Almost in circulation!

We are so close to being in circulation.  That means that birth mothers can choose us to adopt their child.  We have almost all of our paperwork in (just waiting to determine what we are missing) and have the text of our letter and pictures approved as of today!! Now it's a matter of putting it all together in a brochure ("Dear Birthmother" letter) and a website.  Hopefully we are ready to print within weeks.  We're so excited!!

The next stage, on top of putting together the paperwork, is trying to raise the funds.  That has been the scariest part right now.  We have a few fundraisers coming up to try to pay for the expenses that are a part of adoption.  Part of what is hard is that we have insurance, which would normally pay for the birth of our child.  Since we can't use insurance for adoption, the cost is insane.

So, even though we hate asking for money for ourselves, we are holding a few fundraisers to try to come up with the $35,000 it takes to adopt a baby.  Please don't feel pressure to attend or donate if you read our blog.  We want everybody to share in this exciting journey with us.  Save the date(s) for any of the upcoming events if you can - we just love to spend time together:

Saturday, October 13 - Backyard BBQ Competition.  We need cooks (tri-tip, beans, and dessert categories) and judges to come eat!  Email Esteban at headriguez @ yahoo . com for more info.

Saturday, October 27 or Sunday, October 28 - Oktoberfest. (Date almost finalized) Come have brats and beers, listen to a great band, and enjoy the last of the amazing fall weather.  Email Laura at laurasaldana1 @ gmail . com for more info.

Saturday, November 10 - Yard Sale at our house.  If any of you have anything to donate for us to sell, that would be amazing!  Contact either of us at the addresses above.

Can't do any of it, but want to help?  There's a donate button on the blog where you can help if you want.  Beyond all of that, we can't express how much we appreciate your friendship and support as we go through this process.  After meeting our first niece this weekend (!), we are so sure that we are doing the right thing and are so ready to be parents!  So, without further ado, meet Alie, our niece!!