Urgent Need for Help!

I just found out a little while ago that I need to move a bit faster to raise the money we need for the precious angel we wish to adopt. You see apparently in the next month his file will be going back to his country. Although I don't fully understand what that means I do understand the need to work harder to get the initial funds.

So if you are willing to spread the word about our Ipad2 give away PLEASE do - put it on facebook, twitter, your blog, etc. Remember just spreading the word will get you an entry. If you are able to donate - PLEASE do. Just think you will be helping us get closer to making our "official" commitment to a child with DS and you will be entered to win an Ipad2 + wifi. Totally cool right??

Remember donations are NOT tax deductible.

$10 = 1 entry
$20 = 4 entries
$50 = 10 entries
$100 = 25 entries

Donations can be made through the chipin on the left. Thank you so much for your help! I can't wait to be able to make the official commitment and tell everyone who we are adopting!!!

IPAD2 Give away

Well...we are back at it again. We are working on raising money for another adoption of a child with Down Syndome. This time we are doing things a little differently. First, we are looking at a different country in Eastern Europe. So the way adoptions are done are quite different.

In order to move forward we need to have a portion of our program fee as well as a portion of our adoption agency fee. Once we have this money we are able to send it in and documents go to the child's country to "hold" him for us. Where as when we adopted Milana there was a chance when we got there she would not be.

Ok...so on with the giveaway. We are doing an IPAD2 + WiFi Giveway. Our goal is to raise at least $5,000. This will help with the initial costs of our adoption. If we reach the $500 mark the winner will receive the IPAD2 + WiFi. Should we not earn enough money to cover the cost of the IPAD and the shipping and handling we will split the proceeds 50/50 with the winnner.

Donations are NOT tax deductible. Money donated will be going directly into our paypal account.

Here is the breakdown for donations:

$10 = 1 entry

$20 = 4 entries

$50 = 10 entries

$100 = 25 entries

You can also be entered by posting on your blog, facebook, and/or twitter accounts. To receive an entry by doing this just leave a comment on my blog and state your name and where you posted the information.

Donations can be made through the chip in on the left of my blog. It says IPAD Give away. Good luck and Thank you :)

Happy Father's Day

This year Father's Day was bittersweet. Milana, Riley, Peyton, and I got to spend it with my Dad and both of my grandfathers. However, we were without their amazing Dad.

Here Milana is pretending to talk on the phone with her Daddy. She had just finished talking to him and had to give up the phone so that her sisters could talk. Needless to say Milana was less than thrilled to give up the phone.



Here Milana was actually talking to her Daddy and just babbling away.


Can you tell I'm going to have real phone issues with this one when she gets older. She'll be wanting a cell phone by Kindergarten :)

Not sure how my Mom snuck into some of these Father's Day pics, but since Milana was making a really cute face I had to allow this one.

Riley, Milana, and Peyton are really enjoying spending time with their grandparents, but I can't say enough how much they miss their Daddy. Especially on Father's Day!

Peyton, Riley, and Milana with their grandpa (my Dad).

Peyton, Pop, Milana, and Riley

The girls with Pop again.

Milana and Grandpa playing with the telescope.

Dziadz and Milana

Peyton, Dziadz, Milana, and Riley

The girls and Dziadz again :)

What a great day we had today with my Dad and Grandfather's. It was a fabulous day. I just wish Chris was here with us.

Happy Father's Day!

Dear Daddy

These three beautiful girls have taken over my blog in order to give a shout out to their Daddy. As you can see they think he is pretty special. So special in fact he gets 2 thumbs up from all three of them.

Riley Erin

Dear Daddy,
I love you because when I am sad you help me feel better. You are nice to me and Peyton and Milana and Karissa. You help us and teach us things like how to play wiffle ball. You always get us boxes so we can make things like our horse and the fart fort. You let me snuggle with you and let me hug you. I love you!
Love,
Riley
PS – You know you want to get us a little brother!

Peyton Elizabeth

Dear Daddy,
I love you. You are nice to us and you help us when we play wiffle ball and Wii Animal Crossing City Folk. You help us work on projects like the Fart Fort and you put up our moon in our bedroom. You play games with us like Blokus. You help us feel better when we are sick. You take us on lots of fun trips like when we went to the Notre Dame Spring Game and you are taking us to Okracoke. You also took to us to your work picnic and it was fun. I love you so much!
Love,
Peyton
PS – I want a little brother!

Milana Alexandra

Dear Daddy,
I love you because you went all the way to Ukraine to get me. You only saw a picture of me and that was it. You didn’t care that I have Down Syndrome. It never bothered you a bit. You and Mommy got on a plane and flew lots of miles and had to be away from my sisters just to get me. You ate lots of foods that were different and had to get used to a new culture. I am so glad that you came to get me Daddy. I am so happy that you are MY Daddy. I love you so much! Thank you for teaching me and playing with me and loving me. I love to play puzzles with you and look at books with you and play McDonalds with you. I am so happy you take me to do fun things like going to see the Carolina Hurricanes. They are my most favorite hockey team. I love watching the Irish with you because I really like that Leprechaun guy and I love the Yankees too. Mostly Daddy I love you! Life is so good.
Love,
Milana

We know it isn't quite Father's Day yet, but we just wanted to make sure our Daddy knows just how much we love him. And we miss him too. Wish you were here Daddy! We can't wait to come home to be with you. Milana asks to go home every day!

We have the best Daddy in the whole world!

It's Been Awhile

School is out and we are still busy, busy, busy. We made the 10 hour ride from NC to NY on Tuesday so we can spend time with my grandparents, parents, brother, and sister.


We decided to take a little break from visiting yesterday so that we could head to the park. When we got there Milana's face lit up! I guess she likes the park.


All three girls had a blast!

If I could only get all three girls to look at the camera at the same time....

Milana wanted to jump into the pond with the ducks. We had to hold her back :)

My girls heading into the maze.

Slides are so much fun!

Fortunately Milana didn't eat any sand while playing in the giant sandbox. Yay!!!

There was so much to do Milana didn't spend more than a few seconds anywhere she went. She couldn't decide if she wanted to continue to rock in the jeep or jump out while it was still moving.

My big girls having fun!

Milana vs The Pool

I really love this time of year. School is almost out, the weather is great, and the pool is open. We were lucky to have a really nice weekend. The girls and I headed out to the pool on Saturday. It was Milana's first time in a pool.

We eased her into the pool by having her sit on the very top step. She was loving life. I literally blinked and the next thing I know she is face down in the pool and sinking fast! Fortunately I have very quick, cat like reflexes and was able to grab her by the back of her suit and pull her out of the water quickly. She cried for a few seconds and soon forgot all about it.

From that moment on she had a BLAST!!! She was standing on the edge of the pool and jumping in - well ok she doesn't exactly know how to jump, but she'd stand there, we'd count to three and then she'd "jump" into the water. Oh she had so much fun! Too much actually.

We did run into a slight problem. Milana doesn't have any idea what swimming is, what a pool is, or have any fear what so ever. This child kept trying to wriggle out of my arms in an attempt to "swim" on her own. She wanted to be with the big girls. She loves her big sisters so much and wanted to chase after them everywhere they went. Fortunately, they really love her too and they kept coming back to hang out with her and make sure she was doing alright.

We were able to get to the pool again on Sunday. This time Daddy came along. Daddy was trying to catch some rays which was a total distraction to Milana. She wouldn't stay with me in the water. This little stinker kept wandering off to her Dad and tapping him. He kept asking me if I wanted anything. Yeah, for Milana to stay IN the water. Did she think I was in that chilly water for my health?

Milana just walked back and fourth the entire time. Finally I got tired of hanging out in the water on my own and got out and she just sat there staring at her Daddy. (Who did not catch on by the way that she wanted him IN the water with her).

I have to say Milana was quite brave. I dunked her under a couple times and when she came out of the water her face looked like....well the picture above. She loved it!

I am guessing Milana is going to have the time of her life this summer. (I know I am). We've got so many fun things planned - the beach, more trips to the pool, camping, get togethers with friends, etc.

Does life get any better than this?

Wow! 8 Months Already!!

My head is just swirling right now with so many thoughts. I should start by acknowledging that today Milana has been home for 8 months. It seems so hard to believe at times that she has only been with us for 8 months. It has gotten to the point where she has just blended in so well that it seems like she has always been here.


It saddens me to think that if she wasn't with us she would be just a few short months away from being transferred to an adult mental institution where she would be strapped to a bed for the better part of 24 hours. She would have been very lucky to have survived the first year.

Chris and I watch her learn and grow each and ever day. She is so smart and has so much to offer. It hurts my heart more than you can imagine for people to think that children like Milana do not have a place in their society. We have probably learned more from Milana these last 8 months than she has learned from us.

There are so many other children out there in need of loving homes. Children in need of a Mommy and Daddy. Children who have so much to offer given the opportunity.

I am currently a 5/5/5 Warrior for one of those children in need of a family. My job is to try to raise money for Landon's adoption fund so that when his family finds him it will help them with the cost in some way. You see - most times the only thing stopping someone from adopting is the cost.

Landon is going to be 5 in July. Soon after that he should be getting ready to go to Kindergarten. It should be an exciting time in his life. Instead he may be transferred to an institution - yes, an adult mental institution where he will be lucky to survive the first year. He needs a home so badly so that he can have the life that he deserves - the life all children deserve regardless of ability.

Landon is such a little love bug. Here he is in one of the newer pictures that Reece's Rainbow received. Landon is a happy child who is always smiling. He would learn and blossom so much in a loving family.

I just think of how much Milana has learned in the 8 months she has been home and I just know Landon would be able to learn too given the chance. Just think of the love he could bring to a family!

Isn't he just gorgeous? Look at that blond hair and those blue eyes! What a gorgeous little boy. Could you be his forever family?

Please consider helping Landon or any of the other orphans who need a home. All donations made through Reece's Rainbow are tax deductible. Think about what roll you could play in the life of an orphan. Maybe it is through bringing a child into your home. Maybe it is through spreading awareness. Please consider helping in some way. There are millions of orphans out there suffering in horrible conditions who do not have anyone to love them. They are starving, unloved, uncared for. What if that was your child? What if that is your child?

Donations can be made through Reece's Rainbow www.reecesrainbow.org. Again these donations are tax deductible. They can be made online or by mailing a check to Reece's Rainbow P.O Box 4024 Gaithersburg, MD 20885. Please indicate in the memo line of your check who the donation is to go to. I would love for it to be Landon, but would be happy for any child to receive support for their adoption fund. These children all need homes so desparately.