Can anyone say FUNDRAISERS?!?!

Below is a portion of e-mail update I sent out tonight:

Donations for yard sale last weekend totaled WELL over $2,000.00... and we were able to bless a couple of families who we know needed items... we were so humbled as we continue to watch God provide for all his children... :) those who needed items for their family at the yard sale, us, and our child(ren) in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan!!! God is SO good!!!
Thanks to everyone who helped in anyway possible... from items donated to helping us set-up, tear down and clean up... I posted some pics on the blog if anyone is interested...

We have several fundraisers happening RIGHT now!!! PLEASE consider helping us with one of the following...

Premier Designs Jewelry Party/Fundraiser - - - -
We have catalogs and are currently doing a fundraiser with an awesome company and jeweler... SPECIALS: Buy 3 items at regular price and get 4th item 1/2 off...
She will mail catalogs ANYWHERE... if you would like to receive a catalog, PLEASE let me know your address and we'll send one to you soon!! PLEASE consider looking and maybe even purchasing... what a GREAT Christmas present, while helping there be one (or 2) less orphans in the world!!! If anyone is willing to take a catalog to work and show family and friends, that would be SO great!!! Please just let me know!!!
ALL SALES ARE DUE ON NOV. 6th... We are closing out the party on Nov. 6th.

1/2 Pork/Hog ~ Completely Processed GIVE - A - WAY!!!
We had a wonderful family bless us with 1/2 a hog for a give - a- way drawing. For a $1.00 donation you can enter to win 1/2 a pork... (yummy!)... For a $5.00 donation you can enter 7 times!! What a deal!!
The drawing will be on Nov. 16th... You do not need to be present to win... and if you'd like to make a donation to win... just let me know!! Also, if you are willing to take a book of tickets to help us out.. that would be GREAT as well!! Please let me know if you can help with this!!

COOKBOOKS are here!!

We have 220 MORE cookbooks... Wonderful adoption keepsakes and we will ship these ANYWHERE.... $10.00 each... I've had SO many people tell me how pleased they are with theirs... if you'd like to order more or help us sell these, please let me know... and if you've contacted me stating you are interested this time around... please let me know once again.. and we'll work out details!!! I've had several people tell me they are going to give these as Christmas Presents... I think that is an amazing gift... It is truly a collection of favorites... and a keepsake for years to come!!


Recycling Fundraiser ONGOING...

We are still recycling cartridges, lap tops, and cell phones.

Yard SALE - Date pending....

We are going to have one more yard sale before winter totally hits.. As always if you have items you'd like to donate, please let me know... We can pick them up or arrange a time to get them from you... Thanks so much!
I think that is about it... I know that some of you are probably REALLY tired of hearing about fundraisers and if you are... I am so sorry... I would be happy to stop sending these e-mails to anyone who doesn't want to continue to receive them... please just let me know..

I just want to say thanks for the love and support... we still have a few thousand dollars to go :) however, at this point God has blessed us thousands of dollars... we are so thankful and know that God will and is continuing to Bless... We are standing firm on his word and frantically attempting to get ready to welcome our child(ren) home... Lots of projects we need/want to get completed...
Please continue to pray for us, our children, this process, and the finances!
Many blessings to all of you tonight.. and know you are loved by us!!!

Have a Blessed and Wonderful Day,
Phil, Lanetta, Bay, and Brook
(and our kid(s) waiting on us in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan!!!)

Here are some pictures from the last yard sale last weekend... whew... it sure is tiring, but we'd do about ANYTHING to be obedient to our Lord.. and for our child(ren)!!!

OK.. I tried 3 times to upload those pics... I give up.. they will come later.. maybe!

Today was an AMAZING day... Humbled by our Lord.. once again..

wow! I never know where to start... and I have to admit I AM EXHAUSTED, but I wanted to post a second and share about the awesome day we had today...
It was COLD and misty and cloudy.. so we didn't even begin to get the stuff out and set up for the yard sale until after noon... (we had so much stuff it was ALL over the entire church... fellowship hall, hallway, entryway, and sanctuary!)... it's amazing... God always blesses and there is ALWAYS so much stuff.... Wow!
We started having customers IMMEDIATELY... and they never stopped... we still had customers at dark.... (I am NOT kidding!)...

We made OVER $1300.00 is about 6 hours (or less)... It was an amazing day... the stuff was just thrown out there... some stuff still in boxes, etc.. and we could hardly even get it set-up for the people EVERYWHERE....

I will post some pictures tomorrow.... and share about the awesomeness of Saturday!!!
We just continue to be blessed and blessed and blessed!!!
Headed to bed... or maybe I will dig out more yard sale items... LOL!!
I didn't even get to the church with anything I planned to take... God is so good! We are so blessed and amazed by our community, family, and friends... :)

Dossier submitted to the region of..........

Pavlodar!!!

I am in shock that I am getting to write this post... My head has been spinning all day and my insides rolling.... wow!
Yes, I knew it would happen... cause I had NO doubt that God was/is in control, but after 2 years of waiting, waiting, waiting, heartache, and waiting.... you begin to wonder if it really will.... does that make sense?
I think that due to this waiting, we have just had to go on with life... and attempt to not let the "what ifs" consume our lives... Yes, it has been difficult to not think about this adoption nonstop, everyday and every second of our lives... but, you have to find a happy place of rest and peace in knowing that the Lord does have all things under control and in his perfect timing all things will come to pass... (humm... I think that might be a scripture! :))

It is incredible to know that we are going to be traveling to the region of Pavlodar... and that we are ONE... (ONE) step away from traveling.... wow!!!!
It's very mind boggling to think about... I remember thinking we'd NEVER clear the consulate.... and now we are submitted to a region.
We are only waiting on our LOI... (Letter of Invitation) to travel... I remember on my timeline on the side of the blog that there were always so many steps still ahead of us.... and tonight I can happily put today's date beside ONE more... incredible!!!

As I was putting the girls in bed tonight we talked about the adoption... as they've heard us talking today about our dossier... and Bay KNOWS that this was the last step before traveling.... They were so excited!!! Brook says... can you go get them NOW Mama... please! We are tired of waiting on them!!! aaahhh... so precious! I asked them what they were looking forward to the most.. and Bay immediately says... well the airport... I can't wait for Nana to bring us to the airport and knowing that you and Daddy and Bubbas(that's what we call them... LOL.. yep, okies through and through.. ha ha!)... are on that plane and we will see them... I'm going to make signs and have balloons, etc... She just starts rambling on and on and on.. and before I know it.. I'm bawling... I've shared before how the airport pics always get me... I can not imagine the emotions that I will be feeling KNOWING that we have our family together in the same spot for the first time.... wow! Makes me cry to write it....

LOL... I have such a mental list of things I have to get DONE now.... Poor Phil...
Long list of stuff to do... that we've put off... and off.. and off.. we've delayed moving the girls into the same room, cause I didn't want the boy room decorated and just sitting there.... as a constant reminder of who wasn't home yet... I didn't want to decorate it "to" early... but, I think it's time to get it all done....
SO EXCITING!!!!!

Well... I could ramble on for hours tonight.. but, I will stop for now..

I did want to let everyone know what an outstanding day we had at the Old Settlers day celebration... we made (PROFIT) about $950.00 with our concession / bake sale! God is so good!!!

The cookbooks are here... if you'd like to order one or several.. just send me a e-mail, leave me a comment or call me... I will post more about these soon...

Garage sale upcoming as well... Oct 9-10... Accepting donations NOW... The fellowship hall at the church is already busting at the seams with donations.... WOW!! God is SO good.. it's amazing!!!

Here are some pictures from Sat...

Some of our AWESOME Help.... We are so blessed!! A special thanks to Rob, Lori, Janet, Josh, Adrienne, my Mom (Nana :)), Justin, and many others who baked items and donated them.... Thank you so very much!!

Rob and Phil were doing a GREAT job serving up the BBQ.... Don't you love their gloves!? :) I should have gotten them some hair nets as well.. hee hee hee....

Here is our massive table of baked goods.... I once again felt led to NOT price any of the baked goods and let people make a donation of ANY amount.... God always comes through! People are always SHOCKED and amazed that there are NO set prices... and give so unselfishly!!!


Brooklyn sampling a breakfast biscuit... we had to make sure the items were good... :)

Bailey - our #1 advertiser! I can't tell you how many people came up to the stand and said... OK where is Bay? She told me all about this and asked me to please come.... to help you get her brothers! Awesome!!! :)

Please say a prayer for us, our finances, the entire situation, and our child(ren) in PAVLODAR, Kazakhstan!

Don't forget... this blog is going PRIVATE soon... Oct 1st... if you haven't let me know you want an invite.... time is winding down!! :)

Unofficial News...

I hesitate to share this on the blog, but can't help myself... We received some "unofficial" news last week from our agency... stating that in Oct. they suspect that our dossier will be submitted to the region of _________________. It is SO stinking exciting to think that we might know exactly where our child(ren) are.... WOW!!!
We've done TONS of research and are ready to go... :-) ha ha...

Anyway... Let the FUNDRAISERS begin!!!
If you live locally and are planning to attend Harvest fest on Sat... PLEASE eat lunch with us... and buy some baked goods... :-)
Help us get our children home... :)

Just a reminder and in case you haven't read the last post... I will be making our blog private on or around Oct. 1st... so let me hear from you if you'd like an invite... I have to say that doing this has been cool because lots of you NEVER comment... and knowing people are really reading my blog has been cool! :)
Love and prayers to all of you today...
~Lanetta

OH.. and for those of you who aren't on Facebook... Brooklyn's appointment with the cardiologist last Monday was AWESOME!! NO heart damage at all!!! God is SO good!!! We see the cardiologist again in 6 months.. and will be on antibiotics until age 25 daily.. We are so thankful for no heart damage and KNOW that God has touched her little body... Thanks so much for the sweet comments, thoughts, and prayers..

Update~ Brooklyn, Adoption, Fundraisers, and going private!

Below is an e-mail update I sent out tonight....

Hello to everyone tonight!!
I hope this e-mail finds all of you well and enjoying the first few days of Sept. Wow! Can you believe it's already September?
I have LOTS of stuff to share, so I apologize in advance for this long update/post!!!

First off, an update on Brooklyn... I'd like to thank everyone who has been praying for her/us over the past few weeks... she is doing VERY well for the severity of Rheumatic Fever and we KNOW this is totally due to the Lord answering all the prayers that have been sent up for her... We have felt those prayers and have once again felt so loved and cherished by our family and friends! God is SO good!!!
She has an appointment with the Pediatric Cardiologist tomorrow.. and we KNOW that it will turn out fine as well... just seeing them to establish a baseline and monitor her heart closely.
Please continue to wrap her in prayer hugs.... and give the Lord praise and thanks for healing her little body!! We know it is DONE!!!

I do want to share a small story about the morning I found the HUGE swelling on the posterior right side of her little head... I held it together as best I could while finishing getting her ready (we were already heading to the Dr., due to HUGE swollen knees and not being able to walk at all!)... I made arrangements for Bailey and then got Brook settled as best I could in her car seat in the van... I got her favorite movie in and going and she relaxed some and was watching that... I turned the rear view mirror so she couldn't see me... hunkered down behind my seat (while driving), and lost it!!! I did the normal thing.. "God what is going on here? You know that Phil and I gave these kids to you WAY before you ever gave them to us...God are you forsaking me? God you CAN'T let her be REALLY sick... God I CAN"T lose my BABY!!!! God do you hear me?!!!" I was crying out and you know what... God spoke to my heart in such a profound way....
He said, "HAVE PEACE!!! This is just another chapter in the book, LANETTA, HAVE PEACE!!! It's just another chapter in the book!"
Looking back now I sort of think it's funny that God spoke to me twice.. the 2nd time was MUCH more forceful, as if too say, Lanetta... STRAIGHTEN UP!!!

I have to admit that it was and has been very scary.. even with having the amazing reassurance that God had all things under control and this was just more of "our story" that God was giving us to share... it was still hard to watch your baby in pain and suffering.. Honestly, I have NO idea how anyone would get through such a thing without the reassurance of our Lord.... We have already had numerous opportunities to share about Christ, his love and healing POWER as a result of Brook being sick... God has a plan in all things... and we are just attempting to be willing vessels, living our lives for him!!!

ok.. so now that we're all caught up on Brooklyn... let's talk ADOPTION!!!
Some of you already know due to facebook or reading our blog, but we found out on Sept. 2nd that our dossier had cleared the MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) office in Kazakhstan and is now at the MOE (Ministry of Education)... if you are not aware of the process regarding international adoption and Kazakhstan in particular, I'm sure you have NO idea the significance of this... THIS IS HUGE!! We are one step closer to our boy(s)...
These are the steps we have left: :-)

• Dossier (HUGE packet of adoption paperwork) is currently at MOE.
• Dossier submitted to a region. (Meaning we'll know the exact city our children are in.. and where we will be traveling too! HUGE deal!!!)
  
• Receive LOI (Letter of Invitation) to come to the country and meet available child(ren).
  
• Travel to Kazakhstan (Finally!!) and meet our child(ren)!!!
  

So, as you can see we are WAY closer than we've ever been before.... I think we're still in shock... It's been over 1 year and 10 months since our application was approved with our agency... When it was approved they said completed adoption from that point was 9-12 months! :-) God's timing is different and we've seen his hand in the timing... so we know that this journey will be completed when he says it's time!!!

Speaking of timing and travel... We have taken several weeks off from fundraising due to Brook being sick and a much needed break for us...

Yes, honestly, we are VERY tired of fundraising, but know that God has blessed thus far and we will continue to press through until the very thing he has called us too comes to pass!! (1 Thes 5:14)

My mom, Phil, and I were talking the other day and I shared with them about how that I know God could speak to someone to open their heart to give us the remaining money needed or somehow, someway provide the exact amount needed to complete this adoption, but I don't think it's going to happen that way... (I might be wrong... which is OK!!!!!)... but, it is during the fundraisers where we are truly sharing from our hearts about orphans, and how that God spoke to us in a magnificent way to do this... and when we share how we did not have the means... and he's provided EVERY single step of the way... We were obedient and he's met us there.... it's when we share and people see first hand God moving... that their lives are touched!!! Early on in this adoption, God spoke to us that getting these boy(s) home was the least thing he was doing with this adoption.. :-)

SO, as you can imagine my next paragraph is sharing about fundraisers...

If you are tired of fundraising.. and hearing about our fundraisers... STOP reading here!! and if not, Thanks! :-)

FUNDRAISER UPDATES AND INFO---

• Sept 26th - _________ Harvest Fest. We are going to sell BBQ sandwiches, Chips, and pop.. We are going to also have a bake sale. If you would like to donate baked items, we'd appreciate it SO much... Please contact me and we'll happily take any baked items anyone would like to donate. If you are going to attend Harvest Fest, please find our booth and each lunch with us... I promise the BBQ will be delicious and thanks in advance for all our help, support, and love... :-)
  
  
• Oct 9-10 - YARD SALE @ __________________________ - Accepting donations NOW! If you have donations and would like to get rid of them NOW.. we will take them, however if you can hang on to them until the week of the sale, we'd appreciate that as well!!!! I will send out a reminder in a few weeks!!!
  
  
• We have 200 MORE cookbooks ordered.... If you didn't get one last time, there is another chance... I've had several people tell me they LOVE theirs and wish I had more...so we stepped out in faith once again and ordered 200 more!! What a GREAT and easy Christmas Present!!! A friend was telling me she's going to make a basket with ingredients from one recipe and the cookbook in it... What a Great idea... They are going to be $10.00 each this time... and as always... I am happy to ship books anywhere!! Please help me sell these without much work on my part... please... if you would like some or would like to sell some for us... please let me know.... They are supposed to ship to us on Oct. 16th!!!
  
  
• Premier Jewelry Party - We have a Jewelry party in the works and YES this is also an excellent Christmas IDEA as well... and we can do catalog orders anywhere around the world!!!!! More details coming soon!!!
  
  
• Recycling Fundraiser - ONGOING... We are still gathering ink cartridges, cell phones, digital cameras, and laptops... thanks so much for the response we've received.. please keep em' coming... Every little bit adds up!!

Please know that any and all help with any and all of the above fundraisers is SO appreciated... I'm telling you every time I am exhausted beyond belief, someone steps up and volunteers to help me.. Thanks so much!!!

You are all adding jewels to your crowns and know that everyone of you is loved and prayed for by Phil and I... we pray that God will bless all of you beyond your wildest dreams!!!



One last item I am sad to have to address.... Our agency has advised us that we need to make our blog private... this means you will have to log in to have access to our blog... Them advising this is very wise, due to my OPENNESS about lots of subjects (that's all I will say about this)... but, this means that you will need to contact me if you'd like to continue to read our blog... Blog Address: www.gobblefamilyadoption.blogspot.com

I am going to make our blog private on Oct. 1st... so if you'd like to be invited to the end of this journey and follow us while in country (yes, we're really going!)... then let me know!! I will make our blog public again once we are through the court process and home or on our way home!!!



Thanks again and God bless!!!

Have a great day!

Lanetta Gobble

News!!

We heard from our agency today and our dossier has succesfully passed through the MOFA... so it's now at the MOE... Very excited to hear of movement!

I have a LONG update coming soon.. (hopefully over the weekend... )

Have a GREAT weekend!!

Ramblings... BEWARE!!!

ok.. I just want to start out by saying that this is MY blog... my place to share my thoughts, my feelings, my heart... so, I need to vent about this.. and decided this was the place...

Let me give you an update on our little Brooklyn so you'll have more of a clue about why I'm so worked up...

She has been VERY sick the past few weeks.. Started with random joint swelling (and bruising), pain, and low grade fever.. ended with NUMEROUS ER visits, Dr's visits and a trip to OU Children's Hospital..(within that time frame lots of things were thrown at us like leukemia, lupus, juv. rheum. arthritis.. etc.. ) and even suspected a brain tumor at one point due to a HUGE swelling on her head...

Talk about a SCARY and LONG 3 weeks. We ended up with a diagnosis of Rheumatic Fever. They are saying the Rheum. Fever was caused by an untreated strep infection. (She came in contact with strep and her little body never showed any signs or symptoms of it.) Her body then began fighting the infection and began to work against itself. She does not and did not have strep now or when they did the testing, but the Rheum. Fever was the side effects of having had the infection. Due to her YOUNG age and SEVERITY of symptoms (she couldn't even walk part of the time), they are saying that she has a heightened chance of heart conditions later in life and the next infection/virus could/will go straight to her little heart.

They are treating her with LONG term antibiotics and we have an appointment with a pedia. cardiologist in a few weeks. (to follow her heart very closely).. We had a tonsiladnoidectomy last Fri. as a preventive measure to try to keep the infection down.... while all this is going on.. Phil and Bay both get sick, therefore have to stay away from Brook for 48+ hours. I had to take Brook after surgery and stay at my mom's... whew... wow.. what a 3 week stretch... oh.. and school started back and I went back to work... :-)

Ok... so as you can imagine the stress level has been high..
I have been asked numerous ?'s about Brook and about our family lately...
One question that I've been asked more than once that really upsets me is this:
Is the adoption still on? Are you still going through with the adoption?

Now, if you are reading this blog post and you've wondered that same thing... I'm sorry... but, I'm just going to be blunt here! This is the only way I know how to explain how significant this ? is to me...

Asking me that question would be like asking me (if I was 8 months pregnant), if I was going to terminate the pregnancy since Brook is sick. That is what that question feels like to me... I about fell over the first time I was asked... but, as I was asked it several times, I realized that there are so many people that obviously DO NOT GET THIS OR ME!!! That is ok.. but, I had to share my thoughts about this...

Not going through with this adoption would be like suffering the death of one or my children.... I love my future baby(ies) like I do my girls.. Those of you that have been pregnant can relate... you feel the baby move, you know it's there.. you already LOVE it long before holding it for the first time... That is what has happened to Phil and I both... I can hardly talk about my boy(s) without tearing up... My heart is so consumed with love for them, I can hardly stand it... I know that this is hard for some of you to "get"... and if you don't that's ok..

God spoke to my heart on Sept. 24, 2007... and he didn't ask me to do it... I asked him... God WHAT CAN I DO... HOW CAN I MAKE A DIFFERENCE? It was then that I knew.. Phil and I were supposed to adopt... I think the seed of love and adoption for my future babies was birthed that day and has grown into something that is SO hard for me to put into words...
I am crying as I write this post...
yes, Brook could have long term heart problems... do you think God didn't know that when he spoke to me?

There are one or two children in Kazakhstan that God made specifically for Phil and I to love and raise... When those boy(s) were being formed in their Mother's Womb... God had a plan for their little lives.. and he knew at that MOMENT in time that they were my children....

So.. yes, the adoption is still on.. We will fight, wait, cry, and we will pray, praise and wait longer until God sees fit that we complete our family..

who knows.. we might even do this again after Kazakhstan...
You know there are 143 million babies without a family or ANYONE to care for them TONIGHT... right now as you go and snuggle into your warm bed... there are children dying of starvation and neglect.. Children alone...

Lord please use us for your Glory!