Week 17 FUNdraising Friday Update

This week has been KRAZY!! With all the last minute Mother's Day gifts being ordered, I was busy all week making sure all of them were finished and ready for pickup today or tomorrow! I succeeded! I so enjoyed making these specials gifts for those special women in your lives. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this year's Mother's Day gift! I hope she enjoys it!

This was another BIG week. We were able to deposit $1257! That's one of the highest amounts so far! Thank you! We are getting to our goal quickly and that is exciting! 

Here's the week 17 breakdown:

Puzzle fundraiser: $4182.59 (859 pieces SOLD - 141 pieces unnamed...please help us name them all!) We are so close to finishing this puzzle! I can't wait to start putting it together! 

Krafts by Katie: $6825.96

Jewelry Fundraiser: $266.92 (after auction)

CoupAide (gift certificates) Fundraiser: $520 We currently have 52 buyers! Can you take advantage of this great deal? You pay $20 for $50 restaurant gift certificate. Awesome WIN for both of us!

GRAND TOTAL: $11,795.47.............OVER 50% OF GOAL IS MET!!!!!!!!!!

We have now crested over the 50% mark and are at 53.6% of the goal! What a relief! Last week was huge because we got to the 5 digit number mark...but this week is even better! Now we can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel concerning our fundraising efforts!

Speaking of fundraising, remember that new fundraiser I mentioned? Well, it's official and I can finally tell you a little about it! We are partnering with a new restaurant opening up on the westside of town called Paul's Wood-Fired Burgers! They will be cooking burgers, hotdogs, and chicken plates for us on June 14th and the proceeds go to our adoption fund! We will also be having a silent auction, fun blow ups for the kids, 50/50 raffle, and other fun things to keep you there having a great time! For more info, visit our facebook event page and RSVP that you're coming! It's going to be so much fun!

Another fun thing I was asked to do the other day by a good friend was to set up a table at the Hangar for an event happening this coming Thursday. This event is a ticketed event only AND unfortunately all the tickets are gone:( Here's the details though:

All area tween and teen girls and moms are invited to this special evening event featuring our special guest, Kylie Bisutti, author of I'm No Angel (her new release from Tyndale House Publishing releases on 5/14/13). As part of her national launch tour, Kylie will be visiting Spartanburg, SC and sharing the testimony of how she walked away from her childhood dream of being a Victoria's Secretmodel. Young ladies and moms alike will be challenged by her behind-the-scenes look at the fashion world, as well as her down-to-earth thoughts and suggestions on how to dress fashionably, yet modestly; and what really makes a young woman "beautiful." Ali Rogers (reigning Miss South Carolina and first runner-up to Miss America this year) will be our guest host for the evening! Additionally, the evening includes a fashion show, fashion exhibits and great door prizes!

I think it's going to be fantastic! I'm going to be the only vendor there selling the kind of stuff I sell, so I'm hoping people will LOVE my krafts and ORDER!! 

Thanks again for another awesome week! I look forward to posting about a great week next week too!!

XOXO,

Katie

Week 16 FUNdraising Friday Update

This is the week I've been waiting for! We are currently 4 months into fundraising. I knew in the past we had raised well over $700 in a one week span, but I was wondering if we would hit that $10,000 milestone or not (because last week we were so close). Well, yesterday around this time, we had about $575 ready to deposit. Ok, so we would be a little short of the $10,000, but that's ok because depositing that much is still GREAT! 

WELL, today, God poured down His blessings on us BIG TIME! With many more last minute Mother's Day orders coming in as well as a $420 donation we were able to deposit $1431.97. This is a weekly record-highest weekly amount deposited. Praise the Lord! God is good and NOW, we are ALMOST half way to our MAJOR GOAL of $22,000. Check it out:

Here's the week 16 breakdown:

Puzzle fundraiser: $3608.15 (743 pieces SOLD - 257 pieces unnamed...please help us name them all!) We are so close to finishing this puzzle! I can't wait to start putting it together! 

Krafts by Katie: $6302.00

Jewelry Fundraiser: $266.92 (after auction)

CoupAide (gift certificates) Fundraiser: $520 We currently have 52 buyers! Can you take advantage of this great deal? You pay $20 for $50 restaurant gift certificate. Awesome WIN for both of us!

GRAND TOTAL: $10,697.07.............OMG we're in a 5 digit figure!!!!!!

These moments (each Friday) as I sit down and analyze all these figures, my heart is full of joy, gratitude, unworthiness, and peace. I will always remember those of you who have helped us get to the NOW. When you thought your $5 wasn't good enough....think again! THANK YOU! You guys are helping us make this possible and you will be forever in our hearts because of the sacrifice you have made.

Again, as I mentioned last week, we will be holding another fundraiser soon! Please go ahead and write this date on your calendar: FRIDAY, JUNE 14th, 2013! More details are to come, so keep watching out for those! 

XOXO,

Katie

Week 15 FUNdraising Friday Update

It seems like this week started out a little slow. As Friday kept nearing, I kept wondering if we would meet our "deposit $500 a week" goal or not. There hasn't been a week YET that we have not met our goal. So, I was a little worried. I prayed the Lord would somehow bring me some business...and people...he did just that! In one day (Thursday), $250 came in. It's like God was saying..."oh you of little faith - just trust me! I gotcha!" 

So, never do I doubt He will come through for us. I just continue to pray the Lord will send business our way, AND I have complete faith He will do that. He has proved faithful for 15 weeks. Why would He stop now? 

Even though we were able to deposit over $500 this week and meet our goal, it's one of those weeks where it didn't show. You business people know what I'm talking about. You've got to spend $$ to make it! But BOY...do I have a bunch of canvases ready for YOU!  

Here's the week 15 breakdown:

Puzzle fundraiser: $3188.15 (659 pieces SOLD - 341 pieces unnamed...please help us name them all!) We are so close to finishing this puzzle! I can't wait to start putting it together! 

Krafts by Katie: $5384.49

Jewelry Fundraiser: $266.92 (after auction)

CoupAide (gift certificates) Fundraiser: $470 We currently have 52 buyers! We need 5 more buyers to get our next $100 deposit to our fundraiser. It's such a great deal, and we hope you'll consider eating for CHEAP at one of the awesome restaurants from restaurant.com. Can you take advantage of this great deal? You pay $20 for $50 restaurant gift certificate. Awesome WIN for both of us!

GRAND TOTAL: $9309.56 (Just $690.44 away from $10,000!!!!!!!!!!!)

This brings us to 42.3% of our goal! We keep edging closer and closer to that 50% mark! Can you help us get there? We need you! 

Also, don't forget to check back for the next fundraising opportunity to support us! We are meeting with someone next week to confirm location and details of the fundraiser. Once that's done, I'll tell yall ALL about it!! Can't wait! Until then...

XOXO

Katie

Week 14 FUNdraising Friday Update

Has it really been 14 weeks? The time seems to be going super fast and I'm enjoying every moment. I'm so happy that the Lord showed me how to use my talents to raise money for our baby! I love all the items I have made for my customers, and I get so excited when a new challenge presents itself. I love it when a customer says "Can you do this?" It's so refreshing and heart-warming to make things for people that are so special to them. I sometimes have to sit, be quiet, and just reflect on what God is doing through Krafts by Katie. It truly is quite amazing!

I have a little bit of news to share with you all about another potential fundraiser in the works. Everything is just in the beginning stages, so I don't want to get ahead of myself. But, we are thinking about doing a hotdog lunch with silent auction/games/etc. to help raise more money for our adoption. I immediately thought to ask the church if we could use the dining hall (and I did), but that is not a possibility. However, because it is not a possibility, I reached out and asked friends if they knew of a place we could have it. I got several responses and I'm excited to say that both are GREAT options! I'm working on the details with these people to see which would be the best fit, and as soon as we decide, the planning will begin! So, hopefully you'll be able to come out and support us at this fundraiser! Good food, great friends, fun things to bid on, and games to bring out your competitve side! Stay tuned for more on this as the deets get hammered out!

I've gotten several different requests this week and found some pretty cool windows! Here's a few pics:

 Door hanger for a sweet girl!

 Super fun for grandparents to hang in their home!

 Take an old, rustic window and make a GORGEOUS piece for your home!

 Gotta love the "Love Story" quotes! One of the MOST popular for sure!

I had to do one for us! This is one of my favorite photos of Jason and me. (Thanks Jeslyn)!

Here's the week 14 breakdown:

Puzzle fundraiser: $3188.15 (659 pieces SOLD - 341 pieces unnamed...please help us name them all!) We are so close to finishing this puzzle! I can't wait to start putting it together!

Krafts by Katie: $5012.28

Jewelry Fundraiser: $266.92 (after auction)

CoupAide (gift certificates) Fundraiser: $470 We currently have 52 buyers! We need 5 more buyers to get our next $100 deposit to our fundraiser. It's such a great deal, and we hope you'll consider eating for CHEAP at one of the awesome restaurants from restaurant.com. Can you take advantage of this great deal? You pay $20 for $50 restaurant gift certificate. Awesome WIN for both of us!

GRAND TOTAL: $8937.35

We have reached 40.6% of our goal!!! We are so close to the 50% mark! I can just taste it!  We are just about $2,000 away from 50%! Thanks for your continued support! We are so grateful!

XOXO
Katie

Adoption Training

Last Friday, April 12th, we went to Columbia and spent the day at the Bethany office. It was 8:30-4:30 and I mostly enjoyed every minute. Before we got there, I really wasn't sure what to expect. Are we going to learn how to be good parents? Are we going to learn about the adoption process? I had questions about what would actually go on, but once we got there, they had the entire day planned out with an agenda for us to look at. The day was packed full!

Each case worker from each location, with the exception of Myrtle Beach (because she was SLAMMED and super busy), was there along with the head lady from Bethany. We started with a short little devotion time and prayer, and then we moved into a PowerPoint. Some of the topics discussed were the adoption process, openness and birthparents, post adoption issues, financial issues, legal information, etc. At the end of the day, we heard from one birth mother and two adoptive families. Like everyone else, we agreed this was the best part of the day! It truly was amazing to hear from a birth mother-who knew the best thing she could ever do for her child was to give him a life she knew she couldn't. This is the most selfless act and it is to be looked upon in the up most respect. These are not girls who make this decision lightly and simply "give up their child." They love this child so much that they want them to have a life they know they simply cannot provide. It was an eye opening time to say the least!

Then, we were lucky enough to hear from two adoptive families. One family adopted twin girls of a different race (they were so precious), and the other family got a call telling them they needed to be at "such and such" hospital the next day because a mother just gave birth and chose them to be the parents. Talk about one day you're a family of 2 and the next day a family of 3! WOAH! What a whirlwind to hear that story! It's such a blessing, but if you're a planner like me, I would have been a nervous wreck! I joked to Jason that since our story has been nothing short of a whirlwind, I wouldn't be surprised if our adoption was like that! But what a precious baby he is! And the parents are so in love! It brough such hope to my heart and such joy to see and hear from these wonderful families experiencing the joy that adoption brings.

So, the next step is for us to get our home study scheduled and completed. The home study is comprised of us meeting with the case worker at our home and individually at the Bethany office. We have been told to just be ourselves and not worry about everything being just perfect. No one/ no family is perfect and if you try to make it seem like that, red flags would rise. Then after our home study is completed and approved, we will be officially a "waiting family." We are put in the BIG BOOK (as Bethany calls it) for expectant mothers to look at and hopefully choose us to be the mommy and daddy of their child. We also learned that we can make a video that will go on the Bethany site so that families in other states can view our profile (video) and decide whether we are the right family for their child. Anybody good with a video camera and editing and want to take this on? LOL!

We also need to start getting our profile book ready! Hopefully I can find a good coupon code to use since we have to get 4 books printed for each office to have on hand. I am really excited to start working on it, but at the same time, this book determines who chooses us. So, I want to make sure this book describes us to a T! Maybe I can give you guys a little taste when it's complete!

Until then, stay tuned to the weekly updates! We are getting REALLY close to 50% of our goal! You can still help by buying puzzle pieces, krafts, or gift certificates! We appreciate all you guys have done to help us and we can't wait until the day comes when we get that last dollar to complete our goal! Oh, what a happy day that will be!

Week 13 FUNdraising Friday Update!

Here's the week 13 breakdown: 

Puzzle fundraiser: $2978.71 (616 pieces SOLD - 384 pieces unnamed...please help us name them all!) We are so close to finishing this puzzle! I can't wait to start putting it together! 

Krafts by Katie: $4609.55

Jewelry Fundraiser: $266.92 (after auction)

CoupAide (gift certificates) Fundraiser: $470  We currently have 52 buyers! We need 5 more buyers to get our next $100 deposit to our fundraiser. It's such a great deal, and we hope you'll consider eating for CHEAP at one of the awesome restaurants from restaurant.com. Can you take advantage of this great deal? You pay $20 for $50 restaurant gift certificate. Awesome WIN for both of us!

GRAND TOTAL: $8325.18

This brings us to 37.8% of our $22,000 goal! Thank you! We are so close to getting half way there! Keep spreading the word and getting our story out there to people you know can help! If you know of any kind of other fundraisers we could do or that someone could put together on our behalf, please let me know (neighborhood yard sales, pancake breakfasts/spaghetti suppers, online auctions, etc...We know we have a lot of friends with connections, so if you know of something we could do to raise more money, we are all ears!

Also, we just got home today from Columbia. We had our adoption training session all day and it was great. I'll post more about that soon! Yall have a great night! We love you! 

XOXO,

Katie

Week 12 FUNdraising Friday Update

I cannot believe Spring Break is already coming to an end. I had a really great week waking up late (around 8 or 9am each day), krafting, hanging out with my sweet boy, Bentley etc.! No major plans, I just wanted to rest and do each day as it came. Having said that, I did "work" a lot this week. I think we have another RECORD week! Today, I deposited $1273.51! That includes a $500 and $216 donation. So, thank you guys so much for continuing to bless us day in and day out! We feel the love, and it keeps us going! 

Here's the week 12 breakdown (3 months in already!!) 

Puzzle fundraiser: $2598.73 (540 pieces SOLD - 460 pieces unnamed...please help us name them all!) WE ARE HALF WAY DONE WITH THIS FUNDRAISER! YAY! I cannot WAIT to put this thing together!! I may need some help too friends! Just FYI!

Krafts by Katie: $4329.25
Jewelry Fundraiser: $266.92 (after auction)

CoupAide (gift certificates) Fundraiser: $470  We currently have 47 buyers! That's amazing, but we've hit a BUMP in the road with this fundraiser. It's such a great deal, and we hope you'll consider eating for CHEAP at one of the awesome restaurants from restaurant.com. Can you take advantage of this great deal? You pay $20 for $50 restaurant gift certificate. Awesome WIN for both of us!

GRAND TOTAL: $7664.90

We are at 34.8% of our goal! That means we are a TINY bit over the ONE THIRD mark! We did that in 3 months! That's awesome! So, if everything continues regularly and we keep depositing at least $500 a week, we can be done with our fundraiser in roughly 29 weeks. So, to put that in perspective--that would be October 25, 2013! I think we can do it!

But, with adoption, you just NEVER KNOW when you will be chosen, so the quicker the better. Most people say waiting time is about a year, but my mind says, "What if our profile gets chosen in 1 month??"  I know, I know, it's crazy! But possible right? God has a plan. He is leading us through and helping us each step of the way. That is very evident from the love and support we see on a daily basis! We are so grateful to you!

One more thing...I was contacted by Belle Magazine (a local free magazine published monthly) to tell readers about our journey and the fundraising efforts we have done along the way. I'm so thankful the Lord provided this! I'm excited about all the people that will be reached through this magazine and what kind of impact the Lord has planned! So, be looking for that!

LOVE you guys!
XOXO,
Katie