jude: an adoption update and an auction!

way back in january we committed to a little boy named jude.
we blogged about it in march.
remember way back when?

well we have been busy and things have been progressing!
we completed our paperwork in may and were invited to travel in august.
unfortunately jude's paperwork wasn't ready when we were, so we are now requesting travel for november.
did you catch that?!
we are requesting to travel in just a few short weeks!

in fact, he has already begun his required TB testing this week!
AND just to send our happy meter off the charts, last thursday, he was told he has a family.
i can't even imagine his thoughts, his excitement, his emotions!!
it's almost too much to handle, isn't it?!

now that we are getting so much closer, it's time for some fundraising!
i'll admit, i'm nervous about this part.
when we tried to adopt our sweet davis boy, we raised about $13,000.
our russian adoption expenses took every last penny and then some.
so when we began this adoption we knew that money was gone.
we have paid for all of our expenses so far but in the next few months, our needs are going to grow exponentially.
airfare alone for one trip is running around $4500--and we have to take 2-3 trips depending on when we are assigned a court date!
we need help.

our first fundraiser is an instagram auction TOMORROW!! (from 1-9 pm)
so many INCREDIBLE items have been donated to help us!
we would be honored if you would check it out and bid on some awesome stuff!
100% of the money raised goes directly to our adoption fund.
every last cent.
praise Jesus!
all you have to do is go to the instagram app and follow @auctionforjude for all the details!
i'll post some pics here tomorrow to remind/tease ya! ;)

i can't end this post without thanking all of the shops and lovely ladies who have generously supported us for this auction.
even if we don't raise a dime, we feel so blessed.
xo!

our warrior and our first giveaway!

a week or two ago i received a beautiful surprise.
our family was assigned a "family warrior"-- a fellow adopting momma with battle scars of her own who stepped up to advocate for us and help us raise the ransom for jude.
i mean really, isn't that just amazing?

she sent me a lovely note and also an offer to do a giveaway for a felt easter banner and devotional book that she herself made.
click over to her blog and check out all the details!
it is so beautifully made, so special, and such a wonderful way to share the true meaning of easter with your kiddos.
(i just can't seem to find the words of how grateful i am, tanna!)

so, here's the deets:
if you would like a chance to win one of tanna's beautiful felt easter banners and devotional book, please donate $5 or more to our reece's rainbow account and leave me a comment here saying you did so.

please share on fb, instagram, twitter, your own blog, etc.
if you do, leave me another comment and i will throw your name in the hat for another chance.

that's it.
simple simple.
i will pick a winner next wednesday, march 26th (ben boy's birthday!).

thank you TANNA! and thank you friends for all of your love and blessings!

i am still alive.

my poor little blog.
here it sits, all sad and lonely, as life just zips by and time just evaporates.

i started this blog many moons ago as a way to document and remember our days; now they go by so far that i can barely keep up let alone whittle them down to a coherent blog post.

we are spending lots and lots of time working on our court dossier for davis.
documents have a short shelf-life in his country so most things have "expired" and need to be updated.
we have hit some snags and are trudging through them, all the while trying to keep our eyes on the prize.

the good news is that we may be traveling as soon as next month!
maybe...nothing is official and no plane tickets have been bought, but i promise this blog WILL be updated as soon as we know.
in the meantime, if you wouldn't mind adding our little family to your prayer list, it would most gratefully appreciated.
we still have far to go and many mountains to climb...

do you remember the farley family and sweet sergey?
they too are expecting travel dates any day now and are still in need of funding.
a friend has put together a great giveaway fundraiser in their honor.

please, pretty, pretty please, with a cherry on top, consider donating to the giveaway!


danielle and i have become very close over the past year or so.
she is absolutely one of the most precious people in my life right now--another person that God placed in my life at just the exact time i would need her!
her family is adorable and couldn't imagine a better fit for sergey!

they are adopting from the same region as we are, and it's a tough one.
there are lots and lots of unexpected costs and they are already stretched so thin!
even one dollar donated would mean one less dollar that they need to come up with.

i am on my knees...please help provide for them as they continue their way to save sergey!

snap shop winner!

who inspires you?
that's the question i asked you to answer to enter ashley's snap shop giveaway.
i LOVED your answers.
the next time i'm having a bad day, i am going to reread them all!
so thank you for playing along.

the winner of the snap shop giveaway is

congratulations!
jen g., please send me your email address so i can get you in touch with ashley.
have fun with the class.
i know you'll love it!

and a BIG thank you to ashley for...everything. :)

snap shop giveaway.

THE GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED! THANKS FOR ENTERING! 

***************************************************

a few weeks ago i wrote about an online photography class that i was taking by the very talented and lovely ashley ann.

i have enjoyed every second.
i've had a dslr for a couple of years now but i really have not been utilizing it to it's full potential.
i love taking pictures and cross my fingers every time i press the shutter--because i am relying on my camera to automatically capture what i want.
even thinking about shooting in manual mode scares me to death.

photography intimidates me. ashley does not.

she is smart and knows her stuff.
but she is able to break down photography for the non-photographer, the beginner, the intimidated.
all you need is a dslr camera and an open mind.
ashley takes care of the rest.
her online class is BRILLIANT!! brilliant, i tell you!!
i can attest to that 100%.

luckily for you, ashley is giving one of you a spot in the september online snapshot class!

this prize is worth $200--a total steal by the way.
to read the details, click on over to the snapshots page here.

ok, now to enter.
please leave me a comment telling me about someone in your life who inspires you.
that's it.
easy peasy.

to earn an extra entry, donate any dollar amount to our davis boy, via the chipin button right over there under my picture, and i will throw your name in the hat for every dollar donated!
(no need to leave another comment.
chipin will let me know that you've donated and how much $.)

it's a win-win situation, don't ya think?
:)

next wednesday, august 24th, i will pick a winner from the comments.

GOOD LUCK, FRIENDS!
and thank you ashley!

some business stuff.

i have received so many nice comments and questions from you lately.
i would love to answer them all, but most of you have your blogger settings set so that i can't reply to you--your email is not accessible!
so how can i get back to you?!?

there are two ways to get around this.

1. change your blogger settings so your email is available when you comment.
you can do this by simply clicking on your dashboard, clicking on "edit your profile" (next to your picture), and then clicking the box that says "show my email address."

or

2. send me an email with your email and your question.
you can click on the "email me" pic over yonder. --------------->

if you have asked me something in the comments recently and haven't heard a peep, please email me.
i am more than happy to help!

next item today is the keeper of my heart giveaway.
all items have been shipped and/or coordinated to be shipped.
if you won something, please let me know (via email) if you still have not received it.
one commenter asked me to list the winners. and i did that HERE.
so if your name is listed and you haven't received your prize, i need to know!

ok, next up. the chip in button and our reece's rainbow fund.
so many kind folks have asked if we are going to do another fundraiser.
the answer is YES!
i am trying to plan a few things, but all are in their infancy stage right now.
in the mean time, if you would still like to give a donation, the chip in button is still active and you can always give by clicking on davis' picture over in the right hand column.
both of those methods still work and we are more than willing to receive!
:)
thank you for asking.

what's next? hmmm...
my friend ashley ann gave me something for one of YOU.
come back tomorrow and see what's up.
haha.
i'm leaving ya hangin!
but trust me, you're gonna want to come back for this one!

the winners.

congratulations to all the winners!
i will be contacting each of you later today so please check your email!
lots of love, hugs and kisses from the jupin family!!

*  *   *   *   *

$50 shop credit to tomkat studios -- danielle farley

your choice of one print from whimsy studios -- karie green

your choice of one print from whimsy studios -- tara hintz

your choice of one print from whimsy studios -- tracey tamburro

tote bag from vintage jane -- debra graham

tiny canvas print called "sunday afternoon" from tush tush -- randy miller

handmade bicycle silouhette from pr pictorials -- jennifer bible

handmade wool horse from pine blossoms -- kimberlee jost

your choice of one pocket watch necklace from oh hello friend -- melissa tash

your choice of one pocket watch necklace from oh hello friend -- jennifer hall

$40 shop credit to little byrd vintage -- ginny fikes

autographed copy of connie wenk's book freundschaft -- anna reed

$50 shop credit towards any illustration or one birthday set from lila b / noulou -- susan miller

$15 shop credit to lemon tree vintage -- meredith gallivan

8x10 things i'm thankful print by laura george -- molly conley

reusable snack bag from sew long ziploc -- amy kirkpatrick

set of kitty crayons and coloring book from kitty baby love -- joe fittipaldi

my favorite ring by indiaylaluna -- dawn derr

large wood family by gemmie lou -- yvette kreb

$50 shop credit to ethanollie -- teresa greeson

5 wee birds and 3 wee owls from krakra crafts -- chrissy stinson

$60 shop credit to lewa's designs -- leslee saylor

life is a daring adventure print from happy deliveries -- wayne wright

your choice of two matted 5x7 prints from camillion creations -- laura kelley

so very happy print from dazey chic -- christina pierce

grey scoop neck t-shirt from brookish -- bailey mill

child apron and pennant banner from beanstalk by izzy -- jennifer jupin

blog makeover/design from life made lovely designs -- harmony beyersdorf

$100 amazon.com gift card -- mary shatzer

and last but not least... the ipad 2 -- april and kevin hargrave!

congratulations!

it's over.

our fundraiser/giveaway is now over.
we drew names and i am working on a big post for tomorrow morning.
check back then for the list of winners.
it's been an exciting night at the jupin household!

THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR FAMILY!

quickie. (not that kind, you dirty bird)

i have been without internet for the past...oh i don't know...too many days!!
but thank the LORD, it is back!
yes i am being dramatic and yes it is necessary, thank you very much! :)

a couple of quick things.

1. the fundraiser for davis is still ongoing. this thursday is the last day.
we are so close to $5000. so, so close.
is it bad that i want to kick $5000 in the pants?
i do. and it would be awesome.

2. anna at rope sells all kinds of luscious vintagey found fabrics.
when i look at her shop, i think CRAFT!

and until wednesday, she is donating 25% of her sales to davis.
anna is a complete stranger.
her generosity floors me.
this is the beauty of God's work and it wrecks me.
thank you anna.

3. have you been to laura kelley's shop, pitter patter art?
stop. go. drool.
enter her giveaway for this awesomeness by tomorrow night, ok?

to enter, all you have to do is leave a comment telling her about someone "who has really invested or speaks into your life."
i love that. i loved reading through the comments.
made me feel GREAT.

4. that is all for now. a real blog post and some funny pictures of john and anna coming later tonight.

have a wonderful day!

keeper of my heart. a big giveaway.

the giveaway is now over. 

thank you for your donations!!

************************************************

my ben boy.
sweet little monkey.
wild, blue-eyed, keeper of my heart.

you all know how much i love this kid, don't you?
becoming ben's mommy changed every inch of my being.
he opened my eyes, worked his magic in my stubborn brain, stretched my heart a mile wide.
and because of ben, i was led to davis.

my davis boy.
sweet little monkey.
wild, brown-eyed, keeper of my heart.
oh how i love him so.

i want him to come home.
i want him to be with us, his family.
i want him to be able to start living the life that's waiting for him.
i want to see him thriving.
in order for him to do that, we have to step out of our comfort zone and ask for help.

this is the hardest thing for me to do.
but we cannot do this on our own.
we need YOUR help.

i know you're thinking, "another fundraiser?! ugh. but i just gave to that other kid!"
and you're right, there have been quite a number of fundraisers lately.
there are a lot of families who need our help. but that's because there are a LOT of children that need our help.

147 million, in fact.

and i am astounded at the number of families who are in the adoption process right now.
it's AWESOME.
and our son davis, well, he needs your help as much as the next kid.

so to entice you, to sweeten the deal, to up the ante, we put together a super fundraiser right here on the blog!

i present to you a ridiculously amazing bunch of items we are giving away!
here are the GOODS!

first up for grabs, the BIGGIE. the most coveted piece of technology on the planet: the iPAD2.

how about a $100 gift card to amazon.com?

or a total blog makeover from life made lovely designs valued at $130?
this custom lovely package includes a header, background, navigation bar, 3 sidebar buttons, and a blog button with scroll box.
here are some awesome examples of their designs (they also did my blog redesign and i couldn't be happier!):

i'm just going to start listing these awesome prizes because the cuteness can talk for itself!

*child-size apron and blue pennant banner, both from beanstalk by izzy. i could buy everything in this shop.

*gorgeous mr. darcy (pride and prejudice) grey scoop neck tshirt, size large, from brookish. i need this for myself. i do. :)

*the very popular and oh so adorable "so very happy" print from dazey chic.

*two matted 5x7 prints of your choice from camillion creations. anna has one of these mermaids hanging in her bedroom.

*life is a daring adventure letterpress print in spring green from happy deliveries. i have another print from this shop and it's perfect.

*$60 shop credit to my favorite vinyl wall art shop, lewa's designs.
i put this adorable bird on my laptop and it makes me happy every day.

*5 wee birds and 3 wee owls from krakra craft! maja is the nicest person i've ever "met" on etsy and she's also the creator of flick and frock!

*$50 shop credit (prior to shipping) to the incredible vintage shop of ethanollie. i drool over everything in this shop!

*large wood family by gemmie lou. remember our painted friends? now you can make some too! :)

*my favorite ring on etsy from indiaylaluna.

*a set of 4 kitty crayons and a printed coloring book from kitty baby love. makes the perfect bday present!

*your choice of one reusable snack bag from sew long ziploc. i send the kiddos' snacks to school in these and they are awesome. no more buying plastic baggies!

*an 8x10 things i'm thankful for print from laura george. this print must go in the little boys' room! MUST.

*$15 shop credit to vintage shop lemon tree vintage. she has such great prices and neat finds!

*$50 to be spent on any illustration, including prints or originals, or one birthday set, including 10 personalized invitations, 10 personalized thank you cards, and 10 gift tags ($46 value). all from lila b/noulou, adorable. just plain adorable.

*autographed book Freundschaft by amazing photographer conny wenk. conny knows from personal experience how kids with down syndrome are all rock stars in their own right!

*$40 shop credit from one of my favorites on etsy, little byrd vintage. amazing, amazing finds!

*two lovely pocket watch necklaces, to go to two different winners, both from oh hello friend. i love the one with the vintage camera charm!

*cutey pie handmade wool horse from pine blossoms (check out her sold items to see her awesome gloves too!).

*handmade bicycle silhouette from pr pictorials. be sure and check out her custom silhouettes too. they make the best keepsakes!

*tiny canvas print called "sundays afternoon" by tush tush shop. it's little grannies!!

*tote bag from fab-u-loso vintage shoppe vintage jane . you will love her stuff.

*three winners can each choose an unframed print of their choice from gifted illustrator lori mcdonough of whimsy studios. lori is mad talented and her work makes me SMILE!

*$50 shop credit for party supplies and other awesomeness from tomkat studios. brace yourselves. this stuff is nutty cute.

pretty fun, huh? i know!!

this is a fundraiser after all, so here's how you enter:

all it takes is $10.
10 beans.
10 duckets
10 smackeroos.
for every $10 you donate, you get one entry thrown in the hat.
feeling especially generous?
for every $50 donated, you will be rewarded with 20 entries!

got that?
$10 = 1 entry
$50 = 20 entries

i set up a chipin donation link over there on the sidebar (at the tippy top, under my picture).

if you click on it, it will take you to a website where you can make a SECURE donation directly to our family.

this is important for one big reason:

this money will be used to complete our paperwork and adoption agency fees necessary BEFORE we travel to davis' country. our reece's rainbow account money will only be made available when we are ready to travel and that makes it almost too late!

wanna earn more entries?
facebook or blog about the giveaway, leave a comment telling me you did so and earn one more entry.

the giveaway will run for TWO WEEKS.
after two weeks is up, i will close the comments and dish out the prizes.

please, please, please spread the word to your friends and family!
and remember, the more $ you give, the better your chances to win one of these awesome prizes!

lastly, our family is overwhelmed and deliriously happy over the generosity of the etsy shop owners and friends who have contributed to this giveaway.
we are forever indebted to each of you.
big hug.
little kiss.
big kiss.
little hug.

now...go!
let's see where this takes us!
the jupin fam

***edited to add: everyone is welcome to donate, but items cannot be shipped overseas! sorry! :)