Adoption Celebration Planning :)

If you've hung around here often enough, then you should know two main things about us.

#1. We adopt.  It's what we do apparently.. When forced to look at the evidence, I can't logically say that we foster because we always end up adopting.

#2. We majorly <3 all things Disney.

For our family, Disney is simply a way of life.  Some people take vacations to the beach, or the mountains.. We go to Disney.  With each new child that joins our lives, we all get to rediscover the joy that is Disney.  We get to remember our own first times and are quick to watch to see what the newest addition's favorite thing is going to be.

By the time Spoiled Princess came along,  Drama Queen & Attitude King had been to Walt Disney World several times..   They were starting to take it for granted and when they got in some major trouble, they were forced to skip a trip and stay home with the grandparents. Yes Sirree, I sure do stick to my punishments.. No empty threats here.  I'm known as the Mean Mom.  Thank you =)

So Spoiled Princess got to enjoy her very first Disney trip with just Momma & Daddy all to herself.  She was 9months old.

Ohhh baby it was special! Daddy & I got to experience all the sites and sounds thru her eyes again.

Spoiled Princess has been back to Disney several times since.  Drool Prince has been to Disney 2 times (I believe.. he was forced to stay home our first trip after he joined the family bc DCS was being butts but we won't get into that).   Both little kids will still talk about their favorite rides or seeing the characters.. When they play pretend, it's usually pretending they are on a trip to Disney.

You can't really tell in the pic but DP has the CUTEST braids! 

Darn sword is stuck good!! ha

AK's favorite ride.. He has a love for fast and dangerous.

Our last Disney trip was a little over 2yrs ago.  The kids loved the trip and had a wonderful time.. Me, not so much.  Yes we had fun but my heart was at home.. The Toddler had been born and we were anxiously awaiting meconium & him coming into care (which of course he did while we were at Disney and ended up in respite until we got home).  I felt incomplete, knowing he was here in this world but not with me.  This may sound odd to those that foster and adopt but remember that he was the one we planned for.. He was the one that we knew of during the entire pregnancy.  He was the one that we were asked by biomom ahead of time to take when the time should come.  He was already in my heart firmly before he was even born.

In the past two years, we have planned to go back.  We've talked about it. We've dreamt about it.  But in the end, life got in the way.  Finances were an issue (2 unplanned trips to Texas).   And now our family has grown again.

We now have two kiddos who have never been to Disney.  TWO.  It seems impossible.

Naturally, they know everything about it.  The other kids have filled them in.

Daddy & I have decided that enough is enough.  We need to make a plan and really stick to it.   So it has been decided that in lieu of an adoption party for our last three adoptions (we put off Southern Darlin's party to combine it with Drool Prince & The Toddler's) we are going to celebrate our adoptions at the Happiest Place on Earth.. (Walt Disney World for you non-Disney goers)  Of course we do have to finalize on the boys' adoption first, but I hope, pray, plan, know that it will happen yet THIS year.   So it will be Disney 2011 baby!

This whole long story to tell you what has inspired the Adoption Celebration @ Disney  Fund (see left side bar).  I'm also calling it the Pocket Change to Disney Fund - so if I refer to it either way, well you'll know what I mean.. right?

We have this big old water jug - you know the kind that is filled with gallons of water and then turned upside down to dispense it cup by cup in an office/factory- that has a ton of change in it.  We counted it a month or so ago, wrote down the amount & then I promptly lost  the paper that had the amount on it and well there you have it.. I know it has roughly $120 in change in there.  It will get recounted and an amount will be posted as our starting point.

Since then, we have a separate jar in which we are all emptying our pockets at the end of the day.  All our pocket change goes into the Disney Fund.  I have also cut off everyone from paying exact change.  For example, a large Sweet Tea @ McD's is $1.07 (with tax)- normally I would dig thru my mountain of change in the van and pay exactly $1.07.  Now I have sadly removed ALL said loose change and deposited it in my Disney Fund.  So if I want a large Sweet Tea  I must pay $2.00 and get back $0.93 change which then goes into the Disney Fund.  It pains me to pay $2 for a drink (even though I'm not really paying $2 for a drink it still feels like that at the moment) so this has cut back on my McD's stops, but you get the picture.  

I think it'll be fun to see how much we can save towards our fund every week so I'll try to post an update of how much we add in every week.  *side note- we all know how good I am at keeping up with this kind of stuff so expect once a month and anything more will be a pleasant surprise! *


If you feel inclined to help our fund grow, I have some great ideas that won't cost you a thing! Click over to the review blog so I can tell you all about it!


Much love,