Homecoming #3-Final Videos and Tidbits of Maggie's Homecoming

My nephew took some great videos for us of our first moments home.  I love that we have these as keepsakes!  Thank you Ethan!!

Also, there's a special reason why we dressed Maggie in yellow for her homecoming outfit. 13 years ago, when my nephew Ethan was born, he came home from the hospital in a yellow outfit, since my sister didn't know ahead of time if he was a boy or a girl.  He was the first grandchild and has set the precedent for many things!  Since then, all the grands have come home in yellow, whether they've come home from the hospital or another country.

Maggie in her yellow outfit & Allie in her yellow PJs (we got home really late with her).

 

Ben on the left & Sam on the right in their yellow homecoming outfit (which is the same one my nephew and niece both wore home from the hospital).

Finally, I was just looking back over what we spent total for this adoption. The grand total was about $31,000.  That's a big chunk of change, but I just realized that about HALF of that was provided through our fundraisers!  Through the jewelry sale, garage sale, matching grant and donations, we raised over $15,000 to bring Maggie home. That's really remarkable and evidence that God provides.  Money was simply a hurdle for us to overcome to get to our child.  I'm so glad we didn't let fear stop us. I can't imagine our lives without her.

To anyone who would love to adopt but is afraid of the financial part, don't let that hold you back!!  You will be surprised at who steps up to help.  All you have to do is step out in faith.  We had a lot of close family and friends contribute, but we also had people we barely knew help out.  Friends from WAY back saw our need on Facebook and stepped up in a big way.  People we didn't realize even knew our story found ways to help out.  To everyone who helped bring our girl home, we can't thank you enough.  Every penny, every garage sale donation, every piece of jewelry sold made a difference. Not to mention the time helping with the sales, the meals, the prayers and support. You'll always be a part of Maggie Fei's story!