And the Winner Is..................

Barbara Aghadjanian!!!

Congrats Barbara! I will be contacting you shortly.

The Auction Has Ended

And it raised a grand total of $157.50! Yippee!!!

I would like to thank everyone who participated and to all the boutiques that donated items. Thank you Brooklyn's Boutique, Skye's Soy Candles, Its just Another Boutique, Doodle Bug Tutus, Phoenix Nichole Creations, and Chloe Bugs Tutu Shop. And a big super thank you to Kim at Funky Monky for donating to and organizing it all. You all rock!

Half Way Point

Reece's Rainbow is officially past the HALF WAY point for the Christmas Angel Tree! They have already MATCHED what they raised during the entire project last year! (over $85,000!)

The goal is $185,000, or an average of $1000 per child. And they are hoping to find families for (50) children (there have only been 18 so far).....

Also, remember Dec 15th is the last day to donate $35 or more to receive an ornament with Nikita's picture on it. And, the Auction's last day is Dec 5th.

Thank you all!

Eric Ludy - Depraved Indifference

I Really Hate That I'm Nikita's Christmas Warrior This Year!

Truly, I am, I just hate it. Do you want to know the biggest reason why I hate it? It's because I was his Christmas Warrior last year. I mean seriously, one whole year and it's just the same as it was when it ended last December. I follow the chatter from people who work with and are adopting through Reece's Rainbow, although I'm not myself. And, I've never heard one person even mention his name since last November. How long had he been listed before then, I don't know, could have been longer. All I know is since then, as far as I've seen, nothing. The majority if not all the money in his adoption fund was the money that was put in when I was his Warrior last year. He doesn't even have a new picture like a lot of the other kids. It's almost like he doesn't even exist, except that he does. I wasn't going to be a Christmas Warrior this year. I got too wound up last time, I felt bad when things weren't going as well as I had hoped. I took it personal. I thought I'll just donate money to him myself and that's it. Well, the more I thought, I realized that if I'm going to give him something anyway, and that's a given, then why not give it just a little effort. Wouldn't I be a good person for the job since I have some history. So, I made myself a promise, that I hope I can keep. This year, I'm letting it go. I'm doing what I can, praying that it's successful, and taking it out of my hands. So, here I am. I figured this is the least I can do for a little guy who can do nothing for himself. And, if I get a little frustrated sometimes, too bad. I really don't have much to complain about. So, here I am. I will be honest with you, last year I wasn't even too worried about him. He was still one of the younger ones, I was more concerned about some of the others. But now, the clock is ticking to his 4th birthday where he is at risk of transfer from the orphanage to an institution. A lot of the kids die soon after transfer. Will he be transferred right at 4, or will he perish if he is? I don't know. But, I don't like thinking about it. Since this is going on the second year I feel wrapped up in his story now. My daughter knows his picture and talks about him. How can I let that happen. This year, I'm worried. So, if I do a little too much or get a little long winded, bear with me. I'll try to be good and I thank you for sticking around. I'm hoping this will be the last year I will have to do it.

A Little More About Nikita

Nikita R. (mp1w -13)
Brothers and sisters noDate of Birth: May 25, 2007Gender: MaleEyes: GrayHair: light brownNature: Quiet

Nikita is a HEALTHY 3 year old boy who is waiting for his family. He has an extra pinky finger on his right hand, and some minor strabismus, but he is doing well. He is learning to walk and get around, and will really benefit from having a family full of siblings to chase after and model! He understands what he is asked and responds appropriately. Speech coming along.

SINGLE MOMS WELCOME!
FULL MEDICAL INFO AVAILABLE!
I have $1330 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!

Thinking you might have found your son? Find out about the adoption process here. For more information you can inquire here.

Requirements for Adopting Nikita:

2 trips
1st trip, Both parents for 5-7 days
Wait 2-3 months for court
Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days, the other waits 10-25 days longer
NO family size restrictions
Both parents must be younger than 60 years
Fee includes a $500 orphanage donation
Married couples and single mothers may apply
Total program and travel fees under $30K
$1000 AGENCY GRANT AVAILABLE FOR ANY/ALL CHILDREN IN THIS REGION

A Little More About Reece's Rainbow

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by already. I appreciate the support so much. I thought since I'm assuming most of you have never heard of Reece's Rainbow before I'd give you an overview of their site and what they are about. First, the basics, you can find their website here. Of course, you can look around as you like, but I thought I'd tell you about my favorite spots. Warning, if you are anything like me you are about to become far less productive. Countless hours will be spent in front of your computer, gasping, rejoicing, crying. But, I digress. You can find the children currently available for adoption and donations here. On the right lists the different categories. Reece's Rainbow started as a ministry strictly for Down Syndrome children but has since expanded to include orphans with other disabilities around the world. These children are listed under other angels. These children aren't on the Angel Tree, but they are all available for adoption and grants too. All of the children with detailed medical information can be found under the main links, but you can also click on the country choices to see even more children that are awaiting further clarification. These children can still be adopted now. Finally there is the link for the Angel Tree. All of the children on the Tree are listed along with their amounts donated to date through this year's Angel Tree. If you click on a child's name, it will take you to that child's page that has additional information including the amount already in the child's adoption grant. Add the two grants together to know how much they currently have towards their adoption. At the bottom of the Tree are the children who have found their families since the Angel Tree started on Nov 1st. The goal is to raise at least $1000 for each child on the Tree and to find families for 50 children in 8 weeks. I know that sounds a little lofty, but last year around 30+ found homes so it can be done. Now, if you can get through that and stop looking at the children, you can go on to visit the blogs of the families currently in the adoption progress. You can find all the families under the sponsor a family tab. For example, here are the new commitments. Most families have a blog listed so you can follow their stories and send them encouragement and prayers. Donations are also appreciated even after a child has a family coming for them and you can do this here as well. Ok, I think that will do it for now. That ought to keep you all busy for a little while. I hope you keep coming by and leave me some comments. It makes me feel like maybe I'm not talking to myself. :)

Reece's Rainbow 2010 Christmas Angel Tree

It's that time again, and for the second year in a row I have the honor of being a Christmas Warrior for a special little boy named Nikita listed through Reece's Rainbow. Nikita is an orphan living in an institution in Eastern Europe and he also happens to have Down Syndrome. Orphans like Nikita who are disabled often have no place in their society. When they are born, their parents are often urged to send them away, try again, get over the pain. They normally end up in orphanages and around the age of 4, are transferred to adult mental institutions where they are shut away for the rest of their lives. A large majority die within the first year of transfer. Reece's Rainbow was started in 2006 when a woman named Andrea Roberts decided that this was not ok. She couldn't stand by and let this happen to children, those just like her own son Reece who also happens to have Down Syndrome. What started small, as an effort by one woman has grown. In this past year alone, Andrea has received the 2010 Congressional Angel in Adoption Award and has been voted People Magazine's Reader's Choice Hero of the Year. Reece's Rainbow is an adoption ministry that strives to locate these orphans, advocate for them, and helps to raise grant funds to help with the costs needed to adopt these children into loving families. The Angel Tree is their biggest fundraiser of the year. My job as Nikita's Christmas Warrior is to get his face out to as many people as possible, his family has to be out there somewhere. And, also to try to raise at least $1000 for him by the end of December. This money will go into his adoption grant to pay for some of the adoption costs for his family when they are found. An international adoption can cost $20,000 - $30,000 plus, so this is a drop in the bucket. But, the more we can raise for him, the better his chances of ending up in a loving home, not another statistic. I am asking all of you to help me get the word out, on your blogs, Face Book, email. If you can donate, wonderful, but we can all do something to help. I am also giving away a $100 Target gift card. Every $5 you donate through my Chip In between now and Dec 15th will get you one entry. I will draw a winner and announce it on Dec 16th, so you can get it in time for Christmas. You can also send checks directly to Reece's Rainbow in Nikita's behalf, but if you do let me know, so I can verify and include you in the raffle. And include in the memo line Nikita R and your email address so you can get a tax deductible receipt. My sweet friend Kim "Funky Monky" has also organized an auction on Face Book in Nikita's behalf. Come bid on one of her original toy creations and items from other boutiques here. You can click on the picture of the item to place a bid. This will be an ongoing auction until Dec 6th, so drop by often as new items will be added. And, if you donate at least $35 through the Chip In between now and Dec 15th, you will get a Christmas ornament with Nikita's picture on it. I hope to be able to post regularly, so please check back, and Thank You!