Following Gods Calling

I have written a bit about this before but today I am telling the story of how God called us to serve at Alternatives Pregnancy Center. So sometime in 2006 or 2007 I believe God gave us various "signs" through many people telling us about the Center. We heard about it from a fellow homeschool group mom, my friend Nancy from knitting who volunteers there, & an invite to their banquet from a family at church. Mom just knew we needed to go check this place out & so we did. The day we walked into Alternatives I knew I wanted to help even if back then the job we eventually started doing there was A CRAZY DISORGANIZED MESS in the donation intake room FILLED with baby items BIG & SMALL. What I loved then & still do since we first started is the "Nursery Nook" store for the moms to shop for much needed baby items. What we do once a week is package wipes & diapers, go through donations, & organize/hang outfits for the Nook! When we first started we were in one building but just recently they have moved after being there for 19+ years. Gods calling is no easy picnic at times but when he wants us somewhere we should say Yes no matter how easy or hard it is to do! We have been volunteering for about 6 years now & we both love what we do!

The girl with the smile

The girl with the smile,the one that I fell in love with

Her adorable pig tails & adorable grin called saying help me find my forever family! If circumstances were different I would get her myself. My HEART was forever changed by one VERY SPECIAL little girl waiting across the ocean.

Back in 2010 I thought she would surely be scooped up in no time but here we are 2 years later & still she waits. She is now about to turn 7 sometime next month & has changed somewhat but still is adorable. Her newer picture makes her look so sad but its just a bad shot of her. I still think she is the bubbly little girl she is! 

I know the reason partly why she has not been scooped up & I am still praying things will pickup speed in her country cause ITS ABOUT TIME THIS GIRL GETS A FAMILY! 
I have written about her WAY TOO MANY TIMES BEGGING & PLEADING FOR A FAMILY FOR HER! Celines future mama whoever you are know your daughter is dearly loved by many & has a team that will be behind you 100%! I LOVE HER TO PIECES LIKE A SISTER OR DAUGHTER & WILL DO ALL I POSSIBLY CAN TO HELP BRING HER HOME! 

2 years ago I never could have imagined that I could have raised over $2,000 in that amount of time with the help & encouragement of my friends! I have watched your grant grow from over $3,000 to now over $10,000 & each time with squeals of delight that it brings you one step closer to finding your family! I'm not kidding when I say I did not plan on raising THAT MUCH or even THINK I would ENTER THE SCARY WORLD of FUNDRAISING but HER SMILE in that picture TOUCHED ME BADLY to do SOMETHING. Whether it's PRAYING, ADVOCATING OR ADOPTING WE CAN ALL BE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THIS ONE by doing SOMETHING!
Here's the fundraisers that have been a BIG SUCCESS these past 2 years:
Just Between Friends Kids Consignment Sale
Yard Sales
Celine's Shoot for the Stars Giveaway
The Lost Get Found Giveaway
Change drives
Misc Christmas & other gifts from family
Their have been others not quite as successful but it did help so I will include those! 
Scentsy Fundraiser
Necklace fundraiser through Joybelle Jewelry on etsy
 Its been a long sometimes HARD & other times JOYFUL ROAD through fundraising, advocating, & MANY PRAYERS but it is SO WORTH IT & I pray someday I will be able to SEE HER WITH HER FAMILY AT THAT GRAND AIRPORT HOMECOMING! Even if I have to go with them on the come home trip or fly to another state I will just to witness that special moment! That day I am sure I will need thousands of tissues LOL. Sweet Girl, I love you & continue to pray for you everyday & for whomever your family might be that they are coming for you. Your stocking I claimed yours has been hung since last Christmas with a prayer note just for you & when you do find a family I will have gifts for you waiting.
If interested in precious Celine contact Reeces Rainbow! Or if you can't adopt go donate to her grant! Every little bit helps bring her one step closer to her forever family & their is a matching grant for her going see below!

For my blog readers please stay tune cause as soon as Angel Tree starts November 1st I will have fundraisers to help her grant grow even bigger! Right now though if you want to help click on my amazon link box to the right I get a certain percentage from amazon using that link for any orders placed & for the rest of september & all of october it will be put towards Celines angel tree goal! Also PLEASE DON'T FORGET CELINE HAS A MATCHING GRANT GOING RIGHT NOW! 

Exciting News!

First & foremost if you have not checked out Kenzies shower I encourage you to do so! They still need $800 to be fully funded! I have some exciting news to share! I received the consignment sale check in the mail & for both girls together I raised $209 praise God! Sadly of course I did not win the 80% drawing but I am pleased with this amount & will look forward to JBF in the spring to raise more funds for the girls. Okay since my fundraisers did so well I want to offer the chance for these amounts to be matched to these girls grants. Even though its small every little bit helps! 
Brandi, just turned 5 years old & has gone unnoticed far too long.

I'm offering $182 to her grant if we can get it to $306.70 which means once I add my amount she would have $488.70 in her grant!
Next up we have Celine,

$104 to her grant when it reaches $10,511.40 then it would be $10.615.40 when I put the funds in.
Lastly theirs Cora Lynne,

$104 to her grant once it reads $5,309.50. Once I deposit her funds her grant would be $5,413.50
So go donate even $5 would help a child in need of a forever family! Even if you can't donate please pray their forever families find them soon!

Shower from the Heart for Kenzie!

It's time for a viritual shower! Kenzie's momma has worked so hard to get her girl & thought they were fully funded til they discovered that their 3rd trip may or may not be waived which means they are not fully funded. Kenzie has a heart condition & needs to come home to her forever family! So what better way than to hold a viritual shower to help Kenzie come home! Heres how this works.
Their are different things you can give at this shower! Everytime a  category box is filled you get to choose a party favor! 

Here's some of the prizes up for grabs!

                                   $5 Starbucks Gift Card

Liz Clairborne Passport wallet & luggage tag

Bow Holder filled with Bows by precious Kenzies mama!

                                Finished Product may vary 

So choose something & leave a comment of what your getting, go donate that amount to her grant here

then forward your receipt to singergirl15@yahoo.com.

Thanks for attending Kenzies shower! 

A Passion

I have a passion, a passion so deep of love for special needs orphans.  This passion is something I love to do. I feel God gave me the gift of serving, loving, & caring for others. Caring for the orphans is hard work & frustrating at times especially when the orphans I fundraise for have not found their forever families. They are lost, forgotten, unloved. I am praying for them every night & it still makes me wonder where their families are? They have large grants but they still wait.

Growing up with my sister with Down Syndrome little did I know the impact that would make on my life. 
I have learned so much through my sister & through my mom parenting her with her other issues not related to her Down Syndrome. She has inspired me so much & I know God has given me my caring heart that someday I can be a mom to one of these special treasures. 

It hurts my depths of my heart that I am so passionate about this cause & these kids feel like my own kids. I cry alot thinking about why have they not had families come for them? I would in an instant if I was older. That's my road block for now but I know that right now I do all I can to help fundraise for their future families. So whats stopping you? It breaks my heart when I see my 3rd year a part of Reeces Rainbow that Celine & Cora Lynne still wait. I am happy & sad at the same time about the Angel Tree campaign this year being Celines Christmas warrior. Sad she has been listed for so long without a family & sad cause I am not Cora Lynnes Christmas warrior since I was hers in 2010 & 2011. Cora Lynne is not eligible cause she is 6 years old & was not picked for the voting rounds. Then I get sad when I think about that Cora Lynne was listed late into the angel tree campaign in 2010 & here she waits 2 years later. It just is so hard but then again God made life that way. It was hard for his son to die on the cross for our sins wasn't it? But he pressed on to do it FOR US! So I continue to press on for the orphans cause God wants me to! I am so thankful for this passion he has given me cause I would not have it any other way!

A Matching grant opportunity!

As you know on Saturday I had a yard sale to fundraise for Brandi & my trip to Russia well it was a success! Since I Love it when my donation is matched I decided that I would offer this up as a matching grant for Brandi! Though its a small match every little bit helps! Her grant is at $124.70 now, when it reaches $306.70 I will
donate $182 to her grant maybe more as I still have a few items I sold! Once that happens her grant will be at $488.70! That's almost halfway to $1,000! Don't you want to see this beautiful girl find her family? She just turned 5 not too long ago & deserves the love a family can bring not a mental institution!

I have told the story, about how God lead me to help her but if you did not get the chance to read it you can here & here
My heart has been burdened by this plight of special needs orphans & I know the potential this girl has cause some dear friends of mine have cerebal palsy. They are living their lives to the fullest ministering to the special needs community in Denver, CO by doing their own church. Trust me they let nothing stop them! They see abilities not disabilities! Don't you see that in Brandi? Will you pray for her today? I am not begging for donations but just want to throw this matching grant out there cause I see the potential in her. God lead me to help her & even though this is not a huge matching offer I am wanting to do this for her. She started with a simple zero in her grant & when she got relisted my goal was to zero that zero then keep it growing! I did an auction which mostly got her grant to where it is at then I wanted to boost her grant more since I Cora Lynnes & Celines both were higher grants so I decided to do the yard sale for her. I Love this girl dearly! If you consider Brandi you can also go get Lianne too! They would make adorable sisters just saying! Please pray they both find a family or families! If your interested in either or both girls contact Reeces Rainbow!

Blessings poured out

I don't know how many times I can say THANK YOU but I will over & over! Today, was a wonderful success & its all in thanks to all my friends who have donated items, came to the sale to shop, & my awesome HELPERS!!! So thanks to you, I raised $157 for my trip to Russia & $162 for my Beautiful Brandi! So since I love matching grants & all that jazz so her grant is at $124.70 I want to see her grant at $306.70 then I will donate $182 to her grant which includes the money I got from my grandma! Once that happens her grant will be at $488.70! That's almost halfway to $1,000!

I also was happy to make $20 for Heath today & always glad when I know it will be matched!

Stoked & so happy!

                                           
                                When we first started

                                   
                                  Almost to the tail end

My awesome poster showing the differences in the kids from the "bad place"

My sign I made on my memories software!

 I want to send a HUGE THANK YOU AGAIN TO BOTH MY PARENTS AS WELL AS MY BROTHER FOR ALL YOUR HELP!! I did not get a chance to get pictures of them all but they worked so hard cause they know how passionate I am about these kids & know I am so thankful to have you all as my family members!

Blessings were sure poured out today!!

The Lost Boy

For those that are newer to my blog, I want to tell you how this lost little boy made my heart just about burst & my awesome friend Julia who shared her perspectives of this institution. I had read her blogposts about Heath before but something started tugging at my heart when for a brief period I saw no one advocating and/or fundraising for him. I had no idea why but God placed him on my heart for a reason. Then I was planning a Giveaway originally just to fundraise for Celine but God said otherwise. I sent an email to Julia before I started the Giveaway back in January not knowing what to do or trying to make up my mind about helping Heath telling her he was on my mind & wanted to help him. What I wrote to her January 6, 2012: 
Hi Julia, First of all I wanted to say Thank you. I admire you for all you do & yours (and pattis blogs) are what keeps me advocating for these Lost to Be found! I know you are probably worn out from the passed over babes Giveaway but I just wanted you to know. Ever since I read the post about Brady & Heath you wrote, I have occassionally thought about them then I was so happy when Brady came home. Just reccently I keep checking on Heath for some reason & have wanted to help in some way, I can't donate right now but had been gathering items for a Giveaway for Celine when I keep thinking I should also help Heath. With some encouragement from the RR warrior heroes group & after thinking so much about it I want to include precious Heath to benefit! I know I don't have many followers but I know I can do my part to get his face out there so his family can find him & this can hopefully benefit his grant greatly! While in the midst of moving I found a brand new American Girl doll, that sat in a box for 4 yrs that santa somehow later ordered another of that same doll. I thought perfect timing God! My mom gave it to me to use for a Giveaway. I realize that these kids don't have that time, to wait & wait & still wait. I wanted you to be the 1st to share my exciting news with as I know how deeply you care for those boys.

Her response was this (edited for privacy): Oh Leah. I was just thinking of my poor Heath this morning as I was laying in bed. I began to cry for him because his chances of ever getting are slim to none.  Thank you for choosing Heath. You question the insanity of adding another child onto a giveaway- Dear Leah - I picked Spencer for my Angel Tree and ended up raising money for 14 other kids. That was insane but sometimes... it is in the insane where God moves!! I pray often for your two girls that God would bless YOU by bringing them a family. You have fought an amazing fight for them and your labor is NOT in vain. Keep pounding the pavement and thank you for adding my sweet Heath in your yelling. He desperately needs someone to yell for him and right now I am so pulled in so many different directions that I can't do much yelling for him!
God blessed the socks off of Heath when I started the Lost Get Found Giveaway back in January & I am amazed how much he has been blessed since the $640 he was at then right before the Giveaway! That Giveaway brought over $2,000 to his grant then since then their have been some big fundraising going on for him! Today I want to send you to my friend Julias blog she is doing a Giveaway & she explains it in her post better than I can! 
HE IS FULLY FUNDED!

The Craziness Part 1

The craziness of kids items galore started a few months ago & really was not much til about the last week before the sale it multiplied by LOTS!! Like usual the consignment sale is twice a year & so just when I think I am about done it comes back around again. Typically, I sell at both the Sacramento & Elk Grove sale but this time I am not sure when my nephew to be shall make his grand entrance so I decided to do the Sacramento one. When we first moved in December I wanted to have a yard sale sometime in the spring so when I was told no for a yard sale unless its part of the neighborhood sale I just about gave up on the idea cause the neighborhood one was just so far off in the year. Well a few months ago I decided I should do the Neighborhood sale to fundraise for my trip to Russia & for Brandi. Then I noticed the JBF consignment sale & the yard sale were back to back weekends oh the joy! A speed bump almost happened in my planning but thankfully it worked out perfectly even if I have to donate my JBF leftovers cause I could not volunteer the required breakdown shift to get them. THANK HEAVENS I HAVE HAD SO MANY GIVE ME DONATIONS FOR THE YARD SALE & HAVE GONE THROUGH SOME OF OUR PERSONAL "STUFF" TO GET RID OF! JBF has gone great & I am sure it will the rest of today! (locals to Sacramento details on this awesome sale on my fundraising link at top) Thanks everyone for praying for me during this craziness & please pray for the rest of today to go well & then Saturdays yard sale to do well! I'm having the hardest time trying to get help so prayers for Patience & that we have enough room for all the blessings God keeps providing to sell!
Tis just the beginning of the craziness...
     This is all (plus a few more big items that were not in the photo)
what went to JBF! Most of it was to benefit the pregnancy center but its nice cause almost all but 2 big items were benefiting the girls!

   And of course my JBF posts can never go without the sale photos!
     Only one of the many rows of girls clothes on drop off day!

                  Oh & never to forget the deals you find!
My jbf steals! $4.50 for both still new with tags & name brand baby gap & Gymboree! Can't find any better than that!

Can't wait for Craziness part 2 during the yard sale then I am taking a break from fundraising til Angel Tree! Still thinking about a blogging break but for some reason everytime that happens God calls me back to blog about something in particular. I still have to get pied in the face for Jacob & still want to do a guest post from my mom about my sister. I will get there eventually so be patient if I have been slow about something!

A Heart filled with Love

A Heart filled with Love for these precious girls. I ache with every beating breath still not seeing those words my family found me. I wonder where their parents are? When will they come? Whats holding them back? Then I am greatful anytime I see their grant grow whether its $5 or $100 cause I know that's one step closer to them finding their forever families!
My heart especially breaks for Cora Lynne, I have no clue where she is at. Has she been transferred? Is she in a good place or a bad place? Precious girl I long to see you with long pretty hair down to your shoulders. Your eyes are what captured my heart to you.

Then everytime I see your smile I just wonder why have you not been snatched up? I know lots of factors have played part in that but you still deserve the life a family can bring. Yes, I know this is the older picture of her but its my favorite & shows her personality!

I long for the day when I can tell you in person how much I loved you from afar, giving you a hug & wiping the tears on my cheeks as I see you walk down the exit of airport security with your new family. Or helping to bring you home perhaps? 

If I have not said how much I love these girls? WELL, I DO!!!!! TWENTY FIVE MILLION TIMES OVER AGAIN!!! I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO BRING THEM HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES!! I HAVE LOVED THEM AS IF THEY WERE MY OWN DAUGHTERS! IF IT WERE NOT FOR MY AGE & NOT BEING MARRIED I WOULD SNATCH EITHER ONE OF THEM IN A INSTANT! IF YOUR CONSIDERING ADOPTING WILL YOU CONSIDER CELINE OR CORA LYNNE? pretty please?
These girls are the reason I am working so hard on the consignment sale! 

It's Fundraising consignment sale craziness!

Just Between Friends consignment sale dropoff is this Wednesday! Which means it gets crazy! All in all it's for two precious girls who hold places in my heart that if I could adopt them I would in a instant!

If your in the Sacramento area be sure to check out my items next weekend!
Consigner I-385-XCH
Sept. 7-9
Sacramento Convention Center
1400 J St. Exhibit Hall C
(Friday only $2 admission donation to Sacramento food bank but you can print a free pass on their facebook page)
9am-3pm
All items without a star are 50% on half price day!
Sept 8th 5-9pm open to the public half price sale 
& Sept. 9th (hours above)

I love you girls so much & praying this is a success to raise more funds for your grants!

Lastly a video just to show the craziness! Its not even all shown on the video!

I want to say A HUGE THANKS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO HAVE DONATED ITEMS AND/OR HANGERS TO MAKE JBF POSSIBLE!

Just a few of my awesome friends!

Jan M.

Jocelyn C.

Kristi M.

Ashley C.

Melanie F.

Becki G.

Debi K.

AND AGAIN I COULD NOT DO THIS WITHOUT MY FAMILIES SUPPORT SO THANK YOU TO ALL MY FAMILY FOR PUTTING UP WITH MY STUFF IN THE HALLWAYS & CLOSET!!! A HUGE THANKS TO MY MOM FOR HELPING TAG ITEMS & FOR HELPING TO LOAD MY STUFF OFF TO THE CONVENTION CENTER IN A NOT VERY FUN, NO AIR CONDITIONED SUBURBAN!!

WE LOVE YOU GIRLS LIKE CRAZY!! JUST 3 MORE DAYS TIL WE GET TO DROPOFF THIS STUFF!!
PLEASE NOTE-IF I DO NOT BLOG THE NEXT FEW DAYS PLEASE KNOW I AM BUSY HELPING THESE GIRLS BY FUNDRAISING FOR THEM!