Another EASY way to help!

If you have ANY empty inkjet cartridges, cell phones, or laser cartridges, please let us know and we'll either pick them up or we'll pay for you to have them mailed to us.

Remember, all monies collected goes straight towards bringing our son home from Africa. He is ready :) So are we!

Please continue to pray over him, his safety and health and for God to sell a few cattle to send us to Africa! You are all helping to save a life (and my sanity LOL)

Please email at bart.brandi@mchsi.com for ways you can send your cartridges or phones.

Also, you can still send donations (100% tax deductible) to:

Lifesong For Orphans
ATTN: Crum #1277 Adoption
PO Box 40/202 N. Ford St.
Gridley, IL 61744

Not for the faint of heart

I must caution all of those in the process or considering adoption. It isn't for the faint hearted. There are things that you simply can and can not do. One, of which, is put your life on hold for your precious little one. Paperwork snafu's happen, delays happen, lack of communication or miscommunication happens.....there isn't a single day that I don't think of my son. Wonder how he is or if he's been hugged today. I found myself getting angry....why won't you hurry up, what do you mean you need *more* paperwork, why isn't this in country, why won't you call me back, I can't buy that extra gallon of milk because I can use that money towards the adoption. All these things go in and out of my little head, more times than not.

As a wise woman told me (she's an elderly lady LOL, love to you, T).....adoption isn't necessarily about providing a child with a home more than it is about sanctifying us in the process. All things happen for a reason and God's hand is all over my son and all the other little delays that happen. All things work together for good and to give Him honor and praise. I do not want the glory of adoption, I want my Lord to have it all. I hear people say, all the time, how impressed they are and how I'm saving a life. I didn't save a life...God chose me and my family to bless our home through adoption and HE saved our lives. This was His choice, not necessarily mine. I'm simply being obedient and I'm learning how to be patient. That is a hard lesson to learn, for me. I'm not the most patient person in the world.

For now, I have my pictures, I have a video, I have my thoughts and I have tons of prayers. I'm willing to answer (or find the answer) to any adoption question you might have. I've adopted through our foster care system and now I'm adopting internationally. Sincerely pray and ask God how He might use you and your family. All you have to do is be obedient to His call, the rest, He will take care of. You will be in awe of how He works things out!

Ways you can help

• Donating frequent flyer miles
• Donating items for yard sale
• Spreading the word on a spaghetti dinner/silent auction at a suggestion donation of $10 per person or $30 per family..invite as many people as you can (date to be announced if enough interest is in this)
• Donating pies/cookies/cakes for sale at the dinner
• Have your teen be willing to be a server for the dinner
• Donating items for the silent auction
• Putting up a donation jar with Jude's picture on it at your local business
• Prayer, lots and lots of prayer
• Monetary donations that are 100% tax deductible (the address to Lifesong is at the top of this page) *this will go towards traveling twice, room, food, shots for B and me, gifts to the other orphans at the orphanage
  
• Being available to watch my other 5 children during the day while I'm gone and B is at work
• Any boy clothes/shoes....I'm saying about a 3T in clothes and a size 5 in shoes
• We are in need of a set of bunk beds
• We are also in need of a toddler bed
• You can purchase (or ask for...we have some left) M & M tubes...eat the goodies and then fill the jar up with quarters and return them to us.
• Any fundraiser ideas are welcomed!

Here is the address for any monetary donations:

Lifesong For Orphans
ATTN: Crum #1277 Adoption
PO Box 40/202 N. Ford St.
Gridley, IL 61744

Love it!

Don't ya love checking your email and you get a wonderful surprise! Here was my surprise, this morning :) We got 2 new pictures of our little man....Israel Jude Abinet Crum :) For those of you who know me and my family, picture a little boy that looks like the chocolate version of Catfish :)

I had his pictures posted, but due to the fact that we haven't passed court, yet, I had to take them down :( *thanks again, Ms. Hannah, for the heads up*

Just know that he is edible, tiny and in most of his pictures, he is wearing something pink LOL

:/

I'm a bad bad bloggin' mama.

I simply haven't had any new info to post, so therefore, I haven't posted.

I NOW have something to post. We have our referral. We are thrilled. I received it during one of the worst weeks of my life. Monday ended horribly with things that I never thought I'd have to deal with....I'm dealing with it. Tuesday was full making statements to important people, crying, praying (yelling rather), Wednesday was met with my pastor and a trusted counselor to try and make sense out of this horrible issue. Wednesday, I left for California. My friend from Finland was home and she wanted to see me....I needed to get away...then again, maybe I didn't need to get away. I was a train wreck on the plane. That was a lot of time to remind myself of what a horrible person/wife/parent I am. Once I safely landed, I was greeted with my dear friend, her sweet husband, precious baby and wonderful mother. Nothing but smiles and understanding. My friend "briefed" everyone on my situation, so supper was nothing short of how to properly maim men who don't understand that no means no. Things were okay, tense, not sleeping much, but okay Thursday and then Friday...we got a video of our precious son and pictures to boot. My tears of heartache were transforming into yelps and tears of joy. Everyone in the room was an emotional basketcase (I, of course, drug them by their hair to see my sweet son.)

It is official...we have chosen...we have been chosen...we have wonderful people in our lives that have brought us one step closer (you know who you are and thank you again). I have a bit more peace. I'm reminded everyday that each delay, each moment there isn't enough money, with each snafu...it is all ordained by a Big God. He will bring us together in His time and His time only. He sends people from the farthest east and the farthest west to meet the needs of His chosen ones, according to His will. I have to rest in that. He won't call our family to do something if he hadn't already ordained how it would all play out.

Once I figure out how to find my picture of my cutie.....I'll be posting it :) Blessings to all.

A daunting task

Who knew picking out names could be so traumatizing and hard! We have kicked around alot of names...none of which float my boat. If they float my boat, then they don't float B's boat :(

In this process, I have decided on a girls name, should we ever adopt again :) That's exciting, but B doesn't like it. I think Georgie is a precious name for a girl...........we shall see.

So, here we are.....Jude is a definite, but what goes with that? Any/every suggestion will be considered!

Finally, PROGRESS

We are officially in Ethiopia (our dossier, that is)....since Monday...by this coming Monday, it will be translated and then I get my referral!

One step closer to putting a face with a name and seeing my son...............then we wait...............again!