Hey Guys! You believe in voting, right?

Our blog just joined up with the TopMommyBlogs team, and YOU (yes Y...O...U!) have the opportunity to let your voice be heard. 

 (Can you hear the cheesy salesperson's voice now?)

How, you may ask, can you be a part of this democratic process? Why I'm glad you asked. 

Just click on the blog to the left of this post. See it over there? Yep, that's the one. It will take you to www.topmommyblogs.com. By visiting their page through this button, you are putting in a vote for Just B. You may link once a day, so don't forget to come back and let your voice be heard. 

While you're there, check out all the other great member's blogs. There are a TON of them, and I am pumped that we were chosen to join their 'club'.

Let's see if we can get into the top 25!

Just B...

...'In'

You know how it is, we all want to be 'in'.

 Punk, biker, hipster, prep, athlete, intellectual...the list could go on and on. There is a group (or two) for most of us to slide into.

But what about those children who don't have the luxury of a family in which to safely discover who they are? Survival to adulthood is a 'maybe'.

 There are not options for these kids. 

No one there to comfort them when they are sick, when their friends hurt their feelings, when their heart is broken, when their stomach aches with hunger, when they are lying scared in their bed at night.

Where will they find to fit in? 

Prostitution? Dealing drugs? Child militia?

As I sit here agonizing over the fact that Baby B is stuck over in Haiti waiting for us, I cannot help but think also of all the other children in the world hoping for love, food, family, a future (both internationally and here in America).

So what am I getting at here?

Let me be clear. I did not look to adoption as a means of 'saving' anyone. My children are my children, not my rescue mission. They are my family.

I have decided that I want to be in the group the works to make a positive difference in this world-even when the odds are stacked against me. I want to remember that my life is a sacred gift, and I have an obligation to not take it for granted. That every person is valuable to God, and I am called as a Christian, to serve others. 

How I am meant to do that, I have a feeling I am just beginning to find out.

Where do you fit in?

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”

― John Wesley

Learning to Ask for Help

I am horribly independent. 

I don't like to bother anyone by asking for help. I don't like to burden others with my problems. I don't like attention focused on me. If you ask me how I'm doing, nine times out of ten I will tell you I'm fine and try to turn the conversation back around to you. I would much rather be on the giving than the receiving end of help.

For the most part, this works for me.

And yet, here I am-a single mom, to my beautiful internationally adopted children, who is adopting for a second time. 

What does that have to do with anything you may ask? 

Well, multi-racial families tend to get more attention where I live. Single mom's get asked more questions as well (who/where's his dad?) Single moms also need to ask people for help and must have a strong support network to be successful. We have to swallow our pride.

And we aren't always 'fine.'

 I have recently been humbled once again to be on the receiving end of three generous donations. I absolutely feel undeserving.  However, this means we have the money bring home Baby B when the time comes. 

You know what?

This single mom is not adopting debt free. I would love to say that was the case for us (you know  like that book I posted about a couple of months ago?),but it's not. I lost thousands of dollars on the failed adoptions from the Congo (after which I switched agencies). I will be paying back a hefty loan for the next few years. I have paired down our expenses to the bare essentials, and am working on several ways to bring in extra income without having to take a second (or third) job outside of the home. 

 It will all work out.

 I am soooo thankful to those who know us (and those who don't!) who have come alongside to help us to bring home Baby B.Our Give1Save1 week was amazing. The Amazon link to help bring home Baby B continus to bring in a little every month (thanks for shopping!)

Paperwork is expensive, but adding a member to our family is priceless.

You are helping to bring a child and family together.

Thank you.

'Adopt Without Debt' Ideas

It was brought to my attention that I had neglected to add the link  to give the directions on how to create you own Amazon fundraising link. (Big Oops!)

The program is called the Amazon Associates program. I have created a link from my blog, to Amazon so that people can do their shopping, and help to bring home Baby B at the same time (with no extra cost to them).

Julie Gumm is an author, speaker, and adoption advocate. She has written the book, Adopt Without Debt. 

 Her blog lists the steps for starting your own account on Amazon to help raise funds for your own adoption efforts. I am not a super high tech person, and I set up our account...ALONE :)

If I can do it, anyone can do it!

http://juliegumm.com/2012/07/how-you-can-use-amazon-to-earn-1000-for-your-adoption-fund/

Let's Kill Two Birds with One Stone

We are starting something new on the blog. With the holiday season approaching, I have found a great new way to get my shopping done without leaving the house and to raise money for bringing home Baby B!

 Thanks to Julie Gumm-author of Adopt Without Debt, I have discovered a new way for others to help me in the final push to raise the money to bring Baby B home. Any time that you shop on Amazon please use our link. Names are kept private on all purchases, and your cost will not be any different that normally. Amazon will just be donating an amount for every purchase made using our link.

Also coming-I hope by Black Friday...some of the projects that I have been making to sell over the past couple of months.

So...LET THE SHOPPING BEGIN! :)

All you need to do is click on the link below. It will bring you directly to Amazon, linked through our Baby B adoption fund at no extra charge to you.

 Please share this link with anyone you know who will be shopping off of Amazon this Christmas season.

BabyB @ Amazon