How Much?! Part 2
Now that you have a rough idea of how much our adoption costs, you might be wondering how on earth a middle-class single-income family is going to pay for it.
When we lived in Oak Harbor, WA our pastor once said to the church, "I will never talk to you about money when we are in need of money." Caleb and I want you to know that we have prepared for this adoption and we are taking active steps to pay for it. We are not talking to you about money because we are in need of money.
That being said, some of you have approached us and asked about donations. There are no words. We are beyond grateful that anyone would even consider supporting us financially. Thank you for offering to ease the burden. We know that many of you have a heart for orphans but adoption isn't necessarily right for your family. Or not right now. We get that. We've been there. For those of you interested, I have added an easy PayPal donation button on this page. But, please, please know that we will complete this adoption. We are not in a desperate situation. Our children will come home to us. We do not want to mislead any of you in any way. God will make this happen. Please do not feel obligated. Your prayers are desired and needed and more than enough.
We have taken steps and are making sacrifices and God is so good.
The first thing God has done is given me a husband who is a great provider and fantastic budgeter. He is a man with a plan, an income, and a spreadsheet. Caleb is gifted with interest and knowledge about saving and budgeting and wise financial decisions. And every time I notice that he has opened Excel on the computer, I slowly back out of the room without making any sudden movements. While I am by no means a spender, I am pretty clueless about investing and other grown-up money topics. My talents lie elsewhere. Like making other plans when it's "budget-review night."
When we lived in Oak Harbor, WA our pastor once said to the church, "I will never talk to you about money when we are in need of money." Caleb and I want you to know that we have prepared for this adoption and we are taking active steps to pay for it. We are not talking to you about money because we are in need of money.
That being said, some of you have approached us and asked about donations. There are no words. We are beyond grateful that anyone would even consider supporting us financially. Thank you for offering to ease the burden. We know that many of you have a heart for orphans but adoption isn't necessarily right for your family. Or not right now. We get that. We've been there. For those of you interested, I have added an easy PayPal donation button on this page. But, please, please know that we will complete this adoption. We are not in a desperate situation. Our children will come home to us. We do not want to mislead any of you in any way. God will make this happen. Please do not feel obligated. Your prayers are desired and needed and more than enough.
We have taken steps and are making sacrifices and God is so good.
The first thing God has done is given me a husband who is a great provider and fantastic budgeter. He is a man with a plan, an income, and a spreadsheet. Caleb is gifted with interest and knowledge about saving and budgeting and wise financial decisions. And every time I notice that he has opened Excel on the computer, I slowly back out of the room without making any sudden movements. While I am by no means a spender, I am pretty clueless about investing and other grown-up money topics. My talents lie elsewhere. Like making other plans when it's "budget-review night."
The second blessing that has recently occurred is a great opportunity for me. I have been hired as a part-time Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) contractor with an awesome company called TinyEYE. This fall, J & E will both be in part-time preschool and I will provide teletherapy services from home, while wearing a nice shirt and yoga pants, y'all. I get to sit at my kitchen table and video chat with kids. TinyEYE remotely provides speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy to students in school districts that are in need of those services. With the support of an e-helper (an adult in the room with the students) I am able to have a therapy session just like if I were in the room, too. It is so, so wonderful and I am thrilled that I get to continue to stay home with my kids while practicing in the career I love and bulking up our adoption funding.
I also spent this spring and summer scoring state standardized tests for Educational Testing Services (ETS.) It didn't pay much, but every little bit helps, right?! I continue to sell Jamberry Nails as extra income, as well.
The third way to help pay for our adoption is the least fun. We are analyzing our spending and making cuts as needed. When we decided to move forward with the adoption, I called the woman who cleaned our house and cried. J asks every other day, "Mom, when is the housecleaner coming back?" so I may or may not be filling her shoes well. We are changing our cell phone plan as soon as out contract is up. I quit watering the flowers which saves on our water bill. Technically, that counts...
Other changes will be made and other opportunities will arise. We are thankful for what we have been given. And we trust that, while our flowers may not, we will thrive.
We are glad to know that we have so many people standing behind us as we move into the unknown. It takes a village and we defnitely feel your support. Thank you, again. I know I close just about every post thanking you, but I really mean it. Thank you for praying, for reading, for your time. It is so wonderful to be able to share our joys and burdens with you. Thank YOU.
We are glad to know that we have so many people standing behind us as we move into the unknown. It takes a village and we defnitely feel your support. Thank you, again. I know I close just about every post thanking you, but I really mean it. Thank you for praying, for reading, for your time. It is so wonderful to be able to share our joys and burdens with you. Thank YOU.
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