The suitcases are filling...

Thanks so much to everyone who has begun helping Sammy fill his suitcases. Here he is admiring some of the donations he received. We really appreciate you being part of our adoption day celebration!

Pretty card

Peppermint Dots Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Second Annual Adoption Day Fundraiser

Hello friends and family, today marks the second anniversary of Samuel officially becoming a part of our family. We are making it a tradition to do some type of fundraiser each year on the date of Sam's adoption day to give back to his birth country of Ethiopia. Many of you know that we are in the process to adopt a second child from there. We decided this year we would collect monetary and physical donations that Sam could pack in his own suitcase that we would deliver on our trips. We will be traveling to Ethiopia twice for our second adoption which will allow Sam to pack at least one suitcase each trip (maybe more:) This will give Sam a tangible way to give back to his birth country. So Sam (and we) are asking you all to help him fill his suitcases. We can transport donations from here and we can also collect monetary donations to take over to Ethiopia and buy donations there to help support the local economy. (Formula and cloth diapers are something needed and available to purchase there). If you would like to make a monetary donation you can do that with a check to either Eric or Allyson who will buy donations in country. If you would like to make a physical donation here is a list of suggestions:

Items specifically for our friends at the Drawn from Water Orphanage - www.drawnfromwater.org :

• Disposable diapers - smaller sizes, small baby clothing

Items for Children's Hope's House of Hope (our adoption agency) and local orphanages we will visit (possibly Sam's and our new son's orphanage):

• Medical items (for children and staff accepted) - surgical masks, chewable and Polyvisol drop multivitamins, Neosporin ointment, band aids, Tylenol, thermometers, skin creams, toothbrushes, toothpaste, baby soaps and lotions, deodorant etc.
  

• Developmental toys – picture or board games, books, wooden blocks, rattles, mobiles, coloring books and large crayons for older children, puzzles, jump ropes, etc. Shoes, either new or gently used, for the children at the House of Hope are welcomed and appreciated. - They could specifically use shoes and clothes for the older children. Gender specific toys.

• Other baby care items needed for donations may include diaper pins, new nipples (in all sizes – not nuk/pacifier shaped) and bottles, baby wipes, teeth rings, high-quality clothes (all sizes and seasons!). Coats, sweaters, jackets, pajamas. All clothes should be clean, comfortable and if used, gently worn. Bottles, such as the Playtex brand system work well; see that the nipple has only one hole so that the flow is not too fast; additional holes can be added if necessary, using a clean pin. Underwear for toddlers and older children.

• The donation of formula for infants and older children is always needed, as are diapers (cloth). Both diapers and formula can be easily purchased in Addis, so if you’d like to cut down on luggage weight, purchase these in country to donate to the House of Hope or your child’s orphanage. Since it is highly recommended to keep the children on the same formula that they are used to, this is another reason to purchase formula in country; also it helps to boost the Ethiopian economy.

We will be posting on this blog about Sammy's progress in filling his suitcases. If you make a monetary donation we will let you know a specific list of everything that we buy and the price so you will know exactly where your money was spent. At this time we are not sure when we will be traveling to Ethiopia, however we anticipate that it will be within the next 2-5 months. We are eagerly awaiting the referral of our second child and look forward to helping Sam fill his suitcases in honor of his adoption! Thanks for doing what you can to help Sam fill his suitcases! Email us if you have any specific questions. Thank you!

Love, Sammy, Allyson and Eric