43 Day Countdown

There are 43 days left until Rachel's birthday....not that I'm counting or anything....

I'm sure many of you remember (and were a part of!) what we did for her 1st birthday last year.  We asked for gift cards from Walmart or Target to help sponsor a couple of young, struggling families who were having new babies - and we were blown away by your response!  We received $843 all together!  It was such a huge blessing and we got them both everything they needed.

So, I have been praying about who we should bless in Rachel's memory for her 2nd birthday.  I like her life to be 'our gift that keeps us giving'.  For months I have been waiting for the perfect answer from God. 

You must have read that after Rachel's 2nd race in August, we decided to give the total profited funds to Family Builders Ministries and not keep the money we originally planned to save for the 501c3 application that we need to do this year...  I think that moving forward in our tax-exempt status will enable us to continue to reach people for Christ through Rachel, and minister to the hearts of families who share our pain.  I think this is a way to help many people for years to come - and I believe at this point, this is the mission that God has in front of us.

So, this year, for Rachel's birthday, I'm asking people to join us in reaching the financial goal to make that happen.  The application is $850.  That's about what was donated last year. 

This number feel huge to me - and I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared to even put this out there for fear of rejection.  I'm so nervous about Rachel's birthday in general this year.  We had such an amazing turnout last year and I'm so worried that nobody will show up this time and my heart will break twice that day.  Part of me wants to hide away and play it safe.... but that's never been my style.... so here it goes...

We had a puzzle made (I got this idea from my friend Jenn's adoption website).  There are 110 pieces.  We put it together and gave each piece a number.  #43 we purchased for Rachel.

Now it's waiting to be reconstructed...  and we need your help!  Each puzzle piece is $10.  As we receive the donations, we will put it back together, piece by piece - until every one but Rachel's is there.  We will then hang this on our wall as a reminder that even though she is gone, we are surrounded by so many people who love us and support us in keeping her legacy alive.  As each piece is purchased, I will write the name of the donor on the back to serve as a keepsake of all the people who helped make this happen.

It's my heart's deepest desire to have this puzzle back together and hanging on our wall by her 2nd birthday, December 3rd.  This is my purpose for announcing this early - and I thought having 43 days to do it seemed symbolic.  I figure if she can change the world in 43 short minutes, we should be able to do this in 43 days!  Please help us!

I will keep a running list of all the puzzle piece purchasers - as well as post weekly pictures of the progress we are making with the puzzle.  To buy a puzzle piece, you can either use the donate button on the side of my blog or mail a check or money order to:

Baby Rachel's Legacy
PO Box 454
Rochester, NH 03866-0454

These can be made payable to Baby Rachel's Legacy and please note "puzzle piece(s)" in the memo line.  If you want to buy one in someone's memory (I did that with Jenn's puzzle in Rachel's name) please make a note and I will do that. 

I have one more little request... over the next 43 days, if you could... could you tell someone about my girl?  I feel her becoming old news and it hurts.  I would love to know that you are still sharing about her and how her life has impacted you or people you know.  And if you want to share that with us too, you can mail a note to us (or email) and we'll save it for her birthday and read them on that day - maybe we can read them as we eat her birthday cake.

Thank you all so much for your continued support and for caring enough to keep reading about little old me - especially when little old me gets my big old mouth going.  I know it's been a rough ride and I am amazed that any of you still love me.  I will never understand fully why my journey with Rachel has reached so far... I will never know why God saw me fit for any of this... but I am humbled to be her Mama and for all of you to care about that.  I don't get it, but I cannot begin to explain what it has done to help my heart over these past... I don't want to say it... 2 years.  Ugh.  I can't believe it's been almost 2 years. :o(   Thank you.  I need you all so much - even when I don't know you're 'here'.  If that makes any sense?