Fundraiser and Paperwork Update

Our documents are currently out of our hands.  They are being state certified.  Once we receive them back, we will send them off to be authenticated.  Because of side jobs that are not within Wisconsin, we have had some issues as far as extra steps go with getting our documents state certified and possibly will have some issues with using the Chicago consulate to get them authenticated...sigh. Prayers for answers and for timeliness in this process.  We are so anxious to get our documents certified and authenticated so they can go to our agency and we can have our dossier sent off to China.

As for a fundraising update:   Our Jamberry nails party is closing this evening and it has been a huge success!  We will have raised close to $250!   A huge thank you to Kate for allowing us this opportunity and for all the hard work she put in and a huge thank you to everyone who ordered!!   This money will cover our state certification and we'll have a bit leftover to be put towards our authentication of our documents as well.

We received our bracelets from the Apparent Project in the mail this weekend!  We have 4-6 weeks to sell 150 bracelets.  These amazing bracelets are stretchy so they fit just about any size wrist and each one is different from the next.  They are handmade by artisans in Haiti and they have a note attached to them with a picture and short story of the person who made them.  The cost will be $10.  $5 of that will go directly back to the Apparent Project and 100% of that $5 will go directly to these workers to help them provide for their families and to help them to be able to keep their children. I think this organization is incredible!   The other $5 will go directly to us to help us bring our little girl home.  I love that 100% of cost of these bracelets will be going towards two worthy causes and not to overhead or administrative fees.   If you are local, I plan to carry a bag of bracelets around with me wherever I go the next four to six weeks.  We will accept cash or check.    If you are not local and you'd like to participate in this fundraiser, you can send us a check and then we'll mail out your bracelet(s) or you can pay by paypal: el_lauren@yahoo.com and we'll mail you your bracelet(s). Please add on $2.50 for shipping.  The shipping cost will not change whether you buy 1 bracelet or 10 bracelets.    Our goal is to sell all 150 of these bracelets in the next four to six weeks!   That would be $750 for families in Haiti and $750 to help us bring our little girl home.  How awesome is that!?!?

The last update is on our Facebook Adoption Auction.  We've been receiving a lot of great items.  Most of them have been added to the auction page on Facebook, which you can see here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1393662450936371/
I still have a handful of things we've received in the last few days to add and items are still coming in! The auction will begin on this coming Sunday morning, February 15th, at 8 a.m. CST and it will end on Saturday, February 21st at 8 p.m. CST.  You can check-out all the items any time (remember that more will be added), but please refrain from bidding until this Sunday morning.  All items have a starting bid and we ask that bids increase by at least $1.  Some items have a shipping cost if you are not local and some items will be shipped directly by the donor to the winner.   Winners can pay by cash (if local), check, or Paypal.  Items will be shipped once it has been paid for.  We hope this auction is a huge success and we thank all of you who have been so kind to donate an item or many items!  You are amazing!