Adoption on Hold

I have a distant family member who is currently unable to care for her two daughters.  When Darren and I heard that they might be going into foster care, we agreed to let them stay with us.  As of last Wednesday, February 22 we are (temporarily) a family of five.  The girls are 18 months and 5.  Right now they are with us for the next 30 days.  They may be with us longer, they may not.  I cannot list any specifics, but God knows exactly what everyone involved in this situation needs.  Please pray for us, the girls and their parents.  Until we know more about how long the girls will be with us our adoption is on hold.  We are perfectly fine with that because these girls and their family is our main priority right now.  Thank you for your prayers!

Sharing His Love,
Julie

Adoption Update

Hi everyone!  I know it's been quite a while since our last post.  If you remember, we are currently taking a break because our family is in the process of adopting domestically.  Our homestudy is complete, but due to the fact that our baby could be here as soon as a few months, we do not feel like we can commit to making towels at this point.

If you would like to see what has taken place over the last few months, you can check out our adoption timeline on our family blog.  At this point our profile has been shown to five different birth mothers.  Of the five, three birth mothers have decided to parent rather than place their child for adoption.  The other two did not choose us.  This has not been too upsetting for us at this point because rejection is a huge part of this process.  As the months pass by, I am sure we will become more impatient, but we know that God is in control and His will and timing are absolutely, completely perfect. 

As you all know, adoption is very expensive...even domestic adoption.  Our adoption will cost between $15,000.00 and $24,000.00.  The number will vary depending on if the birth mother has medical insurance, is staying at the Lifeline home, etc.  Someone told me the other day that Lifeline is actually less expensive than a lot of other agencies. 

If you would like to support our adoption, the most important thing you can do is pray for us.  Please pray that we will be patient and trust God.  Even though we know he is in control, we are not any where close to perfect and sometimes let fear and doubt creep in.  Please pray that God will prepare us for the child that he has for us.  Please pray for the birth mother that chooses us.  Pray that God will give her complete peace in knowing that we will love and care for her baby to the very best of our ability...just like we do with Nate. 

For those of you that would like to do more than pray, you can support us by purchasing items from our "Support Our Adoption" page from our family blog.  God has given me the ability to sew and I want to use that gift to help pay for our adoption.  I hope to add more items in the future, but I am starting with camera strap covers.  These are perfect for any DSLR or SLR camera strap.  They are $12.00.  Shipping is $2.00, if needed.  All of the profits will go into our adoption account.

 

They are 22" long and 2" wide and will slide right over your existing strap. They are padded with fleece for comfort and are machine washable. These are the four different colors I am currently offering...

Coral

Blue/Green Paisley

Brown Floral

Orange/Pink Paisley

If you would like to order or have questions, please click here to email me.  Please put "camera strap" in the subject line.  Thank you so much for your prayers and support!   

Sharing His Love,

Julie

It's Official

Do you remember this cute little guy?

This is Anderson, Casey's son.  She and Jeff (and the kids) brought him home from Thailand a little over a year ago.  Today is National Adoption Day and today we got to celebrate the official adoption of sweet, Anderson Tatum.   He is such a precious little boy.  He is smart, funny and cute as a bug.  It has been a privilege to watch him grow and learn this year.  I cannot wait to see what great things God has planned for Anderson!

                  Jeff, Aerin, Anderson, Casey, Alex and Judge Martin

Towel Sale

Hi everyone!  As you know we are currently on a home study break.  (Things are going very well by the way.)  With the holidays around the corner, I (Julie) have had several close friends ask me to make towels for them.  I was tentatively planning to do a towel sale for our adoption early next year.  However, since I will already be sewing a few towels I thought I would see if any of you are interested in purchasing a towel.  Over half of the purchase price from each towel will be used to pay for our home study ($2500.00).

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support!  Here's all the info you need...

Click here to see the designs

Any design can be made without a hood, but you must let me know when you order
Don't forget that these are plenty big enough for older children

Sale Dates:  Now until Wed., November 16th

Cost of towels:  $25.00

Local orders:  Pay with cash or check 

Out of town orders:  You will receive PayPal invoice via email

Payments must be received by November 16th

Shipping:  $5.00 for one and $1.50 for each additional towel

All towels will be shipped or delivered by Monday, December 5th. 

How to order:  Email coveredandsharing@gmail.com 

Please put "Julie towel sale" in the subject line

Include the following info about each towel (you can paste into email and complete)

 Towel Design:

Towel Color:

Design Color:

Initial (if needed): 

Shipping Address (if needed):  

Buddy Walk

It was an absolutely gorgeous day to celebrate children with Down syndrome.  My favorite part was when each "buddy" was recognized for his/her accomplishments. 

We walked with this cutie, Joel.

My cutie, Nate, with Joel's sisters, Josie & Julia

Julia, Joy (Joel's mom), Sandi and Julie



National Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk

October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  We've had the privilege of making towels for two families adopting children with Down syndrome.  We are also very close with a family who recently adopted a beautiful little boy with Down syndrome.  In honor of these families, we want to invite you to participate in the National Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk.

"The Buddy Walk^® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. It is a one-mile walk in which anyone can participate without special training. It is an inspirational and educational event that celebrates the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down syndrome. Whether you have Down syndrome, know someone who does, or just want to show your support, come and join a Buddy Walk in your local community!"

All you have to do is click on the link above, enter the state where you live and find a Buddy Walk near you.  Once you know which Buddy Walk you want to attend, google 2011 buddy walk and your city and state and you should find registration information.

If your family participates in a Buddy Walk, we would love to see you there.  We will be at the one in Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday, October 15th.   If you are far away (like our sweet blog friend Melanie), we would love to see your pictures on our (Cover)ed Facebook page.

If you would like more information about adopting a child with Down syndrome, click here. 

Sharing His Love,
Julie

 

Meet Forrest

We are excited to introduce you to another one of our precious fundraising families.  The Allens recently brought home this beautiful bundle of joy, Forrest.  I would love to plant a kiss on one of those sweet cheeks. :)  Please join us in praising God for this incredible gift!