One of our first emails on facebook had to do with Laura offering me her prior Avon customers, products, and supplies to help my Avon business, as she had decided to become a Thirty-One Consultant instead of being an Avon Rep. That's just the kind of person she is - supportive, helpful, positive, thoughtful, and encouraging! And that's when I told her about our adoption and our sweet boy.
Well, as I said, in February I received an email from Laura saying this, "Hi Courtney! I know I've mentioned it before, but id love to help you raise some money, through Thirty-One, to use for all your upcoming expenses with adoption." Wow, I thought, how thoughtful and generous! Her email went on to say how blessed her family has been through Thirty-One and that she wanted to support us. She also said she prays for our family and our son (knowing others pray for our family and our son is AMAZING!).
Well in February, I felt oh no no no, we can't do this. I've never had a party like that and that's just too kind, too generous, I don't want to burden anyone, how can we accept? .... But over the next month or so, I felt a pulling on my heart (ever get those?) like God was saying, "Do it! I've providing for you through this," and my friend Niki said, "Do a party - its fun!" So I thought, "okay, why not?" So finally in April, I contacted Laura to do a party, and on April 23rd, I was blessed by the company of many of the women pictured below (and many who are not pictured unfortunately) who came on out in support of our adoption, out of their love for our family and our son, and well, naturally, I cried that evening, tears of gratitude, feeling abundantly loved and cared for, and wished I had more time to chat with each of you.
Sadly, I didn't pull out my camera til the end of the night, ugh............bummer............so unfortunately not all of the lovely women who came on out are pictured below! Wish I got pics of all of you.
And know what else?! Many ladies who couldn't be there joined in the fundraiser by shopping online - SO sweet and SUCH a surprise (Thank you Mary, Megan, Nancy, Brooke, Sue, Kelley, Melissa, ahh who am I forgetting?! Embarrassing......seriously, who?).
So blessed. After the evening, I sat and read notes of encouragement from these women. Adam was encouraged also, just by how many women came out!
Each of you is a blessing - thank you for being there Laura, Grammy, Kate, Chris, Kristin, Mimi, Madison, Anna Grace, Lilly, Kelli, Sallie Grace, Carrie, Holly, Aimee, Stephanie, Tara, Katie, Florie, Shelley, Christina, Niki, and whoever I'm forgetting, eek, aww man, who?).
I know life is busy, with husbands and kiddos, work, and home, and dinner, and homework, and sports and dance lessons and church committments and what not, and how tired we feel by the time evening rolls around.......... thank you for taking the time to come over - it meant so much to me to have you in my home. And I know there are family and friends who wanted to come and would've if they could've - thank you for your love too!!
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| Let's just say this day was a really, really busy day and Adam got stuck at work, and at less than 2 hours prior to partytime, I realized I was NOT going to be ready in time, so who did I call? My sister-in-law Katie and she came to my rescue - thank you Aunt Katie!! And then Florie walked in early to help with the kiddos. And a lovely lady from church helped me push my shopping cart from the register to my car when my kids were clearly D-O-N-E at Walmart that afternoon (thank you Mrs. Bodenstab!) God provides! |
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| I love how they are trying to NOT have their photo taken by kinda hunching over - heehee.......... |
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| Kelli - you as well canNOT hide by turning your back on my photo-taking, heehee, I'll just take a photo of your back! |
AND then... Miss Florie had a party as an off-shoot of my fundraiser party, and we were again blessed by Laura Bull with a donation from proceeds from Florie's party. How sweet is that?! And again blessed by Florie's family and friends (Thank you Tara and Deb and Donna and Beth and Florie's family and friends)!
This is how God proves Himself faithful, by surprising us with joy, with friendships, with love, with the support of people we don't even know and those we do know. Adam and I are encouraged by you. Truly, we sit and talk about the beautiful gestures of love and support from all of you daily. Its humbling. We live in awe. So if it takes a village, we have a village here! ;-) At our party, we had family, neighbors, work friends, church friends and friends of friends, and online we had participants in our fundraiser from Mass., Arizona, Maine, NY, and Maryland.
Its evenings like this that have gotten us through these extra unanticipated months of waiting. They help me go to sleep at night with an encouraged heart, rather than a discouraged heart, and I feel God's love through you. My heart swells and I can't wait to tell Benjamin about you all, about how loved he is, about all the people who helped to bring him home.
Thank you Laura! Thank you so very, very much! We raised $415!! This will be a great help with our travel expenses! Thank you to all who donated through this fundraiser!
Hope all of you lovely ladies love your Thirty-One bags and totes!
I see you stylin' them all - lookin' good! ;-)
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| Thank you Florie for having a par-tay! You are a blessing Girl! |
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| Dear Friend and Thirty-One Consultant Laura Bull and myself. Thank you Laura and so many family and friends for helping us bring Benjamin HOME! |
If you are in need of a Thirty-One product, check out Laura's website or contact her at: http://www.mythirtyone.com/LauraBull/
Laura's comment in an email after the party, said so well: "Such an amazing fellowship of women you have in your life. So many blessings of support, friendship, love, and faith are all around you."
Blessed. Thank you Lord for these women!
Please bless them for their kindness to our son and our family!
