Blessed Beyond Belief-Update On Leah's 21 for 21

For those that do not know what Leah's 21 for 21 is please click on the tab. It all started back in October when I was starting to think what I wanted to do for my 21st Birthday. God laid it on my heart to do something special & bigger than I had ever done before! So friends & family spread the word near & far about my Birthday wish to raise $21,000. We did not reach that goal but with the encouragement of my friends & family I have continued on that path to reach that goal! I'm praying to reach it by the end of this year (my 21st year)! Originally my wish for the two orphans I love but at the moment they are unable to receive donations so I chose to instead help other orphans & families while I wait for their country to reopen. Heres the update as of now we have $16,288.56 to go before we reach that goal! I think I originally did my Math wrong so I appologize. In almost 4 months we have raised $4,711.44 for 2 orphans with families & 3 without!!! WOW WAY TO GO GOD!!!! I want to say a HUGE THANKS TO ALL MY FRIENDS & FAMILY WHO HAVE MADE THAT HAPPEN!!! Looking forward to whats to come for Leah's 21 for 21!! I am hoping to do some more fundraisers including our 1st Leah's 21 campaign change drive! Awhile back I did one for Celine which brought in $220 & I want to double that! 

If you would like to donate now to my campaign make a donation towards Brandi (53) grant either to the donation box on the right & leave a comment letting me know you did! 
Thanks for your love & support!

Power of prayer

Day after day ever since I did the Lost Get Found Giveaway I prayed,

I prayed & shouted when your grant grew to over $2,000 during that Giveaway.

I jumped for Joy each time your grant grew til you got fully funded. Then we watched as we waited & waited til the day when your forever family would find you. Well, Heath today is that day! YEP HIS FOREVER FAMILY FOUND HIM!!! Continuing to pray for your family as they journey towards you. I am just filled with JOY today! I'm still not giving up on R & continuing to pray for whatever Gods plan is for the orphans there.

Happy World Down syndrome day!

Every year on March 21st we celebrate World Down syndrome day or known as the 3rd copy of the 21st chromosome! As most of you know I have a sister with that extra chromosome who rocks my world! Though she has her share of struggles not related to her Down syndrome at all we still love her & treat her no differently then us! What I want people to know today in honor of my sister is that Down syndrome is a BLESSING NOT A BURDEN to us siblings or parents of a child with Down syndrome. Is it always easy? Of course not! No child with or without special needs is! 

Sarah you continue to be such a fighter in everything you do! I'm so proud to see the growth in your independence! I wish I had been able to go see Disney on Ice with you again cause I just cherish the times I do get to spend time with you. 

I Love your dancing & how much you love dancing!

I want the whole world to know that YOU ARE MORE ALIKE THAN DIFFERENT!!!

I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THE R WORD IS OFFENSIVE TO PEOPLE LIKE SARAH & OTHERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS!!! PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD!!!

WE LOVE YOU OUR SISTER VERY MUCH & HAPPY WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY!!! 

If you wish to learn more about Down syndrome please visit these resources:

National Down Syndrome Society
World Down syndrome day
In my sisters honor I'm challenging my friends to donate $21 for two families adopting two kids with that extra chromosome! Whether its that $5 in spare change you find in the couch cushion or the $21 every little bit helps! Please go donate to these families!
Katrina & Steve
(sorry I can't post their daughters photo)
Meet Ollie,

This precious cutie is coming home to my local area! Read more about his family & donate here.
PLEASE ALSO DON'T MISS THE FACEBOOK AUCTION i HAVE GOING FOR KATRINA & HER FAMILY!
Leah's 21 for 21 auction
Lastly I want to link back to some posts I have done on being a sibling!
Life as a sib:A Life worth living
The rest of the sibling posts are linked here

Wishing upon a star

The smile that stole my heart strings,

The one I would do almost anything to cross that ocean to Love on & make her mine.

As I stare into your eyes I wish upon a star that things will change. Your million dollar smile stole my heart from the moment I saw you. I wished upon a wish that I could find you & adopt you as my own but alas that dream can't come true. I longed for the day when someone would say yes I want you, yes I will love you as my own but thus the small door closed for awhile. Then the small doors flew back wide open. Surely then your family would find you.

I did my best while you waited doing fundraiser after fundraiser still hoping that your family would come. 

Then one day, a giant came slamming the even bigger doors to your country. I am still crushed & praying for Gods plan for your life & that you find a family no matter the country. You deserve to be loved for who you are.

This past few months have been rough honestly a part of me is in her country. I feel called to her country as my parents & sister have been there on mission trips to help build a church many years ago. I was set to go to that country with an adoptive family when this ordeal happened. I was actually feeling sorrowful just thinking of it & being in a funk about not being able to help the girls & it looking pretty dim but through ashes of my sorrow Beauty will rise again. I'm helping a friend out with an auction & did a consignment sale for Brandi this past weekend which was a success! I think I finally am coming back to myself again!

Thanks for praying for me personally & for the consignment sale this weekend! Ms Brandi,

$251.38 was raised & will be heading towards your grant soon!

I really hope you keep on praying for all those in Celine's country for whats truly best for all!

 

A precious beauty

Beautiful that's what I am,

My name is Brandi & I just want to be loved

I have some things called Cerebal Palsy & Microcephaly but you know what? I don't let that stop me! You shouldn't either!

My friend & advocate, Leah has adult friends both with Cerebal Palsy they are married & don't let that stop them either! 

Won't you be my forever family please? If you can't be my family consider making a donation to my grant!

I'm 5 years old & facing the mental institution if I have not been transferred already! 

Please be praying I am fundraising for Brandi through the kids consignment sale starting Thursday (presale)-Sunday. About half of my items proceeds goes to her! I'm crossing fingers for at least $100 if not more!

One more favor can you please go watch this video? If this girl gets 12,000 hits on this on youtube someone will be donating $50,000 to Reeces Rainbow one of which is Brandi!

Lost

Lost, in a land where their is no end. It's been 5 days since my last blogpost & somewhere admist the sorrow over this R mess is my usual blogging self. It's hiding in Lost land & I wonder how/when I will come back? I'm not there & for some reason I just don't feel right. Maybe its the devil attacking me or may God wants more of me? Maybe he wants me to do something more? I don't know but I am praying for his plan for me. 

Broken heart

My heart is just aching with the mess in R. The girls buttons have been removed from my blog except Celines photo one cause I love seeing her face. In the meantime I am advocating for other orphans & families adopting from other countries. Thinking I just might need another blogging break as my heart is still not back to its perky self. I'm doing the consignment sale to help Brandi so that should keep me busy for a few weeks. Just wanted to update anyone who still reads my blog.