And the winner is.....

Thank You everyone for participating in our Coach Purse Giveaway!! The lucky winner is Jenci Wilson!! We will be shipping out this beautiful bag to you in Texas on Monday!!

Here is the video of my boys drawing the winner of the Coach Purse! Wesley got a little excited at the end and busted out some break dance moves!!



This fundraiser did not do as well as we had hoped and for a while I have been kind of down about the whole thing. But tonight when I looked at my blog post about the Coach purse giveaway and I seen that it had been viewed 302 times (I think thats alot) I relized that maybe just maybe this giveaway wasn't about raising funds for our adoption but it was about raising awarness of the worldwide orphan crisis. The numbers vary I have seen 132 million to up to 210 million orphans worldwide! What can you do to help this problem. Well first things first start praying. Pray for the orphan pray for the fatherless. Maybe just maybe with any luck god will show you what you can do to help with this worldwide problem!

Matthew 18:5 "And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me"


Blessings
The Prices

Haitian Artisan Bracelets

We have received 550 bracelets from The Apparent Project so far. We are selling these to raise funds for the adoption of our 3 kids from the country of Haiti!I think we have about 150 left! When those are gone we will be getting some more!! 

The Apparent Project is a Non-Profit 501 (c) 3 organization that is empowering the poor in Haiti. By teaching these Haitians the Artisan skill of paper bead making and recycling cardboard products such as cereal boxes, pop boxes and many more cardboard items. They are paving the way for a brighter future for there workers.

What is so special about these bracelets you may ask???

~They make great gifts… Mothers Day, Graduation, Birthdays, Teacher, Christmas, Brides Maids… 

~These bracelets are helping Haitian parents rise out of extreme poverty. Allowing them to find permanent housing, send their children to school and put food on the table.

~These bracelets are being used as a fundraising tool for many families who are raising funds to adopt Haitian Children.

~These bracelets are making the needs of Haiti APPARENT to those who purchase them to those who sale them.

~These bracelets are Inspiring adoration of our loving Father God with hope that one day HE will be Apparent to all.

We are selling each bracelet for $10 I will ship anywhere in the US for $11 per bracelet.

 A portion of the money goes back to the Haitian Artisan who made the bracelet you buy and a portion goes towards our adoption cost.

 The bracelets that I have left from my current bunch I have broken up into 4 color areas 

Yellows~ 

 

Brights ~

 

Reds & Oranges ~ 

Lights ~ 

Each bracelet comes with a tag on it telling about the Artisan who made the bracelet. The stories are heartbreaking. They tell about how they live in small 5x5 tents with 5 children they talk about how they want to make enough money to send there children to school or provide them with a daily meal. All things we take for granted. 

 

If you would like to purchase a bracelet please get a hold of me. I can be reached by email at krp1021@gmail.com you can call me at 219-208-0106 ( If I don't answer please leave a message that you are calling about bracelets.) you can also visit my facebook page  were I have some bracelets listed individually. 

~~ Can you help us sale some bracelets?? 

Post a link to my blog to your facebook wall for us or tweet about it. 

If you think you could sale some for us please let me know and I can get you some! The bracelets have been very easy to sale! 

Also if you know of an event where we can set up and sale bracelets please let me know. We want to sale these bracelets as long as we can so we can continue employing Haitians! Our dream is once we have our adoption funded we will continue raising money and help other families bring children home! 


Last but certainly not least! We need your Cereal Boxes!! If you save box tops for your school go ahead and cut them off fold the boxes down flat and start saving them! The more colorful the better but they are not picky and will take all cereal boxes!!The more cereal boxes we can get to Haiti the more Haitians Apparent Project can employ!! Ask your church to start saving, Ask your school to start saving, Ask your family and friends. 
If you are local boxes can be dropped off at my work. 
M&H Fleet Services, Inc 
9707 US Hwy 24 W 
Wolcott, IN 47994

If you have any questions please let me know. 

Thanks for looking : ) 

Blessings 

The Prices 

I'm A Working Mom

Yes I am a working mom and I am proud of it!! Let me just start off by saying I have no problem with stay at home moms... I think it is wonderful if that works for your family. I have plenty of stay at home mommy friends! We recently got a phone call from our adoption agency with some disturbing news. Its seems that the agency we have been working with has a vision. The founder of this agency has a vision to place children in home with Stay At Home Mothers. Now we have been working with this agency since October of 2011 and just now April of 2012 they are telling us that they won't be able to continue working with us because I have a job and I am not a stay at home mother! Yes you read all of that right because I have a job they won't be able to continue working with us! They have known all along that I had a job they have called me at my work. It is on our application form that I work I have a letter from my employee for our dossier. We  have read over all of the papers we signed with this agency and no where does it say anything about placing children in homes with stay at home moms. Its talks about placing children in homes with loving caring christian families which we are.  I think the fact that upsets me the most is that there are over

147 MILLION ORPHANS WORLDWIDE 

and because I am not a stay at home mom this agency won't work with us...??...  Does this make since to you?? I know it sure doesn't make since to me. With a number like 147,000,000 I think finding families with stay at home moms would be the least of my worries if I were an agency. (which may happen someday but that's another blog post and will have to wait until my kids come home) 

I think placing them in loving, caring christian families would be my most important goal! 

There are plenty days when I wish I was a stay at home mom but that doesn't work for us. To pay our bills and to be able to adopt it takes both of our incomes. I honestly don't know a lot of people that are stay at home moms. Most stay at home moms still work! They cook, clean, laundry, carpool, help at school the list is endless.... Yes I do all those things as well and yes some days its hard to juggle but we do it and we make the best of our crazy life!

The Census report for 2010 estimates 5.1 Million stay at home moms in the United States  yes I said 5.1 Million Stay at home moms that just 142 Million moms shy of solving the Global Orphan Crisis! 

Yes there are days when I forget things. There is even this one mom not naming any names who forgot to pick my her child up at Spanish club. This other mom threw her child's yearbook form away and ruined his life but luckily she is on PTO and pulled a few strings and got his yearbook ordered. And just today this other mom was picking up her child from preschool when another mom says to  her "are you coming to the 5th grade DARE graduation today".... What graduation she didn't know anything about it... But she did manage to leave her job and show up and surprise her child for his graduation! 

Just because I am a working mom doesn't mean I am not a good mom. Its what we choose to do and it works for our family. It also doesn't mean I won't be a good mommy to some children in Haiti that currently don't have a mommy. 

Maybe I haven't put my child to sleep in my desk drawer like this picture but I can guarantee I have sure brought my kiddos to work! And they have loved it!! Going out to the shop and seeing some Big Trucks is sure to be fun! And playing with moms pens and paper and sitting at moms desk that is the coolest!! 

I personally love this! I sale Thirty One in my free time! and this is there motto! I love it!! 

The Proverbs 31 woman is a virtuous woman.

A wife, mother and business woman...all knitted into one.

— Her character as a wife —

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

— Her devotion as a homemaker and generous person —

12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for servant girls.

16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

— Her influence as a teacher —

26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

— Her effectiveness as a mother —

27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

— Her excellence as a person —

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Many days you might feel like this when you have been home with the kids for a few days! lol.... But we all love our kids even when they drive us crazy! 

The bottom line what I am getting at here is Yes I am a working mom and because of this we are left to now find a new agency. What does this mean for our adoption process well its another step more papers to probably fill out and the biggest thing is more money and more time! The agency we were with had a very reasonable rate and we loved that about them! We have been talking with some other agency's today at this point there is only 2 that we know of that we can work with that our orphanage will allow us to work with and it is looking like we will have to pay an additional $6-10 thousand dollars!! Yikes that is not what we wanted to hear! The funny thing is I am not mad about this obviously god wanted us somewhere else and I am trusting him if we do have to pay more money he will also provide. Understanding his plan his timing this is all something I don't think will ever make since to me however I do know that he loves us more than we can ever imagine and he loves our kids more that we could ever love them. 

He will see them home and it will be all on his timing and his plan!

Psalm 118:8

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put 

confidence in man.” 

More Apparent Project Bracelets Have Arrived!!

We received our 2nd box of bracelets today!! So so very exciting!! Our first shipment was 100 and this shipment had 300 in it! It felt like Christmas morning going through all the different bracelets!! I will be posting them individually on facebook so be watching for that!! Visit my photo book of AP bracelets by clicking on the facebook link. 












The Apparent Project a non profit 501(c)3 empowering the poor of Haiti. The artisans guild uses discarded materials such as cereal and cracker boxes, oil drums, and trash paper to create beautiful “upcycled” pieces of jewelry, journals, and stylish home decor. While redeeming the Haitian landscape, these artisans are also bringing new hope to their families, employing themselves for a brighter future and earning the means to pay for their children's food, shelter, and education. That means less orphans, less crime, less garbage, less stress, and a whole lot more beauty. Visit the Apparent Project online. 


Bracelets are being sold for $10 or $11 if you wish to have it shipped to you!! The money from the bracelets then goes towards our adoption of our 3 beautiful kids from Haiti and it goes towards the Artisan who made the bracelet!! 


Here are some stories from the Artisans of the bracelets 

Janette the artisan of this bracelet has been living in a tent now for over a year and is hoping to use her earnings to get her family out of a tent and help her mother take care of her younger brothers and sisters

Mariette is the artisan who made this bracelet she is a new mom trying to make ends meet and take care of her darling son. She is working hard to be able to herself and her family and save for when her son is old enough for school. She is a joy to work with.

Eltha is the artisan of this bracelet she is a single mother of a little boy. She has not been able to care for her son so her mother has been his primary caretaker. She would like to use her earnings to rent a house and be reunited with her son.

Frenel is the artisan of this bracelet he is one of 9 children he is working his way out of poverty through his bean and jewelry making. He is proving to be quite and enterpreneur and hopes to someday start a taxi business with his earnings.

Jano is the artisan of this bracelet he is a new father of a baby girl. After the earthquake Jano was living in a tent but through hard work at apparent project as the security guard he was able to rent a house. He continues to show is determination to work hard through his jewelry making in the evenings and weekends.

Gedlene is the artisan of this bracelet she is a mother of 2 wonderful kids. She is living in a tent with her boyfriend and kids. She wod like to use her earnings to marry her boyfriend buy land build a house and take care of her kids.

Similien is the artisan of this bracelet she is currently living in a tent with her aging parents. She would like to use her earnings to take care of her parents and pay for herself to finish school.

Makilene is the artisan of this bracelet she is living in a 5x5 tent with her 5 children. She is trying to save for a house so that she won't have to relinquish two of her children to an orphanage. She is a joy to work with and one of our hardest workers.

Judith is the artisan who made this bracelet she is an aspiring young lady who is using her earnings to put herself through school and take care of her sister's family. She would lkke to someday be a teacher or doctor .

Richard is the artisan who made this bracelet he is one of the original paper bead makers. He has a tremendous work ethic and after having been a street kid hungry everyday for food he is happy to be working to take care of himself and his family

God is Gracious

What does God is Gracious mean to you?? 
I think it means the following ~ 


Gracious means merciful, compassionate, 
pleasantly kind, and courteous. Having grace, 
which is what God has, means favor, good will, 
mercy, and being able to give pardon. So God is all 
of the above.




God is Gracious~ 


We recently found out another part 
of little miss Sophia's name and it has Jean in it. 
When I seen this I almost cried as Jean is my 
Mam maw Betty's middle name. I thought how could 
this be god brought this little girl into our life for so 
many reasons! All of the hold ups and extra steps and 
switching home study agency's. God always has a
plan. Knowing this and trusting that god has a plan for our life has been our 
way of getting through this long adoption process. We now that in gods timing 
not ours our children will come home! 
If you will walk with god in the good times and 
hold on extra tight and walk through the bad times
he will be gracious. You will see his plan for your 
life unfold right in front of your eyes! Oh how 
wonderful that will be!! 

Psalm 86:15

¹⁵ But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
   slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Sophia means ~ Wisdom 




Wisdom means ~ 

Noun:

The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise. The soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of such experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

Jean Means ~ God is Gracious 

Again Gracious means merciful, compassionate, 

pleasantly kind, and courteous. Having grace, 

which is what God has, means favor, good will, 

mercy, and being able to give pardon. So God is all 

of the above.

This little girl is meant to be in our lives it amazes me every day of the story god is writing! I think we have decided on a name for this little girl. We will be calling her Sophia Jean!!