Win Another 32" Vizio LCD HDTV!!!

Well you asked for it and we are able to deliver another opportunity to win a NEW 32" VIZIO LCD HDTV! Thanks to a very generous donor, who would like to remain anonymous, we are able to provide you this opportunity just in time for you to win the TV before the Super Bowl and March Madness!

So, we are doing this giveaway a little differently then we did the last TV giveaway. Since we have family and friends in multiple locations and not everyone wants to give online, we have also created raffle tickets that you can get when you pay for your entry into the drawing. You can see us or our parents to pay and receive your raffle ticket or you can still pay online through our GiveForward on the right hand side of the blog or mail us a check and we will then mail you your ticket stubs. We thought this will help provide you a reminder of when the drawing will be, as well as remind you of the amazing cause that you donated to.

By now you are probably very familiar with how you can have a chance to win this AWESOME TV. For those of you that may have forgotten or this is your 1st time to our blog, here are the rules on how you can be entered in for a chance to win this giveaway.

For every $5 donated until January 22nd, we'll enter your name into the give-a-way for this 32" VIZIO LCD HDTV. (So, for $20 you will receive 4 entries and so forth.) Give the post a shot out on Facebook or Twitter (pastorkellyb) and we'

ll enter you in again. On January 23rd, well do a random selection and someone will be watching the games on this brand new TV!!!!!

We appreciate your generous gift and support as we go through this adoption.

________________________________________________________

HOW YOU CAN DONATE:
You can make your donation by clicking "GIVE" on the GiveForward box on the right side of this page. You will be directed to our personal donation site where you can enter your donation amount. Remember, for every $5 donated, you will receive an entry into the giveaway.

NOTE: When you give your donation with GiveForward, please be sure to provide your name. If you choose, you can select the box that reads,"I would like to hide the amount given." Also, at the bottom of the donation page, please make sure you check the box that reads, "I would like to share my contact information with the beneficiary." This will ensure that we receive the necessary information to enter your name in the giveaway! If you would like your donation to be made in private, please feel free to mail us your donation.

You may also mail a check with your donation to our home address. Once we have received your check, we will make the appropriate number of entries into the giveaway. Please email us at ltbullard@yahoo.com for our mailing address.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GIVEAWAY:
After you donate, post something about this on Facebook and we'll add your name again to the list. Just be sure to friend one of us (Kelly or Lindsey Bullard) in your status on Facebook. If you desire your name to be put on the list for the drawing without donating, just email ltbullard@yahoo.com. Note: GiveForward donations are not tax deductible. If you would like to send a check just email me.

And the Winner Is...

The time has come to announce the winner of our "Direct Selling Into December" giveaway. Congratulations to Shelley Gurley! Shelly has won over $370 in products from Thirty-One, Pampered Chef, Lia Sophia, Beauti Control, Tastefully Simple, and Scentsy.

We appreciate the support of everyone who contributed to this giveaway. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends!

Final Home Study...Check!!!

Today we completed our final home study! It feels like after 2 years of struggling with the longing to be parents but unable to have children that we have just taken one huge step forward in our adoption process. Now, we still have to wait to receive our "official" approval letter from Bethany but we should begin the waiting process for placement starting sometime in January. The process has been such a smooth and easy journey so far. We have the most amazing case worker who we have truly enjoyed getting to know. Here is a picture that I took today with her at our final home study.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as this is the hardest part of the process...the waiting period. We hope it goes by quickly but we know that in God's timing that He will bring us and our baby together. Also, keep checking our blog for continued updates as well as information on monthly basket giveaways that we will be having. Check out our Direct Selling Into December basket, which ends on December 15, and how you can be entered in for a chance to win this great basket for gifts for yourself or to finish up some last minute Christmas shopping.

Direct Selling Into December

We told you it would be worth the wait, so here it is! Our December giveaway is out of this world!!! Our friends with these wonderful direct selling companies have donated many items for this giveaway. Take a look at what's included in this giveaway...

Tastefully Simple – Nicole Berry (www.tastefullysimple.com/web/nberry2)

Onion Onion Seasoning

Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup Mix

Chicken Tortilla Soup Mix

Pumpkin Patch Bread and Muffin Mix

Twisty Grams

Thirty-One – Lindsey Bullard (www.mythirtyone.com/bullard)

Large Utility Tote

Organizing Utility Tote

Lia Sophia - Cathy Royal (919-418-8380)

Sterling silver twisted cuff bracelet

Necklace

Pampered Chef - Leann Faircloth (www.pamperedchef.biz/leannfaircloth)

Medium Round Stone with Handles

Ultimate Mandoline

Pizza Cutter

Pizza Crust Mix with Rosemary

Beauti Control – Shelley Gurley (www.beautipage.com/ShelleyEsposito)

Dark Chocolate Exfoliating Body Wash

Caramel Souffle Body Butter

Chocolate Cherry Lip Gloss

Spiced Chocolate Fragrance Mist

1 oz Extreme Repair Hand Creme (un-scented)

A Reusable Tote Bag

A Tupperware (brand) Bowl with trimmings to gift wrap (if desired)

Body Wash Pouf

Scentsy – Shawna Cox (www.shawnacox.scentsy.us)

Mid-Size Scentsy Warmer - "Hatteras"

Scentsy Bar - "Autumn Stroll"

Scentsy Bar - "Eskimo Kiss"

Approximate Total Retail Value: $370

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS...

For every $5 donated until Dec. 15th, we'll enter your name into the giveaway for our "Direct Selling Into December" Basket. (So, for $20 you will receive 4 entries and so forth.) Give the post a shot out on Facebook or Twitter (pastorkellyb) and we'll enter you in again. On Dec. 16, we will do a random selection and someone will be taking home this great Direct Sales Basket.

HOW YOU CAN DONATE...
You can make your donation by clicking "GIVE" on the GiveForward box on the right side of this page. You will be directed to our personal donation site where you can enter your donation amount. Remember, for every $5 donated, you will receive an entry into the giveaway.

NOTE: When you give your donation with GiveForward, please be sure to provide your name. If you choose, you can select the box that reads,"I would like to hide the amount given." Also, at the bottom of the donation page, please make sure you check the box that reads, "I would like to share my contact information with the beneficiary." This will ensure that we receive the necessary information to enter your name in the give-a-way! If you would like your donation to be made in private, please feel free to mail us your donation.

You may also mail a check with your donation to our home address. Once we have received your check, we will make the appropriate number of entries into the give-a-way. Please email us at ltbullard@yahoo.com for our mailing address.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GIVE-A-WAY!

After you donate, post something about this on Facebook and we'll add your name again to the list. Just be sure to friend one of us (Kelly or Lindsey Bullard) in your status on Facebook. Just to remind you that this will be up on the blog until Dec. 15th. On Dec. 16th we will do a drawing of the giveaway and deliver or ship the basket to you.

If you desire your name to be put on the list for the drawing without donating, just email ltbullard@yahoo.com. Note: GiveForward donations are not tax deductible. If you would like to send a check just email me.

December Basket...1 More Day

I know everyone is anxiously awaiting the release of our December Basket. Well, you are going to have to wait one more day to find out what it is because we are still waiting on a shipment for some of the items in the basket. We want to be able to show you an actual picture of the basket and some items have not arrived yet, but will be here today. I promise you won't want to miss this basket! Make sure you keep checking on our blog tomorrow, as well as on Facebook, to see the release of the next basket.

Fall Into Family Winner!

Congrats to Megan Poindexter, the winner of our "Fall Into Family" Giveaway. Thanks to everyone who donated. We appreciate you're help! Here's a list of what all is included in Megan's basket...

$25 Gift Card To Be Used At Chilis/Maggiano's/Macaroni Grill/On The Border

$25 Gift Card To Fandango to purchase Movie Tickets

Zookeeper DVD

Phase 10 Twist Board Game

Scene It? Disney Board Game

Chick-Fil-A Calendar With $30 Worth Of Coupons

Chick-Fil-A Memorabilia (Reusable bag, lunch bag, 2 Chick-Fil-A stuffed animals, beach ball, mini football, 2 Chick-Fil-A thermal mugs, Chick-Fil-A Pez Dispenser, and 2 Chick-fil-a Pens)

Box Of Popcorn

Box Of Jolly Rancher Sours

Box of Jolly Rancher Gummies

We'll be posting our December giveaway soon! It's going to be AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! We have several contributors, so you don't want to miss it!

Adoption Update

So, here's a quick update on our journey of faith. Today we had a follow-up meeting with our adoption agency, Bethany. We are so grateful to be a part of the Bethany family. God is using this agency is such a special way. They have been such an encouragement to us through this process. We have learned so much and God continues to lead and guide us every step of the way.

Tomorrow is going to be a BIG day, as we have the first of three home assessments. We have to travel about 2 hours to meet with our case worker. We will meet with her twice over the next 2 weeks and then she will come to our home for the final assessment. After the assessments have been completed, she will make her recommendation to the Bethany State Director. Once we have final approval, we'll begin the process of waiting for a placement.

As we go through this journey we are learning each day to trust and depend upon God. Every day we loose a little more control of all of this and have to rely completely upon Him. One area that we are learning to trust is the area of finances, especially in regards to funding the adoption. We are very appreciative to those of you who have been praying for us and for those of you who have given financially to support our adoption. We are continuing to do various fundraisers on our website. In fact, TOMORROW is the last day to get in on our "FALL INTO FAMILY" giveaway. Just scroll down a few blog postings and you can read all about this fun family giveaway. Any donation you can give will greatly help us in our adoption process. Who knows...you might be the recipient of this wonderful giveaway.

Thank you all for your support, prayers, and love. Our journey is indeed a journey of faith...but, so is yours! Let's all trust in the Faithful One!

Want to encourage you...

Today is Orphan Sunday and I wanted to encourage everyone to take a moment and not only pray for those children out there who are without a home but to pray for those families who long to bring little ones to their home. Take a few extra minutes today and hug your children a little bit tighter. I know children can be stressful at times and no child is perfect but be thankful that you have been able to get pregnant and have children or that you have been able to successfully adopt a child and bring him/her home. I don't say this to criticize in any way but lately I have been hearing more and more parents complain about their children or their pregnancies and it just breaks my heart. I am thrilled that God has chosen for Kelly and I to walk this journey of adoption and I look forward to seeing how God's hand works every detail of this process out. God has chosen a different path for Kelly and I but, as a lot of women do, I will always wonder what it would have been like to get pregnant and go through the miracle of childbirth. However, I am blessed to know that, hopefully, one day we will be able to bring home our child and we will love him/her with unconditional love and provide it with a life and family that it may not have otherwise had. So, today, remember those children who are without a home as well as those families that long to provide home to these children.

Below is a poem that has spoken to my heart in so many ways. I pray that God allows our infertility and adoption journey to be a way to speak to those around us. I pray that our journey will help give strength to those walking through the same struggles that we have been facing and are going through and for them to know they are not alone.

You and I By
Katherine R. Cottle

You talk with other women and complain about your children.

I have just come from the doctor’s office where I have been poked, prodded, and injected trying to find out why I can’t have what is causing your pain.

I know that children are a blessing from God.

You have been blessed with children and not I. Why?

You talk about how easy it is for you to get pregnant. In fact, all your husband has to do is “throw his pants over the bedpost.” You have the birth of your children all planned out.

I have just miscarried again.

You complain about never really wanting children and how inconvenient it has been to deny yourself for someone else.

I have just finished crying myself to sleep because God said “No” again.

You count the days before you go back to work and leave your child with someone else to raise him.

I wake up on an operating table, praying that this time the procedure will work.

You wake up one morning and you are pregnant

I wake up wondering, How far is too far to go with medical science?

You say, “Just adopt.”

I say, “Do you really think it is that easy?”

You say, “Just forget about it. Relax! It will happen when you least expect it.”

I say, “How can I forget about it? I have had to chart and plan lovemaking and take my temperature for the past six years because ‘timing is everything.’”

Fall Into Family

Fall Into Family With Our

November National Adoption Month Basket

The temperatures are beginning to drop and the leaves are starting to fall, so what better time to get together with those you love as you "Fall Into Family" with our November Basket. You can have the perfect Family Night, or a fun night with your friends, with some of the great essentials in this basket. As you enjoy these products, we hope you think about and pray for all of the families across the world that are adopting children. Below is a list of everything included in the "Fall Into Family" Basket. Our goal for this basket is $500.00.

$25 Gift Card To Be Used At Chilis/Maggiano's/Macaroni Grill/On The Border

$25 Gift Card To Fandango to purchase Movie Tickets

Zookeeper DVD

Phase 10 Twist Board Game

Scene It? Disney Board Game

Chick-Fil-A Calendar With $30 Worth Of Coupons

Chick-Fil-A Memorabilia (Reusable bag, lunch bag, 2 Chick-Fil-A stuffed animals, beach ball, mini football, 2 Chick-Fil-A thermal mugs, Chick-Fil-A Pez Dispenser, and 2 Chick-fil-a Pens)

Box Of Popcorn

Box Of Jolly Rancher Sours

Box of Jolly Rancher Gummies

If you don't have a need for every item in the basket, think about who you could give it to as a Christmas or Birthday gift. For just a $5 minimum donation, you could receive all of this and take care of some of your shopping list. Don't miss out on your chance to win!!!

For every $5 donated until Nov. 15th, we'll enter your name into the give-a-way for our "Fall Into Family" Basket. (So, for $20 you will receive 4 entries and so forth.) Give the post a shot out on Facebook or Twitter (pastorkellyb) and we'll enter you in again. On Nov. 16, we will do a random selection and someone will be taking home this great Family Night Basket.

HOW YOU CAN DONATE...
You can make your donation by clicking "GIVE" on the GiveForward box on the right side of this page. You will be directed to our personal donation site where you can enter your donation amount. Remember, for every $5 donated, you will receive an entry into the give-a-way.

NOTE: When you give your donation with GiveForward, please be sure to provide your name. If you choose, you can select the box that reads,"I would like to hide the amount given." Also, at the bottom of the donation page, please make sure you check the box that reads, "I would like to share my contact information with the beneficiary." This will ensure that we receive the necessary information to enter your name in the give-a-way! If you would like your donation to be made in private, please feel free to mail us your donation.

You may also mail a check with your donation to our home address. Once we have received your check, we will make the appropriate number of entries into the give-a-way. Please email us at ltbullard@yahoo.com for our mailing address.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GIVE-A-WAY!

After you donate, post something about this on Facebook and we'll add your name again to the list. Just be sure to friend one of us (Kelly or Lindsey Bullard) in your status on Facebook. Just to remind you that this will be up on the blog until Nov. 15th. On Nov. 16th we will do a video of the give-a-way and deliver or ship the basket to you.

If you desire your name to be put on the list for the drawing without donating, just email ltbullard@yahoo.com. Note: GiveForward donations are not tax deductible. If you would like to send a check just email me.

Mailing in our last set of paperwork

I can't believe we have FINALLY finished the last set of paperwork necessary for our adoption process. We have filled out about 20 pages of personal information, education, papers to sign, financial statements, etc. We also had to individually fill out approximately 100 personal questions about our life and our points of view. We have had to get physicals done, copies of birth certificates, our marriage certificate, background checks, and so much more. We do this with joy and happiness in our hearts because we know with every step we take and every question we answer we are getting closer and closer to our child that we long to meet and finally bring home.

On Friday, October 20th, we had our 1st informational meeting with Bethany Christian Services in Charlotte, NC from 9 AM to 4 PM. What a special day it was filled with laughter and tears. We felt that for the first time this was really happening as we finally got to see the face of Bethany and meet our Social Worker. We were able to hear powerful testimonies from adoptive parents as well as a birthmother. God touched our heart in so many ways and opened our eyes in new ways. The picture below was taken right after we got done with our informational meeting. This picture cannot even begin to express the joy we felt at that moment knowing that we ARE going to be parents one day.

What is next for our adoption process?!?!

Well, once our Social Worker receives all of our paperwork, she will contact us to schedule our 1st out of 3 meetings. Two of the meetings will be at her home and then the last meeting will be at our home. This will be a time for her to get to know us better and go over everything discussed in our paperwork as well as prepare us for the last few steps of our adoption process. While these 3 meetings are going on, we will work on putting together a photobook created for the perspective birthmother as well as create a web profile for Bethany's site. Once all of this is complete, we will wait for our Social Worker to finalize her recommendation for us for adoption and then we will wait until a birthmother selects us for the adoption.

There are still a few more steps to go until we are officially ready to start waiting for our official referral but we know that in God's timing everything will happen and we will be blessed with our little one. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers! We love you all!

Update on all of our fundraisers

Thank you to everyone who have taken part in our most recent fundraising events! We have been overwhelmed by everyone's generosity as well as love, support, and prayers. Keep checking in with our blog because we will be announcing our next fundraising event soon. So here is an update on all of our fundraising events so far....

Auto Paint Giveaway:

Kelly's dad's employer donated a $250 gift certificate for paint products at their store. People could purchase a ticket and the winner had the choice oftaking the $250 gift certificate or getting $200 in cash. Kelly and I met up with Kelly's parents to do the drawingand then we called the winner. Congratulations to Rob Woodcox of Red Springs!Mr. Woodcox decide to take the $250 gift certificate for auto paint supplies. We were able to raiseover $800 with this fundraiser.

Thanks to our lovely assistant, Shawna Cox, that was willing to draw the name for us so we could not be accused of rigging the drawing. :)

Yard Sale:

On Saturday, October 15th, Kelly and I held a yard sale to raise money for ouradoption. We arrived at 5:30 AM to set up, started the yard sale at 7 AM, and ended the yard sale at 11 AM. We were blown away by success of ouryard sale. We raised$910 towards our adoption. Here are a few pictures from the yard sale:

Thank you to everyone that donated items!

Some of our wonderful volunteers! Thank you to Connie Britt, LeAnna McKeithan, Helen Snipes, Staci Jackson, Susan Bullard, and Archie Bullard for your help!

We were blown away by the success of the yard sale! God is so good and continues to meet our needs for our adoption!

TV Giveaway:

As many of you saw, we did the drawing for the 32" Vizio LCD TV on Tuesday, October 19th and Darrel Davis of Garner, NC was the winner. Congratulations Darrel! Kelly delivered the TV to Darrel this past Sunday. We hope you enjoy the new TV! We were able to raise over $900 through our TV giveaway.

Chic-fil-a Calendars:

Many of you have purchased a Chick-fil-a calendar and we still have plenty left for purchase in case any of you are still interested. We have sold approximately 50 calendars so far and raise approximately $200 from this event.

And the winner is....

Lindsey and I would like to express our appreciation for your support and donations to our TV giveaway. We had 224 entries into the giveaway. Thank you for each of your donations. We are overwhelmed by your support.

We are pleased to announce that the recipient of this new 32" VIZIO LCD HDTV is DARREL DAVIS of Garner, NC. Congratulations Darrel! Thank you for your support and for encouraging others to support our adoption as well.

We hope you all will continue this journey with us. Please keep checking our blog for more adoption updates and special fundraisers. Don't forget that we still have 2012 Chick-fil-A Calendars available for $8 each. These calendars contain over $30 in free coupons! Also, in just a week or so we will be posting our next giveaway. So, visit our blog real soon!

Only 12 hours left...

There is only 12 hours left to get in on the 32" VIZIO LCD TV giveaway! The TV is sitting in our house ready for the lucky new owner to be announced tomorrow. All entries must be in by midnight tonight. We will arrange delivery to your house, if you do not live within a few hours of us or we will personally deliver it to you. Don't miss out on this great giveaway!

Just a reminder...

For every $5 donated until midnght tonight , we'll enter your name into the give-a-way for this 32" VIZIO LCD HDTV. (So, for $20 you will receive 4 entries and so forth.) Give the post a shot out on Facebook or Twitter (pastorkellyb) and we'll enter you in again. On Oct. 18, well do a random selection and someone will be watching the games on this brand new TV!!!!

HOW YOU CAN DONATE...You can make your donation by clicking "GIVE" on the GiveForward box on the right side of this page. You will be directed to our personal donation site where you can enter your donation amount. Remember, for every $5 donated, you will receive an entry into the give-a-way. NOTE: When you give your donation with GiveForward, please be sure to provide your name. If you choose, you can select the box that reads,"I would like to hide the amount given." Also, at the bottom of the donation page, please make sure you check the box that reads, "I would like to share my contact information with the beneficiary." This will ensure that we receive the necessary information to enter your name in the give-a-way!

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GIVE-A-WAY!!

After you donate, post something about this on Facebook and we'll add your name again to the list. Just be sure to friend one of us (Kelly or Lindsey Bullard) in your status on Facebook. Just to remind you that this will be up on the blog until Oct. 17th. On Oct. 18th we will do a video of the give-a-way and deliver or ship the TV to you.

If you desire your name to be put on the list for the drawing without donating, just email ltbullard@yahoo.com. Note: GiveForward donations are not tax deductible. If you would like to send a check just email me.Thank you to a special friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, for their donation of this VIZIO TV. We appreciate your generous gift and support as we go through this adoption.

1 Week Left...

Only 1 week left to be entered for a chance to win a 32" VIZIO LCD HDTV!!!!

Who wished that they had a brand new TV to watch the games on this weekend? Christmas is coming up...who would like a chance to win this TV to give as a Christmas gift to someone or to keep for yourself as a Christmas gift? March Madness is just around the corner and this TV would be perfect for watching the games! The TV is sitting in our house just waiting on the special winner to be chosen. We will arrange delivery to your house if you do not live within a few hours of us or we will personally deliver it to you. Don't miss out on this opportunity and chance to win!

We are so grateful for the generous donations that many of you have placed online through our website, sent us via mail, or gave us in person. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing family and friends during this special time in our lives. Thank you for your generosity!!!

Below is a reminder of the details for donations and the drawing:


For every $5 donated until Oct. 17, we'll enter your name into the give-a-way for this 32" VIZIO LCD HDTV. (So, for $20 you will receive 4 entries and so forth.) Give the post a shot out on Facebook or Twitter (pastorkellyb) and we'll enter you in again. On Oct. 18, well do a random selection and someone will be watching the games on this brand new TV!!!!!

HOW YOU CAN DONATE...
You can make your donation by clicking "GIVE" on the GiveForward box on the right side of this page. You will be directed to our personal donation site where you can enter your donation amount. Remember, for every $5 donated, you will receive an entry into the give-a-way.

NOTE: When you give your donation with GiveForward, please be sure to provide your name. If you choose, you can select the box that reads,"I would like to hide the amount given." Also, at the bottom of the donation page, please make sure you check the box that reads, "I would like to share my contact information with the beneficiary." This will ensure that we receive the necessary information to enter your name in the give-a-way! If you would like your donation to be made in private, please feel free to mail us your donation.

You may also mail a check with your donation to our home address. Once we have received your check, we will make the appropriate number of entries into the give-a-way. Please email us at ltbullard@yahoo.com for our mailing address.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GIVE-A-WAY!

After you donate, post something about this on Facebook and we'll add your name again to the list. Just be sure to friend one of us (Kelly or Lindsey Bullard) in your status on Facebook. Just to remind you that this will be up on the blog until Oct. 17th. On Oct. 18th we will do a video of the give-a-way and deliver or ship the TV to you.

If you desire your name to be put on the list for the drawing without donating, just email ltbullard@yahoo.com. Note: GiveForward donations are not tax deductible. If you would like to send a check just email me.

Thank you to a special friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, for their donation of this VIZIO TV. We appreciate your generous gift and support as we go through this adoption.

Win a NEW 32" LCD HDTV!!!

The weather is starting to turn cooler, the leaves will soon be changing...fall is just around the corner. With these changes come an exciting season of football! One might ask, what can make this time of the year better? Well, we have just the thing...a NEW 32" VIZIO LCD HDTV!

High definition entertainment has never been so amazing! This 32" Class LCD HDTV delivers 720p high definition for remarkable detail and striking 100,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio for truly deep blacks and brighter whites.

No matter your lighting arrangement, you'll always have the best picture possible thanks to built in ambient light sensing technology that automatically adjusts backlight levels based on its surroundings. The result is a balanced picture that will never appear washed out or too bright.

So, by now you're asking yourself, how can I receive this AWESOME TV?!?!?!? Well, this is how it works...

For every $5 donated until Oct. 17, we'll enter your name into the give-a-way for this 32" VIZIO LCD HDTV. (So, for $20 you will receive 4 entries and so forth.) Give the post a shot out on Facebook or Twitter (pastorkellyb) and we'll enter you in again. On Oct. 18, well do a random selection and someone will be watching the games on this brand new TV!!!!!

HOW YOU CAN DONATE...
You can make your donation by clicking "GIVE" on the GiveForward box on the right side of this page. You will be directed to our personal donation site where you can enter your donation amount. Remember, for every $5 donated, you will receive an entry into the give-a-way.

NOTE: When you give your donation with GiveForward, please be sure to provide your name. If you choose, you can select the box that reads,"I would like to hide the amount given." Also, at the bottom of the donation page, please make sure you check the box that reads, "I would like to share my contact information with the beneficiary." This will ensure that we receive the necessary information to enter your name in the give-a-way! If you would like your donation to be made in private, please feel free to mail us your donation.

You may also mail a check with your donation to our home address. Once we have received your check, we will make the appropriate number of entries into the give-a-way. Please email us at ltbullard@yahoo.com for our mailing address.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GIVE-A-WAY!

After you donate, post something about this on Facebook and we'll add your name again to the list. Just be sure to friend one of us (Kelly or Lindsey Bullard) in your status on Facebook. Just to remind you that this will be up on the blog until Oct. 17th. On Oct. 18th we will do a video of the give-a-way and deliver or ship the TV to you.

If you desire your name to be put on the list for the drawing without donating, just email ltbullard@yahoo.com. Note: GiveForward donations are not tax deductible. If you would like to send a check just email me.

Thank you to a special friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, for their donation of this VIZIO TV. We appreciate your generous gift and support as we go through this adoption.

Formal Application Approved!

Words can't even begin to describe the excitement that we feel right now! We just received word yesterday that our formal application has been approved with Bethany. We can only imagine the excitement we'll feel when we receive placement. WOW! There's still several more steps that must be completed. We will be attending a very important meeting on Oct. 21 in Charlotte with Bethany. From there, we'll have a few home studies to do. We've heard mixed reviews from adoptive parents about these studies, but for the most part, we've heard pleasant reports. After the home studies are completed and we receive our final approval, we'll then begin our journey of waiting for a placement.

God is truly at work in this situation. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

Eat More Chicken and Support Our Adoption!

The Chick-fil-A Cow Calendar is both an annual tradition and a new opportunity to see what those renegade cows will do next in their never-ending battle against burgers. These 12-month masterpieces include $30 in coupons for free Chick-fil-A menu items and remain some of the most popular calendars ever produced. The themes may have changed, but the cows’ message has always been the same: eat more chicken!

Thanks to our friends at Chick-fil-A we will be selling the NEW 2012 Cow Calendars to support our adoption. You can get your calendar for an $8 donation to our adoption! Remember, your $8 will get you $30 of FREE food at any Chick-fil-A restaurant. If you would like to get your calendar, please comment below, facebook or email either one of us and we will arrange for you to pick up your calendar!

Also, these calendars make great Christmas gifts! So, start your Christmas shopping early and purchase a Cow Calendar. Your friends and family will love it!!!

Thanks for your support and thanks to our friends at Chick-fil-A!

Formal Application Submitted!

After much typing our fomal application has been submitted! We've been told by friend's who've gone through this process before that there is much more paper work to come. Well, bring it on! We're ready! Even though we've submitted the formal, it will not be processed until we submit $550. Imagine that...money! Yep, they'll be alot of that needed over the next few months. Thanks to Kelly's dad we have already begun the fundraising process. Archie works for an auto paint and body supply distributor in South Carolina. He's doing a raffle with his customers and we're almost half way to this first goal.

Over the next few months we'll be doing various fundraising events. Each month we'll be hosting a basket raffle that we know you'll want to get in on. We have set up a link to paypal on our blog (on right side of page), which will allow you to join in the raffles or make any other contributions to our adoption fund, should you feel led. We will also accept contributions in person or by mail. We are working with various businesses, direct sales companies, restaurants, and organizations to create some great gift baskets. Make sure to check back soon for more details. We'll go ahead and give you a hint for the October basket. Well, it won't be a basket, but it will be flat!

Our First Baby Gift!

Last week we received our first baby gift from a dear friend. Laurie Marbrey sent us the book, Baby Bargains. This book looks amazing! It was featured on Oprah and offers secrets to savings for parents. These savings include 20%-50% on items such as baby furniture, gear, baby clothing, maternity clothes (not that we'll need that!), and much, much more.

Thank you so much Laurie for this gift! It's exciting because this is all beginning to feel so real. Alot of people see the adoption process as a "paper pregnancy," which makes it sometimes seem unreal, seeing that there are not physical changes, etc, as with a real pregnancy. But, we know that this IS real and opening your gift was a great reminder of the fact that we WILL be parents. Thanks again!

Preliminary Application Approved

Even though this post is a week late, we wanted to make sure we included every detail of our adoption process on this blog. Last week on Wednesday, August 31st we got the official word that our Preliminary Application had been approved. Words cannot describe the emotions of that moment. Even though we knew that we still had a LONG road ahead of us and that this process could take months or even years, we felt that we finally saw light at the end of a 17 month tunnel.

For 17 months, we have lived on an emotional rollercoaster. For 17 months, we have answered the hardest question that you can possibly be asked when you are so deeply longing for a child and are unable to get pregnant..."when are you going to start having children?" That one question can cause so much pain and heartache that people are not even aware of, because they don't know what is going on personally in someone's life. One thing I have already learned from our journey so far is that words and questions, no matter how innocent they may seem, can hurt someone so deep. Going forward, we have vowed to be more careful with asking that question to other couples, since you never know what they may be struggling with privately. For 17 months, God has challenged us and taught us that He will be strong enough for both of us when we felt that we have been pushed as far as we could go. For 17 months, we have cried, prayed, hoped, dreamed, and wished that this struggle would come to an end and that we could finally add children to our little family.

In that moment when we got the email saying our preliminary application had been approved, we felt relief. We felt that our longing to have children was finally becoming a reality. We felt that finally, we were on a road that will, hopefully, one day end in us adding a sweet, precious baby to our family. We felt God saying "trust me...I have your best interest at heart." We have learned so much over the past 17 months and know that we will learn even more in the journey ahead. We know that we can only get through this with God's help and that ultimately He has our best interest at heart. So now our journey begins...

Telling Our Parents the Exciting News!

This post will have us caught up with everything that has happened in the past 2 weeks. We appologize for the past posts being so long and promise to try and make them shorter in the future.

As soon as we received word that our preliminary application had been approved with Bethany, our minds started thinking about telling our parents. We decided to create small picture books of our journey as husband and wife over the past three years. After flipping through the book, the last page would reveal our annoucement. This page had a picture of baby feet with the words "We're Adopting" over the image. Now that the book was completed, we had to come up with a legitimate reason for meeting up with our parents.

The first call was made to Kelly's parents. Dinner was scheduled at Buffalo Wild Wings in Fayetteville. After placing our order, we told Kelly's parents that we had a gift for them. We explained that we had made a picture book for our anniversary, sharing our journey over the past three years. We told them that we thought they might like a copy and this one was theirs. Kelly's dad flipped through the book first. When Kelly's dad flipped to the last page, his eyes got big and he couldn't stop smiling. He wanted Kelly's mom to be surprised. So, he passed the book off to her and said, "Here, go ahead and look at it!" She slowly flipped through the pages. We watched closely as she neared the end of the book. When she flipped the last page, she screamed in the restaurant. After a brief moment of embarrasment and looking around to see if anyone was looking, we all laughed and exchanged hugs! Telling Kelly's parents couldn't have gone any better. One family down...two to go!

Lindsey's mom and step-dad were going to be driving through Fayetteville the next afternoon, headed to the beach. So, Lindsey called her mom and asked if she wanted to meet up at McDonald's and chat a bit on their way down. No, McDonald's wasn't our favorite choice of location, but given our circumstances and the logistics of meeting up, this was our best option. So, the next afternoon, we met up at McDonald's, just off of I-95. We explained the picture book, just as we had with Kelly's parents. As Lindsey's mom began looking through the book, our hearts began to race a little. We knew that in a matter of seconds she would find out that she was going to be a grandmother! As she turned the last page, her face glowed with excitement and great joy! She said she felt something was up, but didn't know what was going on. She and Steve were both very excited and anxious to hear all about Bethany and the adoption process.

Last, but not least was Lindsey's dad and step-mom. Coordinating a time to tell them our news was a little challenging. After numerous text messages, we determined it would be impossible to get together and tell them our news over the weekend, espcially since we wanted to announce it to our church family on Sunday. We decided to call them and tell them over the phone. We told them about the book and that their copy was waiting for the next time we saw them. They were so excited to hear of our news and are looking forward to being grandparents. We'll have a picture soon of Lindsey's dad and step mom with their picture book.

It's wonderful to know how excited all of our parents are and we can't wait to see them with their grandchild.

The Journey Begins...

Three years ago we stood at the altar and shared our wedding vows. For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. Everyone says those words, but at the time, we don't realize the significance of them. Life is a journey. For some, it's like a roller coaster filled with ups and downs, high climbs and sudden drops. We never know what is around the bend, but we keep on going.

Our story definitely has it's moments of joy and excitement, but we have also experienced the "sudden drops." For years, even prior to being married, we have had a special love for children. From the day we said "I do" we knew that God had called us to be parents, but we could have never imagined the road that we would travel to get to that end. For months we had tried to start a family, but nothing was happening. After months and months of trying, after months and months of doctor's visits, after months and months of tears, we were left with questions that seemed to have no answers. What was wrong? Why could we not get pregnant? When will it happen to us? Through this time there has been many emotions that we have experienced. We've experienced moments of joy. pain, resentment, anger, frustration, hope, excitement, and disappointment. For us, these emotions have been ongoing and reoccurring. However, the grace of God has sustained us through it all.

Well, here we are 17 months later. Not much has changed, but we have learned a lot through this process. After being diagnosed with infertility, for no apparent reason, we are learning to trust in the sovereignty of God. We are learning patience and how to wait on Him. We are learning how deep our love and commitment is for each other. Yes, this journey has allowed us to grow closer in our relationship with God, but it has also allowed us to grow closer in our relationship with each other. It's true that difficult times in a marriage will either draw you closer together or drive you farther apart. We are grateful to God that this journey has brought us together!!!

While our story hasn't played out the way we had intended, we have learned that God's plans are not always our plans and His ways are not always our ways. Even though we cannot physically have children, it does not change the calling to be parents that we feel our hearts. Understanding this truth and calling from God, we have decided to begin the process of adoption through Bethany Christian Services.

Words can not even begin to describe the excitement that we feel! We know that this process will not be easy and that it could possibly be a long process, but we are ready! We know that in God's perfect timing He will bring our family together. Until that time, we will keep hoping, trusting, and praying! We ask that you, our family and friends, keep us in your prayers. We will use this blog to keep you updated on all the exciting news. In the near future, we will begin various private fundraising initiatives. Most of these will be done through this blog, so please subscribe to our blog to stay updated.