Do you remember that map we used from our adoption announcement? Well, we've set it up in our den as a constant reminder that Baby Salonen is out there waiting for us. However, now we want to add something to it: YOU. Many of you probably know Andy and I love to play games so we decided to come up with one for our adoption, too.
For a $20 donation you can pick your place on the map; where do you think Baby Salonen will be born? The person(s) who choose(s) the birthplace (or closest to it) wins a prize (it probably won't be a new car, or anything, but...). Our goal is to get 500 pins on the map, meaning we would raise $10,000 towards our total adoption fundraising goal of $35,000! It's a big goal so we need your help! We would love if you participated with us!
You can donate through the PayPal button on our blog (see the right sidebar), or if you prefer to send a check directly to us you can always do that. You DO NOT have to sign up for a PayPal account to donate through them. You can enter as a guest and use your own personal credit/debit card if you like.
However you choose to donate, please be sure to include what city(ies) and state(s) you think Baby Salonen will be born in. On PayPal, use the "Special Instructions" space to provide your geographic information. If you decide to send a check, please go ahead and email us with your geographic locations.
We will be keeping a digital Google map (check it out in the sidebar) and dropping a pin on each city guessed. Hey, did we mention you can guess more than one location?
One big question on everyone's mind as we ask for your financial help in this process is, "Where the heck is this money going? Are you essentially buying a baby?" Well the answer is "No! Adoption costs cover a wide range of things and baby buying is not one of them." Take a look below to gain a better idea of where the money we raise will go:
U.S. Newborn Adoption - Average Cost
| Homestudy fee | $1,912 | |
| Agency application & program fee | $14,161 | |
| Attorney fees | $3,548 | |
| Document preparation & authentication | $1,114 | |
| Advertising/networking | $2,017 | |
| Birth family counseling | $1,085 | |
| Birthmother expenses | $3,076 | |
| Travel expenses | $2,198 | |
| All other expenses | $4,682 | |
| TOTAL | $33,793 |
Sending a check? Please email us, and we will send you our address (if you don't already have it).
Sending geographic locations? Please use the "Special Instructions" space on PayPal, or email us.
Thank you so much for helping us bring home our baby!
With faith, love and a little bit of your help,
Andy and Mimi
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy.”
– Proverbs 13:12
– Proverbs 13:12
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