The Backstory

My husband and I are teachers who live in Evanston, IL with our three kids.  This summer, we took in three orphans from Latvia.  We hadn't planned this.  A friend shared our name with someone who volunteers with the agency Project 143.  The project brings orphans to America and places them with host families in the hopes that the family will want to adopt them.  The children they called us about were in crisis because the host family had been abusive.  The agency asked if we would care for the orphans for the remainder of the summer.  We freaked out a little (six kids?!) Then we said yes.

We didn't expect to have so much fun, to find so many things in common and most of all, we didn't expect to fall in love.

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. - Lennon

After three amazing weeks, the kids returned to Latvia.  The hole they left was bottomless.  

That's when we knew we had to do something. We had to bring them back home.  But the cost of adopting three children on two teaching salaries is daunting.

Home study fee $4000

Placement Agency fee $6200 

Home study review $350 

Translation fees $2200

Legal fees in Latvia = $6890 for three children.  

$230 per visa per child

$15,000 - $20,000 Travel and in-country housing during court evaluations and hearings

$30,000 - $50,000 attic renovation for an additional two bedrooms and a bathroom (our home currently has three bedrooms for five people)

That's a total of $70,000 - $90,000

Do you want to help?  We are doing a lot of different things to raise money for this adoption.  We will be tightening our belts in every area of our lives to save our pennies, applying for grants and using our savings. But that still won't be enough.

Please consider doing one or more of the following (if you can.)

1. Buy something soft or sparkly from this site.
2. Donate to our crowdfunding website
3. Come to our school-wide rummage sale and look for treasures and great deals
4. Buy a ticket to the Em and Them concert (more information to follow)
5. Spread the word!

We will do everything we can to bring these kids back home but we need your help. Please know that every cent you spend on the pretty-shiny-things you purchase here, will go to an extremely good cause.