Brittany's Hope Grant - increased!

Not sure if you read our last update from our AdoptTogether page? I shared that our family had been selected to receive a grant from Brittany's Hope, an affiliate program with Madison Adoption Associates.  Doug and I were going to sign the agreement and go get it notarized this weekend, when we received another email from them just Wednesday telling us that they had increased our grant another thousand dollars!!!!!!  Can you believe that!?!?  We originally were notified of it being for $5,000.  So we understood that we would be responsible to raise 1/2 of that amount and donate it to Brittany's Hope.  They would then confirm the donations raised and extend the total adoption grant to our adoption agency towards our fees/expenses.  Them raising our grant to $6,000. means we are responsible to fundraise $3,000.  That is the exact amount that our puzzle fundraiser will bring in when it is completely assembled!
Speaking of that.......have you seen our precious little guy's picture lately????  It's coming together thanks to all you donors sponsoring puzzle pieces.  Just look at him....he's so beautiful!

 I get all warm and fuzzy everytime I go downstairs to update the puzzle.  I'm doing this in my storage room of our basement, lol lol.  If you had 2 toddlers and 9 year old that is consistently kicking a soccer ball or shooting baskets around your house-YOU would TOO!  Plus it's quiet down there.  I think it's my time with him right now <3  Thank you for your warm wishes and little messages on your sponsored pieces.  I can't wait to talk to him about each and everyone of you, and your connection with our family and now part of his homecoming.

It's interesting, since Lanzi has come home, we find ourselves talking about our meeting them (our girls) in China, what we did, what their gifts were we brought them, how old they were........etc often. They will even quarrel over whose China it is, "My China."  "No, it's my China!"  lol lol  I even heard Lanzi telling Tingzi today that she was adopted from China.  I stopped dead in my tracks to see what next was going to come out of that little mouth of hers......  I had never heard either one of them yet say that before.  That girl amazes me!  She is only 3, but wiser than her years!  Then, at dinner, we somehow ended up in conversation again about them being from China and Lanzi asked if Jace was too?  I said, "No......"  And she of course was quick to ask, "Why not?"  Doug and I exchanged nervous looks as to say, OK who is going to take the lead on this one???? 😬  I of course, continued with, "He was born from Mommy's tummy."  What Doug and I were perceiving as a delicate conversation and trying to choose our words wisely, quickly took a turn to funny, thankfully.  Lanzi quickly made a disgusting sound and face as though she was appalled by that image!  LMBO. 😂 "Were we born in your tummy?"  "No...... you girls grew in my HEART!"  "Aaahhhh," she said.  "I love you with all my heart Mommy!"  💗💗
Tingzi and Lanzi both love watching their Gotcha day videos and looking through their lifebooks, frequently.  This puzzle will definitely be something that _____, I'm sure will also want to look at and talk about often with us.  (You notice, I left his name out?  Aren't you just dying of curiosity?)
Well come on folks, let's keep this puzzle reveal going.  1) I want to be able to refer to him by his name  2) We all now have a goal to reach ($3,000.) and then Brittany's Hope will match it!  That is such a blessing!  Each of you sponsors are a part of making that grant happen.  We can do this!
Only $10./puzzle piece, and you can send your sponsor/donation via our PayPal account  WaldmanAdoption@hotmail.com or you can send it via our Adopt Together page (see the link at the side of this blog.  Sponsor a piece for each member of your family, or from your children.  Feel free to put your message or your family's name(s) in the comments section of your donation.

You are already so loved, my son.  And there are a lot of people gathering to watch your story unfold and help bring you HOME!
Love,
Mama, Baba, Jace, Ting, & Lanzi  XOXO
                     and your Village

Happy 4th of July!

Hope you all have been having a fun and memorable holiday weekend celebrating our independence day.  We have!  We spent Sunday afternoon with friends celebrating our adoption and watching our kids play together.  It was a perfect day for a cook out and perfect fellowship for the entire family.
About a week ago my sister helped me make our photo book (digital photo album) to send to our son.  This is recommended to make and send to your child, in hopes that the ayi's will share it with the child and help prepare them for our faces, who we all are, and that we love them and are coming for them.  We made these for both our girl's adoptions, and they were both reviewed with them and they still had them on the day we met them in China.  Lanzi loves looking at hers and we can often times find it hidden underneath her pillow today.  We should be getting his in the mail from the digital company I imagine this week?  Then I just need to figure out how I'm going to get it to him in China!
Monday I received an email from my social worker notifying me that our homestudy update had been reviewed and approved by our adoption agency.  WOO HOO!  So now it can get sent to her supervisor for proofing and notarization.  After this important document if finalized and notarized we can move onto submitting our I800A to USCIS.  We are also able to start applying for some grants. (there will be many late nights ahead writing.....  :{  )
If you are on FB, you have probably noticed our puzzle fundraiser is coming along.  We now are up to 52 pieces.......only 248 more to go!  C'mon friends, aren't you at all curious what his name is?  Not to mention another darling picture of him that you have NOT seen yet!  Just $10. per puzzle piece(s), and we will write your name(s) on the back of your pieces so we can share with our son all the people that helped work towards bringing him HOME.

Oh listen to this GODwink that just happened last night!  So I get a call from a friend (also named Denise) that I have had the privilege of getting to know and love personally, from another adoptive Mom.  She was calling me to tell me that she has a friend that is hosting a Noonday Party Wed. the 5th (that was in 2 days, lol), and that she had shared our adoption story with her and she wanted to help.  So the hostess (Nanette Maletich) has chosen to donate 15% of the total sales from her trunk show towards our adoption!  Now why is this so surprising or different from me partnering with another independent sales company/consultant............because Nanette did not know me or of our family before last night.  The Lord placed Denise Lowe and Nanette strategically and perfectly timed to help bless our family and also be a part of this beautiful community we are forming.  Her party has been planned for over a week, and she just reached out to me last night and asked if she could bless our adoption with some of her party's sales.  Isn't that neat!  I certainly think so!  I of course will share the link below and on our page, but by no means want anyone to be pressured into feeling like they have to buy merchandise.  That is one of the hardest things about this fundraising- is trying to find a balance between getting information and different opportunities out there for all our different friends' interests, WITHOUT annoying you and making you feel as though you have to buy something every turn of the corner.  You have NO idea how hard and humbling it is to week after week, day after day put myself and my family out there as we climb this mountain of adoption expenses/fees.  But I can tell you with certainty that, we have climbed this mountain before, crossed oceans, all the way across to the other side of the world..........and there sleeps a little boy that is our son.  He is waiting on us and depending on us for his medical care and to have a family that he can call his own.  So I hope that you all can grant us the grace to putting up with all our means of funding this adoption.  Better yet, I hope each of you will in some even small way be moved and touched by our story and the love that we have found in adoption and our FAMILY!

http://bit.ly/waldmancraigheadadoption

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