Jocelyn: "But, Mommy, how can Robbie get pink eye when he's a boy? Boys don't like pink!"

We had an unexpected visit with the pediatrician this morning. Sometime between the end of last night's fundraising extravaganza and midnight, pink eye showed up in my little man. 

  

He's pretty miserable. None of us slept much last night as a result, and we're cuddling lots today.

If any of y'all have good tips for giving eyedrops to a little boy, I'd love 'em! We're going the whole having-him-close-his-eyes-and-putting-a-drop-at-the-corner-of-each-eye thing, but he still thinks we're torturing him. 

~ Chick-fil-A at Falls Village ~ 3/22/12 ~ 5-8pm ~ Eat Mor Chiken for Zoe Amanda!

Over the past week, I've posted again and again and again about our fundraising night on March 22 from 5-8pm at Chick-fil-A at Falls Village in Raleigh. I've posted so often that I wouldn't blame you if you're thinking, Thank goodness the event is soon because that means the posts will STOP!" 

Because I've posted so often, though, I wanted to consolidate all the info and links to posts in one place.

Yep, you guessed it. Another post.

First, the basics. Come to Chick-fil-A. Bring a flier. Buy food, inside or through the drive-through. Give them the flier. Smile, knowing your belly will be full and some of your money will go toward bringing Zoe Amanda home!

Here are the fliers, one as an image and one PDF with four to a page. (I would LOVE it if you printed enough to share a few! The more people, the more funds raised toward our adoption expenses!)

Dingle Adoption 3.22.12

And what if you forget your flier? Look for the white Suburban with balloons tied to it, and you'll find fliers in a folder under the windshield! We are NOT allowed to hand out fliers at the door or inside the restaurant, so make sure you have one before you come on in!

And once you're there? Eat. Enjoy sweet company of the folks who are there to celebrate Zoe Amanda. Check out her pictures - we can't share them online, but we'll have some in frames at the auction and raffle areas, including some that have never been shared outside of our family!

What about the silent auction and raffle? Here's the info you need!

• How will the silent auction work?
• What weekend getaways could I bid on?
• What gift cards could I bid on?
• What photography sessions or classes could I bid on?
• What artistic items could I bid on?

and...

• How will the raffle work?
• What 17 items can I find in it?

As you click on the links above, please think about what you might want to bid on in the auction or try for in the raffle. More than anything, though, as you look at what's offered, please join us in praising God for the sweet friends and family and even strangers who have offered items to support us on this journey. I've overused the words amazing and awesome lately, but both capture well the beauty of God's provision in all of this.

We are so thankful for God, for Zoe, and for you.

~+~
And if you're unable to come to our fundraising night but would like to make a donation, 
you can click below:

If you would prefer to make a tax-deductible donation, go here for information about how to do that.

and what will I find in the raffle?

If you missed the post this morning, I explained all of the ins and outs of the raffle that will be part of tomorrow night's fundraising extravaganza at Chick-fil-a at Falls Village. That post was lots of details and not lots of fun... and this one makes up for it! Each of these items will be in our raffle, and when you get raffle tickets, you'll be able to place them in item bags as you see fit! One ticket equals one chance at winning, and tickets will be one for $1 and fifteen for $10.

Without further ado, here are the 17 items that you can choose from!


A Nora Fleming "dress up your dishes" platter and attachment, donated by Diane Fontaine of old BLEU in the Wilmington, NC area (value: $52)
This comes with a cake attachment, but as you'll see below, it's removable. You can get additional attachments and rotate them seasonally!

Beautiful change purse made with a classic diagonal pattern (color: aqua mix), donated by Shelly of Designs by Dea (value: $87.50)

Pinwheel brown Merona wool scarf, donated by Shelly of Designs by Dea (value: $60)

Handmade Swarovski crystal necklace with matching earrings, made and donated by Allison Callis
I don't think my photography skills capture the beauty of this set, so you'll want to see it in person!

Mary Kay gift basket, donated by Kelly Hogan
I don't have a picture of the basket yet, but I can guarantee that Kelly will put together a beautiful mix of items to pamper you!

BeautiControl Chocolate Indulgence Skin, Beauty, and Fragrance Collection, donated by Shelley Esposito Gurley (value: $133)
This includes Dark Chocolate Exfoliating Wash, Caramel Souffle Body Butter, Chocolate Cherry Lip Gloss, Spiced Chocolate Fragrance Mist, Extreme Repair Hand Creme, body wash pouf, a stylish reusable tote bag, a Tupperware container in coordinating colors, AND a $25 gift certificate for additional products of your choice!

Stampin' Up crafting cards basket, donated by Susan Saunders
A lot of great goodies for making cards and crafting!

The Birthday Interview, donated by Susan Fieldstein
This is a keepsake box with everything you need to conduct an interview every year on your child's birthday, using your own video camera. Includes (1) a booklet with interviewing tips and a list of 35 suggested interview questions, (2) an instructional DVD with information that can be accessed on your computer, including a sample interview, and (3) a sheet of adhesive labels to identify each child's tape/DVD. The box can store birthday invites and other memorabilia through the years as well!

Your pick of babysitting or tutoring services: Your choice of one evening of babysitting OR three tutoring sessions from a second grade teacher in WCPSS, donated by Julie Richardson (I can personally vouch for her!)

A gallon of Sherwin Williams SuperPaint (interior acrilyc latex, self-priming for superior hide), donated by the store at 6429 Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh (ready for you to bring it to them to be mixed to the color of your liking!)

Two handmade Bohemian curly scarves, donated by Kirsten McLain (and these pictures are proof that I need lessons on how to take pictures of this sort of thing - I promise that they're beautiful!)

Vintage pillowcase and embroidered linen dress, tunic, or top, valued at $45 from Tenderlane

Custom signs with the words Faith, Hope, and Love (measuring 28-1/4" x 9-1/4" each), made and donated by Bill Dingle

A set of eight stained glass hearts (four green and four pink), made and donated by Bill Dingle

A stained glass cross, made and donated by Bill Dingle

A set of eight handmade beaded keychains, made and donated by Cindy Kapscandi

Four beautiful beaded bracelets, made and donated by Cindy Kapscandi

~+~
If you're new to our blog, read more about our adoption here.

And if you're unable to come to our fundraising night but would like to make a donation, 
you can click below:

If you would prefer to make a tax-deductible donation, go here for information about how to do that.

disability ministry weekly round-up {3-19-12}

Let me start with a head's up: I'll probably be quiet over here this week. We have a huge adoption fundraising night this Thursday (if you're in Raleigh, come on out!), and I'm prepping the silent auction and other details. I'll be back in full force next week, though!

The Includers: "It can be easy to get caught up in a group of peers and be comfortable without even noticing those on the outside." {How can we help kids and adults - with and without special needs - include their peers at church?}

What I'd like you to say to my kid with special needs: "I want you both to treat my son with special needs the same you you treat his sister, or any kid." {How can we do that well in ministry settings?}

Tending the Weeds in Your Ministry Relationships: "You don't have to be afraid of examining your ministry community, no matter how weedy it may be, because God meets you in your difficulty with his amazing grace." {When's the last time you examined your ministry area or your life to determine where weeds need to be pulled so that healthy growth can occur?}

Perhaps you should sue God: I'm not going to quote from this post, a letter from a mom of a beautiful child with Down syndrome directed to the parents who sued medical professionals for the "wrongful birth" of their daughter with the same diagnosis. Just go read it.

Special treatment for kids with special needs (and the fine line we walk as their parents): "I want my child to be treated like every other child. I want my child to get special accommodations for his disabilities. These two things may seem contradictory. Actually, they're not." {Do you struggle with figuring out where to modify and where not to for kids with special needs at your church? In those struggles, do you engage parents as allies in figuring that out?}

Young Life hosts day camp for special-needs children and adults: "A lot of folks just assume that because our friends have mental disabilities, they can't grasp the Gospel, but that's not true. I think our friends grasp it better sometimes than we do." {What are you doing to not just open the doors of your church to people with disabilities but to share the Gospel with them?}

Joni Eareckson Tada on Wilberforce Award, "Better Off Dead Than Disabled" Mentality: "Most of all, it's been my heart's desire to see the church carry out the mandate from the Gospel of Luke, the 14th chapter where Jesus says to go out and find the disabled and bring them in. My life goal is to see the world's one billion people with disabilities embraced and encouraged by the church." {Is this your heart's desire? Is your church helping to reach Joni's goal or not?}

the hope in wrongful birth cases

Yesterday, John Knight did a beautiful job of pointing out the good news in wrongful birth cases like the one that awarded parents nearly $3million in Oregon recently.

The recent decision to award an Oregon couple $2.9 million from a ‘wrongful birth’ lawsuit has left me feeling like there’s actually some good news embedded in this story.

Four years ago a little girl was born with Down syndrome. Her mother had received testing and would have aborted her little girl if the results had shown evidence of Down syndrome. But somebody made a mistake with the test, the mother was told her baby was fine, and the little girl was allowed to live.

So the couple sued, stating they now needed significant financial resources to care for a girl who they otherwise would not have wanted before she was born. A jury agreed.

Here’s the good news from that article: “These are parents who love this little girl very, very much,” Miller said (their attorney). “Their mission since the beginning was to provide for her and that’s what this is all about.”

I don’t know if ‘that’s what this is all about’ or not. Comments and blogs have vilified these parents for their openness about wanting to abort. Yes, I find their initial thinking about abortion to be horrifying as well.

But somewhere along the way they learned to love this child. She went from being unknown to being known. She entered a family and was given a name. And today she is loved.

Abortion is an act of violence against a small human being who cannot defend herself; that is reason enough to be against it. But it is also a final act – that small human being will never be known.

Those of us who have already decided against abortion are frequently dismissed as deluded or guided strictly by manufactured sentiment – of course we’ll see value in and love a child with disabilities.

But this couple was willing and preparing to abort if disability was found – yet love their child today. They cannot be dismissed by abortion proponents so easily.

To read the rest of John's thoughts, go here.

We also saw the same change in the wrongful birth case in south Florida last summer, in which the parents were awarded $4.5million because the ultrasound technicians and doctor denied them the opportunity to abort their son by not diagnosing his missing arm and leg prior to birth. In that case, the mother was asked, "Does his life have value?"

Her response? "Yes, a lot of value. Great value."

While I disagree with a lot in these cases, I can't disagree with that.