffle and a drawing?" Excellent question! First, I think it's awesome that she asks me questions in a way that makes it seem as if I know everything! How sweet! Second, after a quick Google search, I learned that there is a HUGE difference between a drawing and a raffle! A raffle requires all participants to pay to get a ticket for a CHANCE to win a prize purchased from the proceeds of the ticket sales!! Raffles require gaming permits in most states (see my Tax Man post)! A drawing on the other hand is open to anyone, and does not require the PURCHASE of a ticket to win a prize that was DONATED. Because purchase is NOT required, and the prize is donated we are no longer holding a Raffle and the rules are different!

What does this mean for you and our Fundraiser? 

Well, we have three (3) beautiful, handmade, and donated purses that we would like to put up for a drawing! Three tickets will be drawn with each winner getting One (1) of the bags. The first ticket drawn will get the first bag and so on. 

How do you Participate? 
There are two ways to get a number.

1. Click the "donate" button on the top, right margin of this page. Any donation of $5 will get you a number that will be placed in the drawing. For example, if you donate $20, you get four (4) tickets. We will send you an e-mail with the number(s)... OR, 
2. Click here to send us an e-mail requesting a number that will be placed in the drawing. To be fair, for each e-mail sent you will get an additional number. We will reply with your number.

What do these Purses/Bags look like?

Bag #1 :: LUCKY #13 is the winner!!

The flower is removable and the change purse has a zipper!

Bag #2 :: LUCKY #5 is the winner!

This bag has a button closure. 

Bag #3 :: LUCKY #12 is the winner!

This bag has a button closure.

When does the Drawing take place?
We will be holding the drawing Monday, November 29, 2010 at 7 pm (AKST). That means that all requests for a number and all donations for a number need to be received by 6:30 pm (AKST) on the 29th. That means you have all weekend to get your numbers, and to pass this on to all of your friends!

Estimated value of Purses/Bags : $80 to $100 each. 

Number of Drawing participants to date : 18

Thanks!! And have a great weekend! 

Item #9! A gallon of Berries! - CLOSED

This is another wonderful donation from our twitter friend Nancy! She is that same amazing person that donated the beautiful Ecuadorian Scarves! We couldn't be any more fortunate to have found such wonderful people in Cyberspace!

Now the details! You will have your choice of a gallon of low-brush cranberries, blueberries, or a combination of both! She hand picked them along the Upper Chena River. Harvested late in season for maximum sweetness, so these will be amazing to have with the December holidays coming up!!

The value is estimated to be $50!

Bidding starts at $20.
**Shipping Not Included in bid. Outside of Fairbanks area would have to pay for shipping**

In the Lead :: Winning Bid $59!!!

Nacho Night!! Item #8

So, this one is from another twitter friend, akblueflower! She is offering up the fixings for a gourmet nacho extravaganza for 8!! This includes meat and/or beans, shredded cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, jalopenos, olives, sour cream, and salsa (specify heat)! If you are in town, akblueflower will deliver them to you!! If you are out of town, a super, secret location will be revealed to you for pick-up!!!

Now for a quick disclaimer! Please understand that this Nacho night will more than likely not be happening this week. SO, if you happened to forget the Turkey, or didn't realize you need to thaw the frozen turkey 1 day for every 5 pounds, this will not be covering you on Thursday! :)   Consider yourself advised!!

Estimated Value : Come on... Priceless!! 

Bidding starts at $5!!!

In the Lead :: Winning Bid $65!!!

Simple Math.

*Please note: if you don't like talking about money & all this fundraising is making you squeamish, you can just skip this post. If you, like many others, are curious about adoption yourself or just curious as to what the costs might actually be - read on! This one's for you! ;)

I'm not sure what to type in this big, blank box. How does one go about explaining the 'cost' of having another baby? Although there are a handful of employers out there who have employer adoption benefits with an "adoption friendly workplace," there are many more that don't. There also isn't 'insurance' that covers adoption costs. And the fact that you have to come up with the funds in a relatively short amount of time, doesn't necessarily work in every one's favor either. But I've had plenty of people ask me, especially lately, "Well ... what does it cost to adopt?" And, of course, the answer to that varies ... just like no two snowflakes are never the same, neither are two adoptions, I read once.

But in a simple break-down, here are some of the costs that we've incurred:

• agency application fee - $250
• Homestudy fee - $1500 (through our local agency)
• Homestudy Review - $300 (charges for using our local agency)
• US Immigration Filings - $830
• Agency Fee Part I - $3000
• Int'l Proc. Fee Part I - $1700 (dossier processing fee included here)
• Document expenses - up to $360 or so (costs of verifying, authenticating & mailing paperwork, state fees & fees for foreign gov't offices)

• Agency Fee Part II - $1,000 (due about 6 mos after homestudy approval)
• Int'l Proc Fee Part II - $3,100 (same, in country legal expenses & fees are included)
• Int'l Proc. Fee Part III - $4,100 (at child acceptance)
• Post Placement Fees - $150-1000

• Child's US Entry Visa - $400
• Post Placement Services with FCA - $950
  
• US Finalization - $500-1500

Total Adoption Expenses $16,250 - 21,540
(and this doesn't even include travel costs of airfare, 2 trips, food, lodging, ground transportation, etc - it adds up fast!)

So, needless to say, costs are incurred & go up quickly. And because of two trips now, fees have actually increased with our program (thankfully, due to timing & payments, we were able to stay on our same original fee scale from when we first applied & were accepted).

And of course even these are just estimates, actual costs can vary to some degree. We're at about the Part II part of it all (which as you can see, can get quite taxing very fast, especially if you receive your referral around the same time). Never-mind the fact that we need another crib and another car seat! Sheesh ;) No, really, I just wanted to break it down & do the "simple math" version as I have people ask me weekly, and even though I explain, I can tell that sometimes it just doesn't seem to make sense.

We are so thankful to everyone who is trying to make this possible for us. It is amazing & energizing to feel the presence of so many of you saying, "your baby is important to me too". I have these little "benchmarks" in my head ... and one of those is that I am hoping we can reach $2000 by Thanksgiving ... will you help us do that? We are SO CLOSE!

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage - Lao Tzu

Auction item #7 :: Complete Stereo Surround Sound System! - CLOSED

Item number 7 has been sitting in our garage for a little while. The set was originally donated to us for our garage sale this past summer, and while we have had a ton of interest, no one has taken the leap! I've even had a few people say, "why don't you just keep it?" Believe me, if I thought I could I would! But, our wonderful friend, Rich, donated it to help us raise some money, and that's just what we're going to do!

So, when you tally up all of the equipment we estimate that its value is close to $2000! We will be starting the bidding at only $50! All of the remotes, manuals, and cables are included with the set which also includes:

• Sony DVD player 
• Sony CD/Tape/Tuner Base 
• Polk Audio Active Sub Woofer with 10"Drivers 
• JBL 12" Active Sub Woofer 
• Sansui Floor Speakers (2) 
• (2) JBL Bookshelf speakers 
• (1) JBL Center speaker

Please take the time to pass this one along. We can't ship it, so we are limiting this one to Fairbanks area only. Unless of course, you would like to pay to have it shipped to you! :)

Good Luck!!

Estimated value is close to $2000!

Bidding starts at $50!

In the Lead :: Winning Bid $200 

Item # 6 :: A Handmade Pennant/Bunting!

All right, this is one of those perfect items for your baby's room. Another one of our wonderful friends has donated her talents to make a wonderful handmade pennant/bunting out of some of your baby's clothes that will have your child's name on it. The final product will be a wonderful piece of art that can decorate the room with memories of when your baby was.. well just a baby! Check out the picture below so you can see how awesome this will be!

Our friend, Erin, will meet with you if you are in Fairbanks to discuss color and design! If the winner is outside of the Fairbanks area, the clothes can be mailed to her for design and completion! 

The estimated value of this wonderful, custom, and handmade pennant/bunting is $100. 

The bidding will start at $20!!

In the Lead :: $40 Winning Bid

Item # 5!! Water! :: CLOSED

This is a true Alaskan Auction! For those of you following our blog/auction from other (warmer) parts of the world, we live in an area where not all homes have water pumped in from a city line or a well! There are plenty of houses up here that have water tanks under the house that supply the water, and for these homes, water needs to be delivered! As a Chicago native, this was truly new to me. I was fortunate to live in a house with a tank 6 years ago, and it is amazing how quickly you can run out of water!! It makes showering, washing dishes, and laundry quit a challenge!

There are many businesses out there that help supply the water to these homes, and one such company (Pioneer Wells) has offered to support our fundraiser by providing us with a gift certificate good for "1 delivery no greater than 1500 gallons of water within 25 miles of Fairbanks"! So, maybe you can use this for yourself, or better yet, maybe you know someone that could use a little "water" gift this holiday season.

ETA: $150 Value!

The bidding starts now, and we'll close it up at 8:00 pm on Sunday, November 21st! Have Fun!

In The Lead : Winning Bid  was $75

;

Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah! : Item #4 -- Closed!!

This is a perfect item for, I don't know, some one looking to spend some time with a son or daughter, a grandson or granddaughter, a nephew or a niece... you get the idea! We have two tickets to the Fairbanks Auto Museum up for bid!!

On your mark... Get set... GO!!!!!!!!

In the lead :: Winning bid was $50!!!

Ecuadorian Scarves : Auction Item #3!!! -- CLOSED!!!

Cyber world has been very good to us! This next item has been donated by a twitter-friend who loves to travel to Ecuador! Thankfully, while she is there, she always picks up a few scarves to have just-in-case she needs them to donate to a fundraiser! :) 


We have two scarves for you to bid on. The dark one is alpaca wool, and the other is pashmina (cashmere). They are beautiful, and very soft! We will gladly ship outside of Alaska, so feel free to bid if you live elsewhere! 

Clarification : Winning bid gets both scarves!!

In The Lead :: Winning Bid is $85 !!!

Bidding Closed

A Mary Kay Opportunity

Starting today, our good friend, Mrs. Haas, is helping support our fundraiser with help from her Mary Kay Business!! Please take a look at the flier below for more details!

Click here to visit her site!

In other news!

So.. lost in the excitement of this auction was the fact that this past Saturday we put into the mail a very important set of documents called our dossier! It has been a long time coming, but the final group of items was crossed off the list a few weeks ago! As always, there were plenty of people that helped make the collection and organization of each item possible.

First there was the wonderfully kind lady at the State Troopers' office.. no seriously. She went out of her way to get an item notarized for us, so we had it without a long wait. She showed so much excitement for us and with us that we added our experience with her to our list of signs showing us that our decision to expand our family through adoption was more than correct!

I can't continue without also putting a shout out to a wonderful co-worker of mine that became our personal Notary! She also was one of the many people to donate items for our garage sale this past summer. Ms. CB, you rock, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of the ways you have helped while we continue on this journey!

Then there were the writers of our letters of recommendation! One from the our baby's Grandma and Grandpa! One from our wonderful family friend Ms. Linda whose girls are like family to our kids. And the last from a wonderful teacher/mentor who is now enjoying the high life in retirement!

Oh my.. I almost forgot the Passport lady at the Post Office. No joke! She was great. We laughed, and swapped stories. It was truly wonderful connecting with her along the way. It was a great reminder that you have to love what you do. She embodied that, and made our trip to get our passports completed another wonderful step along the way.

I think I'll end it there. Although, I know there are more people to thank for having our dossier in the mail!

The next auction item will be up tomorrow (Tuesday) night! It'll just be up for 24 hours so get yourselves ready.

Let's keep it going! --- CLOSED!!!

Alright! It's time to put up our next auction item! Mr. Ronn Murray of Ronn Murray Photography has just donated an Aurora Photography Workshop* for two!! The details of the offer can be found at his website, click here. But, to sum up, you and a friend will learn all about techniques, equipment, and locations to best photograph The Northern Lights!! You will also get to go out with Ronn for your very own Northern Lights shoot! This is a great chance to learn how to capture wonderful pieces of art like this :

The value of this wonderful opportunity is $700, so let's have the bidding start at $50! That sounds more than fair :) This items expires April 5, 2011. 


Same as the last item, please use the text box below to provide your name, e-mail, and bid amount. The highest bid value and time-stamp will be provided in the "In The Lead" area! Good luck, and let's continue the fun!! 


THANK YOU RONN MURRAY!!!

In The Lead :: $255 bid won!!! Thank you all!!
Bidding ends @ 10 pm on 11/15/2010!!!!!
<;">*Disclaimer From Ronn Murray: Must be in Fairbanks to redeem this workshop. We will not be able to provide transportation to and from Fairbanks so please plan accordingly. While we will make every effort possible to get you a great Aurora Viewing opportunity, we cannot guarantee Aurora activity or conducive weather conditions. There are many elements out of our control but as a general rule, spend 3 or more days in Fairbanks in the winter, and your odds of seeing Northern Lights are quite favorable. If you live in or near Fairbanks we will be happy to go when the right conditions are in place. Thanks and happy shooting!

Let the Fun Begin! -- Bidding Closed!

So, after deliberating for several days, Chelsey and I have decided that we are going to do an on-line auction! We have a list of items that have been donated to us for the auction in a list to the right of this post. Each item will be getting its time in the spot-light!

To place a bid, simply follow the directions below. We will display the highest donation amount at the "In The Lead" space.

Okay, time for our first item! We are going to start with an item donated by Lara Poirrier with Northern Horse Photography. She has graciously donated a 16 x 20 metallic print of the Aurora Borealis (value of $95). We will cover the costs of shipping the picture to you, so 100% of the winning bid goes directly to the cause! Bidding starts right now, and closes at 10pm (AKST) on Sunday, November 14. The person with the highest bid will receive the print! 

Good luck, and let's have some fun!! OH.. and if you feel like it, please go ahead and share our auction with all your friends! Thanks! 

Bidding Closed!! Winning bid was $40!!!

The Heart of the Matter.

So, for the most part … Ken will be doing the writing here. It only seems fair after-all ;) … many of you already know me & ‘what I do’ but in case you’re new or just know half of the story, pretty much everyone here already gets to hear me talk over here. That’s where you get to see another aspect to my life & my world. And what I see, of course. So we took that into consideration … and really, it’s quite nice to hand off the bulk of blogging to someone else for a change! ;) It’s nice to read new words, new thoughts and see new comments. A breath of fresh air … and a way to recharge my batteries because I’m pretty sure this is a marathon, not a sprint.

As we hunker down and get some details sorted for some upcoming fun (auction included! & thank you to ALL of you who left comments & suggestions, ideas & thoughts … 2 brains (or 20 or 40 or more!) really is better! This brainstorming thing is hard work!) – sorry, got a little side-tracked ;) … as we hunker down & get details sorted out I wanted to share what’s been heavy on my heart. Coming out & saying, “hey, we need you” isn’t easy. But we do. Since February of this year, we have met some amazing families – some who have adopted not one, not two but five children over the years! Others who have only raised a small portion for specific fees and still others who’ve been able to do it all themselves, not needing outside support or funding. I am in awe of so many of these families (and moms); it’s incredible to be able to do all of this on your own! So it’s been hard … very hard … for me to reach a point where we have to move forward & say, yes – yes we really do need ‘the village’ to raise our child. We really do need to push forward in certain areas with financial assistance. And that’s hard to write about. That’s hard to talk about. It’s hard to reach out & ask you to help us. But I’m trying to put all that aside (ego, pride, sadness – whatever it may be!) and focus on honesty, truth, faith & hope instead.

Honesty: The honest part is that we do need help. When we first signed on, there was only one trip required of parents going to Ethiopia. Within a few months, that had change to two trips.

Truth: Two trips to Addis Ababa is hard enough on any family, let alone when you are starting even further away than most people who are making the trip! (If somehow you arrived here from elsewhere, we are starting our journey in Alaska – don’t even ask how many extra hours that adds to our around the world trip!)

Faith: I’ve had so many people remind me lately that it will happen. It will come together. Everyone says this same sentiment in their own way, depending on their religious & spiritual beliefs … but believe it or not, the message is the same, regardless of background.

Hope: I hope so much that it’s not too much to ask. I hope that we can move forward & this weight can be lifted. I hope that this is feasible. I hope that people actually donate. (We’ve had one donation already! Not tied to anything! You know who you are smile thank you … so maybe I don’t have to worry about that part? Is that what that message is?)

So I wanted to pour it all out on the line. We are trying to raise 10,000 in the hopes that that will be ‘enough’. And maybe, just maybe … it will be ‘more than enough’ and we can actually give back to the orphanage that our baby will have spent time at. (Is this ‘required’ by our agency? No, not at all. It’s something we’ve talked about & hope to bring to fruition.)

Some days that number doesn’t seem too bad … other days … it’s frightening … looming … and daunting. But I’m trying to move past that. I’m trying to take a deep breath & realize … it will be okay.

In the meantime, we have to celebrate having a successful garage sale this summer (at least we think so! Having never done one before, expectations were low! Haha ;) ) & our impending auction (let’s bug Ken & maybe we can get it to start here in a few days?!?!! wink, wink). I know some of you would much rather bid on an item or buy a t-shirt or bag of coffee (I’m looking into that) – so those options are being worked on. The only disheartening thing about some of those avenues is that it’s not always “100% proceeds” that will go toward our adoption expenses (I will have to write another post about that, another time since this is already getting lengthy!), it’s only a certain percentage. But … I’ve also been helped to realize that some of you already know that as more & more emails, notes & conversations trickle in from you that say, “Can I just donate? I don’t need anything. I need to help you bring your baby home.”

So for all of you that have said that … or thought that, this post is for you! There is a “donate” button to the right. That is exactly what it is there for. To donate. 100% of that will go to bringing our baby home. And if statistics are right … and we have, let’s say 60 people reading this blog already … what if each of you found 6 friends who were willing to donate $27 … or 5 friends willing to donate $30 … or 10 friends willing to donate $16 dollars … it all adds up!

I am off to buy a puzzle soon … I saw it on another blog & felt inspired … and compelled … I’m going to write YOUR name on that puzzle piece … little by little, we will “put the puzzle together” as donations come in … and one day, that puzzle will be complete as we go to bring together our family. And then I get to show our baby & say look, look how many people fought to bring you home. Look how many people already loved you and wanted to be a part of your life … a piece of the puzzle that is the big picture, that brings you home.

I can’t wait for that day.

The Tax Man!

Before we jump into the full Tax Man story, we would like to thank you all for stopping by. Within the first 2 days of this blog being "live" we received over 60 hits! Our friends all over the country, Canada, and Ecuador have already made this so worthwhile. Your support keeps us moving during the ebbs that we hit every-now-and-then!

Speaking of which, we hit a little bump in the road today. With all of the interest and donations we've received to support our "Raffle Fundraiser," we felt it would be necessary to make sure we could legally do such a thing (Go figure, right?). With a wonderful explanation from Sharon at Blackwell Tax and Accounting Services, we learned that holding a "raffle" constitutes gaming for which we would need a permit. A permit is only granted to non-profit businesses, which we are not! So, Chelsey and I are in the process of re-thinking the entire fundraising idea.

Our new accountant, Sharon, suggested we do an auction, so that is the path we are working towards. As soon as we iron out the details, we'll get it out to you. In the mean time, we would love some feed-back. Feel free to answer the questions below to help us figure everything out! 

Thanks! 

Reasons Why

Well.. our adventure to adopt "officially" began in February 2010 when we started contacting local adoption agencies to get the ball rolling. However, Chelsey and I knew long before, that one day we would want to add to our family through adoption. I have to admit that Chelsey is and has always been the driving force behind this entire adventure. That is not to say that I was not interested in adopting. Quite opposite! What I'm saying is that, if you know anything about Chelsey and I, you know that she is a ton more motivated/driven in life than I am! In essence, she is "adoption pregnant," and will be for a long time; longer than any mom is pregnant with a biological baby!

We started sharing the news of our new baby to the "general" public back in June as we were starting to prepare for our first ever garage sale (which went very well). As we had hoped, all of our friends, co-workers, and ease-dropping strangers have been very excited for us! We have had a few of the awkward questions, but for the most part, everyone has met our exciting news with open enthusiasm and support. We have been truly blessed!

The main question that people have asked is, "why Ethiopia?" I would say 95% of the people we have talked to, open with that question. (I am a math teacher, so I have to throw in a little math!) Our answer to the question has been pretty simple, "That's where are hearts tell us!" And it's true. When you decide to have a biological baby, you have no idea who you will be getting. In many ways fate decides for you. For both of our children, PK (4) and MG (2), we felt that our life angels helped to pick them for us. Much is the same for our baby now. All of the signs lead to Ethiopia. We know that our angels have found our baby there, and to Ethiopia is where we will be going!

Alright.. I think this is a good start to our new Mach Family Blog! Thank you for taking the time to follow us on our exciting journey through adoption. Please check back soon, because we are going to be proving more details on our up-coming, raffle/fundraiser! We'll have an iPad, an Alaskan made quilt, and a gift certificate to Pioneer Wells, just to mention a few!

Talk to you soon--

Chelsey, Ken, and the kids!