It's Crafting Season

For the last several weeks I've been busy

creating gifts that raise money


















for special needs adoption.

Money to help an incredible family bring home an incredible boy.

Thanks to you I will be giving Quinn's family

Over $200 at the end of the month!



















Thanks for being awesome and supporting adoption.  You do my heart good.  

The Major Update

I have so much to update you all on!  It all came at once and quite overwhelmed me and I had no idea how to blog about it all.  So you're just going to get one massive post.  Hope that's okay.  If not, don't read it.

• First things first: "Quinn" found his hope.  He has a family!!!!  
• All profits from Owls for Orphans are going to Quinn's adoption until Christmas.  
• Because of this little announcement I have oodles of owl orders!  We've already raised over $100 for Quinn and it's only been three days.  You guys are awesome.
• We walked in to biometrics a week early and they went ahead and did our scans.  Yay!  We were promised that our homestudy was going out to USCIS yesterday, so hopefully our application will be assigned soon.  
• We mailed our FBI results off for apostille and FedEx got them there a day earlier than promised.
• We mailed the rest of our documents off for state apostille and FedEx also got them there a day earlier than promised.  Y'all.  FedEx is rocking it!
• I received a call from the SC Department of State yesterday saying they received the documents and were already apostilling them to send to our case worker.  This means that the ONLY things still needed for our dossier are our i800a approval and our apostilled background checks.  
• We're getting so close to being able to send everything off to Miah's country!

And there you have it.

It's Growing!

Has it really been this long since I've updated?  I'm so sorry, friends!  It's been quite the week/weekend.  I have a lot to update you on - especially in regards to the Owls for Orphans.  Are you ready?!

First off, I linked up to No Greater Joy mom's Post about businesses that help with adoption fundraisers.  As a result I have three new owl orders!  I've raised more money for Miah through this little project that I ever thought I would!  What a blessing.  I also now have some open doors to raise money for other adopting families after we are fully funded.  Pay if forward, friends.

Second, a new friend found me on Ravelry this past week.  Her family is adopting domestically (they're in Canada!) and she is advocating for a boy on Reece's Rainbow.  She initially contacted me about helping me make owls to send to Eastern Europe but after getting to know her heart, I thought we could do better than that.  And so we did!

Courtenay and I are now teaming up to make Owls for Orphans even better!  She has all of my patterns and she has full permission to sell any and all owls she makes.  She is donating all of her profits to the little boy on Reece's Rainbow!!  She will also be sending owls to an orphanage in Mexico.  I'm also working hard to get the Owls for Orphans name trademarked.  There is talk about making in a non-profit after Miah comes home and we see how my time is managed.  We have a new page on Facebook where we will be posting pictures of the owls and stories that go along with them.  Have you "liked" us on there yet?  www.facebook.com/owlsfororphans

In more exciting Owls for Orphans news, these little boogers went out in the mail this past week:

They have arrived at my friend's house and will begin their journey to Eastern Europe on Thursday!  More orphans will be blessed because of your generosity.  Thanks to everyone who "sponsored" these little guys.  

I also have a new Owls for Orphans product being offered!  Meet the Itty Bitty Owl:

Isn't he cute?  (Sorry for the terrible picture.)  These little guys will work a little differently from the others.  They will not be offered as custom orders because of their size.  They will be sold on an as-is basis as I make them.  You will also have the option of ordering one when you buy a larger owl (since I will already have the extra yarn needed to make them).  They will be $5 will ALL $5 going to our adoption fund.  There is even an option of a crocheted loop at the top so that you can hang them on your Christmas tree.  :)

Wow.  Are you still with me?  I'm kind of all over the place this morning.  If you're still there, you will be excited to know we have more adoption news!

Last week we received our biometrics appointment for USCIS.  This is huge because it means that they have begun processing our application even thought they have still not received our home study.  We will walk in on Wednesdays and see if our prints can be taken early so that we can get this sucker done.  

In home study news, DSS finally looked it over this past week.  (This is after we were told it would be looked over ASAP.  My timing and other people's timing are totally different.)  Anyway.  They called our social worker and told her they needed an addendum.  But they wouldn't tell her what needed to be in it.  And of course they're closed today.  So first thing tomorrow morning we will know what needs to be in the addendum.  Hopefully that addendum will be completed Tuesday night and we can mail it off Wednesday.  Which *should* mean that our home study will be on it's way to USCIS on Friday.  But, you know, nobody seems to work on my timeline (or even the suggested timeline) so I'm not counting on it.  It'll happen one of these days.

We're just really hoping for an I800A approval before the end of December.  If not, we have to file an extension with Miah's country.  :(  

With that, I'm flat out of updates.  I'll write again when we have more news!

An Update on the Owls Who've Travelled

If you've been following my blog, you saw a post last week where I shared pictures with you of two sweet girls and their owls.  

I received an email today from our case worker (the one who delivered the first package of owls for us) and I wanted to share with you the update she gave me.  Some details have been changed to protect privacy.

Amy,

I wanted to give you an update on the owls.  The representative that was supposed to meet with me was unable to, so I didn't have a reliable way to get them to the original orphanage and into the hands of the kids.  I decided to give the owls to some of the children I visited at a different orphanage.  This is the orphanage who cares for two girls some friends of ours are trying to adopt. They care for about 40 special needs kids and 40 healthy with most under 3 years in age.  Your owls ended up on a floor where the most severely disabled children are cared for.  One went to our friend's future little girl.  She is very shy and can't sit up.  She got the pink one.  She was very attracted to the big eyes and liked touching the texture of the toy also.  Another girl is about a size 12 months at 3 years and was parked in a stroller facing a wall with no toys.  Some people believe she is so damaged there is no point in giving her any attention.  I interacted with her for about 15 minutes and was able to get her to smile, grasp my finger and track her eyes with the little orange owl.  He stayed with her and I hope she will now at least have one toy to touch and look at!  One of the purple and green owls stayed with a little girl named P.  She was sitting in a special chair that an agency provided to support her large head.  She is 10 years old and has hydrocephalus.  The chair was parked in a dark hallway and P reached out for attention as we passed by. She smiled and hugged the owl to her face. She was very excited.   The next owl went to the little one I have been calling B on the blog.  She is an active little girl who gets attention because she demands it!  She saw me giving them to the other children through the window of her room and tapped to get my attention.  I couldn't resist giving her one!  One owl did also end up with a little girl who traveled to her new home (in the US!) this week.  She saw them on my bed and I really couldn't say NO! 

Your little owls really made some children happy.  Even in the room with the healthy toddlers there were no soft toys.  None of the children in cribs had anything soft or textured to touch.  

 Friends, this is what it's all about.  Your support of this project does not go unnoticed.  God has blessed your giving, your sharing, and your prayers in ways I can't even share!  

The Drive

The drive to Atlanta

was 5 hours each way.

Can you guess

How I spent my time?

Yep.  Four more owls ready for homes!

Owls In Action

I received permission last night to share some photos with you.  Katie Musser was the second child to ever receive an owl from the Owls for Orphans project.  Katie was adopted and brought out of "The Bad Place" - the orphanage where our Miah is now.  Susanna's blog is where we found our Miah, so the Musser family will always hold a special place in our heart which is why I wanted so badly to send Katie an owl.  And because it's not enough that ONE adorable child has an owl, Susanna ordered one for their daughter Verity as well.  So know you get to see pictures of TWO adorable kids with owls.  It just might make your day!  

These pictures have been taken with permission from Susanna's blog post HERE.

Brace yourself for the cuteness.  (I should also add that these pictures left tears streaming down my face.  If you've read Katie's story you'll understand why.)

Sweet Katie, with the best smile in the world.  Friends, less than ONE year ago she was trapped in a crib with no food and no love.  Look what a family does!!!!  LOOK!!!  

And here comes the Verity cuteness:

Words aren't enough to explain the joy in my heart after seeing these photos.  Everyone who is helping with Owls for Orphans - THIS is why.  

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  Matthew 19:14

God's heart is with children.  Especially those the world sees as "worthless".  They are not worthless!  They are MORE than worthy of love, joy, family, and a little something soft to hug.  

Thanks again, Susanna, for letting me share your sweet girls.  

 

Helping with Owls

Have you seen my Owls for Orphans and wished there was a way you could help?

Have you read about the very first owls to head to Eastern Europe and wanted to participate in the excitement?

Well, I'm excited to tell you that now you can!  In several ways!  

But first I want to take a minute to get all sappy and attempt to convey how much this means to me.  (If you're a friend you've probably heard this time and time again.  Feel free to skip this paragraph.) This little project started off as a way for me to help children who have been orphaned while we wait to bring our daughter Miah home.  I can't do anything beyond paperwork and prayer for her right now.  But I CAN try to bring a smile to the faces of other kids in her situation.  Those who don't understand adoption always say "you can't save them all, you know".  Well you're right. We can't.  But we can make their lives a tiny bit more joyful.  And that counts for something.  Shoot.  Even kids who aren't orphans LOVE these owls.  Imagine how much they'll be loved by children who have no other constant in their lives!  So this little project means a lot to me.  It was my mission.  One I now hold very dear to my heart.  But I never expected the idea to spread around the country!  I have four complete strangers who want to help provide Owls for Orphans.  COMPLETE STRANGERS!  Let me share a little bit of the emails I have received to share their heart (and mine) with you:

 I was wondering if you would like some help making the owls.  I love to knit and crochet and have been looking for some way that I could help.  Let me know.

 I did something similar when I lived in Chile and volunteered at an institute/orphanage for children with special needs.  I did Ositos (Teddy Bears) for Orphans. [. . .]  My heart breaks for those that may not have money donated for them to have an owl so I was also curious if I could knit some animals to send along.  Unfortunately crocheting isn't my forte so helping make the owls is out of the question.  I would love to find an owl knit pattern.

Friends, I cannot accurately tell you how excited I am that others want to help these children!  My heart tells me that there are more out there who want to help; you just don't know how.  Well here you go.

1. If you crochet, send me an email.  amybmoss (at) gmail (dot) com.  I would be glad to send you the pattern I use for the little owls.  My only request is that if you use my pattern, the owls go to help an orphan.  You can send the owls to me to be mailed overseas or you can take them to a local orphanage in your area.  Or send them with a family you know who might be travelling to an orphanage.

2.  If you knit, can you help us find a knit pattern for an owl?  Then we can do the above with knit owls too!

3.  You can sponsor an owl.  I do not make money off these orphan owls (I make money for our adoption off the big ones).  I'm also asking that those who help with the orphan owls do not make money off of them.  But we DO need funds to cover the cost of materials.  It's not much.  I've found that here in South Carolina $10 covers the cost of materials and shipping/taxes on the owls.  Email me to get details on how to provide the funds for orphan owls.  (As we get more people involved in the project, they will also need help with covering material costs.  I may put you in touch with them if they need help.)

4.  You can purchase a large owl from me.  All profits from these owls go to our adoption fund to bring Miah home from Eastern Europe.

5.  If you are an adopting family (or have connections to a mission team that travels to an orphanage) send me an email.  amybmoss (at) gmail (dot) com.  If this explodes, we'll need a lot of ways to actually GET the owls to the orphans.  Right now they will be travelling via fellow adopting parents as they go visit their children.  We'd love to add more families to that list so we can send owls all over the place.

And, as always, be praying for this project.  God is clearly blessing it.  Thank you to all who have supported and helped with it!

Big News for Owls for Orphans!

If you're my friend on Facebook you saw some good news last night.  Owls for Orphans is growing!  I'm not sure what it will look like yet, but the fever is catching.

One of my hopes through this adoption process is that God will use us to open the eyes of others to the reality of orphanage life for children.  That God will use us to open the eyes of others to the reality of special needs adoption.  That God will use our story to open the eyes of others to His amazing grace and ability to save.

Friends, our sweet Miah is already leaving a legacy.  After reading our story, a fellow adoptive mom (and good friend) was given a renewed passion and urgency for adoption and is heading down that path again.  After sharing our story with the clerk at Walgreens (while taking my passport photo) I was able to encourage her to not let the finances surrounding adoption to continue to scare her away, but to follow her heart and God's heart.  God has used Miah and our adoption story to lead a friend to step out in faith and share what was on her heart - even if it might not be received well.

And God is using Owls for Orphans to bring smiles to the faces of sweet kids who need to know they're loved.  (The very first shipment of owls should arrive in Eastern Europe this week!)

In the last two days I have received two THREE! messages from complete strangers asking how they can help with Owls for Orphans.  Their hearts have been stirred for orphans and they want to be a part of showing love to these kids.  Friends, this is what it's all about!  BEING the church and loving these children who believe with all of their heart that they are unworthy of love.

We are not sure how it will look yet or how we can grow Owls for Orphans and incorporating outside help without having to deal with additional taxes, government fees, etc, etc.  But we're working on it.  If you think you might want to help with the Owls for Orphans project, send me an email at amybmoss (at) gmail (dot) come and we'll see what we are able to come up with!  I'll post an update soon with specifics on how you can help.

In the meantime I'm excited to announce that thanks to a very sweet woman named Susan, our future owls will come with Jingle Bells inside so that children who are blind can hear them and enjoy them as well!  Thank so SO MUCH for the idea, Susan, and for donating the bells!

Stay tuned!  Things are happening!  It may be small, but we CAN make a difference!

And They're Off!

Early this morning I packed up a very special box.  I lovingly taped it up and said goodbye to hours and hours of work.  I carefully wrote down the name of someone who has quickly become one of the greatest people I know.  The kids said their goodbyes as I set the box by the door. 

And with great joy I tell you that these little guys are on their way to Washington state.  Once there they will be packed into the suitcase of my dear friend Nina, who is graciously taking them to Eastern Europe with her.  Nina is our case worker for our adoption.  She is amazing.  Not a day goes by that this woman isn't working - even when she's supposed to be "off".  (We got the email that we had been officially matched with Miah at 6 AM her time.  I don't think she sleeps!) And now she's offered to make room in her suitcase for my owls.  

Once they are packed the owls will board a plane and be on their way to Eastern Europe.  More specifically, to Miah's country.  They will leave Nina's hands and be given to a woman who can deliver them to Miah's orphanage.  We're praying they will then make their way into the arms of the children who need them most right now.  

A little bit of light in a very lonely place.  How I pray God will use them to bring joy to a few sweet kids who need to know they're loved.  

Waiting

Well, here we are.  Still waiting.  No news from the FBI yet on our clearances.  If you don't remember, we need them done in order to finish our home study.  So while we wait, I thought you might like to see the latest owls.  :)

There ya go!  :)  

For more info on the owls, click on the Owls for Orphans tab at the top of the screen.  

New Owl Details

Hi friends!  If you've been following my blog recently, you'll remember that I got news recently that my "Owls for Orphans" will be going overseas to orphans in Miah's birth country.  Specifically right now, to orphans in HER orphanage.

This is amazing news and is a dream come true for me.  A dream I thought wouldn't happen any time soon.

However, because the owls are going overseas, some changes needed to be made to this process.  So here's how it will work now:

1.  Buy an owl for $40 and an orphan owl will be sent to an orphan in an orphanage.  I reserve the right to decide where the owls are going, but for now they will be going to Miah's birth country.  I'm hoping to send some to a local orphanage here in town soon as well.  The change here is that the orphan owls will be smaller than previous owls.  This is to allow for more owls to be squeezed into suitcases so that more children can be blessed.  The owl you buy for yourself will be the same size, but his orphan buddy will be smaller.

2.  You can now also just buy an owl for yourself.  I know $40 is a lot of money.  For those who can't afford both owls, you can buy one owl for yourself for $30.  This owl will be the normal size.  (Roughly 10x10")  The profits from these owls will go into our adoption fund to help us adopt Miah.

3.   Want to just bless an orphan?  You can now donate money to send an owl to an orphan without buying both owls.  For just $10 a little owl will be made and sent to an orphan.  This money covers the cost of materials and the cost of shipping.  I am not making any money off of the orphan owls - they are my ministry.

So there you have it.  Changes made to accommodate some very exciting news!

If you'd like to place an order for owls or have questions about them, you can email me at amybmoss (at) gmail (dot) com.  Or you can send me a message on Facebook if you're my friend or send a message via our Crafting Mommies page on Facebook.  If you haven't "liked" us on Facebook yet, please go check us out!  www.facebook.com/craftingmommies

Happy News!

You remember the Owls for Orphans?  If you've been following from the beginning you'll remember that the orphan owls right now are going to former orphans who have found their families.  The first owl was sent to my friend Lindsay, who is bringing her son Gavin home within the next few months.  The second owl went to a sweet girl named Lina who has been home for a few months now.  The third and fourth "orphan owls" are going to Katie Musser and a child Katie's mom knows.

You'll also remember that my goal for the owls was that they would eventually be going to current orphans who don't yet have families.  Logistically that looked like a nightmare, so I started sending the owls to former orphans as a reminder to them and their parents that they are VALUED and LOVED all the time.  I prayed over the children as I made owls for them and wrote their parents a note that was mailed with the owl.  It's been a huge blessing to be able to honor these kids and the legacy they are leaving.  But sending owls to former orphans was not my original goal.  My original goal was to send owls to current orphans.  Orphans who don't yet have anyone telling them how much they are loved.

With that said, I'm excited to announce that the logistical nightmare is not such a nightmare!  Owls can be sent to MIAH'S ORPHANAGE!  To current orphans!  These kids will have something soft to hold and squeeze! 

Our case worker is taking a trip to Miah's country next month.  She has graciously offered to take some owls with her.  The owls will be given to a woman who works with the "grandmothers" and the "grandmothers" will deliver the owls to the children.  (Don't worry, this is all legal!)  When we take our first trip to visit Miah (probably in February or March) we will also be able to take owls with us as gifts for the children.

Can I even begin to tell you how excited this makes me?!  Probably not.  I have a geeky smile on my face right now because I'm so happy about this!  Yay!

Some changes will be made to the Owls for Orphans pricing, sizing and such soon to accommodate for this exciting news.  I'll update you soon!

Owls for Orphans

So...what is Owls for Orphans?  Well, I'm glad you asked!  Let me share with you.

Owls for Orphans is a cute little ministry I've started.  See these awesome little owls?

You know you love them.  And I'm sure there's a kid in your life who would love one too.  Or a shelf in your house that needs to be decorated with an owl.  Everyone needs an owl.  :)  He's where Owls for Orphans starts.  Buy an owl and help an orphan.  Easy peasy!

Wait.  How does buying a hand crocheted stuffed owl help an orphan?  Well, there are two ways.  Double whammy!

1.  When you buy (or custom order) an owl, all profits from the owl (anything above the cost of materials) goes into our adoption fund.  Once our adoption is funded, the profits will go to either help cover the cost of orphan care, or will be donated to someone else's adoption fund.

2.  When you buy an owl, you have the option of buying TWO owls.  One for you, and one for an orphan or former orphan.  

Friends, I want to pause right here and share my heart with you.  There is a place in Eastern Europe where children are not loved.  There are orphanages over there that do not take their jobs seriously enough.  There are 7 year old children the size of my one year old Alex.  Neglect is like a disease over there.  It's taken over these poor children's bodies and they are wasting away.  Nobody deserves that kind of care.  But there is good news!  There are amazing people out there who are working VERY HARD to turn things around.  There are children being adopted who are freed from a lifetime in a crib and are coming home to families that love them!  Praise God!  

The orphan owls will be sent to children in orphanages in Eastern Europe.  Some are even going to Miah's orphanage!

Pretty cool, right?  So here are your options for ordering an owl:

1.  Buy an owl for $40 and an orphan owl will be sent to an orphan in an orphanage.  I reserve the right to decide where the owls are going, but for now they will be going to Miah's birth country.  I'm hoping to send some to a local orphanage here in town soon as well. 

2.  You can now also just buy an owl for yourself.  I know $40 is a lot of money.  For those who can't afford both owls, you can buy one owl for yourself for $30.  This owl will be the normal size.  (Roughly 8x10")  The profits from these owls will go into our adoption fund to help us adopt Miah. 

3.   Want to just bless an orphan?  You can now donate money to send an owl to an orphan without buying both owls.  For just $10 a little owl will be made and sent to an orphan.  This money covers the cost of materials and the cost of shipping.  I am not making any money off of the orphan owls - they are my ministry. 

Want to buy an owl?  Send me an email (or facebook me if you're my friend) and let me know what colors you'd like.  You can also visit this post on our Etsy page for more details on the owl himself.  I'll get started on it as soon as I can.  amybmoss (at) gmail (dot) com

Due to the number of orders I have right now, he current wait time for owls is about 1 month.