Since We've Been Away...

Since the last blog post, we have:

--gone camping, and survived, though Iain threw up twice. Not our best camping trip.

--had our profile shown once.

--almost finished school. One more week!

--celebrated Jeremy's birthday with burgers, banana pudding, Nero Wolfe, and the kids' present to him: a stuffed Timmy from Shaun the Sheep (they were so incredibly excited to give him this stuffed sheep. It was hilarious.).

--gone to FL and back (Jeremy had a training for work and we went along). Rode go-carts and went to the beach. And a really great splash pad.

--given Laina an Adoption Day gift, which she loves. It's hanging in her room and she points to it and says, "Laina, Mama's hand, Anna." Anna is Laina's doll. :) (Painting is from this Etsy shop. It's so sweet.)

--tried a new hairstyle. I think it's cute. Jeremy, not quite so much.

 --laughed at these silly friends.

 --adored Laina's new "sleepy hat."

--made 14 new Bird's Nest Necklaces! (We're still making them, if you want to order one. Click here for details.)

--reached $2000 in our Piece by Piece fundraiser. Thank you all!! (If you want to chip in, click "chip in" on the left!)

Mother's Day 2012

Guest post by Jeremy


So I am commandeering the blog for a special Mother’s Day edition of Notes in the Margins. I have never blogged before, but my wife Allie really is worth celebrating! This year has been an especially big one for Allie as a mom. She wouldn’t go on and on about her achievements, but I sure would. This past year she:

• officially started homeschooling our two boys (although she began teaching them to read in previous years)
• began life as an adoptive mom with the arrival of Laina
• visited Uganda to help her sister Kelsey minister to orphans with Sixty Feet
• worked tirelessly to provide a great Kids curriculum for the K-5 Children’s ministry
• blasted through mounds of paperwork to get us paper-ready for our latest (domestic) adoption
• initiated the fundraising efforts for our latest adoption, including making over fifty necklaces and collaborating on our Piece by Piece fundraiser
• maintained this excellent blog
• took part in teaching our church’s ladies on topics ranging from homemaking to Christian community

…All this plus entertaining guests, caring for the many needs of our three kids, and making our home a great place to live. Whew! I’m getting tired just thinking about it all.

Based on my (very) limited experience subbing in for her, I can tell you that just the homemaking and kid-care is an exhausting endeavor. In recognition of that, our Mother’s Day 2012 began by letting Allie sleep in. While Allie snoozed peacefully, a team of skilled artisans flexed their creative muscles creating cards of unparalleled beauty…

When the special lady awoke and had a little while to get her bearings, we went out on an errand, then took her out for a very special luncheon at Panera Bread.

Normally, Allie enjoys getting to go to Panera alone to do some writing (creative or otherwise), but it has also become one of the preferred destinations for Mother/Son dates. The boys often rave (well, they rave all the time—they are loons) about their trips to Panera, so we decided it was about time the whole tribe invaded her peaceful haunt for a special celebration.

Our crack team of craftsmen presented their cards. Food was savored. Heartfelt thanks were extended to the lady of the hour. Gifts were given. And let’s just say that between Allie’s mom and us, Lisa Leonard Designs did quite well this Mother’s Day :)

Finally, I have to say that Allie is an amazing mom. She listens to our kids, plans special outings and celebrations with them, spends hours poring over homeschooling curriculum, sings them silly songs at night as they go to bed (including “Winter Wonderland” year-round!), celebrates their achievements, corrects their transgressions, holds them when they are hurt or weary or just plain need a snuggle, and teaches them about Jesus through the Bible. Basically, she manages their lives for them. The reason our kids smile, laugh and enjoy their little lives is that she is their mom. Happy Mother’s Day, Allie!

Piece by Piece

We are excited to announce

Piece by Piece is the big one--our main fundraiser for the adoption of sweet baby Brannon. Would you check it out?

Basically, we have a 1000-piece puzzle with a very special picture on the front. We're asking people to partner with us in this adoption by sponsoring puzzle pieces for $10 each. When someone sponsors one or more pieces, we will inscribe their name on the back. When the puzzle is complete, we'll frame it with glass on both sides, so the picture and the names are visible. When we hang this in the baby's room, she'll be able to see how many people helped bring her home.

The chip-in widget on the right side of this blog will track our progress. Giving is through Paypal and is secure. Would you consider sponsoring one or more puzzle pieces? 

There's one more thing you can do to help us--and this one's really important. We need to get the word out. We need to harness the networking power of the internet and reach a thousand people who will sponsor a piece. We believe it's possible (with God's help and yours)! So we'd really appreciate it if you'd Facebook, blog, tweet, whatever.

You can send people to the Brannon Family Adoption Blog. Watch the video, order a necklace, sponsor a puzzle piece, tell a friend.

We can't thank you enough for being part of this adoption!

...in other news, we've been blown away by the response to the bird's nest necklaces. In the past seven days, we've made and mailed FIFTY-ONE necklaces! We're still accepting orders--just plan on a 2-week delivery time. 

One night's work:

Happy Adoption Day, Laina

A year ago today, this girl, who already had our hearts, became legally our daughter. We're so thankful to be Laina's family. We love you, Laina-Bug!

And today:

Nest Necklaces

Thank you all for your response to our first fundraiser for adoption #2! I've been getting a lot of questions about colors, so here's a picture of all the colors I have. I just got the green today (lots of people have been doing a birthstone thing--and there are a lot of babies born in May, apparently!).

UPDATE:

Here's how to order:

1. Click here, or use the "ChipIn" icon on this page. This is a secure transaction via PayPal.
2. Enter $20 as the price per necklace.
3. Be sure to indicate the color and number of eggs in the "Notes" field. You can also mix and match the colors of the eggs, perhaps selecting them by birthstone color. View more options and a list of colors below.
4. If you have any questions or additional instructions, e-mail us at brannonadoption [at] gmail [dot] com, or leave a comment on this blog.

Thank you all who have been sharing this fundraiser! We appreciate it so much!

Mother's Day Gift Idea!

So this isn't the big fund-raiser reveal, but it is a little fund-raiser. However, it's also a great Mother's Day gift, so really, we both win. :)

May I present, for your consideration, these sweet little bird's nest necklaces? Made by yours truly, they are completely customizable with choices in color and number of beads. One egg for each little one in your nest. The bird's nest is strung on a 18"chain. The price (which will be completely used for our adoption and includes shipping) is $20.

Color choices for beads: (you can mix and match too)
turquoise
blue
dark blue
pearl
red
grey
light brown
dark brown
yellow
black (pearly)
pale green
pink

If you buy one by May 9th, I can get it to you in time for Mother's Day. I can do one to seven eggs. I haven't tried more than that, but I will if someone requests it!

Here's how to order:

1. Click here, or use the "ChipIn" icon on this page. This is a secure transaction via PayPal.
2. Enter $20 as the price per necklace.
3. Be sure to indicate the color and number of eggs in the "Notes" field. You can also mix and match the colors of the eggs, perhaps selecting them by birthstone color. View more options and a list of colors below.
4. If you have any questions or additional instructions, e-mail us at brannonadoption [at] gmail [dot] com, or leave a comment on this blog.

Mother's Day gift: check! Adoption contribution: check! Our sincere gratitude: yours!