An Adoption Fund!

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27

My brother & sister in-law, Jason & Shana Gerdes, are hoping to adopt a baby!  They are so anxious to have a child they can call their own, and so are we!  A typical adoption is around $25,000, and for most of us, that is a LOT of money, and it can really be a burden on families wanting to adopt.  To help Jason & Shana out with that burden and stress, Derek & I put together a fundraising event for them!  Invites were given or sent for a 'Non-Event Event'. (Sounds a little confusing but it's not!)  We know that everyone's schedules are crazy busy, especially in December, so the fundraiser isn't your typical soup supper or spaghetti supper.  The invite is encouraging you to spend a night at home with your families rather that going out to dinner or a movie and paying a babysitter.  Jason & Shana can't wait to have those nights at home with their own child/children, so we thought it was a great way to bring families together to enjoy a night at home, watching a favorite Christmas movie, or playing boardgames and eating popcorn or hot chocolate!  The fundraising part of it is encouraging families to consider donating what money they would have spent on a night out to their Adoption Fund!  $5, $10, $25, $50 or $100.. There is no set amount that you have to give, so you can donate whatever amount you wish! 

I know that we couldn't get invites to everyone we know, so wanted to post this on our blog for those of you who faithfully read our blog or follow our updates via facebook.  If you would like to contribute to this fund, please send it to:

Derek & Jamie Gerdes

7404 W 51st Street

Sioux Falls, SD  57106

If you would also like to send along a note of encouragement and promise to pray, that would be GREAT!  We are planning to give them all of the collected donations on Christmas Day!  I couldn't think of a better gift to give this Christmas and I hope you consider it as well! 

The 3 sides of the triangle represent the birth family,the adoptive family and the adoptee. 

The heart intertwined represents the love involved in the relationship of adoption. 

Chubby Hubby Bars

And I've got one word to sum this recipe up, FLOP. 

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and my mouth watered for them.  I was SO excited for them! 
An oooey- gooey, carmely & chocolately bar that I wanted so badly to master.  They were a complete FLOP!  The name of the bar was just to cute to pass up, and I knew it would be a bar that Derek would love.  If you are interested in giving them a whirl yourself, here is the recipe.  Good luck, and if they turn out deliciously for you, please drop some by our house. :)

Chubby Hubby Bars- courtesy of Pinterest
Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pretzels
• 1 (8oz) bag of Reese’s Mini cups (or 2 cups coarsely chopped full sized Reese’s)
• 1 (14 oz) bag of caramels, unwrapped
• 1 Tbsp water
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray a 9×13 pan lightly with cooking spray.
3. Beat together your butter and sugars until light and fluffy, approx 1 min.
4. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until incorporated.
5. On low speed add in your salt, baking soda and flour, mixing until just combined.
6. Slowly add in your Reese's and Pretzels, mixing until evenly distributed.
7. Spread in your prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
8. Let cool completely. Approx 30 minutes to an hour.
9. When cooled, melt your caramels and 1 Tbsp water in a microwave safe bowl stirring every minute until melted.
10. Pour over your bars.
11. Chill in fridge for 15 minutes to set caramel.
12. Melt your chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave and spread over caramel.
13. Put back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.
14. Cut into squares when ready to serve.

If you want a detailed, step by step guide, click here!  I don't have a picture of one of my adorable blue eyed boy's indulging in the bar like the website has.  Instead, I have this for you.  A picture of my attempt at removing the bars from the pan.  Like I said, totally embarrassing, but I didn't promise I would succeed at every new recipe I tried :)

I don't own a 9x13 pan, so could it be that I used a casserole dish?  Thank goodness my mom is buying me a new pan for Christmas!  I never would have thought I would be listing kitchen items, or crocheting supplies on my Christmas wish list.  You'd like I was a retired lady :)