FUNDRAISING INFO!!!!

Ok, folks, we are going to start fundraising full force to bring Brooklyn and Jaxon home. I had NO IDEA how hard it would be to get through the process of international adoption! I am a little bit of a control freak and not having control over what my children are doing, who is caring for them, what they are eating or what their daily schedule is is KILLING ME! I'm having to learn that as much as I love my kids, their heavenly Father loves them even more...and guess what?!?! He DOES have control over their day-to-day lives! So anyway, what I can do while I wait is raise money to eliminate some of the cost we will incurr.
Sooooo, we are going to have a Chick-Fil-A fundraiser meal on Saturday, February 18th. The exact time and place is still being ironed out. The cost of each meal is $6 and you can RSVP to donahopartyof4@yahoo.com. At this event, we will also have a silent auction being held with items donated. If you make any type of craft or sell any sort of item that you would like to place in the auction, please let me know! We will also have puzzle pieces available for purchase. Please see below the description of how this fundraiser works. This is also a perfect time for you to return your change baby bottles if you haven't done it by then...I don't have a to of extra time for big fundraisers, so this is probably the last BIG one we will do...We will try to do a few more little ones. I hope you will join us for this family event...more info to follow!




PUZZLE PIECE FUNDRAISER
I have seen this on several adoption blogs as a fundraiser people have done to raise money. We have purchased a 250 piece puzzle for Brooklyn and a 250 piece puzzle for Jaxon. The idea is that individuals or families can purchase one (or more) puzzle piece for $10 each. When you purchase the piece, turn to the back of the puzzle and write your name, family's name, a scripture reference, word of encouragement or whatever you want the kids to have as a memory. Then you leave the puzzle piece with us. When the puzzle has been completely sold, we will assemble it, glues it and frame it with the back displayed through the frame. We will hang these puzzles in their room so they will always remember how many people had a hand in them coming home. It will be a great keepsake for them always.

WE ARE PREGNANT...and expecting TWO!!!!

Well, friends...it's been a  long road to growing our family in the way that God has called us to, but it's finally here! My heart is pregnant with a beautiful girl...and a beautiful boy! I know, I know...this blog is called "Donaho Party of 4", not Donaho Party of 5! Just goes to show you that God knows more than we do! Let me start from the beginning...
As, you know, my friend Heather lives in Haiti caring for God's children there. She has over 70 children in her creche that are eligible for adoption. In September, Heather came to America and spent some time with us. Right before she came to the states, she rescued a 1 year old little girl. She called me and explained that she had a bond with this child that she had never felt before. Heather has adopted 7 times herself and is in process for a few Haitian adoptions, so I asked her if it was a bond like she was supposed to adopt her...she said no...I asked her if we were supposed to adopt her and she said she didn't know...this little girl just had a special place in her heart.
While she was here in the states, after several conversations, Alex and I began seriously talking about adopting a sibling group from her creche. We felt like that was what God was calling us to do...therefore, this little girl was out of the question for us. We weren't adopting a sibling group AND her! So, I felt like we were just supposed to seek God to find out which kids he had for us. I knew it would be clear when the right sibling group was available. However, this whole time, I just kept thinking about this special little girl...I prayed that God would pick her family and that Heather would know the right family for her to go to.
When Heather left Oklahoma, she spent some time in Virginia. One day in October, I got this random text from her telling me to check her facebook page and look at the new baby that they took in in Haiti. She called me then and said that the little girl's birth mother dropped by the mission and dropped off a newborn baby boy. My heart dropped into my feet! This little girl that Heather and I couldn't move past was a sibling group now! I was completely speechless at that point and I knew that God was confirming to me that these were our kids.
In October, I was able to go to Haiti and spend some time with them. This Christmas, Alex, Raley and I were all able to go spend 9 days with them. We had them in a hotel with us 24 hours a day and lived as a family for that week and a half. So now, we are OFFICIALLY MATCHED!!! They are our kids! They are now, 17 months and 4 months. 

Brooklyn Rae Donaho will be 2 on July 20 and Jaxon Robert Donaho will be 1 on August 31st. They are BEAUTIFUL, healthy and lovable babies. Brooklyn is SUCH a Daddy's girl! We couldn't pry her out of Alex's arms! Jax is so laid back and appears that he will be my mama's boy, but he is pretty content with anyone loving on him! We are SOOOO excited to welcome them into our family! If all goes as planned, we will have them in our home in 2012. We know it will be a looonnnggg year, but we also know that the blessing of being smack dab in the middle of God's will for our family is HUGE!!! :-) We know that there have been many ups and downs for anyone who has followed us on this journey, but we feel like we are without a doubt, on the road that God has called us to! There will be more info on them to follow...more pictures of them...and more trips to Haiti!