Pancake Breakfast Adoption Fundraiser

We are so excited for this event! It will be a great opportunity to come and hang out with your family and friends while supporting a awesome cause!! Every dollar made will further us on this exciting and wonderful adoption journey!
You can reserve your tickets online by paying via PayPal with the address Mikeswaggs@gmail.com. Or purchase your tickets in person.

THREE WAYS to help:
...

1. Looking for anyone willing to take a envelope of tickets to their friends and family to invite!? This will be such a awesome help to bring your loved ones along, this way we can reach a larger group! Our goal is to make $2,500!! I believe this is possible with your help!
2. People that can't make it have offered to purchase needed items ahead of time. That would be a huge help! Contact me for information. We will be receiving donations for non-perishables such as bulk pancake mix, syrup, & paper products, coffee and coffee- mate non perishable creamer.
3. We are still looking for a few volunteers to help serve at the event.

Adopt A Love Story

Watching God do Big Things....

 

 

 

We are so overjoyed at the news we get to share! We have been chosen to partner with a incredible Non-Profit ministry called Adopt A Love Story! I have been praying for months that God would allow us to expand our borders and that our story would reach a larger audience. God knew what He was doing. In due time He brought this beautiful team of people onto our path!

We are so thankful to be working with people who believe how heartily in what we are doing! Their desire is to help us raise our adoption budget, and share our love story!! We are so thankful!

Here is a excerpt straight from their mouths..

"Adopt a Love Story was founded out of the goal to not only help adoptive families overcome the financial barriers to adoption, but to help each family share the power of the love stories being written in their adoption process.
Adopt a Love Story helps families share those stories, not with just their friends and family, but with a community of people that they've not yet met."

Here is Adopt a Love Story's website so you can learn more about them!

https://www.adoptalovestory.com/about

Because we are now working with them, anyone who gives will be able to receive a Tax ID number so they can use it on their tax refund as a charitable donation! We will also now be able to apply for more Grants than we could before! God is expanding our borders! We know God will get us where we need to be, but being on this incredible rollercoaster is allowing us front row seats to what God is capable of!

Our new page reflects our current standing. We are so grateful to be able to show you that we are quickly approaching the half way point! We have so many things in place as of recently that God has allowed to help us get to our goal, I stand in awe of God!

Here is our page. Please share if you feel led!

https://www.adoptalovestory.com/family/swaggerty


I showed my boys, one said "Were famous!" Its our job to make God famous, I said! I loved the excitement, I felt the same way!!:)

February Fundraising Highlights!!!

 

 

February is love month!! Especially for our family!  Its not only Valentines Day, its also our wedding Anniversary, (as well as my parents because we share the same day), and our third son's birthday!  We have a lot of fun this month! Its a wonderful way to get through Michigan's tough and long winters.  What a better time to launch a few more fundraisers when all I can think of is wanting to get closer to loving our daughter by holding her in our arms!

Mike and I will be married for 14 years on the 23rd! We are so grateful that God brought us together and is continuing to grow within us a strong love relationship, a ever growing bond through our relationship with Christ as well as a deep desire to spend our life doing the things of the Lord!!  We are deeply passionate about laying down our own agendas for Gods. This is sometimes a daily battle with our own selfish desires, but we find it to be where the real joy is found!  Having a large family is one of those areas that we both feel God has led us in.  We know that God has opened up the borders of our hearts and home to make room for a daughter and even her family through the redemptive process of adoption! God has shown us the ultimate example as He has adopted us into His family, not by anything we have done, but by His own desire to be family!

We currently find ourselves in "the great wait" I'm calling it.  Where you have your phone glued to you waiting for that email, that text, or that phone call from your adoption consultant saying that a agency wants to show our profile book to a expecting Mom!  I'm embarrassed to admit how many times I check my phone to make sure I haven't missed anything! Believe it or not, recently I had my phone on silent for 3 hours accidentally and missed a opportunity for our profile to be shown. Talk about an emotional insanity for the next few days.  I will never allow that to happen again!  The wonderful thing is God is writing her story and ours.  He will not allow us to not find each other.  This is a totally supernatural situation that we find ourselves in, so I know that God is in full control!  As hard as this is, I am so very grateful that He is, because I would mess it up with my impatience and short sightedness.  We will be connected with the precious Birth Mom that God already has in mind, and one day hopefully sooner than later meet and hold our daughter in our arms!

We are trusting God for creative ways to raise our financial budget for our adoption.  We are so very grateful for all the support we have already received!  We cannot travel this road alone!  Like I say all the time, it will take a village to bring our daughter home!  Would you be willing to be a part of that village?  Every prayer said, every dollar given is building that village!

This month we want to highlight some incredible opportunities to help us raise our budget through 4 different opportunities! These are four awesome way to SHOP FOR A CAUSE!!



1.  First we are selling T-shirts!!

 Fund The Nations did a incredible job helping us with the design!
You can purchase a shirt for $20, and a percentage of every shirt purchased goes towards our adoption!  The greater the number of shirts sold - the greater the percentage!  These are unisex Short Sleeve Jersey T-shirts.  They are nice and soft:)

 

TO ORDER, email me at

mrsswaggs@gmail.com with the quantity and size shirt you need. S-3XL.

You can pay via Pay Pal securely at mikeswaggs@gmail.com. Please make sure to click Friends and Family so we do not get charged.

You can also send us check or cash through snail mail:) 

Please just email us with info and ask us for our address.

 

Our favorite part of this shirt is the phrase "FAITH SAYS YES"!  This is the theme of our hearts as we began this adoption journey!  There is also a red heart on MICHIGAN because this is where our daughter will come home:)

 

 

 





2.    Thirty- One Gifts ~ Online Adoption Fundraiser !!!!

We are excited to share a great fundraiser to help fund our adoption process.  From February 1st-February 15th an online fundraiser will take place with Thirty One Gifts.  This faith based company was founded in 2005 and offers a wide variety of purses, totes, home organization and now much more!  Their products now include pillows, home decor, jewelry, and fun everyday storage solutions! Most products can be personalized as well! 

Heather Ricca, a consultant for the company, will be helping with the fundraiser and able to answer all your questions.  We will also have a Facebook group that will be posted in daily, to give updates on the fundraiser, auction off products,  great product demos, games, and more!  If you would like to join the group, let me know and I will add you to the fun.  The following is a direct link where you can browse the online catalog and see the prints and products up close starting February 1st! 

https://www.mythirtyone.com/465682/shop/Party/EventDetail/8940542

Thank you so very much for supporting our journey!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Heather by phone or email.  Heatherkricca@gmail.com or 248.915.8934

3.   Love You Beary Much!  Adoption Auction

This auction will take place on our FACEBOOK FAMILY ADOPTION PAGE: Swaggertys are Growing by Two Feet Saying Yes to Adoption.

https://www.facebook.com/Swaggertysaregrowingbytwofeet/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

The Auction will be live Thursday February 4th at 8pm EST.

 

Featuring Scenty's Warmer of the Month "Be Mine" with a Love you Berry Much Bar of wax to melt in it! Lovey the Bear Scentsy Buddy that is Sold Out with a Love you Berry Much Scent Pak( when you place inside the stuffed animal it makes any room that its in smell amazing!), Valentines Day pencils, Valentines Day stickers, Heart Notecards, Valentines Paper Straws, a Fun Pen, Red/White Twine, Decorative pink arrow Clothespins, Sweet Tarts Lip Balm, & and a Strawberry Cheesecake Lindt Chocolate Bar.

 

Retail value: $82

Starting Bid: $50

 

Only ship in the USA.

 

Here's a snapshot of the Warmer and the Buddy in the Auction Bundle!

 

 

 

 This auction is ending on the 5th of Feb, so it will be able to be delivered to the winner in plenty of time for YOUR VALENTINE!!

 

 

 



 

4.   Adoption Puzzle Fundraiser

 

 

 

 

400 pieces are SPONSORED!!! That means 600 to go!!

We are at a grand total of 10,000 as of now!  This money represents puzzle pieces sponsored and money raised through past fundraising opportunities.  We are so grateful and so humbled!

We are so excited about the PUZZLE FUNDRAISER!  The symbolism is just so beautiful! This is how it works:

1. We bought a 1,000 piece puzzle that will fit perfectly into her bedroom decor!
2. Individuals can "sponsor" a piece of the puzzle by making a donation toward the adoption. As each sponsor donates, their name is written on the back of a puzzle piece.
3. In the end it will serve as the most precious visual reminder to our daughter and us for the rest of our lives who was a piece of her puzzle bringing her home to us!
4. When all the pieces have been sponsored we will put it together with the boys and have it framed with glass on both sides and hang it in her bedroom. She can look at the back and see the name of everyone who donated and was a huge part of making it possible to be part of our forever family!
5. We are selling each piece for $20 dollars. You can choose to buy 1,2,3 or 10! There is no limit!
6. If you do not want to donate online you can email me at mrsswaggs@gmail.com for our address and send a check in the mail.
7. THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE! 

 

 

DONATE ONLINE BELOW on OUR YOUCARING PAGE.

 

https://www.youcaring.com/mike-and-katie-swaggerty-459105#.VjgN6srpHzE.facebook

 

 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO STOP BY AND READ!!!

 

 

 

RAFFLE WINNERS!!

Ready to give away these awesome prizes!!!!!

1. Leslie Kragt
2. Marianne Hughes
3. Mary Dykstra
4. Jill Gust
5. Whitney Sullivan
6. Sondra Molnar
7. Whitney Sullivan
8. Jana Goodwin
9. Kim Beck
10. Kara Follman
11. Julia Dubuc
12. Kim Lipsky
13. Robin Schreiner
14. Amy Curry
15. Carmen Vigh
16. Melissa Hope
17. Deb Olsen
18. Erin Rogers
19. Michaela Hintgen
20. Janine Norris
21. Kara Follman
22. Laura Christmas
23. Erin Rogers
24. Erin Rogers
25. Jamie Crank
26. Carmen Vigh
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Luke and Clayton were my super awesome helpers!! They took turns shaking the bag, closing their eyes and picking a ticket from each bag!! 

Extreme Gratitude!

We are so beyond GRATEFUL!!

Our current total since we began fundraising for our adoption on November 3rd is 6,325.92!!!! 

Our thanks does not seem like enough to show everyone how we're feeling! God is showing up and doing what we feel that He assured us He would do! Providing for His daughter! This would not be possible if all of you didn't step in and give like you have! This is such a huge faith boost for us as we walk forward in this process of total unknowns! 

We are almost to the next phase where we will have large fees due to the adoption agency that we are matched with. We truly do not know exact amounts for that yet, but know the number will be large. 

We will continue to share with you our milestones, we will continue to apply for grants and continue to sell puzzle pieces! I cant wait to get our new total of pieces that have been sponsored. Many people have sponsored this week during the raffle!

Again, thank you dearly for being a part of the Raffle for Ruffles Fundraiser and the Puzzle Fundraiser! HUGE thank you again to all the amazing friends who donated their products, and services!!!

Luke just totaled up the tickets sold..... DRUM ROLL!!  tickets sold 12/1-12/4=270.  1,350.00 made on the raffle in 3 days!! So exciting!! 

Love, 

Mike & Katie

Raffle for Ruffles !!!!

                       

Raffle Items Listed Below!!! 
All details at bottom of post.

$5 a ticket! 

Post in comments below how many tickets, and what number you would like your ticket placed in! 

Use the YOUCARING Donate Now button on the front page of our blog to purchase tickets:)

***Share this blog post and let me know for a free raffle ticket of your choice!



Make sure you scroll ALL THE WAY DOWN!! SO MANY AMAZING PRIZES!!!

Jamberry Nail Heater and 7 Wraps! ~ Value $94

Jamberry Nail Heater and 6 Wraps and 1 Mommy & Me Wrap ! ~ Value $ 94

ReDefine Eye Cream ~ Value $60

jodiewebb.myrandf.com

Young Living Essential Oils Home Spa Gift Basket~ Value $ 60

Orangle Essential Oil 15ml bottle, Orange Bath Salts, Orange Sugar Scrub,

Orange Moisturizer, Orange Linen/Room Spray, Cotton Ball Diffusers, Clothespin Diffusers. 

Young Living Independant Distrubutor # 1967419

mandy.mianecki@gmail.com

DoTerra Refreshing Body Scrub, two Lip Balms, Body Sugar Scrub, Wild Orange EO 5ml , Peppermint EO 5ml  and OnGuard EO 5ml.

Value $ 70
www.mydoterra.com/ashleyodell1
Wellness Advocate # 2085961

It Works Gift Basket! ~Value $150 

1 Body Wrap, a Facial, 2 Energy Drinks, a Reusable Hot and Cold Drink Bottle, a Week worth of GREENS on the go, Sample of WOW, Green Chew, and a Bottle of Hair, Skin and Nails. 

skinnywrapsbyshelbie.myitworks.com

03ashton03@gmail.com

6 Jams ~ Value $ 75

hillarybecker.jamberry.com

Parlor Edison Bulb Premium Warmer and two Scentsy wax bars- Christmas Cottage and Winter Cypruss~ Value $ 69

www.katieswaggerty.scentsy.us

Element Songbird Warmer and two Scentsy wax bars- Love you Berry Much and Winter Cypruss~ Value $ 39

www.katieswaggerty.scentsy.us

Amber Ombre Premium Lampshade Warmer and Scentsy Wax- Very Snowy Spruce and Winter Cypruss ~ Value $59

www.katieswaggerty.scentsy.us

Christian Book and DVD Bundle ~ Value $200

Chasing Fireflies Mason Jar Premium Warmer and two Scentsy wax-Perfectly Pomegranate and Winter Cypruss ~ Value $ 49

www.katieswaggerty.scentsy.us

4 ** It Works Ultimate Body Applicator Wraps ~ $ Value $99

crankupyourhealth.itworks.com

jamiejocrank@gmail.com

Thirty -One Gift Bundle ~ Value $ 70

Little Things Canvas Tote, Littles Carry All in Black Links, Hang it Up Key Fob in Black Tweed, Recipe Cards and Mini Candle.

www.mythirtyone.com/heatherricca

heatherkricca@gmail.com
248.915.8934

Thirty-One Large Utility Tote In Pink Cross Pop ~ Value $35 

11.75 in x 21.5in. x 10 in.

www.mythirtyone.com/433243

Karen's Sweet Tooth Emporium Gift Certificate for 1 Dozen Cupcakes OR 2 Dozen Mini Cupcakes OR one 7 in Round cake

kcsmac@aol.com

Find her on Facebook * Karen's Sweet Tooth Emporium

Pampered Chef Gift Bundle ~ Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette, 9 Spices and a Dish Rag ~ Value $55

Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil,  California Style Garlic Pepper Blend, Recipe and $25 Gift Certificate! ~ Value $ 47

www.mywildtree.com/shepard

Molly and Maggie Designs Handmade Pea Pod Necklace OR a Handmade Bird Nest Necklace 18" chain. You can choose your bead selection to signify your children or grandchildren.

 ~ Base Value Starts at $ 22

molly_and_maggie@hotmail.com

Haircut and Color, Haircut for a child, a brush and three awesome hair care products!   

Hair By Lisa in South Lyon, MI ~ Value $ 50

lisa832002@sbcglobal.net

Win a FREE Registration for Brighton Girls CROSSFIT ! Value $155

2 Locations Sat/Sun Cross fit Brighton & Venture Church Hartland, MI Tues 

www.TeamGirlsEDGE.com

1 Hour Facial with Brow Wax ~Value $65

emgordon6@yahoo.com

www.facebook.com/estheticianemily

One Make-up Application (Makeover) 

Value $65

emgordon6@yahoo.com

www.facebook.com/estheticianemily

Choose a Family 4 pack of shirts! Two adult shirts of your choice, 2 children's shirts of your choice!

intangibilitees.com

INTANGIBILITEES is an athletic sportswear company founded on the premise of promoting integrity and hard work in sports.

twenty one twigs

CUSTOM-MADE DOOR DECOR

offering this gorgeous wreath! 

Value $30

twentyonetwigs@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/twentyonetwigs

KEEP COLLECTIVE Pendant of your choice and chain of your choice!!

Value $65

Contact Denise Cantrell for your order!

www.keep-collective.com/with/denisecantrell

HUGE THANKS TO ALL THE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE WHO DONATED!!

 Mandy Mianecki, Emily Gordon, Lisa Shenton, Ashley Odell, Lisa McCormick,

 Christy Shepard, Kara Follman, Karen French-Dowell, Jodie Webb, Shelbie Green, 

Jamie Crank, Hillary Becker, Heather Ricca, Molly McIntyre, Dianne Ilkka, 

 Mark Shenton, Denise Cantrell, Krystle Edelson & Carrie Kundinger!!!!

Raffle Q&A

I am so excited to kick off this Raffle! The Raffle prizes that have been donated for this event are awesome! I wish we were eligible to win because I want ALL of them!!! Donations are still coming in so check back for updates! I have had people donate services, handmade items, baked goods, gift certificates, and products they sell!! Thank you so much if you have given something, we are so thankful and know this Raffle will be a huge success!

Entries are $5 a piece. Contact us through the blog, email, Facebook, phone, text, or in person and let us know how many entries you want! Upon purchase tell us which price number or prizes you would like to enter to win. Example: "I would like four tickets. Please enter two tickets in the Prize 1 and 2 tickets in Prize 8." We will put your info on each ticket and enter them into the prize baskets. Payment can be made through the YouCaring Donate Now button on the blog, or in person. The winning tickets will be drawn by my boys and we will contact you via phone or email and post on the blog!! Good luck!!!

Steps to enter the raffle . . . 1. Use the Donate (YouCaring) button on the right side of the blog to make your donation or you can pay me directly in person. 

2. Let me know about your donation by commenting on this post with the number of tickets you bought and what number you want the tickets to go for. Example( Item 1, 5,14,22 and 24.
3. I will put a ticket with your name in that basket of each raffle you enter. 

4. My sons will choose a winner for each prize at the end of the raffle.

5. I will contact you via phone or email if you are the winner and post here!

After you donate, if you share the link to this blog post on your blog or on Facebook, I'll give you an extra entry! Just let me know that you shared the link!

All money raised from this raffle will go towards of financial goal towards our daughters adoption. We are currently working towards the agencies fees.

THANK YOU AND HAVE FUN!!!

Safe Families for Children

If you haven't heard of the incredible ministry of Safe Families for Children, then I'm so glad your reading this! Its a incredible opportunity to help a family in their time of crisis. Its a chance to hopefully step in and support a family who may not have the support system that you have. Its a way to prevent another child from ending up in the foster care system. The whole family can serve God together. There are many opportunities to be involved.

 Over the last year we had the incredible opportunity to love on 4 children in our home. 3 through placements and one through respite.  Each time was a incredible way to be the hands and feet of Christ to children and their Moms.

It is not a easy task, but it is a highly rewarding one! And whoever said the right thing was easy? It taught my entire family spiritual truths we could have never learned and most importantly we were able to help a few families who desperately needed it!

We cherish the memories we made with each little one we were able to welcome into our home!

The process has allowed to to clearly hear from God about how to move forward with the adoption process as well. When we began praying we were unsure if what age we felt led to adopt or what method whether it be through foster care, international or domestic infant.

God uses so many situations to speak to us and lead us down the path path that He has laid out before us!

The goal of Safe Families is always reunification with the child's parents or parent, it is not adoption. During the time of us serving this way, we knew God was speaking clearly about us expanding our family permanently through adoption. We are taking a long break from hosting and hoping to fill the role of  Coach and supporting the Host Families since I can put myself in their shoes and imagine more easily what their needs may be.
There are so many amazing ways to be involved, big and small!! Check out the list below, as well as the website for further information!

Opportunities to Serve

The Safe Families movement is only successful when entire communities come together to support both volunteer and biological families. Volunteers are needed at every level to help provide for the needs of our children. Volunteer opportunities in your area may include: 

Host Families
Volunteer families willing to open their homes to children in crises and provide a safe and loving home and family atmosphere for them on a temporary basis. 

Providing Resources
Most children come to Safe Families with very few supplies and possessions and Host Families are not reimbursed for any expenses they incur. Therefore the donation of children's items including (but not limited to): diapers, formula, cribs, car seats, strollers, and clothing are essential. 

Professional Services
A comprehensive network of professionals willing to provide services on a donated or discounted rate for the support of children in crisis and/or volunteer families. Doctors, dentists, hair-care professionals, handymen and house cleaners are just a few examples.

Respite Care
Volunteers willing to provide temporary (less than 1 day) care of children to allow volunteer families to run errands, shop, or simply get a break. 

Support Groups
Groups of individuals providing prayer, encouragement, and support to volunteer and biological families. Examples include play groups, coffee talks, burger night, etc. 

Mentors 
Mature Christians serving in a mentoring role to connect with biological families; assisting with and addressing the circumstances that led to their crisis. 

Case Coaches
Volunteers who facilitate the relationship between the biological and volunteer Safe Family during a placement. Their primary focus is ensuring the well-being of the child(ren) while coordinating communications between the various agencies, Host Family, and the biological family. 




http://www.safe-families.org/