New Networking Idea - What do you think? Would you be willing to participate?

We have decided to get a bit more "aggressive" in our networking. 

 

We have decided to print of small business cards with our family's picture, a brief description of our desire to adopt, and contact info for our family and our agency. It would be our hope, that our friends and family might be willing to help spread the word!? Stick a card or 2 in your purse or wallet and leave it in the waiting room of the dentist or the OB office - maybe even at a salon or library. Maybe you even hear of (or know of) someone personally to give a card to!? 

 

 We are planning to get a new family photo and order these business cards within the next few weeks. Might you be willing to help us network these cards? If so, we would be willing to ship them to you! 5, 10, 15, . . . .just tell us how many you would like and we'll get them out to you as soon as they are ready! 

 

What do you think? Thoughts? Suggestions?

Not much to update . . .

Not much to update….everyone keeps asking if there is any news….we wish we did, but not yet! We are still waiting. But all this waiting is expected…adoption is not a fast process unfortunately L But please keep asking!!!!! We love talking about it! We are SO, SO excited!

In the meantime, we are looking to get a family lawyer and working on procuring an adoption loan for $20,000!!!! (WOW!!!!) We are still hoping to raise at least part of this…Definitely a FAITH journey!

We are home study approved for a domestic adoption (Within the US – we did not do an international home study and therefore, are ineligible to adopt overseas – at least for this adoption! Who knows, maybe we’ll adopt again in the future!)

We are also looking to adopt a child Benji’s age (2.5) or younger. (Of course, we are “hoping” for an infant but are open to adopting a young toddler) Why? Because we feel as if we can take on that responsibility. We do not feel as though we are in a place to take on an older child. Again, we hope to perhaps be able to do this in the future. We would love to adopt some older kids….but right now, having 3 little ones, we feel clearly led to adopt a child younger than our youngest.

Please keep spreading the word. We would love to adopt a special needs baby (especially Down Syndrome or similar syndrome) but we would also love to welcome a typical, healthy child into our hearts and lives. I just know there is a perfect little one out there for us – we just need to find each other. Maybe you can be the one to bring us together! Know of someone who is considering placing their baby for adoption or even considering an abortion? Please ask them to consider our family as an option. Even feel free to give them our contact info or blog address.

We can’t wait to add to our family! Thank-you for reading. Please keep the prayers coming and please SHARE our story.

Sincerely,

Joe and Hannah

jebutler@liberty.edu

276-780-2077

What's Going On?! No news yet?!?!?!

Figured it was time to update everyone on the adoption.

The home study was approved and now all we have to do is get some forms notarized, and submit the $7,000 and the family profiles. We have a meeting with our case worker on the 18th to turn in the photo books and the check! We are still a few hundred short so we are waiting until after Joe's pay date (12/15) to pay the pre-placement fee.

We are hoping to apply for a loan for $15,000 after the holidays to cover the remainder of the cost. EXPENSIVE! But we know it will be so worth it when this new little one makes their way into our hearts and lives. Please pray with us that the funds continue to come in.

Once we pay the $7,000 we will be placed on the list of active families. We are also working on our online profile we will put on Bethany's website. We hope and pray that God will bring the right baby at that right time and that He will provide for us.

However, until we have the loan procured or the cash raised, we will still not be eligible for placement although we are eligible to be selected by a birth parent (Does that make sense?) So, we have to have the the funds available before we can complete placement of a child. Things have been especially tight with the holidays, and many unexpected expenses such as car trouble, medical/pharmacy bills, and travel. We are trusting God to provide and we are trying to be good stewards with our funds. We are hopeful that after the new year, we can afford to take out a moderate private loan to cover the remainder of the costs.

We are still looking for fundraising ideas. Please feel free to pass on suggestions! Currently, a friend is hosting a Scentsy party for our adoption and he is donating his commission from all sales to our adoption. This sale ends Saturday if you are interested. Check out my FB page for more info!

I can also bake pies ($12), Cookies (Sugar, cherry, coconut, chocolate chip etc) ($12 -  18 cookies), Muffins (Chocolate, chocolate chip, blueberry, lemon poppy seed, apple cinnamon etc ($8 dozen), or Breads (Banana, Pumpkin, Zucchini, Carrot, Apple/Cinnamon ($8 loaf).

So, this is where we are....Still waiting. Still saving.

Thank-you for your continued thoughts and prayers!

~Hannah

Do not be fooled!

Do not be fooled! :) There is a lot going on behind the scenes in concern to the adoption process.  During the past month, our case worker has been putting together our home study (which includes information about our family, our education, our goals, and even back ground checks).  The next step after the home study paperwork is completed, which should be any day, is to submit our adoption profile books and the pre-placement fee.

What is our adoption profile book?  Basically, this is the book that they will share with the birth parent(s) about who we are.  We took the time to talk about our life as a family, each of us as parents, the kiddos, and what it is like where we live.   Since we are primarily looking for a child with special needs, we also took time to speak to the unique challenges that Benji has faced to help show our experience with medical and developmental needs. 

I don’t think I can express enough how much we feel that God has directed us to help a child who is in need.  We have found ourselves often needing to defend the decision to adopt.  I am quite honestly not sure why.  From my viewpoint, if everyone said that they were not able, then think of all the individuals who would be in need.  Of course it is not convenient, but God has not called us to live a convenient life.  He has called us to love and serve others.  He has called us to step out on faith and trust Him to provide. 

Where are we financially? First, I want to say that we have been blessed considerably and generously by the gifts of others.  As well, God has provided additional funds within our finances to not only add to our adoption funds now, but to ensure that the finances will be in place to care for a new addition.  That being said, we need to write a check for $7,000 when our home study is completed.  We currently have just under $6,000.  We are not quite yet there, but it is amazing how close we are.  Much closer than I thought that we would be!

I am trusting that God will help provide the remaining funds in the next few days.  I am hoping and praying that you may consider supporting us.  If not financially, then prayerfully. 

Please pray that the funds come in…

Please pray that God prepares us as a family…

Please pray that God will prepare us mentally for the needs of this baby…

Please pray that God will protect the mother and the future baby which He will lead to us…

I am not sure if you know this or not, but we already had a potential match earlier in October.  Though the parents did not choose us, it did start preparing us for how quickly everything can come into place. 

Again, we ask for your prayers and support! Thank you!

Joe and Hannah

Note: If you would like to help us in the adoption process, please click the "Donate" icon on the right hand side of the screen. 

Fundraising/Preparation

As we draw closer to our approval date (Hopefully, November 1st) - we are starting to become a bit anxious and super excited! We really have no idea what God has in store for us. Our case worker has notified us that when we are approved, it is very possible that a match might happen quickly as there are only a handful of families signed up for Special-Needs adoptions through our agency, Bethany Christian Services. Although we keep telling ourselves that it may take up to a year or more....

Currently, we are STILL waiting for the VA clearances to complete our Home Study. Please say a prayer these come soon....we sent them out over a month ago! :(

We are believing that God will provide the remaining $1,500 we need to submit our pre-placement fee by our goal date. Hannah has taken on a part-time nanny position to help save for some of the additional expenses (i.e. potential travel expenses, lawyer fees, etc) - we are blessed to have this opportunity!

We are brainstorming fundraisers - it seems like everyone is being bombarded with fundraisers so it's difficult coming up with something creative that won't take away from any of our friend's endeavors. Hannah was thinking about baking and selling Apple Pies - she loves to bake and this is certainly the time of year for pies! What do you think? Would you pay $15.00 for a homemade apple pie???

Please share ANY thoughts or suggestions!

Finally, as many of you saw on FaceBook, Hannah recently moved Benji into the big boy room. (He is doing great with that BTW - and so is Hannah). Now, there is an empty crib in our room - ready and waiting! She has even been taking inventory on our baby supplies. I think she is beginning to nest!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers and don't forget to offer suggestions for fundraising!

Introduction Letter to a Future Birth Mom and Child

Some of you said it was difficult to read the pages in the photo book because you were unable to enlarge the view. So, we thought we would share the Introduction Letter with you. Enjoy! Please keep those prayers coming!!!!

Dear Sweet Baby,

We are thrilled that you and your Mom are viewing our profile! Your birth Mom is so strong and brave to be making the decision to find a loving family for you. We realize that you and your Mom must have been through a lot and we admire her strength to be able to make this tough choice. We know it must bear heavy on your Mom's heart and soul, but we are so thankful that she has chosen to give you this opportunity. We pray that your Mom is able to find the family she is searching for. 
  
So, Little One, you may ask - "why are you choosing to adopt?"
    
Well, when we announced our intent to adopt, a lot of people asked us the same question. To us the reason is simple - because our hearts are telling us to! Both of us want to add to our family. We dreamed of having a large family and were very saddened when we realized Hannah would no longer be able to have children. We love kids and feel as though our family is not yet complete. Adoption is the perfect option for us! We have the resources, the space, the time, the desire, and most importantly, the love to give.

We are open to the possibility of adopting a special-needs child. Our youngest child has several special-needs of his own, including prematurity and Down Syndrome. We feel well established with the group of specialists he sees for his own special-needs as well as his involvement in the Early Intervention programs. We have already learned so much through caring for our son, Benji, and therefore feel as though we are equipped to take on the responsibility of caring for another special little blessing.

Whether special-needs or ordinary-needs, we have open hearts and arms and look forward to adding an addition to our family.

Thank-you for your consideration as you and your Mom review our family profile. Whatever choice your Mom makes, we pray that she will feel strength and peace. May you be blessed to grow big and strong, Precious Little One!

Sincerely,
Hannah and Joe Butler

Adoption Family Profile

Click here to view this photo book larger

Here it is! The master piece we have been working on. We have approval from our Case Worker to PRINT! Hurray! Another step closer. 

All we need now is $1,500! We are so close. We are amazed how God has blessed us through the generosity of others. We cannot thank you enough for your prayers, words or encouragement, and financial support.

***Please fee free to pass this along! The more eyes that see this, the better our chances of matching us with a birth-mom***

ENJOY :) 

~The Butler Bunch