Thanksgiving

Today is thanksgiving and we have tons to be thankful for but I'm too tired and sick to even put a coherent thought together. The flu has hit our household:( it started with Savannah and is working its way through us. 

So our thanksgiving is consisting of coughing, fevers, snotty noses, whiny kids and cranky parents. 

But we are still collecting clothing and shoes for the fundraiser so keep the donations coming:)

My most favoritist pair of shoes....

I'm going to tell you all about my favorite pair of shoes, now when you see the picture of them you'll wonder what the heck is wrong with me! 

They're over a year old, they're faded and dirty, my toes are almost busting through the fabric but I love them. They really aren't even comfortable but they're still my faves. 

There's a special reason they are my favorite though and after you hear why you'll maybe understand a little more about how sentimental I am and how determined I am to reach our fundraising goal of 15,000 pairs of shoes. 

I bought these shoes at Payless for like $9.99 in August of 2012 so they weren't expensive or so stylish that I must hold on to them forever. I was shopping that day with someone else and for someone else. You see Masha was with me, we were shopping for her. I bought her a pair of the exact shoes as these that day. She wore hers everyday she was here for the rest of the short time she was with us. So you see when I look at those shoes and wear them it takes me back to those few weeks she spent in our home. The memories come in even clearer when I see them. I remember snagging them on the door at one of the hotels we were staying in on that dreaded trip to North Carolina to take her to the airport. All those feelings come rushing back. I don't need the shoes of course to remember but they're just a tangible something to touch and actually see. It's hard for me to  speak about her now without crying, even to Jared I just can't without tearing up. She is why we are still fundraising and saving. She is why I look like a hoarder right now (my house is full of bags of clothes and shoes) She is why I'm trying so hard to get the rest of the money needed to adopt a second child ($15,000) yes the possibility is still small but I have to try, we love her as our own.

I'm sending my favorite shoes with the rest of the donated shoes, I think it's only appropriate.....I'll probably cry when I slip them off and put them in at the last minute for the trucks......and I'll pray that they help me to be reunited with my shopping partner so we can buy new shoes again together.

And the shoe drive continues!!!

Still collecting shoes and clothing items for our big fundraiser!!! My house looks like we could be on an episode of hoarders buried alive, seriously it's bad! 

Yes I have a ton in my house and the other 3 families also are collecting also but we still need a lot more...

Please help us bring our kids home! 

My living room

Shoes from Callens teacher!

Bags piled on the guest bed

Bags piled in Savannah's room

San Antonio Trip

Pasha and I took a 2 day trip to San Antonio to go and be evaluated for the VEPTR procedure at Christus Santa Rosa Children's Hospital. We won't know for sure if he's a candidate for the surgery for about 2 weeks but the surgeons that saw us think he will be. It was a long 2 days there full of tests. He had a CT scan, sedated MRI, EEG, EKG, blood work, lots of X-rays and saw a pulmonologist. So now we wait.....

While we were there we took a trip to the RiverCenter mall to have lunch with a friend and her new son! They adopted him from the same country that Pasha is from last month. The boys are a few months apart and both have Spina Bifida so I'm excited to see them develop a friendship! 

The hole in my heart.....

There's a hole in my heart....it started in August of 2012 and in April of 2013 it got even bigger. It's a huge gaping ugly wound that's giving me issues. It's caused by a teenage girl that my heart thinks of as my daughter. 

It's really hard to explain to anyone who hasn't gone through something like this how it feels. I'm also the type of person who doesn't like to show my emotions in front of others. Even Jared has only seen me cry a few times, the times he has seen me cry the majority have been over this girl. I like to do my crying in private, usually in the shower. Well pretty much every day since April I have cried over this child. 

This is why I have to try again, this is why I'm begging for help with fundraising. What would you do if you left part of your heart half a world away? What lengths would you go to? I have held this child when she was sick, crying, sad, laughing and scared. She's not just a photo we fell in love with. We all miss her terribly and want her home. I need to try again so my heart can heal because its hard to function with a huge gaping hole........

I left part of my heart there, can you help me return for it? 

www.houstonshoesforsouls.blogspot.com

www.reecesrainbow.org/61131/sponsorwilliams 

I'm hoarding shoes....

My living room looks like we are getting ready to be featured on Hoarders: Buried Alive lol! Seriously there are piles of bags and boxes everywhere. Some are ours to move to the new house but most are donated clothing and shoes. 

Even though we have a bunch we still need more we are guesstimating that we have around 1500 pairs of shoes and probably 500-700 lbs of clothing between the four families....our goal is 15,000 pairs of shoes AND 20,000 lbs of clothing.....we are a long ways from reaching our goal so I'm begging for help....4 families 6-8 kids being adopted. Please help if you live close to Houston or know people here.

One pile in my living room

Callen and Savannah 

Callen and Savannah

Us on TV....

Fox 26 came and did a short story with us and three of my friends who are also adopting. Monday the Alvin Sun Newspaper is coming out to do a story on us and our shoe drive and the Pearland online paper will have a link up on their site with a blurb about us and the shoe drive! We need lots and lots of help collecting shoes and clothing so please if you live in the Houston area gather up some shoes for us! 

We are going to be on the news!!!

Fox 26 came out to my friend Jen's house yesterday and interviewed us and the other 3 families that we are doing the clothing and shoe fundraiser with! The piece will air Saturday morning (Nov 2) between 5-8am, sorry they have not told us a set time yet. 

It was a little harried yesterday trying to do the interviews after all there were 19 children there and 10 adults. During what's typically nap and lunch time....yeah there were a few tantrums but overall it wasn't too bad. 

They did the story because Sunday is orphan Sunday and to help get the word out about our shoe drive. Jen's church is one donation drop off location Jersey Village Baptist Church (get info here) www.houstonshoesforsouls.blogspot.com

Also you can drop off donations to my friend Stevie's Day spa 

Heights Massage and Day Spa 1145 Lawrence at 12th street Houston TX. While you're there book yourself a massage or facial! 

Several children's resale shops and boutiques have been helping me with donations as well and I'm so thankful for then and their help!!!

Jack and Jill's in Alvin

2625 S loop 35 Alvin tx 

The Little  Bo-tique

913 E NASA Pkwy Houston TX

Small Changes Kids Resale

920 W Main League City

Wendy and her husband Kevin are also adopting and doing the fundraiser with us, his job is going to be a drop off location it's the Mardel Store off 1960

13839 Breck St Houston tx 

You can also drop off donations at my home or if you have a few bags I will come get them! Just email me crissilea@gmail.com

We are in need of pairs of shoes....in useable condition. Men's, women's, children's, dance shoes, boots, etc. 

please if they are tie shoes tie them together by the laces otherwise rubber band them together. Keep shoes in a separate bag from clothing items.

Clothing is lots of things.....

We need as much as we can get remember this is helping 4 families!!!! 

Ok and now cute pics of my kids lol 

Ashlyn as a moody 10 year old! 

Grayson (Pasha) as Superman

Callen as a puppy

Kaeden as Jake the pirate

Savannah as Izzy