Exciting fundraiser for Cora Lynnes Birth month!

Beautiful Cora Lynne turns 6 years old this month, I have no clue when since not alot of birth dates are shown on Reeces Rainbow but did not think about her Birthday when I decided even though I just got this program & am still figuring it out. Thing is this girl needs a family plain & simple! I can't bear the thought of her spending the rest of her days in a mental institution & praying she has not been transfer. 6 is a year of exploring, finding adventures, making new friends as off you go to first grade. Can you imagine Cora Lynne just playing & thriving?

I have descovered the new world of digital scrapbooking on this website called My Memories Heres the deal, I signed up through this program for my own discount code to share with my friends. I wanted to do it so I have funds to use on scrapbook program stuff & be able to benefit orphans. 1. Order the my memories digital 3 program with this code STMMMS49256 at checkout 2. You will recieve a $10 discount from that code & will recieve a $10 store credit. Also will recieve a free photobook. 3. In return I will donate $10 of every $20 they send me to Cora Lynne today-May 31st 4. Leave a comment here if you got the scrapbook program with a message to Cora Lynne & her future family whoever they might be & I will include you on a page of Cora Lynnes very own scrapbook I got for her back in December. Just look at these 2 samples of what I have done with it!

Why I am thankful for...my Dad

I know this is not about Reeces Rainbow but tomorrow is my dads birthday & I can't think of anything better to write about why I am thankful for my dad & how proud I am of him. First & foremost my dad works so hard to provide for our family which has allowed mom to stay home with us. Its incredible to me how hard he works & still he gives us his time. I love my dad very much & he is another reason why I care so much for others as both my parents do. Since I am sparing how old he is I will just give 5 reasons why I love my dad. #1-He truely TRIES HIS BEST, I know it may not be easy & now during this time of adjustment with the sale of his air conditioning buissness but I love how he is simply trying. #2-Lovingly has supported me through my crazy fundraising sometimes dealing with messy hallways of stuff from/for the pregnancy center or JBF. For that I am thankful cause he truely knows how much Alternatives Pregnancy Center & Reeces Rainbow mean to me. He cared so much that during my 1st Giveaway this past fall, Shoot for the Stars Giveaway he provided a miracle that brought me to tears. Then to top that off he sent this email out to his friends & our family. Counting my Blessings September 29,2011 To a whole bunch of my dearest friends... I really hope you'll take the time to read this. I want to honor one of my kids for a few minutes... But first, this question... if I ask you what the majority of 19 year old girls in the USA are doing for fun these days, what things come to your mind? (be careful) I received this email from my daughter, Leah, (19 yrs old). I thought about the answer to the above question, and then (after wiping the majority of the tears away) I found myself so amazed and thankful of what my girl is up to. She is ministering to kids halfway around the world to give them a shot at life. I praise God for Leah and the heart that she has. Most of her waking hours, (while she's not doing Facebook posts), is spent collecting items to sell or donate, and collecting coins... all so she can raise money for various charities. Her latest efforts are for an organization called Reeces Rainbow I'm just a dumb ole country boy, and the typical clueless male, so I might not get this exactly right…. but I'm pretty sure they raise money to help Parents in the U.S. to adopt children with Down Syndrome in countries around the world. At least, that’s close. THIS ISN'T A PLEA FOR MONEY. That's not what this is about. I'm asking you to read her email, click on the links to see what she's doing & the children she's trying to help save, and bless her by giving her an encouraging word. And pray for her. All of that... even if you don't donate Please see her email below.... (with a few comments from me) And, thanks for taking the time… Alan My message I sent to him: Hey Dad, First of all I love & appreciate how hard you work everyday so mom can stay home with us. Heres the information on the Banquet: Friday October 7th at 6pm October 7, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Ballroom in Sacramento. (This is the banquet for the Alternatives Pregnancy Center, a place that she volunteers at least one day a week, that helps unwed pregnant girls choose to give life to unborn babies) Also mom wanted me to share my Giveaway on my blog with you: Leah's Blog This is one of the ways I have been fundraising for this little girl through Reeces Rainbow -Celine. Also you can see why I have been working so hard is because some of these kids get very malnourished like this 12 yr old boy: Tony Its pretty heart breaking, I want you to know that I have gotten nice comments, & you & mom have been a huge part of that teaching me its better to give than to recieve as well as Mamaw. Just know that although you struggle with money in your business that we have it much better than these kids who are still not included in society & are literally wasting away. Their country was our country nearly 20+ years ago still putting them away in orphanages & mental institutions. I am so glad Sarah was born into our family, & I know even if she was born in those years when our country was that way that you & mom would still gladly keep her no matter what. I am so happy I have helped get kids to their loving families like these 2: Quinton (we share the same birthday - thats why I picked to be his Christmas warrior last year now look how far he has come!) Lydiah -both of these families I did the yard sale back in June for, now both kids are thriving in their new families! (Leah raised money to help these parents adopt these kids) I cannot imagine the world, in which sarah would be in had she been born back then or in another country. Thanks for all you do to support my efforts with the Pregnancy Center & Reeces Rainbow! (like stuff everywhere before JBF sale) JBF is a HUGE help in my way to fundraise for both these charities, so putting up with that "stuff" is much appreciated. (Leah is referring to the fact that 6 months out of the year, there is stuff all over our living room, as it’s being prepared for the sale) I Love you very much!!! Leah (Wow, what a kid!. Praise God! Go to Leah’s blog if you want to donate, and here is her email if you want to send a note I am not sharing this email with pride or anything I just want to share how proud I am of my dad & when he did this it truely touched me. #3-He becomes my buddy every year we go to the pregnancy centers Banquet together its our annual father-daughter time & this past year I was crying cause I just did not think we could go & my daddy said he would make it happen. (photo pictured below after our lovely evening) He truly cares about this organization as much as mom & I do so much so he supports them each month cause he believes in life like we do. I love spending time with him at the banquet & very proudly like introducing my daddy. #4 He also has spent time lugging around recycles to help me turn in which has gone to benefit many causes including going to Camp Barnabas. His love of diet mountain dew has helped add to the recycles lol. He is so paitent & kind to allow me in my craziness of wanting to recycle for cash & even trying to do so on the way home from trips. So thankful he lets me do this chore, help the earth, & in return keep the funds. #5 Most importantly I am proud of my daddy his love for God & letting him lead his life. He follows God wherever he may lead him to go or do. Happy Birthday to my dad!! Love you lots dad & truely thankful for all you do!

Our God is Mighty!

The total you have waited for has arrived into my Celines grant! Thanks to JBF, birthday gifts/misc, & the change drive I was so pleased to send a check off to Reeces Rainbow for $260! After my friend, who I hope I will be able to get her to guest post or at least write/share a photo about her fundraiser that raised over $1,000 which made her grant jump Wednesday. Now her grant is over $10,000 YEP YOU HEARD ME! IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME GO SEE HER BOX TO THE RIGHT! I am so greatful that God has taken her grant from $3,033 a year & a half ago to that amount today! PRAISE GOD!!! SO THANKFUL TO MY FRIENDS & FAMILY WHO MADE THIS MIRACLE POSSIBLE & TO THE FRIEND WHO RAISED THAT OTHER AMOUNT I THANK YOU!!!

Did you see Celines grant now?

Just look at handy button to the right? Is not God awesome or what? He keeps providing for her while we wait for her region to reopen! My check still is not there so your going to be in for a real shock when it arrives! Can't wait to reveal the mystery amount I raised & post about the fundraiser that someone else did that made Celines grant jump today!

A risk worth taking

Fundraisers are such a risk, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't but you know what? They are WORTH IT & SO ARE THE KIDS THAT BENEFIT FROM THEM! Even if you raise not that much don't tell me they are not worth it. If I had Given up on the fundraisers would Quinton be home now? Or Mackenzie? Would Celines grant still be at $3,033? I know its hard to fundraise, & still I am thinking of doing some big Giveaway for families. Not sure who or when but feel like I need to start yet again. I have a big fundraising idea setup for my Birthday next year but won't reveal that til closer to time. I am planning a yard sale in the spring. Fundraising is tough but ITS WORTH THE RISK!!! I could have never imagined what God would do this past 1 year & half through a yard sale, 4-6 JBF sales, Necklace fundraisers, Scentsy, Gifts from Christmas, & Birthday & Misc contributes from my loving Grandma, auctions, Giveaways, & Misc fundraisers. I estimate over $2,500 being raised since I started fundraising Glory to be to God!!! Thanks to God 2 orphans have come home through the fundraising I did last year, & I hope many more to come this year! These are the orphans you have helped in 2012 here on this blog so far! Celine, Cora Lynne, Heath, Brandi Please pray their families will find them! Pray for Celines region to reopen. Pray for Alden, my prayer baby to get more information & be able to have a donate button. Thanks again so much!

Special Needs & the world of modern tecnology

See this? The Ipad2.

Tecnology has come so far to improve the therapies & lifes of people with special needs. I have heard so many say how helpful its been to their child with special needs. So pleased that my sister now has one & am very excited to see what she will be able to accomplish with this device & interacting with the world. Most of all I hope this will help her communitcation skills with mainly the others around her. Sarah does talk but its hard for her to talk with people who don't know her very well. So for you parents who use the Ipad to communicate whats the best voice apps out there? Preferably free ones. what do you like about having an ipad & have you noticed the difference in your child since starting to use it? Sarah is 24 & is different from most people with down syndrome. Tell me your thoughts on what you think about ipads & modern tecnology helping people with special needs?

Praises to God!

I don't think I ever gave an update about a praise that happened the other day. I can't reveal too much yet since I know my team Celine probably are reading this, but I can tell you the other day I recieved an facebook message from someone who loves Celine like I do & wishes she could be theirs but she can't. The Good news is I knew this person had said they would be fundraising so I kept hoping to hear an update well, she had sent me a message asking how to address the check so to make sure it gets to her grant. The amount she told me just blew me away!! I had never gotten close to raising that much & when both checks (mine & hers) arrive & I reveal the totals made from her fundraiser & mine you will know GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES when you least expect him too. It blew my mind how a simple "task" taken on by this person could raise that much & I have tears running down my cheeks as I write this miracle that happened. We have become such a family, that dearly wants whats best for Celine. To Celines family, whomever that might be know that you will have a host of support 100% to help bring her home. Lord we thank you that you have continued to provide for Celine & have turned $3,033.00 to over $8,000. Please continue to raise up the funds needed for her to come home to a loving family. I ask that you reopen Region 2, that you may fling the doors open to make the process faster for the families & for the kids who don't have families. Amen!
Another praise I would like to share is we raised around $47 plus some from the Auction I did for Brandi! Its not much but praise God as I was getting tired of seeing her grant stuck at $10! Little by little I pray her grant will get to $1,000.
Its been very hard trying to figure out if I should write everyday or every few days as I keep getting stuck on how best to share whats on my heart & how to advocate for these orphans when I feel like I am on repeat all the time. I know I have improved & will continue to as I try to get my thoughts into words & let God lead to what I should write about. Already I am debating whether or not to do another Giveaway in a few months as this past time was crazy insane, but I really want to repay some of the families who have willingly blessed me in ways more than words could describe. My Reeces Rainbow family has meant so much to me & I don't know what life would be like had I not come across this wonderful ministry. I may not meet all of them in real life on this side of heaven but I know that all this family has been so much to me through the ups & downs through life & this crazy world of advocating & fundraising. Love you my friends! You all mean the world to me! Please continue to pray for me in the Good times & the bad times! That I will be able to minister to New people through my blog so that others will know the plight of special needs orphans & about Reeces Rainbow. Pray I can share my testimony/story so that other parents faced with a prenatal diagnose of Down Syndrome who have a child without special needs that siblings won't feel burdened & that they can choose Life. Thanks so much for reading my blog. I may not be the best writer or have the coolest looking blog or write every single day or have lots of pictures (cause I don't think my pictures would be of any interest to you cause I am not an adoptive family) but I do Love & care for these kids as if they were my siblings or my own kids.

What does Transfer mean?

Transfer in the world of special needs orphans, most of the time means the worst. It means Life or Death sometimes. It means that their chance of adoption sometimes is dashed. Most orphans get transfered to these Mental Institutions around 4-6 yrs old, sadly this is real & I believe we need to SPEAK OUT FOR THESE LOST & LONELY ORPHANS. Some of you may think I am only 1 person how can I help? If I had not stepped out of my shell begging on my knees raising funds for Mackenzie, or Quinton, or any of the other orphans I may have been a small part of they might still be in orphanages or institutions. I know I may only be just 1 but to that 1 or 2 or 3 or 100 I know I made a difference to them.
Meet Keegan



Keegan is only 1 years old, & just reccently found out he is being transfered if not adopted soon. Why? His orphanage, is closing down. He is the only one right now listed for adoption. Another sad fact, this is a orphanage where I have seen many kids come home from thrive including my buddy Quinton. This is what Reeces Rainbow has to say about him:
Brand new baby boy! It's not often we get to list one so young! Isn't he a little doll!?
He has Down syndrome and a heart defect – a defect of the chamber divider, but surgery is not recommended. He also has issues with his eyes crossing.

Please I am begging you like never before to spread the word about this boy! He needs a family & be home next year for his 2nd Birthday just like Quinton! Are you his forever family? contact Reeces Rainbow for more information.

Thoughts on being a Special Needs Sibling

First of all welcome if your joining in from the blogging party! Please feel free to read my past posts to see how I got here. For those that are new, if you did not know I have a sister who has Down Syndrome, Sarah who is 24 years old. I would like to start with though she may have an extra chromosome, look different, talk slower she is still MY SISTER & is NORMAL. She does the same stuff you & I do, dancing, singing to disney movies, playing disney trivia, & many more. Growing up it was hard in the tough points cause none of my friends had that in common with me & it was hard to figure out what I was feeling. Having no friends with a sibling with special needs made me feel alone frankly. Not til I went to Camp Barnabas, did I truely feel like I was not alone in this Journey of being a sibling. My struggles were nothing compared to some of the other siblings I met at camp but yet some were still the same. That support that came from just a week at camp, being just a normal pre-teen/teen with no one staring at you or your sibling & being able to share the Good, & the Bad times in confidence. I want people to know even though we have our share of struggles that SIBLINGS WHO HAVE A SIB WITH DOWN SYNDROME DO NOT FEEL BURDENED AT ALL! Reccently they did a study on siblings of people with Down Syndrome, & you know what they found out? That most siblings had a POSITIVE response. So to those parents who may think their child will be a burden to the child without special needs, don't assume that! The sweetest thing my Sarah said reccently to my sister Rebekah who is expecting, "Will the baby have Down Syndrome like me?" Sarah does fully understand what down syndrome is & she accepts who God created her to be. You know what else? If my sister had a child with Down Syndrome she would take on that special gift as she knows what a joy Sarah has been in our lifes & our family would welcome that new child just like any other new member in our family!
Some things that bug me still are STARES & in correct terms on People First Language. I do know that some of us who know people with ds love seeing others in the store, etc. but I try not to stare as I don't want them to think the wrong impression. Another thing that bugs me is the R word, yeah I know some of us use it to joke about ourselves but to me its offensive. How would you feel if you were called that?
Being a sibling has taught me so much about others but to me they are just like anyone else. I hope to adopt a child with down syndrome or other special needs but if I had a child with ds I would say "Bring it on!" as my brother shares in our video we made about being a sibling back in December for a contest. If anyone has any Questions about being a sibling feel free to ask in the comments & I will try my best to answer!

Normal what is that?

Normal what is that anyway? Normal is a setting on the washing machine. Who is normal? I am certainly not normal, I may not have special needs that are clearly visible but if I did would that defy who I am? Would I be considered abnormal? Would I be tossed asside being stuck in a crib 24 hrs a day. What about minor disabilites like hand deformities or ones that need medication? I take Magneisum everyday cause I was born with a VERY RARE thing that makes my hands shaky. (sorry I don't know the official name of it) Sometimes I wish I did not have to remember to take it everyday, but then I wonder if I had been born in another country would I be tossed asside just cause of my hands being shaky? My hands luckily do not shake as much as they use to thanks to the medicine & my hands getting stronger. (likely all the knitting I do lol) Sarah just wants to be like anyone else, her Down Syndrome or social phobia does not defy her & why should they? She hardly wants to watch anything having to do with DS as she wants to be NORMAL like anyone else & not have her disability defy her. These kids ALL DESERVE TO HAVE A NORMAL LIFE & WILL SPEND THE REST OF THEIR DAYS IN A INSTITUION IF NOT ADOPTED BY THEIR 16TH BIRTHDAY!! IF YOUR HOMESTUDY APPROVED PRETTY PLEASE CONSIDER ONE OF THESE OLDER KIDS! YES THEY MIGHT BE CHALLENGING BUT AREN'T THEY WORTH IT?
Jared


Stefan


Trina

EDITED NOTE-Sadly since I wrote this post 18 kids Mostly older had to be taken off Reeces Rainbow due to no longer being able to be adopted including Leigh who I had posted. PRETTY PLEASE WITH ALL I ASK IS TO SHARE THESE KIDS WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT! I HATE SEEING OLDER KIDS LISTED THAN HAVE NO HOPE SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SHARE!! THESE KIDS WILL SPEND THE REST OF THEIR DAYS IN A INSTITUION IF NOT ADOPTED ASAP!! Can't adopt them? Then please spread the word as you just never know who you might effect!

When God tells you something, you do it!

I was planning to write about something I was born with but will save that for later. Last year, a little girl Brandi who had been listed at least since I first found out about Reeces Rainbow became unavailable due to a new law & sadly her special needs did not make the list. I had fallen for her & "Genesis" now going to be named Sarah by her new family but felt I needed to focus on Celine & Cora Lynne since thats why I had started this blog originally. So I was sad for her & another girl who did not make the cut on that list. I had not really thought much about her since she got taken off Reeces Rainbow til my Birthday Feb 4th when with a friend that day we were discussing Zinnia the other girl who my friend had fallen in love with & I mentioned Brandi out of the blue that she also had been not available for adoption. Strangely enough I felt lead to pray for her that night, & to my shocked surprise I found her relisted the next day! She was about to the age where she could qualify for adoption even though her needs were still not on the list. (which I think now are anyway)I can only ask that God was stirring something in my heart to help this precious girl with cerebal palsy. So naturally, I asked to be her Guardian Angel warrior for that reason & the fact that I felt like I needed to focus & advocate for a child without Down Syndrome since not too many notice the "Other Angels" that have various other special needs. God called me to be her warrior for that reason & I followed what he lead me to do! If he is calling you to adopt DO IT, if he is calling you to pray for a child in need of a family DO IT, if he calls you to advocate for a child DO IT. Let God lead the way for whatever he leads you to do! PRAY, ADVOCATE, ADOPT!!! I am praying Brandis family will find her soon, in the meantime I am trying to fundraise for this precious girl that God told me to pray for!

Thank You for your feedback!

I so appreciate all your feedback you have given me! Sadly their is no way to figure out who had been following before/after I changed the blog address & for that sense I regret changing the name but it was time for a new change on this blog effect. But maybe this means for me to find new people for my blog to minister to? I don't know but I am following my heart on what to do. I am glad to know their are still some reading, even if I am not the greatest blogger in the world. If you want to follow along the new address just click unfollow of the old blog address, type the new blog address in the browser line & I believe you can refollow that way.
Right now I am focussing on a Facebook auction for Brandi so if you know of any shops/stores on there that might want to donate anything girly-tutus, bows, shirts, outfits, etc. let me know at singergirl15@yahoo.com
I will gladly advertise websites of any buissness who wishes to donate!
Again thanks for STICKING WITH ME!! I should have an update on total raised for Celine soon from JBF! If you have any suggestions, thoughts, etc please let me know!

Testing 1.2.3

I am making sure the comments work in general & if my official followers from when this blog was Caring for Celine & Cora Lynne are still here & who is truely reading this blog as its been WAY TOO QUIET AROUND HERE.
Please help me by doing the following:
Name
How did you find my blog?
A little bit about your self
Favorite food
If your a official follower of my blog say I am a Beautiful Butterfly!
Note Rochelle, I know you read so you count as a follower.

And the testing starts now! Lets see how many comments back I can get to see if People are reading! Again Rochelle & Katrina I know you both do.

Worth so much more

Why would someone not give her a chance? Yes, her eyes seem daunting but she could be worth so much more in a family. Will someone see past the sadness in her eyes?? Is it because she is almost 6 years old? Is that what scares you from making me part of your family?

Praying she has not been transferred.