"School's Out for Summer!"...So Let's Start It Off with a Garage Sale for Our Adoption!

I can't believe it. Another year has come and gone. Today we had our awards and all students were gone at the end (12:30 pm!). Made for a nice rest of the day to get my classroom cleaned and packed up for the summer. Just a little bit left to do. It was a good year, and I lived and learned what not to do for next year, as well as, what I should do. We are all human, we all make mistakes...I just wish that certain people realized that. Oh, well. I will miss the kids...all individually. They each have their characteristics that I love. I will certainly remember them. Especially one student, A.M., who wrote me a really sweet good-bye letter...7 pages long! It will be one that I will treasure forever and it reminds me why I am in this job in the first place. I will probably keep it next to my bedside so that on days when everything seems so frustrating, I can take it out and read it before going to bed, and know that I did make a difference in a child's life. :)

On another note, Casey and I are having a multi-family garage sale this weekend to help raise money for our adoption! My great aunt who passed away a year ago this June, lived to the ripe old age of 100! There were lots of items that still did not get claimed, so my mom's oldest brother and my grandmother (my aunt's youngest and only remaining sibling) decided to allow Casey and me to try and sell the rest with all proceeds going to our adoption. My aunt even suggested that we ask for other donations from family members to add to the sale and see what happens. We went up there Memorial Day to get everything organized, and realized we needed to ask them to stop sending things! There is so much stuff that it's quite overwhelming. However, the items are from the past 100 years, so hopefully everyone that comes to the garage sale will find something they desire.

Hopefully I will be able to blog more now that the summer is here. Hopefully that will help me get into more of a blogging routine so that everyone can know our progress!

Adoption Process Update

Update on how we have been doing with our adoption process. We have started working on our adoption forms AND we have delivered all of our referrals to our friends...well, almost. I have to get one mailed because we forgot to take it with us when we went to visit. So we are working. It's going to take us some time though. The types of questions and what they need from us is such a process to get it all together...it's a bit overwhelming actually. So, that's it for now. Hopefully I will have more news the next time I write.

Fundraiser Update for December 31, 2011

So, we had our first fundraiser order taken and placed. For the first time, and being so close to the Christmas holiday and people seeming to be so strapped for money this year (?), we had a decent order. However, when we got the order and I started sorting out and getting it all together to pass out, we had been sent some of the wrong products. Ugh. So, I contacted those whose orders were incorrect, and thankfully I have some wonderful friends and family who were so understanding. I went ahead and fulfilled what I had for them and will try to get everything taken care of after the holidays. You see, the company we are working with is a home business and they took time off for the holidays, so I wasn't able to reach them to get it corrected. Again, ugh.

I don't know if Casey and I will choose to work with them again. I think it will depend on how well they work with us in getting this order corrected. I'm a little frustrated and disappointed because I was hoping that this would be a great option for us to go with and earn some extra money. I have been thinking of possible other back up plans and discussing with Casey and my neighbor who have been helping me sort through details. I'm not saying right now because well, I just sometimes wonder about things. People have told me, "Oh, let me know when you start your fundraiser!" or "Let me know how I can help!", but then I never see them when I am asking for the help. Even friends that I thought would be supportive and purchase did not. It just makes me sad and kind of second guess...well, people and friendships. :(

So that is all on the fundraiser info for now. Hopefully, I will have better info the next time. HOPEFULLY!