Reflections on 2012

Okay so I kinda lied I have one more post in me before I take my brief blogging break. First my heart was torn yesterday, as I saw Carmen lose her family. But I do have hope her family is out there! So Please say a prayer for the family who had to let her go & pray that once things settle in her country that she will find a family. Next we have the happy results of Angel Tree 2012 though not all made their goal we warriors came together to get at least 5 over with the angel tree page having issues & 148 kids reached or surpassed their goal so in my book I call that a success :)
Plus in the coming days it might change as checks & angel tree dollars come in! As much as I was not going to reflect on 2012 since everyone else posted their thoughts & memories of 2012 I decided I should too. 
I look back to 2012 & see tremendous growth on my part. Trust has been a hard thing for me with God & all the waiting on his timing for my girls finding families. I have learned so much this year on that & though I still have trouble with that at times I have improved from what I use to be. 
I Started 2012 off in January with changing the blog name as I wanted to show it was more than just Celine & Cora Lynne. I came up with Life's Beautiful Butterflies as they start off as caterpillars than slowly change into Beautiful Butterflies like these orphans can do with the Love of a family. Felt like God was leading me to add another child to help & decided that Heath would be added to benefit in addition to Celine in my Lost Get Found Giveaway. 
God richly turned his grant from $630 to over $2,000 through that Giveaway! So glad he let me find the lost & forgotten new doll to help change the life of a Lost Boy!

 February brought great joy as I watched the first boy I fell in love with celebrate his 2nd Birthday with his family via blogposts. I celebrated my 20th Birthday on the same day & the following day I found out I would be an auntie! The Giveaway ended with a big bang.
It also brought some great blogpost memories.
Every Life is Beautiful 
Why We think Every life is Beautiful Pt 1 
Had a smaller fundraiser that Joybelle Jewelry did which did not go that well but still every little bit helps.
  
March came with some more blogposts & not too much going on. I learned yet some new lessons about my walk with God. Fundraising wise I did the JBF kids consignment sale & it was a success!
Every Life is Beautiful Pt 2 
World Down Syndrome Day 
 Forgiveness

April 2012 Celines grant grew through another persons fundraiser & the $260 I had raised to over $10,000 total in her grant. 

May came & brought Cora Lynnes Birthday. It also brought the beginning of Teamwork Tuesdays (sorry I have been a slacker on them recently) May 16th came a joyful homecoming of an orphan I had helped! Prayers were sent up as a dear friend endured health trials with her daughter.
I wrote a lovely Mothers Day blogpost .
Celines region reopened after a shutdown. 

June came thrilling excitement as Brady Murray came out with the Kona video & voting galore so he could race for orphans with Down Syndrome & Reeces Rainbow!
June 9th came the 6th anniversary of Reeces Rainbow!
An auction for Celine raised more funds. 

July I found the exciting news as my friend asked me if I wanted to go to Russia with her on her third trip as her husband could not be with her & she wanted me to go with her. I excitedly said yes & rushed to figure out the funds for my passport & visa. My sweet friends helped out of love in the midst of their own adoptions. 
My sister tried some new adventures even! July 15th all of us warriors came together for a blog blitz to get some of these kids faces out there.
This month brought many of my favorite blog posts:
I'm No Super Hero..Just an Ordinary Girl  
Family of Bears Portrait
Wash, Rinse, Repeat  
She's Just so ordinary

 August soon arrived with the awesome news that Angel Tree 2012 was including the older kids, other angels, & HIV+ kids by voting rounds. The exciting news came that Celine was picked for voting in the DS 6-9 category so the battle went onward to get all my friends & family to vote! Excitedly we managed to pull through for her!

It also brought many hard times starting with my little brother going off to college out of state across the USA. I had to endure 4 months without seeing him & I am so glad I got to see him for the Holidays even though he is leaving again soon. Through the many months we have lost several kids on RR including the loss of Jaxon. It's really tough those days but thank God we manage to pull through it. My friend found out her little girl had Leukemia not too long after getting home from adopting her new daughter. Thankfully coco is doing well! Several emergency things came up for several RR families this past year including this. Thank God Selah surrived & is doing somewhat better!
It is exciting when kids on RR get updated information or a new photo so I was happy Carmen got a new adorable photo.

It brought an unexpected treasure that showed up in my mail box when I needed to hear the message most.
I wrote a few good blogposts:
Alternatives Pregnancy Center & Volunteering
My Beautiful Butterfly, Brandi

September was PURE CRAZINESS!! The first week was yet again Consignment sale fun! Then was Yard Sale the following weekend & it was a success! I offered up the yard sale proceeds for Brandi as a small matching grant which I ended up just going ahead to send. I also had offered the consignment sale proceeds as matching grants to Celine & Cora Lynne but God ended up with a much better plan. 
I loved this post from this month & The Girl with the Smile.
But it was worth all the CRAZINESS FOR THESE GIRLS!!!

   Oh my October came with a whirl of excitement including the arrival of my nephew

While we were waiting for his arrival, Celines 7th Birthday came with great heartache for me as I was shopping everything reminded me of her.
I got to enjoy yet another homecoming & meet another RR treasure! Oct. 6th, 2012 will go down as one of the best days I have ever known. That day God showed me the even better plan by offering a HUGE MATCHING GRANT & GIVEAWAY OFFER! I'm forever greatful to that person & my friend Patti for running it! Patti even did her scentsy proceeds for the month to Celine. That match enabled me to go ahead to send the money I was going to offer as a match but when this happened I knew I had to send it. God did some wonderful things through this! And she made it past the goal!
The Miracle of Prayer
When you say yes to God
Blessings

November brought the Down Syndrome walk  which I lead the RR booth for the 2nd time with the help of Christina. It was a great day had by all. Celines grant grew by a bunch!
Life As a Sib:A Life worth living
A Teamwork effort like no other
Lost & Forgotton
We celebrated my Mom & Sisters Birthday. Angel Tree 2012 started this month. We also endured a tragic loss to the RR community.

December was a mix of a month but in the end Celine surpassed her Angel Tree goal & so did many babes!
 Their was some blessings as well as some hard times. The happy news that Carmen had found her family was another answer to my prayers. Sadly that did not last long. The News about the R ban on adoptions with the us was devasting but we are still hanging on to hope which is my word for the year.

It's been quite the year as you can see but in the end I do it all over again. My prayer for 2013 is to remain joyful & to have hope. Again Happy New Year!