“Here ya go,”  a neighbor boy down handed me a ten dollar bill.


“Oh, you want a box of donuts?”  I asked.


“No,” his mom said.  Then she gently urged him.  “Tell her what the money is for.”


“To help with your adoption.”  He said shyly.  Gulp.


His mom went on to explain.  She was reading our little ol’ blog and in tears over Y the Brave’s story.  Her son asked what was wrong.  She told him.  About adoption.  About the cost.  His heart was open.  He wanted to help.  Double gulp. 


Somehow I managed to hold it together.  A young boy does not need to see a middle aged mama turn in to a blubbering mess.  Then the neighbor told me that her sister heard about what her nephew did and wanted to match his gift.  I’ve never even met this woman.  A stranger.  Giving and helping. 


And so it went the whole day.  Neighbors came from all around and donated.  We had doughnut orders throughout the week and delivered them on Saturday while having a small yard sale.  Our neighbors gave from their hearts.  A cute one dollar used outfit turned in to a twenty dollar outfit and I was ordered to not give her change back.  The eight dollar boxes of doughnuts turned in to ten dollars or even twenty. 


We were so tired by evening but so overwhelmed at the love our neighbors poured in to our family as they celebrated our adoption process and helped us to kick off our fundraising for the adoption.


Tears were welled up in my eyes the whole day and I just really wasn’t sure what to say what to do.  Time after time I squeaked out a meager “thank you” because I knew anymore and I might just lose it.


 I loved telling our story to complete strangers as they waited for doughnuts.  Especially when it started with the question, “Where are you getting your baby from?”  My baby.  My eight year old baby.  Ha!  Y the Brave has told me so many times that he is not a baby! 


We love sharing our story of Y the Brave and our family.  And to see God’s love shown over and over in our neighborhood…only one word could explain how we felt…Overwhelmed and extremely thankful for the love that has been poured out to our family.


Now we regroup and work on the next couple of fundraisers.  And our home study.  And appointments for Emmie.  Oh, and homeschooling and life in general.  It’s never boring around here for sure.