Update on Orphanage Donations

A few weeks ago I invited you to be involved in donating educational materials to the orphanage school.  Take a look at what you did!

Thank you!  These things will make such a difference to the teachers and the children!

NOW I'm ready to go to China

Our bags have been ready to go for a few days now but there was one small thing keeping me from feeling ready to go.

My beautiful grand daughter, Miriam was born yesterday.  We were so hoping she would arrive before we left the country.  Ok, NOW we are ready to go.

Growing Feet...

Growing feet leads to this:

Don't worry!  Jen didn't break a leg.  She is simply outgrowing her AFOs. (Ankle Foot Orthosis)  She was casted at therapy this week to measure her for new ones.  She chose a kitty cat design with yellow foam this time.  Snazzy.....

I love how she can smile through the medical appointments now!  It wasn't that long ago that she SCREAMED when she saw anyone who vaguely resembled a doctor.

Jennifer is NINE!

She anticipated the day for weeks, and it was finally her turn!  Happy Birthday, Jen!

More Goodies for the Orphanage School!

I wasn't expecting any deliveries today, but it appears that Amazon was in a hurry to get them to us!  Thrilled to have more educational things to take to the school in Pat, Abigail and Jen's orphanage!  Thanks gals!  Keep them coming and I"ll keep finding room in the suitcases!  http://www.amazon.com/gp/baby-reg/ref=?ie=UTF8&lid=1BEFGESV2THMA

Educational Goodies are Arriving!

 

 Wow! This is awesome! Look what was delivered to my door today to take to the orphanage visit! I just posted the link a couple of days ago, and already goodies are arriving for the kids! Thank you so much for responding to the need!

If you'd like to help, there is still plenty of room in the suitcase, and ordering through the Amazon registry is super fast and easy.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/baby-reg/ref=?ie=UTF8&lid=1BEFGESV2THMA

Thank you, Pyramid Educational Consultants!

Pat, Abigail and Jen were fortunate to have an NGO (Non Government Organization) set up a school in their orphanage.  You see, in China most orphans aren't allowed to attend school, especially if they have some sort of a physical or mental challenge.  Our children were so blessed to have this school within their orphanage, and be given the opportunity for stimulation and to learn.

Once we received our Travel Approval I contacted the director of the school to ask if there was something they needed to help with their work there.  She told me about their hope to begin PECS = Picture Exchange Communication System - with the non verbal children so they would have a way to communicate. 

Abigail's adoption file indicated that she could not speak.  She has come a very long way (to the point that she has earned the pet name from me of "Gabby Gail") but she still has severe speech issues.  She understands everything, but her brain is not able to tell her mouth how to get the words out.  So, the PECS system immediately got my attention, and I knew right away what our family would be taking to donate to the school.

Ahhh! I'm so excited! After seeing on Amazon that the PECS Starter Kit might take up to 25 days to get to me I tracked down the publisher. I shared the story of how I NEED this very soon so it can go to an orphanage in Southern China. They listened to my story, took my order (and will ship it today!) PLUS they are also sending some donations themselves to help the non verbal kids. So a big call out to Pyramid Educational Consultants for their customer response and their generosity!  I'm so excited to be able to take this with us as we travel next month!

 Would you like to donate some educational materials to enrich the lives of the children?  We were given a list, and I have tracked down similar things on Amazon, and put them in a registry.   Most of the things are in the $10 range - starting at about $5.00, with the most expensive being less than $50.00.  And most require no shipping fee if you have Amazon Prime.  This is such a practical way to help orphans, and can make such a difference in the quality of their lives.  When you order you can request it be sent directly to me (they have my address on the registry) so it really is EASY and affordable.  Here is the link http://www.amazon.com/gp/baby-reg/ref=?ie=UTF8&lid=1BEFGESV2THMA   

I'll be sure to post a picture of what comes in, and what I HOPE is a suitcase full of things for the school to use.  Thank you for your help!