LAST DAY!

I know that I have been a bit overkill on promoting the auction through this blog and Facebook, but I am really praying that we can reach our goal of $2000 by midnight tonight.  We are just $150 short of this goal and I know we can get there!  If any of you are thinking about bidding make sure you do it today before midnight, or if you would rather donate than bid, click on the "donate" button on the side of the blog and you can make a donation.

$2000 would allow Jill and Jason to buy one plane ticket (they need to buy 4 overall because they have to fly to Ethiopia twice).  We are so appreciative of all of the donations and the bids we already have!  I am so blessed by the outpouring of generosity we have seen from people we don't even know!

I spoke to Jill yesterday and was laughing about how my original goal was $500 and we have far exceeded that.  Jill said "that is what happens when we put God in a box."  So true!  He has completely taken this auction and exceeded our goals and expectations!  He sure is good!

GET BIDDING!

The auction to raise money for my nephew's adoption is up and running! Bidding has begun and I am so excited about the bids already out there!  Come check it out.  Maybe you want to bid on this:

or how about these adorable handmade notecards?

I can't decide if I want the baby more or the hat?

Or, maybe you want a photography package from these amazing photographers?

There is also concert tickets, Red Wings tickets, gift baskets and SO much more.  What are you waiting for?  GET BIDDING!

Giveaway!!!

I've decided that it has been a long time since I have done a giveaway.  With everything happening with my sister's blog auction, I felt this was the perfect time to do another giveaway to spread the word.  So here is what I am giving away:

Shell Stitch Beanie with Three Mix 'n' Match Flowers

Whoever wins can pick the size they want and the colors of the flowers they would like.  I won't be able to complete the hat until May because I have other orders to fill, but it is a light weight hat made out of cotton yarn, so it works great even in warmer weather.

This is how to enter (be sure to leave your email so I can contact you):

1. Go to Bring My Nephew Home and tell me what item you want to bid on (hard to choose!)
2. Promote the auction on Facebook or Twitter  and comment about it here.
3. Attend the Bring My Nephew Home on Facebook and tell me about it (even invite your friends!)
4. Blog about the auction or add the auction button to your blog and tell me you did it!
5. Become a follower of this blog and tell me about it.

So many ways to enter!  Giveaway ends Sunday, February 27 at noon. 

Blog Auction Info

First of all, I have had a HUGE response to the adoption blog auction I am hosting for my sister and her husband.  I am amazed at the generosity of everyone who has donated items to this auction!  There are people we have never even met that are offering to donate.  God is good, and we feel blessed.

Now comes the next step; advertising.  It is great to have items to auction off, but they don't help us raise money unless there are people who bid!  This is where I am asking for more help.  I have begun to set up the auction site.  It is live, so people are able to go to the site and check out items up for bid.  Bidding will open up on March 6th, but this way people can preview all of the amazing items.  Check them out for yourself at Bring My Nephew Home.  Here is how you can help:

1. Join the Facebook event and invite your friends!
2. Blog about the auction to spread the word. Please grab my auction button below (big thanks to Diane at Something Diane Made for making this). 


<div align="center"><a href="http://www.boersmaauction.blogspot.com/" title="Bring My Nephew Home"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p255/betsythompson/button_big.png" alt="Bring My Nephew Home" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

3. Promote the event through your Facebook status or email the link to your friends/family.  Send them here: http://boersmaauction.blogspot.com/
4. Bid on items yourself!  There are tons of goodies up for grabs and I have my eye on a few myself :-)

A huge thank you to all of you who have helped us this far and who are willing to further promote the auction.  You are a blessing to our family and your generosity is an amazing gift!

Blog Auction for Adoption

My sister and her husband are adopting from Ethiopia. They have three beautiful girls already, and have felt called to adopt a little boy. Hearing about their process has taught me a lot about the "long haul" of adoption, especially international adoption. I have learned that it takes a lot of trust, loads of patience, strength and perseverance, combined with a hefty price tag! The cost of adoption is upwards of $30,000 (now you see why this process takes a lot of trust!).

Jill and Jason had a fundraiser last May that was a huge success. They raised $10,000! God has been blessing them throughout this journey and has continually been showing himself and his hand through this process.

That being said, they still have some huge expenses coming up. Once they get their referral they will have to make 2 trips to Ethiopia before they can bring home their son. This is not a cheap endeavor (especially for a SAHM and Christian school teacher). So, I have really felt called to help them out.

Yesterday I came up with the idea of having a "Blog Auction" for them with some of the items I have had in my inventory for awhile. As I was thinking through this, I thought I would also ask if anyone wanted to donate their own items to this auction. I know that there are a ton of crafty people out there who are trying to get their name out, so this would be a great way for some free publicity, while helping out a good cause.

Here is how it will work. I have yet to figure out exactly when I will be doing this, but I am hoping to make it a week long event. As of now, I am planning on making each item a separate post so bids (comments) can be made easily. I will be the "middle man" for those who are donating items. I will send the winners invoices through Paypal, and then send the donors information on the winner. More details will come later, but this is how I am imagining this happening.

If you would like to donate please comment here or email me at bhuizinga@gmail.com. If you would like to bid on items stay tuned for more information on dates! So far we have crocheted items up for auction, IKEA products, photography packages, POSSIBLY Red Wings tickets, and some other baby items.

Thanks in advance to everyone who participates and helps out in any way, whether it be donating or bidding. You will be a part of bringing my nephew home from Africa!

To learn more about my sister and brother-in-law's adoption journey check out their blog, Five and Counting.

(please pass the word along too!)